Chapter 99 099 Xiao Ping An & Toffee & Hitting the Bull from Across the Mountain
What is measles?
In Shilan Province, measles has a common name - □□ plague.
As early as in ancient times, people knew that measles was an infectious disease. Before the widespread measles vaccination in the mid-1960s and its inclusion in the immunization program in 1978, this disease had always been the most prevalent acute respiratory infectious disease in Longguo.
"The most common symptoms of measles are fever, upper respiratory tract inflammation, conjunctivitis, and maculopapular rash all over the body. But your little dragon only had a fever and no Koplik spots on his oral mucosa, so it was ignored."
If the symptoms were more typical, he would have been treated according to the standardized treatment for measles long ago and might have recovered.
"Of course, there is no specific medicine for measles. We can only treat the symptoms. If there is a fever, we can reduce it. If there is a cough, we can stop the cough. If there is inflammation, we can reduce it. Many children with good physical constitutions can even recover on their own. It doesn't matter if they don't take medicine or get injections."
Public Security Long took a deep breath and asked, "What is variant measles? Is Xiaolong's condition difficult?"
"It's an atypical measles. It may be milder or more severe than ordinary measles, depending on the individual. But the key to this disease is to get rid of the rash. Once the rash comes out, there will be no problem. Xiaolong doesn't need to take the medicine anymore. Just drink warm water, get enough rest, and eat light and easy-to-digest food in the next few days."
Public Security Long was only half relieved.
Shu Jinyue thought he was still worried, so he comforted him: "Don't worry, I will report it to the district-level epidemic prevention station immediately, and according to regulations, professional staff will contact you."
Measles is a Class B infectious disease. According to the work rules of the epidemic prevention station, they must report it to the district-level competent unit as soon as possible. Although the time limit is within 24 hours, for all infectious diseases, the sooner the better. If there is no condition, you have to report it even if you have to run.
It is their business to report it step by step. What Shu Jinyue has to do now is to fill out the infectious disease report card and conduct an epidemiological investigation. She must know who Xiaolong has contacted during this period and what measures need to be taken to minimize the scope of transmission and the harm.
The ominous premonition she had just had seemed to be very accurate - she was busy again!
After hanging up the phone, Shu Jinyue immediately put on a mask and went to find Zhu Daqiang. There was no phone at home, so he had to run to deliver the letter. She had already been in contact with the little dragon, and it was not appropriate for her to be in contact with anyone else, even an adult.
After hearing this, Zhu Daqiang immediately frowned. This was a tricky situation as it was an infectious disease.
According to a more metaphysical point of view, he even suspected that there was something wrong with Shu Jinyue. When she was not here, he had been at Xinqiao Station for so many years and had never encountered any infectious diseases. He just followed the district station around and ran errands. As a result, when she came, all kinds of schistosomiasis, tuberculosis, meningitis, amoebiasis... and now even the variant measles have come.
Shu Jinyue didn't have time to guess what he was thinking. After reporting it, she hurried home to find Little Chicken Popcorn.
Popcorn Chicken said yesterday that his desk mate was sick and he didn’t go to school. A kid as strong as Xiaolong has been suffering for so many days, and if Popcorn Chicken really gets infected with his small body, it would be a big deal.
Fortunately, Popcorn Chicken showed no symptoms and his pulse was fine.
"How many people in your class are sick?"
"There is only one person who is sick in our class," he said with certainty.
"What about other classes? Is there anyone else sick in your school?"
"No, I know everyone in our school. No one is sick." They are all children from the neighborhood. Even if they are a few years older, they know each other. This is the benefit of street-level primary schools. Everyone you go around is familiar.
"Besides, my dad said that my brother and I have been vaccinated and we won't get sick."
Shu Jinyue was probably relieved. It seemed that their school had not been infected yet. At present, it should be limited to Xiaolong's school. But they didn't know whether they passed the virus to the neighbors' children when they went home, or whether the neighbors' children passed it to others when they went out to play.
But this night was destined to be a sleepless night. After receiving the news, Ma Shuhui immediately took people to Xiaolong's school. They first checked all the students in the school and found that there were only two people in Xiaolong's class who were sick, Xiaolong and his deskmate.
This is a blessing in disguise, but Ma Shuhui is not careless about whether the virus has been transmitted or whether there are still children in the incubation period. She asked the school to suspend classes for non-graduation classes, and asked the children to go home and not run around, and parents to observe the situation for a few days.
