Weāll be able to escape. Just go to the hospital quickly and get treated. Donāt worry too much. I should say hopeful things to keep the patient from getting anxious, but it felt like a lie was stuck in my throat. Lee Ji-hyun looked at me and said,
"I want you to put it back in now."
"What Iām doing isnāt professional. It could damage your nerves, blood vessels, or even cause habitual dislocation. And there could be issues with muscles or bones."
I havenāt been professionally trained for this, but Iāve picked up some knowledge from a friend who is an orthopedic resident, and I once saw someone put a dislocated shoulder back in place. If I botch this, I might get sued when we leave here. But if we both leave and Lee Ji-hyun sues me, it might mean weāre in a pretty good situation. Lee Ji-hyun drew a cross on her body and left shoulder, interrupting my thoughts, and firmly whispered,
"Now."
I turned my head to see Yoo Geun-ee finally pulling off Kim Ga-youngās jeans and nodded. I grabbed Lee Ji-hyunās shoulder and arm, hesitated for a moment, and then said,
"Open your mouth as wide as you can and say 'Ave Maria' three times."
Lee Ji-hyun looked at me for a few seconds before responding,
"Ave Maria. Ave Ma! Ahh!"
The bones clicked into place with a grinding sound. Fortunately, she didnāt bite her tongue or clench her teeth because her mouth was open. Pain is a personal experience. No one can take on the pain of anotherās body or mind. Itās the most terrifying private property one can possess. Without any painkillers, I let Lee Ji-hyun endure her pain and went to check on Kim Ga-young.
Kim Ga-youngās calf was missing a chunk of flesh, about the size of two thumbs. It looked like the bed had torn the flesh away along with the bruise. Fortunately, there were no visible broken bones or protruding bones. It seemed like the flesh and muscles were torn, causing the bleeding.
I opened my bag and took out a towel that was under a sleeping cat. The cat woke up and glared at me in protest, but I ignored it and quickly closed the bag. Sorry. Iām busy. When I pressed the towel against Kim Ga-youngās leg, I made sure to use the part that hadnāt touched the cat. The microfiber towel quickly soaked up the blood. Ugh. Kim Ga-young took a small breath. Yoo Geun-ee looked around and said,
"Thereās a laundry room just a short walk from here. Thereās also a shower room next to it. Letās go there. Youāre injured, and your clothes are soaked."
As soon as she said that, my body felt heavy and wet. I realized I was trembling. I told Kim Ga-young to stand up, just like I did with Lee Ji-hyun. Kim Ga-young, supported by me, gritted her teeth and stood on both feet. She didnāt even groan. Lee Ji-hyun had cursed, but Kim Ga-young had kept her mouth shut since leaving the dorm.
In such situations, even if thereās no fracture, it should be treated as if there is one. But how can I treat it when thereās nothing available? Besides, Iām a dentist. Without a handpiece, Iām about 70% useless.
Okay. ... Letās not waste time looking for splints. Thereās nothing around here anyway. I nodded at Yoo Geun-eeās suggestion.
"Please take care of Kim Ga-young. Iāll support Lee Ji-hyun."
Lee Ji-hyun was taller and heavier. I slung both my bag and Yoo Geun-eeās bag over one arm and held Lee Ji-hyunās pad in my hand. I supported her with my other arm. I initially thought about carrying her, but my legs were trembling, so I gave up.
Our team arrived at the laundry room before Yoo Geun-ee and Kim Ga-young. I opened the door tensely, but no one was there. There were several washing machines, and some laundry was scattered on the floor. A few washing machines were still running.
I sat Lee Ji-hyun in a chair next to a long table used for folding clothes or ironing. Ouch. Lee Ji-hyun groaned as she sat down. As I was about to leave the laundry room, two people came in. I supported Kim Ga-young from the opposite side of Yoo Geun-ee. Lee Ji-hyun was wiping her face with a towel. I looked at the clothes and said to the three of them,
"Letās change into some of these clothes and rest for about 10 minutes. Iāll wait outside."
