Chapter 8: I’ll Order Some Takeout for You
Chapter 8: I’ll Order Some Takeout for You
“Beep beep, beep beep, beep beep beep!”
After several attempts, the phone line is still busy. Anran shakes her phone at Bed 17, saying, “It’s busy; the signal might be poor, or your husband and mother-in-law could be undergoing some tests. Do you want to eat something? I can order some takeout for you.”
She thinks that, despite the darkening skies, takeout is always available no matter what time it is!
If the delivery arrives, it would mean that entering and exiting the hospital isn’t too difficult, and the situation might not be as dire as she imagines. Anran would then ask the delivery person to go to the first-floor reception to find a doctor and report that there might be a large-scale outbreak on the fourth and fifth floors requiring the immediate relocation of the babies. If the delivery person can't get in, it might indicate that the hospital is on lockdown.
To be honest, it isn’t that Anran is overly suspicious; rather, if there is a large-scale infectious disease outbreak, the logical response would be to seal off the source to prevent further spread.
So, if the delivery person can’t get in, it would mean Anran can’t get out either. Although this method of testing might seem a bit childish, she is trying to think of ways to connect with the outside world within her capabilities and scientific understanding.
“Thank you! I have food, but since I’m lying in bed and can’t move, could you help me get the bread from the bedside drawer?”
Tears finally fall from Bed 17’s eyes. Giving birth feels like having one foot in the grave, especially after a C-section with an incision through multiple layers. As soon as the anesthesia wears off, the pain is excruciating. Meanwhile, her husband and mother-in-law have disappeared.
Anran is also in pain, though she has a natural delivery. Before deciding on a natural birth, she researched online and found that walking a lot after giving birth helps with the discharge of lochia. But today, she has walked far too much, far exceeding the normal amount of exercise a postpartum woman should have.
The lochia from her lower body flows like a faucet, and every movement makes it gush out in large, sticky clumps, making Anran very uncomfortable.
When she returns to the ward, she leans against her bed but doesn’t dare lie down, fearing she might not be able to get up again.
However, looking at Bed 17, she feels genuinely sorry for the patient, who seems very polite and has asked Anran to fetch some bread from a drawer, repeatedly thanking her. So, Anran decides to help.
She walks around her bed to Bed 17, opens the bedside drawer, and upon seeing the contents, she is immediately puzzled. Tilting her head, she asks the moaning patient in Bed 17, “Why did you buy so much bread? And there’s chocolate, candy, and wow, there are even crispy noodles.”
“During my delivery, I was too exhausted. These were bought by my husband and mother-in-law, telling me to eat whatever I wanted to gain strength to deliver the baby. But I didn’t eat any of it and ended up having a C-section instead.”
Despite the pain, a hint of a smile appears on Bed 17’s face as she recalls the baby she has delivered. She takes the bag of bread from Anran, opens it, and hands back an oval-shaped bread topped with pork floss.
“I see you’ve been alone since last night and haven’t eaten much. Come eat something with me.”