Chapter 200

Chapter 200

In his imagination, the hospital should have been filled with cries of pain and chaos, or at the very least, overcrowded with patients in a state of panic.

After all, that was how it had been when he left. The hospital was almost at a standstill, and those patients weren't blind. Knowing they might be abandoned, people could do anything when pushed to the brink.

However, the scene before him now was entirely unexpected.

The hospital was still packed with patients, but it wasn't in chaos. Probably because many medical personnel in protective gear were at the forefront, consulting with patients and helping with intravenous drips.

Wait, where did they find so many doctors and nurses?

Anthony stood in stunned silence for a moment before quickly intercepting the hurried Dr. Fors and asking, "What's going on? Where did you find these doctors and nurses?"

Fors gave him a numb glance and tossed out, "Take a good look for yourself."

Anthony paused, then closely observed the people in protective gear. It didn't take long for him to notice something off.

In the consultation room, a player with the username 'No Cat Morals' asked, "Have you experienced any discomfort recently?"

The NPC promptly replied, "Yes, yes, I've been experiencing severe abdominal pain lately, and there's a lump."

"Oh, lie down then, let me have a look."

The patient hurriedly lay on the bed, lifting their shirt. No Cat stepped forward, recalling the techniques of doctors from their hospital visits, and pressed casually on the patient's body while whispering silently:

"System, roll for Medicine!"

Though players were not doctors, with a successful dice roll, even a literate with a Medicine skill of 1 could produce medical miracles!

"Medicine: Failure"

No Cat furrowed their brow.

The person lying on the bed instantly grew fearful and stammered, "D-d-doctor, is it something serious?"

"Hmm...it's hard to tell. Just a moment, let my colleague take a look." No Cat shook their head and casually grabbed another player from outside.

Baldy approached and also pretended to examine the patient diligently.

"Medicine: Failure"

"Hmm—this is tricky."

"Could it be some rare and complicated illness?" The man was on the verge of tears. If two doctors in a row couldn't determine the issue, wouldn't that mean things were looking grim?

"Sigh, let me get someone else to take a look."

A string of five or six 'doctors' surrounded the patient on the bed, each one breathing on their hands as if they were conducting a ritual. To the informed, they appeared to be diagnosing, but to the uninitiated, it seemed like they were rolling dice in a casino.

Anthony glanced at the nurse beside him, noticing her darkened expression. Eventually, after yet another player failed to provide any insight, he couldn't help but push aside the quacks and swiftly assessed the patient's face, followed by a gentle touch. He then declared, "You haven't had a bowel movement for a few days, right? It's constipation causing a blockage. I'll prescribe you a laxative suppository."

"Oh, thank you, Doctor!" Relieved to hear it wasn't a severe condition, the patient breathed a sigh of relief and thanked the nurse profusely, gripping her hand.

The nurse merely nodded hastily at him before fixing the fleeing players with a stern gaze. "Do any of you actually have medical licenses? Which hospital did you work at previously? Which medical school did you graduate from?"

"Haha... umm..."

"Well..."

"Hey, it seems like there's a commotion over at the restroom. I'm going to check it out!"

The players were, of course, mere impostors, and under the nurse's sharp gaze, they all guiltily lowered their heads, attempting to sneak away.

"Wait a moment," the nurse grabbed the back of No Cat's neck. Helpless, No Cat watched his teammates slip away, bitterly complaining about their betrayal in the team chat while still managing to put on a pitiful expression.

"Nurse, I really didn't mean it..."

"Your attire is not proper. Fix your clothes and wash your hands according to the seven-step method," the nurse assessed him quickly. "Then, go to the supply room, fetch whatever is usable, and bring your companion. Follow me to inspect the patient rooms."

"Uh, uh?" No Cat was taken aback, looking up to see tears glistening in the nurse's eyes.

"Hurry up!"

"Oh! Okay!" Though confused, No Cat promptly began to act.

Anthony watched the scene unfold in silence. The nurse and doctor, who were supposed to inspect the hospital's setup and staff safety, had immediately returned to their duties without a word...

"Could it be that they couldn't bear to see these amateurs tarnish the hospital's reputation and thus decided to come back?" Anthony speculated hesitantly.

"In a way, yes," Fors hesitated before responding, and the two shared a glance, filled with both amusement and admiration.

In the very epicenter of this contagious scourge, there were individuals willing to take on the most perilous tasks, even though they lacked the necessary qualifications.

One could say they were attempting a desperate cure, or perhaps overestimating their capabilities, but at least they had shouldered responsibilities that did not belong to them.

