Both of them slept very well that night.
The bed was slightly adjusted and a single bed was put next to it.
The new captain of the Ming family was interested in the big bed at first sight. His eyes lit up at the sudden spacious space. He took the initiative to arrange the pillows and generously invited Mr. Ming to come up and lie down.
When Minglu came to check for the first time, Mr. Ming was still leaning against the head of the bed with a computer on his lap, reading to his boat in a low voice the bedtime story he had searched and sorted out over the past few days.
…
When I came the second time, Mr. Ming had already fallen asleep.
Ming Chi blinked twice quietly, made a gesture, picked up the computer quietly, and handed it to Uncle Lu.
Ming Weiting woke up from his light sleep when he noticed the movement beside him and tried to prop up his arms. Mingchi's reaction was no slower than his. He immediately held Mr. Shadow's hand and bent down to speak to him softly.
Minglu put the computer away. When I stood up, I saw the new captain putting his hand on my husband's forehead, and reporting in a light and gentle voice that he felt super comfortable and there was nothing unusual, and that he would report it immediately if there was any problem.
Ming Weiting sat leaning against the head of the bed with his eyes still open, and Ming Chi gently touched his eyelashes twice with the back of his hand.
Ming Weiting listened carefully, a smile gradually appeared in his eyes, and he held Ming Chi's hand.
This was originally the action he used to confirm whether Ming Chi was feeling uncomfortable, but the other party learned it, using a lighter and steadier force than he could control, which easily reminded people of the frequent nights on a cruise ship.
Nights like that are most common when the weather is good at sea.
Everything was quiet at night. The wind chased the moon on the sea. It was so light that it didn't even disturb the tide and was almost unnoticeable when standing on the deck.
Unless you close your eyes.
"Close your eyes." Ming Chi urged him softly, "Mr. Shadow, lie down."
Ming Weiting nodded, smiled and did as he was told. He raised his hand to help Ming Chi lie down carefully, avoiding the wound, and then he lay down too.
The two of them lay side by side on the newly made big bed.
Ming Weiting has been taking care of Ming Chi these days and can accurately locate his position even with his eyes closed.
He turned sideways and carefully covered Mingchi with the quilt. Without waiting for the other person to remind him, he covered himself with another quilt in the same way and lay down in a very standard manner.
The new captain was very satisfied and touched Mr. Ming's ear as a reward.
Minglu took over the task from a distance, nodded with a smile, and returned to the cabin to lie down.
Three of us will sleep very well tonight.
…
The recovery progress after that was even faster than Mingchi himself had predicted.
The headache and dizziness after the removal of the drainage tube were nothing compared to before. Mingchi completely recovered his energy that afternoon. His appetite was better than before and he drank a whole bowl of porridge by himself.
From then on, things went smoother and smoother every day.
On the third day, Mingchi began to practice walking with the help of Mr. Shadow. By the fifth day, Mingchi was able to walk a short distance in the corridor with support. He walked so well that the little girl in a wheelchair being pushed up by her mother stared with eyes wide open.
Mingchi asked the head nurse and learned that the little girl knew him before the operation and came to see her brother specially. At that time, she let Mr. Yingzi support her and walked around steadily again.
The little girl's symptoms were much milder than his, and she only had a slight limp before the operation. But after the operation, he inevitably had headaches and wound pain, and the infusion was very uncomfortable. These days, no matter how I coaxed him, he cried and refused to get out of bed.
Before the operation, my brother couldn't stand up, but now he can walk better than me. The little girl was extremely unconvinced. She could no longer sit in the wheelchair and pulled her mother to go back and practice immediately.
Ming Chi stood in front of her, gathered his strength, squatted down, and said childishly: "Who is still afraid of pain and dare not practice walking?"
The little girl's face was burning, and she waved her arms and denied it flatly: "No one!"
"No one!" Ming Chi immediately believed it and added, "We'll practice when we get back!"
The little girl subconsciously wanted to nod vigorously, but her mother stopped her in time by holding her face. Then she changed her habit and imitated Mingchi's movements to clench her fists and pump her energy.
Ming Chi smiled and bumped fists with her, then waved his hand and watched her go to the end of the corridor. When I feel the force on my arms, I adjust my center of gravity, transfer some of the force to my right leg, and slowly stand up.
His activity level today was a little bit beyond his plan. When he stood up, he felt a rare surge of dizziness, and his right leg suddenly went weak.
Before Ming Chi could react, an arm already protected his shoulders and back, helping him stand firmly: "Some people."
