Chapter 2
873 Words
Two hours passed, and there was still no sound from outside.
"Ding." My phone alerted me that it was about to die.
My mouth was dry, and I forced myself to look at the seventeen missed calls on the screen, my heart filled with anxiety.
Why weren't they here yet? Sophia promised to come and save me.
I trembled, clutching my phone, wondering if it was the aftershocks that had made the terrain complicated, or if it was the lack of rescuers that had prevented them from getting here in time.
I comforted myself with these thoughts, and only then did I manage to calm down, but my consciousness was becoming increasingly blurred due to the lack of oxygen.
I couldn't hold on much longer. To stay awake, I bit the tip of my tongue, enduring the metallic taste in my mouth, and nervously dialed again, only to have the call immediately hung up.
Incredulous, I dialed again and again, each call being hung up directly until my phone finally died. The hope in my heart seemed to be completely extinguished as I looked at the completely black screen.
I clenched my fists in frustration, bitterness welling up inside me as if I could still hear her gentle reassurance in my ears. "Hold on a little longer."
I couldn't understand why.
Just before I fell unconscious, I vaguely heard a voice outside. "Come on. I think there's someone here!"
I opened my eyes again to a white ceiling. The pungent smell of disinfectant made me realize that I was in the hospital.
I was still in a daze, recalling the voices of the rescue workers before I passed out. It must have been Sophia who called them.
I felt a sense of relief at having survived, and even a twinge of guilt. It turned out that Sophia hadn't given up on me. But where was she now? There were constant aftershocks outside, and there was always the danger of another collapse.
Anxious, I propped myself up on the bed, wanting to find her. But as soon as I exerted myself, a piercing pain shot through my right hand.
I winced and lay back down, looking at the thick gauze wrapped around my right hand, already stained with streaks of blood. Even the slightest movement of my fingers brought on a cold sweat.
Suddenly, it hit me. My doctor's intuition told me that I might never be able to pick up a scalpel again. My throat tightened, and I closed my eyes in sorrow as if I were back under the rubble.
The feeling of suffocation enveloped me once more. Twenty years of hard work, only to watch my dream, within reach, gradually turn to dust.
But who could I blame? It was all fate. Fortunately, Sophia never gave up on me; she was the one who snatched my life back from the hands of fate. I must spend the rest of my life cherishing her.
And the most urgent thing now was to find her.
I fought back tears, carefully moving my left hand to press the call button on the wall.
The nurse came in to change my dressing, and I borrowed her phone, dialing a string of numbers from muscle memory.
But the continuous busy tone made my heart sink again. I was uneasy.
Could something have happened to Sophia? Otherwise, why would she leave me alone in the hospital, and now I couldn't even get through to her?
My brow furrowed, my palms were sweating, and as I was about to make the fourth call, a familiar voice caught my attention.
The nurse had turned on the TV, and the person being interviewed on the screen was James.
The nurse gushed, "He's the hero of this rescue effort. He's still on the scene directing the rescue even though he's injured. He's so handsome!"
James on the screen had a bandage on his forehead and looked pale and exhausted, but his tone was impassioned. "As an engineer, this is my time to shine for society. I will never be a deserter. Compared to my injuries, there are more people buried under the rubble waiting for us to rescue them. I can't let myself have any regrets!"
I stared at the TV, finding it ridiculous. My right hand was ruined because I saved him, and he became everyone's hero, admired by all.
No regrets? What about me? The thought of my dream being shattered filled me with bitterness. I turned my face away, not wanting to see his hypocritical face any longer.
At that moment, the nurse gasped, and I turned my head again.
The camera followed James's gaze, and a delicately dressed woman came into view.
Her cheeks were flushed, her hands were clasped nervously in front of her, and she smiled shyly as she met the camera's gaze.
It was Sophia! My eyes widened in astonishment.
I clenched my fists so tightly that the wound on my right hand split open, the gauze soaked in blood. But I felt nothing.
My mind went blank, and a bad feeling washed over me.
On the TV, the man strode towards her, his face full of affection, and began to confess his love.
- Writer