Everyone feels fortunate for this situation. Xu Wenli touched her ear and said, "I originally thought it would be a pandemic, but fortunately it was discovered early and can still be controlled."
"I had this disease when I was a child. All my classmates had it. Some students were sick for half a month before coming to class. There was also a student in the next class who was infected with the disease and later became deaf."
That's right. Measles doesn't sound as scary as schistosomiasis and tuberculosis, and it is even considered a self-limiting disease in later generations. However, with current medical and sanitary conditions, the measles virus invades multiple organs throughout the body. If not treated in time or the symptoms are severe, it will cause many sequelae.
Shu Jinyue wore a mask and stayed away from her second sister-in-law. She was the person with the most serious underlying disease in the family and was one of the people who needed protection the most.
"Things are different now than they were in the past. In the past, we relied entirely on our own immunity. We started getting measles vaccines in 1965, and a few years ago all children had to get the vaccine. It will be hard to see a pandemic in the future." Zhao Wanqiu said as she put down the newspaper and went to the kitchen to see Shu Linong, who had been cooking recently.
"You should eat less salt. You already have high blood pressure. Eat less salt."
"Also, are these shredded potatoes? They're too thick. Cut them thinner next time."
Shu Linong took note silently. He had many faults, but one good thing was that he never talked back. He would always follow whatever his wife said. Therefore, the two of them rarely had arguments over the years, and it was usually Zhao Wanqiu who quarreled with him unilaterally.
No wonder his own son called him a coward, he really is a bit... um.
Jin Yue looked at him and smiled, and began to wonder about Xiaolong's condition. In fact, an epidemiological investigation found that he was the only one of the two people he had contacted who fell ill. Everyone was a little unsure where he had been infected with the measles virus.
Of course, because of this reason, Shu Jinyue couldn't go out anymore, so the epidemic prevention station gave her five days off. Generally, the rash will no longer be contagious five days after it breaks out. She decided to go out as little as possible in the next few days. If she really had to go out, she would wear a mask and eat separately from her family at home.
***
However, in a small building in the police station's family quarters, Public Security Officer Long did not relax even though his son's condition had improved. He was sitting on a rattan chair with a worried look on his face, rubbing his temples. He looked depressed and anxious.
Ever since he received that phone call, he has felt very uncomfortable.
The child who had developed heart failure was Xiaolong's desk mate. When he thought of the child's situation, the guilt in Long's heart swept over him like a tide.
His wife was sitting next to him, feeling bad too, with a surge of heartache and guilt towards the child. "How about you give Dr. Shu a call and ask her to come and see Xiao Ping An?"
Public Security Long shook his head. "I thought so too, but Xiao Ping'an is now in the intensive care unit and can't come out. I'm not sure whether this Chinese medicine is effective for critical illnesses. What if it doesn't work... How can I be worthy of Old Zhao?"
His wife gently hugged his shoulders and said, "Give it a try, what if it works? Look, our Xiaolong has seen so many doctors, but only Doctor Shu cured him. Her medical skills are so good, maybe she can help."
Although Shu Jinyue felt that she had hit the jackpot by accident, in the eyes of people who don't know medicine, she is a "superb medical skill".
Public Security Long hesitated for a moment, but finally called the Shu family.
Shu Jinyue was a little surprised when he received his call again, thinking that Xiaolong had changed again. Unexpectedly, he spoke a long paragraph first: "I remember that Xiaolong was sick first, but he just had a fever and diarrhea. We didn't ask for leave for him in the first few days. He was always in school and had a good time with his deskmate. We even shared food. Later, after Xiaolong was hospitalized, the child was still fine. Suddenly, we met his parents in the hospital three days ago. They said that he had a fever and cough the night before, and had a rash all over his body. When he was admitted to the hospital, he was diagnosed with heart failure."
Considering Xiao Ping'an's identity, he said he met his parents, but in fact he received a call from his superior.
Obviously, according to his logic, Xiaolong was the one who fell ill first, and he passed the infectious disease to his deskmate, who is now seriously ill and is in the intensive care unit, and it is unknown when he will be able to come out.
Thinking of this possibility and the poor child, Public Security Long felt so guilty that he couldn't utter a word. Xiaolong definitely didn't mean it, and even their parents didn't know that he had an infectious disease. But it was also a fact that the other child was now in the intensive care unit... Every child is a treasure, let alone Xiao Ping'an.