Ming Chi couldn't help but secretly practice more these days. He was already quite skilled in facing criticism and self-criticism. He immediately took the opportunity to reflect: "Some people, on the surface, look 23 years old, but in fact, they are as childish as 7-year-old children."
"I'm still trying to be brave. Now I can't walk anymore." Ming Chi took the initiative to criticize himself, "What if I really faint?"
Ming Weiting held his arm steadily and carefully placed him on the wheelchair. Seeing the pair of clear eyes that were obviously confident, he also smiled: "What should we do?"
"Option A." Ming Chi recovered from the dizziness and exhaled softly, "If you faint, you will faint. It will be fine when you wake up... It's an easy question at first glance."
"It's an easy-to-understand question."
Before Mr. Shadow could get serious, he immediately added a comment: "How could there be such an obviously wrong option?"
Ming Weiting reached out his hand, wiped the sweat off his forehead, and tapped it gently: "Because the mental age of the person who set the question is only seven years old now."
Mingchi had no idea how they got along before, but lately he often felt that Mr. Shadow was more secretive than he had imagined, and he would be amused to the point of laughing if he wasn't careful.
He had just insisted on walking that extra lap, and now he felt a little out of breath. He pressed the painful spot, suppressed his smile, pretended not to hear, and continued: "...Option B."
"Sit down and rest immediately, replenish sugar, and ask people around you if they can help."
Ming Chi thought for a moment and said, "You can call the emergency number."
Ming Weiting had a good impression of this option: "If necessary, you can choose this."
Ming Chi hadn't used up his energy like this for a few days. He leaned back in his wheelchair to adjust his breathing and curiously asked, "Which situation is necessary?"
"Hurricane at sea," Ming Weiting said. "The ship cannot dock, all the life rafts are lost, and no rescue boats can be mobilized."
Such a situation still may not necessarily lead to the "necessity". Ming Weiting has been learning to tell jokes from Teacher Huo Miao these days. He paused and added, "Before I swam over, Uncle Lu grabbed me by the waist."
Butler Ming, who was standing by, heard the constant coughing, suppressed his smile and refrained from interrupting, and quickly went to open the door of the ward.
The young master of the Ming family obviously hasn't developed such good concentration yet. He almost couldn't sit still because of laughing. He took a few deep breaths and used all his strength to stay in the wheelchair so that he wouldn't slide down. "No... everything will go smoothly and safely."
The seven-year-old questioner added to the question on the spot, rejecting this assumption: "It is better not to have such a necessary situation."
Ming Weiting squatted in front of the wheelchair, looking up at him, and put one hand on Ming Chi's cold hand: "This question is the same."
Ming Weiting took out a candy, opened the wrapper, and touched it to his lips: "It's better not to have it."
"Just in case." Ming Chi quickly took the candy, his voice becoming unclear, "There will definitely be less and less in the future."
Ming Chi blinked away the sweat that was trickling down to his eyelashes, and felt the hand being raised to wipe his face again, so he touched Mr. Shadow's hand with his forehead.
He actually likes this feeling of being so tired that he feels a little exhausted.
Different from the impact of the previous illness, at that time I could hardly muster up much strength in my body. Most of the fatigue came from my inability to do what I wanted. Besides the weakness, there was more of a sense of emptiness with nowhere to exert force.
The situation was completely different now - he would no longer step on empty air. Every step he took would be firmly on the ground, and every time he stretched out his hand and exerted force, he would be able to hold the other hand firmly.
This feeling was so good that he would easily immerse himself in it and always forget his current physical condition.
Ming Chi held the candy in his mouth, letting the milky aroma and sweetness diffuse in his mouth, and finished the question: "Option C, find Mr. Shadow. If you can't find Mr. Shadow, find Uncle Lu, and bring a wheelchair to support me."
He had only thought of this sentence, and then he remembered what Mr. Shadow had said just now. He quietly moved his hand, which was pressing on the stitch in his side, upwards and touched his chest, which seemed to be hot again.
The young master of the Ming family had a long memory. He encouraged himself and continued to add in a low voice: "Because... when I am not feeling well, Mr. Yingzi and Uncle Lu will not be absent."
Minglu finished cleaning up the ward and happened to hear this sentence when he returned to the door. He immediately answered for the gentleman: "Choose C."
During these days of rehabilitation, Mingchi has actually been reminded of this many times by the two.
He had finally prepared himself mentally and said it out loud in an attempt to appease Mr. Shadow, but he didn't expect Uncle Lu to be there too. He opened his eyes wide and slid down the wheelchair in a hot manner.
There was no blanket on the wheelchair this time. Ming Chi was in a dilemma, wondering whether he should hide in Mr. Shadow's shadow, when Ming Weiting had already stood up and held the armrests on both sides of the wheelchair.
