In the operating room that was filled with a strong smell of blood, the kerosene gas lamp was relit, the new wounded were pushed in, and the blood-stained curtain was re-closed to provide the only dignity to the mother next door.
Even...even their four child workers started working tirelessly again.
"Vet, where did you get the fuel?"
While Wei Ran was busy amputating a torn leg of a little boy who was only about ten years old, the sewing machine man next door did not forget to ask while he was busy.
"Stolen" Wei Ran replied in French without looking back.
"Rama, let your brother come in and share the remaining fuel with other operating rooms."
After the sewing machine finished speaking, the little girl with the camera hanging around her neck immediately ran out of the operating room and called her brother Ed and the boy named Hanward in.
While the two young men were walking out with the oil drums, Sewing Machine said matter-of-factly, "After today's work is over, let's steal some fuel? At least the emergency vehicle's fuel tank must be filled, and there must be enough stored in the operating room.
Just fuel.”
"No problem," Wei Ran replied cheerfully.
"Can you find enough fuel?"
Across from the stretcher cart that served as the operating table, Edelweiss asked Wei Ran while wiping the sweat on his forehead that had been burnt by the gas lamp.
"Yes," Wei Ran replied simply, "but I need one, no, I need at least two oil extraction pipes."
"Mr. Veterinarian, I will help you find the oil pipe." The 11-year-old Rama translator made a serious promise that made Wei Ran and others smile.
"You can only look for it in the hospital," Wei Ran reminded gently.
"Let your brother go, you have to help us be our translator."
Edelweiss said, handing a test tube filled with some blood to Rama, "Let Dalal help test the blood type. This poor child needs a blood transfusion, hurry up."
"Leave it to us!"
Before Rama finished speaking, he had already taken the test tube and ran to the door of the operating room. He handed it to the little girl who seemed to be only responsible for guarding the wooden door of the operating room. He changed to Arabic and said something to the other party, and then said what he had just said.
Brother Ed, who came back from refueling, said something.
"Let that child take a blood test?" Wei Ran looked at Edelweiss across from him in astonishment.
"They are nurses now," Edelweiss replied matter-of-factly. "We don't have enough manpower, and they are careful enough, so it's not a difficult job."
"I'm just curious when did you teach her this?" Wei Ran used the same matter-of-fact tone to cover up his inner surprise.
"I taught them more than simple things like blood tests," Edelweiss said with a hint of satisfaction, "They will all be excellent medical workers in the future."
"The premise is that they can survive in this hellish place, grow up alive, and receive more complete and systematic medical training." The female nurse next door, codenamed Cradle, reminded her extremely soberly and cruelly.
"They will survive"
Edelweiss sighed, and after a moment of silence said, "When we evacuate here, I plan to take them away, adopt four of them, and train them to be the best doctors."
“Don’t dream too much”
The sewing machine reminded equally soberly and cruelly, "Stay alive first, and then get out of here alive, no matter us or them."
"Why don't we change the topic?"
Wei Ran suggested while speeding up the treatment on his hands, "Why did you join MSF? How about we talk about this?"
"My grandfather was a Nazi during World War II"
Edelweiss, who was standing opposite, was the first to answer, and very calmly gave an answer that was extremely surprising to Wei Ran, "If you know the history of World War II, you must have heard of the Death Corps."
"I know." Wei Ran nodded, of course he knew.
"My grandfather told me that he was in charge of torture and medical work in the camp. Occasionally when there was not enough manpower, he also helped execute Jews. It was also one of the ways to test loyalty."
Edelweiss didn't even lower his voice when he said this, "He told me that he may have killed hundreds of Jutai people during the years when he was working to win the war. He himself couldn't give an accurate number."
"What does this have to do with you joining MSF?" Wei Ran asked curiously, "To atone for your grandfather's sins?"
"Atonement? Ha!"
Edelweiss snorted, "My grandfather never thought he did anything wrong. He is still a devout Nazi Party member to this day."
"Did he escape justice?"
The cradle next door asked curiously, and then everyone in the operating room heard the loud cry of a baby.
"No, he got 12 years in prison."
Edelweiss replied very calmly, "The day he was released from prison happened to be the day I was born."
