"Nurse, nurse, my mom's throwing up again, can you come and take a look..."
"Mommy, it hurts..."
"Sweetie, just bear with it a little longer and you'll feel better. Mom will make you some porridge tonight..."
"Ugh...cough cough cough, cough cough cough."
The hospital's furnishings were not much different from before the disaster. Patients in the chemotherapy ward were lying in bed wearing blue striped hospital gowns. The sounds of family members talking, children crying, doctors giving instructions, and nurses reminding patients to take their medications were all mixed together, making the already small ward feel inexplicably crowded.
Xu Milu changed into a sterilized protective suit and followed the nurses to give each chemotherapy patient an anti-nausea injection.
Some people seem to have lost hope for life because of the torment of illness. They lie on the bed with dull eyes, dazed and numb all over. Their family members sit silently to the side, heads down, not knowing what they are thinking.
Some patients are very young, not even as tall as wheat, yet they are already lying in hospital beds. When they are in pain, they cry loudly without any regard for their own feelings, leaving their parents helpless and anxious standing by.
There were also elderly people with white hair standing by the window, cheerfully greeting people, but there wasn't a single family member accompanying them at the bedside.
"Does it feel uncomfortable? It's okay, you'll get used to it."
The nurse glanced at Xu Milu behind her, couldn't help but sigh, and whispered:
"Your job today is to help clean the ward, check if they need anything, remind them to take their medication on time, and report the data to the doctor regularly. These wards are for chemotherapy patients with Class II radiation sickness. They may be quite sensitive, so please be careful what you say."
Xu Milu nodded to indicate that she understood.
The two walked one after the other to a hospital bed by the window. The bed belonged to a young woman. Long-term illness had left traces on her face, and her skin had an unnatural sallow complexion, making her look extremely weak.
"Nurse Liu, I feel much better today. I haven't vomited since this morning. Am I almost recovered?"
When the woman smiled, her eyes and eyebrows curved, and her optimism stood out even in the somber atmosphere of the hospital room.
Nurse Liu checked the data displayed on the instrument and couldn't help but smile:
"The data is pretty good, so we won't give you any injections today. By the way, this is our new volunteer, Xiao Xu. You can look for her if you need anything later. Since your husband isn't here, it's inconvenient for you to go to the toilet or take a shower."
Xu Milu saw the nameplate hanging in front of the hospital bed and realized that this was Liu Peiqiang's wife, Han Duoduo.
After settling Xu Milu in for a few minutes, Nurse Liu left her in the ward, leaving Xu Milu and Han Duoduo staring at each other.
"Wow, so young and beautiful! You look so pretty. Young girls are like flowers. I haven't washed my face in days, I'm so embarrassed by how sloppy I look."
Han Duoduo really loves to laugh. She propped herself up on the edge of the bed and took a small toy-like object from the nearby cabinet, handing it to Xu Milu.
"Xiao Xu, this is for you. I'll be troubling you quite often in the future."
Xu Milu looked down and saw that what Han Duoduo had placed in her hand was a miniature planetary engine model made of nuts and bolts. Although it was exquisite and small, it was heavy to the touch, and the words "Beijing No. 1" could even be seen engraved on it.
"Well, I usually do this when I'm lying in bed doing nothing. But I can't just stay in bed all the time without moving around."
Han Duoduo took a few breaths, a hint of embarrassment on her face, and said shyly:
"Xiao Xu, could you please help me to the restroom? My dad went to pick up the kids..."
It was still working hours, and there were only a few male family members accompanying patients in the ward. The only woman was still taking care of the child. Xu Milu immediately understood that Han Duoduo probably didn't want to trouble others.
"Of course, didn't I already receive a gift from you?"
Xu Milu casually stuffed the small toy into her pocket, bent down under Han Duoduo's puzzled gaze, and picked her up in one swift motion.
"Wow, you picked her up? That's impressive, little girl!"
"Wow, this little girl is so strong?!"
The patients in the next bed were all taken aback. After all, although Han Duoduo was a native of Shanghai, she was 1.7 meters tall, and it would take some strength to lift her up.
"Xiao Xu, why don't you put me down? Don't hurt your back again."
Han Duoduo said with some concern.
"It's okay, Sister Duoduo, you're not heavy."
Xu Milu carried Han Duoduo steadily to the bathroom, and she even thoughtfully wrapped a coat around Han Duoduo's neck, making her look like she was stealing landmines.
Anyway, with her strength, carrying a patient is as easy as flipping a wok, and Han Duoduo's physique is so light that she's practically just skin and bones, she could carry two more people.
After Xu Milu took the person into the bathroom, she heard the person vomit violently through the door—almost as if the person was going to throw up their stomach.
...
...
"Xiao Xu, thank you so much for your help."
Han Duoduo came out of the bathroom and saw Xu Milu waiting at the door. She smiled apologetically.
"Have you been waiting long?"
Xu Milu shook her head and instead focused on another question: "Sister Duoduo, I read in the information that your illness is stomach cancer induced by solar radiation, but compared to other patients, your symptoms seem particularly severe. Why is that?"
Han Duoduo was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting Xu Milu to be so direct. She didn't try to hide anything and frankly said:
"Before I retired, I worked in the medical field on the space station. There was an accident where I was directly exposed to solar radiation, which triggered my cancer. Xiao Xu, could you please not tell my family about me vomiting? I don't want them to worry. Besides, it's nothing serious. I probably just drank some cold water this morning and my stomach got cold."
Xu Milu vaguely guessed that the other party might be suppressing their physical reaction due to economic reasons, but she wondered why Han Duoduo did not receive special treatment since Liu Peiqiang had already contacted the authorities.
She didn't ask any more questions, and expertly picked up Han Duoduo and carried her into the ward. Before she even entered, she saw an old acquaintance standing at the ward door:
It was Liu Peiqiang, and a baby-faced man wearing a United Government combat uniform.
The two men looked very serious as they stood at the door of the ward, whispering to each other and glancing occasionally at the bustling corridor. The baby-faced man was carrying a small bag of green apples.
—At this time, a bag of fruit is already a very presentable gift.
Meeting Liu Peiqiang's disbelieving gaze, Xu Milu put Han Duoduo down and greeted him with a smile:
"Mr. Liu, what a coincidence, we actually met here."
Liu Peiqiang: "..."
Why is she here?
Why was she hugging his wife just now?
Wait, she's a woman, right?
Why does the princess carry look so practiced?
...
...
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