Chapter 1 In the ER, the doctor urgently asked us: "What kind of venomous snake bit him? We need to know exactly so we can call in the right antivenom!" I was just about to speak when my roommate, looking panicked, blurted out first: "It was a banded krait! A-a banded krait!" Everyone's faces turned deathly pale. When we came back to the dorms after winter break, he had secretly started keeping exotic pets. One of his venomous snakes slipped out and bit my buddy who slept in the bottom bunk. We ran like crazy to get him to the hospital. A minute later and he might not have made it. The doctor was desperate to confirm the species so they could use the antivenom to save his life. But my roommate always loved playing pranks. We were dying of anxiety, yet he kept changing his story, refusing to tell the truth. Watching him dramatically rub his temples, pretending he couldn't remember, I was shaking with anger. Jason was notorious for his practical jokes. No matter what the situation was, he had to mess with people, never stopping until he had someone on the verge of tears. When people got angry, he'd just brush it off with a breezy: "I was just messing with you, do you have to be so sensitive?" But right now, a life was on the line. This was no time for jokes. Tyler had fallen into a coma after being bitten by his venomous snake. They had to confirm the species to administer the antivenom. Every passing second could cost him his life. Sure enough, hearing Jason's words, the doctor's expression instantly grew grim. "I need you to confirm again. What exact species of venomous snake bit him?" Jason furrowed his brow tightly, then shook his head and crouched on the floor. I was frantic. I grabbed him by the collar. "Stop messing around! Tell the doctor what kind of snake it is right now! Are you trying to kill Tyler?!" Tears welled up in his eyes, and he said through gritted teeth: "It's a cobra! Definitely a cobra!" My other roommate and I exchanged a look and let out a long sigh of relief. The doctor also looked relieved and immediately told the nurse to prepare the corresponding antivenom. Just as the nurse was about to leave, Jason suddenly spoke up. "Wait!" "I think I remembered wrong... is it really a cobra..." Holding the unconscious Tyler, our faces drained of color from the sheer panic. "Jason! Stop with the pranks! We're trying to save his life!" "The doctor has to know the exact species to give him the meds. If you delay this any longer, it really will be too late!" Hearing this, Jason actually smiled nonchalantly. "What prank? I'm just worried that if I remember wrong, it'll hurt him instead!" "Let me think... nope, it's definitely a cobra!" People around us started looking over, whispering among themselves. "Secretly keeping a venomous snake and then talking nonsense, isn't he trying to get someone killed?" "Still messing around at a time like this, that's too far." My fingertips were trembling. Not from fear, but from absolute rage. Jason kept flip-flopping, changing his story back and forth, entirely playing games with Tyler's life. If we delayed any further, once the venom spread, it would be too late for everything. Seeing the doctor about to prepare the medication based on his word, I caught the glint of excitement in his eyes and felt a chill run down my spine. I rushed forward to stop the doctor who was about to write the order. "Doctor, he's pulling a prank on purpose! Everything he's saying is a lie!" "I'm begging you, ask him one more time. You have to make him tell the truth!" My eyes were red with desperation. Tyler, in my arms, was ice cold. His breathing was so weak it was barely perceptible. The doctor frowned deeply, his gaze shifting back and forth between me and Jason. The nurse also immediately sensed something was wrong and glared sharply at Jason. "I'm asking you one last time! What kind of venomous snake is it? If you play games with someone's life again, we're calling the cops right now!" Over the years, because Jason loved playing pranks, we always accommodated him. A few times it escalated to the RA, but he always smoothed things over: "He just likes to joke around, he doesn't mean any harm." For the sake of dorm harmony, I endured it time and time again. Until we came back from winter break, and he secretly started keeping a highly venomous reptile in the dorm. The venomous snake got out and bit Tyler. By the time we noticed, he was already slipping into a coma. We didn't have time to be angry. We carried him and sprinted like madmen to the hospital. We finally made it to the ER, and Jason was actually still pulling a prank at a critical moment like this. With red eyes, my voice trembled uncontrollably: "Please, Tyler can't hold on much longer. Can you just stop messing around?" "As long as we can save him, I don't care what kind of pranks you pull after this." The people around us also started chiming in. "Kid, a life is on the line. Stop joking around." "Saving the boy is the priority. If you delay any more, it really will be too late." Listening to everyone's accusations, Jason curled his lip, completely unbothered. "What's the big deal? I was just playing a little prank. Do you have to make such a big fuss out of it?" Seeing the doctor's face turn ashen, looking like he was genuinely going to notify the university and the police... Jason finally dropped the smirk and reluctantly gave in. "Alright, alright, I'll stop messing around!" I just breathed a sigh of relief. But Jason looked around at the crowd, finally locking eyes with us, and slowly added one more sentence. "The one that bit him is a banded krait. Highly venomous. I just remembered." The doctor's face instantly changed. Before I could react, he immediately stopped the nurse, grabbing the antivenom she was preparing to inject. Watching Tyler's face turn purple, Jason then drawled out. "Oh wow, why do you guys look so grim?" "I mean, the lights were out in the dorm last night, it was so dark, I didn't get a good look... I was just worried that if I said the wrong thing, it would make things worse!" "I'm just being cautious. I have to think about it carefully..." "No, no, it doesn't seem like a banded krait. It's a cobra." After saying that, he clutched his chest and let out a sigh of relief, as if he had truly confirmed it. I almost lost my breath. 