Xiao Ping'an is Lao Zhao's only child.
"Doctor Shu, are you available now? Can you please go and check on the child?" As if afraid that Shu Jinyue would refuse, he quickly explained, "The child was born with a congenital heart disease. He gets chest tightness, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing when he's a little active. His lips turn blue and purple. He's been fine with good care in the past few years, but he couldn't stand the high fever and cough caused by the measles virus this time. The hospital notified us yesterday that there's nothing we can do."
Jin Yue really sat up straight, "What do you mean?"
Public Security Long sighed and said that Xiao Ping'an's condition obviously made him more worried and sad than Xiao Long's condition. "The child's heart was already in poor condition, and the virus has caused his heart to be overloaded and its function is severely damaged. His heart rate is only 42 beats per minute."
Jin Yue was shocked. Children's heart rate is generally faster than that of adults. At his age, the normal rate should be 80-100 beats per minute, but Xiao Ping'an's rate was only 42 beats per minute, which is about half of the lowest normal value. This is already a serious bradycardia! If it goes any slower, it will directly cause death!
This is not about getting involved in muddy waters, this is about saving a child's life. No matter if it's possible or not, she wants to try. "But I'm not sure if the other parent will agree. Ask them first. If they are willing, give me a call and we'll meet up at his hospital ward."
"Okay." Public Security Long was sure that the other party's parents would agree, because they were colleagues, and he also knew...
Their family lives in the police bureau’s staff quarters, and their children go to the same kindergarten and elementary school, so they are already very familiar with each other.
Soon, Shu Jinyue received a call asking her to wait at the entrance of the alley and a car would come to pick her up.
The car was a Santana sedan, shiny and sleek. Jin Yue no longer cared about whether it was beautiful or not. As soon as she got in the car, she started asking the other parents about the child's situation.
"This child has had congenital heart disease since he was young. His immunity is weaker than other children. We didn't even dare to let him have a cold. This time, he suddenly started coughing and fever four days ago. We thought he had a cold and rushed him to the hospital. The doctor used anti-infection and antipyretic medicine, but the effect was not very good. That night, the child's lips turned purple and he complained of chest tightness. We found out that he had heart failure and was rushed to the intensive care unit."
The process was described in complete detail, and Jin Yue listened quietly. So that's how it was. However, the woman who was speaking gave Jin Yue a feeling that she was not Xiao Ping'an's mother.
It’s not that she doesn’t care about the child. In fact, she cares a lot. She knows everything about the child’s physical condition, diet, appetite, urination, and sleep. But the feeling she gives people is like... how to put it, it’s not like the way the Long Gongan couple treat Xiaolong.
She asked, "Is this female comrade Xiao Ping'an's..."
Policeman Long and the woman looked at each other, and the woman smiled and said, "I am his class teacher. The child has always lived in my house, so he is also my child."
This sounded a bit strange. If it was her real blood-related child, she should have introduced him first and then mentioned that he was her class teacher at the end. But she said it as if there was no blood relationship between them.
And the idea of living in her house all the time sounds weird.
Long Gongan coughed lightly and said, "It's a bit complicated, and I can't explain it clearly for the time being. Xiao Ping'an is currently living in Teacher Zhao's house. He is Teacher Zhao's child."
Shu Jinyue knew that it was probably something that was inconvenient to talk about, so he quickly shut up and stopped asking.
Long Gongan fell back two steps and whispered, "Doctor Shu, please...you must...anyway, please."
He seemed to want to say something, but tried hard to restrain himself.
Jin Yue felt that there was no need for him to feel so guilty, because no matter who you are, no matter how good or bad your physical condition is, as long as you live in this world, you may transmit infectious diseases to others, or be infected by others, when going to the toilet, eating, meeting someone on the road, riding the bus, buying vegetables... Xiaolong didn't deliberately spread the infectious disease knowing that he had it. After all, even the doctor misdiagnosed him and treated his condition as ordinary diarrhea and fever. How could parents with no medical background know the seriousness of it?
If he is really a public security officer, his sense of morality is higher than hers, Jin Yue thought to herself.
