White Olive Tree

Chapter 24

Chapter 24
Song Ran didn't know the consequences of that explosion until a long time later.
At the moment of the explosion, she was hit by a frontal shock wave. Her spleen was ruptured, the canthus of her eyes and membranes were partially damaged, and she suffered multiple lacerations on her body.
She was rushed to the Hospital Without Borders, then transferred to the capital Gama, and soon transferred back to the country.
Along the way, Song Ran was unconscious most of the time. Sometimes she seemed to have a glimmer of consciousness, but the severe pain made her unable to move.  The world was dark, and her ears were filled with words she didn't understand.
She vaguely remembered being carried on a stretcher, the helicopter propellers making huge waves, the doctors arguing, and hearing a familiar Chinese voice on the plane at a certain moment.
But there is no Li Zan in those vague memory fragments.  He never came to her again.
Most of the time, she slept in endless nightmares.  In the dream, extremists dressed in black and holding guns swept the streets with expressionless faces. Bullets penetrated women's chests and bayonets cut off children's heads.
At the end of the nightmare, she heard someone shout "A-Zan", and Li Zan rushed behind her and passed her by.
She had no time to react and watched the bomb explode.
……
When Song Ran woke up, she was lying in the ward of Liangcheng Hospital, with thick gauze wrapped around her eyes, unable to feel a trace of light.
A low-pitched quarrel came from outside the ward. It was Song Zhicheng and Ran Yuwei:
"I didn't agree with her going to Dongguo at the beginning, but you kept supporting her. You pretend to be a good person in front of your daughter, but the bad guy will come back and ask me to do it! What do you want to do now that she's done this?"
"Don't get excited. The doctor said it's not serious and just need an operation. No one wants to have an accident. Don't I feel bad for you? But this is the job she chose. You can see her success...  "
"I finally see you clearly. Vanity! Hypocrisy! You have accomplished nothing, and you expect your children to sacrifice their lives for fame!"
"The more you talk, the more outrageous it becomes!"
"You have many daughters, but I only have this one. If something really goes wrong with her eyes, I'm not done with you anymore!"
Song Ran was a little panicked. She reached out and grabbed it in the dark, but only caught the sheets.
"Sister, are you awake?" Song Yang grabbed her hand.
   "sister!"
"Ranran?"
"Wake up slowly!"
For a moment, the ward was full of voices, Yang Huilun, Song Yang, Ran Chi, uncles and aunts...
Soon Ran Yuwei came in: "Ran Ran? Are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?"
Song Ran felt uncomfortable and painful everywhere, as if there were countless torn wounds in her body.  She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. She opened her mouth with difficulty and said in a hoarse voice: "What's wrong with the eyes...?"
"It's okay." Ran Yuwei touched her face and said, "She suffered a minor injury. It will be fine with a minor operation in a few days."
Ran Chi also came over: "Sister, don't be afraid. It's okay."
Song Ran didn't react at all, as if he didn't even feel sadness or fear.
She stayed for a while and then suddenly said: "I smell the fragrance. Is it flowers?"
Auntie said: "Many people have come to see you. The ward is full of flowers. You will be able to see them when your eyes heal in a few days. A lot of them have been moved out."
She stayed for a while and asked, "Who came to see me?"
"The leaders and colleagues of your TV station."
"...Oh." She stopped talking.
It seemed like someone else was talking to her in the ward, but she didn't listen, and her thoughts drifted away like smoke.
A few days later, Song Ran underwent corneal repair surgery, which was successful.  During the few days she was hospitalized, Xiaoqiu and the others visited her several times, but there was no one else.
That person is in the distant Eastern Kingdom, and there is no way he could come to see her.
On the day when the gauze was removed, everyone in the family was there except Yang Huilun.  Ran Yuwei couldn't bear to be in the same room with her.
The doctor checked Song Ran's eyes and found that there were no major problems in all aspects. He could stay in the hospital for observation for a few days and then be discharged to work and live normally.  But be careful to avoid strenuous exercise and head impacts.
