Chapter 365 Returning to the Embrace of "Home"
The birthday celebration is taking a turn for the worse.
The limited emergency medicines he had taken before had long been exhausted, and the malignant malaria was raging wildly in his body.
He began to shiver violently, his teeth chattering, and then he went into a terrible high fever and convulsions, his teeth clenched, white foam came out of the corners of his mouth, and his vital signs were like a candle in the wind, which could be extinguished at any time.
"It's no use... the medicine is gone... he can't hold on any longer..."
Xia Lili's voice was filled with tears and despair. She touched Qingsheng's forehead and found it was frighteningly hot.
Li Qihan's face turned pale, he knew it very well.
But as the captain, he couldn't give up any hope.
He forced himself to calm down, his eyes scanning the dark jungle around him like a searchlight, trying to find any possible turning point.
At that moment, Xia Lili suddenly remembered what a knowledgeable barefoot doctor had said during training, pointing to a picture and saying, "...if you run out of ammunition and food, remember to look for this dark green plant with serrated edges, thick leaves, and dense fuzz on the back. We call it 'fever-reducing grass.'"
"Although it's not as effective as quinine, crushing it and applying it externally or taking a small amount of decoction can help for a while, and it can be used to reduce fever and inflammation in an emergency..."
This memory is like a match struck in the darkness!
Xia Lili immediately used her excellent night vision to search desperately among the damp and dark rock walls and tree roots.
"There!" she suddenly exclaimed in a low voice, pointing to the middle of a damp, mossy rock wall in front of her right. "That's the fever-reducing grass the doctor mentioned!"
In a crevice in the rock wall about two meters above the ground, we saw several clusters of tenaciously growing dark green plants, whose characteristics were highly consistent with the barefoot doctor's description!
Hope is rekindled!
But new challenges lie ahead.
The rock walls are slippery and steep, and even more difficult to climb after being washed by rain.
Both of them were close to collapse.
"I'll let you go up!" Li Qihan didn't hesitate at all.
He immediately half-crouched down, using his broad and strong back as a fulcrum, and crossed his hands in front of him to form a stable "human ladder".
"Hurry! Step on it! Be careful it's slippery!"
Xia Lili looked at Li Qihan's back, which was also soaked in rain and sweat, trembling slightly but extremely determined. She gritted her teeth, took off her slippery military boots, stepped carefully on his palm, and held tightly to the wet and cold rock wall with her other hand.
Li Qihan groaned, and used all his strength to lift her up!
The muscles in his arms bulged, the veins on his forehead popped out, and every step he took carried the weight of two people and his determination to save lives.
With the help of this power, Xia Lili reached the life-saving herbs with her fingertips with difficulty.
She ignored the pain of being scratched by the rocks and picked them quickly and carefully.
After getting the herbs, Li Qihan slowly put her down. Both of them were panting from this brief outburst and could barely stand.
Without time to rest, Xia Lili immediately crushed the herbs with the dagger she carried with her, while Li Qihan took out the little remaining clean water, used his helmet to catch the rainwater, and then added water purification tablets for simple processing.
They carefully pried open Qingsheng's clenched teeth and fed him a small amount of clean water mixed with grass juice, dripping it in little by little.
After doing all this, the two of them sat down in the mud, back to back, supporting each other so as not to fall down.
They stared intently at the birthday celebration, praying that this gift from nature would bring about a miracle.
Perhaps it was their persistence, or perhaps the herbs really worked, but after more than ten minutes, Qingsheng's violent convulsions gradually subsided, and his burning body temperature seemed to have dropped slightly. Although he was still unconscious, his breathing seemed to have become a little smoother.
This buys them the most precious time window.
"Let's go! We must rush over now!" Li Qihan forced himself to stand up and set up the celebration again.
Xia Lili also struggled to stand up. The two of them supported their dying comrade and, with their last bit of strength, took heavy and firm steps towards the light that symbolized survival.
Li Qihan and Xia Lili used up their last bit of strength, almost relying on instinct and iron will, to carry the weak Qingsheng on their left and right, staggering forward in the dark and muddy rainforest.
Every step felt as heavy as if filled with lead. The cold rain had already soaked into their bones. Exhaustion and coldness almost swallowed their consciousness.
The only support is the border map that is getting closer and closer in my mind, and the longing for "home".
In this seemingly endless dark trek, a short and clear bird song suddenly came from the thick rain and night ahead!
That was not a real bird call, but a specific whistle signal agreed upon with the reception team before they set off!
Xia Lili almost thought she was hallucinating because of excessive fatigue.
But she suddenly stopped, her heart pounding, and she excitedly grabbed Li Qihan's arm.
Li Qihan also tensed up instantly and listened attentively.
"Yes...it's our signal!" Xia Lili's voice trembled with excitement and weakness.
She immediately took a deep breath, put her fingers in her mouth, and used up her last bit of strength to whistle a response with the same melody but slightly changed!
As soon as the whistle sounded——
In the darkness ahead, as if responding to their calls, a light array consisting of more than a dozen high-intensity flashlights suddenly lit up!
The warm beams of light pierced the rainy night, like a lighthouse guiding the way home, clearly illuminating the last rugged road ahead of them!
Then, a burst of rapid and powerful footsteps were heard, accompanied by an extremely familiar and exciting cry in the mother tongue, which penetrated the rain like a heavenly sound:
"Here! Found them!"
"Quick! Stretcher! Get on the stretcher!"
"Doctor! Doctor, follow me!"
Several soldiers wearing familiar combat uniforms, who were also soaked but moved extremely quickly, rushed in front of them like divine soldiers descending from the sky in an instant.
They carefully but extremely quickly took the almost unconscious Qingsheng from the almost stiff arms of Li Qihan and Xia Lili, and placed him steadily on the stretcher that had been prepared long ago.
"Hold on! Comrades! We're going home!"
A soldier held Qingsheng's cold hand tightly, shouted encouragement, then lifted the stretcher and rushed towards the light source.
It was not until Qingsheng was safely taken away that the tension between Li Qihan and Xia Lili suddenly relaxed.
Extreme fatigue and relaxation instantly overwhelmed them like a tide. Their legs went weak and they almost collapsed into the mud at the same time.
"Captain! Advisor Xia!"
The soldiers next to them were quick-witted and stepped forward immediately, supporting their almost exhausted bodies steadily on the left and right.
"It's okay... It's safe..."
The young soldier who was supporting Xia Lili looked at the girl who was younger than himself, his voice choked with sobs, and repeated over and over again, "We are safe."
The two men were half-supported and half-supported by their comrades, walking towards the warm light with one step deep and one step shallow.
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