Following Teacher Zhao, the three of them came to the outside of the intensive care unit. They didn't know when they greeted each other, but when they arrived, disposable surgical gowns, masks and hats were already prepared, and the hospital agreed to let Shu Jinyue go in alone.
Due to the shortage of supplies and the limitation of technical conditions, there are very few things that can be disposable in this era. Jin Yue knew how much her equipment cost, and she was a little nervous when changing it. She knew that if she couldn't cure Xiao Ping'an, not only would this expensive equipment be wasted, but also the child's life.
After changing clothes, he followed the nurse to Xiao Ping'an's bed. He was a little boy of four or five years old, but looked only three years old. He was very thin and had a pale face. His hands exposed were very thin and small. Jin Yue touched them and found no warmth at all.
If he hadn't seen his chest rising and falling, Jin Yue would have doubted whether he was still breathing. In sharp contrast to his pale face were his purple lips. Even with oxygen, his condition was not good.
Jin Yue looked at the monitor next to him and saw that his heart rate was only 46 beats per minute, which was still very low.
"The child had an electrocardiogram, which showed atrioventricular block, congenital heart disease, and severe lung infection. After a few days of hospitalization, the lung infection has been controlled, but the heart rate cannot be raised. Even after taking atropine, there is still no significant increase."
Shu Jinyue took the medical record handed over by the doctor and read it carefully. Normally, the child's heart rate is slower than that of ordinary people, but it is okay if he does not exercise vigorously. This time, the measles virus has dealt him a fatal blow, making his already slow heartbeat even more overwhelmed, and it seems that it may stop beating in the next second.
Shu Jinyue looked at the tests he had done. The only good news was that the lung infection was under control and the sputum had decreased significantly. If his heart had not been damaged, he could have been transferred to a normal ward. But the problem was that his heart was now...
Jin Yue didn't say anything. He sat next to the child and took his pulse.
The child's full name is Zhao Ping'an. He has delicate features. Although his hair is a little yellow, it is well cared for, his body is clean, and his nails are trimmed smooth and neat. His family... oh no, to be more precise, his guardian, takes good care of him.
It is difficult to raise a healthy child, let alone a child with a serious congenital disease. He cannot tolerate cold, heat, hunger, crying, or laughing... He is simply a fragile porcelain doll.
The more Shu Jin thought about it, the more he remembered to feel the pulse under his fingertips - it was thin, slow and regular.
Xiao Pingan didn't know when he woke up. His eyes were hazy and he didn't seem to know where he was. He looked at the beautiful aunt in front of him and asked softly, "Are you my mother?"
Shu Jinyue was stunned.
"Mom, Teacher Zhao said you're on a business trip and won't be back for a long time. If I behave well, Mom will come back to see me. Wow! Teacher Zhao really didn't lie to me!"
He was so excited that he struggled to sit up.
Jin Yue looked at the rising heart rate on the bedside monitor. It was dangerous to rise too fast, so he quickly held him down and said, "Lie down obediently and listen to me."
So, Xiao Ping An hugged her arm and took credit for it by saying, "Xiao Ping An is very good. He eats well every day, sleeps well, doesn't run around with other children, and doesn't play police and robbers with them... Hehe, so mommy came back to see me?"
Shu Jinyue's nose felt a little sour, and she nodded, "Yes, Xiao Ping'an, you are so good."
Xiao Ping'an grinned, revealing a mouthful of white, sparse teeth. "Then ask the nurse to give me an injection. I won't cry anymore. Wait...when I recover, can I still see my mother?"
As he spoke, his voice became intermittent and he was obviously short of breath and could not continue.
Shu Jinyue then hurriedly coaxed him to open his mouth. His tongue was pale and fat, with teeth marks and a thin white coating. He asked a few more questions about his heart and was sure that it was a case of chest pain caused by insufficient heart qi.
After finally coaxing the child to sleep, I arrived at the door of the ICU. Public Security Long and Teacher Zhao came to greet me and asked, "How is he? Is he okay in there? Did he cry while taking the medicine?"
Jin Yue smiled and said, "No, Xiao Ping An is very brave."
"Is there any solution with Chinese medicine?"
Jin Yue nodded, "In my opinion, he is a typical case of lack of spirit, and it is not difficult to treat him."
Long Gongan was overjoyed. "Then please ask Doctor Shu to write a prescription for him. I'll go to the pharmacy to get the medicine. Just tell me if you have any requests."
