Rehabilitation Therapist for the Broken Warrior

“I wonder if Sion is alright…”

Today, too, I spent the entire day seeing patients, conducting diagnoses, and assisting with rehabilitation.

Now that my work is done, it’s time to check on Sion, whom I’ve left to rest as her Buff Addiction withdrawal symptoms emerge.

I instructed Serin to inform me immediately if anything happened to Sion, so there shouldn’t be any problems, right?

“?”

I headed towards the inpatient ward to see Sion, but Serin was sitting in the hallway in front of Room 104.

“Serin. Why are you out here?”

“Director Hope, you’re here.”

Serin stood up and faced me as I called her.

“I asked you to watch Sion.”

“Sion asked to be left alone.”

“When?”

“Right after you left.”

Right after I left? I started my rounds after taking Sion to her room a little past 3 o’clock, so…

“So you’ve left Sion alone for over three hours?”

“Yes…”

“Do you think that’s acceptable? I asked you to watch her!”

“Well… I was checking on her. Constantly, through the window in the door.”

“So, how is she now?”

“There’s nothing unusual, so it would be better if you saw for yourself. She seems to be lying on her side, completely still.”

Lying still…

Come to think of it, Serin had said about Sion in her usual state, “Unless she’s with me, she’s mostly still.”

Since Serin said she was watching her constantly, should I take a look as well?

I wanted to see what Sion was like when I wasn’t around.

“……”

As I peered through the window in the door, Sion was just as Serin described—lying on her side, hugging the Ladybug cushion tightly, eyes closed, and completely still.

Is she sleeping?

“?!”

I was about to observe her more closely, thinking she might be asleep, but Sion suddenly opened her eyes and looked straight at me.

Our eyes met in an instant. To avoid being caught peeping, I hurriedly opened the door and went inside.

“Sion, I’m here.”

“Director Hope!”

As I entered, Sion sat up, got out of bed, and ran towards me…

How?

“Sion?”

“Ah, Director Hope! I missed you! I was waiting for you. I waited so long!”

Sion jumped and hugged me.

Earlier in the exercise room, she was embarrassed to be clinging to me like a koala, but now, because we’re alone in her room, she’s hugging me like this?

And though I caught her instinctively, how is Sion even moving?

“How are you moving right now?”

“Huh? Moving? Me?”

“You just ran and hugged me.”

“Did I? I ran and hugged you?”

Sion, with her arms and legs wrapped around me, seemed fascinated by the fact that she had strength in her limbs. She started squeezing me tightly.

“Haha, Director Hope is here and my body is moving. It’s so nice. Am I dreaming? I must be having a wonderful dream~”

A dream? Oh dear. It seems she thinks she’s asleep.

It looks like her body and mind have entered a sort of heightened state, causing this delusion.

I have to stop her from moving, at least. I don’t know what kind of repercussions there might be if she overexerts herself.

“Sion, relax your body. You can’t overdo it. I’ll help you lie back down.”

“Heehee, Director Hope says the same things in my dreams.”

“This isn’t a dream, Sion. It’ll be bad if you move around right now.”

“But I can move. It’s so wonderful~ To be able to hug Director Hope like this, it’s like a dream. Ah, is it a dream? Heehee.”

Sion nuzzled against me as she clung to me.

For a moment, I felt dizzy and almost lost my composure, but I managed to regain my senses.

Telling her it wasn’t a dream was pointless; she wasn’t listening at all.

Just like someone having a seizure or hallucination, what they believe is their reality, and telling them otherwise is useless.

This episode is truly dangerous… Stopping Sion as she happily clings to me is harder than comforting her when she’s in pain.

Anyway, since it was dangerous for her to keep exerting force on her limbs, I sat down on a chair, holding her, and positioned her so she was sitting on my lap.

This way, it would be less strenuous than her hanging onto me.

“Director Hope, I waited for you. My body wouldn’t move, and I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to rehabilitate, ever. It was so hard, depressing, and painful, but I somehow endured it. Because you promised to come see me after work!”

Sion was speaking with a smile, but her words were a shock to me.

Had Sion actually… been feeling that way? That she was struggling, depressed, and in pain.

It was dangerous that Sion was mistaking this situation for a dream, but I was grateful that I could hear her honest feelings.

