"If you keep giving your rations away like this, hypoglycemia will take you out long before any rescue arrives."
Her senior rummaged through his backpack in frustration before finally fishing out a single fruit candy. He pressed it into Jiang Ciyou's hand and slumped against the wall in defeat.
"It's been a month. Where is the rescue they promised?" His voice was hoarse, laced with despair. "If we wait any longer, people are really going to die."
Jiang Ciyou peeled the wrapper, popped the candy into her mouth, and looked up at the sky.
Even without bombers circling overhead, this patch of sky remained a dirty, indelible gray.
It was just like the car window the day she left Xie Chi—no matter how hard she wiped, the view remained blurred.
But surely, his sky had cleared by now.
She, the "scourge," was far away from him. He would never be dragged into a scandalous affair again. By now, he and Wen Zhishao must be married.
She wondered if they would have a child by next year.
"Why are you spacing out? Your eyes are red." Catching her distracted gaze, the senior sighed heavily, as if guessing her thoughts. "Do you regret it? It's normal if you do. Being a Doctor Without Borders isn't exactly a joyride... You could just go back and resign."
Jiang Ciyou finally snapped out of her daze. She shook her head slowly, a faint, bitter smile touching her lips. "It was precisely because of regret that I chose this path of atonement. After walking it for so long, my sins feel lighter. So no, I have no regrets."
Just as the words fell, the abrupt sound of footsteps in the distance made her pupils constrict.
She bolted up, shoving her senior toward the air-raid shelter. "Run!"
But they had barely taken a few steps before they were blocked by several figures in black combat gear.
The leader had broad shoulders and a tapered waist, his uniform devoid of any insignia.
Jiang Ciyou's breath hitched. She shielded her senior, forcing herself to stay calm. "We are members of Doctors Without Borders. We are neutral personnel. We do not participate in any—"
"Target confirmed. Helicopter extraction at the coordinates in ten minutes."
The man ignored her words completely, issuing orders directly into his headset.
Beside him, a young soldier pulled down his tactical mask and stammered in broken English, "Don't be afraid. We are here to save you!"
He produced a search-and-rescue warrant. The sight of the familiar national emblem made the taut string in Jiang Ciyou's mind finally snap.
Darkness swallowed her vision, and she collapsed. In the last split second before consciousness faded, she thought she heard the man mutter, "Useless."
She didn't know how much time had passed when someone shook her awake violently. The young soldier, who had been smiling brightly before, was now covered in blood and grime.
"Doctor! Save... save the Captain!"
He roared the words, his voice thick with tears. Beside him, the leader's face was deathly pale, blood soaking his black combat uniform.
"The Captain... he pushed me away... took a stray bullet..." The boy's voice shook uncontrollably. "The base is too far, we won't make it... Doctor, please!"
Her dizziness was instantly suppressed by a surge of adrenaline. Jiang Ciyou took a deep breath. "Give me a biscuit."
The boy froze, then hurriedly handed one over. Jiang Ciyou stuffed it into her mouth, barely chewing before forcing it down her dry throat.
"Medical kit! High-concentration alcohol! And turn on every flashlight and headlamp you have!"
Her voice rose sharply. The next second, every soldier on the chopper moved. Countless beams of light focused on the wounded man.
This was Jiang Ciyou's first time performing emergency surgery on a helicopter.
The floor shuddered, the environment was crude, and the space was cramped...
Yet her expression remained calm. Her hands, which had been trembling from hypoglycemia just ten minutes ago, were now rock-steady as she extracted the bloodied bullet.
Veins popped on the man's neck as he let out a suppressed groan. His eyes snapped open, his gaze crashing straight into Jiang Ciyou's.
Jiang Ciyou's heart skipped a beat. She rasped, "It's almost over."
Stop the bleeding. Debride. Suture.
Jiang Ciyou's fingers flew. When the final thread was snipped, she collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air.
Her heartbeat was deafening, drowning out even the roar of the rotors.
"Thank you." The man's voice was terribly hoarse, his tone complex. "Apologies, I cannot reveal my name. But... you can call me 'Raven'."
Jiang Ciyou's lashes trembled slightly. She gave a weak smile. "Then you can call me 'Summer'."