Chapter 42 New Members
The temporary isolation room was set up in a small, unused storage room next to the fortress medical room. With the help of Wen Yu and Su Ran, it was transformed into a "ward" that met basic biosafety standards in a very short time.
The walls and floors were repeatedly wiped with a strong disinfectant. The ventilation system was independent and equipped with a high-efficiency filter. A simple airtight buffer curtain was installed at the entrance. Inside, apart from a low bed covered with a thick soft mattress and clean towels, there were only essential medical supplies, a water basin, and a food bowl. It appeared spacious but clean.
Ping An—this name was uttered by Su Ran when she saw it out of danger and stand up shakily for the first time, filled with the simplest wishes—was carefully placed on the soft cushion. It was still unconscious, its small body barely moving under the towel, with only the faint twitching of its nose proving that life was still stubbornly clinging on.
The first 24 hours are the most critical. Su Ran stayed by Ping An's side almost every step of the way. He diluted some warm water, dampened a clean, soft cloth with it, and gently wiped away the hardened dirt and scabs from Ping An's body, bit by bit. This process had to be done with utmost care, cleaning while avoiding aggravating the wound and exhausting its already weakened strength.
Beneath the grime lay a sickly pinkish-white skin, covered in tiny abrasions and flea bites; the swelling and deformity of her left foreleg were particularly horrifying. Su Ran's eyes remained red, yet her movements were remarkably steady, each gesture imbued with an indescribable tenderness.
Wen Yu played the role of a "cold" doctor. Wearing a mask and gloves, he used a portable bio-scanner and sampling tools to conduct a comprehensive examination of Ping An. Drawing blood, collecting skin and hair samples, examining the mouth, nose, and excrement... his movements were professional, swift, and devoid of unnecessary emotion.
After a tense wait, the results came out one after another: no known virulent zombie virus variants were detected, indicators for common canine malignant infectious diseases were also negative, and the degree of parasite infection was within a manageable range.
The most serious injury was an open fracture of the ulna and radius in the left foreleg, accompanied by a minor infection, as well as long-term severe malnutrition and dehydration.
"There is no deadly pathogen. The fracture needs to be treated immediately, and the infection needs to be controlled. Nutrition and dehydration issues can only be addressed slowly." Wen Yu handed the test report to Su Ran, whose eyes were red-rimmed, and gave a concise conclusion, "We've done everything we could. The rest is up to it."
These words offered no comfort, yet strangely eased Su Ran's tense nerves slightly. The absence of those dreadful viruses was the best news. He immediately moved on to the next step: under Wen Yu's guidance, he cleaned, disinfected, and splinted Ping An's injured left foreleg.
Ping An briefly awoke amidst excruciating pain, emitting a weak whimper. Her blue eyes, watery and filled with helplessness, gazed at Su Ran. Su Ran's heart ached as if pierced by needles. She gently comforted her while her hands moved swiftly and precisely. Next came feeding her medicine, carefully administering warm glucose saline solution and specially prepared, easily absorbed nutritional paste via syringe.
Ping An spends most of his time in a deep sleep. When he wakes up occasionally, his eyes are blank, and he only swallows a little bit of the food and water that is fed to him.
Su Ran stayed by its side, and when she was extremely sleepy, she would lie down by the bed and doze off for a while. She would wake up immediately at the slightest sound, check on Ping An's condition, adjust its position, and massage its uninjured limbs to promote circulation.
Wen Yu didn't say anything, but regularly delivered food and water, replaced disinfection supplies, and when Su Ran was too exhausted to continue, he forcefully ordered him to rest while he took over the guard duty for a while.
On the third night, Ping An's temperature suddenly rose, and she began to have mild convulsions. Su Ran was extremely worried. After examination, Wen Yu determined that it was a stress reaction caused by wound infection, so he increased the dosage of antibiotics and used physical methods to lower her temperature.
