Chapter 93
Aunt is sick?
Garrett Nordmark was startled. The City Guards and the War God Temple had always had a close relationship. If Aunt Eileen fell ill, Uncle Karen could easily pull some strings and get a priest to check on her. At least, young John would definitely come...
So, what happened?
How could they not even get a priest!
"I'll go with you!" Garrett decisively said. He rushed in to grab his surgical instruments and alchemical equipment, swiftly walking out of the Mage Tower. While riding his horse, he inquired. Amidst the howling wind, he listened intermittently to Raymond's account:
Aunt Eileen fell ill the day before yesterday. She had a few bouts of diarrhea, initially dismissing it as food poisoning. However, yesterday, she suddenly developed a high fever. From last night until this morning, she had diarrhea about ten times, and her stomach was excruciatingly painful. Finally, she couldn't even stand up. Uncle Karen, sensing something amiss, went to the War God Temple early in the morning to summon a priest...
"The priest refused to come?"
Garrett urgently asked. Raymond shook his head vigorously while leaning on his horse, a bitter expression on his face:
"The priests have all been called away... even apprentices like young John have been sent away. The temple entrance is crowded with people... sitting, lying down, and some lying down and suddenly starting to have diarrhea... Garrett, didn't you see..."
All of them are people?!
Lying down and suddenly having diarrhea?!
A lightning bolt flashed through Garrett's mind. Raymond's description instinctively led him to think of a term:
Medical overcrowding!
Too many patients in a short period, and the medical facilities were completely insufficient to cope. Moreover, if the symptoms of these patients were all the same or similar...
The city gate was right in front of them. Garrett pulled the reins, slowing down. Two City Guards were on duty at the gate and, seeing Raymond returning, greeted loudly:
"Little Garrett, you're back! Hurry home, your Aunt Eileen is sick!"
"Little Garrett, can you come to my house later? My daughter is also sick "
Also sick?
So many patients?
Garrett felt anxious and confused, nodding randomly as he quickly passed through. The main street had considerably less black mud and sewage compared to last time, evidently showing the initial success of Garrett's urban cleaning plan. However, not long after, turning onto a side road, a foul stench immediately hit them.
Too late...
The plan to clear garbage and feces, and clean the streets had started too late...
Garrett tried to speed up. Arriving at Uncle Karen's house, the two dismounted simultaneously. Raymond rushed in and shouted:
"Aunt! Aunt, how are you?"
Garrett pressed her back down, then turned to take the water bowl from Raymond, feeding her sugar-salt water. After watching for half an hour, ensuring Aunt Eileen no longer had abdominal pain or the urge to diarrhea, Garrett sighed in relief and stood up:
"Raymond, watch over Aunt. I'm going out."
"Where are you going?"
"To see how many people in this city are sick!"
With these words, Garrett swiftly left the room like the wind, mounting his horse.
He first rushed to the Temple of the God of War, where the three steps at the temple entrance were densely packed with patients. He then rode to the Temple of the Spring Goddess, finding its gates tightly closed, not a single guard in sight. On the small square, about a hundred people sat or lay, filth flowing around, a nauseating stench in the air.
Garrett's heart sank deeper.
Hartland City had only a population of about twenty thousand. Just those gathered at the temple seeking medical help numbered around two hundred.
Then, what about those already cured by the priests?
Those too weak to come?
Those not yet affected, or whose conditions were mild, and thought they didn't need to come?
With a 1% infection rate, this was already terrifyingrelying solely on the healthcare system wouldn't be enough, reports had to be made, emergency plans initiated, administrative forces involved!
Fortunately, the Lord's mansion wasn't far from here. Garrett rushed to the mansion gate, dismounted, and grabbed a guard:
"Where's the Lord?"
"He left the city!" The guard, who had helped him during the midsummer festival incident, remembered him well, answering quickly: "Three days ago, as more and more people fell ill in the city, the Lord went to the estate!"
Ah!
Garrett threw a quick thanks, stomped his foot, turned, and left. He headed straight for the slums, navigating through streets and alleys he knew well, finding Elder Elwin:
"Teacher, this won't work! The plague has come, treating them one by one won't save everyone!"
Elder Elwin halted his spellcasting. Drops of sweat rolled down his snow-white hair and beard. He looked at Garrett:
"What do you suggest?"
"Ask the teacher to gather all the prominent figures in the city, reestablish order. Then"
Garrett glanced outside, at the endless queue extending from the doorway, at pairs of eager eyes:
"We need to contain this epidemic!"
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