Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 390 Nerve Injury
Chen Xi stayed at the hospital the whole time, sitting on the chair next to the hospital bed without leaving for a moment.

From dusk to late at night, and from late at night to dawn, the sky outside the window remained the same, his gaze never leaving Li Jingyi's pale face.

As the morning sunlight streamed into the ward through the gaps in the curtains, Li Jingyi's eyelashes finally fluttered slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.

"You're finally awake. If you had continued sleeping, I would have had to try to wake the princess with a kiss." Chen Xi's voice was slightly hoarse from the long silence, but her tone was filled with undisguised joy.

He leaned forward and carefully took Li Jingyi's hand, afraid of hurting her.

Li Jingyi's lips were still pale, but the corners of her mouth turned up slightly: "Then am I awake too early?" Her voice was as weak as a mosquito's buzz, but she still played along with Chen Xi's joke.

She tried to raise her hand, but could only move her fingers slightly due to her weakness: "What would you do if Sleeping Beauty wasn't awakened by the prince's kiss?"

Chen Xi's gaze deepened as he gently stroked Li Jingyi's hand: "If fairy tales are all lies, then I'll have no choice but to kowtow before Buddha for a thousand years and beg him to return you to me."

His tone was half joking, half serious, and a determined glint flashed in his eyes.

Although he didn't believe in Buddhism, he knew that a certain big guy from Central Asia who kept insisting that he wasn't a god definitely had the ability to cure Li Jingyi.

"Don't lie to a psychologist!" Li Jingyi looked directly into Chen Xi's eyes, weak but firm: "I can tell whether you're telling the truth or not just by looking at your micro-expressions."

Despite lying in a hospital bed, she maintained the keen insight of a professional psychologist.

Chen Xi nodded with a wry smile: "I promise I won't lie to you on purpose."

He had too many secrets—his experiences in the 40k world, his psionic powers, and those unspeakable battles—he truly couldn't tell the person before him everything.

“That’s the truth.” Li Jingyi seemed to understand something and nodded slightly.

She shifted slightly, her brow furrowing in pain. "Could you call a doctor for me? I want to know how I am."

Upon hearing Li Jingyi's concern about his condition, Chen Xi's face instantly darkened.

He recalled what the doctor had said earlier: "The sea snake venom has already caused nerve damage, and the possibility of a full recovery is slim."

But he quickly regained his composure, forcing himself to give a reassuring smile: "Please wait a moment, I'll go get the doctor."

After saying that, Chen Xi gently released Li Jingyi's hand and stood up as if she were handling something fragile.

Shortly after, the doctor and Chen Xi entered the ward together.

He walked to the bedside, skillfully adjusted the IV drip rate, and then began to examine Li Jingyi.

After conducting a thorough neurological examination on Li Jingyi, the doctor adjusted his glasses and said cautiously, "The snake venom caused significant damage to your nervous system. Although it was treated promptly, some aftereffects are still unavoidable."

He flipped through the examination report in his hand and continued to explain: "Based on the current examination results, your motor nerves and sensory nerves have been affected to varying degrees."

"As for the specific situation, it depends on the subsequent treatment and rehabilitation effects. If the recovery goes well, there won't be any major impact." The doctor looked up at Li Jingyi, trying to comfort her in a gentle tone. "We have developed a detailed rehabilitation plan, including medication and physical therapy. As long as you actively cooperate with the treatment, the chances of recovery are still very high."

"Doctor, what will happen if the recovery doesn't go well?" Li Jingyi's expression remained calm, and her voice was steady, but Chen Xi noticed that her fingers curled slightly under the sheet.

The doctor sighed and explained professionally, "Snake venom can cause nerve damage, interfering with nerve signal transmission and potentially leading to symptoms such as muscle weakness, difficulty breathing, and swallowing difficulties."

He paused, observing Li Jingyi's reaction. "Some patients may still experience limb numbness, decreased muscle strength, or autonomic dysfunction after the acute phase."

