Page 52 - KCN 2020

th eHAZMAT S to serve at the Central Hospital of Wuhan. Please report for
“Lee Wen Chuan, identity number 5510. You are
behind
U
duty by tomorrow morning. All travel expenses are covered
by the government. Good luck.”
I
His pupils dilated, his jaw dropped and his

T
heart sank. All of a sudden, words spoken by the cable news
anchor, “Over-panicked Chen”, and the annoying uncle
flashed across his mind. Internet photos of apocalyptic
CHANG QIAN HUNG WAN YOONG KEEN hospitals, deserted streets, and crowded cremation
sites vividly reappeared. He began staring blankly across the
room, distancing himself from the new year atmosphere he
“A mysterious virus is currently sweeping “Don’t take this matter lightly. I’d rather be safe craved not long ago.
across the Hubei province as the government scram- than sorry,” Aunt Chen replied, clearly agitated by Lee’s
bles to contain the outbreak.” provocation. Doubt and uncertainty raced through his
head “Why Wuhan? Why New Year’s Eve?” he thought
to himself while scrolling through the endless messages.
“Scientists are calling it the Wuhan Virus, fear- Wen Chuan resumed sweeping the car
ing a repeat of the 2003 SARS epidemic.” porch after the bizarre conversation with “Over- Most of his friends dodged the bullet and escaped the
panicked Chen”; at least that’s what he hadt decided “Lee Wen Chuan, identity number draft. Abdullah Dilmurat, a Uyghur colleague who had headed
“Acomplete lock-down is imposed on Wuhan, to call her. Preparations for the highly-anticipated for Wuhan last week, even avised him to defy orders
affecting millions days before the Lunar New Year New Year’s Eve dinner had begun and the Lee family 5510. You are to serve at the Central and stay put.
celebrations.” wasted no time as relatives started to flood the house. Hospital of Wuhan. Please report
for duty by tomorrow morning. “Complete melt-down in Wuhan, they won’t
Lee Wen Chuan chowed down on another bowl Golden-yellow rays illuminated from the All travel expenses are covered notice the absence of a single medical worker.” Ali texted,
of noodles before switching off the television and calling window panes as dusk approached. Wen Chuan before vanishing once again.
it a night. On the way to his room, he wished his parents switched off the television and headed for the dining by the government. Good luck.”
good night, something he has done daily without fail. table. This year, everyone seemed focused on the city Wen Chuan engulfed himself in deep thoughts.
He then placed his identity card beside his bed of Wuhan, which was just a stone’s throw away from The idea that Wuhan, a resource-rich metropolitan would ask
and went to sleep. Yichang. An uncle who has connections in Wuhan for help sounded surreal. Never had he believed that
didn’t even eat a single scoop of rice as he was busy the outbreak would spiral out of control, yet it has.
Before he became a medical worker at Yichang describing the outbreak in an exaggerated manner.
General Hospital, he would spend every New Year with He would have to make a decision. Would
his parents, something he had cherished since he was “Hear me out, the government is downplay- he follow Abu’s advice and ignore the calls for help, or
young. Unfortunately, such a reunion had not been pos- ing the whole thing. Do you know 50% of the people would he valiantly report to the frontlines, just like how
sible during his junior years as the hospital had deployed living there are infected? Everyone’s panicking every- his parents had 17 years ago during the SARS epidemic?
younger medical workers during the new year break. where, you know! My sources from WeChat never lie.”
Wen Chuan didn’t bat an eye at his uncle’s ramblings “What’s the matter, Wen?” his mother asked as she
“At last, I can spend this Chinese New Year and continued digging into his meal. After all, this had passed by the living room, finding her son staring at his
with my parents, just like the good old days.” he nothing to do with him, at least nothing that he knew of. phone, frozen in place.
thought to himself.
After helping out in the kitchen, Wen Chuan “Wen, Wen.....”
The next day, Aunt Chen who passes by every laid his exhausted body on the couch. His phone had
morning greeted him. But today she was dressed in a been buzzing all night long so he decided to check the His mother’s voice slowly faded in the cacophony
peculiar fashion, wearing a surgical face mask and carrying rows of notifications received. Solely expecting news of his mind.
a basket of hand sanitisers. Wen Chuan giggled and and group messages, his eyebrows raised when some-
was quick to gossip about the situation in Wuhan. one from the hospital sent a voice message to him.

“What are you so panicked for, it’s not
like you live beside the Wuhan Wet Market.”
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