The ICU involves a lot of tests and equipment, so Chao Xin had deposited an additional 100,000 yuan as a precautionary measure. She then waited for the consultation process to be completed and for the ICU to confirm acceptance before the family members signed the consent form. However, with Xiang Wan in critical condition and absence of any relatives, Chao Xin had to sign on her behalf.
As she passed by the doctor’s office, she overheard the nurses whispering inside.
“Another transfer to ICU?”
“Yeah, she’s had a fever for three or four days now, completely unconscious.”
“Actually, it’s not uncommon to have a fever for three or four days, but it’s strange that she’s been unconscious for so long.”
“Is it a bacterial infection?”
“Yes.”
“I encountered a death last month, also due to a bacterial infection that led to sepsis, an old man with respiratory failure, heart failure, cerebral infarction, among other complications, bedridden for years.”
“The girl’s only in her twenties; her body can’t be that weak.”
Chao Xin rubbed her nose and leaned against the wall outside the ward. She sent a message in the group chat, revealing that Xiang Wan might need to be transferred to the ICU.
Yu Zhou replied quickly, “On my way.”
Chao Xin didn’t respond further. She turned off WeChat, opened the browser, and began searching for information about what it’s like inside an ICU. Descriptions were terrifying, with some even comparing it to hell, where patients had their limbs tied to the bed. Some unable to breathe on their own would need intubation, or even a tracheotomy.
Reading such words, Chao Xin searched tracheotomy further and discovered that while some cases might result in minor damage to the vocal cords, most patients could eventually regain their original voice through gradual recovery.
Gradual recovery…
Xiang Wan is a voice artist; she wanted to participate in competitions.
Chao Xin sighed, trying not to be too anxious, and took a few deep breaths before opening the door to see Xiang Wan, who was still peacefully asleep.
She habitually touched the back of Xiang Wan’s hand—it still felt hot. However, Chao Xin, having cried already, was much more composed now. She didn’t know if Xiang Wan could still hear or feel anything, but if emotions were contagious, she didn’t want Xiang Wan to sense any hint of her despair.
She packed the fruits and snacks Yu Zhou and the others had brought into a bag, emptied the water from the thermos, and wrapped the towel she used to wipe Xiang Wan’s body in a plastic bag before packing everything into her backpack.
Then she crouched down to reach for two plastic basins under the bed.
The clatter was faint, but even fainter was the voice she heard, “Ms. Chao.”
Chao Xin thought it was a hallucination.
She lifted her head, still crouched, and saw Xiang Wan’s eyelids twitch and slowly open a slit, then close again, as if they were very heavy.
Indeed, it was an illusion. Xiang Wan was hooked up to a ventilator; it was highly unlikely that she could speak, and her lips hadn’t moved at all.
Yet Chao Xin’s heart pounded fiercely.
Xiang Wan didn’t keep her waiting too long. After blinking lightly a couple of times, she opened her eyes, squinting uncomfortably under the ward’s lighting, her eyebrows contracting as if in pain. Chao Xin quickly covered Xiang Wan’s eyes with her hand, careful not to touch but shielding her from the light.
“Wanwan, are you awake?” Chao Xin spoke as she covered Xiang Wan’s eyes, her voice softer than her touch.
Obedient lashes brushed against the palm of Chao Xin’s hand, once and then again.
Chao Xin swallowed hard and instinctively pursed her lips, her chin tense.
“Do you have the strength? Can you raise your hand?”
Xiang Wan’s hands remained still, her lashes brushing Chao Xin’s palm a couple more.
“Then I’ll move my hand away, slowly, so you can get used to it, okay?”
As she spoke, Chao Xin reached with her other hand to press the call button on the wall, alerting the medical staff.
As Chao Xin’s voice trailed off, her fingers parted slightly, and through the gap, Xiang Wan saw her Ms. Chao.
A blurry figure. Xiang Wan blinked furiously a couple of times, then the figure came into focus. Chao Xin moved her hand to the pillow beside her, bracing herself to lean down and gaze at her seriously.
Xiang Wan looked back at her, simply looking, without saying a word.
She realized she had been wrong to think Chao Xin would always be radiant no matter how tired she was. Chao Xin now had dark circles, red eyes, and a bit of chapped skin on her lower lip; she wasn’t that pretty anymore.
Xiang Wan wanted to lift her hand to touch Chao Xin’s face, however, her fingers were limp, as if pinned down by a ghost. Except for her eyes and consciousness, she couldn’t move anything.
Chao Xin didn’t dare touch Xiang Wan either; she just nodded at Xiang Wan and gave a tight-lipped smile.