After the laughter, Anthony's frown softened significantly. "Only a portion of the doctors agreed to return here. How about the situation with the plague patients?"

"Hmm, you came back just in time," Fors chuckled. "Go upstairs and see for yourself. There's hope for the patients."

Anthony was taken aback but quickly grasped the situation. He rushed upstairs, with Fors calling after him, "Hey! Don't forget to wear your protective gear!"

Dressed in his protective suit, Anthony reached the third floor. The ward was much quieter than when he had last visited. Of course, all the beds were occupied, and groans of pain still echoed from within the rooms. However, the overall atmosphere had lost the despair and agony that had permeated it when he left. Despite being fully occupied, the patients no longer carried a deathly pallor.

Strange, Anthony thought, instinctively looking at the sky outside. How could such a significant change have occurred in just three hours?

Here, too, several people in protective suits were bustling between consultation rooms and wards, pushing carts laden with various medications.

...Medicine? Where did you get it?

Antony quickly intercepted a cart-pusher, seizing a bottle from the cart. The tax collector, halted in his tracks, became quite wary and instinctively snatched back the medicine bottle. "Who are you? If you want medicine, you need to queue up over there. The medicine here is prioritized for severely ill patients."

"Where did you obtain this medicine?" Antony wasn't upset by the theft; he had already read the label in those few seconds. It was all anti-plague antibiotics. He asked eagerly, filled with both delight and urgency.

The tax collector took one look at him and guessed his identity. After a moment's thought, he shared the cover story they had prepared. "Of course, it was our undercover agents from the Church who found it. The key to their healing isn't divine power or holy blood. They've been secretly stockpiling medicines and only giving them to those who comply with them. Then, they drink the blood and claim it's the work of the holy blood. Our insiders in the Church exposed their ploy and uncovered some of the hidden medicine."

"Great, wonderful! This will save everyone. I'll convince the doctors to return. This time, I'm confident they'll come back."

"Right, where's Simon? He should know about this medicine, right?"

"Of course, he's the one who got it," the tax collector whispered. Before Antony could express his confusion, the man continued, "He's in the room just ahead, probably waiting for you to discuss strategies."

"Oh, excellent. I'll go right away." Antony dashed to the front office, elated. As expected, God on Earth was inside, drafting plans for hospital isolation measures. These were downloaded from the internet by him and the players, as well as consulted with professionals from the forums. Upon seeing Antony, he handed him the plan.

"I've got something for you. Take a look. I've written about isolation measures, resettlement of residents, and medicine management. Now, we just need those familiar with the hospital to review it for any issues."

"Great, fantastic." Antony, though not part of the medical system, could tell that the preventative measures were meticulous. He smiled and said, "Actually, the most critical thing against the plague is medicine. Can you ensure there's enough? Are we able to trust the Church's insider? Can he really procure enough medicine without being detected?"

Divinity paused for a moment and said, "You don't have to worry about that. The Church has quite a stockpile of medicine, and we'll find a way to acquire it."

"Alright," Anthony trusted Divinity and couldn't help but laugh, "Now that's great. We no longer have to rely on the Church. Their fickle words have been making me sick."

These were not the kind of words Anthony would dare utter outside; he could only vent to Divinity. Simon was simply too capable. They had thought they were at a dead end, but now, there seemed to be a new path.

Divinity smiled without responding and added, "Aside from ensuring the hospital runs smoothly, we need to monitor the patients and potential sources of infection. Patrols should be sent to the residential buildings, and the pharmacy needs guarding to prevent any interference from the Church."

"Rest assured, I understand," Anthony replied with renewed vigor. With medicine in hand, they were finally free from the Church's constraints.

"There's one more thing," Divinity continued, "I want to expose the Church's monopoly on medicine." He continued, "We can't let them keep deceiving the people, mystifying scientific matters."

"Hmm... That's fine, but is it really a good idea? It's like pulling out their roots. They'll go crazy, won't they?"

Divinity chuckled. "If it's true, why would they go mad? They'd just dismiss it. And if it's false..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Anthony knew about Divinity's past persecution by the Church. Assuming this was a form of retaliation, he patted Divinity on the shoulder. "Leave it to me."

After Anthony left the room, Divinity removed his protective suit and took off his mask. At that moment, an itch in his throat made him cough violently, spitting out blood onto his hand.

God, in human form, calmly wiped his hands and glanced at the debuff attached to his character card:

"Plague of the Lungs: Loss of 2 to 5 health points daily."