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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Seven: Rainy Night (Part Two)
They found a place to barely escape the rain, which could be called a cave, sheltered from the wind. This was a natural depression in the mountainside, not very deep. The pit must have collapsed naturally, with its opening facing upwards, jutting out like the spout of an oil jar.
All nine of them were exhausted. They had hoped to rest inside the cave, but as they ventured down, they discovered that rainwater had already flooded it. Nevertheless, they were relieved to be out of the direct wind and rain, so they waded in without further thought.
The bottom of the pit was uneven, with the deepest part reaching up to their thighs. For safety's sake, they did not venture too far in; instead, they stayed in the shallower water where they could rest without being drenched by the downpour.
A few beams of flashlight swept across the cave. There was nothing particularly special inside; the stagnant water was dark and murky, with some dead branches and leaves floating on the surface. A damp, moldy smell wafted through the cave as the mountain wind blew.
The zombies did not follow them. Their ability to move at a certain speed was limited to flat ground; climbing mountains was beyond their capability. Two warriors stood guard at either side of the cave entrance while the others tried to rest in the shallower areas of water.
He Yong initially planned to carry An Zheng all the way, fearing that she would be too cold in the chilly water. However, after An Zheng insisted strongly, he had no choice but to set her down.
An Zheng was already soaked through; her lips were turning slightly blue from the cold. As she stepped into the water, she felt a sharp chill pierce her.
The Communications Soldier had not yet regained consciousness and lay on one of the warriors' backs, barely breathing. An Zheng waded over and touched his forehead to check on him, only to discover that his left calf was fractured.
"This won't do; everyone will catch a cold," An Zheng said shivering as she walked back to He Yong's side. She pointed at several soldiers whose faces were pale yet trying to hold on and said, "We can't stay in this water."
He Yong rubbed his hands together and gritted his teeth as he asked, "Who has an Entrenching Tool?"
The Little Warrior at the entrance responded and unbuckled his folding shovel, tossing it over.
He Yong opened the shovel and looked around. "We can only dig; going out now isn't a solution."
An Zheng glanced anxiously at the ceiling of the cave and asked, "How long will it take with just one shovel? Besides, it's not safe—what if the cave collapses?"
He Yong realized she had a point; after all, they were still young and easily flustered when anxious. He asked, "Dr. An, do you have any ideas?"
"It's not exactly a solution," An Zheng replied as she moved her numb legs. "We need to drain the water out." She continued, "The ground at the entrance has been softened by the rain; it should be easier to dig there. We can take turns digging a drainage channel to divert the water outside."
He Yong looked at the entrance; it sloped steeply upward with no cover above where the water surface was exposed. The area that could block rainwater was lower down. Thus, An Zheng's suggestion seemed feasible—if they dug a channel outward, they could drain the water from inside the cave. Although it would still be muddy and slippery below, it would be better than standing in icy water.
After a brief discussion, the young men decided to go for it. They left one person to keep watch at the entrance while An Zheng and another Little Warrior took care of the Communications Soldier. He Yong led the remaining soldiers to a spot at the cave entrance, picked up a shovel, and began digging.
It was easier said than done. Even though the soil was loose, there was only one shovel, and with six people taking turns to dig, it would take a while to finish. The deepest part of the pit had water that reached up to their thighs, indicating that the bottom was uneven. Therefore, He Yong and the others could only focus on where the water drained out fastest and continue digging in that direction.
An Zheng couldn't help with the physical labor and could only stand by anxiously. Little Warrior's lips were turning slightly purple; he had been carrying the Communications Soldier on his back and stood straight even in the water, trying his best to keep the Communications Soldier's legs out of the icy water. An Zheng checked her pocket and found the Communications Soldier's flask still inside. She quickly pulled it out and handed it to Little Warrior. He thanked her, gently set the Communications Soldier down on a slope at the cave entrance, and poured a bit of liquor into his mouth.
As the strong liquor went down, the Communications Soldier erupted into a fit of coughing.
An Zheng hurried over, propping his head up against her leg while patting his chest.
After coughing for a while, the Communications Soldier regained consciousness. Just as he tried to move, pain shot through his leg, causing him to grimace.
"Don't move around; your calf is broken," An Zheng said, waving her hand in front of his face to ensure he was coherent. Finally, she let out a sigh of relief.
"W-where am I?" The Communications Soldier struggled to prop himself up, looking around at the dark pit and the others working hard to dig, feeling confused.
An Zheng briefly explained the situation before calling over Little Warrior for assistance.
"Do you have a knife? Or a gun? Give me your gun," An Zheng said as she tore open the Communications Soldier's pant leg. The broken area had already deformed; his foot was twisted at an unnatural angle, with a piece of bone protruding through the skin. The blood had been washed away by rainwater, leaving the wound looking pale.
Little Warrior understood what An Zheng intended to do and quickly unloaded his rifle magazine before handing it over to her while also unbuckling his gear belt.
An Zheng supported the Communications Soldier's arm and asked Little Warrior, "What’s your name?"
Little Warrior paused for a moment before replying, "You can call me Er Jin."
"Er Jin?" An Zheng smiled lightly. "Is that your nickname?"
"Sort of," Er Jin grinned back, revealing a row of white teeth.
"Okay, you help me hold him down," An Zheng said as she dragged the Communications Soldier a few steps toward an area without standing water.
The soldier on watch at the cave entrance instinctively positioned himself in front, using his body to shield his comrades from the wind and rain.
The Communications Soldier gritted his teeth, staring at the wound on his leg, his face inevitably darkening.
"It will hurt a lot. If you can't hold it in, you can scream, but whatever you do, don't move your leg," An Zheng said as he removed the soldier's shoe, revealing wrinkled skin from running.
The Communications Soldier managed a weak smile and said, "I'm actually quite afraid of pain. Can you tell me what to expect? I need to prepare myself mentally."
"Er Jin, hold him tightly around the upper body," An Zheng instructed Little Warrior, pointing at the exposed bone fragment on the leg. "The broken bone has pierced through the skin. We don't have surgical tools right now; we can only pull it back and stabilize it."
The Communications Soldier took a swig of alcohol, a hint of color returning to his face as he asked in confusion, "Pull back what?"
"The bone," An Zheng explained. "We need to pull that piece of bone back into the flesh and then align it with the broken part to secure it."
After hearing An Zheng's explanation, the color that had just returned to the Communications Soldier's face drained away again, leaving him pale once more.
"I-I-I..." The Communications Soldier stammered, opening his mouth as his hands rose and fell helplessly.
"Don't be afraid; it'll be over in an instant," An Zheng reassured him and gave Er Jin a knowing glance.
Er Jin understood.
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