Strange treatment
Jenica and Carlos were in the operating room for several hours. When they came out, an unsmiling Jobert greeted them. “How’s my wife?” asked the governor.
Before confronting the man, Jenica removed her gloves and mask and said, “Success.” She cast a brief glance around the room at the few nurses who remained. “She’s gonna be fine.”
Jobert couldn’t move for a few seconds and then nodded. “Good… It’s good.”
Jenica said her goodbyes and proceeded to the doctor’s quarters. Carlos followed her, his face flushed. She grinned as she glanced at him. “Why are you looking like you’ve just experienced death? Hmm?”
In hushed tones, he whispered, “Agen— Doctor, is it really necessary to skin the patient alive?” His voice has a slight tremble.
Jenica pressed her lips together. Her aide appeared to be taken away by the scene within. “There’s nothing we can do except that thing. We need to get rid of her skin lesions and we can only do so if we’ll peel of her outer skin.” She smiled as she glanced at him. “It’s your first time so it’s understandable.”
Jenica laughed since Carlos didn’t say anything. She was aware that he would have sleepless nights. Fortunately, the nurses that assisted her were experts who appeared to have prior expertise. She’s now wondering where Jobert obtained those gals.
After dressing, she spoke briefly with the resident doctor who would be caring for the patient in the private room. Then she went in search of Jobert. “Now that I had treated your wife, my work on her is finished. Regular doctors can take care of her and I recommend to let her stay in the hospital until she fully recovers.”
Jobert paused for a time, unsure what to say. Jenica grinned. “About your people’s sickness, I think you are very clear about this matter.”
Jobert’s lips formed a slant. “What do you mean, Doctor Acinea?”
“They have the same symptoms with your wife, so your people were also poisoned. You need to find the root cause of this mass poisoning.”
Jobert clenched his teeth and averted his gaze. “I will do as you suggest, Doctor.”
“Good,” Jenica said, her smile widening. “By the way, I saw those lovely flowers in your garden. I’d like to gather some to treat the poison.”
“You did visit the garden?” he asked, returning his gaze to her. “When?”
“It was earlier this morning. I was simply performing a breathing exercise when I noticed the flowers and decided to take one. Then I learn that it can keep poison from spreading throughout the body, so I’ll ask for some.”
Jobert grimaced briefly before shaking his head, “I can’t give you those flowers. They are my wife’s favorites. But if it can keep the poison away, I’ll buy more.”
“Okay. And provide me a separate area where I may conduct the experiment.”
“This… Do you know how to concoct medicine, Doctor?”
Jenica laughed. “I am a master of poison, and of course I can treat poison with poison, Jobert,” she said, her smile widening again when Jobert hesitated. “But if you don’t trust me, I won’t force you. Just find someone from Oriental Alchemist to treat your people. I’m afraid, ordinary doctors can’t cure this poison.”
Jobert’s pupils dilated. “Oriental Alchemist?” Jenica simply grinned and waved farewell. Jobert’s mouth was slightly wide as he watched her leaving figure.
Of course, he recognizes Oriental Alchemist. He knows what it is since he has a tie to the capital. Because of their unique manner of treating poisons, this organization is known as the Poison Monsters. Although he had no idea whether the organization was real or a fable, when he heard it from Doctor Acinea, he felt that the Oriental Alchemist was real.
A peculiar smile emerged on his lips, and he promptly called someone he knew in the capital to inform them of what he had discovered.
Jenica, on the other hand, glanced at the cabin built by Jobert’s crew in the center of the paddy field. Her lips trembled slightly. It’s a few meters away from the mansion, and because its walls are only a patchwork of bamboo, anyone can see what’s within.
“Doctor, the items you listed earlier are ready,” one of the staff members stated.
She raised her hand and nodded to dismiss them. When the wind blew, Jenica was trapped within the swaying hut. She was concerned that if the wind picked up, it would blow the roof off. “Is he testing my patience now that I’ve treated his wife?” she mused as she examined the flowers inside the box.
Jenica needed to make a medication quickly so she could finish the work.
After a while, she heard Carlos’ cheerful voice calling her. As she sealed the five newly produced tablets, she pursed her lips. When Carlos walked in, she turned to face the door. He gazed around the hut, and Jenica’s eyes beckoned to him.
