mtl008 Chapter 4418 Dark Prelude (3)
Chapter 4418 Dark Prelude (3)
Chapter 4418 Dark Prelude (Part 3)
She knew why Hal had given her this; for people of their social class, dignity was paramount. If she had a boyfriend frying fries in a fast-food restaurant, she would become the laughingstock of everyone, and the entire Frith family would be ridiculed, possibly even ostracized by certain circles, thus losing a significant portion of their wealth. This wasn't something true love could solve.
Being a secret agent doesn't sound like a great option. But if that agent is the president's personal bodyguard in charge of taxes, that's a different story. With just that one badge, Carole could dominate all the circles she currently has.
However, this also raised a different kind of worry for Carol. She had thought that Hal's decision to take a temporary job was just to relax, and that he would continue working in the aerospace industry once he was back in shape.
But he brought the certificate, which proves that he probably planned to stay in the fast food restaurant kitchen frying fries for a long time to come.
Carol knew Hal well. When Hal wanted to avoid something, he would do repetitive tasks, even those that seemed tedious and unprofitable to a normal person, and he would spend a lot of time doing them.
Hal was never one to run away from things. Carol always believed that Hal's sense of responsibility was the cornerstone of their relationship. So even if he didn't become a pilot, or even if he planned to work at a fast-food restaurant, Carol wouldn't mind. She knew Hal would find a way to take responsibility for her and their future. The documents that were delivered were the best proof.
Hal was never the kind of person who thought, "Everyone has to make way for me because I want to achieve my dreams." On the contrary, he was the kind of person who wouldn't set off until everything was arranged and he had fulfilled his responsibilities.
So even if he were to follow his heart and work in the kitchen of a fast-food restaurant, he would find a way to deal with the pressure Carol would face. He must have already thought about how to handle it before making this decision.
So, since it wasn't just an irresponsible, impulsive act, it's worth considering what exactly led him to this evasive behavior.
Carol knew that even if Hal resolved her issue, it wouldn't be the best outcome he wanted; he would have to compromise. That meant his condition had deteriorated to a certain point, leaving him with no other choice.
As Carroll ate her fries, she pondered what had caused Hal's condition to deteriorate.
Alcohol and drugs can be ruled out first. While many people who have experienced great highs and lows choose to numb themselves with these things, Hal is not that kind of person. He has never drunk more than a finger's width of whiskey in his life, and drugs are even more impossible; Hal hates anything hallucinogenic.
After thinking about it, Carol felt the problem still lay in the accident itself. In psychology, there's an effect called "delayed trauma," which refers to the fact that people don't feel as much sadness during or some time after a disaster.
This is actually the combined effect of the brain's protective mechanisms and hormones. When faced with a life-threatening disaster, the body will prioritize its own survival. Dopamine and adrenaline both kick in, and people not only don't feel sad, but may even feel very excited, because only in this way can they muster the energy to save themselves.
The time it takes for this state to subside varies from person to person. Some people may collapse immediately after escaping, while others may experience it for a longer period, sometimes even up to several years.
While the hormones haven't subsided, they behave no differently than ordinary people, and they don't even experience flashbacks or nightmares. However, once this state passes, the breakdown comes suddenly.
If there are any other setbacks along the way, the combined effect of these two factors could be even worse than for those who react immediately.
Carroll believes that this is exactly the situation for HAL now. The post-traumatic stress disorder from the accident erupted a few months later, and at the same time, the news that it could no longer return to flying put its mental state in a precarious state.
Thinking of this, Carol couldn't sit still any longer. She threw down her pen, grabbed her coat, and went to get her car. She quickly drove up to the fast food restaurant, pushed open the revolving door, and went inside. She cleared her throat and said, "Is anyone here? I'd like a large order of fries."
Her voice was very distinctive. A few seconds later, Hal came running out like a golden retriever and hugged Carol tightly.
"What did I tell you? My fries were delicious, they're all sold out already, you should have come earlier."
Carol chuckled and nudged him, then asked, "When do you get off work?"
"It'll be soon, I can leave a little earlier. Anyway, I've already passed the interview, and I'll start work normally tomorrow."
“Come on.” Carol took Hal’s hand and got into the car, then drove to the beach and found an outdoor table at a bar. As soon as they sat down, Carol noticed something was wrong; Hal seemed a little distracted. He would never be like this before.
They were both very busy before, and when they finally had a date, they were both very engrossed, wanting to keep their eyes glued to each other. But Hal would drift off as soon as he sat down.
"Hal? Hal?...Darling?"
Hal snapped back to reality and looked at Carol. He looked very guilty and said, "Sorry, I'm probably a little tired."
Carol shook her head and said, "No, you were just looking at the beach. Why?"
Hal was startled; he hadn't even realized it. He turned his head to look again. Actually, if he wanted to daydream from this angle, he should have been staring at the sea. To see the beach next to him, he would have needed to turn his head ninety degrees, which was a bit of a struggle. But he had just subconsciously looked at the beach.
