Magic Space: Struggling to Survive in the Apocalypse-Chapter 112: First Day of Work

Serena Lynch had so many questions that Evelyn Ford didn’t know which to answer first. ’Logically, anyone who’s survived the apocalypse should be deeply guarded,’ she thought, ’but Serena looks so innocent. Has she been sheltered, or is it just an act?’

"The building up ahead is the medical department. You can head in. I’m off to The Undercity to plant some herbs. Bye-bye, see you tonight."

Evelyn Ford gave her a slight nod. "Bye."

Upon entering the medical department, a receptionist stopped Evelyn, checked her residence permit, and verified her information.

"We’ve received your information. Your file says you have medical skills. Can you treat external injuries by yourself?"

Evelyn nodded. "Yes."

"Then you’re assigned to Surgery. We’re extremely short on surgeons, so you’ll have to start immediately."

"Alright."

The receptionist was pleased, filled out a form for Evelyn, and then led her to the surgical department.

Just as she and the receptionist reached the doorway, cries of agony echoed from within, and the thick stench of blood assaulted Evelyn’s nose.

"Dr. Miller, we have a newcomer. She can perform surgery, knows acupuncture, and can even deliver babies."

Dr. Miller was treating a wound on a man’s arm. The wound was already festering; from the looks of it, the injury was a week old. Due to a shortage of medicine, the doctor couldn’t provide better treatment. He could only carve out the rotting flesh, give the man an anti-inflammatory pill, apply some ointment, and send him on his way.

"Do you have experience?" Dr. Miller turned to look at Evelyn. She was a head taller than him and had to look down to meet his gaze as she nodded.

"I do."

"Excellent. Those ten over there are all yours."

Evelyn glanced over and saw a listless child, a heavily pregnant woman, and an unconscious man among them.

Dr. Miller handed Evelyn a set of gear, which included a pack of masks, a pack of gloves, and a protective suit.

Without a word, Evelyn put on the protective suit and got right to work.

The surgical department had nurses, but they were few in number and even busier than the doctors.

Besides Dr. Miller, there were two other doctors inside, though whether they were male or female was impossible to tell for the moment.

Moreover, Evelyn discovered the place was a complete mess. It was called the surgical department, but it also housed patients for internal medicine and gynecology.

’So this is what the receptionist meant by a shortage of doctors,’ Evelyn realized. Each one was juggling multiple specialties, so busy they didn’t even have time for a bathroom break.

Evelyn examined the sick child first. He was clutching his stomach and crying out in pain. The middle-aged man and woman beside him were presumably his parents; the woman was constantly wiping away tears.

Evelyn pressed his lower right abdomen. "Does it hurt a lot right here?"

The boy nodded. Seeing his emaciated frame, Evelyn guessed he was only about eleven or twelve years old.

"It’s appendicitis."

"Dr. Miller, how should we schedule the surgery?"

Dr. Miller glanced at Evelyn and pointed to a nearby operating room.

"Can you handle it by yourself?"

Just as Evelyn was about to say she could, the boy’s father objected.

"No way! How can a young girl like her perform surgery? Doctor, we’ve been waiting in line all night! Can’t you operate on my son first?"

Dr. Miller’s expression darkened. "There are dozens of people in line, and every single one of them is in pain. Why should you get to cut? She is a doctor. Either let her treat him, or get out."

The man was so thoroughly yelled at that he didn’t dare say another word, but the look he gave Evelyn was full of defiance.

"If anything happens to my son, I’ll make you pay with your life."

"And if I cure him, should you atone with your own death?" Evelyn’s gaze was piercing. As the man lunged forward to shove her, she twisted his arm and pinned him to the ground.

"Let me go!"

Evelyn applied a bit more pressure, and the man’s wrist snapped instantly. His hoarse scream tore through the air as security personnel from the medical department arrived, guns in hand.

"Who’s causing trouble?"

Before Evelyn could explain, Dr. Miller recounted the incident to the security officers. The man’s wife stood to the side, crying and pleading for mercy, while their son had already fainted from the shock. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The security officers glanced at Evelyn, hauled the man to his feet, and then shot a warning look at the crowd.

"Anyone else causes trouble, they’ll be thrown out of the base. The doctors are busy. Everyone, stay in line."

Evelyn said "Thank you" to Dr. Miller. He suddenly pulled off his mask, and Evelyn’s eyes widened as she looked at him.

"You are...?"

"Evelyn Ford, do you remember me? I’m Jasper Miller, your father’s apprentice. I’ve been to your house before."

How could Evelyn not remember? It had just been many years. When her parents passed away, Dr. Miller had been studying abroad. The once-chubby man had become so thin, and the hair showing from under his cap was completely white. He looked like a totally different person.

"We can talk later. I wasn’t sure it was you at first. I hesitated for a long time even after seeing your name, since you’ve grown up and your features have changed so much. But your style just now... it’s exactly like your father’s. You both have a fiery temper."

Evelyn smiled, pressing her lips together, and Dr. Miller patted her arm.

"Alright, back to work. If you need anything at all, just let me know."

After that incident, the rest of her work went much more smoothly. Evelyn proceeded with the boy’s surgery. The procedure cost two hundred points, but only forty of them ended up on her card. ’Whether in the apocalypse or in a civilized era,’ she mused, ’medical care is always so expensive.’

The pregnant woman’s limbs were slender, but her belly was as large as a basin. She said her husband was in The Hunting Squad and that she had come for a check-up because her stomach felt a little uncomfortable today.

Evelyn examined the woman’s belly and found nothing wrong, but she was due to give birth within the next day or two. The woman was far too thin. Her hair was dry and yellowed from malnutrition, and Evelyn had to tell her that the baby would likely be very small and weak after birth.

The check-up cost twenty points; Evelyn received four.

As soon as one person left, another would arrive. The medical department was packed from morning till afternoon. There was a half-hour lunch break, and when Evelyn went to the medical department’s cafeteria for the first time, the sight of the food made her think of Ronan Kendrick. ’Ronan would never be able to eat food this bad,’ she thought. ’He’s far too picky.’

A spoonful of greens, a spoonful of potatoes, a bowl of white rice porridge, and a steamed bun.

The white rice porridge contained only a few scattered grains of rice. The greens and potatoes were cooked without any oil and were barely salted.

The bun was hard and cold; biting into it felt like it could shatter a tooth. Yet Evelyn finished every last bit, leaving nothing behind.

Her shift ended at six-thirty in the evening, after a nine-hour workday. Instead of going to the cafeteria, Evelyn went straight back to her apartment building.

"Evelyn, where did you get assigned?"

On the way, Evelyn ran into Serena Lynch again. She was as energetic as ever, her eyes sparkling brightly.

"Surgery."

She looked a little surprised. "I hear it’s really busy there. But Surgery has one perk: you get a bonus of one hundred points every month."

Dr. Miller had already told Evelyn about this. The one hundred points were a housing supplement.

"The herb garden where I work is pretty laid-back, but the points are a little low."

"Are the herbs growing well?"

Serena Lynch nodded. "They’re doing great! I’m in charge of exposing the herbs to the sunlamps."