Another day passed. The morning sun had yet to fully dispel the chill of the night when the nurse entered carrying a tray, a professional smile on her face that sent Gu Yue's heart pounding.
"Miss Gu, how are you feeling today? Uh... there's a small task. The IV needle in your hand has been in for several days and is a little clogged. The medication isn't flowing through very well, so we need to move it and insert a new one somewhere else."
The nerves that had only just eased a little after a good night's sleep instantly tensed. Almost instinctively, Gu Yue pulled her hand into her chest and warily glanced at the tray in the nurse's hands—the gleaming needle on it flashed with a chilling glint in the morning light.
She remembered the IV needle clearly. It was much thicker than an ordinary injection needle. When it went in, it felt like a nail being brutally hammered into her. Although she had gradually gone numb over the next few days, the foreign-body sensation and swelling pain had never gone away. And now, it had to be pulled out and hammered into another spot all over again? Just imagining it made Gu Yue's scalp tingle, and a layer of fine goosebumps rose on her arm.
"Do I really have to change it?" Gu Yue made one last struggle, her voice carrying an almost imperceptible tremble. "I think... it seems fine? The drip rate is fine too, isn't it?"
The nurse patiently explained, "Miss Gu, this is for your medication safety and the effectiveness of your treatment. Leaving an IV needle in for too long can easily cause blood clots and infection, and this one really isn't flowing smoothly anymore. Changing the site and putting in a new needle