From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

Outside the stone hollow, the wind howled, and snowflakes lashed incessantly against the rocks.

The fire's light was dim, barely illuminating our small area.

Sheep leaned against the stone wall, her breathing still rapid and weak.

As I stared at the flickering flames, I kept glancing toward the entrance to the pile of rocks, hoping to catch a glimpse of Wang Ge in the wind and snow.

When this thought popped into my head, a chilling sense of powerlessness crept down my spine from the back of my neck.

I knew in my heart that if things continued like this, I would have to go out and find some dry branches to burn.

Wang Ge has been gone for almost half an hour, and there's still no sign of him.

With the wind and snow so fierce, even with his extensive experience, he might not be able to find his way back.

If I were to plunge headlong into the white snow fog again, there's a high chance I'd get lost on this rocky slope as well.

Even if I'm lucky enough to survive and find firewood, I still can't take the sheep away by myself.

Let alone leading her over these icy slopes and boulders, just holding onto this small rocky hollow and getting through the night would be an impossible task.

This is the cruelest part of the Terra Line.

It's different from the no-man's-land. It's not that I'm deliberately comparing the two places repeatedly, but I think the no-man's-land is just so-so.

In terms of overall difficulty, the danger level of the no-man's-land is indeed higher.

But the last time we ventured into the no-man's-land, we drove an off-road vehicle in.

The vehicle has fuel and shelter, and you can start a fire when it gets cold. At least the metal cab provides protection from strong winds.

But on the Terra Trail trek, we had absolutely nothing to rely on.

Finding a stable place to shelter from the wind and snow is almost a pipe dream.

More than ten minutes have passed since Wang Ge left.

The wind, carrying snowflakes, kept crashing against the rocks overhead, and a sense of unease, like cotton wool soaked in cold water, gradually swelled in my chest.

Just then, Yangyang suddenly coughed violently again.

Her shoulders heaved violently, and a hoarse, gurgling sound came from her chest.

Immediately afterwards, a mouthful of brown blood spilled from the corner of her mouth and dripped onto the snow in front of her.

The moment I saw that pool of blood, all the hairs on my body stood on end, and a chill ran down my spine.

I had previously read some scattered information about high-altitude pulmonary edema, and I remember it very clearly: once it progresses to coughing up blood, the situation is basically at its worst.

I dared not look any longer, and hurriedly fumbled for the satellite phone, found A-Qiu's number, and dialed it.

He knew that Wang Ge and I were going to enter the Terra line this time. Using a satellite phone in a place like this meant that we had stepped into a life-or-death situation.

When the call connected, Ah Qiu's voice came through first, with a hint of hesitation: "Is this Brother Wang?"

"A-Qiu, it's me, Lin Ye."

Upon hearing it was me, A-Qiu immediately tensed up, her tone tightening: "What happened? Did you encounter danger over there?"

Satellite phones drain battery quickly; the battery level drops every minute. I didn't want to beat around the bush, so I got straight to the point.

"We found Yangyang, who had gone missing, on the way. She's been diagnosed with high-altitude pulmonary edema and just coughed up blood. Tell me quickly, what first aid can we do to stabilize her condition?"

Although I was panicking, my previous experience in the no-man's-land allowed me to keep my speech steady and prevent it from becoming a complete mess.

Ah Qiu is a professional; he didn't panic like me. He remained calm and explained things step by step:

"Immediately keep the patient sitting up, not lying down. If she doesn't have the strength to support herself, have her lean against the stone wall or her backpack, or even half-lean against it, but absolutely do not let her lie down."

I placed the satellite phone on the rock and freed both hands to help the sheep.

Her body was as limp as a wad of cotton wool, and she almost lost all support.

I half-dragged, half-carried her, struggling to lift her up so that her back was pressed tightly against the cold rock wall, barely managing to maintain her sitting position.

Ah Qiu's voice continued through the receiver: "Then loosen her collar, and untie all the clothing that's constricting her chest and obstructing her breathing, including her underwear, to ensure her chest isn't compressed and that she can breathe smoothly. If the situation worsens to the point of suffocation, perform artificial respiration if necessary."

At this critical moment, I couldn't care less about the difference between men and women. Saving lives was the top priority; nothing else mattered.

My fingers trembled slightly as I carefully lifted her outer windbreaker, including the fleece underneath.

Finally, unhook the bra clasp that was binding her chest to minimize pressure on her breasts.

"Anything else, A-Qiu?" I asked into the phone.

After a few seconds of silence, A Qiu suddenly seemed to remember something and said urgently, "Lin Ye, before I left, I put two nitroglycerin tablets in your first aid kit. They were in a transparent, sealed bag with a label on them. Please find them quickly."

I immediately rushed to my backpack, pulled out the blue first-aid kit, and sure enough, found the small transparent bag among a pile of gauze and anti-inflammatory drugs.

I stared at the pills, not daring to feed them directly.

"Ah Qiu, what is this medicine for? Let me ask first, so I don't use it incorrectly."

"This was originally intended as a backup for both of you, in case of angina or a spike in heart rate on the road. It's also suitable for her now. This medication can dilate blood vessels and reduce the heart's oxygen consumption. Pulmonary edema, simply put, is when a large amount of fluid accumulates in the lungs and cannot be drained. After the blood vessels are dilated, it can reduce the pressure on the heart and lungs. Drinking plenty of warm water to promote urination can slightly relieve the symptoms."

He spoke plainly, without using any difficult jargon, and I understood him immediately.

"Is it okay to feed him this if he has pulmonary edema?" I asked again to confirm.

"Okay. Give one pill at a time. If you can get through tonight and your condition is stable tomorrow, then give you a second pill."

I quickly agreed, and just as I was about to hang up, Ah Qiu's voice on the other end of the line turned somber, carrying a hint of heaviness:

"Lin Ye, to be honest with you, the chances of saving someone from pulmonary edema progressing to coughing up blood are at most only 10%. Just do your best, don't push yourself to the limit."

These words hit me like a block of ice.

I turned my head to look at Yangyang, who was leaning against the rock wall. Her eyelids were drooping, her face was ashen, and her breathing was shallow and rapid.

I had a vague feeling that, given her current state, she probably didn't even have that 10% chance.

I responded softly and ended the call.

Almost the instant the call ended, the satellite phone screen flickered twice, and the battery was completely depleted.

Wang Ge hasn't come back yet.

I no longer had the energy to think about him. I first squatted down next to Yangyang, carefully put the nitroglycerin tablet to her lips, and watched her swallow it with difficulty.

Remembering that A-Qiu had told me to drink plenty of water, I poured the water I had boiled earlier into a lid and set it aside to cool until it was at a suitable temperature before feeding her.

After completing all the first aid procedures, I glanced at the watch on my wrist.

It had been almost half an hour since Wang Ge left the stone hut to find firewood.

The wind and snow outside the stone cave continued to howl, and everything was a vast expanse of white, with no one in sight.

Only at this moment did an overwhelming sense of anxiety completely engulf me.