"I know you won't be able to stay still for long," Dr. Leah said, smiling teasingly.
Keiko just smiled and didn't refute her 'accusation'.
"Well… I'm going to thank you again, it seems. If it wasn't for you, I would have died outside the city this time," Alita said again.
"Don't mention it. After all, we were all on the same boat at the time. I wasn't only saving your life but also mine," Keiko said.
"What did you say? At that time, you even used your own body to protect us from the monsters. Are you trying to humblebrag in front of me?" Leah retorted, pretending to be angry.
Keiko shrugged, chuckling lightly, and said, "Alright then, I'll accept your thanks this time."
"That's the way," Alita happily patted Keiko's shoulder.
"Oh, speaking of which, how are Prof. Bailey and that adventurer now?"
"Both of them are still being treated in ICU. They haven't woken up yet," Dr. Leah said, "Major Armstrong and Major General Heisenberg have already assigned some guards to protect them."
Keiko nodded in understanding. With Jeanne's personality, there was no way that she wouldn't send some of her people to protect an important witness like Prof. Bailey.
"What about the two other nurses and also Corporal William and the female soldier?"
"The two nurses are fine. They have woken up and already started to work. Corporal William is also fine. His life has been saved, but because his injury is quite heavy, he still lies on the bed right now. But…" Dr. Leah's paused for a moment, and continued with a subtle hint of pity in her voice, "The female soldier is quite unlucky. Her right arm and the wound were also stained with Zerg blood. There's a high probability of infection."
"Then what?"
"She... there are still several hours of observation time left. If her condition continues to deteriorate, the only option is... to release her from her suffering."
Keiko was dumbfounded, not knowing how to respond.
In the end, no one said anything while they continued moving forward in silence.
As they passed by the hospital gate, Keiko caught a glimpse of countless ragged and dirty people gathered outside the hospital gate with worn and dirty cardboard boxes or mattresses underneath them, in simple tents, either sitting or lying down.
Keiko could see very eye-catching black collars wrapped around their necks. Her face suddenly sank, and a suffocating feeling surged within her heart.
'So many deviants… why are they gathering here?'
Alita could only sigh in her heart as she noticed Keiko's gaze.
"The three garrison areas that were lost… were all in the slums. These deviants were fortunate enough to escape with their lives and fled here to beg for help from the hospital. Unfortunately…"
Keiko suddenly had a feeling that she didn't want to hear what was coming next, but at the same time… there was no avoiding the truth.
"…The law stipulates that the deviants have no right to federal medical care, and their entry is barred from the hospital."
Keiko's eyes fell on the dozen or so heavily armed soldiers at the entrance of the hospital. This was probably the reason why these deviants dared not make trouble here.
But strangely, in spite of common hatred for deviants, the soldiers didn't drive them away and let them gather here.
"But why didn't the military just drive them away?" Keiko asked perplexedly.
"It's the order from Major General Frode," Dr. Leah replied, "Although he couldn't provide medical assistance to them, at least he could give them a safe place to live."
Keiko's good impression of General Frode shot up by one level immediately. It seemed that the leader of Trudheim city was genuinely concerned about the deviant. Even in such a wartime state, he does not forget to take care of them.
No wonder Trudheim was known as a paradise for deviants, and it was not surprising that some deviants even travelled long distances to come here from other places to make a living.
"I'll go out and have a look," Keiko supported her IV stand and stepped outside the hospital gate. Leah didn't stop her but just followed her from behind.
As soon as she and Leah emerged from the inside, many deviants quickly noticed them, or to be specific, had their eyes fixed on Alita, who was in a white coat.
A man suddenly knelt down and kowtowed with tears in his eyes, "Doctor, I beg you please save my wife. She's dying..."
A woman was lying on the ground beside him, unmoving. The woman's right leg was broken and only lightly bandaged with a dirty cloth. Her skin was extremely pale and lifeless.
Although Keiko wasn't a doctor, it was apparent to her that the woman had already long gone.
Meanwhile, Leah kept silent.
What could she do? They said that a doctor had the heart of a parent. Didn't she also want to treat them?
But she wasn't so naïve that she'd risk her own safety for the sake of a stranger.
After all, everybody knew that as long as you were a legal doctor, you were forbidden from treating a deviant, otherwise you would cause trouble for yourself.
Furthermore, the man's wife was obviously already dead. The man just deceived himself by insisting otherwise.
Seeing the man kowtowing, many mutineers in the surrounding area also followed suit, begging for Leah to save their relatives and loved ones.
Among them, there are many patients who could still be saved, but without immediate treatment, they wouldn't have a chance of survival.
However, Leah really couldn't lend a helping hand at all.
She staggered two steps back, her face grimacing in discomfort. A feeling of guilt and embarrassment washed over her.
The patrolling soldiers immediately noticed the commotion and shouted at the deviant to scram.
"You, all go back! Anyone who dares to cause trouble again will be executed on the spot! "
Hearing the soldiers' threat, all the deviants flinched, showing a face full of unwillingness and grief.
They still wanted to give it a try, but they were forced to hold back with all their might and forbearance to retreat.
A mother was wailing while holding her feverish child, and Keiko could hear her saying, "Son, it's your mother who wronged you..."
Keiko instantly felt like a big stone pressed upon her heart, making her extremely bitter and uncomfortable.
At this moment, Keiko suddenly saw that on the road outside the hospital square, there was a scrawny figure carrying a weak woman, staggering, walking towards the hospital with difficulty.
Keiko recognized them almost instantly; it was Diana and her mother, Sarah.
Keiko hurriedly pulled out the drip needle from the back of his hand and rushed toward her.
Leah, who was behind her, was startled and called her name out in reflex, "Keiko!? Where are you going?"
However, Keiko had already rushed out all the way.