Leo sighed, knowing they were right, and said no more. He called Chasel and Willow to the pharmacy to start making pills.
Ivan and the deputy squad leader came in to help with the packaging.
The group worked tirelessly until dawn.
“Willow, we are running low on honeysuckle. Check if there’s any left at the counter,” Leo said, glancing at the medicine box while grinding herbs.
Willow agreed and quickly got up to leave. But as she reached the door, she suddenly felt faint and collapsed to one side.
“Willow!” Leo saw this and rushed forward, catching her from behind before she hit the ground.
Chasel instinctively dashed forward. Seeing Leo had caught Willow, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Noticing the dawn light outside, Chasel said to Leo, “Sir, we’ve been working all night. Willow must be exhausted.”
Leo helped Willow to the resting room, checked her pulse, and found it weak, indicating fatigue but nothing serious.
He sighed in relief, covered Willow with a thin blanket, and returned to the pharmacy.
“Dr. Bloomer, it’s not urgent. Take a break,” Ivan suggested, feeling guilty seeing Willow collapse after working all night.
“We may be tired, but our lives aren’t at risk. The infected residents and soldiers in the mountains are different. Every minute we delay could cost a life,” Leo said sternly while grinding herbs.
Ivan and Chasel, hearing Leo’s words, steeled themselves and continued working.
They worked until daylight, using all the available herbs. Ivan quickly sent his guard to deliver the packed pills to the Langstel training base.
Leo also gave the guard the recipe and method for making the pills so the doctors at the base could prepare more.
Leo then checked on the patients lying in the hall. Their conditions had stabilized but remained critical as they were still unconscious.
“Mr. Humphrey, you can now take them to the hospital for care. As long as they continue taking this medicine, they should be fine,” Leo told Ivan.
The hospital had better medical conditions and environment than the clinic, which was too small for so many patients lying on the floor.
“Thank you so much, Dr. Bloomer,” Ivan said gratefully as he organized the transport of the sick soldiers to the hospital.
Around noon, Shiloh rushed into the clinic from the backyard, urgently saying, “Sir, something’s wrong with Willow. Please come quickly!”
Leo’s face changed dramatically. He removed his gloves and hurried to the backyard. “What happened?”
“I tried to wake Willow for lunch, but she didn’t respond. Her face is flushed. I checked her pulse and found it very strange,” Shiloh explained anxiously.
Leo’s expression grew serious as he quickly went to Willow’s room.
On the bed, Willow’s usually pale face and neck were tinged with a faint pink hue.
Leo’s heart sank.
Without checking her pulse, he suspected that Willow might have contracted the deadly virus.
Leo knelt beside Willow and gently took her wrist to check her pulse.
Chasel and Shiloh stood by, their faces pale with fear, not daring to breathe as they awaited news.
Leo’s expression became increasingly grave.
“Sir, how is Willow?” Chasel asked anxiously, knowing a soldier had bled on her and fearing the worst.
Shiloh looked extremely worried as well.
Although she hadn’t been involved last night, she had heard Dr. Bloomer explain how terrifying the virus was.
Even strong soldiers were being brought down by it. If Willow was infected, the consequences would be dire…
Leo withdrew his hand, his face pale. He was certain that Willow had indeed contracted the virus.
“Chasel, get some pills!” Leo ordered urgently.
“Okay!” Chasel replied in a panic and ran to get the pills but found that Ivan had taken them all earlier that morning.
Chasel hurried back and said anxiously, “Sir, we’re out of pills. I’ll go buy more herbs!”
He rushed out immediately after speaking.
Leo used his Golden Dragon Silver Needle technique to temporarily stabilize Willow’s condition with a bit of spiritual energy.
He then stepped outside and called Monica.
As an expert in Western medicine, Monica’s knowledge of viruses was far deeper than Leo’s. She might provide valuable insights or alternative approaches.
“Dr. Bloomer, your call is timely. I just arrived in Langstel and was about to call you,” Monica said.
Leo got straight to the point. “Can you come to my clinic? I need your help.”
Hearing the urgency in Leo’s voice, Monica didn’t ask questions and replied quickly, “I’ll be there right away!”
After calling Monica, Leo personally ground the herbs Chasel brought back into pills and gave them to Willow with warm water. He then sat by her side, keeping watch over her.
Willow remained unconscious. The redness on her skin had spread to her arms, with faint red rashes appearing.
“Sir, why are Willow’s symptoms so severe despite being infected for only a short time?” Dr. Bloomer asked gravely.
“It could be because she cared for the most severely ill soldier or that the virus has mutated to spread faster and cause more severe symptoms,” Leo speculated.