Chapter 152: Prosthesis Fitting
Huai Yu, with her signature backpack, returned to Flower City Hospital.
She was already familiar with the path to the private ward. With her small frame but immense energy, as soon as people saw her from behind while passing the nurse station, they would recognize her as Zhou Qian’s sister.
However…
She gently knocked on the door, but there was no sound coming from inside the room.
So, she tiptoed and looked through the small window of the ward. Damn, the view from her short stature was so limited!
Is he resting?
Huai Yu thought for a moment, gently twisted the door handle, and found the room empty. She remembered that Zhou Qian had mentioned prosthesis fitting this morning, so she decisively turned around and headed straight for the nurse station.
“Big sister,” she said, her big, shiny eyes looking at the two familiar nurses, “Where did Brother Zhou Qian go?”
The nurse gasped and appeared somewhat conflicted, hesitant even. But Huai Yu still looked at her expectantly, her eyes full of trust.
After a brief pause, the nurse pursed her lips and said—after all, there’s no rule against saying, right?
“At the end of the right corridor, in the new-type biomaterial fitting area. He should be inside for the basic fitting.”
“But… Sister, this project isn’t really suitable for family members to watch. Why don’t you sit and wait a little while? I have candy, would you like some?”
As she spoke, she opened a drawer and carefully picked out a piece of candy, handing it over with an almost pleading look—after all, candy is expensive.
But Huai Yu simply grinned and took the candy, then pulled out a paper-wrapped package from her backpack and handed over two translucent yellowish rock candies.
“Sister, I’ll treat you to this too.”
The young nurse’s hand holding the candy was caught by Huai Yu, and a cool sensation spread across her palm. By the time she realized what happened, Huai Yu had already wrapped the rock candy back up and walked far away.
The two nurses exchanged glances, and after a moment, they quickly popped the candy into their mouths.
“This one has no wrapping, might as well eat it quickly… Mmm!”
The two stared wide-eyed as they tasted it, “So sweet! Pure sweetness!” It was way better than the plant-extract calming sweetener candy blocks the hospital gave out!
Meanwhile, Huai Yu had quietly entered the right corridor.
On both sides of the corridor were different consultation rooms. A row of benches outside had a few people sitting on them, either receiving IV drips or having physical disabilities. Everyone’s expressions were negative and tired. Just passing through the corridor made Huai Yu feel a sense of heaviness.
It was definitely right for her to come back to the hospital.
Otherwise, in this environment, Zhou Qian must feel lonely and pitiful all alone while fitting his prosthesis!
But… why did the nurse say that family members shouldn’t watch?
She frowned, wondering: Could it be because some basic rehabilitation exercises are done during the fitting process, and they’re afraid it would be embarrassing if it looks too clumsy in front of family members?
It shouldn’t be. Isn’t rehabilitation training precisely when family should accompany to offer support and confidence?
While she pondered, she reached the end of the corridor. Just as she was about to enter the room, a middle-aged woman walked out of a nearby ward, chatting with the doctor beside her. Huai Yu narrowly avoided colliding with her.
She quickly moved to the side but forgot she was carrying the backpack, which bumped against the wall and almost sprang back into the woman’s path.
Fortunately, the woman seemed in a good mood. She wore a prosthetic foot that matched her skin tone, and she firmly supported Huai Yu with her hands.
“Be careful.”
Then she continued speaking to the doctor beside her. “I feel it’s very suitable, and there’s not much pain while adjusting.”
As she spoke, she stomped her foot twice.
The woman’s prosthesis was attached below the knee, and the skin tone seemed natural. There was no noticeable joint friction sound as she walked.
From her movements and coordination, it seemed like she could walk almost as if she were a normal person. If that’s the case, the prosthesis should allow her to live a life similar to an ordinary person.
The doctor smiled gently. “Yes, the prosthetics in our country are gentle and have a high compatibility rate. Foreign countries have to import them from here.”
“Plus, the initial data collection was very detailed, and you’ve done well maintaining it. Now it’s officially installed, so take it slow for now and observe how it feels while walking.”
The doctor’s voice was calm and reassuring. The middle-aged woman’s face relaxed, and she continued walking forward without hesitation.
Huai Yu instinctively looked at her a bit longer, curious about what color Zhou Qian had chosen—does he like bright red?
If there was a bright red prosthetic leg, it would surely stand out in the wilderness, wouldn’t it?
She turned her gaze toward the consultation room just now, her eyes full of anticipation.
After walking a few steps with the middle-aged woman, the doctor gave a few more instructions before turning back.
Seeing Huai Yu waiting expectantly at the door, the doctor couldn’t help but size her up and asked, “Little girl, are you here for the fitting yourself? I don’t see an appointment slip?”
He was curious, flipping through his notebook in the office.
“It’s not here. The only appointment for this afternoon is the one I just saw…”
He looked at Huai Yu. “Did you register?”
Huai Yu shook her head and quickly explained, “It’s not me, it’s my brother. He’s also here for a fitting. The nurse’s sister said it’s here, but…”
She looked around, realizing this was just a regular consultation room.
Outside was the doctor’s office, with various measurement models and auxiliary tools on the desk and the floor.
Inside the room was a glass door. From the outside, you could see a spacious area with armrests and several different colored and sized prosthetics nearby, likely for fitting practice.
However, Zhou Qian was nowhere to be seen.
The doctor flipped through his book again, and the large blank space at the bottom of the page made him furrow his brow.
“But I only have one appointment for today… The person I saw earlier. What’s your family member’s name?”
Huai Yu was also a bit confused, but she answered honestly, “Zhou Qian.”
She couldn’t help but glance at the sign on the door—it really was the right corridor and indeed the prosthesis fitting area!
To her surprise, the doctor’s eyes widened. “Your family member is Zhou Qian? That Zhou Qian?”
That… Zhou Qian? Which one?
Huai Yu furrowed her brow as she noticed the doctor sizing her up. Then, he looked at her sympathetically. “You two siblings have been relying on each other. Life must have been tough, huh?”
“I thought the military’s welfare was good, so you’d live a bit tighter in the future, but not this bad… But I still have to say, your brother is truly remarkable!”
Huai Yu was even more confused. She was about to ask something when the doctor gently patted her shoulder, shifting her direction.
“He’s given so much for your family. Little girl, take good care of your brother in the future!”
As he spoke, he nudged her toward the door.
“Ah, you’ve gone to the wrong consultation room. He’s in the room at the far end—the New Biomaterials Fusion Room.”
