Chapter 60 Careless Mistake
"What did you just say?"
Niamh, who had been standing by the bedside waiting for news, almost lost her balance when she heard that Vaughn might not make it.
The atmosphere in the room grew tense, everyone except Kismet reacting with alarm.
Michael's eyes narrowed, and almost instinctively, he gripped Amelia's slightly cold hand tightly. It was both a gesture of comfort and a clear signal to everyone that he was protecting her, especially from any sudden aggression from the Williams family.
Niamh bit her lip and asked Francis, "So this Amelia doesn't know anything about medicine and gave my father the wrong prescription, causing this?"
Niamh turned sharply to glare at Amelia, her eyes filled with anger, her hands trembling with rage.
"No, that's not it," Francis quickly shook his head. "Amelia definitely knows her stuff. Her prescription wasn't random."
Anna, confused, asked, "If her prescription wasn't random, then how did my grandfather end up like this?"
Francis sighed, "The prescription wasn't random, but if Amelia didn't intentionally harm my father, she made a fatal mistake. She accidentally wrote 'buckthorn root' instead of 'buckthorn leaf.'"
Amelia, who had been silent, suddenly looked up, "Impossible!"
Before anyone could react, she strode over and snatched the prescription from Francis's hand.
She looked down at the paper, her expression tightening. The handwriting was free and easy, just like hers. But the last ingredient was indeed listed as 'buckthorn root.'
Amelia immediately realized the prescription had been tampered with. Someone had copied her original and deliberately changed 'buckthorn leaf' to 'buckthorn root.'
Her gaze turned icy, and she clenched the prescription tightly. This small change had turned a healing remedy into a deadly poison. Someone was trying to use her name to kill Vaughn.
"You have the nerve to snatch the prescription?" Kismet jumped up, eyeing Amelia warily. "Are you trying to destroy the evidence?"
Ignoring Amelia, Niamh quickly asked Francis, "Dr. Vasquez, we don't understand shamanic medicine. What are buckthorn leaf and buckthorn root?"
Francis explained, "Buckthorn is a special plant that grows in extremely cold mountainous areas. Both its leaves and roots are used in traditional medicine, but their properties and effects are completely different."
"Uma said my father had been suffering from chronic liver dysfunction, causing nosebleeds."
"To treat it, you need to use herbs that soothe the liver, regulate Qi, and clear heat. Buckthorn leaf is mild and effective for this condition."
"If Amelia originally prescribed buckthorn leaf, there would be no problem with the prescription. In fact, it would be quite advanced."
"After taking five doses, my father would have been almost completely healed."
Niamh frowned, pressing on, "And buckthorn root?"
Francis took a deep breath, his expression serious. "Buckthorn root has the opposite properties of buckthorn leaf."
"My father already had a heat condition. The more he took buckthorn root, the more he would bleed, worsening over time."
"Yeah," Uma added, "That's exactly what Mr. Williams has been going through. But he brushed it off as normal side effects."
Francis continued, "More importantly..."
Niamh urged, "What's more important?"
Francis shook his head, sighing. "More importantly, buckthorn root is highly toxic and must be carefully dosed."
"Overdosing on buckthorn root in a decoction can be fatal. This prescription has an overdose."
"Additionally, buckthorn root conflicts with other ingredients in the prescription, causing toxic reactions when combined."
"So my father is not just coughing up blood and unconscious; the toxins have entered his system."
"The poison from buckthorn root is affecting his nerves and heart, while the combined toxins are damaging his liver, lungs, spleen, and stomach. This damage is irreversible."
"If we had caught it a few days ago, we could have induced vomiting, performed gastric lavage, and used acupuncture and medication to detoxify him. But it's been five days."
"He's experiencing respiratory distress, low blood pressure, hypothermia, and irregular heartbeat. Soon, he will suffer circulatory failure and heart damage, leading to..."
Francis looked at Niamh and shook his head, "Ms. Niamh Williams, I'm sorry, but with current medical techniques and my abilities, we can't save Mr. Vaughn Williams."
Niamh trembled, her voice shaking with disbelief, "Are you saying my father is beyond saving?"
The room fell silent for a moment.
The previously calm atmosphere became tense again, and Amelia once more found herself the target of everyone's anger.
Tobias clenched his fists, ready to grab Amelia and run. But before he could move, Amelia looked up and said—
"He can be saved."
Everyone turned to look at her.
Kismet, who had been gleeful about the impending inheritance, was stunned and then furious. "What nonsense are you talking about?"
She glared at Amelia. "You carelessly wrote the wrong prescription and harmed my father. We haven't even held you accountable yet."
"Now, even Dr. Vasquez says my father can't be saved, and you dare claim he can be."
"What, are you better than Dr. Vasquez? How are you going to save him, with just your words?"
Amelia met her cold gaze. "I didn't make a careless mistake. This isn't my prescription."
"Someone copied my handwriting and deliberately changed 'buckthorn leaf' to 'buckthorn root.'"
Ignoring the shocked faces around her, Amelia turned to Francis. "And when I say he can be saved, I mean it."
"Dr. Vasquez, have you heard of the Return Elixir? With the Return Elixir, we can save Mr. Williams."