Rosy scanned her surroundings uneasily. The depths of the forest were so desolate it sent a chill straight through her bones trees tangled like claws, rain and mist hanging thick in the air. There was nowhere, absolutely nowhere, where they could stop and rest.
She knew all too well that if things went on like this, Captian would die.
Gritting her teeth, she bent down and hoisted him onto her back once more.
The crushing weight pressed hard against her spine, making her legs tremble faintly. Rosy drew a deep breath, forcing herself to steady her breathing, and trudged forward step by step through the freezing rain.
"Captian…" Her voice was hoarse with exhaustion. "Do you know how heavy you are?"
She was nearly at her limit. Talking was just a way to distract herself because she knew he was unconscious and wouldn't hear a thing.
"When we get back… you really should lose some weight."
The moment the words left her lips, the man on her back stirred slightly.
The next second, a low, raspy voice sounded right by her ear, carrying scorching breath.
"Am I… heavy?"
Rosy's eyes flew wide open.
Her entire body jolted as if struck by electricity. Goosebumps rose all at once, a chill racing from the back of her neck straight down her spine.
"C... Captian?!" Her voice cracked completely. "W-What are you saying? Weren't you unconscious? How did you suddenly wake up? This, this isn't scientific!"
Captian lowered his head slightly and chuckled. His hot breath brushed against her ear, his voice low enough to make her shiver.
"Can't you understand?"
Rosy's scalp went numb. She immediately changed the subject with stiff urgency.
"Captian, it's good that you're awake! You scared me half to death just now… How are you feeling? I'm looking for shelter from the rain. It should—should be soon."
The man on her back didn't answer.
His breathing slowed again, his body growing heavier. Rosy could clearly feel him slipping back into a hazy state.
"Keep talking." Captian's voice was hoarse, exhausted, yet still carried the tone of an order. "I want to hear it."
Rosy froze for a moment, then blinked lightly and began rambling about random things, anything at all, just to keep him awake. Halfway through, her eyes suddenly lit up. Her heart pounded so hard she nearly jumped in place.
"Captian! There's a cave over there!" She licked rainwater from her lips, her voice filled with relief and joy. "We can take shelter there!"
No response.
Captian had completely passed out again.
The cave wasn't small. It was dim inside, but there was a pile of dry straw stacked in one corner. In this bone-piercing cold, it was nothing short of a miracle. Rosy nearly sagged in relief as she spread the straw and carefully laid Captian down.
Once everything was settled, she collapsed onto the ground, her entire body aching with exhaustion.
Before she could rest for more than a few seconds, she pulled out a lighter from her small pouch and quickly started a fire. The flickering flames illuminated the cave, bringing a rare hint of warmth that chased away the deadly cold.
Rosy knelt and examined Captian's wound. One glance was enough to make her heart clench painfully.
The wound on the left side of his abdomen had been soaked white by rainwater. Fresh blood still seeped out, flesh mangled and terrifying to look at. She clenched her teeth, her fingertips trembling as she touched it, the wound was horrifyingly deep. The bullet was still inside.
If it wasn't removed, the bleeding wouldn't stop. If it wasn't treated, he wouldn't survive.
Rosy opened her small medical kit and took out forceps, a scalpel, acupuncture needles, disinfectant alcohol… each item carefully sterilized. She drew a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm.
"What are you doing? Captian's weak voice sounded out. He opened his eyes, instinctive wariness flashing through them only to vanish the moment he recognized Rosy.
Holding the scalpel, Rosy forced a reassuring smile. "Captian, I'm going to remove the bullet. There's anesthetic… it won't hurt too much."
He gave a faint hum of acknowledgment and closed his eyes again, too exhausted to say another word.
Rosy injected the anesthetic. Before long, he slipped back into unconsciousness.
She began the operation.
She cut away necrotic tissue, used the forceps to extract the bullet, applied anti-inflammatory medication, and wrapped the wound carefully layer by layer. Sweat soaked through her clothes, her hands shaking so badly she had to pause several times before continuing.
Finally, the bleeding stopped.
Rosy slumped onto the ground, gasping for breath.
As long as he didn't develop a fever tonight… he would make it through the gate of death.
The rain outside the cave continued relentlessly. Near midnight, a deep, thunderous boom echoed from afar, the ground trembling violently.
Rosy jolted awake.
She staggered to the cave entrance and froze.
The distant mountainside had collapsed. Mud and debris surged like a raging flood, swallowing trees and pathways whole.
A landslide.
Rosy rushed back into the cave, her heart pounding wildly, her steps unsteady with fear. But before she could even catch her breath, she stopped short—
Captian lay on the straw, his entire body burning red with fever. Cold sweat poured endlessly, soaking his hair and collar. His lips were cracked and dry, his breathing frighteningly heavy.
A high fever.
With trembling hands, Rosy checked his temperature. The reading was nearly forty degrees Celsius. Her heart dropped straight into the abyss. Biting her lip, she forced herself to stay calm, rummaged through her medicine pouch, selected what antipyretics she could still use, and hurriedly started a fire to boil the medicine.
But Captian remained unconscious. His lips were tightly sealed; he couldn't drink at all.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Rosy's face flushed crimson. She took a deep breath, held a mouthful of the still-hot medicine, bent down, and gently fed it into his mouth bit by bit.
The medicine was bitter enough to numb her tongue.
His lips were scorching hot, carrying a heat that felt almost burning.
Her heart raced wildly. Her fingers clenched the hem of her clothes. Only when the bowl was completely empty did she pull away, cheeks burning, not daring to look at him again even for a second.
The next morning, when she woke up, the fire had gone out and the cave was once again cold and damp. Rosy hurried to relight it, then rushed to check on Captian.
His temperature had gone down.
The wound had scabbed over, no signs of infection.
She let out a long breath, her entire body finally releasing the tension it had held all night.
At that moment, a hand suddenly shot out and grabbed her wrist tightly.
Rosy startled and turned her head and met Captian's pitch-black eyes.
They were sharp, dark, and feral, like a beast just awakened from a long slumber. A chill ran straight down her spine.
"Captian…" She forced a smile, her voice still trembling slightly. "You're finally awake…"
He stared at her intently, his voice hoarse, low, and deep.
"You… stayed by my side the whole time?"