Plague Doctor

Chapter 343: Awakening

The groan that Gu Jun made was like a song from heaven. It sent a ripple of joy through the room. Hearing that, Wu Siyu’s lips slowly parted as she pulled back. She summoned his name, “Dirty-minded Jun? Dirty-minded Jun?” The Zoog looked on with his beady eyes as he clapped his paws noisily. Everyone saw the eyelids on Gu Jun’s sunken face slowly flicker. Liu Mingfeng and the other experts were worried. Most comatose patients suffered from multistage convalesce while the minority regained their consciousness instantly. Gu Jun was given CPR 6 minutes after his coma so he had a high chance of suffering from cerebral anoxia. Furthermore, with his multiple surgeries and prolonged coma, no one could guarantee he would not suffer from permanent cerebral nerves damage…

Could he even open his eyes?

The answer came soon enough as Gu Jun’s eyelids gradually opened and his exposed eyes winced from the sudden bright light.

“Hello!” Seeing his eyes open, Wu Siyu sighed in relief. “My god, do you know how long you have slept? It’s finally my turn.” The people could barely contain their excitement but they reigned it in because they still had many things to check. Liu Mingfeng requested, “Siyu, do you mind if we perform a consciousness status examination on him?”

“Sure, go ahead.” Wu Siyu nodded. She picked up Lucky and moved away. Liu Mingfeng and the other experts crowded around the bed. It was Liu Mingfeng who asked, “Doctor Gu, can you hear us?” The small nod from Gu Jun brought another wave of excitement. Liu Mingfeng followed it up with, “Do you remember your name? What is the last thing in your memory?”

“I’m Gu Jun… and I was trying to end the ritual…” Gu Jun said slowly, “Did we succeed…”

“We did! Do you know who I am?” Wu Siyu poked her head through. If he lost his memory, then there would be some big problems.

“You’re Siyu…” When Gu Jun saw her, his lips curled into a smile. “It’s wonderful to see you…”

Wu Siyu was so happy that she squeezed harder around Lucky. “Good, good! Well, I’m not going to interrupt the examination anymore, I’ll go take a break.” She pulled a chair over.

“Doctor Gu, how many fingers do you see?” Liu Mingfeng extended four fingers of his right hand, “And can you name them?”

“Four, and they are index, middle, ring and pinkie finger…” Gu Jun said in a weak voice. As more exams were conducted, the general cheer increased. The patient was fully conscious! He had a good assessment of his surroundings and himself. There were no blurred memory spots and his mind functioned perfectly.

Then Nurse Liu carried out a physical functional assessment to trigger his muscular reaction. She had Gu Jun move his limbs and bend all the joints in his body… Despite clear weakness and some involuntary shaking, Gu Jun cleared the test. There was no muscular atrophy.

Granted he suffered from normal syndromes like headache and chest ache, it was much better than when he came in for the operations. He lost breathing for 2 hours and required ECMO to survive. He underwent a series of harsh surgeries and woke up 103 days after his coma. This was a miracle, a medical miracle. Smiles bloomed on the faces of the doctors and nurses. It was a regret that they could not save Xue Ba but they, with the help of the Zoog and Wu Siyu, managed to pull Gu Jun back from the abyss. That was consolation enough.

The news quickly spread through Phecda. Elder Tong and Yao Sinian who got the news were excited. Elder Tong guffawed, “Ha ha ha, the kid is so damn lucky! There’s no two way around it!”

Back at the hospital, the elevator door opened with a ding. Uncle Dan, Cai Zixuan, Deng Ximei and the rest rushed out. After they left the hospital, they went for dinner at a nearby restaurant. When they received the message from Wu Siyu, they immediately rushed back. The crowd bustled around the nurse station. Many medical workers were there and more security detail was assigned. Many people were denied entry but once Gu Jun heard it was his friends, he stated his intention to meet them. When they reached the door outside Gu Jun’s room, they could hear Gu Jun’s soft voice talking. It was true, the man had woken up!

When they entered the room, Wu Siyu was sitting on the chair by the bed. She hugged the life-saving Zoog in her embrace. But he was hidden under layers of clothes so it looked like Wu Siyu was hugging a pile of laundry.

“Ah Jun!” Uncle Dan cried out in joy. Cai Zixuan’s eyes watered with tears. Deng Ximei also revealed her first smile in months.

“Doctor Gu.” Xie Yiman wanted to laugh but her face could not make any expression. “This is great…” The land’s travellers were so excited they lost their ability of speech. Lou Xiaoning cursed from enormous joy. Gu Jun felt comforted seeing them. Earlier, he had a long distance communication with Elder Tong and from that, he got the update about Xue Ba. Initially, due to their intention to shelter his mental state, they wanted to spare him the news but Gu Jun insisted. When he found out, he was silent for a long time.

Gu Jun did not chat with them for long as he just woke up. He still needed time to rest. His friends only stayed for about 10 minutes before they departed. Xie Yiman updated Gu Jun again about her upcoming project before she left. She reminded him to take care of himself.

Lastly, Wu Siyu and Lucky were also requested to leave the room so the patient could rest. Lucky responded not so well to this demand. He struggled out from the jacket. The debt was made by the Nightmare Man, he wanted to make sure the man would not renege on the promise.

“Don’t you worry…” Gu Jun smiled, “Now that you’re with Dirty-minded Yu, you’ll be opened to the flavors of the human world…”

“Okay then! We’ll be leaving now.” Wu Siyu pinched his face. She really did not want to leave but he needed to rest. “I’ll come visit next year. Oh, yea, happy new year.”

“Happy new year to you too.” Gu Jun smiled. As she turned away, he called after her. “Dirty-minded Yu, wait… Don’t think you can dismiss me with a simple greeting… I still remember your promise of gifts. There was the one for the Mid Autumn Festival and now the New Year’s one on top of that…”

Their friends laughed. They vacated the room and left some privacy for the duo.

“That’s why sometimes amnesia can be a good thing.” Wu Siyu pouted. “Thankfully, I’m always prepared with presents. Here’s a small one for you for now.” She leaned in to kiss him on his forehead. Then she ran to chase after the others while hugging Lucky. “Lucky, let’s go eat some chicken thighs!”

“Wu Siyu!” Gu Jun chuckled loudly, “That is a wonderful present, I like it very much…”

“Good, but damn, if it’s not salty.” Wu Siyu’s reply drifted from outside the door. Then her footsteps petered away as she bounced down the hall.

…