Juan Ramon Sereno: The Wise Slave

Chapter 32: Return

I don't know how long I lost consciousness. The last thing I remember is that Toby's elbow hit my stomach and that was the reason I lost consciousness in the first place. But this doesn't explain the feeling like I was being beaten by large waves before I was out. I also don't know why I feel like I'm being baked under the hot sun. And this goes without saying that I also feel like I'm lying on sand.

I tried to sit up. But as soon as I moved an inch, I suddenly felt a searing pain on my stomach, as though Toby hit me with his elbow again.

"GAAAAAAAARRRGGHBBbbbblllleeeeeeeeaaaaarrrrrgh!"

I couldn't take the pain in my stomach, I then puked on the floor as a result. Moments after this, a nurse arrived to come to my aid.

"Oh my! You're awake! Please relax," the nurse quickly said, then did her work.

I lay flat on the bed again and looked around. I think I'm inside a room in the university hospital. I've entered here once before when I accompanied a college classmate when he got a nosebleed. The sun's rays entered the window and hit me directly in the face so I could feel its heat from the outside. When I felt my bed, I realized this really is a hospital, and for some reason, I feel like I'm lying on sand when I lie down one of these hospital beds.

I looked at my bedside table and saw Granddad's pendant. As soon as I set my eyes on it, all memories I had back at the different dimension pierced through my head like spears all at once. All events that transpired rushed to my brain until I got an extreme headache because of it.

"Are you alright?" the nurse asked me when she saw me gripping my head with both hands.

I just nodded and asked, "What day is it?"

"Uh, October 27th," the nurse answered.

"Y-year," I grunted. "W-what year?"

"Huh? Year 2012," the nurse said, doubting whether I really am alright or not. "Please relax because that was quite an impact your stomach received. Please excuse me."

Before the nurse went out, I called, "Sorry for making such a mess."

The nurse turned to me and said, "That's alright. That's what happens when someone's hit hard on the abdomen. So please take it easy."

The nurse finally went out of the room. I looked around once again and saw that Toby and I were in the same room. He looked like he's in a deep sleep and his right foot was already in a cast. I didn't want to talk to him right now because first, I didn't want to disturb his sleep; second, I was afraid to vomit again once I open my mouth; and last, I didn't have any idea what I would tell him regarding the accident at the dojo.

I looked at a clock hanging by the wall and saw that it was already eleven in the morning. It appears that only a few hours have passed in this dimension while several years passed in Joseph's dimension.

Aside from my stomachache and headache, I felt as though I didn't sleep for several days, months, and even years. That's why when I closed my eyes, I immediately dozed off again.

The clock was what I saw first when I woke up. It was already 1:20 in the afternoon. I heard a conversation inside the room. I also couldn't feel the pain on my stomach anymore: a good sign that I could be discharged today. I looked around to see my judo classmates surrounding Toby.

"Ah, Ramon's awake," Cedric called on to his companions.

Everyone looked at me, including Toby. It's evident that he's still guilty about what happened back at the dojo.

"Ramon, I'm really sorry for what I did," he pleaded. "I didn't know what happened, but I raised my elbow and I didn't think that it would hit your stomach. I'm really sorry. I'd understand if you would never talk to me again, but at least forgive me."