Shu Jinyue didn't have any requirements. In fact, Xiao Ping'an's illness was not a difficult one. His pulse and symptoms were consistent. The only problem was that he was insensitive to atropine-type drugs and his heart rate could not be raised.
She could cure it, but she just felt uncomfortable in her heart, as if her heart was being kneaded into a ball. It was clearly a child who had nothing to do with her, but she felt really bad in her heart.
After writing the prescription, he handed it to Long Gongan. Long Gongan seemed to be hesitant to speak. Finally, he took a look at the prescription, said nothing, and went to get the medicine.
Shu Jinyue discovered that Xiao Ping'an's situation might really be a bit special. Under normal circumstances, if Chinese medicine is to be used on critically ill patients in the intensive care unit, it would be very difficult for the doctors in the intensive care unit. It requires a lot of work and signing of many documents, not to mention that it is a child. But in Xiao Ping'an's case, it seems that someone has already cleared all the barriers, the door has been opened, and many obstacles have been cleared.
With Public Security Long leading the way, she only needed to do her job, and everything went smoothly.
Shu Jinyue was puzzled but did not ask. He waited until the pharmacy helped to boil the medicine. He watched the nurse feed Xiao Ping'an through the glass. He observed for another two hours. Seeing that there was nothing abnormal with the child, Jinyue left the hospital.
She first went to the epidemic prevention station to inquire about the situation. She felt a little relieved when she learned that Ma Shuhui and her team were continuing epidemiological investigations and screenings and there was still no increase in the number of infections.
When they called at night, Jin Yue told him about Xiao Ping'an's situation. She found it strange, but Xu Duan just said "hmm" after listening, "This child, if you can help him, please help him more."
"That's for sure. There are some things that I, as an outsider, can help with, but I still need the consent of the parents. However, I have never met his parents and only communicated with Public Security Long and Teacher Zhao. It feels a bit strange."
"His parents may be gone for special reasons. He should be an orphan, and an orphan of martyrs."
Shu Jinyue was silent. She didn't know what to say for a moment. She was a little shocked, but also felt that it was reasonable. Otherwise, she couldn't explain her unusual "smoothness" of the day and Long Gongan's extraordinary guilt.
"I don't know the specific reason, but from what you described, it's very likely." Xu Duan said, and then comforted her, "Just do your best. Don't keep thinking about it. Pull yourself away and find something else to do."
The other thing, of course, is to find out where exactly he was infected with the measles virus. Xiaolong has been diagnosed with the fever and diarrhea caused by the measles virus, but a thorough investigation of all the people he had contact with over the past half month failed to find the cause.
"Let me think about it. Fortunately, many children have been vaccinated this time, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable."
Xiao Ping'an's symptoms were so severe because he had congenital heart disease and had not been vaccinated at the time. Other children who had been successfully vaccinated only had a fever and a rash when attacked by the virus. This was a blessing in disguise. As for the adults who have come into contact with them, they can basically be ignored because they have either been vaccinated or have had measles before.
Even if you have never been vaccinated or infected, you don’t need to worry too much, because this virus is generally susceptible to many people and its pathogenicity is not strong. If you treat the symptoms properly, it is not a serious disease.
What happened to Xiao Ping'an was purely an accident.
But was it really an accident?
***
The next day at noon, Jin Yue took time out to go to the hospital again and found that Xiao Ping'an was very sensitive to Chinese medicine. His heart rate had increased significantly, reaching 64 beats per minute.
"Wow! Mom comes to see me again! Is it because you know I was very well behaved yesterday?" The child held her hand, reluctant to let go.
Jin Yue nodded. She had been wearing a mask for two days in a row and it was really stuffy. Masks of that era were made of gauze with many layers, and were not as breathable as textile fabrics of later generations.
She really wanted to take off the mask and let him see what "Mom" looked like, but she was afraid that he would remember her appearance and would be even more sad if he couldn't see her again in the future.
Jin Yue encouraged him a few words and promised to leave after he fell asleep. As a result, when he walked to the door, he saw Long Gongan waiting there, "When did you come?"
"I thought I'd come over to see if Xiao Ping'an is feeling better."
Long Gongan nodded, and he also consciously wore a mask, "Would it be convenient for us to chat for a few minutes?"
The two of them came to the bench below the hospital. It was very open there, the air was relatively flowing, and there was no place to hide. Even if someone wanted to eavesdrop, they would be discovered immediately.
