Chapter Twenty-Five: The Doctor

In the darkness, Zhao Qiang slowly regained consciousness. Where am I? How did I end up here? He couldn’t tell where he was, but he remembered passing out on the rooftop platform. Yet now, the sensation beneath him was unmistakably that of a bed, with a quilt covering his body.

He struggled to sit up, only to feel a weight pressing down on his chest. When he probed the area, he discovered that his chest wound had been bandaged.

“As a doctor, I advise you not to move right now.” A strange woman’s voice emerged from the shadows.

Startled, Zhao Qiang composed himself quickly. Since she’d saved him and tended his injuries, she likely meant no harm. He said, “I’m alright now, thank you.”

The voice in the darkness urged him, “Lie down immediately. You’re suffering from open pneumothorax and two broken ribs. I only performed basic first aid; in your current condition, you absolutely mustn’t move!”

“Thank you,” Zhao Qiang replied, knowing that no matter how strong his recovery ability might be, a rib puncturing his lung would not mend itself. Without this woman, he’d be dead for sure.

A candle flickered to life in the darkness. By its trembling glow, Zhao Qiang finally saw the woman who called herself a doctor. She was haggard, but her age couldn’t have been more than thirty.

She steadied the candle on a table, then returned to her chair. “It’s me who should thank you. You saved my life.”

“Me? I saved you?” Zhao Qiang was puzzled; he had no recollection of ever meeting this woman.

“Yes, you saved me,” she nodded, and began to recount what Zhao Qiang did not know.

She was a doctor at a nearby major hospital, living not far from here. When disaster struck, she had just finished a major surgery and was resting at home. She was awakened by gunfire from the rescue squad. Once she understood what was happening, she fled with the group. Not long after, a horde of zombies trapped them at the foot of this office building, forcing them to risk entering.

They escaped to the rooftop by elevator, but soon the power and radio communications failed. An attempt to break out was thwarted by zombies massed at the exits—a suicidal endeavor. In the end, the remaining survivors barricaded the only accessible stairwell and began their seemingly endless wait.

“Do you know those who rescued you? Were you the only survivor they found?” Zhao Qiang asked, suspecting these people might be connected to those who had taken his wife.

She shook her head. “I don’t know them well. There was a girl named Peng Sha with us at first, but we got separated. I don’t know anything more.”

Hearing news of his wife, Zhao Qiang’s heart raced. “What happened after that?”

“I honestly don’t know. There were too many monsters. We lost contact with the main group and ended up here.”

“What about Peng Sha? Was she not with you?”

“No, she stayed with the main group. I only heard about her from the company commander later,” the woman replied.

Relief washed over Zhao Qiang—if his wife was with the main group, her safety was more assured.

“Can you tell me what that monster was?” Now calmer, Zhao Qiang’s thoughts turned to the terrifying mutant zombie.

“I don’t know. It suddenly appeared this morning. The company commander told me to hide in my room. I only came out when everything outside went quiet,” she answered, fear thick in her voice.

Company commander? So those people really were soldiers. Zhao Qiang nodded for her to continue.

She went on, “When I came out, I found everyone dead. Then I heard an explosion…”

“And then you found me, is that right?” Zhao Qiang finished her sentence.

“That’s right.” She nodded. “I saw the monster was dead, then found you alive. You know what happened after that.”

“My name is Zhao Qiang. Pleased to meet you.” As he spoke, Zhao Qiang sat up again, offering her his right hand.

“I’m Mei Qiu—wait! Why are you getting up again? I told you not to move!” Doctor Mei Qiu exclaimed in alarm.

“I’m fine.” Zhao Qiang gave a slight smile and got out of bed.

“That’s impossible! Your injuries were severe. Moving like this is dangerous!” Mei Qiu’s expression grew stern; she had no wish to lose her patient to recklessness.

“Perhaps you’re unaware, but our bodies are no longer the same as before.” Zhao Qiang smiled as he approached her. “For reasons unknown, our recovery rate has far surpassed what it once was.” With that, he tore off the bandage from his torso.

With a gasp, Mei Qiu saw that the wound she’d made to reset his ribs had already closed, leaving only a faint scar. “That’s impossible!” she exclaimed. “No one heals that quickly!”

Zhao Qiang simply smiled and found his clothes. After dressing, he said, “Believe your own eyes, Doctor Mei Qiu. As a doctor, you’ll join us in uncovering the secrets of our changing bodies.” He extended an olive branch to Mei Qiu. Since he had to search for his wife and couldn’t take Mei Qiu along, the best choice was to entrust her to Wei Tao.

“Wait—you said ‘us’? Are there others?” Only now did Mei Qiu realize Zhao Qiang kept saying “we” instead of “I.”

“Yes, there are others. A few survivors are in a supermarket not far from here. I’m sure they’ll be happy to see you,” Zhao Qiang explained. Seeing hesitation in her eyes, he added, “Don’t worry. Most of them are survivors like you. We have water, food, you can even take a hot shower. And there’s a very capable man who can protect you.”

“You mean you?” Mei Qiu glanced Zhao Qiang up and down, clearly misunderstanding.

“No, that’s my mentor. Compared to him, I’m nothing,” Zhao Qiang replied.

“But there are monsters everywhere outside. How can we get out?” Despair crept into Mei Qiu’s voice; she couldn’t believe Zhao Qiang could handle all those zombies alone.

Zhao Qiang chuckled. “Have you forgotten how I got in? By the way, where’s my gun?”

“I don’t know. It should still be on the roof,” she replied, obviously doubting his ability to fight his way out alone. “It’s too dangerous outside—we can’t make it.”

“Who says I can’t? If I got in, I can get out,” Zhao Qiang said with certainty.

“You’re going out alone? Please, don’t leave me here by myself,” Mei Qiu pleaded, terror from the day’s events plain on her face. She thought Zhao Qiang might abandon her to save himself.

He smiled, patted her gently on the shoulder, and said, “Trust me. I’ll be back for you soon, alright? Be good, and wait for me here.”