Passing through the nurse's station leads to the common area.
Currently, more than half of the patients are engaging in entertainment there, accompanied by caregivers.
Some are playing ping-pong, some are playing chess, and some are playing the OCA card game organized by the doctors.
"Dr. Shen, doing rounds?"
It's Huang Yang, my senior colleague from the same group.
The text above her head says: [Psychiatrist for 3 years, forever single]
"Yes, it looks like you're leading the OCA card session." Shen Jingqi walked over.
Another one of his patients, Lin Shuwang, is sitting upright in a chair, playing games with everyone.
The text floating above his head reads:
[High school senior, city-wide top student, compulsive for 2 months].
"Yes."
Huang Yang turned her head and said to eight or nine patients:
"Alright, this time we'll do it with just us here."
Huang Yang took out a cardboard box and spread its contents on the large round table.
"Each person draws 5 small cards from these."
An old man with text floating above his head [Civil servant, delusional for 2 months] grinned:
"Can I draw one more?"
"No, everyone is limited to drawing 5." Huang Yang firmly placed the rest of the cards back in the box, ignoring the old man's intensely focused gaze on the cards.
"Alright, once everyone has drawn, we'll express in order. Starting with the first card, what do you see?"
"I'll go first," the old man volunteered:
"I saw a black rod, thick at one end, thin and long at the other, like a snake's tail. This should be a whip, lost within an eerie purple mist. There's red spreading above. It seems a very abstract shape is grabbing the thin end of that whip. So, perhaps it's an ongoing ritual. That shape is an unknown force, representing order."
At this point, Lin Shuwang's face suddenly looked tense, his hands unconsciously raised, mumbling words.
"After seeing this picture, how do you feel?"
"I have a feeling of being scrutinized, destiny is irresistible, I feel a great sense of awe." The old man's demeanor became very proper.
"Are you in there? Can you think of anything happening to yourself?"
"I think I can enter this picture, make a connection. And that whip, perhaps it's handed to me," the old man smiled meaningfully.
Meanwhile, Lin Shuwang scanned the surroundings. When he saw the girl sitting one seat away, he stood up and pointed at her head.
Shen Jingqi saw text above the girl's head:
[Graduated 2 years ago, saleswoman, appearance anxiety].
"Lin Shuwang, attempting to connect again?"
Asked Shen Jingqi.
"Dr. Shen."
Lin Shuwang withdrew his hand.
The girl had already observed some of Lin Shuwang's situations, seemed not too affected, but instinctively covered her face slightly, lowering her head, fingers stroking the cards she held.
"I'll do a mindful breathing exercise."
Encouraged by Dr. Shen, Lin Shuwang adjusted his breathing, slowly calming his emotions.
"Shuwang, do you want to return to the room to talk?"
"I feel okay, I can keep going."
"Alright, then let's continue."
Huang Yang looked at the girl who had just been touched on the head:
"Han Ling, it's your turn, are you ready?"
"Yes." The girl nodded, "I saw a brown monster, its eyes had two golden lights, it wore an iron ring on its forehead, ears like two antennas."
"How do you feel?"
"I'm kind of uncertain, whether it's a real monster or a mimic. If it's a real monster, it feels pretty scary, and like an alien or something strange. If it's a mimic, it seems like someone put on a mask to scare others, which makes me find it kind of ludicrous."
"Are you in there? Can you imagine something happening to you?"
"I should not be in there. I think its eyes don't look at me, maybe it can't see me?"
Whoosh!
Zzz!
Shen Jingqi noticed Lin Shuwang taking deep breaths, knowing he's trying hard not to let the information he just heard affect him.
"I'll go."
The middle-aged man between Lin Shuwang and Han Ling spoke.
The text above his head flashed:
[Private business owner, internet celebrity, wife cheated, mental breakdown].
"I saw a cylindrical pillar standing in the desert, wrapped with a black rope, the top end extending outwards, held by something unknown."
"I feel very complicated, there's a sense of helplessness."
"I'm in the picture. That rope is held by a person, but I want to take it over, yet it feels very difficult, no one understands or helps me. I am like searching for greenery in a desert, all I find is a peeled tree trunk, and it doesn't belong to me."
The old man stretched his head towards the man's cards:
"I see it!"
"What?"
"Bad luck!"
"Don't speak carelessly," Huang Yang stopped him.
"Next is Shuwang."
"Then I'll speak."
Lin Shuwang looked at the cards in his hands:
"In a green world, there's a hand holding a red mirror. The mirror is empty."
"Right now I feel pretty calm. Even a sense of carefree travel."
"If I'm in the picture, then I'm the one holding the mirror. I can see what appears inside the mirror. But everything is elusive, like Zhuangzi, not knowing if he's the butterfly. So even if something appears in the mirror, I can trust my feelings, unaffected."
Clap clap clap!
The old man started clapping!
"I want to swap cards with you, the mirror represents a passage, can connect numerous spaces."
"Wei Lian, stop making a fuss, I'll show you all these cards later."
Huang Yang sounded stern.
"You're always good to me." The old man tilted his head.
Other patients continued their storytelling.
Then came the distribution of big cards.
Everyone chose 5 cards again, continuing the same narration.
Through this round, Lin Shuwang remained fairly stable.
The whole session lasted about over 50 minutes.
The entertainment time was also about to end.
Shen Jingqi followed Lin Shuwang to his room, 528.
Lin Shuwang is about to be discharged in a week.
At least, compared to Liu Yiyi, Lin Shuwang poses a much lower risk factor.
Yet he still isn't a completely worry-free individual.
Due to frequently touching girls' heads at school, teachers and parents recommended that Lin Shuwang be sent to the psychiatric department of the hospital.
According to his mother, Lin Shuwang has always ranked first city-wide, and they never needed to worry about his studies.
But two months ago, after watching a video, Lin Shuwang suddenly became agitated and began praying. Afterwards, he would occasionally roam about and touch girls' heads at school.
As of now, dozens of girls have had their heads touched.
Most actions occurred in classrooms, during class or breaks, once even during a flag-raising ceremony.
Lin Shuwang would perform ritualistic movements after seeing negative videos or hearing unpleasant words.
He'd clasp his hands together and recite self-designed prayers.
When Dr. Shen asked Lin Shuwang about the reason for touching heads, Lin Shuwang answered:
"Making a connection."
Dr. Shen utilized cognitive behavioral therapy to help Lin Shuwang sort through situations, explore his automatic thoughts and belief system, and practice mindfulness, focusing on the present moment.
Now, Lin Shuwang's praying and head-touching behaviors have considerably decreased.
But the old man's card expression just now again triggered Lin Shuwang, activating compulsive behavior through verbal stimuli.
At present, Lin Shuwang can recognize how his compulsive behaviors might impact others, consciously becoming aware to reduce occurrences.
At this moment, Lin Shuwang returned beside his bed.
On his bed lay a book.
Zhuangzi's "Carefree Travel."
Lin Shuwang, most of the time, sits quietly on his bed reading alone.
Just as Shen Jingqi turned to leave, Lin Shuwang asked:
"Do you believe in things ordinary people can't perceive?"