Elder brother's garrison

Page 2619

Hmm... when I left the meeting room, Iowa was playing a movie that was over two hours long, right?

There's still plenty of time.

Thinking of this, Xiaobai nodded to Nanxing's mother.

"Since we're already here, let's go take a look," Xiaobai said with a smile.

Nanxing's mother nodded happily, and she slowly took Xiaobai's hand.

After treatment, the patient from the previous outbreak has been transferred from the Deep-Sea Infectious Diseases Department to the department next door because the deep-sea aura in his body has been completely removed.

Led by Nanxing's mother, Xiaobai and her two companions walked down the stairs to the ward for patients with milder symptoms. The people there didn't know Nanxing's father very well, but they still held Nanxing's mother in great awe. When they saw Nanxing's mother bring in a girl they had never seen before, they were curious but didn't ask any questions. They just watched them walk towards a private room at the far end of the corridor.

Before entering the ward, Xiaobai glanced at the sign next to the ward.

"Miao Yan".

Xiao Bai nodded secretly.

So the little girl I saved last time was named Miao Yan.

Xiao Bai withdrew her gaze from the doorplate, watched as Nanxing's mother gently knocked three times, called out "regular check-up," and then opened the door.

The door opened with a whoosh, and a burst of fresh air rushed in.

Xiaobai subconsciously sensed for a few seconds and found that the deep-sea scent in the air had indeed disappeared, so she reassured herself and focused her gaze into it.

This ward is a double room with a single occupancy. The bed next to the door is empty. The curtains are drawn, and on the other bed, judging from the general posture, a quiet young girl is lying there.

The girl lay quietly, her body covered by a quilt, her two slender arms at her sides, her left hand receiving an IV drip, motionless, as quiet as a broken doll.

This girl is much prettier than when Xiaobai came last time.

The last time Xiaobai saw her, she was a withered, emaciated, charred, and brittle body, almost like a mummy, being consumed by the aura of the deep sea—it was honestly a bit scary.

When Xiaobai saw her again, she wasn't exactly beautiful; she was skin and bones. But at least she had some flesh on her body and was no longer a frightening skeleton. Her skin had also returned to the snow-white color that should be present at her age, although it lacked luster and wasn't delicate; it had a sickly paleness.

"Miao Yan, get regular checkups."

Nanxing's mother entered the ward and called out to the little girl on the bed.

"..."

The little girl on the bed was motionless. Her eyes were open, but they were staring blankly at the ceiling, as if she had lost her soul.

Since Nanxing's mother brought people in, the girl's eyes have not shown the slightest fluctuation.

"Sigh, it's the same again." Nanxing's mother looked at the girl on the bed, sighed, and turned to Xiaobai and whispered, "You can see this patient's current state... Ever since you saved her and she regained her senses, she's been like this. We've taken her for examinations, and apart from some physical injuries and illnesses, she doesn't have any physical ailments that could make her like this, so we can only classify this state as a psychological illness."

"Has she been like this ever since she woke up?"

"Yes, she's like that no matter who talks to her."

"Then what about her daily life?"

“The hospital staff provided normal care, and the caregiver said she was quite cooperative in this regard, which is why we determined that she had a mental illness.”

"Oh..." Xiaobai nodded, his gaze falling on the girl.

The girl on the bed was as quiet as a doll, her eyes empty and lifeless.

The look in those eyes... clearly doesn't belong to a little girl of that age.

Even if the body is healed, the mental anguish will be permanent.

Is this the harm caused by deep-sea infections...?

Xiaobai felt a pang of emotion as she thought to herself, her gaze sweeping across the girl's face.

at this time.

To Xiaobai's surprise... she clearly saw that the girl's lifeless eyes seemed to flicker slightly the moment they met her.

It's like a dead, deep pool suddenly becoming clear, allowing fresh water to flow in.

An indescribable vitality flashed by.

Chapter 3679 Miao Yan

"……what?"