Ming Weiting supported the wheelchair with both hands, bent down so that Ming Chi could hide in front of him, and looked down at him.
Ming Chi was stunned for a few seconds and slowly blinked.
…He was actually impressed by this kind of gaze.
Different from usual.
It wasn't to check his physical condition or to see if he was feeling unwell.
It wasn't that every night before going to bed, he pretended to be fast asleep with steady breathing, and never exposed his careful observations, which made Mr. Shadow believe that this place was as stable as a ship.
"Option D." Ming Weiting said softly, "Huo Miao, close your eyes."
Ming Chi followed suit subconsciously.
He felt the hand covering his eyes. The combined effect of the two obstructions left almost no light at all, and everything was dark before his eyes. However, he realized that he was not nervous at all.
He was sitting in a wheelchair, his vision completely blocked, and he was surrounded by an empty hospital corridor. It was so quiet that even his heartbeat and breathing seemed to cause an echo and buzz.
He could feel his body trembling instinctively. He couldn't find the source of this tremor. Perhaps it came from some not-so-good past that he had completely forgotten. He had no intention of investigating or figuring it out...those things were not important.
Those things are not important. His breathing unconsciously quickened slightly and cold sweat seeped out of his palms, but these were just some reflexes that had been forced to be learned in his body and he did not feel nervous.
There was nothing to be nervous about, this was a hospital, a place where he could get better.
You can come anytime you need, and when you are well, you can leave whenever you want.
It turns out it’s that simple.
Mingchi's breathing slowly became steady. He completely relaxed his body, putting his weight on the hands covering his eyes.
"I choose D, Mr. Shadow."
The person who set the question closed his eyes and only remembered to ask after he had chosen the answer: "What is D?"
Ming Weiting picked him up from the wheelchair.
Ming Chi had been trying very hard not to make them worry these days, and he was rarely too tired to stand up, so it was not until now that he was finally able to confirm the difference.
The body in his arms was warm, and at this moment there was still quiet and flexible strength, and a steady stream of air hit his neck.
The heart was beating clearly against his chest through his rib cage, and it was as bright and energetic as this person, happily reporting to him that it was safe.
Ming Weiting slowly spoke: "Option D"
"No wheelchair." Ming Weiting said softly, "I'll support you."
Ming Weiting raised his hand and embraced Ming Chi's back. He didn't notice the cold sweat, and felt completely relieved. When he lowered his head, he met the sparkling smile in those eyes.
"That's troublesome." Ming Chi asked with a smile, "I have many places to go. Can I support you wherever you go?"
Ming Weiting was looking through a travel brochure recently. He paused for a moment and asked, "Going to Mount Everest?"
Mingchi's ambition had not yet reached this point. He was caught off guard and paused for words.
"That's fine." Ming Weiting put his arm around him and let him lean on his shoulder.
Ming Weiting said: "We will support wherever we go."
…
In the next few dozen minutes, Mingchi took time to rehabilitate his right hand, wrote a ribbon, and said goodbye to the wheelchair that had fought side by side with him for so long.
Although it was a pity that he could no longer drift in his electric wheelchair, there was always a gain in loss - a few days later, when he went to have the stitches removed and was preparing to be discharged from the hospital, the head nurse helped him go to the rehabilitation room to get a muscle strength assessment and prognosis evaluation.
"If you are discharged from the hospital a few days later, there will be no need to assess the prognosis."
The doctor guessed it immediately after seeing it: "You recovered so quickly, did you practice more?"
Ming Chi sat on the chair, thought for a moment and was about to speak, but was mercilessly exposed by the head nurse: "You ran out and walked secretly in the middle of the night."
Ming Chi coughed lightly and had to confess: "I didn't do it secretly..."
"Practice openly."
The head nurse nodded: "The family members are very indulgent and will accompany them no matter how far they go."
Ming Chi's ears felt a little hot again, he raised the corner of his mouth and added, "I'm responsible for picking you up even if you can't walk."
The head nurse was of course happy too, pretending that she couldn't do anything about him, and raised her hand to tap him hard from a distance.
The doctor smiled and nodded. After checking Mingchi's various indicators, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The team has been following up on this matter till now, and fortunately everything is going well. The operation was successful and the subsequent recovery was quite good. The young patient in front of them was undoubtedly the most worry-free one they had ever encountered.
Doctors have seen this happen a lot. It’s a good thing that the patient is motivated to recover, and as long as they don’t overtrain to the point of hurting their bodies, there won’t be a problem: “Pay attention to moderation and take good care of the wound, and you’ll be well soon.”
