Rhodes Island does not exist.

Perhaps it's because Amiya has already shown all her kindness and affection that she omitted expressing these human emotions? The Doctor couldn't help but wonder.

"Yes, Doctor."

Amiya took out a lunchbox from behind her back.

"This is a nutritious bento box that Furong asked me to bring to you. She said it will help you recover faster."

For some reason, when the Doctor saw the green box in Amiya's hand, he felt as if his memories were sending him an extremely strong warning.

-

ten minutes later.

The doctor ate it in the end.

Although all the food was surprisingly unpalatable, the results were surprisingly good.

So he simply treated it as taking medicine.

After all, most people wouldn't think of a dish like bitter melon salad with houttuynia cordata.

I've heard that people in the southeastern region of Yan Kingdom like to eat houttuynia cordata, but even they probably wouldn't mix it with mustard.

Perhaps Furong is a little too fixated on the "green" part of "green cuisine".

"call."

After scooping out all the unpalatable and nutritious food from the lunchbox, the doctor felt a surge of energy, even as his mouth was filled with the stench of decay and earth.

He picked up the water glass from the bedside table, rinsed his mouth, then got out of bed and changed into his very familiar black overcoat.

Only when he was dressed in this suit could the doctor feel a semblance of being alive.

"An unusual quiet."

He straightened his clothes and looked around the somewhat cramped single room, realizing that there seemed to be no one else around except himself.

The emptiness here doesn't refer to the room itself, but rather to the fact that the hallway outside is almost completely silent.

It was as if no one existed on the entire floor.

"Speaking of which, I think Amiya and Kal'tsit mentioned something like 'the situation is urgent' and 'there are too many wounded' before."

He recalled the scene from ten minutes earlier.

So he decided to go downstairs to take a look.

-

"Thank you, sisters. Did you save me?"

The Ursus children, speaking with heavy accents, lay in bed giving their thanks.

His entire body was wrapped in bandages, leaving only one eye open to see.

"Yes, we are from Rhodes Island, and we came here specifically to rescue people... Ah, don't move, don't move. You just received emergency treatment, so lie down properly, or your wound will reopen."

As for the medic he was talking to, he was probably also from Ursus, with the same perfect accent.

"Okay, but what is Rhodes Island...?"

The child asked a question.

"It's a medical aid organization, but if I explain it in too complicated a way, you probably won't understand. Just think of us as a mobile hospital," the medical officer replied with a smile.

"Ah, I know! You are knights, right? I once heard my father say that if someone is trapped in the wilderness by a natural disaster, a moving tower will appear to save him, and that tower is the Knights!" The child looked very excited, as if he had met a legendary hero.

"Haha... Rhodes Island is indeed called the Knights of Rhodes Island, I think it's because Dr. Kal'tsit has a noble title, so she's qualified to establish a knightly order?"

The medical operator didn't seem to have much experience, so when faced with these questions, she could only scratch her head with a wry smile, repeatedly giving vague answers based on what she roughly knew. "And the Tower... that's true, after all, we're just a building located on the mobile city-state platform, so I think I've heard my seniors mention names like the Knights of the Tower or the Tower of Babel... something like that?"

By the end, even her own face turned red, which made the child on the hospital bed giggle.

All of this is just a tiny scene among the countless beds reflected in the doctor's eyes.

He stood at the elevator entrance on the eighth floor of Rhode Island.

Before me lay a vast, empty space.

Countless white hospital beds were lined up in a row, filled with wounded soldiers, with doctors walking around the beds.

This is Rhodes Island.

Chapter 17, Part 17: The Holy Spirit of the Tower of Babel

On matters of morality, Kal'tsit said this:

"Moral dilemmas actually exist in most parts of Rhode Island, but people are often unable or obligated to do anything about them."

"They can only feel confused and pity in their hearts, but they cannot do anything about it."

"A guerrilla force of infected individuals is fighting and hunting for the rights of other infected people on the Ursus tundra. Will they encounter infected people they want to rescue but cannot along the way?"

