It was another busy day. The batch of injured sent over this morning were all severely wounded. The military medical team’s emergency center couldn’t take them all, so some were sent to this medical center.
Five major surgeries, with directors from every hospital department on the front lines together. But the results weren’t as hoped. Of the five people sent over, only one was saved.
On the other side, after receiving the emergency mobilization, Chen Yi and Shen Yu were ordered to continue advancing deeper into Luolin. They led a team to Luolin North District.
That area was far from central Luolin, near the mountain base. When the earthquake happened, the entire village had become rubble, with practically no survivors escaping.
The rescue team searched there for a full day without finding any survivors. Everyone they carried out had already stopped breathing. One household of five, the youngest still swaddled, when Chen Yi lifted the child out from the ruins, several sturdy men around them teared up.
Shen Yu cursed and looked away. The entire team’s mood was oppressed. Unsure who choked out, “If only we could have come earlier.” No one responded then. Everyone was silent, speeding up the rescue, only stopping when night fell.
Returning to basecamp, Chen Yi went to report the search results to the leaders. He came out and randomly rinsed off with cold water before going back to the tent in his damp clothes.
He took off his clothes, barebacked with sculpted abs on display. Shen Yu lifted the curtain and came in from outside. Seeing the wound on Chen Yi’s arm, he remembered the doctor’s words that morning and reminded, “I’m on duty tonight. Go to the medical center to change your dressing and get an IV drip or something. Don’t save others and collapse yourself first.”
Chen Yi put on a T-shirt and picked up the dirty clothes by the bucket, glancing at him. “Can you be a little more auspicious?”
“Fuck, I’m showing concern here, okay?”
Shen Yu threw his jacket at Chen Yi, grumbling nonstop. “I’m so damn annoyed by you.”
Chen Yi laughed lazily. Exhaustion lingered in his brows and eyes. He took the jacket and tossed it in the bucket, carrying it outside to wash clothes by the water basin.
Under the starry night sky, Ruan Mian and her colleagues passed by the water basin speaking softly, like the wind drifting over.
“Director Meng did three major surgeries today, over ten hours without rest. After getting off the operating table he fainted. He’s probably still lying in the center.”
“What do we do? There are still patients lying in the OR waiting to be saved.”
“Let’s do this. I’ll go find Director Meng first. You contact the thoracic surgeons from other hospitals and see who’s available without being in the OR now.”
“Got it.”
Their voices faded along with their figures into the distance. Chen Yi turned the faucet back on and washed the clothes in three motions, wringing them out to hang on the clothesline in the open area.
After dealing with these trivial matters, Chen Yi went for another meeting with the team. It was nearly 11pm by the time he arrived at the medical center. The doctor who changed his dressing was the same one from that morning, Dr. Song. She helped change his dressing and set up an IV drip for him.
Seeing Chen Yi was military, Song Yangling had wanted to do him a favor and find him a bed to lie on in the main hall. But Chen Yi declined her good intentions and went outside to the main hall with his IV bag himself.
She hurried out after him and placed a cup of hot water nearby. “If you need anything, call for us.”
“Alright.”
Chen Yi inclined his head politely. “Thank you for the trouble.”
Song Yangling smiled. “No problem.”
Chen Yi needed three IV bags. After the small empty one, they switched to a large one. He looked at the drip rate, estimating the time. He leaned back and closed his eyes.
Perhaps a habit as military, in an unfamiliar environment like this, he didn’t fully fall asleep. He could still hear the sounds around him.
Footsteps, voices, occasional sobs. A medley depicting humanity.
Close to 11:30pm, Ruan Mian and Lin Jiahui returned from outside. The previous surgery was arranged at the military emergency center. She had called Meng Fuping back, but he assisted the main surgeon who was from another hospital.
Afterwards, she and Lin Jiahui stayed to help receive other injured patients until now when they finally had a break.
“Ah, so tired…”
Lin Jiahui went to grab a cup of water and downed it in one go. “I swear, when I get back this time I’m definitely, definitely asking the director for a week of vacation. I have to sleep for at least three days and nights at home.”
Ruan Mian laughed softly, also exhausted. “That still depends on approval.”
Lin Jiahui let out a long sigh. She turned and slumped over the table. Her gaze happened to fall on the IV hall across the way. She exclaimed in surprise, “Oh!”
“What is it?”
Ruan Mian tilted her head to look.
“That’s your high school classmate right?”
She jutted her chin forward.
Ruan Mian twisted her head another 90 degrees. She saw Chen Yi sitting there getting an IV, leaning against the chair back, appearing to be asleep.
She retracted her gaze. Her fingertips tapped the cup twice, seemingly lost in thought about something.
Lin Jiahui straightened up and bumped her shoulder. “He’s still a classmate. Why don’t you go over and see what’s up?”
“In a bit.”
Ruan Mian said, “He’s sleeping. I can’t wake him up.”
Lin Jiahui snorted. “Virtue on full display.”
But Ruan Mian ignored her and set down the paper cup. “I’m going to wash my face.”
“Go ahead.”
Ruan Mian went outside. The wind carried dust and a lingering faint bloody odor. She stood at the entrance for a while before going to splash cold water from the faucet onto her face. The shock refreshed her quite a bit.
When she went back inside, she passed by Chen Yi and returned after a few minutes, now holding a medical wool blanket.
The sleeping man seemed nonchalant, his habits nearly identical to high school. His hands were crossed over his lower abdomen, legs slightly spread.
