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.