Chương 53: The First Patient

After lunch, the Hero Candidates split up to visit the homes of various patients. Grasiva consists of roughly two hundred households, sixteen of which currently have ill members. After a brief discussion, the Candidates decided to prioritize the homes with more than one infected person. The eastern side of town had a higher concentration of cases, so the other three Candidates headed there. Lealia, meanwhile, was assigned to the Martins family on the western outskirts.

Word was that both the husband and wife there had fallen ill. The Martins' residence sat in a sparsely populated area. It featured a large courtyard enclosed by a simple fence, with a charming small log cabin at the center and a warehouse standing adjacent to it. As we drew closer, a faint, sweet aroma wafted through the air.

"It smells like this family brews alcohol." Sure enough, the yard was cluttered with various pots and wooden barrels specifically designed for fermentation. The front door of the house was slightly ajar, revealing two small children peeking out to observe us. They looked anxious, likely due to our faces being muffled by white masks and the two Church soldiers trailing behind us with spears in hand.

I stepped forward, offering a gentle, friendly smile to strike up a conversation, though most of the expression was lost behind my mask.

"Hello there. We've come to examine your parents. Would you mind letting us in?" The older boy asked skeptically, "Are you... from the church in the neighboring city?"

"Something like that. We've come from the Cathedral in the capital."

"The capital is a huge place very, very far from here, right? People from there must be really talented."

"That's right. This sister is Lealia; she's an expert with medicinal herbs. But first, you have to let her in to check on your parents." The two children exchanged a glance, then promptly shut the door. We waited patiently for a few moments until the door creaked open again. This time, a woman appeared, looking deathly pale and exhausted. The younger girl clung happily to the woman's skirt.

"Mama! They said they're all the way from the capital. Your and Papa's sickness will definitely be cured now!" Before the woman could utter a word, she swayed, her balance failing. Lealia lunged forward just in time to catch her. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"My lady, you should keep your distance to avoid infection!" one of the Church soldiers shouted anxiously. Lealia glanced back at him.

"It's fine. I'm here to treat the sick. How can I examine a patient if I keep my distance?" The two soldiers stammered, unsure of how to respond. Seeing this, I told them, "You two wait outside by the door. If we need help, I'll call for you." I then helped Lealia support the mother as we moved inside. The house was cluttered, having gone several days without a proper cleaning. Considering both adults were ill and the eldest child was only about seven, this was understandable.

It seemed the neighbors hadn't dared to come by to help, likely scared by the fear of infection. The mother spoke in a weak, raspy voice, "I am so sorry... to have you see the house in such a state..." Lealia replied, "Don't worry, we understand. Your husband is also ill, right? Where is he?"

"We are both in the master bedroom, over there. His condition is worse than mine; he's only conscious for a short while each day." The master bedroom contained two beds, one large and one small. The husband lay in the middle of the larger bed, his skin as pale as parchment, motionless and silent. Only the faint, shallow rise and fall of his chest proved he was still breathing. We helped the wife onto the smaller bed, and Lealia immediately hurried over to check the husband's condition.

"Is he able to eat or drink anything?" The wife answered, "I've been giving him water. When he wakes up, I try to feed some porridge, but he can't manage much."

"How long has it been since the symptoms started? Did you both fall ill at the same time?"

"Almost at the same time. About a week ago, my husband suddenly felt exhausted. He collapsed one day, and by the next, I started showing symptoms as well."

"Did you go anywhere or do anything unusual before that?"

"... I don't think so. We just did our usual daily chores."

"Did you have contact with any of the other sick people on the east side of town? There are quite a few cases over there."

"No, we don't know anyone on that side well." Lealia pulled back the husband's eyelids and tried to open his mouth to inspect his throat. She examined his skin texture, checked the pulse in his neck, and monitored his breathing rate, looking every bit the part of a reliable physician. The two children hovered at the doorway, eavesdropping on the situation. Seeing them, I turned to the wife and asked:"Have you and your husband had much contact with the children? Sleeping in the same bed, or sharing eating utensils?"

The wife replied, "The two of them sleep in the room next door. As for eating... we use separate utensils, but I still cook everything in one pot. I haven't had the strength to cook anything besides porridge. They haven't had a proper meal in days..."

"I see. Does your family do any farming?"

"Huh? Oh, we have a garden in the back, but it hasn't been tended to for days." By now, Lealia had finished her examination of the husband and began checking the wife. I asked, "Do your herbs need to be brewed?"

"Not for the moment. But I think I'll be needing some warm water."

"Got it. I'll go boil some." I stepped out of the bedroom and asked the two children, "Can you show me to the kitchen?" The children exchanged a look and nodded. They led me to the kitchen area at the back of the house, chirping eagerly:"This is the stove! Mama keeps the pots over there. And... and... oh, the stir-fry ladle is here!" The kitchen was fairly spacious and reeked of fermenting yeast. It seemed they were brewing their alcohol in here as well.

I lit the charcoal to start a pot of water, then took a lap around the room to see if there was anything edible left. I found a bag of flour, a few potatoes, salted fish, and dried squid. Not bad. With a few seasonings, it would be a decent start. I turned back to the two little ones and said, "Do me one more favor and show me the garden? In exchange, I'll cook you both some dinner."