Chapter 52: A Difficult Drip

I stared at the three characters she had written, lost in thought for a moment. It was only when I noticed her pen had stopped moving that I realized she was deep in contemplation, the tip of her pen hovering over the gender field.

After a long while, she carefully wrote a single character: “Male.”

I leaned closer, looking earnestly at Ming Hai, trying to keep my voice low so the receptionist wouldn’t overhear. “Are you serious? You’re really going with ‘male’ now?”

Ming Hai turned to me, staring silently. After a moment, she hastily scribbled it out and wrote “Female.”

****

The CT scan clinic was on the fourth floor. I led Ming Hai upstairs, asking doctors from other clinics for directions. They told me it was at the very end of the corridor, to the left. Upon reaching the CT room, the doctor asked me to step out, explaining that the scan would take about five minutes and I should wait outside.

Restless, I hurried downstairs, smoked most of a cigarette, and by the time I returned, Ming Hai was already done. I found her leaning by the window, her glasses off, gazing silently outside. Without her glasses, she lost her usual unapproachable demeanor, appearing somewhat melancholic.

I watched Ming Hai for a few moments.

The doctor waited by the door, holding the film. Seeing me, he adjusted his glasses and approached with the CT scans. Though I couldn’t understand them, I feigned a serious, engrossed expression. The doctor adjusted his glasses again, then mused, “Let’s see. The liver area is normal, no shadows… Remember to pay attention to your routine, get plenty of rest, and for your diet, eat more fruits…”

I nodded repeatedly. “Got it!”

“Nothing serious. Go downstairs for a glucose drip, and you should be discharged by this afternoon.”

I took the slip the doctor handed me and smiled. “Thank you, you’ve worked hard. I really appreciate it…”

I led Ming Hai downstairs, ready for the IV drip. Since she was fine, I felt relieved—though I still couldn’t fathom how anyone could stay up late enough to collapse into unconsciousness.

We reached the first floor, where the large hospital had an infusion room, much like an outpatient clinic. Inside, the room was quiet, lined with dozens of beds. Sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air.

At this hour, most patients receiving drips were children with colds or elderly individuals with poor health. There weren’t many people, just a few, and the room was exceptionally still. The old and young alike were asleep, their IVs hanging. Even the awake children remained silent, engrossed in their phones.

Ming Hai found a bed by the window, slowly took off her shoes, and slipped under the covers. I sighed, standing beside the bed. She flipped the pillow to the head of the bed, settled into a comfortable sitting position, pulled the blankets up, and lowered her gaze to the bedding, utterly silent. From my vantage point, with her eyes cast down, she looked remarkably docile.

Behind the curtain, a unfamiliar Little Nurse pulled out a syringe, hastily mixing liquids from various bottles and jars.

It was midday, and the sun shone brightly.

Ming Hai sat with her side to the sunlight, her entire figure seemingly outlined in gold. She lowered her eyes and smoothed the hair from her forehead. Under the intense midday light, her eyes shimmered with a soft luster, as if covered by a film of water, reflecting a myriad of colors.

Everyone in the ward was asleep, and the silence was profound, broken only by the faint clinking of bottles from the Little Nurse.

I stood nearby, opening my mouth to strike up a conversation, but recalling Ming Hai’s disinclination for small talk, I closed it again. Ming Hai continued to stare intently at the bedsheet. Her eyes, usually so deep they absorbed light, now glistened in the sun, appearing radiant and less calm than usual, revealing a hint of fragility and sorrow.

I watched her for a while, then slowly sighed.

The ward was so quiet that I had to speak softly. “Will you still stay up late in the future?”

Ming Hai remained silent, raising her head to look at me, my reflection mirrored in her gentle eyes.

When those eyes met mine, I found it difficult to maintain eye contact, inexplicably lowering my gaze to the dazzling sunlight on the floor tiles.

The atmosphere grew strangely awkward once more.

After standing for a moment, I pulled a chair closer and sat beside Ming Hai’s bed. At that point, the Little Nurse from behind the curtain finished preparing the drip. She approached, carrying an IV pole with a hanging bag, and stood by the bed. I moved aside to give her space.

This wasn’t my first or second time at this hospital; after all, it was a small city, and it wasn’t overly crowded. Over time, I’d come to recognize many of the staff.

This Little Nurse, however, was unfamiliar. She looked at the IV bag, then at the needle, and actually spaced out for a moment while staring at the needle before seriously adjusting the roller clamp on the drip. She nervously held the tourniquet, speaking softly, “Excuse me… your, your arm, please.”

Ming Hai extended her arm from beneath the covers.

I stared at her arm.

Her arm was slender and sickly pale. The veins on her hand were exceptionally clear, like faint blue lines beneath her skin.

I sat nearby as the Little Nurse lifted Ming Hai’s wrist, tied on the tourniquet, and used an alcohol swab to rub Ming Hai’s hand. After a moment, she glanced nervously at Ming Hai, picked up the fine needle, and slowly inserted it into the back of Ming Hai’s hand.

I sighed, looking out the window.

Earlier, when I went out for a smoke, I’d checked on Old Master on the third floor. It was almost noon, yet he was still asleep, lying on his side in bed.

