“I was taking notes,” Austin answered again patiently. He saw Dominic’s puzzled look, then fetched his notebook and showed it to him.Dominic stretched but was too weak to hold the notebook, so Austin crouched by the bed and held the notebook for him. He said, “I’ll hold it for you.”The older man narrowed his eyes and started to read. Austin had filled the book densely with neat handwriting. His notes were detailed, too. He included dates, wrist pulse results, analysis, pathological speculations, and thoughts about various possibilities.He also marked personal speculations as references only.Dominic was surprised by what his grandnephew wrote.As he read on, Austin explained, “I took your pulse once every two hours for the past two days and then jotted down my notes. I know the pulse doesn’t change much over a short period, but I wanted to see the difference.“After all, the virus is unlike any we’ve encountered before. Since I have nothing else to do here and can’t help much,
Dominic tapped on the notebook. “Even if the interval is short, the information can be helpful. See? The wrist pulse records might not have changed much, but there are differences. The morning, afternoon, and evening periods show evident fluctuations here and here. Oh?”He sounded astonished at the last part as if he had made an extraordinary discovery.“What’s the matter?” Austin asked eagerly.Dominic narrowed his eyes, then waved. “Get me my glasses.”He was far-sighted. Although he had a pair of reading glasses, he seldom wore them because he did not want to admit he was old. Furthermore, he usually did not need them while preparing medicine or gardening.Austin was surprised he wanted to wear them and quickly fetched the glasses. Dominic put them on and carefully reread each line.Curious, Austin leaned closer to see what he was reading. However, he saw nothing unusual since these were his notes.“How come?” Dominic cocked his head and became thoughtful.Although curious,
After a while, Dominic casually said, “Did you notice a pattern with the virus?”“It’s active during the day and dormant at night?” Austin thought for a moment and answered.The older man nodded approvingly. “Most viruses are active at night, but this one is most active during the day. That’s why I slept well at night while suffering various discomforts during the day.”Austin patted himself. After all, he had also monitored his condition over the past two days. “This could be one of the traits the organization developed during the research. Still, I don’t understand how the transmission works. How come Alex, Galen, and I are okay?”Even so, his pulse had always been average and steady.“Let’s say I’m immune to the virus because I’m the source—what about Alex and Galen? It doesn’t make sense,” he quickly added after a momentary pause, “Of course, I’m happy they’re okay. I’m just curious why.”Dominic was curious about it as well.‘If it’s not contagious, how come the servants an
Alexander entered the hospital wearing a hazmat suit.Anastasia had already received emergency treatment, and the doctor diagnosed her condition as not severe.The doctor mentioned that her symptoms resulted from long-standing obesity and complications. Although she had lost weight, the doctor considered her overweight, and her cold and fever weakened her.After receiving intravenous treatment, the nurses transferred Anastasia to the VIP war. No one else was in the quiet ward beside her.Alexander told his men to ensure it so that he would not come in contact with other people. He also did not want others to know about what was happening.Anastasia was on IV drips as she lay in bed, eyes closed, seemingly asleep. Alexander stood by the bed and studied her face quietly. Her face was pale, and her lips were dry. She looked dehydrated, with red spots on her skin.The doctor said the fever caused the spots, but Alexander instinctively knew that was false. Although he was not a doctor
“You had a fever,” Alexander said, “and started throwing up blood. Don’t you remember?”Anastasia nodded. “I do. I just never thought my cold would become so severe.”“Listen. What you’re experiencing might not be a regular cold or fever,” Alexander said gravely.Puzzled, Anastasia looked up at him. She noticed what he was wearing and her surroundings and subconsciously raised her hands, murmuring, “Is it some kind of a contagious disease?”‘If not, why would he wear a hazmat suit?’She could not help but think so since the pandemic in Burnwken had just ended.“Yes and no.” Alexander’s answer sounded contradictory.“Yes and no?” Anastasia was puzzled.‘It’s either yes or no. What is Alex talking about?’“Simply put, I can’t say for sure because I don’t know what type of virus it is.” Alexander sighed because he did not know the answer either.Everything happened so fast and abruptly that Alexander and the rest hardly knew how to deal with it. In addition, more and more situat
"Hmm..." Anastasia was getting more confused as she listened.‘Something seems off. Carriers don’t get infected?’"I can't explain it clearly to you now, and honestly, I haven't figured it out myself." Alexander shook his head apologetically. "But I want to tell you I'm not just trying to comfort you. You won't die. You need to rest and care for yourself for these next two days and..."He looked around and continued, “You can’t wander. You must stay here, understand?”Anastasia nodded obediently and understood the reason behind his words. “I understand. I won’t go anywhere since transmitting the virus is possible.”Immediately after saying that, she realized something and added, “But I’ve come in contact with a few people in the past two days. Will that be a problem?”Alexander had already considered that possibility and pondered over it. However, no one could be that confident."For that, we'll have to see how things develop. Nobody can say for certain. I just hope it won't be
Night quietly descended and enveloped the entire place in darkness. Since the incident, Austin turned off the lights to let everyone rest better. After all, there were not many people working at night.However, the room in the backyard was bright and full of warmth. Since the afternoon, Austin had been heating a large bucket of water and pouring in the herbal concoction he had previously prepared.He had carefully selected the herbs and meticulously brewed them over a long period. He patiently did all the preparations. He felt exhausted after finishing, but it did not matter compared to what he was about to do.He took out a set of prepared acupuncture tools and stood behind Dominic, observing the older man soaking in the oversized bathtub, revealing his entire back.Dominic sat in the tub, his eyes closed. He was semi-sleeping, not completely alert but aware of everything happening around him.His breathing was slightly rapid, possibly due to the hot water. His face had a reddish
Austin took a deep breath to muster his courage and continue needling Dominic. The former hoped to eliminate the virus in Dominic’s body and allow him to recover. Austin did not want his granduncle to suffer anymore.Only three needles remained, and Austin hesitated because the last three needles were the most painful yet critical to the treatment."Uncle Dom..." Austin squatted, picked up a towel from the side, and wiped the sweat off the older man's forehead. Austin looked at the sweat on Dominic’s body mixed with the water in the tub and could not tell which was which.The older man's arms rested on the tub’s sides, his fingers tightly clenched. The veins on his arms bulged, showing he was enduring great torment."Uncle Dom?" There was no response, so Austin nervously called out again."Keep going!" Dominic spoke through gritted teeth, his voice sounding hoarse. Still, he persisted.Austin's eyes welled as he controlled his emotions and said, "Uncle Dom, the next three needles