Carlos’ smile had vanished from his lips. “There appears to be a secret room inside the governor’s room. That appears to be where the poison needles are kept.”
“Good,” she said, showing him the sealed pills. “I made this pill to counteract the lethality of the poison needle. I calculated based on the small data I obtained from his wife’s poison needle.”
“The report said the poison needle won’t last long in the air,” Carlos said, looking at the tablets. “How did you research that?”
“I didn’t extract it from her body,” she sighed, a gleam in her eyes. “Because the second wife loved the flowers in the garden before she was poisoned by the poison needle, the poison needle had a slow decay inside her body. Her body was able to fight because of her modest immunity to that lethal poison due to her exposure to the flowers. That is why she is still living today. Jobert didn’t know that these flowers can counterattack the poison needles, so he sent me a lot.” Jenica stared down at the flower. “If he knew, he’d try to prevent me from discovering a treatment for poison needles.”
Carlos’ eyes widened, and Jenica gave him a pointed glance. “They’re watching us from afar. Even if they couldn’t hear us, act like Kaloy,” she warned.
Just then, Carlos burst out laughing, saying, “Brilliant, Doctor! I honestly didn’t imagine your thinking was as keen as a knife!” He smiled from ear to ear. “If the symptoms of Jobert’s wife are the same as those of the people who were poisoned by the river, does that mean that they were also poisoned by the poison needle?”
Jenica’s lips trembled slightly. “No. It’s not necessarily poison needle’s fault, but the ingredients used to create them.”
Carlos’ pupils constricted and he began to dance. Jenica gave the man a terrified expression. “What are you doing?” she asked.
“Tsk. Of course, as Kaloy, you cheer while making pills.”
Her lips twitched. She only shook her head and began making another batch of pills while explaining her theory about the incident. “You know the poisonous plants in Jobert’s garden?”
“Oh. What’s in there?”
“That’s one of the ingredients in poisonous needle. So the symptoms are similar to those of Jobert’s wife, but the lethality is lower. Because it was mixed with a little mercury from the manufacturing, there was a huge reaction.”
“You mean, that solid waste by the river…” Carlos’s eyes widened as he danced around the door.NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.
“Yes. That’s the residue of crushed poisonous plants in Jobert’s garden,” Jenica explained as she looked down, disguising her emotions. “That’s why there was mass poisoning because solid waste was recently piled up on the river bank. And Jobert might be unaware of this.”
“It looks like someone forgot to put the trash in the right place.”
“Exactly. And it won’t be long before he learns about the solid waste and takes action.”
“So Agent J, the factory makes the poisonous needles?”
With a little smile on her lips, she shook her head. “No. It’s the place where they crush that poisonous plants to get its pulp, and transport that to another place. Let’s say, that place is where they prepare the ingredients but certainly not the place where they make the product.”
Carlos let out a sigh. “So we have to go to the neighboring town to find another colony of poison needle making?”
“Exactly,” Jenica said as Carlos’s expression darkened while pounding on the door. “Don’t worry, they themselves will come to show me the next location site.”
“You mean?”
“Just because I hinted to Jobert that I have a connection with Oriental Alchemist doesn’t mean I was careless.” Her lips formed a weird smile.
“Can’t we do something to shut down the factory? You know, they’re the reason people got sick!” Carlos exclaimed.
“We can’t do that now or else we’ll alert the enemy. I know Jobert is a smart person, and he will remove the poison that is in the river. He will certainly stop the spread, especially since he doesn’t want to let the Palace know about the spreading disease, because by the time the Palace investigates, the factory’s secret operation will be exposed. Jobert won’t let that happen because he doesn’t want to lose his connection with the Antonete who are in the capital. It’s his negotiating chip to keep Yvette Antonete’s neck.”
“Hayyy, I have no idea why the female Yvette hit Jobert. I’m clearly more attractive than that elderly dude.”
Jenica choked on her own saliva and glanced at Carlos from head to toe. The man’s face flushed. “W-why are you staring at me like that?”
“You? Handsome?” she asked, a naughty smirk on her face.
“Get your eyes checked!” Carlos said as he marched away from the door. Your vision is hazy!” He yelled loudly.
Jenica burst out laughing.