"So why start with your grandfather to answer the vet's question?"
The sewing machine's curiosity was also aroused, "We have worked here together for so long and we have never talked about this topic."
"Because my grandfather was my first medical teacher. After I graduated from medical school, I told him that I also wanted to be a military doctor, just like he was back then. Of course, the part about torture and execution of prisoners was not included."
Edelweiss imitated the old man's voice and said, "But the old guy said, forget it, my Clara! If you are unlucky and your boss is also a crazy painter, you may not be as lucky as me to survive.
Come down."
Amidst the good-natured laughter, Edelweiss returned to a normal tone and said, "I think what he said makes sense. Then he pointed to the old newspaper wrapping the bread and said, look, this stupid almost luminous organization seems to be a good one.
Choice, I think you can try it.
Although he thought that Doctors Without Borders only traveled to any country he was interested in and carried out medical work, I still accepted his suggestion and came here."
"Are your parents so supportive of you?" Wei Ran couldn't help but ask, "They should know what kind of organization this is, right?"
This chapter is not over, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Of course they know very well what kind of organization this is."
Edelweiss said proudly, "Although they think this is a bit stupid like my grandfather, fortunately, they always support any decision I make, and even the car I brought was prepared for me.
Of course, they didn’t expect that I would really have the guts to come here, they thought I would work in Paris.”
Having said this, Edelweiss picked up a used hemostatic forceps and inserted it into her collar, pulling out the slender platinum necklace, which also stained her slender white neck with blood.
Thanks to the bright light emitted by the kerosene vapor lamp, Wei Ran could clearly see that the slender platinum necklace was wearing a rank military ring.
"This was a gift from my grandfather before departure. The old guy said that he hoped I would not violate Hippocrates' oath, let alone make the mistakes he made back then." Edelweiss put on the clothes and it seemed that only Wei Ran could listen.
He spoke fluent German.
"Put it away"
Wei Ran glanced at the operating room door that was pushed open, as well as the girl named Dalal and a man in a robe who ran in from the outside, "You'd better not expose that ring here, otherwise you'll be like those crazy dogs."
The Jews will kill you as a member of the 8 Liberation Organization."
"Of course I know"
Edelweiss said, and used the hemostatic forceps to stuff the ring back into her neckline, leaving another trace of blood on her neck.
The topic was temporarily suspended. Edelweiss quickly took out the blood transfusion equipment and connected the blood lines of the man who came in and the child lying on the bed without asking.
At the same time, Wei Ran also speeded up his hands again to save the child on the hospital bed.
A moment later, with the flash of light coming on behind them, the pregnant woman and her baby were pushed out. A little later, Wei Ran also completed the final bandaging work with the help of Edelweiss.
"It's your turn Mr. Sewing Machine"
While the new wounded patient was being pushed in by two boys who had been busy, Edelweiss was making preoperative preparations quickly while continuing the topic that had just been interrupted, "Why did you join MSF?"
"Partly because of my father, partly because Cradle joined MSF."
The sewing machine next door and his wife opposite looked at each other until the other party smiled and nodded, and then replied with the same unconcealable smile, "My father participated in the ridiculous moss war, and then not surprisingly became
A prisoner of war, and as expected, he was bombed by the Americans."
"Bombing an enemy prisoner-of-war camp?" Edelweiss asked in astonishment, "I have never heard of such an outrageous thing in the World War II stories told by my grandfather."
"Believe me, Americans are very good at doing this kind of thing." Wei Ran couldn't help but say.
“The vet was right”
Sewing Machine agreed, "In short, it was a Chinese military doctor who saved my father with his life, giving him a chance to return to Tuerqi alive, meet my mother and have me."
To tell you the truth, I grew up hearing about my father’s amazing prisoner of war camp experiences. When I was like Rama...well, maybe even younger than her, I had already decided that I wanted to be a doctor.
I finally became a general practitioner."
"Then what?" Edelweiss Cui asked.
"Then one day I met Cradle in France and fell in love with her the first time I saw her."
Sewing Machine smiled and said, "Unfortunately, I'm a bunny rider, but she's a sucker. Fortunately, she had just joined MSF at the time.
