Chapter 129 Unexpected
At four o'clock in the morning, there was a sudden knock on the gate of the Gao family's courtyard.
Gao Tiejun and Dong Qiaoying were worried that Gao Ming would really come, so they stayed in the house without sleeping. After a few knocks, they quickly put on their clothes and opened the door.
The night was deep and still, and Gao Ming's expression almost blended into the darkness.
“Dad,” Gao Ming said.
Whether it was from being too tired from driving all the way or from his mood, Gao Ming's voice was hoarse beyond recognition.
Gao Tiejun quickly called the man into the house. After taking a few steps, he noticed that Gao Ming was followed by another person. Gao Nian'an, whose brows were tightly furrowed, also called out in a muffled voice, "Master."
"Why is Nian'an here too?"
Before leaving to film, Gao Nian'an made a special trip to visit his grandparents, saying that they would not return to Beicheng until the end of filming next month. How come they are back after only three or four days?
Moreover, Gao Nianping actually came along, still wearing his daytime clothes.
"Master," he called out in a hoarse voice.
"Let's talk inside." As they passed Old Jiang's house, Gao Ming stopped and said, "Dad, call Uncle Jiang and Aunt Luo to come along."
"What's so serious!" Gao Tiejun quickly realized the gravity of the situation.
Gao Nian'an sniffed, her voice trembling slightly: "Didn't you and Grandma watch tonight's breaking news?"
“We’ll have Gao Su sleep in the house tonight, and we turned off the TV early,” Gao Tiejun said.
Wang Xueli sprained her back, and tonight Dong Qiaoying carried Gao Su back to the house to sleep with her. This is also the main reason why she was unwilling to go with Gao Nianping.
"I'll go inside and have a drink of water first, and we'll talk after everyone arrives." Gao Ming went into the room that had been reserved for their family to stay in when they returned.
Under the dim light, Gao Ming's pale face was clearly visible.
"dad."
"Dad's alright." Gao Ming breathed a sigh of relief, turned around and sat down. Gao Nian'an quickly went to the next room to pour a glass of warm water and put it on the table.
Gao Ming drove for six hours to reach the film and television base, picked up Gao Nian'an, and then drove for another seven hours to return. After traveling for more than ten hours in a row, he was now exhausted both physically and mentally.
But all his fatigue couldn't outweigh his worry for his wife. On his way back, he deliberately took a detour to the road in front of the hospital. The moment he saw the brightly lit hospital building, Gao's heart sank to the bottom.
On the phone, Chen Yun told him that the hospital building was lit up, which meant that the battle against the epidemic had begun.
He took a deep breath, his breath trembling as it sank into his lungs, causing a sharp pain in his chest.
“Dad, Mom is an experienced doctor, she’ll be alright…she’ll be alright!” Gao Nianping wanted to say a few words to comfort his father, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he found that he was also trembling.
At first, he didn't realize what the epidemic meant until he received a call from Li Shuaishuai that evening.
On the phone, Shuai warned him and his family to stay home as much as possible recently, and to wear masks even if they had to go out. He said that Hong Kong, which is adjacent to Shenzhen, has been hit hard and hospitals are overcrowded.
Finally, Shuai Shuai asked Chen Yun if her hospital had recently received any cases of fever and cough, and also mentioned the news of a cluster infection among medical staff in Guangdong Province.
It wasn't until that moment that Gao Nianping became afraid.
"Erming, what happened?"
Old Jiang walked into the house sleepily, shivering in the cold wind because he was only wearing long underwear.
"Dad, Uncle Jiang, I received a call from Chen Yun yesterday afternoon..." Gao Ming cleared his throat and recounted everything Chen Yun had told him on the phone.
"..."
"Infectious disease? Spread through respiration..." Gao Tiejun murmured these two sentences repeatedly.
“Starting today, you must take precautions when you go out, especially the elderly and children. Once they get infected with this pneumonia… so you must minimize going out.” Gao Ming said, his voice gradually becoming calmer.
“Uncle Jiang, go back and talk to Heping about this.”
"I'll go talk to Heping right now," Old Jiang nodded solemnly.
After Old Jiang left, Gao Ming said, "Mom and Dad, pack your things and invite my eldest brother's family to stay at my house temporarily."
“There are few people in our community, so it’s safe for me to stay at my place,” Gao Nianping said.
"Okay, I'll go call Shirley and your older brother right away." Dong Qiaoying turned and left.
"Nianping and Nian'an are responsible for bringing your grandparents and their whole family back to our home."
Without drinking a drop of the warm water on the table, Gao Ming licked his dry, chapped lips and stood up again.
"I'm going to the company. Call me if you need anything."
Gao Ming felt much more at ease as long as his parents didn't insist on staying. He still had responsibilities to fulfill.
Gao Ming left Guanming Hutong before dawn.
Gao Nianping and Gao Nianan helped Wang Xueli pack Gao Su's belongings, including many rehabilitation equipment.