Xiang Wan wanted to smile back, yet only her lower eyelid’s puffy bags responded, the muscles at the corners of her mouth not obeying, as if cramping.
Chao Xin watched Xiang Wan and shook her head again.
Xiang Wan blinked twice to show she understood, being good, waiting for the doctor, not moving a muscle.
The eye contact was slow, however, in reality, it lasted only a brief moment before the nurse came over and asked Chao Xin what had happened.
“She’s awake,” Chao Xin moved aside and spoke up hoarsely.
“Ah, let me see,” the nurse approached, “Hey, really, you’ve opened your eyes, huh, young lady?”
The nurse exclaimed with a smile, seemingly relieved.
Then she said, “Alright, you two wait here for a moment, I’ll go call Doctor Du over.”
Chao Xin pulled a chair over and sat beside the bed, straightening Xiang Wan’s sleeves.
It wasn’t even a minute or two before the doctor arrived with two interns and a nurse in tow.
“Awake, is she?”
“Mhm, just woke up, about five minutes ago.”
“You look pretty spirited, are you hungry?” The doctor casually asked as she glanced at Xiang Wan’s IV and the monitoring equipment.
“Not much strength yet, right? Any trouble with breathing? If you feel okay, I’ll take you off the ventilator for a while. You’ve been on it for 6 hours today, that should be enough.”
Xiang Wan looked at the doctor and nodded slightly.
“Ah, that’s great.” The doctor smiled again, her tone light as if talking to a child.
“You’re quite impressive, waking up on your own. Let’s take your temperature now,” she said, turning to the nurse, “and later we’ll do a complete blood count.”
Chao Xin, seeing the doctor’s demeanor, felt a bit relieved and asked, “So, do we still need to transfer her?”
The doctor handed the thermometer to Chao Xin, “It depends on her condition. If she stabilizes, there’s no need for a transfer. As long as she’s conscious and her indicators don’t drop further, we won’t overtreat her.”
A weight lifted off Chao Xin’s chest. She stood up, gently slid her hand under Xiang Wan’s clothes, and placed the thermometer under her arm.
Feeling Xiang Wan tighten her arm slightly, Chao Xin smiled and looked at her tenderly.
After the doctors left, a couple of minutes passed before the nurse returned with a cart.
She skillfully removed Xiang Wan’s needle and changed the IV fluids, joking as she worked, “You’re quite a character, young lady. No matter how much we called, you wouldn’t wake up. Did the mention of ICU frighten you into consciousness?”
As she disposed of the empty bags, she remarked, “Hope you recover quickly; your friend here is worried sick.”
The familiar beeping noise filled the room as Chao Xin took out the thermometer and checked it herself.
“38.4,”
She handed it to the nurse, stating.
“Ah, it’s gone down,” the nurse noted as she recorded it in her log.
“Mhm.”
Chao Xin of course knew it had gone down, however, she didn’t dare to feel relieved until the nurse had confirmed it. Only then did it truly sink in.
With the door closed, the room returned to its quiet state.
Chao Xin sat beside the bed, her fingers interlocked, resting on top of it, watching Xiang Wan closely.
She had imagined countless times what it would be like when Xiang Wan woke up, and had even dreamt of it. She thought she’d be overjoyed, elated, or tearful, yet none of that happened.
Instead, there was a sudden, deep sense of gratitude for Xiang Wan.
When Chao Xin heard that even the doctors couldn’t find a reason for Xiang Wan’s coma, she wondered if Xiang Wan would have to return to where she originally belonged. After all, Xiang Wan was a person beyond science, and the most inexplicable thing about her was her origin.
So, when Xiang Wan opened her eyes, Chao Xin knew that she must have exerted a great deal of effort.
She wanted to stay.
“Do you know?” Chao Xin finally spoke after watching Xiang Wan for a while. “If you hadn’t woken up just now, you would have been sent to a terrifying place—full of tubes, and some might even have to be inserted into your body.”
“The doctor said they’d have to do a puncture once your condition improved a bit.”
“I had to sign consent forms for voluntary discharge, intubation, central venous catheterization, and also…” She choked up for a moment, “a resuscitation consent form.”
“Before signing, the doctor would explain the possible consequences to me, including death.”
Tears welled up in Chao Xin’s eyes, yet she restrained them, maintaining her composure without letting her emotions spread further.
“When I heard about it, I thought to myself, Xiang Wan is so sensible, so caring towards me, how could she let me sign those papers?”
“So if I say I guessed you would try hard to wake up, tell me, am I impressive or what?”
She smiled faintly, sniffing back the sourness in her nose.
CNYuriTranslation 