Shu Jinyue was shocked by his own thought. He thought, they were just having a simple chat, why would they worry about being overheard? Xu Duan's guess really made her suspicious.
Long Gongan was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice: "I don't dare to go in to see him, I'm afraid he will recognize me."
Shu Jinyue was puzzled.
"When I found him in the orphanage two years ago, he considered me his dad."
Public Security Long sighed and looked into the distance, as if he was looking at the day two years ago when he had just learned of Lao Zhao's sacrifice. According to the information she left before her death, he found the orphanage. There were more than twenty children there, all looking at him with expectant and timid eyes.
He recognized Xiao Ping'an in the crowd at a glance, because he looked so much like Lao Zhao, especially his delicate, moist big eyes.
When the child saw him looking over, he didn't dare to meet his gaze at first. But when he saw that he was really gentle, he couldn't help but look at him again and again. Finally, he couldn't help but timidly asked, "Are you... are you my dad? Are you here to take me home?"
Almost all the children in the orphanage were abandoned by their parents with congenital diseases, but he was not one of them. His parents had to leave him there to protect him. Before they left him there, they thought they would be able to take him home after a while. At that time, he was only three months old and had not yet been weaned.
He was left there for a year and a half, and they never came to pick him up. He had long forgotten what his parents looked like, but the director's mother said that he was different from other children, and his parents would come back to pick him up, they would definitely come.
"I didn't take him away that day. A few days later, after I had dealt with Mr. and Mrs. Zhao's funeral, I asked Teacher Zhao to pick him up... From then on, he was raised in Teacher Zhao's home. It just so happened that his last name was Zhao, the same as Teacher Zhao's, so people who were not familiar with him would not suspect that they were not related by blood."
And he never appeared in front of Xiao Ping'an again.
Sometimes a child's memory seems very poor, but at other times it seems surprisingly good.
"That day the director told me not to hug him or any other child in the orphanage. Once someone has experienced the feeling of being hugged, it will be very difficult for the orphanage staff to carry out their work."
Because there are so many orphans but only two or three staff members, every child wants a hug and they are too busy to handle them all. The children will cry and act like a spoiled child in order to get a hug, and dealing with so many little emotions of the children undoubtedly increases their workload.
"I don't have to be in his sight anymore. I just need to look at him and know that he is doing well and healthy."
Shu Jinyue sighed inwardly. Although Public Security Long did not say what the "Old Zhao" couple did for a living, she knew that it was everyone's responsibility to protect Xiao Ping'an and let him grow up safely.
"It's okay, I will visit him often. If there is anything you need me to do in the future, I will cooperate." She will also keep today's events confidential.
She didn't know what Lao Zhao and the others had done, nor why they sacrificed themselves, but she knew that if she wanted Xiao Ping'an to grow up safely, she had to keep his life experience a secret.
Out of work discipline and to protect his old friend, Public Security Long did not tell anyone about Lao Zhao. Lao Zhao was not a man, but a woman, his comrade-in-arms. In the late 1970s, with the relaxation of policies and the skyrocketing prices of drugs in the European and American international markets, drugs began to be grown on a large scale in the Golden Triangle area. Some of them were spread to the southern Yunnan province of Longguo through the neighboring geographical areas.
Lao Zhao was sent there as an undercover agent. Before she left, she didn't know she was pregnant. She even took drugs to gain the other party's trust... Therefore, Long Gongan always felt that Xiao Ping'an's congenital heart disease was caused by poisoning in her stomach.
As for those extremely vicious people, even if Mr. and Mrs. Zhao died, they would not necessarily let their child go. That was why he wanted to send his child to Teacher Zhao's home for foster care.
***
In the following days, Jin Yue went to see Xiao Ping'an every day, wearing a mask and carrying some things that children would like, such as fruits and toys, and occasionally some candies. His heart rate gradually increased, reaching 86 beats per minute, which is already the level of a healthy person.
He was soon transferred to the general ward, his pneumonia recovered, and his heart failure also improved significantly. Jin Yue stayed with him for several days until he was finally able to get out of bed and eat on his own.
This day was the sixth day that she had been voluntarily isolating herself from the crowd. "Xiao Ping'an, I have to go to work tomorrow."
The child who was playing with the slingshot suddenly paused, looked at her quickly, and held her hand tightly, "When can I see my mother?"
