As the sky outside the window grew brighter, Hesta could feel the painkillers she had taken at midnight wearing off and the pain in her chest getting worse.
"Rico," Hesta said softly, "are there any painkillers in the medicine box you brought?"
"What painkillers?"
"...it was just a temporary prescription given to me by the infirmary last night to make me feel better."
Chiba turned around after hearing the sound: "Li Ge was not here when the medicine was prescribed. She didn't know. Your medicine is still in the drawer next to your hospital bed upstairs. Does it hurt now?"
Hesta nodded.
"I'll go get it," Qianye stood up. "If you feel uncomfortable, just ask Rico to push you back. I'll go directly to you with the medicine in a while."
"No, I'll stay here." Hesta replied, "I still want to see... what Gobelin wants to do."
Chiba shook her head, and she walked briskly out of the restaurant, which was quiet again, and walked toward the infirmary upstairs. However, before Chiba could reach the stairs, the crowd gathering at the other end of the road had already caught her eye.
"What's wrong, are you all gathered here?"
"Ms. Chiba! You came just in time. There is someone in the ventilation shaft!" Several crew members made way for Chiba to quickly go forward and check. "Listen, there is a sound below. We also discovered it when we passed by just after changing shifts. , I don’t know how long this person has been down there——”
"Then quickly find someone to come to the rescue." Chiba obviously had no intention of taking action. "It's useless for you to stand around here."
Suddenly, a slight moan came from underneath.
Chiba sounded a little uncomfortable.
Although it felt unlikely, she still stepped forward and poked her head towards the bottom of the ventilation shaft.
"Anna?" Chiba called softly, "Is it you?"
"...Huh? Who is it?" Anna's voice sounded a little weak, "Qianye?"
Chiba was startled and immediately threw away the disposable teacup in his hand. She grabbed the edge of the vent with both hands: "Why are you down here!?"
"...What should I do, what should I do," Anna murmured in a low voice, as if her consciousness was on the verge of collapse, "I seem to be... bleeding?"
In the darkness, Anna heard the sound of footsteps leaving quickly, and she smiled silently. After a while, more people gathered at the opening of the ventilation shaft on the fifth floor. A beam of light came down from above. It was a powerful flashlight, which was fixed directly at the height of the ventilation shaft.
Chiba held a special rescue rope and quickly climbed down to Anna's position while hanging upside down.
The narrow ventilation shaft restricted Chiba's movements. She silently wrapped the velcro of the rescue rope around Anna's waist and shoulders. A green-blue cold light came down from above and kept flashing with Chiba's movements. , Anna raised her hand in cooperation, her eyes always falling on Qianye's cheek.
The two were so close that Anna could clearly hear Qianye's breath and saw the particularly obvious veins on her forehead because it was hanging upside down. The iconic arrogant smile had disappeared from Qianye's face and was replaced by , with an expression of nervousness, solemnity...even a bit embarrassed.
Anna breathed slowly, and she suddenly remembered a rainy night many years ago. Similar memories were like a bolt of lightning, piercing the gap of time. They were also in such a deep narrow room, and it was also her and Qianye. The only difference was that it was indeed a critical moment at that time...
The crew outside the ventilation shaft looked down worriedly: "Ms. Chiba! Is everything going well?"
"It went well!" Chiba fixed the last buckle on Anna's left arm and lowered her voice, "Where were you injured? Is it serious?"
Ana snorted a few times, "I'm not hurt."
"...Did you just say you were bleeding?"
"Because I'm on my period," Anna smiled, "although it's almost over."
Chiba's movements stopped, as if someone had pressed the pause button.
After a while, Chiba's angry voice came: "There is something wrong with you..."
"Chiba."
Before Chiba evacuated, Anna quickly grabbed Chiba's wrist with one hand and gently touched her hanging hair with the other hand.
"...Thank you, always, thank you."
Before he finished speaking, Qianye had already left.
The crew upstairs began to drag the rope. With their joint efforts, Anna was lifted up bit by bit. Finally, with the help of everyone, she left the ventilation shaft.
Chiba stood by the wall and smoked - in just a moment, Bernhard's soldiers had already appeared nearby, fully armed, each of them wearing headphones, waiting for orders at any time.
"Give way...give way..."
Someone squeezed through the crowd and came this way with difficulty. Chiba looked sideways - it was Mantel.
"Teacher Anna, it's really you!" Mantel exclaimed, and she quickly ran to Anna's wheelchair, "Oh my god, how could you...how could you..."
The ship's doctor is checking Anna's vital signs on site. Her heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, pupils, corneal reflex... all indicators are very normal.
"I'm so lucky. You're fine. You just need to rest." The doctor took off his stethoscope. "How long have you been down there?"
Anna shook her head, "I can't remember clearly..."
The doctor looked at Anna's wheelchair, "Then how did you fall?"
"...My cat," Anna said feebly, and every word she spoke was so soft that she barely breathed, "I'm looking for it..."
The doctor was surprised at first, and then laughed: "I also have two cats at home. I understand this feeling... But don't do this kind of thing for a pet again. They are very safe jumping around. Humans can't compare. of."
"...Can you give me a blanket?"
Mantel immediately got up and got a thin blanket and covered Anna himself. Anna was always leaning on the wheelchair with her eyes closed, looking sick and no different from a real patient.
"I'll push you back. Do you still have your room card with you?"
Anna shook her head, "I need some water...I'm a little hungry."
"Ah, then I will take you to the restaurant first," Mantel held Anna's wheelchair, "I will take you back later, okay?"
Chiba held her breath. She looked at the soldiers around her, almost reaching the threshold of bullet time - but the next moment, all the soldiers stationed outside the crowd suddenly retreated, and they quickly disappeared at both ends of the corridor. , leaving no trace.
Chiba followed Anna back to the restaurant.
From the moment Anna appeared, Hesta's attention never left her.
Rico ran to Chiba, "Why have you been gone so long? Where is the medicine?"
"Ah," Qianye clapped his hands, "I forgot."
"...What?" Li Ge couldn't understand, "You went out specifically-"
"The medicine is in the first drawer next to Jane's bed." Chiba patted Rico on the shoulder, "Thank you for your hard work."