I thought, if I were also MSF, we wouldn’t care about each other’s nationality, so I joined MSF after discussing with my parents, and made the cradle my wife, and gave birth to a baby for me.
A healthy and beautiful child.”
"You would never imagine how fat your healthy and beautiful son will be in the future..." Wei Ran couldn't help but sneered.
"It's such a jealous love," Edelweiss joked enviously.
"Miss Edelweiss, don't you have a boyfriend or are you married?" Cradle asked curiously.
"I was a devout Catholic"
Edelweiss, who was busy cooperating with Wei Ran, glanced at the little translator Rama, who seemed to be eavesdropping, and continued this slightly adult topic in Latin, "The doctrine does not allow it, and I cannot accept premarital sex.
All the boys who tried to pursue me decisively chose to give up after learning this, because they didn't want to waste time under a tree that was destined to get no fruit."
"so..."
“So to hell with Catholicism”
Edelweiss, who is quite talented in comedy, switched to French while working and said regretfully, "Unfortunately, when I decided not to believe in the troublesome Catholicism, I was already on my way to the fence."
In a new round of laughter, Edelweiss asked, "What about you Cradle? Why did you join MSF?"
“My mentor joined MSF”
Cradle replied calmly, "Then I joined MSF under her inspiration and followed her to Cambodia. Shortly after returning from there, I met a sewing machine."
After briefly talking about his experience, Cradle turned the topic to Wei Ran, the initiator, "Veterinarian, it's your turn? Why are you here?"
"Danglang"
Wei Ran threw the shrapnel he had just removed from the wound into the tray, and while he was busy treating the wound, he began to make half-truths and half-false lies, "I am actually here to investigate some things, but now we obviously need a doctor here."
, so I temporarily joined MSF.”
"Are you a detective?"
Edelweiss on the opposite side asked and answered her question, "I have never encountered a doctor with such rough and efficient treatment methods as you."
"Why else would his code name be Vet?"
Before the sewing machine next door finished speaking, everyone's deliberately suppressed laughter rang out in the operating room again.
The physical and mental fatigue was dispelled with small talk. As the sky outside became darker and darker, and the sound of gunshots became less and less, the operating room gradually became quieter.
Finally, when no more wounded were pushed in, Edelweiss was the first to put out the kerosene lamp, "Let's go back quickly, I'm going crazy with hunger."
"Let's go"
As he spoke, Cradle also took off the kerosene gas lamp and extinguished it, carried it in his hand, called to the little translator Rama who had already lit a candle lamp, and the other three "child workers" guarding the door, picked up the used surgical instruments, and left together.
operating room, and locked the wooden door of the operating room with his own hands.
At this time, although there were still many wounded people lying in the corridor, most of them had fallen into a deep sleep. Some of them were still moaning because of pain. There were also other people in nurse uniforms carrying oil lamps and walking over, either softly comforting or comforting them.
Either give me some pain-relieving pills or give me some pain-relieving injections.
Passing through the wounded on the ground, the group arrived at the door of a garage some distance away from the main building of the hospital in silence.
This garage has a complete iron door, and there is a tall and lush cedar on one side of the door.
While Wei Ran waited curiously, Edelweiss took out a key from his pocket and opened the padlock on the iron door. The sewing machine pushed the iron door open to a gap less than half a meter wide, allowing the little boy holding the candle lamp to
The translator walked in first.
The queue finally squeezed into the narrow gap of the iron door. Before Wei Ran could pass through the thick felt curtain, the sewing machine guarding the inside of the iron door immediately closed the door, while Edelweiss conveniently hung up the iron lock in his hand.
On the lock tongue inside.
Until the thick felt curtain covered the crack of the iron door, Wei Ran noticed that everyone around him breathed a sigh of relief.
"laugh--"
Amidst the sound of air flow, the cradle lit the kerosene lamp that had been carried in his hand, and at the same time, the little translator Rama also blew out the candle lamp that he was carrying.
As the brighter light emitted by the gas lamp stabilized, Wei Ran could see everything in the garage clearly.
The garage is not too wide, but it is deep enough to park a truck. Parked inside is naturally the six-wheeled Pinzgauer ambulance that Weihan had seen in the photo.