2 Holding Tyler, I couldn't hold back anymore and roared, losing all control: "Jason! Is this something you can joke about? If we delay any longer, Tyler is going to die!" But hearing this, Jason not only showed no remorse, he actually looked wronged. "How can you say that to me? Aren't we roommates? I didn't do it on purpose, did I?" "What, you only care about him, you don't care about my feelings, is that it?" "I knew it, you guys are ganging up to bully me! I knew you were collectively bullying me!" "I can't believe you treat me like this! If I had known, I wouldn't have bothered coming!" With that, he started to storm out of the hospital. My face fell. I frantically shoved Tyler into my other roommate's arms, rushed forward, and grabbed Jason tight. "Jason! That's not what I meant. Tyler is dying, I was just too anxious. I didn't mean to yell at you." "The hospital has all the antivenom. As long as you confirm with the doctor what kind of snake it is, we can save him right now, okay?" Jason turned his head away, pointed at me, and cursed: "It's all your fault!" "If you hadn't made a huge fuss and turned the dorm upside down, why would I have been startled and not noticed what kind of snake bit him?" "It's just a snake bite, what's the big deal? The snakes I keep are usually very well-behaved..." "I think you're targeting me on purpose. You must have secretly let the snake out to bite someone, and now you're framing me!" My eyes widened drastically, staring at Jason in disbelief. When the semester first started, I saw him being picked on by others, so I intentionally went out of my way to talk to him and look out for him. But ever since Jason got obsessed with exotic reptiles... Every day he messed with various venomous snakes in the dorm, completely ignoring our objections and fear. He'd be messing with their enclosures in the middle of the night, never once considering anyone else's feelings. For the sake of dorm harmony, I endured it. Until a few days ago, he secretly brought back a venomous snake, hid it in a box, and said it was his new favorite. We went to the RA more than once, but he just tried to smooth things over and never actually handled it. We had no choice but to live in fear every day, reminding him to keep the enclosure locked. But he never took it seriously. Until tonight, shortly after lights out, a scream suddenly came from the bottom bunk. Tyler was crying in terror, saying he was bitten by a snake. Jason didn't panic at all; instead, he stood to the side, clapping his hands and laughing. "Look, isn't my little baby beautiful?" Tyler was shaking with pain, his face instantly turning deathly pale. In the end, we had to use all our strength to carry him to the hospital. Tyler had always had a weak constitution; he couldn't withstand the highly toxic venom at all. On the way to the hospital, he lost consciousness. After arriving at the hospital, my initial thought was to just call the cops. It was the other roommate who repeatedly urged me, saying we should contact the university first. Because we were rushing to contact Tyler's parents, I had to swallow my anger and call the RA first. But I never expected that our silent endurance would result in him escalating his behavior. Even now, he still wanted to mess with us on purpose, refusing to state the breed of the venomous snake. Watching Tyler's breathing grow weaker and weaker, tears streamed down my face. The nurse looked sympathetic, but resuscitation required confirming the snake species; there could be no mistakes. I held Tyler, crying and begging Jason: "Jason, please stop pulling pranks, okay? If we delay any longer, something is going to happen to Tyler. He's your roommate!" The roommate beside me also had red eyes and urged him in a low voice: "Consider us begging you." But Jason still had a flippant smile on his face: "Oh man, stop rushing me. The more you rush me, the more scared I get, and the more I can't remember..." After saying that, he even turned to look at me, "David, I know you're anxious, but just chill for a sec." After saying that line, he seemed to find it very amusing and even giggled. I stared at him, suppressing my rage. "Jason, if you insist on falsely reporting the venomous snake species, you are delaying resuscitation, and you will be held responsible." Hearing this, Jason shut his mouth. But his eyes were full of the resentment of having his ego bruised. He didn't think he was wrong at all. Seeing this, the doctor immediately understood and said in a low voice: "Since we're not sure, we'll do emergency treatment first. Don't block the ER entrance..." I breathed a sigh of relief, nodded gratefully at the doctor, and was about to bring Tyler inside. Just as we were about to wheel him in, Jason suddenly yelled: "Wait a minute! I remember now!" "It's the new snake that arrived today. It accidentally got out of its box!" He held up his phone, his eyes darting nervously but trying to act calm: "I'll open the order history right now. One look and you'll know what kind of snake it is!" At the entrance to the ER, Jason stood there holding his phone, swiping the screen, pretending to scroll through his history. He complained the app was lagging, then that his cell service was bad. He dragged it out for nearly ten minutes before finally holding the phone up to us. "Here, found it... Told you guys not to rush me..." It was indeed an order page for an exotic reptile. The people around couldn't help but crane their necks to look, expressions of shock appearing on their faces. "Oh my god! It really is a highly venomous snake. That's way too dangerous!" "And we actually felt sorry for him! This is clearly a disaster of his own making!" Jason showed a look of dissatisfaction on his face. "I'm a reptile enthusiast, so what if I keep venomous snakes? Is it getting in your way?" "Doctor, look, the order is right here. Now you can confirm what kind of snake it is!" The doctor's face darkened, and he said sharply: "Don't move it! Let me see the order clearly, prepare the corresponding antivenom immediately!" I stared hard at the screen, sensing something was wrong. 