Strongest Maniac: Born in an Asylum

Vice Director Lee had something on his mind.

He wanted to send the two mental patients back. Based on his years of observation, these two were terrifying, and keeping them in the hospital was not a good idea.

In just one day of their stay, the hospital had already suffered losses. A replaced lightbulb, a fried power outlet. These things cost money. Even if it was just pocket change, it was still money. He'd have to snatch a lot of digital gift cards to make up for it.

However, Vice Director Lee did have a soft spot for Leo.

Putting aside the stem cell donation, for years he had seen Leo every few days. You could develop feelings for a dog in that amount of time. The analogy wasn't perfect, but it captured the general sentiment.

Familiarity breeds affection.

Furthermore, because of these two, his surgeons were getting an incredible amount of operating experience. Their surgery counts were skyrocketing, fast-tracking them to senior attending positions.

According to the latest test reports, Leo didn't need any mobilizing agents. His hematopoietic stem cells were already being released into his venous blood. It was a miraculous situation. Perhaps this was just another peculiarity of being a mental patient.

He immediately made arrangements to move Leo to another room to begin the stem cell collection. The sooner it was over, the sooner they could be sent back.

I may love you dearly, but that love is one of anticipation, not one of you being right in front of me. Seeing each other every few days is more than enough.

In the new hospital room, Leo lay on a bed next to a blood collection machine. Doctors bustled around him. Two needles were inserted into his arms. One drew blood into a centrifuge to separate the stem cells into a collection bag, while the other returned the remaining blood to his body. It was a closed-loop system, with no waste.

A doctor sat by the machine, trying to look calm, but his heart was pounding. He was in a room with two mental patients. How could he not be scared? He knew they were VIPs at the hospital, but he'd only seen them a few times.

He saw a tube lying nearby and imagined one of the patients grabbing it and strangling him. He casually shifted his position to block the tube from their view. Best they don't see it.

Walter sat by Leo's bed, watching nervously.

"Do you feel anything?" the doctor asked. It was a required question during the procedure. If the patient felt numb, they needed to administer calcium.

"No," Leo said calmly.

The doctor sat stiffly, his anxiety palpable. Being in a room with two mental patients was incredibly stressful. He would have preferred to be with two violent criminals; at least they would look menacing before they attacked, giving him some mental preparation.

Just then, the doctor saw Leo's eyes lock onto him. A smile spread across Leo's face as he just stared.

Out of politeness, the doctor smiled back and gave a thumbs-up. Good for you. You've saved a family.

But as time went on, Leo's unwavering stare sent a chill down his spine. He felt like he was sitting on a bed of nails. He eventually lowered his head, unable to meet Leo's gaze. This is terrifying. Please stop looking at me like that. I'm a grown man, and that stare is making my butthole pucker.

Walter took a banana from the fruit basket the hospital had provided. He peeled it, took a bite himself, and then held it to Leo's mouth. "I just tried it. It's very sweet. You'll like it."

Leo opened his mouth and swallowed the banana in one gulp. "Mmm, it is sweet."

"Do you want to go back? I kind of miss our home," Walter said. He longed for the life at Green Mountain Asylum. It was so carefree there. He could run across the lawn in the morning sun. Here, he was stuck in a tiny room with nothing to do.

"Yes," Leo replied.

Walter pulled up his sleeve and pointed to the watch on his wrist. "I told you last time I would buy you a Rolex, but I'm saving up a little slowly. You'll have to wait a bit longer, but I'll definitely get you one."

"Okay, good," Leo said calmly.

He liked spending time with Walter. He had tried to connect with other people, but they all seemed a bit... off. He could only have superficial conversations with them, nothing deep. But Walter was different. He knew what Leo wanted to do, and he knew what Walter wanted to do.

"Heh heh!"

"Heh heh!"

Walter rested his arm on the nightstand, cupped his chin in his hand, and tilted his head to look at Leo. The two of them just smiled at each other for no reason. Their smiles were so bright that their eyes crinkled into slits.

The warm, gentle smiles filled the room with a sense of warmth. But to the doctor, it felt like being in an ice cellar. The hairs on his body stood on end. This is terrifying.

I can't take it! I need to get out of here for a bit.

The doctor stood up carefully, trying not to make a sound that would startle the two patients.

When he reached the hallway, he took a deep, shuddering breath. The feeling had been suffocating. He couldn't understand how the two of them could stare at each other and smile for so long. Wasn't it creepy?

He didn't understand that it was true affection. It was like a mother watching her long-absent child eat a meal she had cooked. She could sit at the table and not eat a bite herself, her heart full just watching her child eat. The child might say, "Mom, you're staring at me. I can't even eat." Because the child doesn't understand that gaze, they can't eat. It's only later in life, when they themselves are gone, that they might finally understand what it meant.

A passing nurse saw Dr. He standing in the hallway and smiled. "How's it going with them?"

Dr. He forced a calm smile. "It's going well. They're very friendly. I enjoy being with them."

Lies. He was actually scared to death.

Ding, ding!

Dr. He looked at his phone. He had a new message. The contact name read: "Good Brother."

« Good Brother: Hey, He, something's come up. Can I borrow ten thousand? »

Dr. He stared at the message and fell into deep thought. He didn't reply immediately, not wanting the other person to see the 'typing...' indicator.

Ten thousand.

This was a difficult situation. He spent a full ten minutes staring at the message, debating whether to lend the money or not. If he didn't, what excuse could he make that would let him off the hook without damaging their friendship? I really want to help you, but I just can't.

Ding!

« Good Brother: It's okay, thanks anyway, bro. »

Seeing this message, he immediately replied.

« Dr. He: Oh! I was just with a patient and just saw your message. Glad everything's okay. Call me next time if you need anything. »

Phew!

That was a close one. He felt a wave of relief, and his mood instantly brightened.

He returned to the room. The two patients were still smiling at each other. Walter was holding an apple, taking a bite himself, then holding it out for Leo to take a bite. The brilliant smiles never left their faces.

To an outsider, it was deeply unsettling.

"Is it good?" Walter asked.

"Mmm, it's delicious," Leo smiled.

"Well, there's another one here, but I don't really like them. You can have it," Walter said, looking at the remaining apple. It was sweet and crisp, and he actually loved them. But Leo liked them too, and he was willing to give the best to his friend.

"Let's share it, one bite each."

"No, it's okay. I like to drink Sprite. I don't really like to eat fruit anyway."