After settling into Harrison Memorial Hospital, Louis finally returned to a period of relatively stable study and life.
During the day, he followed Dr. Gale. While helping her care for the injured, he learned first aid and medical knowledge from her.
Things like debridement, bandaging, suturing wounds, and understanding the uses and dosages of various basic medications. Louis studied exceptionally hard; after all, in the apocalypse, these things were far more important than something like the History of Magic.
Dr. Gale didn't hold anything back and taught with great care.
Since Louis was technically an adult who had already attended university, his progress wasn't just rapid—it far exceeded his peers... at least, it was faster than his progress in learning magic.
This might have caused Dr. Gale to misunderstand his true skill level. She often looked at him with a sigh, calling him a "medical genius held back by the apocalypse," which made Louis feel quite embarrassed.
To his surprise, however, learning this medical knowledge and human anatomy actually provided unexpected help for his magic practice.
Especially when he attempted the "Healing Charm" spell, having a clear map of the human anatomy in his mind seemed to allow him to guide his magic more precisely.
Although he still hadn't successfully cast it, Louis felt he wasn't far from mastering the spell; he was just stuck on a certain key point, which was truly agonizing.
Of course, he never neglected his old standby, the Levitation Charm.
After relentless practice, he was now capable of non-verbal casting.
Although the consumption in all aspects was significantly higher than when chanting, being able to say one less word at a critical moment meant an extra chance at survival, which was a considerable improvement!
Regrettably, his Transfiguration still showed no progress. He could only manage to turn a steel bar into a steel needle, and it would revert before long... he probably hadn't even reached Ron's level, being roughly at a "half-step Neville" level.
Thinking of Professor McGonagall in the movies, who could easily turn a table into a pig, and the Animagus magic that could turn oneself into an animal... Sigh, he'd have to take it slow. Given his age and environment, being self-taught to this extent was already quite genius!
Louis decided to stop being so hard on himself.
In his free time, he would go chat with the couple who had survived the ordeal.
Once Paul's injuries healed, his talkative and boastful nature was fully revealed.
However, the guy's combat skills were truly beyond reproach; his strength, agility, and use of the environment far exceeded that of ordinary people.
Louis immediately realized this was a once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunity.
So, he began persistently pestering Paul to teach him some self-defense techniques.
"Paul, can you teach me how to fight?"
"No, Louis." Paul shook his head, his attitude firm. "You're still a child; you shouldn't be exposed to this."
"But I've already taken down a Walker!"
Louis said indignantly, "And I'm an orphan. If I don't even have the ability to protect myself, I won't survive at all!"
He wore him down with soft and hard tactics, using every rhetorical trick he knew, and eventually, Paul relented.
Thus, in the spare time while recovering, he began teaching Louis some basic combat skills—
How to generate power effectively, how to attack vulnerable parts of the human body, as well as some simple dagger parrying and basic knowledge of firearm usage.
And Paul's girlfriend, Karina, had actually been a somewhat famous outdoor streamer before the apocalypse.
She knew many practical wilderness survival skills, such as how to make simple water purification devices, how to identify edible plants and fungi, and even how to use plant properties to make insect repellent or simple wound medicine.
For Louis, this knowledge was like opening a door to a new world!
In his magic book, there was an entire section on Potions, but due to the lack of magical materials like cauldrons and Mandrake, he had never been able to start.
But he never gave up. What if he could find substitutes in this world with properties similar to magical plants? Then he'd be set!
If nothing else, basic blood-replenishing potions and Antidotes would have extremely high practical value in this apocalypse where medical conditions were scarce.
And those Potions with more unique effects allowed him to see even more possibilities for dealing with situations.
For example, Ageing Potion could allow him to temporarily escape the limitations of being a child when necessary, acting with the physique and appearance of an adult. Whether for scouting or interacting with strange survivors, it would undoubtedly be much more convenient and safer.
And the possibilities for Polyjuice Potion were even broader.
It was not only a perfect disguise tool but also a trump card for handling complex situations.
When facing hostile survivors, he could turn into one of their companions to infiltrate; in desperate situations, he might even be able to turn into a Walker to blend into a herd, becoming a "Super Whisperer."