I grabbed a few large T-shirts and pants that looked like menās clothes and left the laundry room. The door closed, leaving me alone in the hallway.
The thought of being alone in an empty hallway made my back shiver, but compared to being in that dark water, this was thousands of times better. I quickly took off my wet clothes, dried my body with a T-shirt with a white cat on it, and examined my calf.
Thanks to the sacrifices of the others, I was the least injured among the three. However, even touching my bruised calf made me groan. I imagined taking anti-inflammatory and pain-relief medications, as well as muscle relaxants, while putting on a loose pair of cotton pants. The other pants were too big to wear.
The T-shirtās owner had strange tastes. I had to choose between a T-shirt with a blue worm, a red chicken, or one that said "Polar Star" in black letters. I chose the one that said "Polar Star" as it seemed the most normal. I rubbed my wet hair with the other T-shirts and, finding it too tiring to stand, squatted against the hallway wall.
What should we do now? Last time, when we returned to Central District, there was a shootout between Hyunmu District and Central District. Should we go to Central District now? How long did it take to rescue people from the Zhuo Zuodong dorm? ... Even if people canāt run, they can still walk, which is fortunate. What if someone attacks us while weāre resting? I canāt fall asleep. Ah. I should check the pad to see if anyone wrote anything. I leaned against the wall, placed the T-shirt on my head, and fell asleep.
Yoo Geun-ee shook my arm, and I realized I was lying on my back in the silent hallway. After wiping the drool from my palm, I stood up, and a wave of muscle pain hit me. I tried to resist the temptation to lie back down and lose consciousness. Various clothes were covering my body. I pushed away the jeans on top of me, rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand, and asked Yoo Geun-ee, startled,
"How long has it been? Did I sleep for a long time?! Did Jin Gi cover us with clothes?"
"Itās okay, Park Mu-hyun. You slept for about 25 minutes. I covered everyone with clothes to keep their body temperature from dropping while you were sleeping."
Now that I think about it, it felt more like I passed out than slept. Others probably felt the same. It was good to rest, but Yoo Geun-ee seemed to have kept watch.
"Ugh. Thank you. But Iām worried we slept for too long."
"I thought weād be too tired to move if we didnāt rest. Donāt worry. We can make up for it by moving more for the next 15 minutes."
True, we canāt turn back time. ... Sheās really positive. Yoo Geun-ee went into the laundry room and brought the others out. I yawned, covering my mouth, and turned on the pad. People were coming out, dressed in dry clothes, trying to shake off their drowsiness. Kim Ga-young, with puffy eyes, yawned and shook her head several times before extending her right hand to me. Her voice was a bit hoarse.
"Iām Kim Ga-young, a researcher from Zhuo Zuodong. Thank you for rescuing us."
"Iām Park Mu-hyun from Baekho District. It was my duty."
I shook Kim Ga-youngās hand lightly and let go. Lee Ji-hyun tried to stretch but winced and lowered her left arm. She then looked at the pad I was holding and asked,
"Is there any good news?"
"Nothing particular."
Lee Ji-hyun rubbed her left arm with her right hand and said,
"Letās go to the Zhuo Zuodong escape pod as planned. Weāve been delayed, but if we can board the escape pod, we will. Otherwise, weāll move to another location."
We have to reach the Zhuo Zuodong escape pod to leave Zhuo Zuodong. Please, please, please! Let the escape pod be intact. I hope this time itās not a dream!
"Okay. Weāll go to the escape pod and decide where to go if we canāt escape."
As soon as she said that, Kim Ga-young, who had started walking, sighed and said,
"I feel better now that Iāve slept a bit. I couldnāt move at all earlier."
Itās muscle stiffness from shock. There was also shock from the life-threatening situation. I remember the R.I.C.E. method for treating bruises from my light training: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Weāve taken a short rest, and we donāt need to apply