Siheyuan (traditional courtyard house): Starting with the Korean War, returning home to take charge

Chapter 236 Son's Illness

The lights in the emergency room were so white they looked unreal.

When He Yuzhu rushed in carrying He Nianhua, the boy was limp in his arms, his face flushed, his lips dry and chapped, and his breathing rapid and shallow. A nurse ran over to take the child from him, but He Yuzhu wouldn't let go.

"Give me."

The nurse paused for a moment, looked into his eyes, and said nothing more.

He placed He Nianhua on the hospital bed. The little boy was curled up there, tiny, like a burnt cat. The doctor, wearing a mask, came over and listened to his small chest for a long time with a stethoscope.

Qin Huairu followed behind, her steps unsteady. She held onto the edge of the bed, wanting to reach out and touch the child's face, but pulled her hand back halfway, afraid that her hand would be cold.

"How long has it been burning?"

The doctor didn't even look up.

Qin Huairu opened her mouth, but her voice was hoarse.

"He started having a fever around 2 PM. I gave him medicine, but it didn't go down."

The doctor took the temperature, glanced at it, and frowned.

"Forty-two degrees."

He put down the thermometer and said to the nurse.

"Fever-reducing injection, then blood draw."

The nurse came over with the needle. He Nianhua was pricked and burst into tears. The cry was weak, thin, and hoarse, like a kitten's meow. Qin Huairu stood by the bed, holding the small hand, her knuckles white. She wanted to say something, her lips moved, but no sound came out.

He Yuzhu stood to the side, his hands clenched tightly. He watched the needle go in, watched the blood being drawn out, watched his son cry until his face turned even redder.

He didn't say anything.

The test results took two hours and forty minutes to arrive.

He Yuzhu leaned against the corridor wall, staring at the door. People walked past him; he heard their footsteps, their voices, the sound of cart wheels rolling—all of it, yet he couldn't quite make it out.

Qin Huairu sat on the bench, head down, shoulders hunched.

When the doctor came out of the room, he was holding a form. He walked up to them and handed the form to He Yuzhu.

"Blood count is normal. It's not a bacterial infection."

He Yuzhu looked at the form; he didn't recognize any of the numbers.

"What is that?"

The doctor was silent for two seconds.

"It might be viral. We can't identify the specific virus."

Qin Huairu raised her head.

What does "cannot find" mean?

The doctor sighed.

"We just can't find a cure. We can only bring down the fever and observe. We have to rely on the child to tough it out."

Qin Huairu's tears fell. She didn't make a sound, just sat there, tears streaming down her cheeks and dripping onto the back of her hand.

The doctor looked at her, then at He Yuzhu, seemed to want to say something, but in the end just nodded and left.

Qin Huairu stood up and walked into the ward. She sat down by the bed, picked up He Nianhua, and held him in her arms. The boy was delirious with fever; he groaned and then went still.

He Yuzhu stood at the door, looking at the two shadowy figures.

He turned around and went into the restroom at the end of the corridor.

The door closed. He leaned against the door, his eyes closed.

Then bring up the system interface.

The screen lit up in the darkness, and the line of text appeared.

[Highly Effective Antipyretic for Children (Fast-Acting)]

[Functions: Quickly reduces fever, kills common viruses, and enhances immunity]

[Appearance: Colorless liquid, slightly sweet]

[Points consumed: 100,000]

He stared at the line of text for three seconds.

Clicked.

He held a small, clear glass bottle in his hand, a little thicker than a finger, and it was ice-cold. He held the bottle in his hand and stood there for a while.

Push the door open and go out.

Qin Huairu was still holding the child, her head buried in his chest. Her shoulders were trembling, but she didn't make a sound.

He Yuzhu walked over and squatted down next to her.

"Huai Ru".

Qin Huairu did not look up.

He reached out and gently touched her arm.

"Huairu, I have a friend who used to be a pediatrician. He gave me a prescription."

Qin Huairu raised her head. Her eyes were red as she looked at him.

"What prescription?"

He Yuzhu took out the small bottle.

"This medicine. He said it's especially effective at reducing fever, and it's specifically for children."

Qin Huairu took the bottle and examined it from all angles. The bottle was completely blank, transparent, and colorless.

"Where did it come from?"

He Yuzhu remained silent for a second.

"He gave it to me. It's been several years."

Qin Huairu looked at him.

He met her gaze without looking away.

She lowered her head, opened the bottle, and smelled it. It didn't smell much.

"Will it work?"

He Yuzhu did not answer.

She waited two seconds, but received no reply. Then she held He Nianhua close, scooped up a little medicine with a small spoon, and fed it to him.

The kid smacked his lips and swallowed.

Qin Huairu put down the spoon and continued to hold him.

He Yuzhu sat down next to him.

Neither of them spoke.

At night, the ward lights were turned off, leaving only the light from the corridor seeping in through the crack in the door, drawing a pale white line on the floor.

Qin Huairu fell asleep by the bedside. He Nianhua was in her arms, her breathing more steady than before.

He Yuzhu wasn't asleep. He sat on that hard chair, watching the two shadows. One was big, and the other was small, huddled together.

He reached out and touched He Nianhua's forehead.

It's still a little hot, but much better than before.

He withdrew his hand and leaned back in his chair.

At two in the morning, a nurse came in to take her temperature. Qin Huairu was startled awake, sat up, and looked at the thermometer.

The nurse looked at it and paused for a moment.

"Thirty-seven and nine degrees."

She measured it again.

"Thirty-seven degrees eight."

Qin Huairu covered her mouth, and tears streamed down her face again.

The nurse looked at He Yuzhu.

What did you feed the child?

He Yuzhu shook his head.

"I didn't eat much. I just drank more water."

The nurse looked at him for two seconds, then nodded and left.

Qin Huairu held He Nianhua in her arms. The boy opened his eyes, glanced at her, and then closed them again.

She lowered her head and pressed her face against his.

He Yuzhu stood up and walked to the window.

It was pitch black outside the window; I couldn't see anything.

By daybreak, He Nianhua's fever had completely subsided.

The nurse took his temperature: 36.7 degrees Celsius. She looked at the thermometer, then at He Yuzhu, said nothing, and left.

Qin Huairu sat on the edge of the bed, holding the child. He Nianhua was awake, much more energetic than yesterday, and reached out to touch her hair.

He Yuzhu stood to the side, watching the kid and smiling.

Qin Huairu raised her head.

"Pillar."

He looked at her.

She opened her mouth, as if to say something. But in the end, she only said...

"You didn't sleep all night?"

He Yuzhu nodded.

"Um."

She didn't ask any more questions.

Holding the child, I leaned against him.

In the afternoon, the phone rang.

He Yuzhu answered the phone; it was Commander Chen on the other end.