Chapter 570: Cholera 4
Evelyn Ford was busy in the lab while Ronan Kendrick waited for her in the adjacent break room. Liam Sterling’s walkie-talkie kept buzzing. He stepped outside to take the call and returned with a grim expression.
"Over three hundred people have died in Flumen’s hospital, and more than a thousand are infected in the resettlement housing shelter. Things are starting to get chaotic over there."
Ronan Kendrick glanced at the busy Evelyn Ford inside the lab. "You should go. I’ll stay here with Evelyn."
Liam Sterling nodded. "Alright. Thank you both for your hard work, Mr. Kendrick. I have to get to the hospital in Flumen."
"Take this." Ronan Kendrick pulled a small bottle from his jacket pocket. Inside was a single black pill.
"What is it?"
"Medicine. Take it or don’t, it’s up to you." Ronan Kendrick shoved the bottle into Liam Sterling’s hand, then turned his attention back to Evelyn.
Liam Sterling didn’t hesitate. He opened the bottle, tossed the pill into his mouth, and swallowed it.
The pill was somewhat bitter and, for some reason, had a metallic, bloody taste. But after he swallowed it, a warmth began to spread from his abdomen. A moment later, the heat flowed through his entire body like a gentle stream, reaching every limb.
"Mr. Kendrick, thank you."
Liam Sterling could already feel the pill’s extraordinary effects. He didn’t ask any more questions. After offering Ronan Kendrick his solemn thanks, he left the lab.
Evelyn Ford and the research team worked for six hours, running a total of three experiments. They finally managed to perfectly replicate the special medicine. The lab equipment wasn’t top-of-the-line, which made the refinement process difficult and time-consuming.
"We can mass-produce it now."
Everyone began to applaud, their eyes filled with excitement and exhilaration.
"Thank you, Dr. Ford."
Evelyn Ford waved her hand. "Don’t mention it. This was a team effort. I’m heading back now, but feel free to find me anytime if you have questions. The special medicine is very potent. Children under ten should only take half a tablet. Those between ten and sixty can take a full tablet. And anyone over sixty should take it in two doses, half a tablet at a time."
Evelyn Ford clearly explained the details of taking the medicine. "Do not eat or drink anything for two hours after taking the tablet. After two hours, you may experience symptoms like coughing up blood or nosebleeds. These are all normal reactions."
"Noted. We’ll be sure to follow the instructions strictly."
Evelyn Ford smiled. "Good. That’s a relief."
When she left the lab, Ronan Kendrick was already waiting at the door.
"It was a success. We can start mass production now."
Ronan Kendrick helped Evelyn Ford adjust the hood of her protective suit. "My Felicity is so amazing. Come on, let’s go home."
On the way back, Evelyn Ford talked nonstop about the process of developing the medicine. Ronan Kendrick watched her with a smile, listening intently.
"With you on the case, there was no chance of failure."
"Ronan, you’re really seeing me through rose-colored glasses," Evelyn Ford said, looking at him with amusement.
Ronan Kendrick raised an eyebrow. "You *are* amazing. I’m just stating a fact."
The elevator and hallway both reeked of disinfectant. Suddenly, Evelyn Ford slapped her forehead.
"Ronan, I forgot to give them the disinfectant I developed! The one they’re spraying in the Undercity has too strong a smell. It’s really bad for the respiratory system."
"It’s alright. If Liam Sterling comes by tomorrow, you can give it to him. If he doesn’t, I’ll take it to Rhys Chase."
"Thank you for that."
"Are you going to reward me?"
Evelyn Ford pursed her lips into a smile. "I’m begging a certain someone to have mercy and stop exploiting me."
"Where did your mind go? I was talking about treating me to a meal." Ronan Kendrick tsk-tsked with a straight face. "It’s just a meal. Is that exploitation?"
Evelyn... ’This isn’t the same innocent Ronan Kendrick anymore.’
The pharmaceutical factory dedicated three production lines to the special medicine. All the workers put in overtime, pushing to get the medicine into the hands of every resident as soon as possible.
The ten infected individuals who were the first to take the special medicine had already recovered. They had undergone full physical examinations and blood tests before taking the medicine and again after their recovery. A comparison of the two showed that their bodily functions had significantly improved after taking the medicine. Even some minor ailments affecting their internal organs had been cured.
The production process for the special medicine was extremely complex. After distributing one pill to every person, the factory’s warehouse would likely have no raw materials left in reserve.
When Ronan Kendrick went to the administration building to find Rhys Chase, he took the disinfectant sample with him, along with a complimentary copy of its formula.
Rhys Chase, for his part, had prepared a gift for Evelyn Ford in return. Since she wanted gold and jade, Rhys had scraped together all the gold and jade from the hands of the management team.
The personnel who delivered the second shipment of weapons to Arden Base also brought back several tons of jade on their return trip. Evelyn Ford was thrilled for days after receiving it.
The first batch from the pharmaceutical factory consisted of 30,000 pills. The base, Flumen, and the resettlement housing each received 10,000. The medicine was delivered first to the infected. To prevent anyone from hoarding the pills or lining their own pockets, the base dispatched three military units to the shelters to supervise, personally witnessing the infected take their dose.
After taking the special medicine, half of the infected experienced dizziness, coughing up blood, nosebleeds, and high fevers. These symptoms mostly lasted for three to five hours. Generally, after about eight hours, the medicine would take full effect, and the infected person would recover.
However, some severely infected patients couldn’t recover so quickly. Those with a fast metabolism could pull through, but for those with a slow metabolism, even the special medicine was useless. If an infected person experienced vomiting and abdominal pain for about five days and couldn’t recover on their own, they would die.
The vegetables and wheat in the base’s cultivation area had sprouted. Half a month later, every single resident in every shelter had taken the special medicine, with no one left out.
In total, from the first day of the cholera outbreak until the day the last of the special medicine was distributed, 2,823 people died.
Of those, eighty percent were elderly.
But now there was an even more pressing problem: the source of the cholera had not yet been found. Although taking the special medicine gave uninfected residents a certain degree of resistance, it wasn’t a panacea. It wasn’t a cure-all that meant everything would be fine. To prevent a second outbreak of *Vibrio cholerae*, the medical and research teams still had to find the origin of the bacteria.
Just as Evelyn Ford had suspected, most researchers believed the source of the *Vibrio cholerae* outbreak was the droppings of small birds that had flown back from other regions.
The disinfectant Evelyn Ford had submitted was also now in mass production. For the past two days, the entire base, inside and out, smelled of mint. The surrounding plants began to release oxygen, and residents with good physical constitutions no longer needed to carry oxygen tanks to leave the shelters or the Undercity.
Just then, the base’s broadcast system crackled to life again.
[Residents, good morning.
Under the leadership of the base’s administration, the cholera outbreak has been brought under control, and the infected are recovering and leaving quarantine. However, I have a few reminders for everyone: When entering or exiting the shelters, you must wash your hands and disinfect. Do not spit on the ground. Every day, you must go to the cafeteria to receive a bowl of the communal preventative medicine. The cholera has not disappeared; it could break out again. We hope all residents will take precautions and remain prepared.]