Open His Eyes
He didn't know how long he'd been asleep. When John Samus opened his eyes again, the dim light still made him squint.
A steady beep sounded in his ear. The vital signs monitor was running, which meant he was... still alive!
Thank God!
He slowly raised the hand with a blood oxygen monitor clipped to his finger and examined it closely. At least he could still move his limbs. His central nervous system hadn't been affected, which meant any aftereffects would be minimal. Perfect!
Soft footsteps approached, followed by Budani's voice in John Samus's ear.
"Mr. John, you're awake?"
John Samus asked, "Mm! Budani, how long was I asleep?"
Doctor Budani answered respectfully, "Just four hours!"
Four hours?
John was momentarily stunned. It was much shorter than he'd imagined. He'd thought he would be out for at least three days and nights.
After all, they'd cracked open his skull. Even the slightest disturbance could cause unpredictable harm.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, he asked, "How long did the surgery take?"
Brain surgery could take anywhere from a few hours to several days. It all depended on the case, and the surgeons might have to take turns.
For all he knew, Li Bai had worked on him for twenty-four hours, and he'd only just woken after sleeping for four. He could've closed his eyes and opened them to find an entire day and night had passed.
"Half an hour, and then it was over!"
Even now, recalling it, Doctor Budani still found it hard to believe. It was like a dream.
They'd opened the skull, inserted the probe, sent out the interference signal, severed the neurons, and finished up—all in one smooth sequence, right down to the final handwashing.
The entire time, Li Bai had been unbelievably steady.