Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Infection
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"38.9℃? How could it be like this? This is too fast! How are you now? Can you eat? Do you have any other symptoms?"
The rustling white noise was mixed with a slight sound of electricity, and my grandfather's voice coming out of the walkie-talkie became a little distorted.
Having just finished a shower, with water still dripping from his hair, Gu Mengran wiped his hair with a towel in one hand and picked up the intercom covered with plastic film with the other hand and pressed the PTT button: "I felt a little dizzy, ate a little, took some medicine and went to sleep."
His voice was hoarse and weak, as if he was weighed down by endless fatigue, and every word was filled with deep sleepiness.
The old man on the other end of the intercom felt his throat tighten, and he consoled him in a deep voice, "It doesn't have to be so weird that he got infected in just a few hours. Maybe, maybe he had a cold before, but he didn't notice it."
"I hope so. I'll go over and take a look later." Gu Mengran exhaled a breath of hot air, and the hand that was wiping his hair moved down and rubbed his eyebrows. "What's the current situation of the Fengyi? Is there any problem with the cabin?"
Meng Gaoyang did not answer but asked: "Didn't you just come back? Why are you leaving again?"
Gu Mengran said, "He has a fever. This virus is very strange. I am worried. Apart from eating and sleeping, I will probably be there for the next few days."
Hearing this, Meng Gaoyang couldn't help but become nervous.
People are selfish. He is also worried about Liang Zhao, but he is more worried about his eldest grandson. Chickenpox attacks very quickly and is quite strange. Whether it can be cured is still a question.
Persuasion is useless. Meng Gaoyang knows Gu Mengran, and patients also need someone to take care of them. After hesitating for a long time, the old man patiently said: "I know you can't let go of Liang Zhao, so I won't say anything more. But you must take good protection and ensure your own safety."
"Eat when you need to, rest when you need to, and don't overwork yourself. There aren't enough people on the ship. If you fall down, who will take care of you?"
Without saying it explicitly, Gu Mengran felt his grandfather's worry and concern.
Forgetting that the other party couldn't see him, he nodded heavily and responded obediently: "I know, grandpa. I was very careful. I wore protective clothing when I went in and out, and I ate and drank outside."
At this point, Gu Mengran paused, with an apologetic tone in his voice: "These days... Grandpa, you may have to work a little harder. Later, use the high frequency to ask Sister Xu and the others to see if there is anyone following behind. If not, then you can drive the boat during the day and rest at night. We will be isolated first-"
"I know, I know. Don't worry about it," the old man interrupted him and said calmly, "There's no big problem with the Wind Wing. There are just a few holes in the hull. When you're done isolating, we can find a place to stop and repair it."
Listening to his grandfather's orderly arrangements, Gu Mengran's tense nerves gradually relaxed and he responded softly. Just as he was about to put down the intercom and blow dry his hair, another person's voice came from the rustling white noise.
"Grandpa Meng, I'm so hungry~"
Zheng Yijie's voice was weak, as if he had not eaten for three days and three nights, and every word was accompanied by a wavy mark.
The old man laughed out loud at his amusement and said helplessly, "You are playing tricks so late at night. You should be hungry first. I am sailing now, so how can I have time to cook for you? Wait until I confirm the situation with Heng Rongsheng."
"We can only eat when Grandpa Meng rests. Then from now on..." Zheng Yijie's voice suddenly rose: "One meal a day?"
The old man laughed, "Not really, Meng Ran, put some biscuits and snacks at his door later, so he can eat when he's hungry."
Zheng Yijie suddenly became excited and started to order food immediately: "This is OK! Give me some beef jerky, the steamed buns, the gout set meal, and -"
Before he finished ordering, Gu Mengran interrupted him with a hoarse voice, "I am also considered a half-close contact. Do you dare to eat the food that has passed through my hands?"
Zheng Yijie: …
Gu Mengran continued, "But it did remind me. Grandpa, there's no need to prepare meals for Liang Zhao and me. We can eat the ones that are ready-made. As for Zheng Yijie, there are some bread and biscuits on the cupboard. I'll send some to him later."
As soon as he finished speaking, a shrill wail came from the intercom. Gu Mengran put down the intercom, plugged in the hair dryer and started blow-drying his hair.
After taking ten minutes to get himself ready, Gu Mengran took out some daily necessities from the space, then put on protective clothing, opened the sliding window leading to the second-floor deck, and walked out in the night.
Living close to home has its advantages. You can walk to the next balcony in just a few steps.
Pushing the window open, Liang Zhao, who should have been asleep a long time ago, actually sat up. He leaned sideways and rummaged through the medicine box on the bedside table. He seemed to have a little strength, and his movements were slow and stiff.
Gu Mengran hurried in, threw everything in his arms onto the table, and hurried over to the bedside, "Why are you awake? Are you feeling unwell?"
Liang Zhao didn't say anything, but pointed to his throat.
"Thirsty? Sore throat?" Gu Mengran was not sure what he meant, so he immediately picked up the cup of water and put it to Liang Zhao's mouth.
It was obvious that she wanted to feed him, but Liang Zhao seemed not to understand and tried to reach out and take the cup of water.
Gu Mengran did not let him succeed. He decisively raised his arm to avoid his hand and said with a stern face: "A patient should behave like a patient. Don't move around and sit still."
The illness came like a mountain, Liang Zhao felt dizzy and weak, and there was nothing he could do to refuse. He could only support himself with the bed sheet and move his body little by little, leaning against the head of the bed.