"Admittedly, they are the shield of the infected, the shelter of all the homeless infected, but they are not gods, and cannot, like in the Sakorta myths, distribute bread and fish so that all believers can be fed. Every infected person who has no fighting ability who joins is, in fact, a tangible burden to them."

"So they can't bring everyone."

"Abandon the elderly who can no longer fight, and take the children with a promising future."

"Execute bandits with impure motives and recruit warriors with firm beliefs."

"The choice between taking and giving up is a necessary one in all moral dilemmas, a choice that Rhodes Island has always been making, and a choice that I have always been making."

"Just like this Reunion Movement's attack on Chernobog, millions of people were killed or injured, and most of the survivors became infected and were dragged into a cycle of revenge."

“Indeed, Rhodes Island has always had a responsibility to treat the infected and has been admitting patients as many times as possible within the limits of its resources, but this time is different.”

"Because this time, our enemies are also the ones we are helping, since they are also infected."

"In other words, our targets have become these people: the existing low-level infected, the victims of the Reunion Movement's attacks, Reunion Movement prisoners, and Ursus refugees."

"This is a moral choice that almost no one on Terra would ever face, but we are Rhodes Island, so we have to choose."

"But I know, Doctor, you won't have any complaints."

"Because these good deeds and the establishment of the moral system originated from your original intention, if you regret your good deeds, then you are trampling on your ideals."

Would you agree with me or disagree?

"I know you won't answer."

"But it's okay, I know how you'll answer, so I've already thought about how to answer you."

"If you want to refuse, it's best not to agree in the first place, otherwise regretting it later will be considered a betrayal."

-

When the Doctor stood at the entrance to the lobby on the eighth floor, gazing at the chaotic white sea before him, he always remembered what Kal'tsit had said to him before he decided to go to Chernobog.

At that time, the doctor received news of Chernobog's fall and prepared to set off to rescue him.

But on that particular occasion, Kal'tsit unusually knocked on the door of the Doctor's office and offered him some opinions that could be described as opposing views.

"Ah... I think I remember now."

The doctor's memories slowly returned.

He recalled how, a few days earlier, he had piloted Rhodes Island into the disaster zone of Chernobog to rescue refugees and infected, and how he had personally gone to the front lines to work with the operators to deal with the scattered remnants of the Reunion Movement.

At the same time, he also recalled being warned by the Cataclysm messenger and having to evacuate Chernobog, but being trapped in the Cataclysm's range because he was not timely enough.

"So... are we still under siege?"

To investigate this, he went to the window. He found that the originally transparent sliding window was sealed with layers of black tape.

Out of curiosity, he wanted to peel off a bit of the seal to see what was going on, but a rough hand stopped him.

The doctor recognized the hand.

"Doctor, if you want to enjoy the view, you should go to the rooftop. This is a temporary medical station. If Originium dust gets blown in by the raging sandstorm outside, it will worsen the condition of these newly infected individuals."

The person speaking was wearing a set of Rhodes Island standard equipment, with a thick beard and slightly messy slicked-back hair, and sunglasses on his face.

"Ah...Ace, I'm sorry."

The doctor apologized for not considering the consequences of his reckless behavior.

"It's nothing. Besides, I've already heard from the medical staff that you collapsed in the warehouse yesterday due to overwork and were resting. Why did you suddenly come down?" Ace asked with some concern.

"I recovered quickly after eating the food made by Furong," the doctor replied truthfully.

Even a tough guy like Ace would feel a little embarrassed by this answer.

"By the way, what you said when you stopped me earlier... could it be that the natural disasters outside have worsened again?" The doctor rubbed his still slightly dazed head and asked, "I remember the eighth floor wasn't sealed off when I came here last time."

“But you were here yesterday morning, Doctor, and the seal was put up three days ago. You were involved in this work. Or are you too tired and not fully awake yet? If so, I suggest you go back and rest. The more anxious you are now, the less you can handle things properly,” Ace shook her head and suggested.

