Chapter 1 — Last Hope

I went to the hospital to visit my sister-in-law - who had been lying motionless for more than a year. While changing the medicine, the nurse suddenly slipped a piece of paper into my hand.

"Don't continue to pay hospital fees. Check the camera early last Wednesday morning."

My heart stopped. For more than a year, my sister-in-law has been in a coma and has not woken up. My brother and I took turns being on duty day and night, almost wiping out our entire inheritance just to keep a fragile glimmer of hope. That piece of paper was like a bolt of lightning tearing through the thick night. But at the same time... it also brings with it a terrifying feeling of suffocation. Last Wednesday morning... what happened? I tightened my grip on the piece of paper and rushed straight to the surveillance room. However, when checking— the video recording of that period of time… mysteriously disappeared. Not a technical error. It's like... someone intentionally erased it. After all, who is hiding what? One year of her sister-in-law's coma... could it be that it was never simply an accident? Housekeeper Truong put a cotton swab in my hand. Her hands were rough, her fingertips were a bit cold. Underneath the cotton swab... clip a folded piece of paper. My heart suddenly skipped a beat.

"Tieu Hy, sister-in-law's lips are dry, please wipe her."

My brother, Tran Loi, was sitting next to me peeling apples, his head not looking up. I tightened my grip on the cotton swab, pretending to calmly walk to the hospital bed. Sister-in-law Luu Van lay still. The ventilator makes a very quiet, regular, stable "hissing" sound. It's been a year. She's like a sleeping princess... only she'll never wake up. I dipped a cotton swab in warm water and gently wiped it on her lips. The piece of paper under my fingertips pressed into my palm. My brother peels the apple very skillfully, long and thin, each ring hanging down without breaking. He is always so patient. With my sister-in-law, with me, with everything. Ms. Truong pushed the medicine cart out. I threw the used cotton swab into the trash, my palms were wet with sweat. My brother cut the apple into small pieces and put them in the blender.

"Tieu Hy, you go home first, it's okay to be here with me."

“Brother, I'm not tired.”

“Listen, I have to go to work tomorrow, I can't stand it.”

His voice was very gentle, carrying familiar concern. But I looked at him... and saw something strange. He poured the pureed apple juice into a cup and used a small spoon to feed his sister-in-law little by little. The movements are mature and gentle. A year ago, my sister-in-law fell down the stairs... then became what she is now. The doctor said it was an accident. The police also said it was an accident. My family almost wiped out all of our savings, my brother even sold our wedding house. Everyone praises Tran Loi as a loving and respectful husband. I also used to think so. Until… that piece of paper just now. I made an excuse to go to the bathroom. Closing the door, I opened my palm. The piece of paper was damp with sweat and slightly wrinkled. There was only one scribbled line on it: Don't pay any more hospital fees, check the camera early last Wednesday morning. My heart contracted strongly.

“Paying hospital fees… camera…”

Those two words were like sharp needles piercing my head. My sister-in-law's hospital bills have always been taken care of by my brother. He said he sold the house and took out another loan, telling me not to worry. Last Wednesday morning. I stared at those words. That night, he called me, said his sister-in-law's condition was critical, and told me to immediately go to the hospital. When When I arrived, he sat alone in the hallway, his eyes red. He said the doctor had given emergency treatment, but the situation was not positive, he could... die at any time. I hugged him and cried for a long time. Now that I think about it... everything feels so real it's scary. It's so real that I can't find a single flaw. So what does this piece of paper... actually mean? I walked out of the bathroom. My brother has finished cleaning up.

“Let's go, I'll take you down.”

I called you back.

“Last Wednesday morning... sister-in-law was very dangerous, wasn't she?”

He paused for a second. A flash of panic flashed in his eyes. But very quickly... he regained his composure.

"Yes, the doctor even announced that he was in critical condition, luckily he survived."

He sighed and patted my shoulder.

"It's over, don't think too much."

I looked straight into his eyes. In there... there is only fatigue and sadness. There is no trace of a lie. But I still decided... to go see. I say goodbye to you. Don't go home. But go straight to the hospital monitoring room.

