CHAPTER 286: CHAPTER 286: TEMPORARY COMA

"Sister-in-law, the captain is okay, he’s just unconscious for the moment," said Fu Guanglei, who, like Song Yuanhuan, had been stationed in this dangerous area since the torrential rain started on day one.

He had snatched just two hours of sleep last night, and then worked nonstop until now, not resting once. It had been six or seven hours since the second landslide took place, and he had found several comrades who had been with Song Yuanhuan at the time, all of whom had been sacrificed. He thought Song Yuanhuan would surely have met with misfortune as well, but he refused to give up searching, clinging to the notion that he needed to see Song alive or confirm his death personally.

His perseverance finally paid off when he located the captain, who was fortunate to have been in an area of higher terrain where the mudslide waters quickly receded after overflowing. Otherwise, with the large rock pressing down on him, Song Yuanhuan would have been crushed or drowned without a doubt.

"Thank you," Xu Xiuxiu said somewhat excitedly to Fu Guanglei. She, in a panic and utterly indecisive, had lost all her reasoning. She only reached out to gingerly touch Song Yuanhuan’s cheek, hoping he would open his eyes and glance at her, to put her mind at ease.

Yet, what responded to her was Song Yuanhuan’s breath, as quiet as can be, so faint it was almost inaudible.

"What are your plans?" The boulder on top of the majority of Song Yuanhuan’s body was of considerable weight, and it was proving to be quite a difficult task for Fu Guanglei and the others to remove it quickly and save Song Yuanhuan, which would also take some time. Xu Xiuxiu was frantic, yet her intelligence was intact, so she lifted her head and inquired about their plans.

"I’ll arrange for people to remove the large rock." It would certainly take substantial effort to move the rock, a problem which Fu Guanglei did not intend to explain in detail to Xu Xiuxiu.

"Okay," Xu Xiuxiu nodded trustingly, looking down at Song Yuanhuan. At this moment, she was truly afraid. She had never dared to imagine that one day she would see Song Yuanhuan so vulnerable that his breathing was barely audible. To her, it was like the world collapsing, and every minute and second was a torment to her will.

"Sister-in-law, could you wait over there, please? We need to figure out how to remove the rocks first; I’m afraid you might get hurt," Fu Guanglei said. His group circled the huge rock, ready to think about moving it. However, because of the stone’s massive size, Fu Guanglei preferred Xu Xiuxiu to step back a bit to avoid obstruction or accidental injury.

After all, with the rock being so large, they weren’t fully confident, and they couldn’t guarantee what might happen if the rock shifted when they attempted to move it.

"I want to stay with Song Yuanhuan," Xu Xiuxiu stubbornly refused to leave. The enormity of the rock was immense, and in an era where technology was not advanced and heavy labor was needed for transportation, she dared not leave Song Yuanhuan’s side. At that moment, all she wanted was to be by his side, regardless of whether she might get hurt herself.

"Sister-in-law, let Vice Captain Zheng and the others take care of it! If you stay here, my second brother will be furious if he finds out, and what if you get injured again? What about Cheng Guang and the twins?" Song Yuanming had been assisting the construction crew in flood fighting, carrying sandbags and digging sand and rocks. None of these tasks had defeated him. He learned about the second landslide in Tangshan Village at noon today. All the construction workers had been gathered together to help the military relocate their position, and had narrowly escaped the mudslide’s assault. He had even secretly congratulated himself on his luck at the time.

Unexpectedly, just as he was truly intending to rest for a while, he heard that something had happened to Lieutenant Colonel Song, Captain Song, who was in charge of the rescue operations in Tangshan Village and several other nearby small villages. Rushing over to grasp the actual situation, he also accidentally witnessed the scene of Xu Xiuxiu stubbornly wanting to stay by the side of the comatose Song Yuanhuan, while Fu Guanglei and Zheng Guohui were beside her, trying desperately to console her with earnestness and care.

"Yuanying, I’ll be okay," Xu Xiuxiu glanced at Song Yuanming, "I must stay with your brother—it’s my resolve." Xu Xiuxiu was unwilling to give in.

"Sigh! Alright then! Sister-in-law, please be careful," Fu Guanglei reluctantly agreed, turning to signal to his subordinates who were ready with pry bars and carriers, then, clenching his teeth, he began the operation. With the sister-in-law accompanying Captain Song, they would just be extra careful in their handling.

The stone that was crushing Song Yuanhuan was huge, so large that it could barely be moved by five men. But since the stone pinned down most of Song Yuanhuan’s body and even his entire right leg was hidden out of sight, everyone was unaware of the specific extent of Song Yuanhuan’s injuries. However, they could imagine the state of the areas under the stone’s crushing weight—it was certainly a bloody mess.

Xu Xiuxiu knelt by Song Yuanhuan’s side the entire time, her gaze occasionally wandering to the slowly moving boulder and sometimes fixated on Song Yuanhuan. When she saw him furrow his brows in a pained moan during their united efforts to pry open the boulder, Xu Xiuxiu was struck with panic, and her heart ached unbearably.

Yet her blurred vision was ultimately terrified by the sight of Song Yuanhuan’s right leg, which was under the stone. Even though she was not medically trained, she could guess that the leg’s bones must have been shattered by the boulder, otherwise it wouldn’t be in such a state. The right leg was frightening to behold, appearing nearly flattened.

Xu Xiuxiu was the person closest to Song Yuanhuan and the first to get a clear view of his right thigh. Taking deep breaths, her eyes filled with tears, yet she forcibly held back her sobs.

"Captain Song is in critical condition, we need to rush him to the hospital for surgery," the military doctor, who had been waiting nearby, came forward to examine Song Yuanhuan. He had already roughly assessed the captain’s condition, knowing that he was only temporarily unconscious. But now, seeing the state of his right leg, he realized that things were much more severe than he had initially estimated. Lieutenant Colonel Song’s leg, he feared, might be ruined.

"Quick, to the Military District Hospital," Fu Guanglei immediately called on people to carefully lift Song Yuanhuan. Relatively speaking, he was one of the calmer ones at the moment, since everyone at the scene seemed shocked by the sight of Song Yuanhuan’s mangled right leg. He was also saddened, but at least Captain Song was still alive, which was the only comfort he could cling to for the time being.

Yet with the right leg in this condition, it seemed impossible for him to move freely in the future. As a soldier, as one who cannot freely move about, what would he face? Thinking this, Fu Guanglei couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness as he looked at the medical staff escorting the departed. Plagued by self-blame, he stood remorseful.

Injured and discharged: a fate many soldiers in perilous duties had to accept and one of the most tragic outcomes for a soldier. Leaving the military, for those who rely on it for their existence, was akin to losing their life.

In the past, he and Song Yuanhuan had said farewell to many comrades in battle, but he never imagined that one day he might also bid farewell to Song Yuanhuan. In his eyes, Song was so capable, so resolute. Hopefully, it was just his own excessive worries, and the situation wasn’t as serious as it seemed.