The One and Only Guide - Chapter 18
“Oh! Morgan!”
A wail that would make a man’s hair stand on end rang out. Jian, who had just finished stitching up the wounded man’s bandages, involuntarily turned to the maid. Judging from the maid’s attitude toward the young man on the stretcher, he felt like…he was her family.
The man on the stretcher raised a trembling hand .
“…Mother.”
That was it. Thud. His hand fell onto the white snow. He endured and endured until the end, confirming the faces of his family before embracing death.
There was nothing to be heard except the flapping of tents and Head Maid Joan’s sobbing.
In the midst of everyone’s shock, Jian moved alone. Holding epinephrine in her hand, she approached.
Epinephrine was an emergency medication used when the heart stopped. After the Gate incident, it had been developed and could be readily available in the form of an injectable drug, similar to a painkiller.
Jian pushed aside the crying Head Maid and immediately injected epinephrine into Morgan’s neck*. If the heart had stopped for a long time, it might be useless, but this man was young and strong. With the injection of epinephrine and chest compressions, he might survive.
The dosage was precisely 0.5mg per injection, so there was no need to worry about dosage control. After confirming that all the medication had been administered, Jian put her hands on his chest, and began rhythmic compressions, counting.
One. Two. Three.
There was a sound as if a rib had fractured in the middle, but she did not stop. Breaking a rib was better than having the heart stopping.
Four. Five. Six.
Her shoulders shook with tension, but Jian increased the pressure.
Finally, Morgan’s heart began to beat again.
“Whew…”
Jian didn’t have a monitor to check the electrocardiogram, but she could tell by placing her ear to his chest that his heart had survived.
Thump-thump, a regular pulse could be heard.
Now that the heart had started beating again, there were less things to worry about. The depleted blood would be replaced by the function of the blood pack, and after treating and suturing the shoulder wound, it would be over.
Jian generously used antiseptic and hemostatic agents on Morgan’s shoulder, and closed up the torn flesh with a stapler. She also made sure to give him an injection in case a blood transfusion was not possible. Even though he was out cold, Morgan moaned in pain.
Jian’s ability to remain calm in such situations was thanks to her childhood experience during the Gate incident. Ironically, the tragedy from her childhood had fueled her growth. She was glad that this experience had some use now.
After completing the sutures, Jian suddenly raised her head and scanned the surroundings. Everyone was looking at her. Even the wounded on the stretcher were looking up in surprise. Harold called out in a hushed voice.
“Morgan… was revived!”
Not revived. No, but now was not the time to explain the details one by one. Jian shouted.
“Next patient!”
* * *
After saving the head maid’s son, Jian’s status rose. The change in Harold’s attitude was visible evidence of that. Whether he became more polite or cautious, either way, it was good news for Jian.
But it wasn’t all good news. Even with a fully stocked first aid kit, she was unable to take a step outside the castle. Once the antiseptic gel and hemostatic agents ran out, she was of little help left.
Still, Harold’s attitude became strangely courteous, and the servants occasionally showed friendly gestures. The head maid, who directly benefited from the hospitality, was beyond grateful.
Now that she’d earned the favor, it was time to use it. Jian was persistent, asking Harold to let her out of the castle, to let her climb the walls and watchtowers. With what she had offered, there was a chance it might work.
However, Harold remained adamant. No matter how she tried to persuade him, the answer was always the same.
“We need the Duke’s orders.”
She had heard the same response five times already. The time spent trying to convince him was becoming futile.
Losing patience, Jian asked irritably,
“When is that damn Duke coming back?”
“He will return after… the funeral for the fallen warriors is over.”
The subsequent words were enough to silence Jian. The funeral of the warriors was taking place in the castle, and even though the castle’s healers and maids were doing their best to care for the wounded, real-time death continued. Witnessing servants carrying buckets wailing, and maids carrying towels with swollen faces, occurred several times a day.
News of the monster invasion being repelled had reached the castle, but the sorrow and despair within the Duke’s mansion was palpable. As Harold stated proudly, the safest place in the North was this Duke’s mansion. Jian didn’t want to imagine what was beyond the castle walls. Perhaps a scene straight out of hell?
But all these events were ultimately someone else’s story. The tragedy in the North belonged to the people here, not Jian. Jian was used to tragedy. Earth had its Gates and its monsters, too, and one’s heart and emotions are best kept at a distance from such things.
And that night, as if to reward her patient waiting, the Duke of the North returned. It had been almost two weeks since the beacon was raised.
Important T/N: Hi guys not to be a killjoy but as a translator who studied first aid, please don’t not ever inject epinephrine into someone’s neck T^T Jian isn’t a healthcare professional, so it makes sense for her to make this mistake but please know that it’s medically incorrect and this can cause more harm than good, as there are many delicate structures in your neck, and you might accidentally un-alive someone or complicate the situation instead ToT
