War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1526 Blasphemy

This morning when people woke up filled with worry. Everyone once again sat around the low table at the rear of the ambulance, waiting for Ed and Hanward who had left in a hurry to bring back everyone's breakfast. They also took the opportunity to open the packages they had just received from the hot air balloon.

The couple with the sewing machine and cradle looked the biggest, and they took them out while introducing them.

"This is Tuerqi's specialty coffee. It's more refreshing than cigarettes."

As the sewing machine spoke, it took out a large glass canning jar and said, "I asked my mother to grind the coffee beans for me in advance. This can save us a lot of precious time."

“This is a gift for you.”

As Cradle spoke, she had already opened a cloth bag and took out a bunch of blue glass pendants of different sizes and distributed them to everyone.

"What is this?" Edelweiss asked curiously as she took the pendant that belonged to her.

"This is the blue eyes that the rabbit rides on"

The sewing machine explained, "It is a very effective amulet. If it breaks one day, it will help you bear a misfortune."

“Hopefully it works”

As Edelweiss spoke, she reached out and pulled out her platinum necklace from her collar, and hung the blue glass pendant, which was about the size of a fifty-cent coin, and the military ring together.

“Of course it works”

The sewing machine said confidently, and at the same time stood up, picked up the largest blue eye pendant, walked to the front of the car, opened the driver's door, leaned over and hung it on the rearview mirror.

“Those are photographic papers?”

Wei Ran pointed at the remaining cardboard boxes in the boxes that the couple had packed and asked.

"Yes, Polaroid film."

Cradle explained proudly, "Since I joined MSF, I have taken a photo every time a baby is delivered. I am about to deliver the 500th little angel."

"It's time to see what gift I got," Edelweiss said as she tore open her package.

There were only two tin boxes placed together in her box. One of the boxes looked particularly familiar to Wei Ran. In later lives, Yashar, the son of the sewing machine and cradle, came to him with that tin box.

“This is Mozart Chocolate Ball!”

Edelweiss said, having already opened the large tin box and generously placed it in the middle of the table, "Try them all, this is my favorite candy."

Before anyone could say anything, Edelweiss opened a second small tin box, which contained a piece of slightly melted chocolate cake.

The moment she saw the cake, Edelweiss burst into tears without any warning.

"what happened to you?"

Seeing this, Cradle quickly moved over, took the petite girl in his arms and comforted her.

"It's okay, I'm fine."

Edelweiss sniffed with tears and laughter, pointed at the cake that almost filled the tin box and seemed to be melting, and said, "That's Sachertorte. Do you know Princess Sissi? That's her favorite cake. Every year on my birthday, my mother would buy me a piece of this cake."

As she spoke, Edelweiss pulled out a few long and thin candles from the box that had melted together and turned into thin strips of spicy noodles.

When she saw these candles, the young girl couldn't help but curl her lips and cried pitifully again.

Looking at the cradle and sewing machine that were busy comforting Edelweiss, the little translator Rama who hugged Edelweiss's neck and called her mother, and even the little girl Dalal who hugged her from behind and hummed Arabic folk songs softly.

Wei Ran looked at them silently. He could see that Edelweiss, no, Clara, Clara Holler, was undoubtedly being "spoiled" like a little princess at home.

Perhaps because of this, she can freely pursue her dreams and inner persistence, and can cry loudly when she feels wronged.

But look at those two girls whose combined ages are only the same as hers!

At the age when they should have been treated as little princesses, they were experiencing the endless flames of war, so that at such a young age, they had already learned to hold back their tears and comfort people who were much more mature than themselves.

Wei Ran puffed up his chest and took a deep breath to relieve the bitterness in his heart. He stood up and walked into the tent, turned around as a cover, and took out the Nikon camera from the metal notebook.

Sitting back in his original position, Wei Ran raised the camera that he had adjusted, used the viewfinder to frame Edelweiss who was crying more and more sadly, as well as the girls around her who were comforting her, and gently pressed the shutter.

"what?"

Edelweiss looked up at Wei Ran blankly, obviously not expecting him to take out a camera to take a picture of her at this time.

"Look at you"

Wei Ran deliberately joked, "You were so moved that you cried because of the cake your parents sent. Of course I have to take a picture of it. You can send it to your parents later."

"I"

"We can celebrate your birthday again tonight."

Wei Ran pointed to the bulging old newspapers in Edelweiss's package box and said, "Besides, there seems to be something else in there."

Hearing this, Edelweiss, whose attention was successfully diverted, subconsciously looked at the package box, tore open the layers of newspaper, and took out a cosmetic bag with LV pattern from it.