As for Veritaserum, in this world where people's hearts were hard to read, being able to accurately identify lies and gather intelligence was of self-evident importance.
Of course, this also had to be planned for the long term.
After all, his primary goal right now was still to lay low and develop within the protagonist's group. These things were still too far off for him, as he hadn't even mastered a few spells yet.
So, on the second day after settling in, Louis pretended to casually ask Dr. Gale for news about Rick.
"Dr. Gale," he said while helping organize gauze, using a child's characteristically curious tone, "I heard Shane say his partner is also in this hospital, also a policeman. Do you know him?"
Dr. Gale's finger, which was counting antibiotics, paused for a moment. She looked up and stared at Louis with some surprise: "You mean Rick? Yes, he's still here. Is he a relative of yours?"
"No," Louis shook his head, his face showing just the right amount of worry and concern. "Officer Shane is the one who saved me, and he's very worried about his partner."
"If possible, I'd like to go see him. That way, when I see Shane again later, I can tell him news about his friend."
The reason was very sound and full of kindness.
Dr. Gale's heart softened, and without thinking much, she led him to a private ward.
The room was very quiet, with only the monotonous "beep-beep" of the medical equipment.
A man with a resolute face and curly brown hair was lying quietly on the hospital bed, with various tubes connected to him, clearly still in a deep coma.
He was Rick Grimes, one of the protagonists of The Walking Dead.
"His condition... is stable."
Dr. Gale looked at Rick and sighed, her voice carrying a hint of helplessness. "I can only do my best to maintain his vital signs, but as for when he'll wake up, or if he'll wake up at all... no one knows."
She had thought the child would be scared or sad upon seeing this scene.
But Louis's reaction once again exceeded her expectations.
The boy just watched Rick quietly for a while, then turned his head and comforted her in return: "Dr. Gale, you don't have to worry too much. I think he's actually very lucky."
"Hmm? Lucky?" Dr. Gale was somewhat puzzled.
"Yeah," Louis nodded, his blue eyes shimmering. "Even though he missed the chance to reunite with his family after being shot."
"But because of that, he also avoided the most chaotic and bloody period outside."
"He's still alive and well now, which shows his vitality is very strong. So, I think he will definitely persevere until the day he wakes up."
These words reignited a flicker of hope in Dr. Gale's heart.
Yes, this child... although his judgment about Paul last time might have been a stroke of luck, he did indeed bring good fortune and indirectly saved two lives.
Maybe this time, what he said was also right?
...Peaceful days are always short-lived.
After Louis had studied with the two for a while, about a few weeks later, Paul's injuries had completely healed.
He and Karina decided to leave the hospital to find other survivor camps further away.
"Dr. Gale, Louis, come with us!"
Before leaving, Paul issued a sincere invitation. "Although it's safe here for now, it's ultimately an island. With more people, and everyone united, there's a better hope of surviving."
Dr. Gale smiled and shook her head, glancing with firm eyes at the silent building behind her: "My mission is here."
"There are still comatose patients in the hospital who need care, and I also want to be here to provide a final option for everyone who has nowhere else to go."
Louis also declined their kindness: "Thank you, Uncle Paul. But I have to stay and take care of my uncle's friend. Maybe when he wakes up, we'll come looking for you."
He pointed in the direction of Rick's ward.
Although the two felt regret, they could understand their choices.
"Alright, then take care of yourselves!"
"You too!"
After some hugs and a reluctant farewell, Paul and Karina drove away from the hospital in an off-road vehicle filled with gas.
Louis stood on the steps at the hospital entrance, waving, watching their vehicle disappear around a distant corner.
Just as he was about to turn and return to the hospital, a familiar figure suddenly appeared in his line of sight.
It was the middle-aged woman he had saved before!
At this moment, she was being supported by a burly black man, and on that man's back was a child who appeared to have a fever and was in a coma.
They were stumbling, their faces written with anxiety and despair, having clearly walked a long way.
"Excuse me... excuse me, is there still a doctor here?"
The black man saw Louis standing at the door and, as if seeing a lifesaver, shouted anxiously in a raspy voice.
"There's a child here who needs help!"