Xiao Bai exclaimed in surprise.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

When Nanxing's mother heard what Xiaobai said, she turned her head to look at her.

Just now, Nanxing's mother walked to the bedside in the ward and opened the curtains a little to ensure the air circulation in the room, but in doing so, she missed the opportunity to see the changes in the patient's eyes first.

"She just now..." Xiaobai said, pointing to the little girl on the hospital bed as she saw Nanxing's mother come to her senses, "Auntie, she just looked at me... Huh?"

As Xiaobai spoke, her gaze returned to the patient.

But before she could finish speaking, when her gaze returned to the girl, Xiaobai discovered that the girl on the bed had somehow reverted to the way she had looked when she first entered the room.

The girl named Miao Yan stared blankly at the ceiling. She was expressionless, weak, and lay motionless on the hospital bed, like a broken doll.

—In fact, she didn't move at all.

Even though Xiaobai had just keenly noticed the change in her eyes, that change probably only lasted for a brief moment, and her body remained unchanged.

Xiao Bai kept pointing at the little girl, watched her silently for a while, and then lowered her hand.

"What happened to her just now?" Nanxing's mother asked.

“She just looked at me,” Xiaobai said.

“Oh… the hospital caregivers sometimes make eye contact with her when they are taking care of her, which is normal.” Nanxing’s mother nodded and explained, “Don’t be fooled by her being motionless now. She should be fully conscious. She just doesn’t want to talk, move, or communicate with anyone.”

"……Um……"

Xiao Bai nodded, but his expression turned somewhat strange for a moment.

The way that girl looked at me just now... was that the way she made eye contact with the hospital caregivers?

Xiaobai didn't think so...

The vitality that shone in his eyes just now was like dappled sunlight filtering through the gaps in the greenery—natural and lively. Although it was only fleeting, lasting just a moment, it left a deep impression.

The emotions conveyed in those eyes were far too rich. Xiaobai didn't quite understand it, and she couldn't analyze it clearly for a while. But she had a feeling that this was not the look of someone who "didn't want to talk, didn't want to move, and didn't want to communicate with others." The eyes of someone who truly wanted to cut off communication should be extremely lifeless, without any ripples, like a stagnant lake. Anything could appear in it, but there would never be any vitality.

Thinking about this, Xiaobai suddenly felt a little confused.

She looked at the girl on the bed, motionless like a puppet, and subconsciously began to think.

In short... the look that girl gave me just now was definitely not a mistake; it was her real behavior.

As for why she looked at her with that kind of gaze... it's possible that when Nanxing's mother brought her into the ward, she revealed to this girl that she was her attending physician, which caused a ripple in her empty and lifeless eyes.

So... from this perspective, it seems she has some expectations of herself?

Thinking about this, Xiaobai seemed to understand some of the details, and she showed a look of understanding.

However, on the other hand...

What's the point of her thinking about herself like that?

I was just someone who cured her deep-sea aura infection. Now that she no longer has deep-sea aura in her body, I shouldn't be of any use to her anymore.

Xiao Bai nodded, looking at the girl on the bed, indicating that he didn't quite understand.

"Auntie, does this Miss Miao Yan really never communicate with anyone at all?" Xiao Bai turned her head and suddenly asked Nanxing's mother.

"Yeah, it's true."

"sure?"

"Pretty sure."

"Is it possible that she might be secretly talking to the hospital staff or something?"

“…Hospital caregivers are hospital employees too.” Nanxing’s mother seemed a little helpless at Xiaobai’s question. She chuckled and said, “Caregivers are responsible for taking care of patients and observing changes in them. If a patient does speak, then the caregiver’s duty is to relay this to others as soon as possible.”

"Oh...that makes sense." Xiaobai nodded subconsciously.

"Do you have any thoughts?" Nanxing's mother asked Xiaobai.

"I'm not quite sure." Xiaobai shook her head and walked to the bedside, looking closely at the girl on the bed.

