C94 Baize
C94 Baize
However, Jian Yun didn't respond. Instead, she simply stared at the glass windows as if her voice was another passing blow of the wind. Her hands lay on her lap, fidgeting around the stray threads of her jeans as she desperately tried to keep it together. However, the longer she had sat there, the more agitated she became.
Wu Wenjing sighed. "If you don't eat or drink, your body will collapse sooner or later," she wanted. "If that happens before Auntie wakes up, who will take care of her then? Before you take care of her, it's best if you start taking better care of yourself, okay? Please?"
"I–I'm scared," she finally admitted, turning to look at Wu Wenjing. Although her face was impassive, there was a sense of fear hidden in the depths of her bright eyes. Although the doctor had stated over and over again that the operation was a success, she still felt uneasy. And that anxiety couldn't be mitigated until she could see her mother's calm face.
"What are you so afraid of? The nurse already said that Director Bai is one of the best in the country. If he said that the operation was successful, then it is. We should be going home." Not wanting to say anything further, she grabbed a hold of Jian Yun's hand and took a step forward, going farther and farther from the ICU.
Her friend was right. Of course, she was. But the thought of her mother's pale face and blue lips as she lay alone in that hospital bed struck her senseless. Stopping, Jian Yun pulled herself from Wu Wenjing's grip, shaking her head. "Let me stay here," she convinced. "Besides, it's not like I could sleep well tonight if I go back."
"Then how about I'll stay with you in the hospital?"
"You still have work tomorrow," Jian Yun stated, pushing her away. This was just an obstacle she had to face alone, and she didn't want anyone to be bothered by this burden. After all, they all had their own respective problems. She didn't one to just toss another one into their baskets. Biting her lips, she proceeded to hug her knees and stare.
"I really can't do anything with you, huh?" Wu Wenjing sighed in frustration. However, she knew for a fact that there was no way she could convince her friend at this state. She had accompanied her in the ICU for a while before she finally stood up. "Fine. Call me if there's anything you need, okay? I'm here for you, Yun. We're all here for you."
After walking a few steps, she turned around. "Wait, did you call your father?"
Jian Yun froze for a moment before shaking her head. It had been a long time since she had contacted him, and it was definitely before Lin Lanlan and Lin Rong started showing up in their lives again like a bunch of maggots. The light in her eyes had faded even more, and it seemed as if the artificial lights all around them had dimmed.
"You shouldn't shoulder such a big problem alone, okay?" Wu Wenjing patted her shoulder. "You should at least tell him what's going on."
Jian Yun could only nod in response. Once her friend had finally left the premises, she took out her phone, scrolling through her contacts. Although she had plenty of relatives, she didn't know who to call first–especially after such a predicament.
Her grandparents were already so old. If they knew something had happened to their daughter, they would be worried sick. Clutching the phone, she shook her head and scrolled down. Her First Uncle's Wife and her mother didn't have a good relationship, given their headstrong personalities, and her First Uncle had always been afraid of his wife. Not wanting to find them, she scrolled down, stopping when she saw her father's name. A bitter smile slipped into her lips. Remembering her mother's words, she squeezed her eyes shut, not even wanting to think about contacting him.
At this point, her other uncle was the last one on her contact list.
After the call, Jian Yun stood up and walked towards the window of the ward. Although she couldn't see anything besides the curtains and the blinders, she didn't really care. The longer she stood there, the closer she felt to her mother. And that was all that counts.
The night was getting late, and she shifted on her cold seat. Although the weather was warm in the day, it was quite chilly once the sun had set, and the air conditioning system around here wasn't making it any better. All she could do was hug her arms around her chest and squeeze her eyes shut as darkness had enveloped her in his arms.
When she woke up again, she felt a large blanket wrapped around her body. It had the hospital's name on it threaded across the corners. The corners of her lips raised upwards. It must've been given to her by one of the nurses in the station.
Jian Yun glanced at her watch. It was already 4 in the morning. It was exceptionally quiet in the hospital, without the bustling sound of wheelchairs and hospital beds rushing back and forth across the corridors. The hairs at the back of her neck stood in response, and she tightened the grip she had around the fabric.
Dawn had finally arrived, and she saw some of the interns making their usual rounds. Thinking that it was time to wake up, Jian Yun folded up the blanket and knocked on the door of the nurse's station.
"Come in!" A voice called out.
She pushed the door open and saw a few nurses lounging in their respective areas. She handed them the blankets with a smile. "Thank you for lending me one of your blankets."
