American homeless people, surviving in the city

Chapter 156 Aftermath

When Lin Qi opened his eyes again, a pungent smell of disinfectant mixed with a strong medicinal odor wafted towards him.

The surrounding light wasn't bright, but it seemed extremely glaring to Lin Qi because he had slept for so long. He had no choice but to squint, trying to adjust to the light, and slowly open his eyes to try and see the scene around him.

During this process, what his mind received first was the sound information from the surroundings. He could feel that the environment he was in was extremely quiet, but there was something beside him making a regular and steady "beep beep" sound.

After a while, he finally opened his eyes.

His eyes had never felt so dry and sluggish before, as if there was a lack of some kind of lubricating fluid that the body should normally secrete between his eyelids and eyeballs, making it extremely difficult for him to even move his eyes.

But Lin Qi was still able to see his surroundings clearly.

The first thing that catches the eye is the pure white ceiling.

He then found himself lying on a large, comfortable hospital bed with clean white sheets and soft blankets, a far superior feel to the tattered tent he had slept in on the street, and even seemed to surpass the mattress he had slept in at home before his transmigration.

Lin Qi really wanted to stretch and roll around on this soft, large bed. But the only downside was that all sorts of machines were placed on both sides of the bed, and the regular "beeping" sound he had just heard was coming from an electrocardiogram monitor.

Countless pipes and monitoring lines extended from the machine, all connected to his body.

He was almost completely bound by these things, so he didn't dare to move at all.

Fortunately, although he had a tube in his nose, Lynch was still able to turn his head. He moved his stiff neck and looked around at his surroundings.

This is a spacious hospital room. Although the surrounding area is full of medical equipment, the interior decoration and layout of the room are surprisingly comfortable and relaxing.

One entire wall was transformed into a bright, floor-to-ceiling window. The curtains were gently drawn back halfway, letting in soft natural light that illuminated the room's furnishings. Outside the window, Seattle's iconic grey-blue sky stretched out.

Besides the hospital bed and equipment, there was a coffee table and an expensive-looking fabric sofa not far away in the room. Lin Qi had been frequenting high-end places lately, such as villas in the lakeside area or the headquarters of the Razor Gang. Now he had a keen eye for this kind of seemingly low-key but actually luxurious furniture.

Even the mineral water on the coffee table is in a glass bottle.

Seeing this scene, even if Lin Qi's mind was slow, he finally understood.

He was clearly taken to the hospital, but judging from the layout of this ward, it was definitely not an ordinary hospital!

Where have I been sent? Is this the work of Sylvia's family, or a perk of the Razor Clan?

He slightly closed his eyelids, and what appeared before his eyes were the things he had seen and heard just before he lost consciousness: the beam of the helicopter searchlight, the guards descending from the sky, the gunshots echoing through the woods, and Lucas, carrying a camera, peeking out from behind the helicopter door.

...It couldn't be Lucas who brought me here, could it? That guy doesn't seem to have much money; he doesn't look like he could afford a hospital room like this.

Since his arrival in the world, Lin Qi has been well aware of the cost of medical care in the United States. A single ambulance trip can cost several thousand dollars, and a room like this would cost tens of thousands of dollars a night.

While lost in thought, Lin Qi tried to move his body.

Good news, at least he didn't become a vegetable. With that thought, he could feel his limbs moving at his will, but a dull pain came from his shoulder and left arm, clearly indicating that his injuries were far from fully healed.

From the sensations emanating from his body, he could tell that he had been carefully bandaged. He could feel the fabric restricting his movement no matter where he tried to move.

...He really does feel like a patient.

Only now did Lin Qi finally feel that he had left behind the terrifying night in Maple Valley. At this moment, he was just a patient, lying helplessly in bed.

Just then, a barely perceptible sound of a door being pushed open came from behind.

Lin Qi looked in the direction of the sound and saw a tall doctor stride in. He was dressed exactly like the doctor in Lin Qi's stereotype: a white coat, mask, gloves, goggles, and a surgical cap. He looked much more professional than the perpetually sleepy doctor at the shady clinic.

After pushing open the door, the doctor strode towards the machine beside the bed, only to suddenly notice halfway there that Lynch on the bed had opened his eyes. He stopped and stood before Lynch's bed: "Mr. Lynch? Are you awake? Can you understand what I'm saying?"

From beneath the mask came an extremely neutral and gentle voice. Lin Qi nodded, wanting to respond, but found his throat was incredibly dry. He wanted to speak, but his vocal cords felt like they were rusted, making it extremely difficult to vibrate and produce sound.

Fortunately, the doctor seemed to have noticed his condition and said softly, "I noticed your movements. Don't worry, sir. It's normal for you to feel that your vocal cords are stiff and it's difficult to speak right now. Don't force it."

"...After all, you've been asleep for almost three days."

...?

Did I sleep for that long?

Lin Qi was incredulous for a moment. He never imagined that he would "travel" to three days in the future simply by closing his eyes and opening them again.

But considering his current state, he had to believe that what the doctor said was actually true.

The doctor didn't rush to continue speaking. Instead, he waited a few seconds to make sure Lin Qi had accepted the fact before continuing in a highly professional tone: "Let me introduce myself first. My name is Su Leiya. I am the chief surgeon at the Evergreen Coast Private Medical Center and the attending physician responsible for overseeing your treatment."

As she spoke, she skillfully flipped through the record board by the bedside and recorded Lin Qi's various indicators by comparing them with the instruments next to her.

...I did notice that her voice was androgynous, but I really didn't expect that someone as tall as her would be a female doctor.

Lin Qi was slightly surprised, but he just listened quietly.

As Dr. Su Leiya flipped through the notes, she continued, "I am genuinely happy for you that you have regained consciousness. After all, we were truly surprised by the severity of your injuries when you were first brought here."

She turned another page: "...hemorrhagic shock, multiple soft tissue infections throughout the body, fractures of the third and fourth ribs on the left side...not only that, you also have a gunshot wound and a deep laceration in your left arm. Although the bullet has been removed, it has caused some nerve damage...these are the injuries you had when you were brought here."

"Not to mention you also have severe dehydration and a mild concussion, which are minor issues that I won't list out one by one."

...Am I really that miserable?

Just listening to Dr. Su Leiya rattle off these medical terms like a menu made Lin Qi's scalp tingle. At the time, he had absolutely no idea how serious his injuries were!

Fortunately, it's all over now.

Dr. Su Leiya didn't continue speaking, but promptly closed the notepad and said softly in a reassuring voice, "...Fortunately, when you were brought here, everything was still in time."