3 Sure enough, the next second he put the phone away. I was just about to snatch the phone when Jason suddenly slapped his forehead, looking full of remorse. "Oh man, I forgot. I bought three snakes at once. Which one was it that got out?" I was shaking with anger, my suppressed temper finally erupting. "Are you done?! Your pranks have to have a limit! Would it kill you to just shut up?" "You're clearly just messing with people on purpose. Do you have to cause trouble at a time like this?" "If Tyler gets hurt because of this delay, I swear I will never let you get away with it!" Jason seemed to finally realize that I was truly furious. A flash of panic crossed his face. "No... David, man, I was just messing with you guys a little. Why are you getting so mad?" At this point, the roommate next to me couldn't help but roar at Jason too. "Jason! If you don't know how to speak, just shut your mouth, okay?!" "Is this the time for jokes? Tyler got bit by a snake! If we wait any longer, he's going to die!" "I... I didn't mean to..." Jason lowered his head after being yelled at. But I could clearly see the resentment in his eyes. He fundamentally didn't think he had done anything wrong. But Tyler's body in my arms was gradually growing cold. I didn't have time to humor him anymore. I turned around, looked at the doctor beside me, and pleaded with a hoarse voice. "I know your rigorous protocols are for the patient's own good. I won't make things difficult for you." "If there's no way to confirm it, is there any other way? Please save my roommate first. His breathing is getting weaker and weaker; he really can't hold on much longer." After saying that, I bowed deeply. The doctor and nurse exchanged a look, and finally nodded. As the nurse prepared to push the gurney, Jason was still muttering on the side. "What are you doing... It's just a bite. Just get the antivenom, what's the big deal? It's not like nobody's ever been bitten by a snake before..." I pretended not to hear him. I just held onto Tyler tightly, praying over and over in my heart that he would be okay. Jason muttered a few more sentences, and seeing that no one was paying attention to him, finally quieted down. But right at that moment, Tyler's heart suddenly stopped. I watched as Tyler was lifted onto a stretcher. Several medical staff rushed over, fighting against the clock to resuscitate him. While I stayed on the side, cooperating with the doctor to verify the snake species information over and over again. While waiting for news from the resuscitation, my heart suddenly started racing wildly. A strong wave of unease washed over me. I stared intensely at the light above the ER doors, terrified that the next second would bring bad news. In a daze, I suddenly remembered. Right before going into the ER, Jason was still muttering: "I just couldn't remember clearly, it's not like I did it on purpose." I couldn't help but feel a chill run through my entire body. Did he really not know that deliberately being vague at a time like this was killing someone? No! He knew perfectly well. Just like back then, he knew perfectly well that the dorm strictly prohibited highly venomous exotic pets, yet he secretly hid them in a box, ignoring everyone's safety. He also knew that after Tyler was bitten, every passing minute and second was a race against death, yet he still deliberately concealed the venomous snake's species. Thinking of this, my heart violently contracted. From a distance, I could hear Jason's shrill complaints. "Stop trying to scare people! You hospitals only know how to fearmonger!" "It's just a snake bite. Do you have to make it sound so serious?" "We're not doing this anymore. Bring him out here!" My heart instantly sank to the bottom. I pushed through the crowd and rushed in, only to see Jason, who had volunteered to go pay the bill, causing a scene. The young nurse at the billing counter looked incredibly distressed. I rushed forward and grabbed her hand: "Nurse! I'm his roommate. What exactly happened? Aren't they resuscitating him?" The nurse recognized me and quickly spoke up: "Student, your roommate's snake venom spread too quickly. We have to use the specific antivenom immediately, but your roommate here refuses to cooperate, and he's delayed the optimal window..." Before she even finished speaking, I could barely stand. The grievances and anger that had been building up for so long completely exploded in this moment. I glared at Jason with red eyes: "Jason! If something happens to Tyler, can you bear the responsibility?!" After saying that, ignoring his objections, I immediately rushed to the billing counter to swipe my card. But I scoured my phone; my balance wasn't nearly enough. Just then, Jason caught up to me, looking entirely justified: "I knew you were making a mountain out of a molehill. It's obviously not this complicated." "Listen to me, just take him back to the dorm to rest. There's no need to waste money and suffer here." I was shaking with anger, just about to argue with him. The doctor in charge of the resuscitation walked out with a heavy expression. "I'm sorry, we did everything we could." My legs gave out, and I collapsed directly onto the floor. At that moment, the RA rushed over, looking anxious. Seeing Tyler covered with a white sheet, he roared, his voice trembling: "What happened?! Didn't you have the antivenom? Why did he die!"
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