Without avoiding the crowd, and even forgetting to wipe away the "riverbed" of tears that had washed out on her face smeared with black stains, Edelweiss had already opened the small package, and then saw various cosmetics, a group photo, and a letter.

“These are my mom, dad and grandpa.”

Edelweiss pointed at the people in the photo and introduced them to everyone one by one, but then she couldn't help but shed tears again, "I miss them."

The sewing machine and the cradle looked at each other, then looked at Wei Ran who raised the camera and pressed the shutter again.

After hesitating for a moment, Cradle sighed and said, "Edelweiss, no, Clara, go home, take Rama, take Ed, take Hanward and Dalal away from the fence."

"No, I won't go." Edelweiss and 11-year-old Rama made the same decision almost in unison.

"We won't leave here," said the young translator Rama without even thinking, "We won't go anywhere until we get our land back."

“You will die here”

The sewing machine said seriously, he now regarded the 11-year-old Rama as an adult.

"I know," Rama smiled brightly, "I knew it a long time ago. We all knew it."

"If you really want to do something, you should leave."

Cradle earnestly advised, "You should use the time now to learn a lot of things. If you become a doctor in the future, you can save more people when you come back here.

If you become influential politicians, you can save more lives than doctors.

Even if you receive formal training and become truly qualified soldiers, you can kill more enemies. "

"We want to, too, but those Jews won't give us so much time." Rama gave an extremely cruel answer with great clarity.

"I will stay and help you." Edelweiss wiped away her tears, hugged Rama and made her promise.

Just at this moment, Ed and Hanward also came in from outside, bringing back breakfast for everyone.

"Before breakfast starts, let's take a look at what good things are in my parcel." Wei Ran changed the subject at the right time and opened the package in front of him.

Unfortunately, compared to the previous two packages, the contents of this package were much simpler: a pack of Marlboro cigarettes, a hip flask that originally belonged to the metal book, and a Panasonic RF-2200 radio, that was all.

"After we finish our meal, why don't we take a group photo?"

Wei Ran said as he tore open a cigarette and generously distributed most of it to the sewing machine and his wife Cradle. "It just so happens that I have new film, and we can listen to the radio without restraint at night, as long as we have enough batteries."

“We should definitely take a picture!”

Yaolang was the first to respond to Wei Ran's suggestion, "Whether we stay here or leave early, we should take some photos.

Also, we should have a radio that works without starting the car! We could put it in the operating room!"

"That's right!" The sewing machine also responded, "Let's eat faster and take more pictures."

At the couple's suggestion, Edelweiss, who had just hurriedly read the letter from home, nodded and put away the letter in her hand.

After hurriedly eating a simple breakfast, Wei Ran immediately asked Ed and Hanward to open the garage door and lift the thick curtains to let the bright morning sunshine into the garage. Then he asked everyone to wash the stains on their faces, and let Edelweiss wash away the tear marks on their faces.

Directing the adults and children to stand in two rows at the front of the car, Wei Ran placed the camera on a 200-liter empty oil drum to find a good angle, then pressed the selfie lever and quickly ran over to stand next to Edelweiss.

After taking the first group photo, he immediately called his four little helpers to stand in front of the car and took a group photo with them.

"It's your turn"

Wei Ran stood right in front of the car with the sewing machine and cradle, and took a photo of them from a good angle.

Wei Ran hadn't had time to breathe a sigh of relief after completing the return mission so easily, when Cradle suggested, "Veterinarian, let me take a photo of you and Edelweiss as well."

"My pleasure, beautiful lady." Wei Ran used a double meaning to praise the person who was going to take a photo with him, and the person who was going to help them take the photo.

He let Cradle arrange himself and Edelweiss to stand at the front of the car, and let the other party press the shutter towards them.

As one of the return tasks was completed in excess, Wei Ran took the radio and the portable wine flask, as well as a few packs of cigarettes. After the girls re-applied the black stains on their faces and locked the iron door of the garage, a group of adults and children walked towards the operating room they were in charge of.

Almost at the moment when Wei Ran turned on the radio that someone had sent him and tuned it to a French news channel, Dalal, who was guarding the door, pushed open the wooden door of the operating room. Immediately afterwards, Ed and Hanward each pushed in a wounded person.

“Another minefield”

Edelweiss made an accurate judgment with just one glance. While busy preparing for the operation, she complained, "How many mines did those bastards plant around Beirut?"

“I heard a lot of it has been cleaned up.”

