I Became a Plague Doctor in a Romance Fantasy Novel - Chapter 99



Episode 99. Curable Diseases, Incurable Diseases (2)

Episode 99. Curable Diseases, Incurable Diseases (2)

I placed a single pill and a water cup beside the patient’s bed. One ampicillin, a prophylactic antibiotic, for when they woke.

The patient was still sedated, not really reacting. Just eyes half-open, staring blankly into space.

When will the anesthesia wear off, I wanted to explain it to them. Did I maybe overdose?

“Are you okay, sir?”

The patient didn’t answer.

Is this okay? Did I mess up the dose? I was debating getting the naloxone, when the patient made a sound.

“Uhh-ohh.”

“Are you coming around a little?”

“No.”

“Try to move your toes.”

I poked the sole of the patient’s foot with a toothpick. There seemed to be a reaction, but not certain. Let’s wait a little longer.

“Your foot isn’t hurting, right?”

“No.”

“Move your toes whenever you think of it. The better the blood flow, the faster your recovery will be.”

The patient wiggled their toes a bit. It’s a relief that they seem to be moving okay.

“Okay……”

“Take a deep breath.”

I looked around. The patient took a few deep breaths, then lifted their head as if regaining consciousness, blinking a few times.

“The surgery went well. We’ll just observe if the wound is healing alright and check for any other complications. Then, you should be able to be discharged.”

The patient nodded.

“Take your medicine when you’re feeling up to it.”

“Yeah.”

The surgery and cleanup took about an hour. Morning outpatients were backed up. This time, Professor Bernard came looking for me.

This is…

A few days ago, he’d been admitted after fainting, and a heart abnormality was discovered during auscultation. An Academy Pension Department student. I thought he was well discharged.

“You’re student Bernard, right?”

“Yes.”

“What brings you here?”

“I was just, really worried.”

Let’s retrace things.

Bernard was admitted due to fainting.

The cause of the fainting was thought to be nitrogen oxide discovered in the Pension Department’s practice room. Auscultation of Bernard’s heart revealed mitral regurgitation as an underlying condition.

It’s still unclear what symptoms the mitral regurgitation is causing, but it seemed entirely possible it contributed to the fainting.

The problem is this. Mitral regurgitation wasn’t a treatable condition in this world’s standards. So I’d explained last time that there wasn’t anything we could do…

He still seems uneasy.

“Um… it’s not like you have any problems that need solving right now. Just be a little careful with your daily life, that’s all.”

“Okay.”

“If the fainting was due to that toxin, then there’s no evidence that the mitral regurgitation is causing symptoms. You don’t need to worry too much.”

“Is that so…?”

It’s time to pull it out.

“I’ll give you some supplements.”

“Will that help?”

They’re carefully selected supplements, so they won’t have any negative effects. Of course, you shouldn’t expect supplements to cure heart disease.

The most important thing with this patient is resolving his anxiety. It’s not about a structural defect in his heart that he might not even have symptoms from.

“It’ll probably help.”

I didn’t lie.

The patient’s expression, after receiving the supplements, seemed much more relaxed. I pondered what to say. Something that could alleviate his anxiety…

Ah, I’ve got it.

“There are also medications to prevent complications from mitral valve regurgitation. You have to keep taking them, so there’s no need to start yet, but…”

“But?”

“Let’s work together to control the situation. Nothing major will happen for the time being.”

“Ah. That’s a relief.”

Bernard nodded, finally seeming at ease. Worry isn’t good for your health. Especially if you already have a bad heart.

From the start, telling this patient that his mitral valve was regurgitating was the wrong thing to do. It wasn’t a helpful action.

“Thank you. It seems like you’ll be okay for the time being. If you feel sick, come to the hospital right away, and if not, come back in two months. Take your medicine properly.”

Bernard’s consultation was over. He said goodbye to me, grabbed his prescription bottle, and left the examination room.

I stretched my legs out, sitting in the examination room. Istina had disappeared somewhere, and I was on shift with Amy. Are there still more patients?

I looked at Amy.

“Any more patients?”

“There was one more.”

“What kind of patient was it?”

Amy tilted her head, puzzled.

“I don’t know. They seemed perfectly fine.”