"When you behave well and are no longer sick." She had to dissuade him from pretending to be sick to "see mom."
"Okay, Xiao Ping'an will definitely listen to Teacher Zhao, eat well, exercise, and become very, very healthy!"
Jin Yue touched his head and said, "Then can I tell you a story?"
Usually when Jin Yue coaxed him to sleep, she only needed to tell him one story and he would fall asleep contentedly. But today was different. She told two, three, and even when she was almost done with the fourth story, Xiao Ping'an still didn't want to fall asleep. He rubbed his eyes until they were red, but he just wouldn't fall asleep.
Based on the pattern of the past few days, he knew that once he fell asleep, "Mom" would leave.
Shu Jinyue's heart softened even more. By the time she told the sixth story, her reserves had been completely exhausted and she could no longer make up a complete story. Xiao Ping'an finally fell asleep.
After leaving the ward, Jin Yue was still feeling restless. She needed to do something to calm herself down. She even had an impulse for a moment - why not let her and Xu Duan adopt Xiao Ping An and give him a real home.
But after the impulse, she quickly calmed down. Raising a child is not as simple as it seems. It is not just about teasing the child when you are in a good mood and kicking him away when you are in a bad mood. It is not just about feeding and clothing him warmly. You also have to be responsible for his emotions, cultivate him, and raise him into a healthy, happy person who can be responsible for himself... It is too difficult.
Shu Jinyue knew that he had a lot of things to do in the next few years. The couple was already living apart, and having a child might be a novelty at first, but what would happen after the novelty wore off? She was busy with her career, but when her child needed company, she was too busy going to the outpatient clinic every day. But when her child needed personal instruction, she knew she could no longer handle it.
Jin Yue quickly dismissed this idea. The only thing she could do was to visit him more often when she had time and send some money and things to Teacher Zhao's family to make his material life less difficult.
Walking downstairs, Jin Yue suddenly remembered that he had told Qin Haiyang a few days ago that he would introduce him to Mo Shuyi, and hurried back to the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine to find someone.
Mo Shuyi was getting ready to get off work. Seeing her coming, he smiled and asked, "Are you here as a non-staff expert again today?"
"Well, you're getting off work so early?" This is not common among the workaholic Dr. Mo, oh no, Director Mo.
"Qingqing has had some severe morning sickness lately and can't cook. I'll go back and cook for her."
The two got married in December last year. Yao Qingqing just found out she was pregnant last week. Now she has severe morning sickness and can’t eat anything outside, but she can’t stand the smell of cooking oil when she cooks herself.
Jin Yue already knew about it and had visited her at that time. "Okay, that won't delay you from going back to take care of Qingqing. Let me make it short and introduce you to a friend. He just came back from Country M. He's a doctor of medicine and his research direction is in vitro fertilization assisted reproductive technology. I heard that your hospital is preparing for fine division of specialties. Why don't you talk to him?"
Mo Shuyi was really interested and asked some more about Qin Haiyang's situation. "Okay, I'll be on the night shift the next day. Ask him to come to our department at 10:30 in the morning."
"You are the director now, but you are still on duty in person?"
Mo Shuyi shrugged, "We are short of people now. There is nothing we can do. Some interns from your school have come, but they are still in the learning stage and cannot officially start working yet."
The two chatted until they reached the hospital entrance, and then parted ways and prepared to go back home.
Suddenly, Shu Jinyue remembered something, "Wait a minute, I have something I want to ask you."
"Well, you say." Mo Shuyi pushed his bicycle over and parked it next to the flower bed on the side of the road, trying not to block passing cars and pedestrians.
"Tell me, besides respiratory droplets, is there any other way for measles virus to spread?"
Mo Shuyi thought seriously for a few seconds and said, "No, this is the only transmission route found so far."
Shu Jinyue was even more puzzled, but Ma Shuhui and Zhu Daqiang had been investigating for such a long time but still couldn't find the so-called "patient zero". Xiaolong would definitely not be infected for no reason. Who on earth spread the virus to Xiaolong?
But as time went on, the information that could be collected became less and less, and even inconsistencies began to appear. It was not that the child was lying, but that the memory of a four-year-old child was inherently limited.
"However, the measles virus can survive for two hours at room temperature, which means that it can be transmitted without direct contact through droplets such as coughing and sneezing. Indirect contact with respiratory secretions left by the previous patient can also cause infection."