"I……"
“I’m not asking you to explain anything,” Carroll said. “You don’t have to answer me, but you need to think this through yourself. Something’s clearly wrong with you right now. If you really think the problem is that serious, then we should see a doctor first.”
Hal thought about it. He realized something was wrong; he was experiencing problems, both physically and mentally. Perhaps, as Carol had said, he really needed to see a doctor.
Meanwhile, Carol had already taken out her phone and made a call. She made an appointment with the doctor and said, "I'll pick you up at eight o'clock tomorrow morning. Remember not to eat breakfast."
Hal nodded. Carol saw that he looked pale and dazed, and couldn't help but hug him, pat his head, kiss his cheek, and say, "Don't worry, I'll be with you."
The two sat in the bar for a while, then got into the car, intending to go home. But not long after, Bruce called.
"I see you've booked a full medical checkup at Metropolitan Hospital. Hal, are you alright?"
“I don’t know,” Hal answered truthfully. “I feel like I’m a bit awful, but I don’t know why.”
"Don't go to Metropolitan Hospital, come to the Batcave. After all, you're a superhuman, and ordinary hospitals might not be able to detect the problem. My facilities are more comprehensive."
Hal glanced at Carol. Carol had overheard their conversation and nodded. Hal then said, "Okay, we'll go tomorrow morning."
The next morning, the two went to the Batcave together. Hal was like a puppet, doing whatever Bruce told him to do, lying on whichever machine he was told to lie on, and making whatever movements he was told to make.
The examination took four or five hours. Hal felt much better after a nap, but after all that testing, he felt like he might not be saved.
However, after Bruce stared intently at his medical report for more than ten minutes, he was a little unsure who was beyond help—even if he had a huge problem, it wasn't worth Batman looking at it for so long, was it?
It turned out to be a huge problem. Bruce glanced at Hal and then said, "You're dead."
"……what?"
“Out of scientific considerations and respect for modern medicine, I cannot call you alive under any circumstances,” Bruce added. “You are dead now.”
Hal stared blankly, unsure what expression to make. Carol, however, was astonished. "What? Has Hal become a ghost?" she exclaimed.
“No, to be precise, it’s a moving corpse,” Bruce said. “Logically, he should be dead. But he can still move and is still conscious, so something must have happened that science can’t explain.”
Hal almost immediately recalled the scene of Steppenwolf killing him. He said, "So, the resurrection didn't succeed..."
“Then you wouldn’t be standing here,” Bruce said. “Or rather, it wasn’t entirely successful. There might have been some problems with the resurrection process, which is why you didn’t fully come back to life and are still a corpse.”
Hal opened his mouth, then said, "What should we do then?"
"The Mother Box is too technologically advanced, possibly involving the fundamental forces of the universe. I don't fully understand how it works. This matter needs to be investigated in detail, which may take some time."
“But…but…” Hal gestured, pointing at Bruce and then at himself.
“It’s also for scientific reasons. You and I both understand that if a program is functioning correctly, we should try not to tamper with it,” Bruce said. “Maintaining the status quo is the best option. After all, you’re just a little weak and mentally exhausted. Of course, if you really can’t stand this situation, you might be able to go to the hibernation pod…”
“Then I’d rather die,” Hal immediately said. “By the standards of a corpse, I think I’m perfectly healthy and don’t need any treatment. I’m going back to frying fries. Goodbye.”
Hal grabbed Carol and ran off quickly. Carol was still a little worried. He looked at Hal and asked, "Are you sure everything's okay?"
“I think Bruce is right,” Hal said. “Since I can still maintain my current condition, it’s best not to make any rash moves. I have faith in Batman’s abilities; he should be able to find a solution soon.”
"Besides, I can't overdo it, or Victor might feel guilty. I know he did his best back then, and nobody wants things to turn out like this. There's no need to cause him unnecessary trouble."
Carol nodded and said, "But this situation is still worrying. I'll go talk to my dad and ask him to put the company business aside for now. I'll stay with you for the time being."
Before Hal could say anything, Carroll interrupted him, saying, "You can't refuse. Otherwise, if anything happens to you, I'll blame myself terribly. This is for my own sake."
Hal gave her a light kiss and smiled at her.
Inside the Batcave, Bruce put down the examination documents in his hand. Schiller was sitting on the sofa next to him, with an empty bottle of red wine on his left—the very bottle they had carefully selected before the Christmas Eve dinner.
The dark bottle shimmered like a jewel under the light. Bruce took the bottle from the liquor cabinet as Clark entered the hall. "Are you sure this is the one?" Schiller said. "It's very expensive."
“This suits Hal’s taste perfectly; he won’t refuse it.”
How much?
"You decide what to do."
Mengda Chemistry xN