White Olive Tree

Chapter 43

Chapter 43
In the quiet corridor late at night, Song Ran lay in Li Zan's arms, tears soaking the front of his camouflage uniform.
Li Zan's eyes were also red, he put his arm around her shoulders, lowered his head and kept saying sorry in her ear.  He touched the back of her head and whispered comfort in her ear.
Song Ran's crying gradually became fainter and she sniffed.
During the month when her mother was ill, she had been holding on, not wanting to show too much weakness in front of her mother.  Even late at night, I refused to secretly wipe away my tears.  Now that I saw Li Zan, all the fear, sorrow, and helplessness that had been suppressed in my heart for a month were released, as if all emotions had been emptied.
After venting her anger, she became much calmer and her expression became empty.
Li Zan then asked: "How is the situation now?"
Song Ran looked at him with wet eyes, still in shock and unable to recover.
On the side, He Shanran said softly: "Because I was infected with bacteria, I received an artificial lung. Once the bacteria are killed, there will be no problem. But I can't say exactly when."
Li Zan looked at him with slightly questioning eyes, but nodded politely.
He is obviously a doctor, but he is too young to be an oncologist.
Li Zan asked: "Are you..."
He Shanran: "Aunt Ran is friends with my mother. I work here, so I stopped by to take a look."
Li Zan nodded again: "Thank you."
"That's right." He Shanran looked at Song Ran and smiled, "Then I'll leave first. If you need anything, come back to me."
Song Ran said: "Thank you. Doctor He."
After He Shanran left, Li Zan lowered his head to look at Song Ran, wiped the tears on her face, hugged her into his arms and pressed her temples tightly.
At night, his uncle came over and took over the guard duty, asking Song Ran and Li Zan to go home and rest first, and then come back tomorrow morning.
Li Zan left Song Ran in the care of his uncle, first visited the attending expert, and then took Song Ran back home.
The aunt heated up the food, but Song Ran couldn't eat anything. It was only after Li Zan persuaded her for a long time that she managed to eat a bowl.
Before going to bed at night, Song Ran secretly took antidepressants and sleeping pills in the bathroom of Ran Yuwei's bedroom.  During this time, her mood started to get out of control again, and her insomnia became severe.
She returned to her room, climbed onto the bed and hugged Li Zan tightly, like a helpless child hugging an adult who could give her a sense of security.
Li Zan knew that she hadn't slept well this month, so he patted her back and slowly coaxed her to sleep.
But she couldn't sleep, her eyes were wide open, and she was just in a daze.
He then tried to get her to chat: "What are you thinking about?"
She stayed for a while and said, "I'm afraid something will happen to her, and I won't have a mother."
Li Zan said: "Don't scare yourself before the result is reached. Your mother's treatment team is the best, and the targeted drugs used are also the best. It's just an accidental infection midway. After this, the chance of recovery is  It’s huge.”
She raised her eyes: "But what if, what if, we don't make it through?"
"The probability is low."
"What if?" she said stubbornly.
Li Zan was silent for a moment and said, "Then we can only say goodbye."
Song Ran took a breath and choked: "I don't want to be separated from her yet."
"I know." He came closer and touched her eyes with his lips.
"A-Zan, do you miss your mother?"
"I want to. But I'm used to it." Li Zan said, "My father thought I was young at that time and didn't remember anything. But actually I remember.
I remember the morning she died, it was autumn, the leaves outside the window were all yellow, and the sun was shining golden.  She was very beautiful and smiling. She touched my head and said, 'My A-Zan is still so young.  ’ At that time she was laughing and crying at the same time.  I didn't understand why she was crying, so I climbed onto the bed and wiped her tears.  Later, she disappeared.  "
"Then, how will life be different after that?"
"It's no different. It's just that when I think about it, my heart hurts. When I get the results or get the commendation, I feel very regretful. It would be great if she could see it.
Sometimes when I'm alone and I feel hard, I just think that it would be nice if she was here, and I could lose my temper or even cry.  With her here, I am still a child; without her, I am an adult.  "
But, he has been an adult for twenty years and is used to it.
