Ethan Dawson ultimately decided to have the three bullets removed. However, the surgery would have to wait until after they dealt with things at the base. After all, removing bullets was no minor procedure; it required extreme caution.
When it was Taylor Vance’s turn, he was obviously nervous. It wasn’t just him; everyone was tense. Back at the farm, Evelyn Ford had said his condition was not looking good.
Taylor Vance took a deep breath, and his whole body relaxed considerably.
"Actually, I can feel my body getting better. You don’t have to worry so much." He was still gently reassuring everyone before he went in for his check-up.
Evelyn Ford gave Taylor Vance a thorough examination. After all the tests were finished, she looked at the results and a smile appeared on her face.
"Mr. Vance, your body really is getting better. In your case, you don’t need any medicine. Just get a moderate amount of exercise every day and try to stay happy. You’ll probably recover even faster that way."
Taylor Vance smiled. "See? I told you my body was getting better. I’ll follow the doctor’s orders to the letter. From now on, I’ll practice Tai Chi for an hour every day."
Everyone was happy when Taylor Vance’s test results came back, but the happiest of all was Zion Lowell. He and Taylor Vance had been friends for decades and he had been constantly worried about him. Now, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Mr. Lowell, it’s your turn for a check-up."
Zion Lowell froze for a moment, a flash of nervousness in his eyes. "I don’t need one, do I? I feel fine. I haven’t been sick in years, and nothing feels wrong."
"Mr. Lowell, please get it done. Don’t worry, I’m sure it’s nothing."
Zion Lowell sighed but went into the examination room anyway.
Taylor Vance had already figured out that today’s check-ups were mainly for Zion Lowell. He knew Zion hadn’t been feeling well lately, but he wouldn’t say anything when asked. ’Well, this is good,’ he thought. ’With a check-up, we’ll know what’s going on soon enough.’
Evelyn Ford was extremely meticulous with Zion Lowell’s examination. He had many health problems, and she also found the reason he had been coughing up blood.
"Mr. Lowell, it’s not a huge problem. It’s just that your lung lobe didn’t receive the best treatment when it was injured before, and that’s causing some issues now. As long as we do a small surgery to remove the damaged part, you’ll be healthy again. There’s one more thing—you have some rather severe internal bruising. You’ll need acupuncture for a while, plus a few months of herbal medicine."
Evelyn Ford didn’t hide the details of his condition. After hearing it all, Zion Lowell’s expression remained calm.
"Alright. I’ll be in your hands, Evelyn. Just do whatever you think is best for the treatment. I’ll cooperate."
Evelyn Ford nodded solemnly. "Mr. Lowell, you can rest assured. I will definitely get you back to full health."
After Evelyn Ford went out, she told the others the results as well.
"Mr. Lowell needs surgery too? Will it be dangerous?"
"Don’t worry. All surgeries have risks." Zion Lowell interrupted Quincy, not wanting to put pressure on Evelyn Ford.
"That’s right. Evelyn Ford already said Mr. Lowell’s condition isn’t serious. There’s no need for everyone to be so grim."
Evelyn Ford signaled for everyone to quiet down. "The most important things are diet and mood. Even though it’s the extreme night, don’t get too anxious. You need to let yourselves relax so you don’t get sick. You should also get some moderate exercise. As for diet, try to eat bland food for the next six months. No more sour or spicy things for now."
Evelyn Ford’s words were like an imperial edict; whatever she said, everyone would follow strictly.
Zion Lowell’s condition couldn’t be delayed any longer. Evelyn Ford decided to operate on him immediately, but she needed to make some preparations first, so the surgery was scheduled for five hours later.
Officer Graham’s stomach ulcer also needed treatment. If it had been discovered earlier, some medication probably would have cured it, but it had now progressed to a moderate stage.
Evelyn Ford planned to give Officer Graham another check-up later. It would be best if it could be treated with medication, but if that didn’t work, he would still need surgery.
After returning to her bedroom, Evelyn Ford immediately entered her space to prepare for the surgery. To be honest, she had only ever treated external wounds, delivered babies, and developed medicines. This was her first time performing lung surgery. However, she had a lot of equipment, and she had also accumulated medical experience over the years. She was already a qualified doctor.
Evelyn Ford planned to have Ronan Kendrick and Wendy assist her. Wendy wanted to learn medicine, and this was something she couldn’t avoid.
Evelyn Ford finalized the surgical plan and prepared everything she needed. Five hours later, Zion Lowell was lying on the operating table.
Honestly, Evelyn Ford was a little nervous. But looking at Zion Lowell, who was already unconscious and waiting for the operation, her anxious heart suddenly calmed down.
The lights came on. After putting on her gloves, surgical gown, mask, and glasses, Evelyn Ford took the scalpel Ronan Kendrick handed to her.
An hour and a half later, the surgery was over. Ronan Kendrick and Wendy went out first to tell everyone the results.
Evelyn Ford took a deep breath and slowly walked out as well.
"When will Mr. Lowell wake up? Is he okay now?"
"He should wake up in about eight hours. The surgery was a success. Mr. Lowell is out of danger, but he’ll need to rest well during his recovery."
"That’s wonderful. If anything had happened to that old codger, I..." Before he could finish, Taylor Vance’s eyes reddened.
"He’ll be fine, don’t worry."
Eight hours later, Zion Lowell woke up. His condition was good. He would need to stay in bed for two days before he could get up and move around.
After confirming there were no issues, Evelyn Ford gave Officer Graham all the medication Zion Lowell would need for the next few days.
"We’re leaving for the base in three hours. It’ll take us three or four days to get back at the earliest. While we’re gone, besides staying safe, I need you all to keep a close eye on Mr. Lowell’s condition. He’s stable for now, so there’s no need to worry."
"Why don’t we go to the base in a few days instead? Evelyn didn’t get any rest today because of Mr. Lowell’s surgery."
Evelyn Ford waved her hand. "It’s fine. I can rest in the car. I won’t be able to relax until this is taken care of."
After a meal, the four of them set out. As they crossed the stream on a raft, Quincy took a deep breath.
"I don’t know why, but I feel like I can’t breathe properly." As he spoke, he thumped his chest hard.
"The oxygen is starting to get thin. It’s like we’re at an altitude of four thousand meters right now."
"Let’s go. To the highway first."
Ronan Kendrick led the way with a flashlight, while Evelyn Ford and Quincy walked in the middle, and Ethan Dawson brought up the rear.
When they reached the highway, Evelyn Ford brought out a pickup truck. After checking the gas tank, the four of them got in.
"Good thing the cab can fit four people. Otherwise, we’d freeze to death riding in the truck bed."
"You could lie down and sleep in the truck bed."
Quincy shot a glance at Ethan Dawson. "You’re built like a tank. I can’t compare. I can’t be exposed to the wind."
Ethan Dawson raised an eyebrow. "Are you in postpartum confinement?"
"You’re the one in postpartum confinement! I’m just taking care of my health."
The two of them were quite the bickering pair. With Ethan Dawson driving, Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick caught up on sleep in the back seat. Quincy chattered away the whole time, making the boring journey much more interesting.
"Evelyn, are Mr. Vance and Mr. Lowell really okay?"
Evelyn Ford opened her eyes. "They have some minor issues, but nothing serious. As long as they rest up and follow the treatment, nothing bad will happen."
"How old is Mr. Vance this year?"
"In his fifties, I think. Back in the safe zone, he was either forty-seven or forty-eight, I believe. So he should be around fifty-five now."