His Genius Wife Is A Superstar Chapter 2 - Waking Up In Another Body
Previously on His Genius Wife Is A Superstar...
Exhaustion. Absolute exhaustion.
It was as if she had been trekking for an eternity through a void, a tunnel of endless desolation. Though she yearned to stop, she found herself compelled to continue toward a tiny glimmer of light flickering in the far distance.
Her throat was parched and raw, searing with an intense, burning thirst.
Water.
She desperately required water. Perhaps once she reached the end of this tunnel, she could finally drink.
And so, she pushed forward, walking and walking without end.
Water. The mere hope of moisture soothing her scorched throat provided her only motivation.
She lost all track of time. Days, months, or years could have passed... perhaps even decades or centuries.
She didn't know. Her only desire was water.
At last, the speck of light expanded, growing larger and more radiant.
Almost there.
Then, she was suddenly submerged in a brilliant, pure white radiance.
Finally.
###
Her eyelids fluttered open, nearly blinded by a soft, muted glow. It took several moments for her vision to adjust to the surroundings.
Disoriented, she scanned the elegant, hotel-like room. The setting was completely unfamiliar. Then, she caught the sound of a rhythmic, steady beeping coming from her side. She attempted to turn her head toward the noise and was shocked by how heavy it felt. In truth, her entire body was like lead. She was unable to move.
With a massive surge of effort, she managed to tilt her head slightly, discovering a machine responsible for the beeps. She realized then that she was connected to it, along with several other medical devices. It became clear that she was in a hospital, and judging by the equipment, her state was quite grave.
"W-wa...ter..." She tried to speak, but her cracked lips produced nothing more than a dry whisper.
There was no one in sight. The effort had already drained her. Her eyelids began to sag, yet she fought against the darkness that threatened to pull her under again.
After an indeterminate wait, the door finally swung open and a nurse walked inside.
"You’re awake!" The nurse gasped, visibly startled to see the patient’s eyes open. She immediately hit a call button to summon a doctor.
"How are you feeling?" the nurse inquired, beginning her preliminary checks.
"W-wa-wa...ter..." she rasped in Mandarin.
Luckily, the nurse understood the request. "You want to drink water? Please wait a moment, Miss. We must wait for the doctor to confirm if it’s safe for you to drink. Oh, he’s here now!"
The door opened as a middle-aged doctor walked in, trailed by three others in identical white lab coats. They appeared to be doctors as well, though much younger.
"Hello. Can you hear me? I am Dr. Ching. How are you feeling?" The lead physician pressed a stethoscope to various points on her chest while he spoke.
"She asked for water," the nurse informed him.
"That is a good sign. Allow her to drink through a straw if she is capable. If not, use a dropper or let an ice cube melt against her lips."
The medical team began their examination while the nurse stepped out to fetch the water.
Eventually, the nurse returned, carrying a paper cup and a straw.
Initially, she lacked the strength to use the straw. The muscles in her mouth were too weak. It took several attempts before she could draw the liquid up, and even then, she felt spent after only a few sips.
Still, the sensation of water sliding down her parched throat was so divine that her eyes began to sting. She blinked rapidly to keep the tears from falling. It felt surreal to be so moved by just a few drops of water.
"Do you know your name?" Dr. Ching questioned.
"My name..." She prepared to answer, but a sudden flood of memories crashed into her mind.
She gasped, her mind reeling from the confusion of these alien recollections. What was happening?
Glancing sideways, she spotted strands of black hair resting on the pillow next to her head.
Black hair? Where was her blonde hair? Had someone dyed it while she was unconscious?
Her heart began to pound as an inconceivable thought took root, fueled by the torrent of strange memories.
The doctors grew concerned as her heart rate suddenly spiked. The beeping from the monitor grew frantic.
"M-mirror... give me..."
The medical staff exchanged uncertain glances.
Dr. Ching looked at the girl with a calming expression and said, "Calm down. Are you exhausted? Do you feel pain anywhere?"
"Pl-please... mirror."
Dr. Ching hesitated, studying his patient for a few seconds before nodding to the nurse. The nurse exited and returned shortly with a mirror, holding it up for the pale girl on the bed.
When the girl looked at the reflection, she saw a stranger. Where was her blonde hair? Her green eyes? The face staring back was undeniably not her own.
The straight, ink-black hair and the dark brown phoenix eyes clearly indicated an Asian heritage.
The equipment she was hooked to beeped even faster, alarming the doctors. The nurse pulled the mirror away as the pale girl squeezed her eyes shut, trying to process the impossible.
The stranger's face in the mirror was a perfect match for the images in the memories that had just surfaced. She opened her eyes in total shock.
It was beyond belief. How could she possibly explain this situation?
She had woken up in the body of another person.
The revelation was overwhelming, particularly in her weakened state.
Her eyes drifted shut once more, and she slipped back into the familiar dark void.