American Landowners: Starting with Hunting in Alaska

Su Wei carried Emily and walked straight to the front desk.

"We need a doctor."

The nurse at the front desk was taken aback by the strange combination, but when she saw Emily's swollen ankle wrapped up, she immediately picked up the phone.

"Dr. Hansen, emergency room. A woman has a severe ankle sprain, possibly fractured."

Soon, an elderly man in a white coat walked briskly from the end of the corridor. His hair was gray, but his steps were steady.

He was in his sixties, wearing reading glasses on the bridge of his nose, and his eyes behind the lenses were very sharp.

Even though she looks older, she still maintains a lot of energy.

"Come with me," Dr. Hansen said, glancing around.

Suwei followed, carrying Emily in her arms. Cotton Candy poked her little head out from her arms, her blue eyes curiously surveying the place that smelled of disinfectant.

Upon entering the examination room, Su Wei carefully placed Emily on the examination bed.

"Alright, kid, you can go now," Dr. Hansen said, putting on latex gloves without looking up.

Emily instinctively grabbed Sue's sleeve.

Su Wei didn't move. He looked at the doctor and said, "She's my friend. I'm not sure if she can accurately describe her condition."

Dr. Hansen looked up and examined Su Wei through his glasses.

The young man in front of me was still wearing a dark windproof suit, which smelled of dust, wood chips, and even a faint smell of blood. There were stubbles on his chin.

He exudes a wild, unique, and tough aura.

"Are you her...boyfriend?" Hansen suddenly asked.

Emily's face flushed red instantly, and she quickly waved her hands, "No, no, we are...we are friends."

Suwei remained silent, tacitly accepting Emily's explanation.

Dr. Hansen shrugged, said nothing, and began to carefully examine Emily's ankle.

His technique was very professional, and his movements were gentle, but every press made Emily gasp in pain.

"It's a severe ligament strain, and there might be a minor bone fracture. We need to take an X-ray to confirm," the doctor said.

Emily's voice trembled slightly: "Is it serious?"

"You won't die," Dr. Hansen said, "but you can forget about wearing high heels to parties for the next month. Of course, there aren't many parties in Kodiak anyway."

His unique dry humor strangely eased the awkward atmosphere.

Emily and Sue couldn't help but smile.

"As for you," Dr. Hansen turned to Suvy, "you look like you need a check-up more than she does. Just came from the battlefield?"

"I just came out of the mountains," Suwei replied.

"hunter?"

"Yes."

Dr. Hansen nodded and asked no further questions.

In Kodiak, being a hunter is not a rare profession.

He filled out the form and had the nurse push Emily in a wheelchair to the radiology department.

Su Wei followed behind, watching Emily's pale profile. She seemed still embarrassed by the doctor's joke about her "boyfriend".

The wait wasn't long.

The X-ray results came back quickly, just as Dr. Hansen had said: there was no obvious fracture, but the ligament tear and bone contusion were severe.

The solution is also straightforward.

A plaster cast was put on to stabilize the ankle, and a pair of crutches was also prescribed.

When Emily returned to the examination room with crutches and Sue's help, Dr. Hansen had already finished writing the medical record.

"Avoid heavy lifting for a month, and apply ice regularly. I've prescribed some painkillers and anti-inflammatory medication for her." The doctor handed the prescription to Su Wei. "Young man, take good care of your girl, and don't let her wander off into the snowy mountains again."

"Thank you, doctor," Emily said, blushing.

Su Wei took the prescription and asked directly, "How much will it cost?"

"The examination, X-rays, stent, and medication cost a total of seven hundred and thirty US dollars," Dr. Hansen stated.

Even though she was mentally prepared, the number still made Emily pause for a moment.

In America, medical care is that expensive.

He should even be thankful.

Kodiak is a small town with only a few clinics.

This clinic has always been popular.

People come and go, and I know almost everyone.

Hansen is experienced and professional.

Most importantly, he won't overcharge.

This is why the people of Kodiak respect him.

Because doctors like him are rare in America.

Even so, the cost is still considerable.

