When I opened my eyes again, I was already lying on the bed. The bright white ceiling was blinding, and a severe headache came over me with a dizzy feeling, making my head feel heavy and swollen as if it were filled with lead.
I turned my head with difficulty and caught a glimpse of a figure lying beside the bed, seemingly asleep.
I closed my eyes, and struggled to piece together the fragments of memory in my drowsy mind—what exactly happened?
Where am I? Who am I?
Fragments of memory collided violently: torrential rain... Dongxiang Town... Taixiang Coal Mine... Xiang Qianjin's thunderous roar - "Oh no! A landslide!"... and then the darkness that swallowed everything.
Xiang Qianjin?! This name pierced my mind like an icicle. How is Xiang Qianjin?!
I suddenly opened my eyes and wanted to shout, but I opened my mouth to the limit, but no sound came out.
I was speechless! Panic seized me and I slapped the bed uncontrollably.
The muffled sound of "click, click" awakened the person lying on the bed. She raised her head, and her sleepy face burst into great surprise: "You're awake! You're awake!" Her voice was trembling. Before I could react, she rushed out the door like an arrow from a bow, screaming: "Doctor! Doctor! You're awake!"
Fear -- the cold, lingering fear -- began to surge like a tide in my stiff limbs and blank brain.
Footsteps approached hurriedly. Soon, a group of people rushed in, surrounding a man in a white coat. The narrow bed was instantly surrounded by people. Countless eyes - concerned, grateful, and even sad - focused on me like searchlights. I desperately searched in the ruins of my memory, trying to identify these blurred yet familiar faces, trying to piece together who they were.
The man in the white coat - obviously a doctor - began to examine me carefully. His fingers pressed and probed the key parts of my head, neck, torso and limbs. Then, he forced open my eyelids and shone a strong flashlight into my pupils. After doing all this, he was obviously relieved and turned to the people around him, saying with a hint of relief: "Nothing serious is wrong. I'm so lucky! I fell from a height of more than five meters, but I didn't have any fractures in my body. I just have a concussion."
My throat felt like it was clogged with red-hot charcoal! Xiang Qianjin's name kept rushing through my mind. I was desperate to know when he died. I opened and closed my mouth in vain, but could only make heavy gasps and silent screams.
Seeing me gesturing in vain with my hands in the air, my face flushed red but unable to make a sound, a calm man spoke in a deep voice with unquestionable authority: "Doctor, why can't you speak?" - I recognized him, this was Hu Haiyang.
The doctor pondered for a moment and analyzed: "The patient suffered a concussion due to a blow to the head, and he also suffered an extremely severe shock. Both of these situations may cause temporary aphasia. Let's observe for a period of time. If the symptoms persist and do not improve, we will arrange further examinations."
Hu Haiyang nodded slightly, his eyes swept over the people surrounding the bed, and his voice was steady but commanding: "County Magistrate Guan has woken up and is in stable condition. It's no use for everyone to stay here, go back and rest, it's already the middle of the night."
"Mayor Hu is right!" Another person immediately echoed, waving his hand and signaling everyone to leave. I recognized this person as the county party secretary, Kuang Tieying.
The tense atmosphere in the ward seemed to loosen a little. Everyone responded in a low voice, and with tired and relieved expressions, they began to move quietly, and their figures gradually disappeared at the door of the ward. The crowded and noisy space finally became quiet.
The door of the ward closed gently, isolating the noise. At this moment, there were only me and the other people who stayed in the huge space: Hu Haiyang, Kuang Tieying, Lin Xun, and someone who I couldn't tell for the time being whether it was Peng Xiaomin or Peng Xiaohui.
Hu Haiyang's eyes fell on the young woman, and his tone was gentle but inquiring: "Xiao Peng Zhizhi, can you hold on tonight?"
"Yes!" She answered decisively without any hesitation, "I will stay with you."
As soon as I finished speaking, Lin Xun immediately took over, his voice full of concern and a hint of persistence: "Xiao Min, you've been up all night, let me do it tonight." She accurately called out "Xiao Min" and confirmed her identity for me - she was Peng Xiaomin.
Kuang Tieying's eyes quickly swept between me and Peng Xiaomin, and caught the anxiety and concern that she could not hide between her eyebrows, as if she instantly understood the relationship between Xiaomin and me. She turned to Lin Xun and advised: "Director Lin, there are a lot of things going on in the group, and you are the one who can lead the way. Xiao Peng is young and has more energy, so let her work hard for another night." Although the words were euphemistic, they were unquestionable.
Lin Xun opened his mouth, but didn't refute. His eyes were fixed on my face, with a look of deep love in them. He pursed his lips tightly, then loosened them again, his eyes slightly reddened, and finally he just nodded heavily, that action contained too many words that he couldn't say.
Hu Haiyang and Kuang Tieying whispered a few words of comfort to me, then waved goodbye. Lin Xun looked at me deeply, and could only follow us helplessly, disappearing behind the door.
The door closed, and the world seemed to be sucked into a vacuum. A cold silence enveloped the room, and only Peng Xiaomin and I were left in the blindingly white ward.
She slowly sat back on the chair beside the bed, as if all the strength in her body had been drained. The next second, she suddenly stretched out her hands, tightly grasped my left hand that was placed on the quilt, and gently, but with unquestionable strength, pressed it against her warm cheek. I could even feel her rapid breathing brushing against my skin. Then, a warm and wet touch fell on my back without warning - not just one drop, but continuously, spreading silently.
She cried. There was no wailing, only intermittent sobs suppressed deep in her throat, like the whine of a wounded beast, and her shoulders trembled slightly with the low rhythm. Her tears, so quietly and violently, flowed down my back.
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