After all his external wounds were treated, he was wrapped up like a mummy.
"He has a lot of internal injuries. Two of his ribs are broken, and if a bone had punctured his lungs, it would have been very serious. It’s not a good time for surgery right now, though. He definitely has internal bleeding. Those people kicked him in the stomach repeatedly—it’s all black and blue, so his intestines must be damaged. His knees are injured, too. We need to use medical equipment to run a full scan to know the extent of the internal damage."
Evelyn Ford took out another miracle pill and put it in his mouth. He couldn’t wear anything form-fitting, so she had to find a loose short-sleeved shirt from the clothing pile in her space to put on him.
After she was done, Evelyn Ford brought out a basin of water from her space. "Let him rest for now. Ronan Kendrick, let’s wash our hands and eat."
"I wonder how Quincy and Ethan Dawson are doing." Evelyn Ford set the dishes on the folding table. The steaming bone broth gave off a rich aroma. ’We’re eating hot food here, while who knows in what godforsaken corner those two are gnawing on dry rations.’
"You watch him here for a bit. I’m going out," Ronan Kendrick said suddenly.
Evelyn Ford stared at Ronan Kendrick for a few seconds before looking away. "Okay. How long will you be?"
"Two hours at most. His injuries are too severe for him to be moved."
Evelyn Ford knew how to prioritize. Ronan Kendrick was probably going to meet up with Quincy and the others. Since he was telling her to stay in the small building, he must have had his reasons.
After they finished eating, Ronan Kendrick left. The entire first floor was left with just Evelyn Ford and the unconscious child. Evelyn was actually already sure this was Annie. She remembered Serena Lynch telling her back at the safe zone that Annie had a heart-shaped birthmark on his back. Both she and Ronan had seen that birthmark when they were treating his external injuries.
Evelyn Ford took out a pen and paper and sketched a rough map of the refugee camp’s location. Half an hour later, Annie suddenly stirred. His high fever had broken, and he was muttering and whimpering, his expression terrified. He was probably having a nightmare.
"Annie? Annie?"
She called his name a few times, but Annie didn’t wake up. Instead, he just kept whimpering. With a complicated look on her face, Evelyn reached out and gently patted his uninjured shoulder. After she had calmed him down, Evelyn entered her space and took out several cases of weapons to load with ammunition.
’Whether we need them or not, it’s always right to be prepared.’
After loading the bullets, Evelyn went to the chicken coop and duck pen to collect all the eggs.
The two wolfhounds and Mina saw her and immediately darted over, circling around her. Four of the mares had large bellies, looking like they were about to give birth. The two piglets in the pigsty had grown quite a bit. After a quick tour, Evelyn left her space.
There was still no sign of Annie waking up. Evelyn placed a small stove by his bed with a medicine pot on top of it.
"Ngh..."
Evelyn turned her head and met a pair of swollen, bloodshot eyes. Annie was startled and stared at her in terror, like a small, frightened animal.
"Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you. I treated your wounds."
Evelyn pointed to the gauze on his body. Annie kept staring at her. He was in too much pain to even have the strength to struggle or run away. His hands, wrapped up like a mummy’s, couldn’t even grip the blanket.
Evelyn poured the medicinal soup from the pot. The strong smell of herbs filled the entire first floor. The concoction was still a bit hot and needed to cool before it could be drunk.
"Does your body still hurt? Can you speak? Nod if you can, shake your head if you can’t. You can also blink."
He still didn’t react, just watched her warily.
"I beat up those people and gave them a laxative. They won’t bully you anymore. You’re safe now."
Evelyn reached out and touched his forehead. The fever was completely gone. ’The miracle pill really is potent.’
Evelyn’s touch made Annie’s whole body go stiff with fear. Seeing him like this, Evelyn sighed inwardly.
"You’re Annie, aren’t you?"
He suddenly looked up at Evelyn, as if trying hard to recognize her. When they had parted, Annie was still very young, only about two years old. It was normal for him not to remember her.
But his reaction had already confirmed that he was indeed Annie.
Evelyn watched him quietly. "Where are your mom and dad? Your mom is Serena Lynch, and your dad is Chase Underwood. I’m their friend. My name is Evelyn Ford."
His reaction was strongest when he heard the name ’Evelyn Ford’. His bloodshot eyes widened, and his emotions spiraled out of control in an instant. The inability to speak made him agitated and anxious.
"Annie, don’t panic. Breathe with me. In, out. Don’t be scared, don’t be scared. Good boy. I’m right here. I’m not leaving. Don’t worry." Evelyn gently rubbed his chest to soothe his breathing. After a long while, he finally calmed down.
He stared intently at Evelyn, his mouth wide open, trying desperately to say something, but no words came out. Annie used to be able to talk, and Evelyn had already checked—there was nothing wrong with his tongue or teeth. The problem was likely with his vocal cords. With slow treatment and rest, he would recover.
"Don’t rush to speak. Your throat is injured. You need to take medicine to recover."
He wanted to gesture, but his body was covered in gauze. Even the slightest movement was difficult, making it impossible for him to communicate with Evelyn through gestures.
"Waaah..." Seeing Annie begin to cry out of frustration, Evelyn had no choice but to comfort him first.
"How about I ask you questions, and you can answer me by nodding or shaking your head? Good boy, don’t cry now. Drink your medicine first. After you take it, you’ll be able to talk and walk again."
Evelyn brought a large bowl of the black medicinal soup to Annie. Her previous words had encouraged him. Although the medicine was very bitter, he drank it quickly, without even frowning.
After finishing the medicine, Annie waited eagerly for Evelyn to ask him questions.
Evelyn added more water to the medicine pot and continued to brew it. After thinking for two minutes, she asked softly, "Are your mom and dad... still alive?"
Tears welled up in Annie’s eyes. He shook his head, looking down so he wouldn’t have to face Evelyn as large teardrops fell. He bit his lip to keep from crying out, and Evelyn quickly wiped his tears away.
"Annie, don’t cry. You have us now."
"Do you have any other companions here?"
Annie nodded.
"Are they adults?"
Annie shook his head.
Evelyn understood.
"Have you seen Hawthorne, Mr. Cherie, Mr. Roy, or Mr. Owen Chapman?"
Annie shook his head.
"Did your mom and dad tell you my name?"
Annie nodded emphatically.
Evelyn sighed, then gently patted his shoulder twice, signaling for him to lie down and go back to sleep.
"That’s all the questions for today. You should rest well. Please don’t cry anymore, okay? It will make your eyes hurt. If you keep crying, you’ll injure your eyes, and if your eyes are injured, you won’t be able to see."
Hearing Evelyn say this, Annie didn’t dare to cry anymore. But he didn’t dare to fall asleep either. He just stared intently at Evelyn, afraid she would disappear.
"I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay right here with you. Other people will be here later, all uncles who know Annie and your mom and dad. Annie doesn’t need to be afraid. Come on, let’s close our eyes and sleep."
Evelyn’s voice was very gentle. Annie was no longer afraid, and he closed his eyes to the sound of her soft, lulling voice.