That night, neither of them slept a wink. Su Ran kept wiping Ping An's body with warm water, while Wen Yu monitored its vital signs. In the latter half of the night, Ping An's high fever finally subsided, and its breathing gradually became steady. It nuzzled Su Ran's hand next to its head and fell asleep again, this time with a more peaceful expression.
The turning point came on the morning of the fifth day. As usual, Su Ran tried to feed it nutritional paste with a syringe. Ping An, which hadn't reacted much, suddenly leaned forward, its nose twitched, and then it stuck out its little pink tongue and licked the syringe tip.
Although he only ate half of his usual amount, this act of eating on his own initiative almost brought tears of joy to Su Ran's eyes. He quickly looked at Wen Yu beside him, and a barely perceptible hint of relief flashed across Wen Yu's eyes as well.
Since then, Ping An has been getting better day by day. His eyes have become more and more bright, and he has become more and more sensitive to his surroundings.
It seemed to know clearly who had saved it. Every time Su Ran approached, it would try to raise its head, its tail tip would twitch very slightly, its blue eyes would follow Su Ran's figure intently, and it would let out a soft, coquettish whimper.
When Su Ran changed its dressings and wiped it, even if it hurt, it would only stiffen its body for a moment and would never struggle or try to bite. It would just look at Su Ran with its wet eyes, as if to say, "I believe you."
Ping An's attitude towards Wen Yu was much more complicated. At first, it was fear. Whenever Wen Yu entered the isolation room, it would subconsciously shrink into the soft cushions or hide behind Su Ran.
Wen Yu's coldness, authority, and unquestionable control during the examination clearly put pressure on the little life instinctively. But amidst the fear, there was also a hint of curiosity and probing.
It discovered that although this tall human looked terrifying, he had never really harmed it. Instead, he would bring fresh water and food every time he came, and would use a device that it didn't understand but felt was "very powerful" to shine on it. After that, its leg seemed to hurt less.
So, Ping An began to try to get closer. First, while Wen Yu was sitting and recording data, it quietly moved a little closer from the edge of the cushion, its little nose twitching as it sniffed at his scent in the air. Then, one day when Wen Yu finished his inspection and was about to leave, it suddenly stuck out its tongue and quickly licked Wen Yu's fingers hanging at his side.
Wen Yu paused, looking down at the wet touch on his fingers, then at the little creature that had buried its head in its front paws after doing its "mischief," only its blue eyes peeking at him. The creature's face was expressionless, but it didn't pull its hand away. After a while, it reached out and gently, quickly, pressed on Ping An's fluffy head as a response.
From then on, Ping An's fear of Wen Yu lessened considerably, turning into a respectful affection. When Wen Yu sat down to rest, it would quietly rub against him, rest its chin on his shoe, and gaze longingly at him. If Wen Yu didn't shoo it away, it would lie there contentedly for quite a while.
Two weeks later, after a thorough check and disinfection, Ping An was finally allowed to leave the quarantine room and officially enter the fortress's living area. The moment it stepped out of the quarantine room, it was filled with curiosity and a hint of timid wariness.
The fortress was spacious, clean, and filled with various light sources, sounds, and complex smells that it couldn't understand, a stark contrast to the wilderness and cold crevices where it had struggled to survive. It followed closely at Su Ran's feet, step by step, occasionally jumping away in surprise at a device that suddenly activated, only to immediately run back to Su Ran.
Su Ran was extremely patient, guiding it step by step to familiarize it with its surroundings. She told it where to eat and drink, where its sleeping area was, which places it couldn't go, and which things it couldn't touch. Ping An seemed to really understand a lot and learned very quickly.
It especially loved the sunroom, where there was the scent of earth and plants, the curious clucking of chicks through their cages, the babbling of water, and the warm, simulated sunlight. It quickly learned to carefully navigate among the plants, never trampling the seedlings, and would even lie down by the strawberry bushes, dozing off while inhaling the sweet fragrance of the fruit.