At this time, the car was riding directly above a repair ditch. The metal bracket that was obviously extra welded on the front of the car not only fixed two spare tires on the left and right, but also installed a small second wheel in the middle.
Stroke gasoline engine generator.
Looking at the roof, in addition to the two halogen lights directly above the cab, there is also a black tweeter and a folded snake-bone antenna fixed at the corner.
On the shelf behind the car lights, things such as tent bags and metal frames are tied, and even a set of stretchers are fixed on both sides of the car body.
After walking around to the rear of the car, he also saw an oil drum fixed on both sides of the tailgate. These are all details that could not be seen from the Polaroid photo before entering this historical episode.
It is through these details that Weiran is almost certain that even with just this ambulance, they may be able to establish a medical rescue point that can perform emergency operations.
As the cradle stepped on the chair and hung the kerosene gas lamp in his hand on a wire hanging from his head, Wei Ran also looked in against the car window.
There is a stretcher cart on the right side of the interior of this car. On the stretcher cart are several cardboard boxes filled with medicines. In addition to a small electric fan and a small shadowless light, there are also hanging upside down on the roof of the car directly above.
Some medical devices such as defibrillators.
On the left side of the carriage is a row of cabinets that appear to be filled with medicines. Between these cabinets and the stretcher trolley is a small chair that seems to slide along the floor in the middle of the carriage.
Closer to the front of the car, back to back with the cab, there is a row of simple seats facing the rear of the car and equipped with safety belts. Under the seats, two horizontal oxygen bottles can be clearly seen.
Judging from the current era we live in, this can definitely be regarded as a sufficiently professional critical ambulance.
Compared with the fully functional emergency vehicle, the small living space at the end of the garage seems to be much cruder.
There was a low wooden table less than two meters away from the rear of the car. Some food such as flatbread, mutton stewed with carrots and the like were already placed on the table. Under the table was a blanket that was not very clean.
At the far end, against the wall, two medical tents with the red crescent logo were propped up next to each other.
On the curtain of the tent, a pair of bright red high-heeled shoes and brown men's leather shoes from unknown sources were hung solemnly.
At the end of the passage less than one meter wide between the two tents, there is a narrow wooden door on the wall that leads to nowhere.
"When are we going to get fuel?"
As Edelweiss spoke, she finally took off the surgical cap and mask she had been wearing, revealing her neat and flowing short blond hair and the black stains smeared on her face.
"When are we going?"
While the sewing machine was talking, he also took off his surgical cap and mask, almost to the front and back, and the cradle that also took off the mask looked like a weiran.
At this point, Weiran also discovered a small detail.
Both Edelweiss and the cradle, including 11-year-old Rama and 14-year-old Dalal, all have black stains that appear to be ink on their faces.
"What time is it now?" Wei Ran asked as he took off his mask and surgical gown.
"10:17pm"
As she spoke, Edelweiss had already rolled up the cuffs of her sweater, revealing her white and slender wrists and the Rolex prisoner of war watch she wore on her wrist.
"It's too early now. Let's wait until later." Wei Ran said, "By the way, is the oil extraction pipe ready?"
"It's already been prepared!"
It was the little translator Rama who answered this question. As she spoke, she bent down on the ground and lifted off the greasy shabby blanket covering the repair ditch under the car, revealing the hidden blanket underneath.
Several 20-liter oil drums and three rubber pipes in the ditch.
"Then let's eat first," Wei Ran said with a smile, "fill your stomach and rest before we go."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "Children, let's take a bath first." Cradle clapped his hands and greeted, "Then you can eat."
Hearing this, the four children immediately ran along the narrow passage between the two tents towards the wooden door that led to an unknown place.
The child workers ran to take a shower, but the others did not rest.
The sewing machine picked up the oil bucket that Ed had just brought back, and the cradle picked up the two stacked stainless steel buckets from the side of the tent and walked towards the small door.
Even Edelweiss was not idle. She had already called Wei Ran for help, and brought over a large double-head gasoline stove produced in Switzerland from the corner. Then with his help, she took down a nearly 100-meter-long gas stove from the roof of the car.
One meter long, less than half a meter wide, and at most 20 centimeters high, a large and heavy canvas bag.
