Chapter 182 Sampling
The slender needle pierced through the porcelain-white skin, and the transparent test tube slowly filled with blood.
Xiang Xin stood to the side, her eyes filled with heartache.
Lin Xi simply watched all of this calmly, then deftly removed the needles from her own body, pressed for a moment, and then released them.
"You're so good at giving yourself acupuncture."
"It's just acupuncture."
I can also stab myself cleanly.
"Go home and wait for me." Lin Xi put away the blood sample and began to shoo him away.
Then he changed into protective clothing, put on a mask, and went into the laboratory alone.
This laboratory is not the virus laboratory where Lin Xi previously worked, but a laboratory in the base military region hospital, which can perform preliminary steps for separating serum to test antigens.
There was originally only one place in the base where the zombie virus was present: the virus laboratory. Strict security checks and controls were in place to ensure that the zombie virus would not enter the base.
The zombie virus Lin Xi has here was extracted from two aberrant zombies that she and Lu Wei brought back from the city. Those two zombies have not yet been moved into the laboratory.
Isolating serum and testing antigens is the most basic work in virus research, and Lin Xi was already proficient in it. The military hospital had the necessary facilities, and she could complete the task by herself.
This process was tedious and required waiting time. In order to obtain more accurate results, Lin Xi used several methods to repeatedly verify the results.
As expected, it failed.
Lin Xi decided to study the antibodies in her own body, and the first step was to start with blood serum, which is the most conventional and common method.
However, the zombie virus is different from ordinary viruses, and Lin Xi may not actually have complete antibodies, a result that Lin Xi had anticipated.
After destroying the virus samples and experimental traces, Lin Xi took off her protective suit, disinfected herself, and came out of the laboratory the next afternoon.
A day and a half has passed.
The isolation zone outside the laboratory was lifted only after she came out.
Dr. Tao Yiran was waiting for her outside with an insulated container.
Exhausted after a sleepless night, Lin Xi took the insulated box containing the nutritious meal and reported the result to the group chat.
Liang Hui was the first to reply: "It's normal, it's normal. There's been no progress on Song Heng's side since you left."
Liang Hui added, "Brother Lu is next to me. He said you should get some rest first."
Lin Xi returned to the home of the four of them, quickly washed up, and was about to go to sleep when she saw a selfie of herself with dark circles under her eyes sent by Xiang Xin.
P.S.: I was planning to wait for you to come out so we could go back together, but I have to take care of some things beforehand so I can take time off later. Ugh, I haven't closed my eyes for 27 hours.
Lin Xi took a picture of the soft, warm bed, with the blanket half-lifted.
Attached text: I'm waiting for you here.
Liang Hui: It wasn't you guys...
Liang Hui: Is that right?
Lin Xi fell asleep.
-
Lin Xi, dressed in a hospital gown, lay on a white single bed. As the anesthetic was injected into her body again, Xiang Xinlu and Liang Hui gathered around the bedside.
"Go San San!"
"We'll wait for you outside."
"Peace of mind."
Hearing the words of encouragement, Lin Xi didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "It's just taking samples."
She had seen it in TV dramas before; before undergoing surgery for a serious illness, family and friends would come to encourage her.
Lin Xi was not often sick before, and when she was occasionally hospitalized, she was alone.
I finally understand what it feels like to have someone by my side.
As her body gradually went numb and she lost control, Lin Xi calmly watched the faces of her old friends fade into the distance.
She felt neither uneasy nor reluctant, because another face followed her into the operating room.
Xiang Xin also went through disinfection and put on a full set of protective clothing to stay in the operating room.
Having learned from the previous experience, even though Song Heng's team wasn't there this time, and all the medical staff were military personnel who hadn't been assigned by the army, Xiang Xin was still worried and insisted on personally overseeing the entire process.
Lin Xi calmly accepted the feeling of her mind going blank.
-
Lin Xi slept a more peaceful sleep than ever before.
From the outbreak of the zombie apocalypse to entering the base, Lin Xi experienced unprecedented anxiety and low spirits. Even after leaving the laboratory and returning to her friends, she never truly relaxed.
It wasn't until I made up my mind to return to the lab that my restless mind finally found a place to settle down.
-
The sound of the vital signs monitor gradually became clearer in her ears. Lin Xi opened her eyes and stared at the blinding headlights. After a moment of confusion, she realized where she was.
This is the base -16th floor, a place where the sun never shines and lights are kept on year-round for illumination.
The two figures beside the bed gradually became clearer.
Lu Weiduan sat to the side wearing a headset and working on his laptop, while Tao Yiran stood on the outside, fiddling with something.
Lin Xi turned her head slightly and was immediately noticed by the two men.
"You're awake."
Lin Xi glanced at herself; she had no IV drips inserted, only a vital signs monitor connected to her body.
She assumed she could get up, but as soon as she lifted her head, supported by her hands, she was overwhelmed by an indescribable soreness and lay back down.
Tao Yiran quickly came over to stop her: "Don't move around."
She briefly checked Zhang Sirui's condition and instructed, "You have had several punctures and samplings done all over your body. Although they were very successful, you will experience some soreness in the next few days, especially in your lower back and head. It is best to rest for a while and avoid strenuous exercise."
Lin Xi had taken the courses that Tao Yiran had instructed her on in college. Although her major was pathogenic biology, some basic medical courses were required for medical students.
This time, however, she personally experienced the mild side effects described in the textbook.
After discovering that there were no effective antibodies in her blood, Lin Xi rested for three days to recover before collecting her own sample. She knew what the process was like, but she couldn't do it herself like she would draw blood from herself.
Without the company of her friends, and if she were to rely on her old colleagues from the research institute to handle everything, Lin Xi wouldn't be able to fully entrust everything to them and accept it with peace of mind.
Due to the unique nature of the zombie virus, no effective antibodies have been found to date, and the exact location of the antibodies remains unknown. Lin Xi can only combine his previous research experience to sample and preserve all tissues and bodily fluids where antibodies may exist.
These procedures were all performed at the military hospital, where highly skilled and trustworthy doctors were available to perform them.
Hearing Tao Yiran say that, Lin Xi lay still and asked in a low voice, "Sample..."
Lu Wei replied, "It has been stored as you requested, and I have someone guarding it."
Later that evening, Xiang Xin and Liang Hui appeared together.
Also present was the thermal food jar.
Lin Xi felt like she was facing a formidable enemy the moment she saw the thermos.
That's the one Xiang Xin used when she was in Nanhua. She not only used the thermos to cook unpalatable food herself, but also taught the other two how to use it.
Lin Xi frowned as she watched the cup fall softly onto the bedside table.
When Xiang Xin unscrewed the lid and poured the white liquid into the small bowl, Lin Xi was already resigned to her fate, but the savory and mellow aroma that wafted over indicated that this was not a bad half-cooked porridge.
Lin Xi couldn't help but crane her neck to look, and it turned out to be fish soup with tofu.
Lin Xi felt a backache for a while, but she lay back down with peace of mind.
This scene amused Lu Wei and Xiang Xin.
Xiang Xin pursed her lips and said, "I know you dislike the porridge I cook."
Liang Hui: "Dr. Tao said you need to supplement your protein intake, so I went out this morning to buy some fish."
Fresh produce has always been a scarce resource at the base, and even those with abundant points and certain privileges cannot buy it at will.
Xiang Xin continued, "The base's intranet is now in use. The last time I went online to read Little Green Book was to make fish soup for San San. Isn't that touching!"
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