But what it loved most was staying by Su Ran's side. When Su Ran was cooking in the kitchen, it would lie on the mat by the counter, chin resting on its front paws, its blue eyes watching Su Ran work without blinking. Occasionally, Su Ran would toss it a small piece of chopped carrot or apple scraps, which it would happily gnaw on for ages. When Su Ran was tending to the plants in the sunroom, it would carefully wander between the furrows or chase after the occasional falling leaf.
When Su Ran is training or reading, it lies quietly beside her. Only when Su Ran rests and reaches out to it will it immediately come over and rub its fluffy head against Su Ran's palm, making a contented purring sound in its throat.
Ping An has developed a unique way of getting along with Wen Yu. It seems to understand that its male master is the builder and guardian of this sturdy "nest," possessing the highest authority. When Wen Yu is working in the tool shed, fiddling with the cold metal and wires, Ping An will lie by the door, never going in to disturb him, just quietly watching. When Wen Yu sits at the control panel checking the screen, it will go around behind the chair and lie down next to Wen Yu's legs, as if silently keeping him company and guarding him.
Only when Wen Yu finishes his work and shows a relaxed expression will Ping An tentatively approach, nuzzling his knee with its head or bringing a toy to his feet, hoping he will play with it for a while. Most of the time, Wen Yu will just glance at it, occasionally taking the toy and throwing it out once or twice. Watching Ping An clumsily but happily rush out to retrieve it, a very faint smile will flash in his eyes.
Ping An's arrival certainly brought extra "work" to Fortress. It required special food preparation, regular grooming to remove shed fur and maintain its personal hygiene, and training it to follow the fortress's rules. But the rewards it brought far outweighed these trivial tasks.
A new sound has appeared in the fortress—the "tap-tap" of paws striking the floor as Ping'an runs, the short, suppressed "woof" of excitement while playing with toys, and the contented, soft snores of someone dozing by the fireplace after a good meal. These sounds are not noisy, but rather like gentle background music, filling the fortress, which was originally too quiet and filled only with the sounds of machines, with the vibrant atmosphere of "home".
There's an added element of interaction—when Su Ran is tending to the plants, she'll casually pick a mint leaf to tease Ping An; when Wen Yu is checking the equipment, Ping An will follow closely behind, like a diligent little apprentice; after dinner, when the two sit on the sofa to watch a movie, Ping An will squeeze onto the carpet between them, resting her head on Su Ran's or Wen Yu's feet, enjoying the quiet night together.
Ping An seems to have become a soft, living bond between them, adding a lot of natural warmth and laughter to their interactions.
It also brings a heavy responsibility and concern. Before leaving the house, I worry about whether it has eaten well; if I hear any strange noise, I first check if it was caused by Ping An; when I see it looking dejected because of its leg injury, I can't help but feel sorry for it and think of ways to help it with rehabilitation "training".
This responsibility for another vulnerable life did not become a burden, but instead made the concept of "protecting" this home more concrete and fulfilling.
One day, while Su Ran was changing the dressing and massaging Ping An's injured leg, Ping An suddenly raised its head and licked his cheek, its blue eyes filled with pure dependence and affection. Su Ran was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and hugged its fluffy neck, burying its face in it and nuzzling against it. This scene was witnessed by Wen Yu, who happened to walk into the living room. He stopped and leaned against the door frame, watching quietly.
Under the warm yellow light, Su Ran smiled broadly, holding Ping An in his arms. Ping An obediently let him hold him, its tail swaying gently. An unprecedented, almost "perfect" sense of peace quietly enveloped Wen Yu.
This cold fortress he built with his own hands to resist the apocalypse has finally been transformed into a real, warm place called "home" because of the little life that accidentally broke in and the person who always brings warmth and vitality to his side.
Ping An, this little miracle that struggled to survive in the apocalyptic world and eventually crashed into their lives, quietly integrated into their world with its unreserved trust, clumsy dependence, and vibrant vitality, becoming an indispensable third piece of the puzzle, making their home on the deserted island in the apocalypse more complete and more resilient.