"We won't go with them."
The siblings stopped packing and looked into the yard.
"Dad, you can take Xue Li and Su Su with you. Gao Fei and I will stay here to look after the house." Qiu Zhifang's white hair at her temples was very noticeable in the morning light, which made her gentle smile look even more tender.
Gao Nian'an couldn't help but recall her gentle aunt who always smiled and asked her if she wanted some corn candy when she was little.
“Zhifang has trouble walking. Who will take care of you if you stay here?” Dong Qiaoying said.
Qiu Zhifang's leg fracture was subjected to a lot of stress during her recovery, and she didn't recover well. She still has some difficulty walking.
“We have hands and legs, how can we starve to death?” Gao Fei waved his hand at Gao Tiejun, put on a mask, and wrapped himself in a scarf and hat: “Zhifang and I have discussed that we will not open the shop for the next few months. We can take this opportunity to rest.”
"Dad, you can go and get on with your work without worry," Qiu Zhifang said with a smile.
The couple were determined not to bother Gao Ming. After Qiu Zhifang finished speaking, she also put on a mask and hat and became fully armed, just like Gao Fei.
The two linked arms and slowly went out to buy groceries.
“My uncle and aunt are like completely different people,” Gao Nianping sighed, and the way he was packing things slowed down.
Seeing this, Gao Nian'an lifted his foot and smacked Gao Nianping on the buttocks: "Why do you care what others do? Finish your business and go home as soon as possible."
"We're all adults now, so let's just talk and not resort to violence."
Born with an inner bloodline that suppressed her eldest sister, Gao Nianping could only mutter under her breath when beaten, unable to muster even the slightest thought of resistance.
"Even if you're seventy or eighty, I'm still your sister. Have you grown up and want to die?!"
With a single glance from her bright and beautiful eyes, Gao Nianping immediately cowered, and her colleague silently mourned for her future brother-in-law, whose whereabouts were still unknown.
If you marry a wife who is both literate and skilled in martial arts, wouldn't you treat her like a goddess?
"If you're so capable, go and tell on me to your mom like you did when you were a kid!"
As soon as the words were spoken, the siblings fell silent and quietly quickened their packing.
***
At four in the morning, the hospital was still bustling with activity.
Chen Yun sat in the changing room of the isolation area, took a deep breath of fresh air, and stood up to look at the person in the mirror.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, she has lost count of how long she has been working continuously. Her life seems simple, consisting of only going between two points, but it is so heavy that it is suffocating.
His sunken eye sockets revealed an inescapable weariness, and his face was covered with sweat-induced eczema under the pressure marks. When it itched, he wished he could immediately take off his protective suit and scratch it to his heart's content.
Fortunately, the symptoms have lessened considerably after applying the ointment recently, and some marks remain on my face after healing.
Chen Yun silently went through the dressing process, carefully checking each step before moving on to the next.
After finally putting on the protective mask, she was like a warrior wearing heavy armor, ready to enter the battlefield by simply opening the door to the lounge.
The door to the lounge opened again.
Chen Yun suddenly smiled when she saw the person who had arrived.
"Director Zeng, your hairstyle is quite unique."
Chen Yun remembers that on the day the meeting to announce the epidemic, Director Zeng of the gynecology department had a chestnut-colored perm that she had recently gotten. Today, when she saw her again, her hair was cut unevenly, and it was obvious that she had just done it herself.
"I don't have time to take care of it, my hair is all tangled, it's easier to just cut it off." Director Zeng shrugged, looking relaxed. "You know, short hair is really comfortable, it dries in no time after washing it."
"Then I'll go into the ward to make my rounds."
"Go ahead!" Director Zeng took out a protective suit from the wardrobe, and seeing the calendar on the wardrobe, he suddenly sighed, "Two months have passed in the blink of an eye. I mean, why does it feel hotter and hotter to wear this protective suit?"
Chen Yun looked up at the digital clock on the wall, and the calendar showed that it was already April 10th.
"Director Chen, the pregnant woman in bed 15 of the isolation ward who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 has suddenly developed an emergency and needs an immediate cesarean section."
As soon as I stepped into the isolation ward, a nurse came up to report on the work.
"Prepare for a cesarean section immediately," Chen Yun calmly instructed.
The pregnant woman, who had just been admitted to the isolation ward, had a persistent high fever for three days and was diagnosed after examination and treatment.
The patient's condition was relatively stable a few days ago, but suddenly respiratory failure and fetal distress occurred in the early hours of this morning. The on-duty doctor quickly decided to perform a cesarean section.
The adjacent ward, which had been converted into a temporary negative pressure operating room, was quickly prepared.
The woman lay on the operating table, wearing an oxygen mask, her chest heaving violently. Each breath seemed to require all her strength.
Chen Yun glanced at the pulse oximeter.