It was 11's translator Rama who took over the topic. "Since the ceasefire, most of the wounded sent here in the past two days are demining engineers."

"It's only fair that those who laid the mines should be allowed to clear them," Cradle next door said angrily while injecting an anesthetic needle into a wounded man who was also injured by a landmine.

"If war were fair, there would be no need for war"

As Wei Ran spoke, he had already put on rubber gloves and picked up the surgical instruments that had been steamed and sterilized last night.

"We are just doctors," the sewing machine said, but there was more resentment and helplessness in his tone. The small talk stopped as Wei Ran and the sewing machine cut around the wound in no particular order, and the only sound in the operating room was the French broadcast with a little noise from the radio.

"Rama, please help change the music channel on the radio."

Just as Wei Ran began to sew up the broken wound, the sewing machine spoke again, "I can't help but be distracted by what's being said on the news."

"Will chatting distract you?" He asked while being completely unaffected and even alert to Wei Ran outside the operating room at all times.

"Of course not, what do you want to talk about?"

The sewing machine replied. His speed was much slower than Wei Ran's, but he treated the wounds much more carefully and neatly - just like his nickname.

Because of this, Wei Ran discovered yesterday evening that unless the situation was really urgent, the lightly injured, children, girls, and women in labor were all sent to the operating table in charge of the Sewing Machine couple.

In other words, the patients sent to his operating table were basically "urgent" and "serious" cases with a higher mortality rate.

Looking up at the silent Edelweiss across from him, Wei Ran asked, "What did you do before you met Cradle?"

"Pediatrician"

The sewing machine replied, "After get off work, I also work as a butcher in my father's shop, killing sheep, cows or chickens. I started this job when I was 12 years old."

“I also know a butcher.”

Wei Ran smiled and said, "She is French, and she is very good at slaughtering and castrating sheep."

"Your girlfriend? I noticed you were using her."

Cradle asked curiously. This time, even Edelweiss on the opposite side looked up at Wei Ran. Sure enough, gossip is human nature, regardless of age, nationality or skin color.

"No," Wei Ran replied with a smile, "She is half my boss and half my friend."

“It’s not a good idea to do business with friends”

The sewing machine said, "My dad was supposed to take over the barbecue shop left by my grandfather with his good friend, but my dad's friend was deceived by his good friend to participate in the Tide Moss War."

"Then what?" Wei Ran asked with interest.

"Then my poor father was captured by the Chinese, but he unexpectedly spent a very happy time in the prisoner-of-war camp. He even learned a unique bread-making technique from the Chinese."

"Where are his friends?" Edelweiss, who was originally in a low mood, couldn't help but ask.

“He never joined the army.”

Sewing Machine said, “He was my grandfather’s apprentice, and he just wanted my dad to die in the war so that he could take over the restaurant my grandfather ran.

Later, my grandfather learned the truth from the letters my father sent home from the prisoner-of-war camp, and he expelled my father's friends. "

After telling the story of his father in a few words, Sewing Machine took the initiative to change the topic to his son, "I am not interested in running a restaurant. I would rather be the great doctor in my father's story.

But I think my son Yashar will definitely be interested in inheriting the restaurant. Ever since the cradle gave birth to Yashar, my father no longer cares about our lives. "

“He still cares”

Cradle corrected, "Why else would there be so many blue eyes in every package sent to us."

"hope so"

The sewing machine shrugged nonchalantly, "I won't go back to inherit the restaurant anyway. I hate the smell in the kitchen. I prefer the smell and atmosphere in the operating room."

"Danglang"

Before he finished speaking, Wei Ran had already dropped the scalpel and started suturing.

"Hey? Have you treated the wound?" After the sewing machine said this, it did not forget to stick its head through the curtain to look at Wei Ran.

"While you are telling the story," Wei Ran said as he started to sew.

"Actually, I've been wanting to ask you for a long time, how come you can process it so quickly?"

The sewing machine couldn't help but ask, "What did you do before?"

"In the past"

Wei Ran smiled and continued to sew up the blood vessels while answering, "I used to be a medic."

"Medic? Which unit?" Edelweiss joined the conversation and asked.

"The American Seabee Battalion, the Engineer Corps, the people there are a bunch of scum and beasts." Wei Ran couldn't help but mutter, but a smile appeared on his face covered by a mask.

"No wonder your nickname is Veterinarian." Cradle accurately found the source of Wei Ran's nickname.

Before everyone could continue the topic, the door of the operating room was pushed open by Dalal, and then the girl said something in a trembling voice.

