Chapter 008: Force Majeure (5)
Hee-soo approached the person lying deepest inside the chamber.
He was about to put a breathing mask connected to one of the spare oxygen tanks on the young man.
However, he suddenly stopped.
The man's lips had already turned blue.
Damn it. What should I do?
He's already showing signs of severe oxygen deprivation.
Can he still breathe on his own?
I might have to intubate him immediately. Otherwise, he's going to die.
Hee-soo removed one of his gloves and placed his fingers against the man's carotid artery.
The pulse was extremely weak.
However, his heart was still beating.
First, I need to secure his airway.
Hee-soo immediately laid the unconscious man flat on his back.
Then he placed the spare breathing mask attached to his own oxygen tank over the man's face.
After that, he rolled up his gloves and placed them underneath the man's neck to support it.
The man was completely unconscious and offered no resistance.
If Hee-soo simply left him lying flat, the man's tongue could fall backward and block his airway.
That was why he had used his gloves to support the man's neck.
He then opened the oxygen tank's valve as much as possible.
There's no telling when we'll be able to rescue the other two.
I need to buy as much time as possible down here.
I just hope their conditions aren't too serious...
Despite his worries, Hee-soo immediately removed his face mask and set down his oxygen tank.
He then grabbed the remaining two oxygen tanks and approached the other victims.
He briefly opened the valve of one of the tanks he was carrying and took a deep breath.
Then he placed its breathing mask over one of the unconscious workers.
He quickly repeated the process with the other worker.
After fitting both men with breathing masks and opening their oxygen valves, their breathing gradually began to recover.
Phew.
At least these two don't seem to be suffering from severe poisoning.
They haven't stopped breathing either.
After confirming that both men were breathing on their own, Hee-soo returned to the young man.
He put his own oxygen tank back on and secured his face mask.
However, the moment he took his first breath, he staggered slightly.
Ah...
Even though I removed my mask for only a moment, I think some toxic gas managed to get inside.
Does that mean there's toxic gas in this chamber too?
He wasn't particularly worried about his own safety.
Instead, he was concerned about the condition of the young man, who had been lying inside the chamber for an unknown length of time.
To help the young man suffering from cyanosis breathe more effectively, Hee-soo moved the man's arms outward, giving his chest room to expand.
Since Hee-soo was wearing his face mask, he couldn't perform rescue breathing through the young man's mouth or nose.
He continued assisting the man's breathing.
After some time, the other two workers began regaining consciousness.
They might panic if I'm not careful.
Even while helping the young man breathe, Hee-soo tried to reassure the two workers who were waking up.
The rescue team will arrive shortly. If you stay calm and wait here, they'll get you out.
I've connected each of you to a separate oxygen tank, so you should have enough oxygen to remain safe for at least thirty minutes.
Don't breathe too quickly. Try to remain calm and take slow, steady breaths.
One of the workers regained consciousness first.
He struggled to look around.
Then his gaze settled on the young man Hee-soo was desperately trying to save.
Don't worry about him. I've already provided him with emergency treatment.
The two workers weakly nodded.
Neither appeared to have enough strength to speak.
Hee-soo continued explaining.
The man I'm treating right now is in critical condition. That's why we're going to take him out before either of you.
As long as you have those oxygen tanks, you should be safe. Please wait a little longer.
One of the workers struggled to speak through his oxygen mask.
Please... I'm begging ya. That Min-hyuk kid... He's working here to pay his tuition.
It's his very first day working at this place.
And now this happened to him...
We don't matter. Just... please save that kid.
The other worker, who had entered the chamber with him, also nodded weakly.
We've already lived long enough. We ain't got any regrets.
At that moment, a notification suddenly appeared on Hee-soo's HUD.
[Successfully Rescued: 2 People]
[2 Days Added to Your Lifespan]
So the system considers them rescued even though I haven't brought them back to the surface yet.
But still...
They're in danger themselves, yet they're begging me to save someone else first.
Hee-soo found the situation unfamiliar.
Until now, he had believed that people would never willingly risk their own lives for someone else.
Especially not for someone who wasn't even a member of their family.
Yet these two men were placing a complete stranger's life above their own.
Hee-soo spoke reassuringly.
Both of you will make it back to the surface safely today. So please don't worry too much.
The moment he finished speaking, Captain Gu climbed down into the chamber.
What the hell? There are more people down here?
Yes. Three in total.
Those two have regained consciousness, but this man is showing severe symptoms of oxygen deprivation.
He's in the most critical condition, so we need to rescue him first. Has the emergency medical team arrived?
No. It'll take them at least another five minutes. Depending on the situation, it might take even longer.
This man is our top priority.
We need to get him out first, so please secure a rescue harness around him.
Those two should recover enough to climb out on their own after a little more time.
They can come up once the other rescue team members arrive.
Also, this man's oxygen tank needs to be replaced. Please give me the oxygen tank you brought.
Understood.
Captain Gu was carrying a rescue harness and an oxygen tank.
Hee-soo immediately took the oxygen tank and connected it to the unconscious man.
Meanwhile, Captain Gu quickly fitted the man with a rescue harness so that he could be lifted out of the chamber.
All right. It's securely fastened.
By then, a rescue rope had already been lowered from above.
Hee-soo immediately attached the rope to the victim's harness.
He also secured the man's head in a tilted-back position to prevent his airway from becoming blocked during the ascent.
Hee-soo tugged on the rope twice.
The rope immediately began rising.
Hee-soo moved toward the ladder, preparing to follow the victim.
However, Captain Gu grabbed him.
What the hell are you doing? We've still got people down here who need rescuing!
This man is in a much more critical condition.
The emergency medical team still hasn't arrived, right?
That's true, but what exactly are you planning to do once you get up there?
I might have to intubate him.
W-what? Are you going to do that yourself?
Hee-soo didn't bother waiting for Captain Gu's response.
He immediately started climbing the ladder.
Captain Gu was completely dumbfounded.
That little bastard!
However, he didn't have time to get angry.
He still needed to take care of the remaining two victims.