I had tried various ways to understand her emotional state, but I never expected to hear such a candid response in a situation like this.

“Sion…”

Even though Sion was a hero, she was also struggling and suffering.

Because she was a hero, because her ability to endure pain and hardship was incomparably higher than others, I vaguely assumed she was alright.

I had ignored the fact that even if the pain is bearable, the feeling of pain itself is the same for everyone.

I hadn’t realized that the more pain someone can endure, the greater the suffering they might actually be experiencing.

Because Sion had been standing strong, enduring it all, when others would have long since crumbled and lost their minds.

I hadn’t realized that Sion might have wanted to cling to me like this, to act spoiled, even just a little.

How could I, who didn’t even know how much pain my patient was in, call myself her rehabilitation doctor?

“Director Hope, I did well, right? Just the thought of you coming to see me gave me the strength to endure. You’ll praise me, won’t you? If you do, I can continue to…”

“What do you mean, you did well?”

“…Huh?”

Even though I was the one who should be blamed and reprimanded, I pathetically ended up blaming Sion.

Because I wasn’t as strong as her, and I couldn’t shoulder as much as she could.

“You should have told me if you were in pain and struggling. Why hide your pain from the person who’s supposed to heal you? If you just keep enduring, if you just keep holding it all in…!”

And I couldn’t even blame her properly.

My throat tightened, and I couldn’t speak.

“I… can’t heal you.”

I finally managed to finish my sentence and looked at Sion’s condition.

Sion, who had been clinging tightly to me and nuzzling against me, was still sitting on my lap, but at some point, she had slightly pulled away, creating enough distance for us to face each other.

And her expression was…

“Did I… do something wrong?”

Her eyes were trembling, filled with fear.

Just like a child being scolded by a parent.

“I tried my best to endure even though it was painful and difficult… Was I not supposed to do that? Then what was I supposed to…!”

Damn it, what am I even doing?

*Thump*

“?!”

I placed my hand on the head of Sion, who was on the verge of tears.

Startled by the unexpected gesture, Sion looked up at me with wide, dazed eyes.

“Sion, you did well. It’s my fault, I’m inadequate. But from now on, you have to tell me if you’re struggling or feeling down. Okay?”

“……”

Sion slowly lowered her head.

“I… got praised.”

Did she feel good because I put my hand on her head? The corners of her lips seemed to curve upwards in a faint smile.

“Sion, you’re always doing well. I’ll praise you all you want, so promise me now. Promise me you’ll tell me if you’re struggling or feeling down. That you won’t endure it all alone in silence.”

“Tell you if I’m struggling. Do not endure alone. Okay. I promise.”

I felt a surge of affection for Sion for making that promise. I moved my hand on her head, stroking her hair gently.

Sion then burrowed into my chest, hugging me again, her head still lowered.

It seemed like she had calmed down a bit. To think Sion’s despair was this deep.

Buff Addiction, first discovered in another world as a failed case of rehabilitation, was still uncharted territory for me.

There wasn’t much data on the withdrawal symptoms of stopping Buff usage, how the patient’s body and mind react to it, or how to deal with it.

There had been quite a few tragic cases of patients with Buff Addiction failing rehabilitation, giving up on treatment, or becoming completely debilitated.

Yet, even with such a difficult situation before me, I had been optimistic, relying on Sion’s strength.

To think I had been so oblivious to the fact that Sion was suffering like this.

It seemed this situation required a more proactive approach.

The treatment plan of simply stopping the Buff and hoping Sion would overcome it was now deemed a failure.

At least while Sion was suffering like this, I felt it was best to focus entirely on her.

“Sion.”

“Yes, Director Hope.”

“Starting next week… let’s go on a recuperation trip together.”

“Huh?”

“So your Buff Addiction withdrawal symptoms can subside quickly. We’ll relax in a place with fresh air and a peaceful atmosphere.

Forget about treatment and exercise, just the two of us. What do you think?”

“……”

Sion didn’t answer for a while. What was she thinking?

“Haha, this is such a wonderful dream. A recuperation trip with Director Hope.”

Perhaps she couldn’t believe it? If so, I’ll just let it go for now and tell her again later.

I was looking forward to seeing her reaction then.