Su Wei didn't hesitate much. He helped Emily sit down on the bench and walked to the front desk himself.

"Swipe your card."

He pulled a bank card out of his old wallet.

"No... Suwei, I'll pay for my own injuries."

Emily quickly stopped him, reaching out to block him.

Su Wei turned around and asked, "Do you have this much money now?"

Emily was a little embarrassed, as she didn't have any on her at the moment.

But she could seek help from her father.

Su Wei knew this, so he turned around and handed the card to the nurse.

"I'll pay for it first, and you can pay me back later."

Emily didn't say anything this time, she just nodded.

The receptionist nurse took the card, swiped it, and signed it. Throughout the process, Su Wei's face remained expressionless, as if this considerable expense was nothing.

But only Su Wei himself knew that this $730 was most of the money he had on him.

Although, it may soon sell for more than ten thousand US dollars.

But the money still wasn't enough.

It's still a long way from paying off the debt of 160,000.

After getting the medicine, Su Wei helped Emily walk slowly out of the clinic.

The cold air outside cleared their heads a bit.

Suwei helped Emily open the pickup truck door, and after she struggled to get in, he put the cane and the fox inside together.

The car was filled with warmth again.

The pickup truck started and merged into the traffic in the town.

"Shall I take you home? Or should we stay at the usual place?" Su Wei asked as he drove.

Emily paused for a moment, then shook her head.

"We... moved." She took a note out of her backpack and handed it to Su Wei. "I'll be staying here for now."

Suwei took it with one hand and glanced at it. It was an apartment address, located in the center of Kodiak town.

"My uncle and aunt..."

“They moved to Anchorage last year,” Emily said, her voice lowering. “You know, the town’s economy has never been very good.”

Suwei nodded.

The detached house he remembered as always bustling with activity and filled with flowers in the yard is now empty.

The car quickly arrived at the apartment building.

This is a very ordinary apartment building; the paint on the exterior walls is peeling off, making it look quite old.

Su Wei parked the car, walked around to help Emily open the car door, and helped her out of the car.

"Thank you, Sue." Emily steadied herself with her cane. "Would you like to... come up and sit for a while? Have a cup of coffee?"

Suwei looked at her, then shook her head.

"No, I have something to do."

Emily lowered her head and softly said "Oh".

"I still have a whole deer and a bunch of medicinal herbs in my garage that haven't been dealt with," Su Wei explained. "They'll spoil if left out too long."

Emily looked up and smiled. "I understand, Great Hunter. Your spoils are the most important."

"Mm," Su Wei responded.

"So... are you free afterward?" Emily asked. "I'll be staying here for another two weeks. Once my foot is healed, will you take me out to play? Just like when we were little."

Su Wei looked at her, and after a moment, she smiled.

This smile dispelled the coldness that had always been on his face, making him look like the boy from his memories.

"it is good."

"We don't have a way to contact each other yet," Emily said, taking out her phone.

The two became friends again. Emily's profile picture was a photo of her smiling brightly with a sea otter.

Su Wei's profile picture was a gray default icon.

"Then I'm going up." Emily waved to him.

Be careful.

Su Wei watched Emily limp into the apartment building until her figure disappeared into the hallway before turning back to his car.

He didn't drive off immediately.

The faint scent of her body still lingered in the carriage, mingling with the stench of blood and the smell of the coniferous forest, creating a strange aroma.

Suwei leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

Marshmallow climbed up from the passenger seat floor mat, jumped onto his lap, and rubbed her little head against his chin.

Suwei opened his eyes and stroked the fox's smooth fur.

He paused for a moment, then his mind returned to the issue of money.

The debt is $160,000, and there's the bank's repayment deadline this month.

Suwei started the pickup truck, turned it around, and drove towards the dock at the other end of the town.

The venison, deer hide, and the valuable devil's claw must be converted into cash as soon as possible.

He swiped his phone screen and pulled out a phone number labeled "Old Jack" from a list of contacts he almost never used.

The largest buyer of furs, fish, and mountain products in Kodiak town.

He was a notorious shrewd businessman, but he was still a man of his word.

Su Wei looked at the number and dialed it directly.