“Hello, I want to see the camera from last Wednesday.”

The guard yawned, his lazy eyelids not bothering to lift.

"Watch the camera? Who showed it to you?"

“I am a family member of the patient in room 1203, there is something I need to confirm.”

“Family members are not allowed to view it arbitrarily, they must have a note from the hospital leadership.”

“Please understand, this is really important.”

I pulled out a few bills from my wallet and secretly passed them over. The guard's eyes immediately lit up. He stuffed the money into his pocket and slowly stood up.

“What time?”

“Last Wednesday, from two to four in the morning, 12th floor hallway.”

He worked on the computer for a while. A dense list of monitoring files appears on the screen. He scrolled up, finding the correct folder for that day. One o'clock in the morning. One and a half hours. Go to file two o'clock in the morning— is a gray icon. On it… there was a red exclamation mark. He tried opening it a few more times. The screen pops up with a message: The file is damaged or lost. The blood in my body... cold.

"Why is it lost? Why is it lost?"

"How do you know? Hard drives sometimes fail, or are overwritten, that's normal."

His voice was so calm that it gave people goosebumps. Normal? It's not too early, it's not too late... and it was just at dawn last Wednesday? In this world... there are so many coincidences. I walked out of the monitoring room. The cold wind blew and I shivered slightly. The piece of paper was still in his pocket. Hard as a blade. It was like a key… opening a door I had never dared to look at. And behind that door— is a bottomless abyss. I came home, my mind was in chaos. The living room light is still on. My brother, Tran Loi, sat on the sofa, not yet changed his clothes. He held a cigarette in his hand... but didn't light it yet.

“Why are you coming back now?”

His voice lowered.

“Road blockage.”

I lied, not daring to look into your eyes. He asked again.

“Let's go for a walk, breathe to relieve stuffiness.”

I changed my shoes and conveniently threw my bag on the shelf. He stood up and moved closer. He was a head taller than me, his shadow fell over me, making me feel like I was being swallowed whole.

“Did you… just go to the surveillance room?”

My whole body stiffened. Surely my expression betrayed everything.

“Who will let me go?”

His voice was still very calm. But underneath that layer of calm… was a fire being pressed down.

“I just want to watch… night That's just how dangerous sister-in-law is."

I made up a clumsy reason.

“Didn't I already tell you?”

“I... I'm worried about you.”

I bowed my head, my voice fading.

"I'm afraid you'll think too hard, afraid you won't be able to stand being alone..."

He was silent. A moment later, he reached out and patted my head. The force is very strong.

“You stupid girl.”

His voice softened.

“I'm okay, I can handle it.”

He pulled me to sit on the sofa.

"In the hospital, broken cameras are normal, don't think nonsense."

You seem to know what I'm thinking. Or to be more precise... you are leading me, forcing me to believe in a certain "truth".

“Besides, even if the camera isn't broken, can I see anything? At most it's just doctors and nurses coming in and out, with you sitting in the hallway like an idiot."

He laughed to himself.

“Tieu Hy, I know you love your sister-in-law. You too.”

He grabbed my hand, his palm was hot and dry.

“Now we can only take good care of her… wait for her to wake up.”

“Wait for her to wake up…”

I repeat that sentence. What if… she never wakes up? What if... this coma was not an accident? That thought just flashed—I was startled too. How is that possible? That's my brother. He is the person I grew up with, blood and flesh.

“Is… the money not enough anymore?”

"Don't worry about money, I'm here."

“Brother, how much did you end up selling the house for? The house is sold, we are renting a house. He also quit his job and stayed at the hospital all day. The money in the house has been depleted for a long time… so where did that money come from?”

These questions... I've wanted to ask for a long time.

“I borrowed it from my friends. My sister-in-law knows a lot, everyone is willing to help.”

He answered so smoothly that it was impossible to catch a mistake.

“Which friend? Tell me. Later, when I have money, I will pay them back twice as much."

"Okay, don't interfere in adult matters."

He immediately changed the subject.

“Go take a shower and go to sleep, you have work tomorrow.”