Chapter 17: An Uncertain Element

She held it, looking left and right but couldn’t make sense of it. Puzzled, she asked, “What does this say?”

The female doctor’s eyes curved into a gentle smile as she replied lightly, “You need to go to the first-floor lobby to pay; they’ll tell you what to do.”

The lady, feeling awkward and hindered, thought for a moment before shifting her gaze to me. “Wait here; I’ll go pay.” At last, she no longer hesitated and hurried out the door...

The female doctor said nothing further and simply sat down at her desk, as if that settled the matter.

I noticed the boy’s father still hadn’t regained consciousness, so I asked, “Is he going to die?”

The female doctor had been in this profession for many years; people who asked such questions often had a certain sensitivity, trying to understand the situation. She gently inquired, “What is your relation to him?”

I answered honestly, “She is my father.”

The doctor, mindful of the patient and family’s emotions, offered some comforting words: “It won’t affect his life, but it’s very painful. You must take good care of him.”

I talked a lot with the doctor. She was mentally prepared for such discussions, and I spoke my mind freely, though I never admitted to having struck him.

The lady hurried back in and whispered in my ear, “We need to pay ten thousand first. Mom’s bank card only has a few thousand. What should we do?”

Raising money was the parents’ responsibility. What could a student do? I shook my head helplessly.

This was important; the lady didn’t want the doctor to overhear. She put her arm around my shoulder and quietly said beside the wall, “Don’t you know Molly Ping? Could she help us think of something?”

At first, I felt I had no connection, but after some thought, since she had taken advantage of me, it made sense to ask her for some help. “Have you called her?”

Not wanting to hide anything, the lady said, “I called her in a hurry just now, but she didn’t answer. After careful consideration, I think it’s better if you call.”

Noticing signs everywhere forbidding phone calls, the lady led me outside the hospital entrance. I pulled out my phone, found Molly Ping’s number, and dialed...

A minute later, a woman’s voice came through: “The number you have dialed is not answering. Please try again later.”

I was unwilling to give up and called more than ten times, but each time met the same response. I had no choice but to stop.

Yet without money, coming here was pointless; they wouldn’t allow admission. The lady paced anxiously outside the hospital gate, muttering, “Why is no one answering the phone?”

Her words reminded me that when we left Molly Ping’s house, her husband wanted her to meet a friend who had come from afar. The lady knew about this, but now we needed money. What to do?

A small car pulled up at the hospital entrance, and five or six people helped carry down a woman in a floral dress who looked near death, two men flanking her. They inquired at the payment window and then carried her upstairs...

The lady and I wanted to see the situation, so we followed, coincidentally entering the same room where the boy’s father lay.

The lady hurried over, and I followed closely behind...

The female doctor said as soon as she saw the lady, “You’re just in time. Move him to the bench outside. I need to examine the patient.”

I felt awkward and couldn’t help saying, “We came first; we should be seen before her.”

The doctor, experienced in handling such matters, brushed it off lightly: “You’ve had your time. Outside is temporary... just wait...”

Since we were asking for help, and the lady feared my bad temper might cause trouble, she took the initiative to lift her husband, walked out, looked along the long bench, and then set him down again on the chair where we had first sat.

Unexpectedly, the boy’s father stirred, immediately sitting up and even managing to take strong steps. Seeing him trying to speak, his mouth opened but no words came out, only “ah ah ah” sounds.

The lady pressed her ear to his mouth but couldn’t understand, guessing, “We’re trying to find the hospital fee; without money, they won’t admit him.”

His face was covered in blood, and he pointed outside the window. The lady looked for a long time but couldn’t comprehend; after asking many questions with no results, she just pretended not to hear what he said...

This couldn’t wait; the longer the delay, the worse the problem. The lady paced anxiously by the bench...

I could do nothing to help, so I said casually, “You can’t pay less; get admitted first, then find a way.”

This seemingly insignificant remark reminded the lady to explain their situation to the payment window.

The person in white at the window gave some explanation, but I couldn’t understand. The boy’s father had come behind us; apart from his lips and nose bridge, the rest seemed fine.

His face, still bloody, he made gestures to the lady, but she couldn’t decipher his meaning...

The lady was frantic! She ran upstairs, and I followed closely. The boy’s father could walk, so he came along as well...

Inside the room, the female doctor was filling out the admission form at her desk. The lady hurriedly explained the situation.

The doctor listened silently without a word, tore off the completed admission form, and handed it to one of the people who had come with the patient...

A large group left to discuss matters, and the lady had to repeat her situation again.

The female doctor said nothing and filled out another admission form. The lady took it downstairs, scanned to pay with her phone, and upon successful payment, the situation changed.

A female doctor in a white coat arrived and led us into the inpatient ward. The bed was number 305, similar to the one she stayed in.

The boy’s father lay bloodied on the bed, making a circular gesture with his hand, moving it toward his mouth...

I couldn’t understand it, but the lady did. “He wants water!”

Honestly, where could we find water in the middle of the night?

The lady rummaged in her handbag, handed me ten yuan, and rushed off, asking around. She found a convenience store open 24 hours, bought a bottle of mineral water, pocketed the change, then took out her phone to call Molly Ping again. After a few rings, a gentle female voice said, “The number you dialed is not answering. Please try again later.”

Damn it! Whenever there’s trouble, we can’t reach anyone. That shameless man-child must be with some eighty-year-old old man! I finally understood: two men can only...

Thinking it had nothing to do with me, I put my phone back in my pocket and ran back to the ward...

The water bought, the boy’s father opened the cap, barely parted his bloodied lips to drink, but it wouldn’t go down, stained with blood, wetting his clothes. He jumped up in pain...

A female nurse in white fetched a set of patient clothes, tossed them on the bed, and said, “Hurry to renew payment tomorrow, or else...”

I finally understood why people rack their brains to earn money. Without money, nothing can be done. Molly Ping was right: “He’s old, but she has money. Giving you a bit means you never have to work again! What a profound statement!” The lady once mocked her for seeking an old man; now needing money, she understood the hardship of having none. The boy’s father earned only three thousand a month, thinking himself quite something at home. Molly Ping didn’t even bother to glance—too pitiful!

The boy’s father changed out of his clothes. The lady searched all his pockets, wrapped the contents, and threw them into the trash bin. There was no way to carry it all; she left it there, wiping the bed sheets repeatedly, stained a faint red that wouldn’t come out...

After settling him, the lady considered how to borrow money. She looked at me and said, “Boy, you should go home now! You have school tomorrow. I’ll stay here!”

The boy’s father lay on the bed. The nurse hadn’t administered an IV or painkillers. The lady found this strange and asked me to inquire.

I ran several times before finding the nurse in charge of the ward. That shameless woman took a long time to open the door, holding something...

She smiled when she saw my golden hair. “Do you know how to use this?”

I needed her help, so I nodded.

She didn’t hide it but placed it on the table and said, “This is my duty room. It gets lonely...”

“I’m still a student. I can’t...” I didn’t know her and was shocked by her shamelessness, so I politely declined.

“No worries, it won’t hurt. We’re all women.”

She looked at the device from all sides and handed it to me...

Honestly, single adult women can’t do without it; otherwise, why marry? It’s not just for bearing children but has other meanings.

The nurse said nothing more, smiled, and took out a tray with syringes, cotton swabs, disinfectant, and other items.

I put her device on the table and followed her back to the ward...

She stood by the bed, opened a bottle of medicine, drew it into a syringe, and firmly injected it into the boy’s father’s buttocks, speaking soothing words: “It won’tI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.