“Congratulations on your discharge.”
The doctor extended his hand and shook it with him: "Good luck and get well soon."
Ming Chi curled his eyes, thanked him softly and solemnly, took the crutch beside him and stood up.
He was discharged from the hospital today and no longer had to wear hospital gown, so he changed into his original clothes.
Mr. Shadow spent half the night with him choosing, and finally he chose a shirt and windbreaker. In order to protect the blade from the wind, he also added a dark fedora hat.
The head nurse hadn't noticed it just now, but now she looked at it carefully and couldn't help but praise it: "It's so cool, isn't it?"
Mingchi seemed to remember something and was suddenly stunned.
He opened his eyes slightly, looked carefully at the head nurse's gentle and kind face, then pursed his lips and nodded slightly.
"It will be even cooler." Ming Chi promised earnestly, "Super cool. Extremely cool."
The head nurse suddenly realized something, put down what she was holding, came over and looked into his eyes carefully.
They looked at Mingchi's medical records and found that the column for relatives was empty. During these days of surgery and recuperation, apart from the Ming family's steward who was nearly 70 years old, Ming Chi did not see any other elders.
The head nurse looked at the young man in front of her, didn't ask any questions, just raised her hand and touched his shoulder.
The hand was gentle, resting on his shoulder through the material of his windbreaker.
Mingchi seemed not used to such touch, but he was able to restrain himself well. His body stiffened slightly before he relaxed and raised his eyes.
"It may be a little abrupt." The head nurse said in a gentle voice, "At our age, we have inexplicable intuition... You know, mothers' moods are actually similar, so what I say must be accurate."
The head nurse looked at him seriously and said, "Your elders must be very proud to see you now."
Mingchi stood there, his eyes flashed slightly, and suddenly lit up exceptionally quietly.
He bowed earnestly to the head nurse: "Thank you."
"Good boy." The head nurse smiled, "Go live your life."
A smile also appeared in Mingchi's eyes. He slowly squeezed his cane, thanked the doctors and nurses in the office, and then walked out the door.
Mr. Shadow and Uncle Lu were waiting at the hospital entrance.
This was what they had agreed on early in the morning. He walked out of the hospital on his own, met them, and went home together.
Mingchi hadn't walked far in the corridor when he was stopped by a jumping little girl, who quickly tiptoed to stuff something into his windbreaker pocket.
"Brother, get well!" The little girl was able to run and circled around him proudly. She had rehearsed many times with her parents downstairs, and could recite the words the nurse taught her fluently and skillfully, "Be safe and live a long life!"
Mingchi put his hand into the pocket of his windbreaker, took out the things inside and took a look.
It's a talisman. It feels very good, as if it was sewn by hand, and the stitches between the soft and solid fabric are very dense.
Mingchi held the amulet in his hand and saw the little girl's parents smiling and nodding at him behind him.
He bent down, bumped fists with the girl, and whispered, "We all are."
"Be safe and sound," Mingchi said. "Live a long life."
The hospital corridor was not short, but the lively and clear voices of children surrounded him, and the little girl's parents smiled and talked to him enthusiastically. Looking back, he could see the head nurse standing at the office door, waving at him from afar.
"Why didn't your family come to pick you up?" the little girl's father asked, "Do you want us to help send you back?"
Ming Chi smiled and thanked him, then shook his head: "It's right at the door."
"It's such a long journey, it's safer to take a wheelchair next time."
The girl's mother roughly knew about his condition and advised him with concern: "Your health is important."
Ming Chi still smiled and shook his head: "It doesn't matter."
He walked slowly to the hospital entrance and saw the figure waiting there. As soon as the other party saw him, he walked towards him quickly.
Uncle Lu was waiting outside the door. He waved with a smile, then walked to the side and opened the car door.
Ming Chi's eyes lit up, and he immediately reported to Mr. Shadow, "The report says it will take at most a month."
Ming Weiting nodded and took note. He thanked the family who accompanied Ming Chi out, took the cane from Ming Chi's hand, and held Ming Chi's hand.
Mingchi was led out of the hospital by him.
After such a long distance, my right leg is indeed a little sore and I can’t walk fast, but it doesn’t matter.
At this rate, I will be able to recover basic walking ability in about another month.
As for before you fully recover, it’s totally okay if you occasionally go too far and can’t walk back on your own.
Someone taught him a new spell.
When you can’t walk anymore, stop, close your eyes, and say Mr. Shadow three times.
Someone would come and hold him anywhere he wanted to go except Mount Everest.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