Although the little girl on the bed was thin and weak, with a lifeless face, if you looked closely, you could actually see that her features were somewhat delicate.

If she can recover her health, have a rosy complexion, and gain some weight from her thin frame, then combined with her already fair skin and good features, she should be a beautiful and pretty young girl.

Thinking of this, Xiaobai couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

She reached out and touched the girl's face, her knuckles gently pressing against her cheek. The girl's hair fell down her fingers, the ends of which were slightly dry and split.

The girl did not flinch when Xiaobai touched her, and her expression did not even change.

"..." Xiaobai silently withdrew her hand and turned to look at Nanxing's mother.

When Xiaobai reached out to touch the girl, Nanxing's mother seemed hesitant to speak. Now, seeing Xiaobai looking at her, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and explained to Xiaobai.

"You can't just touch the patient."

"Ah...sorry...that's impolite, isn't it..." Xiaobai realized belatedly.

“It’s not a matter of politeness, it’s a hospital regulation…” Nanxing’s mother explained, “This is a ward, and physical contact between patients and doctors is generally restricted, especially outside of consultations.”

"Sorry, I didn't know..."

"Oh, it's alright, your situation... isn't a big problem." Nanxing's mother looked at Xiaobai and replied.

Seemingly to ease the tension, Nanxing's mother even made a joke to Xiaobai.

"You touched that girl so naturally and skillfully just now, do you do this kind of thing often?"

"...Ah..." Xiaobai scratched his head, "I, I'm reflecting on my actions..."

Nanxing's mother smiled and shook her head.

Xiao Bai lowered her head and looked at the side of the hospital bed.

The ward was actually very clean. There was nothing on the bedside table or under the bed except for a chair that sat next to the bed, with the rollers under the chair leaving a faint white trail on the floor.

Xiao Bai looked at the ground for a while, then looked up and asked Nanxing's mother again.

"Auntie, who used this chair?"

"Oh, this chair was used by Miao Yan's family." Nanxing's mother looked down at the chair and explained to Xiaobai, "After all, she's been hospitalized for a while, so her family always comes to visit."

"You come every day?"

“I come every day.”

"How long will you stay after you arrive?"

"I don't know," Nanxing's mother shook her head. "After all, I don't stay here every day."

"..." Xiaobai nodded silently. She pulled out a chair from the floor and sat down. Then she smiled slightly and turned to Nanxing's mother and father, saying, "Uncle and Aunt, speaking of which, is it alright for Uncle to be away from work for so long?"

"Oh, you mean... I forgot, the outpatient clinic is still open..." Nanxing's father paused for a moment, then quickly said to Nanxing's mother and Xiaobai, "I have to go back soon."

After saying that, Nanxing's father greeted Xiaobai and Nanxing's mother, then turned and left the ward.

A series of footsteps echoed in the corridor as they receded into the distance.

"Sigh, that's how your uncle works. He only made time to pick you up because he was helping you treat critically ill patients." Nanxing's mother pursed her lips as she looked at the hospital room door that had been closed again. She turned to Xiaobai and smiled apologetically, saying, "Your uncle actually really welcomes you and has been thinking about how to make a good impression on you. Don't blame him."

"I'm fine," Xiaobai said with a smile, waving her hand. "Auntie, isn't your work alright?"

“I’m actually doing fine here,” Nanxing’s mother said.

"Oh……"

"...Would you like to spend some time alone with the patient?"

"Ah."

"Okay, okay, I'll go outside and buy you a drink." Nanxing's mother smiled and said to Xiaobai with relief, "This isn't something anyone can do; it's a special privilege for you."

Xiao Bai smiled and watched Nanxing's mother leave the ward.

The ward door opens, the ward door closes.

After the ward door was closed tightly again, an exceptionally quiet, even deathly, atmosphere filled the ward.

Xiao Bai looked at the girl who was motionless on the bed and sat on the bed for a while.