Song Ran was very sad, but also calmer.  She buried her head in his arms.
The worst thing that could happen is that there will always be a void in her heart.  But she still hopes for a miracle.
As for this moment, it is the greatest comfort to have him by his side, giving her strength and preventing her from facing all this alone.
That night, the two chatted all day long. Song Ran's sleeping pills took effect, and she finally fell asleep early.  But I still had a lot of tiring dreams in bits and pieces.
And Li Zan, just like the past dozens of days, could not sleep well.
Recently, that family began to appear frequently in his dreams again.  They were still standing side by side in the whiteness, with pale faces. Only the pairs of big black hole-like eyes stared at him with expressionless expressions.
When Li Zan woke up in the middle of the night, Song Ran beside him was frowning slightly in his sleep.  He touched her brow with his fingers, and suddenly he felt guilty, but he didn't know how to tell her now.
In the past two months of actual combat, he had not encountered bomb disposal, all of which were assault and demolition missions; and in the past month of training, he had encountered bomb disposal, and he knew very well that it was fake.  He went out as a demolition trooper, not a bomb disposal unit.  It's just that demolition missions are more dangerous in a way.
He was so confused that he couldn't sleep.  It wasn't until dawn that I drifted off to sleep.
Early the next morning, the phone rang and woke them up.
Song Ran touched the phone and found that it was his uncle. His face turned pale for a moment and he didn't dare to answer it, so he forced it to Li Zan.
Li Zan's face was serious, but he quickly picked up the phone: "Hello, uncle?"
There was a long chatter over there, and Li Zan looked at Song Ran, her expression was nervous.
"Okay. We'll be right away." Li Zan put down the phone and said quickly, "Your mother is out of danger."
……
The two rushed to the hospital. The doctor said that the infected bacteria had been completely eliminated. Although the patient was still weak, his life was not in danger.  After a period of good recovery and continued targeted treatment, the situation will improve.
The doctor said: "The most difficult time is over."
The uncle was so excited that tears filled his eyes. Li Zan comforted him for a long time before persuading him to go back to rest and replenish his strength.
Song Ran will stay in the hospital and wait for her mother to wake up.
Li Zan stayed with her.  Because he came in a hurry and didn't bring anything with him, he wore Ran Chi's white T-shirt and jeans when he went out today.
At noon, Ran Yu woke up slightly.  It was not convenient to visit, so Li Zan and Song Ran just stood outside the ICU ward and watched from a distance.  Song Ran also waved to Ran Yuwei.
That night, Song Ran finally had a good sleep.
But Li Zan was not very stable. He called frequently before going to bed and kept using his mobile phone.
Song Ran said: "Isn't it time for you to leave for Dongguo?"
"Yes." Li Zan said, "There are still four or five days. Because of the special circumstances, I will ask the team for a longer holiday."
"Go in peace of mind." Song Ran said, "I'll be fine here."
Li Zan smiled and said nothing.
She suddenly asked: "By the way, tell me your serial number. If my mother's condition stabilizes and I go to Dongguo, I can still find you."
   "……good."
……
After the situation stabilized, Ran Yuwei was transferred to the general ward and began physical recuperation.  The uncle's family also left the imperial city.
Song Ran stayed at the hospital all day.
When a person is ill, Ran Yuwei is much weaker than usual. However, due to his poor health, he inevitably has a bad temper and often gets angry.  Song Ran was concerned that she was a patient and let her go.
That day, Ran Yuwei found the food from the hospital cafeteria unpalatable, so Song Ran went home to cook for her.  Only Li Zan was guarding the ward.
Li Zan thought Ran Yuwei was sleeping, so he took a book and opened it.
Halfway through, I heard Ran Yuwei say: "Ran Ran said, do you still want to take the postgraduate entrance examination or something?"
Li Zan looked up and saw Ran Yuwei lying on the hospital bed, looking at him calmly.
"There is a plan, but it should be next year."
Ran Yuwei counted the time in her mind.