There was no rush to feed him water. Gu Mengran stood up with the cup of water, rummaged through the pile of things he had just brought, and finally threw a long straw into the cup before walking back to the bedside.
The straw is very convenient, and there is no need to worry about water spilling or making Liang Zhao too embarrassed.
After drinking half a cup of water, Liang Zhao's dry throat was relieved. He spit out the straw and said softly, "My throat hurts a little. I may need to take medicine."
The symptoms worsened very quickly, and if nothing unexpected happened, it must be an infection.
Gu Mengran sighed silently and silently broke the pills for Liang Zhao.
After taking the anti-inflammatory and analgesic medicine with water, Liang Zhao, who was sitting on the head of the bed, slid into the warm bed. Not feeling sleepy at all, he tilted his head to look at Gu Mengran, his lips moved slightly, but no sound came out.
With all his attention focused on Liang Zhao, Gu Mengran did not miss this small detail. Seeing this, he quickly put down his water cup and stretched his neck to move forward, "What's wrong? What do you want to say?"
It was as if he had swallowed a handful of sand, and his throat hurt badly. Liang Zhao's lips moved, and after a long while he managed to utter two words: "Sleep."
"Go to sleep, close your eyes." Gu Mengran's voice was very soft, as if he was coaxing a child.
Liang Zhao smiled and said, "I mean, go back to sleep."
Gu Mengran shook his head: "Don't worry, I'll leave after you fall asleep."
The space was low and Liang Zhao's shoulders were exposed. Gu Mengran pulled the corner of the quilt up and was about to tuck it in for him. His eyes accidentally swept across Liang Zhao's neck, and the hand holding the quilt suddenly stopped in mid-air.
The high fever did not subside, and Liang Zhao's slender neck was covered with a thin layer of sweat, which was quite shiny under the light, so Gu Mengran could clearly see that there was a particularly conspicuous red rash on the left side of his Adam's apple.
This is too much, it’s only been a few hours since this morning, how could this happen…
Although he was mentally prepared, Gu Mengran was still frightened by the sudden appearance of the red rash. Thinking back to what he had seen in the morning, those blisters as big as fists that stretched the skin to a transparent state, goose bumps instantly covered Gu Mengran's arms.
"Meng Ran?" Liang Zhao noticed something was going on because of his obvious distraction. He realized something and reached out to lift the quilt.
How could a patient react like a normal person? Gu Mengran was quick to respond. He put his hand on his chest and patted it twice. "No, it's okay. Go to sleep."
Liang Zhao obviously didn't believe it and looked at him suspiciously.
Gu Mengran suppressed the fear that loomed over his head and smiled awkwardly, "Well, it just feels like... your Adam's apple is much bigger than mine. Okay, okay, let's not talk about it anymore. Close your eyes and go to sleep."
"Okay." Liang Zhao responded and slowly closed his eyes.
Liang Zhao had slept for a long time during the day, and he thought he would not be able to fall asleep. His original intention was to close his eyes and pretend to be asleep so that Gu Mengran could leave without worry. However, he closed his eyes for less than five minutes before the sudden fatigue pulled him down little by little.
Fell asleep, but conscious.
Liang Zhao had a dream, a strange and extremely long dream.
The dream brought him back to many years ago, when his grandmother was on the eve of being hospitalized. He seemed to be sitting in a movie theater, watching his grandmother being diagnosed with cancer, becoming increasingly thinner, and finally completely losing her life in front of him, turning into a box of cold ashes.
The scene changes, Liang Zhao takes his few luggage, bids farewell to school, and begins his wandering journey. He has worked as a car mechanic, served dishes, and washed dishes. He doesn't know where to go, and he doesn't want anything. He lives purely for the sake of living.
Until one day, he saw a job posting online - recruitment for seafarers.
The salary was high, but the boat would drift on the sea for a long time, and it would be difficult to land after ten days or half a month. Liang Zhao was tempted, not because of the salary, but simply because he felt that such a life was suitable for him. He should drift on the sea, without any worries and without having to dock.
But he still failed to become a seafarer, because when he walked to the door of the seafarer training center, the razor was hanging over his head. He suddenly realized that his six senses were not pure, and he still had obsessions that he could not let go of and could not cut off from the worldly world.
Liang Zhao sat in the "cinema" and watched himself sneaking around like a thief, asking around for news about Gu Mengran. After learning that he was in Xinjing, Liang Zhao bought a train ticket for that evening and stood all the way to Xinjing.
Instead of becoming a seaman, he became a crew member, drifting between Yuntian and Xinjing, and visiting Xinjing University during his off time.
Don't look for it deliberately, don't get close to it deliberately, just take a look from a distance.
Revisiting the past is not pleasant, it is more embarrassing. I feel ashamed of what I did in the past and of myself who was like a gutter rat.
Scenes flashed by, and time came to the day when Gu Mengran took the initiative to contact him.
Liang Zhao was very interested in this part and watched it very carefully. Because he knew what he was doing at the time, he counted in his mind how long it would take for Gu Mengran to call him.
Ten, nine, eight...
The countdown was over, but the phone still didn't ring.
Liang Zhao thought he remembered it wrong, but then, the scene flashed by quickly, volcanic eruption, earthquake, extreme heat, heavy rainfall...
That phone call seemed to have produced a butterfly effect. Disasters occurred one after another, the land was gradually submerged, Liang Zhao did not receive a call, did not board the Fengyi, and did not reunite with Gu Mengran. He was always alone.
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