"A blanket?" A nurse turned around to check their storage area. Frowning, she shook her head. "We don't lack any blankets here. That isn't ours, dear."
"Then who lent me the blanket last night?"
A plumper nurse came over to take a closer look. Leaning over, she sniffed at its edges before a slow smile spread across her features. "This is from Director Bai's stock," she later explained. "I could tell it from the scent alone. After working for him for a couple of years, I have quite an impression of him, you know."
"Director Bai?" Jian Yun blinked, surprised. Wasn't he the same doctor who had operated on her mother yesterday? He was the one who had covered her with the blanket?
"Our Director Bai is quite a looker, and he's exceptionally kind to every patient he comes across." The nurses giggled, evidently enamored by him. "His office is just by the end of the corridor. You could go ask around if ever you get lost. I'm sure every single one of those nurses is willing to help you find him."
Thanking them one last time, she walked towards Director Bai's office after some thought. After all, he was the one who had lent her the blanket. It would be rude if she didn't return it to him.
Jian Yun was about to knock on the door when a man in a white coat had opened it from the inside. She had almost bumped into him if she hadn't stopped herself immediately. Flushing in embarrassment, she took a step back.
"May I ask if Director Bai is here?"
The man paused and smiled. "I'm Director Bai. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"I'm sorry, what?" She blinked, staring at the young man in disbelief. "You're Director Bai? The one who had just operated on my mother? That Director Bai?"
"Don't I look like a doctor?" He raised his eyebrows teasingly.
"Ah, no, it's not that." Snapping out of her daze, she hurriedly shook her head.
The last time Jian Yun had seen him was back at the operating room when he was wearing a mask. Although he had removed it while he was talking to her, she wasn't paying any attention as to what he had looked like. Actually, she had just assumed that given he was an expert, he must've been in his late forties. She didn't think that Director Bai would be a man in his early thirties.
His appearance was quite clean-shaven, with clear eyes and a narrow nose. Although he didn't look particularly handsome at first glance, he did look quite put-together. And with his refined temperament, it was no wonder that his patients were comfortable being under him. Her shoulders visibly relaxed, and she chewed on her bottom lip.
"I thought..." Not wanting to say anymore, she sheepishly smiled and passed the blanket over to him. "I heard from one of the nurses that this is your blanket. Thank you for lending it to me."
"Do you think I'm some bald old man?" Director Bai said playfully, taking the blanket from her hands. Although he didn't admit it, it was obvious that he was the one who had covered her.
Giggling, she shrugged. "I bet I'm not the only one who thinks that way."
"That's true," he agreed. Opening the door a bit wider, he stepped to the side. "Why don't you come inside?"
Jian Yun stuck her head and saw that there was another female doctor in her early thirties lounging in his office. With a nod, she slowly walked into the brightly lit room. The white walls were definitely a contrast to the spark of color from the wooden tables and cabinets, making the atmosphere somewhat familiar to her rather than intimidating.
Placing the blanket on one of the tables, Director Bai poured her a cup of water. Jian Yun glanced at the name tag on his chest before raising her eyebrows in surprise. "Bai Ze? You're actually named after the beast in the legends who ward of diseases back in the day," she spouted almost immediately.
It was when she said that did she realize that how she had worded her sentences? Perhaps calling someone a beast wasn't the best compliment she could give to the man who had just operated on her mother.
Ducking her head in embarrassment, she rubbed the back of her neck. "I–I didn't mean to call you a beast. All I'm saying is that..."
"Well, you aren't wrong," Bai Ze interjected, laughing.
"In fact, our Director Bai here knows practically everything about a patient's ailments with just one look. He could be even better than that beast itself." The female doctor winked at them, turning her head. "That's probably why he's the face of our neurology department. His mortality rate is zero to none, and we can definitely assure that every patient under his grasp would receive the best care available. Perhaps, he could be Bai Ze's reincarnation. Who's to say?" All three of them burst into laughter.
Because of the joke, the atmosphere around them had immediately loosened up. Even Jian Yun found herself leaning against the chair, feeling her own nerves starting to unwind after the long night she just had.
"I just did my morning rounds, and your mother's vital signs are quite stable." Sitting in front of her, Bai Ze tapped his fingers onto the table. "Why don't you go home and rest? Don't be so hard on yourself."
It was then when Jian Yun had managed to look into his gentle eyes. Although his stare was quite calming, it actually had the power to assure and convince others. It took her a while before she nodded. "Alright."