Alex had been staying at the hospital, sitting by Sam's bedside without moving an inch.
The sky outside the window changed from dusk to deep night, and then from deep night to dawn. He maintained the same posture throughout, his gaze never leaving Sam's pale face.
It wasn't until the morning sun streamed through the gaps in the curtains, illuminating the ward, that Sam's eyelids finally fluttered gently, and she slowly opened her eyes.
"You're finally awake. If you had slept any longer, I would have had to try kissing the princess awake," Alex's voice was slightly hoarse from the long silence, but his tone carried an undisguised joy.
He leaned forward, carefully taking Sam's hand, afraid of hurting her.
Sam's lips were still pale, but the corners of her mouth curved slightly upward: "Then wouldn't I have woken up too early?" Her voice was as weak as a mosquito's hum, yet she still played along with Alex's joke.
She tried to lift her hand, but could only move her fingers slightly due to weakness: "What if Sleeping Beauty wasn't woken by the prince's kiss?"
Alex's gaze deepened. He gently stroked Sam's hand: "If all fairy tales are lies, then I can only prostrate myself before Buddha for a thousand years and ask him to return you to me."
His tone was half-joking, half-serious, and a flicker of determination flashed in his eyes.
Although he didn't believe in Buddha, he knew a certain big shot from Central Asia, who always claimed he wasn't a god, definitely had the ability to cure Sam.
"Don't lie in front of a psychologist!" Sam looked directly into Alex's eyes, weakly but firmly: "I can tell from your micro-expressions whether you're telling the truth or not."
Despite lying in the hospital bed, she still maintained the keenness of a professional psychologist.
Alex smiled bitterly and nodded: "I promise I won't intentionally deceive you."
He had too many secrets: his experiences in the 40k World, his psychic abilities, and those unspeakable battles. He truly couldn't tell everything to the person in front of him.
"That's true," Sam seemed to understand something and nodded slightly.
She moved her body gently, her brows furrowing slightly from pain: "Can you call the doctor for me? I want to know what my condition is like."
Upon hearing Sam ask about her condition, Alex's expression instantly darkened.
He recalled the doctor's previous words: "The sea snake venom has already caused nerve damage, and the possibility of complete recovery is not high."
But he quickly controlled his emotions, forcing himself to show a reassuring smile: "Then wait a moment, I'll go call the doctor."
With that, Alex gently released Sam's hand, rising with movements as delicate as if he were protecting something fragile.
A moment later, the doctor and Alex entered the ward together.
He walked to the bedside, skillfully adjusted the IV drip speed, and then began to examine Sam.
After a detailed neurological examination of Sam, the doctor pushed up his glasses and said cautiously: "The snake venom has caused significant damage to your nervous system. Although it was treated promptly, some sequelae are still unavoidable."
He flipped through the examination report in his hand, continuing to explain: "From the current examination results, both your motor and sensory nerves have been affected to varying degrees."
"As for the specific situation, it will depend on subsequent treatment and rehabilitation effects. If you recover well, there won't be too much impact," the doctor looked up at Sam, trying to comfort her with a gentle tone, "We have already formulated a detailed rehabilitation plan, including medication and physical therapy. As long as you actively cooperate with the treatment, there is still a good chance of recovery."
"Then doctor, what if I don't recover well?" Sam's expression remained calm, and her voice was steady, but Alex noticed her fingers curling slightly under the bedsheet.
The doctor sighed softly and professionally explained: "Snake venom can cause neurological damage, interfering with nerve signal transmission, and may lead to symptoms such as muscle weakness, difficulty breathing, and swallowing difficulties."
He paused, observing Sam's reaction, "Some patients may still experience limb numbness, decreased muscle strength, or autonomic nervous system dysfunction after the acute phase."
Seeing Sam still maintaining a calm expression, the doctor tried to add in a relaxed tone: "However, this kind of damage is generally not permanent. After a few weeks or at most a few months of recovery, it will improve.
It's like a small bug in a computer system that needs time to be fixed."
At this point, the doctor suddenly paused, his gaze lingering on Alex for a few seconds, as if deliberating his words, and then continued: "However, snake venom can cause acute kidney damage. If the recovery is not good, it may develop into chronic kidney disease later, so this point must be paid attention to."
After speaking, seeing that neither Alex nor Sam had much reaction, the doctor then continued: "These are the main sequelae. As for symptoms like local tissue necrosis and rhabdomyolysis, because the treatment and handling were timely, these symptoms did not appear."
He closed the medical record book, showing an encouraging smile.
"In short, get good rest," the doctor finally instructed: "As long as you actively cooperate with the treatment, there will be no serious sequelae! We will arrange for a rehabilitation specialist to consult tomorrow."
After explaining the condition, the doctor then left the ward.
Alex listened to the doctor's words, leaning silently against the ward wall, his gaze heavily fixed on Sam in the hospital bed.
His Adam's apple bobbed a few times, but he ultimately said nothing, only clenching his fists until they turned white.
It was Sam who broke the silence first. She weakly raised her hand and gently tugged at Alex's sleeve: "Thank you."
Her voice was very soft, but it made Alex stiffen all over.
"Why are you thanking me?" Alex's voice was extremely hoarse. He lowered his eyelids, not daring to look directly at Sam's pale face: "I'm not worth thanking at all."
"Because you saved me!" Sam tried hard to force a smile, and though the effort made her unconsciously frown, she still said: "If you hadn't gotten me to the hospital in time, I might have died, right?"
She moved with difficulty, patting the empty space beside the hospital bed: "Don't stand so far away, come sit down."
Seeing Alex still standing motionless, she added: "Don't feel guilty, don't think this happened because I took you diving."
Sam's gaze fell on Alex's clenched fists. She took a deep breath and said: "I was the one who took you diving. As the initiator, I should have considered these factors.
So it should be me apologizing to you, after all, that snake could have bitten you, couldn't it?"
"If it had bitten me, it would have only broken two teeth," Alex finally stepped forward and sat down by the bed, gazing at the stubborn girl up close, his voice deep and firm.
He unconsciously reached out, carefully brushing away the stray strands of hair from her forehead, his fingertips trembling slightly as they touched her cool skin.
After a moment of silence, Alex let out a long sigh: "Anyway, it's good that you're okay!"
These words seemed to be squeezed from the deepest part of his heart, carrying a trembling sense of relief.
"Mm! That's right!" Sam's eyes were half-closed from weakness, yet they still shone with a gentle light. She gently held Alex's hand: "Don't put too much pressure on yourself."
Her thumb rubbed reassuringly on the back of his hand, just like the smiling face she drew on the sand that would be washed away by the tide when they first met by the sea.
This made Alex feel as if their roles were somewhat reversed; Sam was the one in bed, yet she was comforting him, which made Alex feel even more uneasy.
However, Sam seemed completely unaware, and even eagerly pressed Alex: "How did you get me to the hospital? I remember after I was bitten, you seemed to drag me to shore?"
"Yes, you lost consciousness in the water at that time. I just picked a direction and dragged you to shore, tied your leg, helped you suck out the poisoned blood, and then took you back to the pier and called an ambulance to take you to the hospital," Alex omitted some processes and details, not wanting the other party to know certain truths.
But Sam seemed to know something. She just looked into Alex's eyes, and then didn't ask any more questions.
Feeling Sam's understanding, Alex's expression flickered between gloom and resolve, but then he made up his mind to definitely cure the person in front of him.
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