"What's wrong?" Edelweiss asked Rama.

"There is a Falange Party"

Before Rama could finish his words, a soldier with an AK roughly pushed open the wooden door, knocking Dalal, who was guarding the door, to the ground.

Following closely behind, two more Falangist soldiers walked in, each grabbing Ed and Hanward by the collar and pointing their pistols at the back of their heads.

Immediately after, a stretcher was pushed in. On the stretcher, there lay a man in uniform with a large ring on his hand. There was a gunshot wound on the man's shoulder.

"Save the Major, or you will all die."

Before he finished speaking, the first person who came in had already walked to the operating table where Wei Ran and Edelweiss were in charge, and reached out to push away the wounded patient whose wound Wei Ran was stitching.

However, before he could exert any force, Wei Ran had already picked up a scalpel and placed it between the palms of his hands.

His sudden action immediately made the two soldiers following behind him nervous.

"I can make a cut on your thumb and sew your thumb into your asshole."

Wei Ran said calmly in English, "We will rescue the people, you need to get out, and especially don't threaten my assistant.

Also, this is an operating room run by Doctors Without Borders. If you want us to save the person on the stretcher, put down your weapons and wait outside."

"Are you threatening me?" asked the Falange member with a scalpel against his neck, suppressing the trembling in his voice.

"This is not a threat. This is the operating room of Doctors Without Borders. It is open to anyone who is injured, provided that we are not threatened and no one enters here with a gun. This is the rule of the game."

While Wei Ran was speaking, he simply put down the scalpel and said, "It's your turn now. If you want to shoot, do it as soon as possible. Finally, I want to remind you that the major's wound is very close to his lung cavity. If you continue to delay, he will be drowned by his own blood sooner or later."

"Save Him First"

"no problem"

Wei Ran said happily, "Put down your weapons, let go of our people, and then leave the operating room and wait. Your bodies are not clean, and staying nearby will infect his wound."

"What's your name?"

"You can always ask me what size underwear I wear," Wei Ran said, picking up the needle holder again, "I have plenty of time to waste."

Hearing this, the Falange member finally waved his hand, and the two subordinates behind him also let go of Ed and Hanward.

"Put down your weapons and wait outside," Wei Ran continued, "This is our rule."

"You can guarantee rescue"

"No one can guarantee that, not even an omnipotent God can make such a guarantee."

Wei Ran didn't care about the gun pointed at him at all, and said with an extremely confident tone, "I can only guarantee that I am the most skilled person in this hospital, and I can also guarantee that if you delay any longer, your boss will have to wait for death."

"Go out, I trust this gentleman."

The major lying on the stretcher finally spoke despite the pain - he used Hebrew, which Wei Ran paid special attention to.

Upon hearing this, the Falange member finally took his weapon and left the operating room with his men.

"Can you continue to sew?" Wei Ran asked the frightened Edelweiss.

Hearing this, the latter shuddered, then nodded hurriedly.

"Let me help you"

As Cradle said this, he had already taken off his gloves and walked over, while asking Wei Ran, "Can you do it yourself?"

"no problem"

Wei Ran also took off his gloves, but then he took out a portable wine flask from his jeans pocket that he couldn't put into the metal notebook, unscrewed it, took a sip, and then handed it to Edelweiss.

The latter was stunned for a moment, then took off his gloves and mask, took the wine jug and took a sip of the spicy wine - it contained golden millet wine.

"Help me hold it first."

Wei Ran did not take the wine jug, but put on his gloves again, gave the major, who still had the strength to howl, an injection of painkiller, and pushed him under the gas lamp, facing the door of the operating room, unscrupulously showing his colleagues in the operating room the true roughness and efficiency of a veterinarian.

He cut the wound open in no time, and accidentally scratched the joint ligament on purpose. After carving out a severely deformed lead bullet, under the dull gaze of everyone including the children, he quickly rubbed the needle holder on the sole of his shoe, and then slowly and carefully began to sew it.

"gollum"

Sewing Machine couldn't help swallowing his saliva. He knew that even if the major on the hospital bed was lucky enough not to die from the infection, he would probably have to face the festering of the wound soon, and he might even have to undergo an amputation operation that was actually not necessary at all.

Did this asshole vet swear by Hippocrates’ wife?

This is a blasphemy against professional ethics!

The sewing machine, who was watching all this clearly, couldn't help but shouting wildly in his heart, but what made him even crazier was that he actually saw expressions of amazement and admiration in the eyes of his wife and Edelweiss, and even in the eyes of those children!