Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Infection

*

"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 the sound of electric current, and my grandfather's voice coming from 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 walkie-talkie covered with plastic film with the other hand and pressed the PTT button: "I felt a little dizzy, so I ate something and went to sleep after taking the medicine."

The voice was hoarse and weak, as if 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 said in a deep voice, "It's not necessarily that weird that he got infected in just a few hours. Maybe, maybe he had a cold before and he just didn't notice it."

"I hope so. I'll go check it out 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 hummed, "He has a fever. This virus is very strange. I am worried. Apart from eating and sleeping, I will probably be there for the past few days."

Hearing this, Meng Gaoyang couldn't help but become nervous.

People are selfish. He was also worried about Liang Zhao, but he was more worried about his eldest grandson. Chickenpox develops very quickly and strangely. Whether it can be cured is still a question.

It was impossible to persuade him. Meng Gaoyang understood Gu Mengran, and the patient also needed someone to take care of him. 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 care of yourself and ensure your safety."

"Eat when you need to eat, rest when you need to rest, 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 replied 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, and said apologetically: "These days... Grandpa, you may have to work a little harder. I'll use the high frequency to ask Sister Xu and the others to see if there are any tailings behind us. If not, you can drive the boat during the day and rest at night. We will isolate ourselves first--"

"I know, I know. Don't worry about it," the old man interrupted him and said calmly, "There's nothing wrong with the Wind Wing. There are just a few holes in the hull. We can find a place to stop and repair it after you have isolated 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 to blow dry his hair, another person's voice came through the rustling white noise.

"Grandpa Meng, I'm so hungry~"

As if he hadn't eaten for three days and three nights, Zheng Yijie's voice was weak 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 will be hungry first. I am sailing now, so how can I cook for you? Wait until I confirm the situation with Heng Rongsheng."

"We can only eat when Master Meng rests. So from now on..." Zheng Yijie's voice suddenly rose: "One meal a day?"

The old man laughed, "Not really, Meng Ran, put some biscuits or snacks at his door later, so he can fill his stomach if he gets 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, you don't need to prepare meals for Liang Zhao and me. We can eat the ones that were ready before. As for Zheng Yijie, there are some bread and biscuits on the cabinet. 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.

It took him 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 little strength, and his movements were slow and stiff.

Gu Mengran rushed in, threw everything in his arms onto the table, and rushed to the bedside in a hurry, "Why are you awake? What's wrong?"

Liang Zhao didn't say anything, but pointed at his throat.

"Thirsty? Sore throat?" Gu Mengran was unsure what he meant, so he immediately picked up the glass of water and brought it to Liang Zhao's mouth.

It was obvious that she was going 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 act like a patient. Don't move around. Just sit still."

The illness came like a mountain, Liang Zhao felt dizzy and weak, but there was nothing he could do to resist. He could only hold on to the bed sheet and move his body little by little, leaning against the head of the bed.

There was no rush to give him water. Gu Mengran stood up with the cup of water, rummaged through the pile of things he had just brought over, and finally threw a long straw into the cup before walking back to the bedside.

The straw is very convenient. You don't have to worry about water spilling out or making Liang Zhao too nervous.

After drinking half a cup of water, Liang Zhao's dry throat felt better. 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 off a pill for Liang Zhao.

Liang Zhao swallowed the anti-inflammatory and analgesic medicine with water, then slid into the warm quilt while sitting on the 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 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 terribly. 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 grabbed a corner of the quilt and lifted it up. He was about to tuck it in for him, but his eyes accidentally swept over Liang Zhao's neck, and his hand holding the quilt suddenly stopped in mid-air.

Liang Zhao's high fever persisted, and his slender neck was covered with a thin layer of sweat, which shone brightly under the light, so Gu Mengran could clearly see that there was an especially conspicuous red rash on the left side of his Adam's apple.

This is too exaggerated. 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 rash. Thinking back to what he saw in the morning, those fist-sized blisters that stretched the skin to the point of transparent blisters, goose bumps instantly covered Gu Mengran's arms.

"Meng Ran?" Liang Zhao noticed something from her 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 move and put his hand on his chest, patting him 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 a little embarrassedly, "Okay, it just feels like... your Adam's apple is much bigger than mine. Okay, okay, let's stop talking, just 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 hospitalized. He seemed to be sitting in the cinema as an audience member, watching his grandmother being diagnosed with cancer, gradually becoming 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 belongings, 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 doesn't want anything. He lives purely for the sake of living.

Until one day, he saw a job advertisement on the Internet - recruitment for seafarers.

The salary was high, and they 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, free of worries and without having to go to the shore.

But he still failed to become a seaman, because when he walked to the door of the seaman training center, with a razor hanging above 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 the endless worldly dust that he could not cut off.

Liang Zhao sat in the "cinema" and watched himself sneaking around like a thief to get news about Gu Mengran. After learning that he was in Xinjing, Liang Zhao bought a standing ticket for the train that night 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 myself for what I have done and for being like a sewer 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, so he counted in his mind how long it would take for Gu Mengran to call.

Ten, nine, eight...

The countdown ended, but the phone still didn't ring.

Liang Zhao thought he remembered it wrong, but then, the scene flashed by quickly, with volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, extreme high temperatures, heavy rainfall...

The lack of a phone call seemed to have produced a butterfly effect. Disasters occurred one after another, and 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.