Seeing that Li Jingyi remained calm, the doctor tried to add in a relaxed tone: "However, this kind of injury is generally not permanent, and it will improve after a few weeks or at most a few months of recovery."

"It's like a computer system having a minor bug; it just takes time to fix." The doctor paused, his gaze lingering on Chen Xi for a few seconds, seemingly choosing his words carefully, before continuing, "However, snake venom can cause acute kidney damage. If recovery isn't good, it could develop into chronic kidney disease, so this is something you must be careful about."

After speaking, seeing that Chen Xi and Li Jingyi didn't react much, the doctor continued, "These are the main aftereffects. As for symptoms like local tissue necrosis or rhabdomyolysis, because the treatment was timely, these symptoms haven't appeared."

He closed the medical record and gave an encouraging smile.

"Just get plenty of rest," the doctor concluded. "As long as you cooperate with the treatment, there shouldn't be any serious long-term effects! We'll arrange for a rehabilitation specialist to come for a consultation tomorrow."

After explaining the patient's condition, the doctor left the ward.

After listening to the doctor's words, Chen Xi leaned against the wall of the ward in silence, staring intently at Li Jingyi on the hospital bed.

His Adam's apple bobbed a few times, but he ultimately said nothing, only clenching his fists until they turned white.

It was Li Jingyi who broke the silence first. She weakly raised her hand and gently tugged at Chen Xi's sleeve: "Thank you."

Her voice was very soft, but it made Chen Xi freeze.

"Why thank me?" Chen Xi's voice was terribly hoarse. He lowered his eyes, unable to look directly at Li Jingyi's pale face. "I don't deserve any thanks at all."

"Because you saved me!" Li Jingyi forced a smile, though the gesture made her unconsciously frown. She said, "If you hadn't taken me to the hospital in time, I might have died, wouldn't I?"

She shifted her body with difficulty and patted the empty seat next to the hospital bed: "Don't stand so far away, come sit over here."

Seeing that Chen Xi was still standing there, she added, "Don't feel guilty, don't think that the accident happened because I took you diving."

Li Jingyi's gaze fell on Chen Xi's clenched fist. She took a deep breath and said, "I took you diving. As the initiator, I should have considered these factors."

So I should be the one apologizing to you, since that snake might bite you too, right?

“If it bites me, it will only break two teeth.” Chen Xi finally stepped to the bedside and sat down, gazing closely at the stubborn girl, her voice low and firm.

He unconsciously reached out and carefully tidied the stray hairs on her forehead, his fingertips trembling slightly as they touched her cold skin.

After a moment of silence, Chen Xi sighed deeply: "No matter what, it's good that you're alright!"

These words seemed to have been squeezed out from the deepest part of his heart, trembling with a sense of relief.

"Yes! That's right!" Li Jingyi's eyes were half-closed due to weakness, but they still shone with a gentle light. She gently held Chen Xi's hand: "Don't put too much pressure on yourself."

She gently stroked the back of his hand with her thumb, just like the smiley face she had drawn in the sand when they first met at the beach—a smiley face that would be carried away by the tide.

This made Chen Xi feel that the roles between the two seemed to be reversed. It was Li Jingyi who was lying in bed, but it was Li Jingyi who was comforting him. This made Chen Xi feel even more uncomfortable.

However, Li Jingyi seemed completely unaware of this, and even asked Chen Xi with great interest, "How did you get me to the hospital? I remember after I was bitten, you seemed to drag me ashore?"

"Yes, you lost consciousness in the water. I just randomly picked a direction and dragged you ashore. After bandaging your legs, I sucked out the toxic blood and then took you back to the dock and called an ambulance to bring you to the hospital." Chen Xi omitted some of the process and details, not wanting the other party to know certain truths.

But Li Jingyi seemed to know something; she just looked into Chen Xi's eyes and then didn't ask any further questions.

Feeling Li Jingyi's understanding, Chen Xi's expression was uncertain, but she eventually made up her mind to cure the person in front of her.

(End of this chapter)