"No, I'm really fine." The doctor waved his hand. "I'm in great health, it's just that my memory has been a little blurry for the past two days. I don't think it's a big deal, and I'm starting to remember some things."

“Then I’ll continue answering your question—yes, the natural disaster has worsened.” Ace sighed and replied, “The sandstorm is slowly expanding, but fortunately, Rhodes Island is located right in the eye of the storm, so the impact isn’t too great yet, although we are indeed trapped inside.”

“Okay, I understand. I will have the disaster messengers on the island keep an eye on things, and I will do it myself.” The Doctor nodded and made a few pencil marks in his mental memo.

“Just leave it to the Cataclysmic Messenger, Doctor. You shouldn’t overwork yourself.” Ace’s worried expression widened. “We elite operators and Amiya have advised you many times that you don’t need to do everything yourself… You need to understand that you are the soul and core of Rhodes Island. If you collapse at your post again due to overwork like yesterday, that would be the biggest loss for Rhodes Island, especially for us brothers and sisters who have come from Rembiton to Kazdel with you.”

"Ah, don't worry, Ace." The Doctor smiled at him, his expression barely concealed beneath the hood. "I'll do it without causing you any worry. After all, ability determines responsibility, don't you think?"

-

I had some things to take care of, so today's update is a little late. Also, this book has been signed for a new contract, and I received a lot of criticism a few days ago, so I'm planning to speed up the update frequency.

The following is the customary thank-you section.

Thank you to "Live Towards Death" for the spicy snack, and to Li Zheng from Bai Sheng group for the monthly ticket. Thank you everyone.

Chapter 18, Part 18: The Tea Party with Wendigo (No Tea)

The eighth floor was in a state of orderly chaos.

The patients were noisy, and the injured were groaning, but the doctors still managed to handle their assigned areas in an orderly manner.

Rhodes Island's medical operators have all come from countless experiences like this. Although the eighth floor has never been so full before, they can always manage with a little more effort.

The doctor thought so too.

So he stayed on the eighth floor for almost three hours until Kal'tsit appeared from nowhere and dragged the Doctor out.

"Why did you come down?" she asked angrily.

Those who know Kal'tsit know that because she rarely shows her emotions on her face, any change in her expression means she is serious.

“Because I’m not sick,” the doctor explained. “Instead of lying in bed, I’d rather do more things.”

“I won’t write down my illness for you to see.” Kal’tsit crossed her arms and shook her head. “What you need most right now is rest. Don’t forget how you collapsed. If you fall into a coma again, I’ll have to consider taking necessary measures.”

"Although I know you're saying this out of concern for me, I am the one in charge of Rhodes Island." The Doctor smiled.

"The person in charge?" Kal'tsit's lips curled into a cold, soft voice. "Then you can dismiss me right now. If you can't do that, then you shouldn't be this so-called person in charge."

“Kal'tsit. Concern doesn’t necessarily have to be this forceful.” The Doctor sighed. “Rhodes Island’s air routes are blocked by the natural disaster, so we can’t go anywhere. In this critical moment, we need more manpower… Or should we stop this pointless conversation? After all, I feel like no one can convince anyone else.”

"Then do as you please. I just want you to know that your body does not belong to you."

Just like in the morning, Kal'tsit turned and left after uttering a single sentence.

But unlike in the morning, Kal'tsit stopped after walking only a few steps.

"If you really want to do something, go to the intensive care units more often, or do something that other people can't do."

"Don't waste your valuable abilities on such basic tasks; remember to use your talents in the right places."

After stopping and leaving those words, Kal'tsit continued walking, disappearing from the Doctor's sight.

-

"Ding."

The elevator doors opened.

The doctor stepped out of the elevator and arrived at the fourth floor.

The view on the fourth floor is completely different from that on the eighth floor.

A straight corridor runs through the space, connecting the wards arranged on both sides of the main corridor, quiet and comfortable.

Only patients or the wounded who need to recuperate can live here. Compared to the scene on the eighth floor, it is a secluded paradise.

The premise is that there are actually people who would regard the intensive care unit as a paradise.