Chapter 44 Critical Condition
Chapter 44 Critical Condition
Jared had always known Griselda to be a kind and compassionate woman, but never before had he seen her hold someone so close to her heart. What would become of her if this patient died? he wondered.
Now, he could only hope that fate would allow him to save the girl's life. He had come fully prepared to treat her condition, but there were two sides to every coin. He did not want all his efforts to go to waste.
He surveyed the room and all the medicinal concoctions that had been used on her. Truly, they were useful in treating bad wounds, but based on the current condition of her wound, which had become infected, those drugs were now of no use. So, he emptied out everything that had been set on the table before taking out his own medicinal bag and arranging all his tools and medicines, as they were more effective for faster recovery.
He ground and mixed some of the local medicines in a special container before taking out an apron to protect his clothes, as the work he was about to do wouldn't be a very pleasant one.
One by one, he removed the bandages that had been wrapped around her, not minding the amount of blood that spilled onto the bed.
A proper wound dressing was more beneficial than one could imagine at that moment, and with the help of his apprentice, Jared carefully cleaned the wounds, ensuring that the pus was drained and that no blood clots or dead tissue remained to worsen the infection. He then applied medicine to the wounds before covering them with the fresh bandages he had brought with him.
All this merely marked the first step in treating her condition. There was still much more to be done. Yet none of it could guarantee whether the patient would survive. If he had treated her on the very day of her punishment, she wouldn't have been in such a critical condition and would likely have survived instead of lingering on the brink of death.
He took out a different medicinal herb from his bag and handed it to his apprentice, instructing him that the temple servants would have to boil it in a pot of water and bring it to the chamber.
His apprentice hurried to the kitchen at once and instructed the caterers to get him a pot and the amount of water he would need. He carefully boiled the herb over the local stove, making sure to remove some pieces of firewood whenever he felt the heat was too intense.
Jared had taught him several times how to properly boil herbs in a way that would retain their nutrients. Overboiling the herb or using too much heat could affect its effectiveness in the body, which was why he refused to let the caterers prepare it instead, despite their protests.
When it was finally ready, he poured the contents into a large bowl and brought it to the physician in the chamber.
Jared carefully fed the herb to the patient with a small spoon, making sure she swallowed a sufficient amount despite being unconscious.
That herb was one of the most powerful medicinal herbs, renowned for its remarkable ability to cure several conditions and aid recovery. In Evie's case, it was a medicine that had to be administered immediately. She wasn't only battling severe wounds but also severe sepsis. While her wounds were the source of her pain, the sepsis threatened her life and had to be treated alongside them.
Just then, he noticed a slight movement from his patient.
He gazed at her in alarm, knowing full well that it should have been impossible for her to regain consciousness in such a critical condition.
Suddenly, her entire body began jerking violently against the bed, as though she were having a seizure, but Jared knew that wasn't the case. He immediately held her down, trying to prevent her from falling off the bed or causing further trauma to her wounds.
His heart raced wildly in his chest. His worst fear had been confirmed, yet he remained calm and calculative. This was a critical situation, and the girl's life was now literally hanging by a thread.
He yelled commands to his apprentice, who was, in fact, in a state of shock. He had not expected the patient to react that way to the medicine, as it wasn't meant to cause such a reaction.
After the uncontrollable episode, she suddenly went completely still, and Jared quickly took hold of her wrist to check for a pulse—at least the faint pulse she had only moments earlier. He checked again, his fingers pressing harder against her wrist. But the result he found left him utterly defeated.
"What has happened, sir? Is she still alive?"
He turned to his apprentice, who gazed at him, eager to hear the status of the patient.
"Go outside and wait for me. Say no word about this to anybody," he ordered.
"But... sir—"
"Leave!" he yelled, causing the apprentice to stand up immediately and do what he was ordered.
Jared returned his gaze to the body of his patient, lost in thought. He had a very difficult decision to make, and he honestly did not know how to approach Griselda. But one thing was clear: today was definitely going to be a long day... a very long day.
Meanwhile, while Jared remained in the chamber with Evie, Griselda had gone to the olive tree where Evie had received her punishment, completely unaware of what had happened to her dear Evie.
She remained there for a long time, staring at the tree and reliving the bitter memory of how the girl's skin had been shredded so cruelly. She was too young to have endured such torture. That innocent girl! If Griselda had a choice in the matter, she would have gladly taken all the pain the poor girl was suffering.
She couldn't bear the thought of losing her, and so she knelt before the tree, pleading with Elyon to at least restore her life. He was a powerful God, and she knew He could hear every thought that passed through her mind.
If Elyon had once appeared before His priests as a mighty tornado of fire and struck down the immortal armies of Sumer, then surely bringing her beloved Evie back to life was not beyond His power. Surely, such a small request could not be too much for a God as powerful as Him.
"Please, Elyon... I am begging you," she cried bitterly. "I won't bear it if she dies... I can't!"