C27 Surgery

After sterilizing all the silver needles in a disinfectant bottle, Yang Chuxia methodically inserted them into Edi's upper body, targeting specific acupoints.

Sean watched, transfixed, and couldn't help but blurt out, "What's going on here?"

Without looking up, Yang Chuxia continued her work and explained, "I'm stopping his bleeding and trying to revive him."

It took a while for Edi to regain consciousness, his complexion deathly pale. Grasping his hand, Yang Chuxia asked, "Can you hear me, General?"

Edi's lips quivered, and blood spilled from his mouth before he began to cough.

Quickly, Yang Chuxia placed needles into his acupoints and instructed, "Stay still! Listen to me. Blink if you agree; don't blink if you disagree."

Edi blinked in response.

"Your wounds are severe; your lung has been punctured by a rib. Immediate surgery is required, but we don't have a Medical Cabin here. I can only perform manual surgery. If you consent, I'll proceed. If not, we'll wait for the Rescue Team, though it puts your life at risk," Yang Chuxia informed him.

Sean interjected with concern, "Dr. Yang, what are your chances of success? We don't even have a sterile environment here, nothing." He glanced at the medical room, relieved to see a few scalpels available.

Edi forced down the blood in his mouth and said weakly, "Proceed with the surgery. It's my only chance at survival." As he finished, more blood trickled from his nose.

At the sight, Sean was rendered speechless.

Yang Chuxia reassured Edi in a gentle tone, "Don't worry. I'll administer anesthesia, and you'll feel better when you wake up."

A smile flickered in Edi's deep blue eyes as he managed a weak grin.

With everything in place, Yang Chuxia prepared the general anesthetic and administered it to Edi, who soon closed his eyes.

Turning to Sean, who sat motionless on the ground, Yang Chuxia spoke softly, "Don't lose hope. We may not all make it out alive, but we must still do what needs to be done."

Sean looked up at Yang Chuxia, realizing for the first time that beneath her delicate exterior lay a resilience as strong as steel. Rallying his spirits, he stood and asked, "Do you need my help?"

Yang Chuxia nodded. "I need you to assist me during the surgery and hand me the tools."

Choking back emotion, Sean pleaded, "Chuxia, you must save General Edi! Please, it's my fault he's hurt. If he dies, I'll be haunted by guilt for the rest of my life."

Yang Chuxia embraced him, whispering, "Okay, I promise I'll save him." Even if the surgery were successful, they might still end up staying here.

Having found blood plasma that matched Edi's blood type, Yang Chuxia administered it and began the operation. Sean felt weak at the knees as he watched her open Edi's chest. Despite being a young officer who had likely faced numerous enemies, the sight of his beloved superior's bloody ordeal was too much to bear.

He focused on Yang Chuxia's profile, determined not to look at General Edi, and handed her whatever she requested.

Yang Chuxia sighed in relief, grateful for her silver needles that could seal blood vessels. She knew if Sean had to clamp the vessels himself, he might pass out.

She carefully moved the broken bones away from the lungs and began clearing the accumulated blood. The unstable environment limited the perfection of her work, but she did the best she could.

Lacking an ECG, she relied on Edi's pulse for guidance, meticulously cleaning the blood from the chest cavity and suturing the lung wounds. Stopping the major lung hemorrhage was half the battle; the rest would be managed by the Medical Cabin once they had the opportunity to return.

After setting the broken bones, Yang Chuxia sutured and sealed Edi's wounds with surgical adhesive. At last, the challenging task was complete.

The entire procedure took only half an hour, but for Sean, it felt like an agonizing eternity. When Yang Chuxia announced the completion, Sean slid down the wall to the floor, his voice a strained whisper, "Is General Edi out of danger now?"

Yang Chuxia shook her head, "No, we need to keep observing him. I'm about to administer an anti-inflammatory injection, and then..." Her voice trailed off abruptly, her expression turning grave.

She had been monitoring General Edi's pulse when suddenly, the rhythm became erratic. Without needing to guess, Yang Chuxia could tell his blood pressure had plummeted.

CPR was not an option for Edi at the moment. Yang Chuxia took his hand and began to channel a steady stream of her internal energy into his body, using it to assist in his cardiac recovery.

Sean, witnessing Yang Chuxia's abrupt halt, gripped Edi's hand tightly. His heart raced with anxiety, nearly stopping when she remained silent. "What's wrong?" he managed to ask.

Yang Chuxia shook her head, signaling for silence.

Tears welled up in Sean's eyes. He wiped them away, watching Yang Chuxia intently.

Thanks to the internal energy, Edi's heartbeat slowly normalized. Despite the warship's regulated temperature, Yang Chuxia broke out in a cold sweat.

She ceased the physical resuscitation, maintaining her internal energy around Edi's heart. Licking her dry lips, she addressed Sean, "He's stable for now, but I can't leave his side. Could you get me a glass of water, Sean?"

Sean sprang into action and left the Medical Cabin. He returned shortly with water for her.

After a refreshing sip, Yang Chuxia felt better. "Instead of worrying here, why not check on the Rescue Team's arrival? Make contact and urge them to get here quickly!"

Sean, his voice rough and strained, could only nod.

"Go have some water; it'll help your throat," Yang Chuxia suggested with a slight purse of her lips.

Sean nodded again and stepped out, but he was gone for more than ten minutes.

Fearing a sudden cardiac arrest for Edi, Yang Chuxia dared not cease the flow of her internal energy. Unable to check on Sean, she wondered if he was reaching out to the Rescue Team.

Twenty minutes passed before Sean returned, moving behind Yang Chuxia to gently embrace her. His voice raspy, he reassured her, "I've contacted the Rescue Team. They'll be here in about ten minutes."

After uttering those words, Sean seemed to have exhausted all his strength, resting his chin on Yang Chuxia's shoulder and letting his entire body go limp, pressing down on her as if he could be toppled by a mere poke of a finger!

Luckily, it was Yang Chuxia who was there to support him. Had it been a more fragile nurse, she might have been flattened! Yang Chuxia extended her free left hand and gently patted Sean's arm wrapped around her.

Aware of his discomfort, Yang Chuxia tried to lighten the mood with a playful tone, "Hey! Sean, you're going to crush me. It's not very nice to take advantage of the situation, you know! After all, I am quite the innocent beauty!"