Went to the hospital this afternoon (or yesterday, technically) to visit my maternal grandpa. He was warded in the ICU again. It's a sight i'll never forget. When my mom related his condition to my sis and i after visiting him on Friday evening, it sounded awfully bad, though at that time i still couldnt effectively picture it in my mind. But after the trip down today, i finally saw for myself the severity of the situation. There were more machines and support systems crowding the room while endless tubes were running throughout his body. Each of his hands were tied to both sides of the bed to prevent him from struggling should, in any case, the pain be too tormenting for him to bear again. The atmosphere was bleakly sombre. I saw my aunt and my mom tearing while next to me, my grandma didnt shed a tear. Yet at that point i could tell that despite that strong facade, she was probably grieving more than anyone else inside. I was almost tearing as well but was fighting to hold it back. The sight was too agonising and i followed my dad, uncle and cousin out of the room. We stood by the corridor and watched through the glass pane from outside. I glanced around the ward and noticed that every patient was experiencing a similar fate, seemingly holding on to whatever hope they had. I noticed an empty bed in the room next door, and my cousin hushly said to me, "they pulled the plug this morning". I was startled for a second and it suddenly hit me that that life's vulnerability and unpredictability was unfolding right before my eyes. At that point, the air felt so much colder and the atmos, so much more silent.