The numbers on the detector kept fluctuating and could drop below the danger level at any moment.
"My child, doctor, please save my child." A broken, unconscious murmur rang in Chen Yun's ears.
"Prepare."
The surgery begins.
Everything seemed to be proceeding quietly and orderly, with the cold ticking of medical instruments being one of the few regular sounds in the operating room.
Chen Yun stood guard by the operating table, ready to perform emergency resuscitation on the newborn at any moment.
"It's a boy."
Sweat rolled down the forehead of Lin Ciying, the director of the obstetrics department, as she lifted the baby with both hands to prepare for delivery.
But at this crucial moment, an accident occurred.
The woman in labor may have been experiencing a sudden, violent convulsion due to lack of oxygen, and she abruptly raised her arms and waved them wildly.
Lin Ciying's arms were hit so hard that her hands twisted to one side, and the child was about to fall.
All of this happened in just a few seconds. Chen Yun subconsciously took two steps forward and caught the baby, but the woman in labor grabbed the edge of her protective suit and pulled it down hard.
The mask shifted, and the straps along with it were instantly stretched to their limit before snapping with a crack.
Chen Yun's entire face was exposed to the air.
"Director Chen!" Lin Ciying screamed in terror.
Time seemed to freeze for a moment, and Chen Yun's mind went blank for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure.
"Please get me another mask."
After saying that, he carried the child and hurried to the resuscitation table to begin resuscitation on the infant who had not uttered a sound.
The smell of disinfectant and blood rushed into Chen Yun's nostrils, while the cold air assaulted her lungs.
"Use the suction device."
Chen Yun's calmness alerted the others in the emergency room, and Lin Ciying also began to concentrate on saving the more dangerous pregnant woman.
Regardless of what happens in the future, at this moment they hold two lives in their hands.
A few minutes later, the baby's heartbeat became stronger, and a faint whimper, like that of a kitten, rang out.
Chen Yun breathed a sigh of relief.
"Place in an incubator and immediately begin ventilator support."
"Director Chen, you need to go out and be disinfected and isolated immediately!" Lin Ciying shouted.
The baby's life was saved, but the mother on the operating table could not be saved due to severe oxygen deprivation.
When the numbers on the ventilator finally became a straight line, Chen Yun silently left the operating room.
She didn't dare to speak to any of her colleagues. With her hand on the torn protective mask, she hurried toward the disinfection room. In the empty room, her eyes finally welled up with tears.
I repeatedly washed my face and hands with disinfectant until I gradually calmed down after accepting the reality of the situation.
"Does this mean we have to time travel again?"
However, upon further reflection, Chen Yun quickly relaxed. The panic she had anticipated hadn't materialized, indicating that the situation wasn't as bad as she had feared.
Even if she gets infected, she will definitely survive.
Chen Yun let out a long breath, wiped the cold water droplets from her face, and walked towards the isolation observation room specially prepared for medical staff.
Will she become the first healthcare worker at the workers' hospital to get infected...?
***
Two days later, Chen Yun was officially transferred to an isolation ward for SARS.
I saw many people wearing hospital gowns in the past two months, and now she's wearing one, with the words "diagnosed" on the collar glaringly bright.
She officially went from being a doctor to being infected.
"Cough cough—"
"You idiot."
Looking at Chen Yun, whose face was flushed red from the fever on the hospital bed, Zuo Lingling almost cried as she tried to insert an acupuncture needle into the back of her hand, but she had to stop several times because her vision was quickly filled with fog.
"Let me do it, cough cough—" Chen Yun took the needle and, enduring the excruciating pain that felt like her head was being torn apart, steadily inserted the needle into her vein.
This disease comes on quickly and violently.
At first, Chen Yun only felt a headache, and then waves of high fever crashed over her like ocean waves.
The temperature fluctuates between hot and cold, leaving me with very little time to feel clear-headed.
The next day, I started coughing, breathing became difficult, and it took several times more effort than usual to say even one more word.
"Did you call home?" Zuo Lingling asked.
Chen Yun shook his head: "Why should we let them worry?"
"You..." Zuo Lingling choked up, raising her hand to wipe away her tears but finding that she couldn't touch her cheek through the mask. She simply blinked hard, slowly calming herself before continuing, "You think they won't find out if you don't tell your family?"
For the first two months, everyone would call home every two days to let them know they were safe. Chen Yun's two children would call the dormitory landline every day.
Since Chen Yun was diagnosed, Gao Nianping has been calling repeatedly but no one answers, so he may have already begun to suspect something.
“If they call again, just tell them I’m busy and I’ll call them in a couple of days…” Chen Yun leaned weakly against the pillow and forced a smile at Zuo Lingling.
"you……"
"Dr. Zuo." A nurse peeked in through the door of the ward.
"I'll go take care of things now, I'll come see you later."
"Um."
Chen Yun gently closed her eyes and unknowingly fell asleep.
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