Song Ran squinted her eyes slightly to adapt to the light, and looked out the window.  At the beginning of October, autumn entered Liangcheng.  The window was slightly opened, and the wind blowing in was a little cold.
That evening Xiaoqiu came to see her and was very happy to learn that she would be able to go back to work soon. She said, "I was afraid that something would happen to you and you wouldn't be able to go to work. I was so nervous. It's okay, it's okay, God bless you."  !”
Xiaochun also said proudly: "Ran Ran, you are now the living sign of our TV station."
Song Ran didn't understand: "What's wrong?"
Xiaoxia was about to say something when she realized that her excited expression was not very good. She became a little more serious and sighed: "Did you know that in the massacre outside Hapo City, 187 civilians died, 68 of them were... children?  .In addition, 13 soldiers were injured."
When Song Ran heard the word "child", his mind buzzed, but he couldn't hear anything else clearly.  She tried her best to force herself not to think about it these days.  But at this moment, the corpses and blood all over the street clearly appeared in front of her.
Xiaoqiu didn't notice Song Ran's pale face and said, "The videos and photos you took have become the only physical evidence. The international community has exploded. Because of this massacre, the Western media strongly condemned terrorism.  I read the news today that several countries have promised to send troops to assist the Eastern Government, and the war may be fundamentally changed. Ran Ran, this is all your credit."
Xiaodong also said: "When I was studying journalism, our teacher always said that good journalists have the power to change the world. At that time, I thought it was an exaggeration. But Ranran, this time you may be able to push the situation around in the East. You are amazing.  The media all over the world are praising you."
Song Ran had no reaction, and remembered what Saxin said: This land is a huge tree full of tragedy, and everyone who comes from afar can reach out and grab a handful and pick a few fruits.
She didn’t even know how Sasin was doing now or whether he was still alive.
Her head was dizzy, and after thinking for a long time, she asked: "...I'm back, and the frontline work is now..."
"Are you asking Shen Bei?" Xiao Qiu snorted, "She has returned to China."
   "Why?"
"I guess I'm too timid and scared. I ran back as soon as I was sent out. I can't help but save my face. Now I'm transferred to the 16th floor." The 16th floor of the Liangcheng Satellite TV building is the variety show and entertainment department, not only Liangcheng Satellite TV but also  A leading entertainment brand in the country, "You can still go to the most popular entertainment department after doing this. It's different because you have a strong background."
Others are more reserved, just smiling and not speaking.
Xiaoqiu said: "But it's useless for her to stay. This time she won't be able to overpower you."
Xiaodong smoothed things over: "Xiaoqiu, you are really outspoken. We are all colleagues, don't be like this."
Xiaoqiu rolled her eyes: "What, are you going to send a message?"
"The more you talk about it, the more biased it becomes. Who would pass it on? Let's just talk about it in private."
Song Ran didn't ask any more questions and was discharged from the hospital successfully a few days later.
Ran Yuwei took care of her for a week or two, during which she expressed her dissatisfaction with Song Zhicheng many times.  Song Ran seemed as if he hadn't heard anything.  In late October, Ran Yuwei returned to the Imperial City, and Song Ran returned to work.
I don’t know if her body functions have deteriorated due to staying in the hospital bed for too long. Song Ran found that her physical fitness was not as good as before, and even her daily commute to and from get off work felt very tiring.  Although people deliberately do not think about certain things, they are still preoccupied and often have insomnia at night.
I also made several small mistakes at work due to lack of concentration, but fortunately my colleagues were considerate and took care of me.
That day, Xiaochun asked her: "Ran Ran, do you want to apply to the leader for a few more days of rest?"
   "What's wrong?"
"There are typos in the manuscript you wrote. Besides, I think you seem to be in a bad mood recently."
She opened the document, checked the typos, and said, "The weather has been a bit cold recently, so I didn't sleep well."
"Yes." Xiaodong interrupted, "I'm freezing to death. The cold and humid weather in the south is really terrible. I can't even think about coming to work in a place without heating."
Xiao Qiu said: "By the way, Ran Ran, during your absence, I was helping to process your information. Can I pass it on to you now?"
   "OK."