Chapter 7: Survivors Within the Hospital
It was evident that a tremendous earthquake had just struck the area!
Sheng Hongye approached the window, his brows sharp as sword edges, and they furrowed even more tightly.
Then, he glanced back into the room, his narrow eyes slightly squinted, revealing a hint of doubt.
Su Ling turned around and saw him, feeling a bit guilty.
She cleared her throat and said, "Let me administer medicine to the child first."
Sheng Hongye nodded and replied, "Miss Su, please take care of Kai Xuan. I will go outside to assess the situation. If there's any trouble, just call me loudly."
With the reinforced house, Su Ling wasn't afraid.
After agreeing, she took out the medicine and skillfully prepared an IV drip for Gu Kai Xuan.
Perhaps the anesthetic hadn't worn off yet, Gu Kai Xuan opened his eyes for a moment and then fell back into a deep slumber.
Su Ling opened his eyelids and saw his pupils still responsive, which put her mind at ease as she sat by his side.
After a while, Sheng Hongye returned with a gloomy expression.
Standing at the door, the light elongated his figure, making him appear even taller and more imposing.
"The roads in the town are mostly blocked, and only one passage is barely accessible. The whole town is lifeless, and it seems there are no survivors," he said.
Was the earthquake severe enough to cause this?
Even though she had experienced it once before, Su Ling's heart still raced. Looking out of the window, she saw the first light of dawn, realizing that they had been busy all night.
She sighed silently, feeling exhausted, and said, "We have enough supplies in the car to last us a few days. It's also an opportunity for Kai Xuan to rest and recover during this time."
Sheng Hongye grunted in agreement and turned to say, "It's still early before sunrise. Get some rest; I'll keep watch here."
"Thank you, I understand," Su Ling replied without being overly polite. She lay down on the bed in the middle, feeling worn out from the thrilling events of the night. Before long, she fell into a deep slumber.
In the room, Sheng Hongye half-squinted his eyes, his profound gaze fixed on Su Ling's delicate face. The light in his eyes fluctuated, making it hard to gauge his thoughts...
When Su Ling woke up, the sun was already up.
Gu Kai Xuan was sitting at the bedside eating.
Su Ling was startled and quickly sat up.
"Kai Xuan, have you relieved yourself?" she asked.
Gu Kai Xuan blinked his big, dark eyes at her.
"Auntie, you mean farting?" Su Ling nodded firmly. "Yes."
Gu Kai Xuan blushed and lowered his chubby little face.
In a childish voice, he said, "I farted several times in the morning."
Su Ling breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. Where is your uncle?"
Gu Kai Xuan picked up a small cup with a straw and took a sip of water. "Uncle went to check the roads. He said there was a huge earthquake yesterday and that we are lucky the house didn't collapse."
Su Ling rolled her eyes. Was it luck or her invincible reinforcement ability? If it weren't for the system she carried, the three of them might have been turned into minced meat by now.
Mouth smiling, Su Ling said, "Yes, we're very lucky. Kai Xuan, how do you feel? Is the wound hurting?"
Gu Kai Xuan stared with his big, bright eyes and bravely replied, "It hurts a little, but I can bear it."
"Kai Xuan is such a good boy," Su Ling couldn't help but reach out and gently rub his soft, feathery head. Then she noticed that there were many snacks on the table, probably brought by Sheng Hongye.
Feeling a bit hungry herself, she went to the restroom to wash her hands and opened a bag of bread.
Just as she was about to take a bite, a faint cry for help reached her ears.
Su Ling was momentarily startled, and she immediately pricked up her ears. Before long, that eerie and chilling sound resounded through the quiet hospital.
Unfortunately, Sheng Hongye wasn't there. Su Ling wanted to go out, but she was worried about the child.
Gu Kai Xuan seemed to have heard it too and shrank his neck fearfully.
In a hushed voice, he said, "Auntie, I hear someone calling for help."
Su Ling nodded.
"Auntie hears it too, but your uncle hasn't returned yet, and I can't leave you alone."
Gu Kai Xuan grasped Su Ling's hand excitedly and whispered, "Auntie, you're really kind."
As they spoke, there was a muffled sound, and both of them instinctively covered their mouths.
After a while, footsteps finally echoed in the corridor.
Su Ling rushed to the door and saw Sheng Hongye carrying an unconscious person, striding toward them.
Su Ling quickly opened the door. "Mr. Sheng, who is this?"
Sheng Hongye put the person down and said to Su Ling, "He should be a patient from the hospital. His leg is broken. Can you save him?"
Su Ling immediately looked at the young man; he appeared to be in his twenties, covered in dust, making it hard to see his original appearance. The only thing that was clear was his badly deformed right leg, stained with a large patch of blood.
Thinking of the horrors of zombies, Su Ling hesitated for a moment, her gaze sweeping over the young man before looking back at Sheng Hongye.
"Mr. Sheng, have you examined his wound?"
Sheng Hongye quickly understood Su Ling's intention and nodded.
"It can be treated."
"Then let's carry him to the operating room; I'll give it a try."
Sheng Hongye furrowed his eyebrows, his eyes showing a tinge of gloom.
"The operating room is probably inaccessible right now. Apart from our ward, the entire building has collapsed."
Su Ling then remembered last night's earthquake; indeed, the corridor was in complete disarray, twisted into a mess, hardly recognizable as a corridor anymore.
"What should we do then?"
Since the whole building collapsed, finding the operating room seemed unlikely.
"In the bag I brought back yesterday, there are some surgical instruments and anesthetics. Miss Su, you can try," Sheng Hongye said.
Seeing the child's face grow paler, Su Ling started to feel anxious.
"Okay, can we find a clean room?"
Sheng Hongye pointed behind him. "How about Kai Xuan's room?"
Without further delay, Su Ling quickly turned back and opened the door.
Sheng Hongye had already entered first and instructed Gu Kai Xuan, "Close your eyes, don't look."
Gu Kai Xuan immediately obediently turned his little face away, tightly shutting his small eyes.
Su Ling helplessly glanced at the child before pulling up the young man's pant leg. She saw that the bone of his lower leg had pierced through the skin, an unsettling sight even for Su Ling, who was used to seeing blood.
She took a deep breath, her voice trembling slightly.
"I'm not an orthopedic surgeon, but I'll do my best. Please, Mr. Sheng, help me find a stable support."
Sheng Hongye seemed unfazed and furrowed his eyebrows slightly before replying, "Alright, I'll find one."
After he left, Su Ling estimated the young man's weight and height, administered an appropriate amount of anesthesia, and then carefully recalled the bone-setting methods from the book.
Three minutes later, Su Ling resumed her actions, carefully cutting the flesh and repositioning the young man's bone, and then proceeded with the sutures.
Once she finished everything, she noticed that Sheng Hongye had already returned.
(Brought to you by Fairly Sleepy Dud with the help of the amazing machine!)