Just by looking you can’t tell. No, of course they’re sick, that’s why they came to the hospital. They just seemed fine.

“Go out and tell the next patient to come in. Amy, you can go home now.”

“Oh, thank you!”

Amy left the examination room. A moment later, light footsteps approached the examination room.

Even their walk is different from the grad students. I haven’t even seen the patient’s face yet, but for some reason I feel like I know exactly what kind of person they are.

They seem like they’re going to talk a lot.

“Come in–”

Before I could finish saying ‘come in’, the next patient opened the examination room door and entered. I raised my head to look at the patient.

“Are you a p-“

“Hello!”

I closed my mouth. What the hell is this person.

They’re definitely a little crazy.

I took a moment to observe the new patient. No matter how much I looked, I couldn’t tell at all why they came to the hospital.

A very bright academy girl, totally out of place in a hospital. Dark navy blue hair, roughly cut into a bob, and unique gold eyes.

Her hair, she’d said she’d cut it roughly into a bob, but it looked like she’d taken scissors to it herself.

She was wearing the academy uniform alright, but the tie was just haphazardly thrown around her neck, her shirt, un-ironed, wasn’t even tucked into her skirt. She was sitting with her legs casually crossed, posture all skewed.

“What’s your name, patient?”

“Natalia Nachtigal. But, you know, a lot of people can’t pronounce my family name? So you can just call me Natalie, whatever’s easiest.”

I nodded.

“What brings you in today?”

“A cold. But it’s like, a really bad one, you know? My throat hurts, or something. It’s, like, not like a normal cold, you know?”

This patient is a goldmine of information. Ask one question, get ten answers back.

“I see. Did you have a fever?”

“A little, I think. Doesn’t feel like it now, but I’m not sure. I still feel kinda dizzy.”

A seriously sore throat, had a fever, and it felt worse than a simple cold, like it was a different illness. What could it be?

There are a bunch of illnesses that are kinda like a cold but worse. The flu, or if it gets worse, maybe pneumonia. For now, I just nodded.

“When did it start?”

“Two days ago. I saw a white cat in front of the dorm two days ago, you know? But the cat that usually lives in front of the dorm is black. So I thought the old cat got chased out…”

I raised my hand to cut Natalia off.

“And then?”

“Oh. Right, that’s why I remember it was two days ago exactly! Because of the cat.”

I glanced at the clock on the wall. More time left than I thought. Should I just let her talk? There are things to check, though.

“So. What happened to the cat that used to live there?”

From noble mtl dot com

“Oh, right! The black cat was yelling at the white cat, so I thought the black cat was chased away but, they were walking around together later! They must have become friends.”

I pulled out the patient’s medical record.

– Difficulty focusing on one topic in conversation. Inability to complete thoughts.

– Lacks awareness. Could be the case, but completely unaware of this fact. Seems to have a deficiency in analyzing social cues.

“Do you normally do well in your studies?”

“Huh? I mean, I’m in the upper ranks. But these days my neck hurts so I can’t really focus. Which is also why I want to get better soon. It’s torture to study when you’re sick, you know.”

“Yeah.”

I looked up from the record and back at the patient. That was about the extent of the oddities, and I needed to see what she was dealing with.

She said she came in with a cold.

“Could you cough for me?”

“Oh, how should I cough?”

“Just a few *cough, coughs* will do.”

Natalie pondered something.

“It’s amazing. I heard skilled doctors can tell what illness it is just from the sound of a cough, and they said you’re the best doctor in the Empire -”

“Cough.”

“Oh, right.”

Miss Natalie coughed a few times.

I listened intently to the cough. It sounded perfectly normal. Come to think of it, yeah. She hadn’t even coughed when she came in.

If it was a cold or pneumonia, she would have been coughing on her way here, and wouldn’t have had to ask how to cough. Meaning she barely coughed, even while sick.

It seemed less likely to be a cold.

“Is it difficult to swallow food?”

“Yes.”

“Any hives come up?”

“A little on my neck. You’re good at guessing…?”

I think I know what’s wrong. It’s like a cold, but no cough, hives breaking out, trouble swallowing.

And also, maybe more importantly. She can’t focus on the conversation topic, she’s oblivious, she just says whatever she wants.