“Ah? Schizophrenia?” The woman was instantly stunned, her eyes filled with shock.

“Yes, according to the current scientific and medical systems, if many people witness incredible, strange, or supernatural phenomena at the same time, we can call it a mirage. But if only one person can see it and no one else can, then it can be called a hallucination. And hallucinations often stem from schizophrenia.” The middle-aged man looked at Gavin Dawson with sympathy, then said heavily, “He said we all have floating, rotating blue characters outside our bodies—if that’s not a hallucination, what is it? This incident of his is a classic case. Although the cause of schizophrenia still has no clear definition, to have an onset just from a blow to the head…”

Chapter 002: The Meaning of Numbers

“Mr. Dawson, can you still see those characters?” In the hospital room, after the middle-aged doctor had performed a thorough check and mild treatment both physically and psychologically, he finally asked the question again.

“I… can’t see them anymore, really can’t.” Gavin Dawson opened his eyes again and looked at the doctor’s chest, discovering that the two lines of blue characters were still eerily rotating around him. He was about to say he could see them, but recalling the recent examination and treatment, he immediately shook his head vigorously.

He wouldn’t admit to seeing them again, not even if it killed him—otherwise, who knows what more torment he’d have to endure.

In fact, those blue characters were indeed strange. Only when Gavin Dawson focused intently on a person would they clearly appear; if he just glanced or looked normally, they would hide away as if they didn’t exist.

By now, he also knew the doctor’s diagnosis: suspicion that the blow had triggered schizophrenia. Thinking of this, Gavin Dawson was overwhelmed with sorrow and couldn’t help but want to cry.

Damn fate, how could it mess with him like this? He had only graduated from college half a month ago, hadn’t found a job, the living expenses from his parents were almost gone, and not only had he lost his phone, but after impulsively trying to catch a thief, he ended up with schizophrenia?

How was he supposed to face the rest of his life? Schizophrenia was a mental illness!

The more he thought about it, the more Gavin Dawson couldn’t help but cast a deeply resentful look at the tall, oval-faced beauty at the foot of the bed. Wasn’t all this trouble caused by your shout of “catch the thief”? And now?

It was the first time in her life that Lily Harris had been gazed at so tearfully by a grown man. She shivered involuntarily, but then her pretty face was filled with embarrassment. If she’d known things would turn out like this, she might as well have let the thief clean out her house.

What to do now? No matter what, the delicate young man before her had gotten hurt helping her catch a thief. If she just ignored him, her conscience would be uneasy. But could she really take responsibility? Even just the cost of Gavin Dawson’s examination, treatment, and hospital stay had already exceeded the value of what the thief stole, and far surpassed her monthly salary.

As she thought about it, Lily Harris’s gaze toward Gavin Dawson also gradually filled with grievance.

“Ahem…” The middle-aged doctor didn’t let the two continue their resentful staring contest, but quickly cleared his throat and changed the subject. “Ms. Harris, it seems Mr. Dawson’s condition has stabilized for now. In fact, our Second Hospital isn’t specialized in schizophrenia. If you want to help Mr. Dawson recover quickly, I suggest you go to the Third Hospital. Their psychiatry department is quite well-known even nationally… In my opinion, Mr. Dawson’s condition isn’t very serious, probably an early onset. As long as treatment is timely, it should be easy to control. You should consider it.”

After saying this, the doctor walked out of the ward.

The room fell silent again.

After a long, long time, Gavin Dawson finally gave a bitter smile and said, “I should be fine now, no need for further treatment. Thank you.”

This wasn’t Lily Harris’s fault. She’d already done well by bringing him to the hospital last night. After all, it was the thief who knocked him down, and he’d only acted out of anger and frustration over his lost phone and his dire situation. If he couldn’t find a job soon, he wouldn’t even be able to afford food or rent next month, let alone buy a new phone. That’s why, in a moment of confusion, instead of breaking his fall with his hands, he twisted his body before hitting the ground… Otherwise, no matter how many times he fell, he wouldn’t have hit the back of his head.

So, if anyone was to blame, it was himself—for not having money to buy a new phone, for not being able to catch the thief who stole his phone, and for being especially angry at the sudden appearance of another thief.

“You…” After the silence was broken, Lily Harris was stunned at first, then became anxious. She wanted to persuade Gavin Dawson to get more treatment, but thinking of the cost, she fell silent again. For the rest of this month, she’d probably have to live on instant noodles. If they transferred to the Third Hospital?