2030_ The Real Story of What Happens to America - Albert Brooks [115]
Jumbo jets flew in the materials for the entire small city over a five-day period. In another six days, it was up and running. Eleven days from “take-off to shower,” as the Chinese liked to say. The United States had never seen anything like it. Most people had the same reaction: “Thank God they’re building and not attacking, because no one could survive this kind of coordination.”
* * *
Shen Li had toured and become familiar with each army triage center. He also toured the hospitals to see if any were salvageable. They were not. Too many foundation cracks and, quite frankly, Li hated their layout. He was happy for an excuse to tear them down and rebuild to his liking. Even a hospital in San Bernardino that could have been repaired rather easily was tagged for demolition. When asked why by the city council, Li answered, “Look at it.” The city didn’t know what that meant, as it looked fine to them. But when the Chinese showed them drawings of what they intended to build, the city wanted the old hospital torn down immediately. As one city council member told the press, “I never knew this thing was so ugly. It was like seeing your wife for the first time without makeup.” When he got home that night it was not pleasant.
Li knew that until the infrastructure was built it would be hard to put his style of health care fully in place. But he wanted to try. He started to integrate staff he brought from China, telling the Army Corps of Engineers, who had built and were running the temporary hospitals, that they deserved a break and, since he was going to be responsible for the health of Los Angeles anyway, he would be happy to start early while construction was just beginning. The Army Corps of Engineers was elated. There was no ego there. They hated this job, they wanted out, and they would have dumped every sick person on Li in five minutes if they could. So, of course, they agreed to whatever he suggested. Li introduced his Chinese staff to the triage units and asked them just to observe and be respectful of their American counterparts. But after a very short period of time, they began to take over.
Shen Li was right when he guessed that no psychological treatment was being offered to people on any meaningful scale. His nursing staff immediately made the temporary health tents more comfortable. They put in plants, played soothing music, and tried many different color schemes. The army watched with a degree of cynicism. They didn’t really understand what a ficus would do for a broken arm, but they didn’t resist. And, just as Li predicted, the patients responded positively. After living through one of the greatest earthquakes the world had ever seen, the people in Los Angeles thought no one would ever care about them again, so even these small measures made a huge impression. The Chinese were a breath of hope. And word spread quickly.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
As the last bag was put in the trunk of the car, Brad Miller gave his granddaughter a big hug good-bye.
“I’m going to miss you, Grandpa.”
“You are? You seldom give any indication of that.”
“Is that you being funny?”
“Sort of. I’m going to miss you, too, honey. I enjoyed our late-night talks.”
“What late-night talks?” Crystal asked.
“That’s between me and her. Private stuff.” Crystal looked worried. The last thing she wanted was for Tom’s father to be filling her daughter’s head with his ideas.
“Are you coming back, Grandpa?”
“Not for a long time, honey. Maybe never.”
“Can we come visit?”
“That’s up to your dad. Maybe when the ship rolls back into San Francisco you can drive up and say hi. Or come see me when