Survival in the last days of America

With Anna's help, the young nurse slowly rose from the floor. When she suddenly heard Anna say she would teach her how to suture, she froze, utterly confused, staring at the girl who had just helped her.

Seeing her expression, Anna didn't elaborate. She simply took the needle from the nurse's hand, crouched down beside the large man's leg, and began preparing.

"Hey! Do you even know what you're doing?!"

The man, realizing that this teenage girl had now taken over his treatment, panicked. His voice trembled as he tried to pull his leg away.

"Don't move!"

Anna firmly pressed down on his leg, then snapped her head up to glare at him. She turned to Brian and the others watching from the crowd.

"You three—hold him down! Don't let him move!"

"Got it!"

Sarah and Alan, who had been watching the scene with amused curiosity like it was a show, now sprang into action with excitement, rushing forward to pin the man's injured leg in place.

Brian could only shake his head with a faint smile at their enthusiasm, then calmly stepped forward to join them.

"I'm about to start suturing," Anna said, finishing her preparations. She leaned slightly forward, positioning the needle at the end of the long wound. But remembering that no anesthetic had been used, she hesitated and added in a low, warning tone, "This is going to hurt. So don't move—no matter what. If you do, you'll only make it worse."

The man, who had been loud and aggressive moments earlier, now looked terrified. He shrank back, sweat beading on his forehead, his entire body trembling. He was clearly terrified of the needle.

Brian raised an eyebrow, recalling how the man had screamed at the nurse just minutes ago. Now, he suspected the man's earlier bravado was just a mask—underneath, he was deeply afraid of pain and medical procedures.

Without a word, Brian stepped behind the man, paused briefly, then gently covered his eyes with one hand. In a soft, soothing voice—like an adult comforting a frightened child—he whispered into the man's ear:

"It's okay… it's okay. You don't need to see it. Just hold on. It'll be over soon."

Whether it was because he couldn't see the needle anymore or because of Brian's calming voice, the man's tense body gradually relaxed. His breathing slowed, and miraculously, he stayed still.

Anna, the needle hovering mid-air, glanced at Brian in surprise. She didn't understand how he had calmed the man so quickly.

But she didn't have time to dwell on it. She lowered her gaze, guided the needle through the skin, and began suturing with swift, precise movements. As she worked, she quietly explained the technique and steps to the young nurse watching beside her.

The moment the needle pierced the skin, the man's body jerked violently. Pain flashed across his face, and his leg twitched instinctively. But Sarah and Alan held him firmly in place, preventing any major movement.

All the nurses—male and female—were now watching Anna's hands with rapt attention. They observed her skill, listened to her instructions, and absorbed every detail like students in a live demonstration.

Anna worked quickly. Despite the wound being long and deep, she finished the suturing in no time.

As soon as she tied off the final stitch, a wave of awe spread through the room. Some people even began clapping unconsciously, impressed by what they had just witnessed.

The novice nurses looked at Anna with pure admiration. Just minutes ago, they had viewed her with doubt and skepticism. Now, their eyes shone with respect.

"That's it," Anna said, wiping sweat from her forehead as she set down the tools and stood up. "Now it's your turn."

She gestured to the nurse who had been on the floor, signaling her to finish dressing the wound and complete the aftercare.

When Brian finally removed his hand from the man's eyes, the man looked down at his stitched leg. Then he glanced at Anna standing nearby. His expression turned awkward, almost sheepish. After a moment of hesitation, he mumbled:

"Uh… thanks."

"No problem," Anna replied with a kind smile, showing no resentment for his earlier behavior.

Then she turned and started walking back toward the waiting area, calling to Brian, Sarah, and Alan:

"Let's go. We should keep waiting…"

But just as Anna turned away, she stopped abruptly.

Standing right behind her was a woman in her thirties, wearing a white lab coat and black-rimmed glasses. She was smiling faintly, her eyes carefully studying Anna, making her feel slightly uneasy.

"Hi," Anna said, forcing a polite smile. "Can I help you?"

"Who taught you how to suture like that?" the woman asked, her eyes filled with admiration as she recalled Anna's expert technique.

"Dr. April!"

Before Anna could answer, the nearby nurses quickly stood up and called out to the woman.

Dr. April turned to them, her gentle expression instantly turning stern. With a tone of clear authority, she snapped:

"What are you standing around for? You just saw how it's done—finish treating the patients!"

She didn't wait to see them scramble back to work. Instead, she turned her attention back to Anna.

Anna now realized this was Dr. April, the clinic's only experienced physician. Remembering the question, she answered:

"My mother was a deputy head nurse. She taught me everything…"

"Oh!" Dr. April pushed her glasses up with a finger, clearly surprised.

She had assumed Anna had some training, but she hadn't expected her mother to hold such a high position in the medical hierarchy.

"Where are you working now?" she asked directly.

"In a food processing factory," Anna replied.

Dr. April frowned, confused.

"With your medical skills, why were you assigned to manual labor? Why didn't you say anything?"

Anna hesitated, then said quietly, "I never told anyone."

Dr. April narrowed her eyes, as if sensing Anna didn't want to say more. She didn't press further.

"What's your name?"

"Anna."

Dr. April nodded slowly, hands in the pockets of her coat. Without another word, she turned and walked back upstairs. Within seconds, she disappeared from sight.

Anna stared at the spot where she had been, baffled. She couldn't understand why the doctor had questioned her so intensely and then left so suddenly.

"Let's go," Brian said, breaking the silence.

Seeing that the situation had calmed, Brian called the others back to reality. He walked to the waiting area and took a seat in the back row, near the window, gazing out at the residents walking on the street, quietly waiting.

Sarah and Alan, seeing him, quickly took Anna's hand and sat down beside Brian.

"Hey," Anna asked, turning to Brian, who was looking out the window. "What do you think the doctor meant by all those questions?"

She knew that although Brian looked like just a kid, he was incredibly intelligent and deeply perceptive about people.

Brian, chin resting on his hand as if he'd expected the question, didn't turn around.

"What else could it mean?" he said. "She's clearly interested in you."

"What? Interested in me?" Anna sat up straight, surprised.

"Of course," Brian replied, finally turning to face her. "I just noticed—apart from Dr. April, all the nurses here are complete beginners, barely trained. It'll take them a long time before they can work independently."

"But you just showed exceptional skill. And she asked about your background… I'd bet she's already thinking about transferring you here. Watch—before long, you'll be working at this clinic."

"That…"

Anna rubbed her forehead with a tired smile.

"I don't care whether I end up working here or not. I just hope the person we're looking for is the right one. That way, I can finally give Sylvia some answers…"

At the mention of Sylvia, all of them fell silent. They lowered their heads, lost in thought.

—Vroom! Vroom!

Suddenly, the roar of an engine echoed from outside. A military truck sped past the window, slowing to a stop in front of the clinic.

"She's here!" Brian whispered.

Anna, Sarah, and the others immediately snapped to attention, their eyes locked on the vehicle.

—Click.

The passenger door opened with a metallic sound. A young Black woman with a ponytail stepped out from the front seat. Moments later, several soldiers jumped down from the rear compartment and began unloading crates of medicine.

Anna and Sarah stared intently at the young woman, then glanced at the photograph in the pocket watch they were holding. After a brief pause, they exchanged a look—eyes wide with recognition and joy.

"It's her!" they shouted in unison.