Chapter 18: Poison and Medicine
Translator: Tseirp
“Bedroom?”
I ran down the hallway and opened the door to the bedroom .
There I saw a middle-aged man with pale complexion and bloodshot eyes collapsed on the floor groaning while holding his chest .
“Jackson!”
Newman immediately sat down beside him and checked his symptoms .
“Respiratory failure, sweating, fever, pain as well? He’s in bad shape, Red, please bring your medicine box over . ”
“Understood . ”
I quickly ran to the clinic, violently repacked the medicine that was taken out of the medicine box and once again ran back to Newman .
When I returned, Newman had cut open the patient’s shirt with his knife and was palpating his heartbeat .
“His heart is acting strangely too . ”
Newman immediately secured his airway to aid his breathing and administered first aid .
However, as he didn’t know the cause of it, he was unable to respond to it .
“Here . ”
I passed him the powdered medicine made from gray starfish grass I had inside my medicine box . It was a kind of antidote that would absorb poison inside the blood vessel and would be dispelled in a detoxified state .
“You can tell?”
“Just to alleviate the symptoms . I have reached mastery for my First Aid skill . ”
First Aid was a common skill that was pretty much backward compatible with the Treatment skill that was a unique skill held by Doctors .
As the effects were not cumulative, it was common for soldiers and adventurers to have some form of the skill . Even though it was not a skill that people who aspire to treat others will look for … the benefit of reaching mastery for this First Aid skill was 『Provisional Divine Doctor』 . Just that skill alone had a comparable effect to the highest level Treatment skill .
It could show the ways to relieve symptoms even without knowing the root cause of the illness .
In other words, instead of treating, it would relieve the pain or stop the bleeding, improve the condition from a critical one and create time until the patient can be properly treated using magic or surgery .
Newman showed a confused expression for an instant but he immediately regained his serious look and nodded before taking the medicine from me .
While Newman was performing his treatment, I searched the surroundings to investigate the root cause of his illness .
“Hn, this … ”
I immediately noticed a square piece of paper on the floor .
When I touched it, I could tell there was a small amount of powder left on its surface .
“Medicine huh?”
Those with Herbalist or Alchemist Divine Protection would be capable of identifying the medicine by just licking it a little but I didn’t have such an ability .
“Doctor Newman, I found this . ”
I showed him the paper .
“This … I see! Red-kun, please help me bring him to the clinic!”
“It’s all right to move him? Okay!”
As we didn’t have a stretcher, I held his head while Newman grabbed his feet and we carried him to the clinic .
The curious onlookers outside took the initiative to open a path when they saw us .
“Make way make way!”
While being led by the assertive voices of downtown folks, we returned to the clinic .
After a while, Jackson vomited a large amount and somewhat stabilized . He still looked to be in pain but he was breathing normally .
During that time, Newman, with a scrunched up face, picked up the bucket filled with vomit and carried it to the examination room .
The receptionist girl hastily helped Newman with an anxious look .
“We can’t let our guard down but he has escaped from the dangerous phase . ”
Newman exhaled a long breath .
“What was the cause?”
“This has been circulating lately . ”
Newman showed me the paper I picked up when I tilted my head in doubt .
“It’s an anesthetic . It is actually a medicine that was approved just recently … the authorities quickly clamped down on it but it seems like a considerable amount was able to slip through . ”
I recalled the commotion when I went to obtain permission for my anesthetic medicine .
“In other words, he had drug intoxication?”
“The other doctors are still researching on the detailed symptoms and measures . But the gray starfish being effective was something we missed out . Do you mind if I shared this with the other clinics?”
I naturally wouldn’t mind but how should I deal with it being discovered by me . It would be unnatural if I tried to credit this to Newman either .
I don’t believe my true identity would be revealed with just this but … I guess I could go with the theory that I have a Divine Protection that gives me intermediate compounding and I could see symptoms using First Aid?
“I don’t mind . ”
I replied briefly .
Although Jackson had yet to regain consciousness, I still had my shop to take care of so I had to return .
“I’m grateful that Red-kun was here . ”
Newman lowered his head and thanked me when I was about to leave .
“Regarding that anesthetic drug, it is no longer just about addiction so I believe a lot more patients would be carried to the clinic . I hope that Red-kun prepares more medicine too . ”
“All right, I have gray starfish grass growing in my garden so I have stock . Let me know whenever you’re running out . ”
“Thank you . ”
Anesthetic drug huh? I wonder who was the person who brought it in .
Even though I said that, I didn’t have any intention of tracking down the person and stopping him .
“That took you long!”
When I returned to the shop, Lit complained with a sour look .
“I’m hungry ― ”
Now that I think about it, it was already way past noon .
It seemed like Gonz and Tanta went home to have lunch .
“Sorry sorry, there was some trouble . ”
“Trouble? Are you sure you weren’t slacking off?”
“When I went to Doctor Newman’s place, you remember that anesthetic drug we heard about when we went to get permission for my new medicine, somebody nearby had drug intoxication . I helped to administer First Aid . ”
“I see, so there are already addicts with drug intoxication . That drug is dangerous . ”
“I’m not too sure about that, sometimes it might be because of certain people’s constitution . Cases like that might increase in the future so please help me prepare the medicine . ”
I said as I headed to the washroom to wash my hands . Naturally, that was so that I could prepare to cook .
“I’ll be going to the market before evening so please look after the shop again later . ”
“All right, also, I want omelet for lunch . ”
“I think I still have some tomato sauce left . I’ll be able to get it done quickly . ”
“Yay!”
When I was journeying, I always had eggs inside my item box .
Eggs have good nutritional value and there are many cooking variations . It could be served as a main dish, as a side dish or with soup too .
It is an ingredient that the common people are able to buy normally but it would be expensive to buy it every day . But, I always have it ready .
It was up to preference to either take it out once the omelet was half-cooked or only after it as fully cooked .
Basically, I like it when the surface has been cooked to a crisp .
In addition, the ingredients to put inside … minced meat, nuts, onions and such are passed through the fire before added in . That was also a matter of preference but wrapping them in while the egg cooks would make it delicious .
I usually made it in that manner when I was alone but …
“I wonder how does Lit like it . ”
Since there was another person who would be eating with me, I was a little troubled . Maybe I should ask about Lit’s preference .
I pondered for a short moment while holding the egg in my hand before I broke the egg without asking Lit .
I decided that I would let her try the omelet that I find the tastiest first .
I poured red tomato sauce on the crispy omelet before adding powdered basil to it .
The side dishes would be herb soup with white bread and two sausages .
After Lit had a bite, her lips split into a smile and she ate it all in one go .
Perhaps she was hungry as it was a late lunch but she moved the spoon with great momentum as she scooped the food into her mouth in an unladylike manner .
I suddenly noticed that I had unconsciously smiled too . I then started eating as well .
“Yup, it’s tasty . ”
It was a lot tastier compared to when I tasted it as I was cooking . Maybe because there was a person in front of me who was eating it deliciously .