If that's the case, it would be even more difficult to trace who had stayed in the same space with Xiaolong within two hours. Now there is no big data itinerary card, so it is too difficult to trace.
"In fact, this disease is not a very serious infectious disease. Many people can recover on their own. You don't need to worry too much about the transmission route and source of infection. The value of pursuing it is less than the price you pay. According to the algorithm of capitalism, you are losing money in this business." Mo Shuyi joked.
Shu Jinyue actually knew this truth. There were no infected people outside, and it was not necessary to find the "patient zero" to close the case. But when she thought of Xiao Ping'an, she always felt that she wanted to put more effort into it.
I don’t know why. The whole thing was normal and natural from beginning to end. It was just an infectious disease that couldn’t be more common, but why didn’t other people get infected? On the contrary, Xiaolong has been vaccinated!
Why didn’t it infect others, but only the frail and sickly little Ping An?
Why is it not ordinary measles but a variant of measles?
Why did Xiao Ping'an happen to have a serious heart disease?
Everything could be explained by coincidence, but ever since she guessed Xiao Ping'an's background, she felt that it was not coincidental.
But the more I thought about it these past few days, the more my head hurt, but I still couldn't figure it out. I might as well put it aside for now. After all, this is Ma Shuhui's job... Maybe she was just being too suspicious.
＊＊＊
Two days later, while Shu Jinyue was working the night shift at the clinic, Xiaolong's family of three came again. This time, Xiaolong was really back to being lively and energetic, as strong as a calf. As soon as he entered the clinic, he ran around everywhere and almost hid in the toilet. His mother could hardly catch him and she stomped her feet in anger at the door.
The only way to deal with this is as a parent: "If you keep running around, I won't buy you any candy later."
She smiled at Jin Yue sheepishly: "We promised to buy him candy, so he was willing to come with us to see you for a follow-up visit. We have spoiled this child."
Shu Jinyue smiled. This was a child who grew up in love, and Xiao Ping'an, if his parents had not sacrificed themselves, he should have been treated like this now.
"Mom lied to me. She took me to buy fruit candy again. I don't want it. I want milk candy!"
Long Gongan's wife blushed a little. This bad boy, she really lied to him. How could he have so much money to buy milk candy? Every time he promised well, but when he went to the store, he only bought the cheapest fruit candy. She thought he was still young and had not eaten milk candy many times, so he couldn't remember the taste. Anyway, they were all wrapped in colorful candy wrappers.
Who knew that Xiaolong would put his hands on his hips and said, "Humph, I've eaten real milk candy, it's really sweet, fragrant and sweet, mom is lying!"
"Who gave you the food? Don't talk nonsense."
"The lady at the store gave it to me. She said that was real milk candy. My mom always bought me fruit candy. Humph, my mom is a liar!"
Long Gongan's wife was embarrassed when her child said this to her in front of many patients. "You are talking nonsense again, kid. When did the aunt give you candy?"
"On the day I got sick, after school at noon, my mother asked me to go get some soy sauce, and my aunt gave me three pieces. I ate them all!"
The other patients thought it was very funny that he was so big-headed and talkative, and he would say two or three things to his mother. They all laughed and teased him. Only Shu Jinyue and Long Gongan thought of something -
How can you give such a good thing as milk candy to other people’s children who are not related to you? It happened to be the day when Xiaolong fell ill. Can it be understood that Xiaolong fell ill because he ate the candy given by his aunt? After all, the measles virus can survive for two hours at room temperature.
If this is true, patient zero, or the person carrying the measles virus, has been found, but Shu Jinyue cannot be happy——
Measles is generally contagious 5 days before and after the rash appears. Generally, if an adult is sick, they will not give food to children. No matter what the disease is, everyone will subconsciously protect the children. "Don't pass the disease to children" is common sense. The salesperson's behavior is like he knows he is sick and wants to pass it on to others.
But what benefit would she get if she passed it to Xiaolong?
Xiaolong is so strong that he was treated for diarrhea and fever for half a month and still is full of energy. On the contrary, his deskmate Xiaopingan was knocked down in an instant and almost lost his life... What a good trick to hit the target from a distance!
Long Gongan and Shu Jinyue thought of the same thing, and the blood vessels in his solar plexus suddenly began to beat violently.
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