It seemed there wasn’t much time left.

As I was lost in thought, Ming Hai frowned and suddenly said, “You missed.”

I froze, looking at the Little Nurse. The Little Nurse gasped, quickly pulled out the IV needle, and frantically wiped Ming Hai’s hand with an alcohol swab. I watched silently as the swab turned a faint red. The Little Nurse apologized profusely, “I’m so sorry… I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

Ming Hai didn’t speak, just stared at the back of her hand and said, “Aim for the vein.”

The Little Nurse nodded repeatedly, rubbed the needle mark on Ming Hai’s hand again, and nervously gripped the needle hub.

Watching from the side, I couldn’t help but ask, “Where’s the usual nurse?”

The Little Nurse, holding the needle, slowly inserted it into Ming Hai’s hand, softly explaining, “Their lunch break is over… they’re eating upstairs…”

Ming Hai, still staring at her hand, interrupted, “You missed again.”

This time, even I, an outsider, could tell it was wrong. With that poke, blood flowed backward from Ming Hai’s hand into the tubing, almost reaching the drip bag.

I took a deep breath. Ming Hai, with her small frame, didn’t have much blood to begin with; it would all be wasted at this rate.

The Little Nurse’s face instantly flushed crimson. She pulled the needle out again without a word. It must not have been removed cleanly, as I saw Ming Hai noticeably wince.

The Little Nurse, wiping the IV needle with an alcohol swab, kept apologizing in a hushed, deferential tone. She looked up and stammered, “I’m so sorry, truly sorry… Um, excuse me, could we… use the other hand…?”

I slowly stood up, my voice cold. “Do you think a person’s hand is a carrot? Just blindly stabbing? Call the previous nurse down, now!”

The Little Nurse froze, holding the IV needle, and lowered her head in silence. She spoke softly, “I’m really sorry… I, I haven’t passed my internship yet…”

‘You haven’t passed your internship, so you’re practicing on my grandma?’

I was already in a foul mood, and hearing that almost made me swear again. Ming Hai looked up, her gaze calm as she met my eyes. “Apologize to her.”

The Little Nurse was stunned. She probably wanted to say it wasn’t necessary but was afraid I’d continue scolding her, so she just turned her head and looked at me timidly. I, too, was taken aback, staring at the two needle marks on Ming Hai’s hand, then looking up into her eyes.

Her eyes were placid, sparkling brightly in the sun. Her face was strikingly fair, her expression serious, and her ink-black hair was swept behind her ears.

We stared at each other for a moment, then Ming Hai repeated, “It’s wrong to curse. Apologize to her.”

Such a serious expression was rare on Ming Hai’s face, leaving me speechless. I took a deep breath, turned my head, and managed to say, my voice subdued, “Alright, I’m sorry…”

I then added, “You… go up and call that nurse, hurry. The one surnamed Wang, the nurse who gives Old Master Han his injections on the third floor…”

The Little Nurse nodded timidly, about to turn, but Ming Hai called out to her. The Little Nurse quickly turned back. Ming Hai waved her hand and said, “No need to trouble them. Medical staff are under a lot of pressure; we understand. Come and do it, I’ll give you a chance to practice.”

The Little Nurse stood frozen for a moment, then timidly glanced at me.

I just looked away, utterly speechless. I couldn’t persuade Ming Hai, and I wasn’t going to try; I knew how stubborn she could be.

The Little Nurse stood there, at a loss.

I turned to stare at Ming Hai, wanting to say something. She sat on the bed, tilting her head slightly, looking directly at me. The moment I met her unfathomable gaze, I immediately lowered my head, exasperatedly waving my hand to the side. “Alright… you. Come, give the injection…”

The Little Nurse stood blankly for a moment, then walked over, carrying the IV bag.

Ming Hai extended her other hand, speaking softly, “Take your time, aim for the vein. It’s okay if you miss.”

I slumped back into my chair, grumbling, “If you miss, I’m writing a complaint letter. You deal with it.”

Ming Hai seemed to let out a soft laugh. “Don’t listen to him.”

The Little Nurse tied the tourniquet on Ming Hai’s right hand, wiped the needle with an alcohol swab, and swallowed.

Ming Hai raised her wrist and said softly, “Take some time to think about why you chose to become a nurse in the first place. Don’t panic when you encounter trouble, and don’t forget your original intention.”

The Little Nurse’s hand, holding the needle, visibly paused.

I sat at the foot of the bed, annoyed, staring at the Little Nurse’s back, unable to see how she was doing. I just watched as she carefully held Ming Hai’s wrist.

After a moment, Ming Hai nodded, saying softly, “See? Isn’t that better?”

The Little Nurse immediately breathed a sigh of relief. She peeled off the medical tape from Ming Hai’s wrist, pressed the needle into Ming Hai’s wrist, and secured the tubing with tape. She adjusted the IV line, then smiled shyly at Ming Hai, her eyes earnest, and said, “I’m truly sorry for today… After my internship, I’ll work hard to be a good nurse!”

Ming Hai nodded, gently raised her wrist, and said, “Keep it up.”

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