klisemfg Chapter 2229 Sudden Critical Illness
Chapter 2229 Sudden Critical Illness
The aroma of medicine in the treatment center never faded, a blend of the bitterness of herbs and the faint smell of disinfectant, permeating every corner of the room.
Yan Ruyu had just finished a round of consultations, and the lingering sensation of the patients' pulses still remained on her fingertips. She raised her hand to rub her temples, her gaze falling on the deepening twilight outside the window.
The sunset on the horizon faded to a deep orange, like paint being smeared by ink, gradually swallowing up the last rays of light.
"Your Highness, these are the pulse records for the last batch of patients today, and their pulses have all stabilized."
Dr. Cao walked in carrying a thick booklet, his face showing a rare ease after days of illness: "At this rate, in a few more days, patients with mild symptoms will be able to recover one after another."
Yan Ruyu took the booklet and flipped through it, her fingertips tracing the densely packed words, a faint smile appearing on her lips: "Thank you for your hard work, Dr. Cao. These past few days, it's all been thanks to you being here."
She closed the booklet, thinking to herself that now that the situation had eased a bit, she could take the opportunity to meet the guard who was impersonating Manager Zhou and ask about the follow-up situation at Baixing Teahouse.
No sooner had she finished speaking than a series of hurried footsteps came from outside, accompanied by a servant's panicked shouts: "Your Highness! Doctor Cao! Something terrible has happened!"
Uncle Zhang in the west ward suddenly coughed up blood uncontrollably and was almost out of breath!
Yan Ruyu's heart sank, and the weariness she felt earlier vanished instantly.
She quickly stood up and said in a deep voice, "Lead the way!"
Doctor Cao's expression also tightened suddenly. He quickly followed Yan Ruyu's footsteps and said urgently as they walked, "Uncle Zhang's pulse was much more stable yesterday. How could it suddenly deteriorate?"
The ward on the west side was already in chaos. Several patients' family members were gathered around the bed, their faces full of fear. When Yan Ruyu came in, they quickly made way for her.
The middle-aged man on the hospital bed had a bluish-purple face, his chest heaving violently, each breath a tearing gasp, and dark red blood foam at the corner of his mouth.
Yan Ruyu walked to the bedside in a few steps, quickly placed her fingers on his pulse, and felt that the pulse was weak and feeble, like a candle in the wind, which might be extinguished at any time.
"Quickly, get the silver needles! And prepare a strong ginseng soup!"
Her speech was steady, yet carried an undeniable authority, gradually calming the panicked crowd.
The military doctor, Cao, immediately responded and turned to fetch the equipment.
Yan Ruyu removed the patient's sleeve, pinched the silver needles between her fingertips, and precisely inserted them into several acupoints on his chest, her movements fluid and steady.
As the silver needles were twisted, the patient's rapid breathing seemed to ease slightly, but his face remained as pale as paper.
"Dr. Cao, acupuncture can only temporarily stabilize his breathing. The remaining toxins in his body have not been cleared, and it has also caused damage to his lungs and internal organs. We must administer medicine immediately."
Without looking up, Yan Ruyu said, "Take the detoxifying soup I prepared earlier, add three qian of Sichuan fritillary bulb and two qian of apricot kernel, and simmer it quickly!"
"Understood!" Doctor Cao dared not delay and personally went to the pharmacy to supervise the process.
Only Yan Ruyu, two helpers, and her family members standing in the corner, barely daring to breathe, remained in the ward.
Yan Ruyu stayed by the bedside, adjusting the position of the silver needles from time to time, her eyes fixed on the patient's face, sensing the subtle changes in his pulse.
The sky outside the window grew darker and darker. An oil lamp was lit inside the room, and its dim yellow light reflected on her face, outlining her focused and resolute features.
"Your Highness, the medicine has arrived!"
Half an hour later, Doctor Cao came in carrying a bowl of scalding hot medicine, his forehead covered in sweat.
Yan Ruyu carefully helped the patient up, had the waiter support his back, and slowly fed him the medicine.
The patient coughed violently as soon as the medicine entered his throat, coughing up several mouthfuls of blood. Yan Ruyu patiently patted his back until he calmed down before continuing to feed him the medicine.
After the bowl of medicine was finished, the moon was already high in the sky.
Moonlight streamed through the windowpane, casting dappled shadows on the floor.
Yan Ruyu finally breathed a sigh of relief, withdrew the silver needles, and when she took the pulse again, although the pulse was still weak, it was much more stable, and she no longer had that sense of imminent danger of it stopping at any moment.
"It's stable for now," she said softly, her voice filled with barely concealed fatigue. "With continued medication and acupuncture treatment, I should gradually recover."
The family members rushed forward to express their gratitude, their voices choked with emotion: "Thank you so much, Your Highness, for saving our lives! Thank you so much, Your Highness!"
Yan Ruyu shook her head, indicating that they should take good care of the patient, and then walked out of the ward with Doctor Cao.
As soon as he stepped outside, Dr. Cao let out a long sigh of relief, cold sweat trickling down his face: "That really gave me a fright. If Uncle Zhang's condition hadn't been stabilized, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
He looked at Yan Ruyu, his tone full of relief: "Now that people's hearts have just settled down and everyone has finally seen hope, if another death occurs, it will probably cause panic again, and all our previous efforts will be in vain."
Yan Ruyu nodded, deeply agreeing.
The epidemic has caused immense suffering to the people of Youcheng. In this state of panic, even the slightest disturbance could trigger chaos.
She raised her hand to wipe the thin layer of sweat from her forehead, feeling as if her legs were filled with lead, and even her strength to speak had diminished.
"Yes, thankfully it's stabilized." She said softly, "You've worked hard too, go and rest first, I'll keep an eye on things here."
Seeing her exhausted appearance, Doctor Cao felt a pang of pity: "Your Highness, you've been busy all day and haven't had dinner yet. Why don't you eat something first and then rest?"
Yan Ruyu was indeed very hungry, so she nodded.
Doctor Cao immediately ordered someone to prepare a meal. Before long, the waiter brought over a bowl of hot porridge, a plate of green vegetables, and a small piece of braised meat—simple yet warm food.
Yan Ruyu sat at the stone table in the courtyard, slowly drinking her porridge.
A night breeze blew by, carrying a hint of coolness, which dispelled some of the weariness.
The osmanthus trees in the courtyard were in bloom with delicate flowers, their subtle fragrance mingling with the scent of herbs, creating a sense of tranquility.
But after drinking only half a bowl of porridge, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier. The intense work of the past few days had already exhausted her. Now that the crisis was over, her tense nerves relaxed, and fatigue surged in like a tide.
She lay on the stone table, her head resting on her arm, and soon began to snore softly.
As soon as Dr. Cao finished packing up his equipment and came out, he saw this scene and couldn't help but slow his pace.
The abbot happened to come from the meditation room and saw Yan Ruyu sleeping soundly, his eyes filled with pity.
The two looked at each other and saw heartache in each other's eyes.
"Medical Doctor Cao, let the princess get some sleep. Don't wake her," the abbot said in a low voice, as soft as a breeze. "She's been too tired these past few days."
Doctor Cao nodded, gently picked up a thin blanket from the side, and carefully covered Yan Ruyu with it, afraid of disturbing her sweet dreams.
“Yes, she hasn’t had a single day of proper rest since the outbreak of the epidemic.” He lowered his voice. “I’ll stand guard at the door and not let anyone in to disturb her.”
The abbot nodded and stayed in the courtyard, silently praying for blessings.
As night deepened, the moonlight, like water, enveloped the entire treatment center.
Just then, a series of hurried but deliberately light footsteps came from afar.