Chapter 2947: 2747 You Overthink

Zheng Renhe and Wen Xiaonuan took turns caring for Xiao Shitou; Bota's medical strength was strong, so there was no need for everything to require Zheng Ren to speak as it did at Xilin Zhen Yiyuan.

Watching Xiao Shitou gradually improve, the watery sputum decreased bit by bit, the mucus overflow began to get better, and Zheng Ren's heart also gradually calmed.

The clinical work back home ran smoothly, with no chaos arising from Zheng Ren's absence. As Su Yun often said, a beast the size of 912 doesn't lack Zheng Lao Ban.

Zheng Renye also knew that he was just adding icing on the cake, delivering charcoal in the snow… it wasn't easy for him to give. No matter how heavy the wind and snow, 912 could still cope.

During the days at Bota, Yi Ren sent many messages every day, chattering to tell Zheng Ren what she had done. The change in distance seemed nonexistent; Zheng Ren felt Xiao Yi Ren was always by his side, never even a little far away.

Xiao Shitou's mucus output gradually decreased, and the corresponding infusion rate of octreotide also gradually lessened.

Before that, Bota had already performed a bronchoscopy, taken pathological tissue, and developed a drug targeting mutant adenocarcinoma as quickly as possible.

Zheng Ren was quite surprised that, within just over ten days from when Xiao Shitou first had watery sputum, they could actually develop a new drug; Bota's technical strength was incredibly strong.

With a two-pronged approach, they maintained vital signs while treating the tumor; the sedative had been stopped, and after one day of recovery Xiao Shitou could already communicate with Wen Xiaonuan and Zheng Ren by writing.

He obviously had a lot to say, after all he was still a child, youthful and lively, which was normal. Zheng Ren didn't want him to overexert himself, repeatedly telling Xiao Shitou to honestly just lie down for two more days; he could speak after the tracheal tube was removed.

Another day passed, Zheng Ren was present, and Doctor Ka'er personally removed Xiao Shitou's tracheal tube.

Doctor Ka'er said this was a miracle.

Before, Xiao Shitou's condition was so dire that no one could have imagined he would pull through again.

"Mom." After the tracheal tube was removed, Xiao Shitou softly called out.

Wen Xiaonuan held Xiao Shitou's hand with one hand and gently stroked his cheek with the other, tears streaming uncontrollably.

"Wen Sister, you're too emotional; why don't you go wash your face?" Zheng Ren suggested.

If Xiao Shitou had just been extubated, and Wen Xiaonuan's emotional agitation caused his mood to change, leading to something like secondary bronchospasm requiring a ventilator again, then it would be unnecessary.

Wen Xiaonuan also knew the child needed a smile, not tears; she nodded, her disheveled hair making her face look even more exhausted.

She gave Xiao Shitou's hand a firm squeeze, then stood up and turned to leave.

"Get some sleep; you need to rest properly." Zheng Ren said, standing beside Xiao Shitou.

"I've already slept for many days, had lots of dreams, and don't want to sleep anymore." Xiao Shitou said in a hoarse voice.

Zheng Ren thought so too, smiled slightly, sat beside Xiao Shitou's bed and asked, "Can you dream while sedated, or only after you wake up?"

"Brother, actually you're not suited to be a doctor." Xiao Shitou suddenly blurted out an irrelevant remark. His voice was a little hoarse, full of fatigue.

"Huh?" Zheng Ren blinked.

"Your hair is all white." Xiao Shitou reached out, as if to touch Zheng Ren's hair, but his thin hand was immediately pressed down by Zheng Ren onto the bed.

"Is it that you've had premature white hair since before, or did you rush here to see me?" Xiao Shitou asked softly.

"Neither; I've been overly conscientious about a case." Zheng Ren said softly, "How do you feel now?"

"Breathing is fine." As he spoke, Xiao Shitou slightly moved his head, glancing at the ECG monitor screen and said, "Blood oxygen saturation is 95%, which is pretty okay. My feeling is the same; it's much better than when on the ventilator, back then I couldn't even catch a breath."

"Pretty good, Doctor Ka'er from Munich said your extubation was a miracle." Zheng Ren laughed.

"There aren't that many miracles." Xiao Shitou turned his head to look at Zheng Ren, trying to force a smile, but his facial muscles seemed to have not moved in days and were stiff.

"Brother, help me rub my face."

"Why?"

"For expression management; you don't always keep a straight face, do you?"

"Yeah, I rarely show expression; I mostly think in my heart." Zheng Ren said that, yet he reached out and rubbed Xiao Shitou's face twice.

At that moment, he felt as if he were playing with Heizi.

But Xiao Shitou's vitality was far from Heizi's vigor, already near withering. When the palm touched his cheek, one could feel dryness and depletion, and Zheng Ren felt a faint bitterness in his heart.

Zheng Ren's palm was warm and heavy; Xiao Shitou's spasming muscles seemed to improve a bit, and he managed a faint smile.

"Don't smile when you're in so much pain." Zheng Ren said.

"The harder it is, the more you should smile." Xiao Shitou said, "I'm alive not to cry."

"……"

Zheng Ren remained silent.

"Brother, are you very tired?" Xiao Shitou asked.

"I'm fine."

"I'm fine too. When sedated, I really wished to hear you say many things to me, but now I can't recall them." Xiao Shitou slightly closed his eyes, yet refused to stop speaking.

"Then don't think about it, just how tired."

"Brother, what did you say to me?" Xiao Shitou's voice was a little hoarse, just like before Zheng Ren performed surgery on him.

The hoarseness from the prolonged tracheal tube, due to its effect on pharyngeal tissue, would improve after a period of recovery; Zheng Ren knew this.

Actually Xiao Shitou should now rest quietly, but for a child like him, being able to communicate with others, to appear in the world vibrant and full of smiles, that's what he most wants to do.

Zheng Ren did not stop him; forcing Xiao Shitou to rest would be a buzzkill. He wanted to speak, and after such a long time on ventilator-assisted breathing, Xiao Shitou probably especially wanted to communicate with people.

Before I wouldn't let him use pen and paper to communicate; now he can speak, so let him speak.

After thinking, Zheng Ren said softly, "I'm not lying to you; I just want to know what you truly think in your heart."

"You don't lie to me, and I won't lie to you."

Zheng Ren said, "The previous situation was beyond my expectation—for example, when you started coughing up phlegm and developed watery sputum. I couldn't even guarantee how you'd be tomorrow, nor how long this condition would last."

"I didn't ask you to guarantee anything; your idea is still problematic." Xiao Shitou suddenly opened his eyes and looked earnestly at Zheng Ren.

Although he was very weak, exerting himself to do this simple action, his earnestness and determination were expressed quite clearly.

"You're overthinking, brother."