Qi Yue was awakened by an alarm clock.
This was her specially-made alarm for night shifts, all too familiar…
“Am I on duty today?” She rubbed her head and sat up, everything bright and white before her eyes.
White lights, white walls, white desk, and on the desk a messy pile of books, pens, medical records, and a stack of instant noodle cups.
This was her… office!
“Dr. Qi…” Someone knocked on the door while pushing it open. “There’s an emergency…”
Qi Yue stared blankly at the person entering.
This person was twenty-four or twenty-five, chubby, with shoulder-length short hair, wearing a nurse’s uniform, and holding IV equipment, clearly busy.
“Xiao Huang?” she called out. “How are you here too?”
“Sister Qi, we’re on the same shift.” Xiao Huang smiled, looking at her in confusion. “Are you okay?”
Qi Yue suddenly stood up from the bed.
Really…
I’m back! I’m back!
She laughed heartily, walked over in a few steps and hugged Xiao Huang.
“Sister Qi, are you really okay?” Xiao Huang asked, somewhat frightened and amused, holding up the IV equipment. “Be careful of the needle…”
“Xiao Huang, you don’t know, I had a dream that scared me to death…” Qi Yue said, patting her chest and laughing, looking around fondly. This was her office at Beijing Hospital, everything so familiar…
Wait… but…
“Wasn’t I in the countryside…” she said dazedly.
“Hurry up, there’s an emergency.” Xiao Huang had already walked away quickly, calling to her as she went.
Qi Yue nodded. Everything gives way to emergencies. She put on the white coat hanging by the bed and rushed out.
The hospital corridor was quiet at night. Qi Yue ran toward the emergency room, knowing the way by heart.
From far away she could see nurses and doctors pushing a gurney, running toward her.
Qi Yue hurried to meet them.
“What’s the situation?” she called out loudly, reaching out to take the gurney.
The gurney and people quickly rushed toward her, then passed right through her body.
Qi Yue stood frozen in disbelief, staring at her hands.
Noisy sounds came from behind her. Qi Yue spun around and stared wide-eyed at the crowd that had already entered the emergency room.
I… this is…
“Dr. Qi… Dr. Qi…” someone called loudly.
Qi Yue responded loudly and ran toward the emergency room.
The emergency room door opened, and she could see the busy scene inside.
“Dr. Qi, the patient has a history of heart disease, blood pressure is dropping severely…” a doctor said loudly, urging anxiously. “Dr. Qi, Dr. Qi, please come quickly, please come quickly, hurry!”
Qi Yue felt her heart pounding violently. She responded loudly and rushed toward the door.
The door suddenly slammed shut. Qi Yue instinctively raised her hand to block it, felt her body shudder, and suddenly opened her eyes.
The room was pitch black—the kind of darkness impossible in modern society’s light-polluted environment.
She raised her hand, breathing heavily.
“Xiao Huang?” she called out.
No one answered.
Qi Yue got up from bed, trying to adapt to the darkness. A sudden thunderclap made her cry out in fright.
Lightning split the night sky, illuminating the room like daylight.
Qi Yue could clearly see the ancient, simple furnishings around her that definitely didn’t belong to the modern era.
So it was a dream…
After the thunder passed, Qi Yue got up and lit a lamp.
Another rumble of thunder rolled through the sky.
“Why is there thunder in the middle of winter?” she couldn’t help saying, while putting on her clothes.
After the thunder passed, noisy sounds came from outside.
“Fire… fire…” shouts seemed both far and near.
Fire? Did that mean a fire? Qi Yue suddenly remembered this phrase from Dream of the Red Chamber, and she hurriedly ran out.
Stepping out of her room, she saw half the western sky indeed glowing with firelight, smoke filling the air, and the noise growing more intense.
“How did a fire start out of nowhere?” she couldn’t help shouting loudly.