Without the dust covering him, his facial features were refined and fair. His long lashes fluttered gently as he breathed low.
Ruan Mian stopped in place watching for a few seconds. She leaned forward, about to spread the blanket over him, when the man who had closed his eyes suddenly opened them. He grabbed her wrist, stopping her actions.
Ruan Mian was frightened. Her hand shook and the blanket dropped onto his legs.
In that instant of clear consciousness, Chen Yi’s eyes flickered. He let go, his voice somewhat hoarse. “Sorry, I thought you were…”
“Were what?”
He had used some force earlier. Although he let go quickly, Ruan Mian’s skin was soft and pale. It still left a faint red ring of fingerprints. She put her hand into her white coat pocket.
Chen Yi’s gaze followed her movement but didn’t see anything. He looked up with a smile. “Nothing.”
Ruan Mian didn’t care either. She walked over and glanced at the IV bag he was getting. It was an anti-inflammatory solution used for infected wounds. The doctor’s signature below was Song Yangling.
She reached out and adjusted the drip rate for him, instructing, “It’s cold in the hall at night. Use the blanket.”
Chen Yi responded with an “Mm”. He pulled up the blanket that had fallen on his legs and draped it to his waist. As if just making conversation, he asked, “Were those injured sent over this morning saved?”
“Just one.”
Following up on his topic, Ruan Mian asked in turn, “How about you today? Did you find any survivors?”
Chen Yi pressed his lips and shook his head. “No. The North District is a disaster zone. The situation on site is very serious. I estimate…”
When faced with natural disasters, people always seemed so small. Ruan Mian had seen too much of life and death recently. She consoled gently, “You’ve already done your best. We can only do what we can. Some things are beyond our control.”
Chen Yi responded with an “Mm”.
Ruan Mian added, “Alright, rest. I’m on duty tonight. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Okay.”
Chen Yi watched her walk away until she was nearly out of sight. It seemed like she took her hand out of her pocket, and from the angle of her back and movements, it looked a bit like she was rubbing her wrist.
He moved the hand that had grabbed her, sinking into thought as he leaned back and closed his eyes.
More injured were sent to the medical center later that night. When Ruan Mian came out after finishing up, Chen Yi was no longer in the IV hall. The blanket was folded neatly on the chair.
Ruan Mian massaged her shoulders as she walked over. Song Yangling seemed to appear out of nowhere and came over from the side. “Dr. Ruan, can I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
Ruan Mian bent down to grab the blanket, draping it over her arm.
“Did you and Chen Yi know each other before?”
Song Yangling said, “I saw you two talking just now from inside. You looked pretty familiar with each other.”
Song Yangling was a doctor from the medical school affiliated hospital in City B. She had come to the disaster area attached to the hospital contingent this time. She was clever-looking and spoke gently, very warm.
Unsure of her intentions for a moment, Ruan Mian didn’t hide her relationship with Chen Yi. “We were high school classmates.”
“What a coincidence.”
Song Yangling didn’t ask further either. She took out her phone from her pocket. “What’s your WeChat? I’ll add you on WeChat.”
Ruan Mian gave her phone number. She also said, “I don’t have my phone on me. I’ll accept after I get my phone back.”
“Okay, no problem. I’m off shift now so you go ahead and get busy.”
She waved at Ruan Mian and turned to leave, quickly disappearing from sight.
Ruan Mian looked back then retracted her gaze. As she headed inside, she suddenly recalled Chen Yi’s “I thought you were…” from earlier.
Her thoughts raced.
Could it be he thought she was Song Yangling?
But Ruan Mian soon laughed at herself for overthinking. It didn’t matter who it was or what their relationship was.
When the night passed into bright skies again, Chen Yi had woken early. He went to the military medical team to get something from someone.
Last night, he had returned to the team close to 2am. Perhaps it was the IV fluids, but he felt muddled headed. He found a resting cargo truck and got in.
Shen Yu next to him grumbled as he threw over a clean jacket.
Chen Yi laughed and placed it over his stomach. He crossed his hands under his head and closed his eyes, but felt no drowsiness. His mind raced with random thoughts.
He thought about the nonstop rescues recently, about the tasks he had to assign everyone tomorrow after waking up. He also thought about many people and events from the past.
He thought about how the person who used to be nervous just speaking to him in high school could now calmly stand before him and give comfort. After all, it was change.
Nine years of time still changed many things in the end, and it wasn’t just him. Others too.
Right now, he returned from outside. Shen Yu was already gathering Teams 1 and 2, preparing to head to the next rescue point.
Chen Yi put on his hat. His sharp jawline was concealed beneath the brim as he spoke lowly, “Move out.”
“Yes sir!”
The troop jogged in droves towards deeper and farther regions. From the new medical center not far away, those rhythmic footsteps could still be heard.
Ruan Mian had only slept two to three hours again. After washing up in the morning, she bumped into colleagues from other hospitals who called her over. “Dr. Ruan, there’s something for you at the triage counter in the main hall.”
She responded, “Oh, thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
Ruan Mian wondered who could have left something for her in this place at this time. She subconsciously quickened her steps by a lot.
The item was placed by the triage counter.
It was a bottle of Yunnan Baiyao spray1. Under it was a note with a sentence and no signature, but the handwriting was deeply familiar to Ruan Mian.
For Dr. Ruan Mian at Xie He Hospital.
- A medical product by the traditional Chinese medicine brand Yunnan Baiyao to promote blood circulation and alleviate pain. ↩︎
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