Without the help of sanitary ignition, the sewing machine poured the little gasoline left in the oil barrel into the oil storage tank of the oil stove with its own pump and started to pressurize it.
At the same time, the cradle also brought back two buckets of water, while Edelweiss had already opened the canvas bag and first took out a large stainless steel cooking pan that was almost tightly packed into the bag.
"Don't be in a daze, help me get the stove ready."
Edelweiss urged while picking up the lid that was upside down on the cooking tray. First, she used the water brought back from the cradle to briefly rinse the medical instruments they had brought back that were waiting to be sterilized, and then poured them on the ground with a "crash".
on a cooking rack with a fine mesh.
After the cradle poured the second bucket of water in, Edelweiss also unscrewed a can of sodium bicarbonate, used a measuring spoon to dig out a few spoonfuls of white powder and poured it into the cooking plate.
Before she could tighten the jar, the cradle had already placed the lid on it with a clang.
Then, the two women worked together to lock the lid with several metal buckles around it, and carefully checked the pressure relief valve on the lid.
After coming back to his senses, Wei Ran quickly took out a steel-bar welded stove frame and six steel legs that could be screwed onto the stove frame from the canvas bag.
He had just finished assembling the continental shelf, and the sewing machine not far away also whirred and lit up the two large stoves.
Seeing this, Wei Ran quickly placed the stove shelf on it, and the two women followed closely behind, working together to lift the huge cooking and sterilizing tray onto the stove shelf.
When they each took a step back, the sewing machine immediately increased its firepower.
Suddenly, the roaring sound of burning and the billowing heat wave came over the place, and beads of sweat appeared on Wei Ran's face again.
They had just finished their work here, and the two little boys had already returned from taking a shower. They even changed into a set of slightly shabby but clean clothes each.
"Today it's your turn to disinfect."
The sewing machine stood up and pulled the cradle towards the small door while saying, "We are going to take a shower."
Edelweiss didn't say anything. She just took off the Rolex prisoner of war watch that was a little too big for her on her wrist and handed it to Wei Ran. She said in German, "You can keep an eye on it for 30 minutes after boiling."
"good"
Wei Ran took the watch from the other party, only to find that Edelweiss had already opened the tailgate of the ambulance, opened a small drawer, took out a 16-karat hard-cover notepad, and started writing something.
"What are you writing? A diary?" Wei Ran glanced at the prisoner of war watch in his hand and asked curiously.
“So be it”
Edelweiss said without raising her head, "I want to write down the medical experience accumulated here. It will definitely help some people, at least it can help myself."
"Yes, these valuable experiences will definitely help some people."
Wei Ran sighed, inexplicably thinking of the nurse who knew nothing at the Teng County Traditional Chinese Medicine Shop. If she could get such a detailed diagnosis and treatment note, she would definitely learn a lot from it - if she lived
If you come down.
"Tell me about this?"
Wei Ran shook the prisoner of war watch in his hand, "Is this your grandfather's trophy?"
"The spoils of war?"
Edelweiss raised his head and glanced at Wei Ran, with a bright smile on his face that still looked particularly delicate even though it was covered with thick black ink stains. "It's not a trophy, it's a prisoner of war camp from World War II."
A gift from the surviving prisoners of war to my grandfather on the day he was released from prison."
Seeing Wei Ran's weird look, Edelweiss's smile became even brighter. She lowered her head and continued writing furiously and said, "My grandfather did commit war crimes that required him to pay the price of freedom for 12 years, but he
At the same time, some people must have been saved, maybe not only Germans, but also prisoners of war, and of course, maybe Jews.
Anyway who knows?
That old guy was never willing to talk to me about the righteous stupid things he might have done, but he would always talk about all the crimes he committed without reservation."
"I guess he definitely doesn't want you to make the same mistake."
Wei Ran looked at the ticking prisoner of war watch in his hand and murmured to himself, "Anyway, your grandfather is a brave man."
"The old guy must be very happy if he hears you commenting on him like that."
Edelweiss smiled brighter and brighter, "My code name was given to me by him. Before I set off, he told me that he hoped that I would not tarnish the pure Edelweiss like him."
