Anna’s POV
In the afternoon, I carried a medical kit to treat the hunter’s son. Kevin followed behind me, and I ignored him; he didn’t speak either.
I deliberately chose a less crowded path to avoid any sudden speaking that might raise suspicions about my previous muteness, in case Kevin discovered it. Luckily, this hunter’s family had minimal contact with others, and they probably wouldn’t see through me.
Seeing the fence with animal bones hanging about ten meters away, I guessed it was the home of the hunter, Zachary. Zachary was a renowned warrior of the Blue River Pack, who fought with five lion shifters in the woods seven years ago, saving his son Tony but injuring his leg. He retired from being the Alpha’s guard and became a hunter.
“Hello, are you the physician from Camila’s clinic? Please come in.” Zachary’s figure was much more robust than an ordinary male wolf. He had a large beard, and he hobbled to us, sounding very anxious.
“Camila should have told you about Tony’s symptoms. He has been in a deep sleep for three days and nights, not waking up no matter how we call him. I’m worried he might never wake up again.”
Beside the bed, Zachary sadly covered his face, his shoulders trembling.
“I’m Anna, and I will do my best to help you.”
I stroked my chin, focused on the sleeping boy, while Kevin stood silently behind me, observing my actions.
“May I ask who this is…?”
“He is my bodyguard.”
Zachary stared thoughtfully at Kevin, wanting to say something more, but I interrupted him. “Tony, has he never regained consciousness before?”
“No, I’ve been taking care of him by his side.”
“Before this, did he experience similar symptoms, such as excessive sleepiness…?”
“No.”
I looked at Tony’s steadily rising and falling chest, opened his eyelids with my fingers, finding nothing unusual. He looked like a normal person sleeping.
“Tony, has he eaten anything strange recently?”
“These, three days ago, my son and I were hunting in the woods. He was thirsty, so I picked these purple fruits for him. They look like dragon fruit, and I also ate one. I’m not sure if it’s the strange fruit you mentioned.” Zachary handed me a small black pouch.
Opening the pouch, there were three small purple fruits inside. I leaned in to smell them, a strange fragrance entered my nose, and my spirits heightened.
“Doctor, have you found anything unusual?” Zachary sensed my change in mood, as if he saw hope.
I split open the fruit, revealing pink flesh inside. The peculiar fragrance excited me even more, to the point where I ignored Kevin beside me. I was about to stick out my tongue to taste the fruit when a force held my chin, and the fruit in my hand was snatched away.
“Anna, this might be a poisonous fruit, and your behavior is a bit reckless.”
I looked up displeased, only to see a surprised expression in Kevin’s blue eyes. Annoyed, I glared at him.
“You’re just my bodyguard; don’t meddle.”
My eyes stared intently at the fruit in his hand, really wanting to taste the poisonous fruit. However, my behavior seemed to confound Kevin. He chuckled, his face no longer dull but playful. I was puzzled, yet I gave him another disdainful look.
“Sir, it seems our physician has found the root of the problem.”
“What is it? Doctor, please tell me.”
“This… ” I paused, unhappy that Kevin disrupted my rhythm. “Actually, this fruit is called Dreamshade. Your son fell into a deep sleep because he mistakenly ingested it.”
“Dreamshade? I’ve never heard of it.”
“Dreamshade is a purple fruit that grows on the Dreamshade Tree. It contains a substance called Dreamshade, which can plunge a person into a deep sleep and dreams, making them unable to wake up and distinguish between reality and dreams, ultimately leading to a sleep-induced death.”
“Sleep-induced death?!” Zachary widened his eyes in horror. “I also ate this fruit, but why is it only my son who fell into a sleep?”
“It is related to the body’s resistance to toxins. I guess your son ingested a much larger amount than you did.”
Zachary seemed to recall something and became nervous. “Doctor, please save my son. I cannot bear to lose him. Even if it costs my life, I am willing.”
This tall and mighty male wolf, who had earned countless merits in numerous battles, defeating fierce beasts, now shed tears at the moment he heard his son might lose his life. I thought of my mother, and this sincere parental love moved me.
“I need to check the toxin levels in Tony.”
I opened the medical kit, took out a syringe, pierced the skin on the sleeping boy’s wrist with the needle, collected a drop of blood, and dripped it into a small vial containing green liquid, which instantly turned black.
My pupils contracted.
“Doc, doctor, what’s the situation?”
I hesitated for a moment, not sure how to put it, but eventually spoke the truth, “Tony has consumed an excessive amount of the fruit, and Dreamshade has completely infiltrated his brain.”
“What do you mean?” Zachary nervously gripped my shoulders due to fear, but in just a second, he was knocked down by a powerful force, his large body slamming into the stone wall.
“Kevin!”
I exclaimed.
And Kevin stood in front of me, his right hand wrapping around me.
“She is here to help you, not to be your punching bag.” Kevin stared down at Zachary with a cold tone, emitting a chilling aura.
My heart tensed, and Kevin now seemed frighteningly unfamiliar, making me carefully push him aside. “It’s okay; I will handle it.”
“It’s my fault. I’m sorry, Doctor, please forgive my rudeness.” Zachary sat defeated on the ground, then fell into self-blame and reminiscence. “At that time, Tony and I were hunting in the woods. He said he was thirsty, so I picked these fruits for him. I didn’t expect these deadly Dreamshade fruits. Oh, it’s my fault; I harmed him!”
I helped Zachary up and handed him a red bottle.
“This is a potion that can alleviate the effects of Dreamshade. But, Zachary, I cannot lie. Considering Tony’s young age, the excessive intake of toxins, and already being in a deep sleep for over 48 hours, his body cannot endure too much poison… This potion can give him temporary consciousness…”
“Is there no potion to cleanse the toxins from my son’s body?”
“Unfortunately, even if the potion can cleanse the toxins, based on the blood toxin test, your son’s brain has already been infiltrated.”
“In-infiltrated?” Zachary widened his despair-filled eyes.
I opened my mouth but closed it again. I could understand his feelings.
“How long… How long can he stay with me?”
“At most… one month.”
“One, one month…” Zachary clutched the bottle, walked to the bed, and picked up Tony, wailing in sorrow.
On the way back to the clinic, I felt quite low, even though as a physician, I had faced such life-and-death situations many times. Kevin walked beside me, glancing at me, his eyes focused and carrying a hint of joy.
I glared at him. “Kevin, can’t you have a bit of compassion? I can’t ask you to empathize with that father and son, but please don’t revel in their misery and swing it in front of me. I’m in a bad mood.”
“Do you need a hug then?”
I paused, wanting to punch him. Since a while ago, he seemed like a different person, no longer gloomily staring at me but wearing a playful expression, leaving me bewildered and uneasy.
“Now, go away.”
“Okay, please calm down, my princess.”