Chapter 282 Undiagnosable Condition
Nora paused, her brow furrowed in thought. "The timeline is uncertain. It could be a week, perhaps a month, or even two. Why do you ask?" she inquired.
Evella, her eyes filled with anticipation, responded, "This weekend, my family is hosting a reunion party. I don't have many friends in this area. Would you consider attending?"
Nora, who had grown fond of Evella, contemplated the invitation. She surmised that she would still be in the city over the weekend. "Certainly, if I'm available, I'll make a point to attend."
Evella's face lit up with joy. "That's wonderful! May I call you Nora?" she asked excitedly.
Nora responded with a warm smile, "Of course, you can."
"Nora, let's exchange contact information," Evella suggested.
"Alright," Nora agreed.
After they swapped numbers, Nora announced, "I should be on my way now."
Evella clutched her paperwork, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Nora, I'm so thrilled to have met you. It feels like I've found a member of my family."
Nora empathized with her sentiments. "It's been a pleasure, but I really must depart. We'll converse more later."
"Sure," Evella responded, her smile coy.
Without further ado, Nora prepared to leave. However, at that moment, a commotion erupted on the nearby field, followed by cries of alarm. Both Nora and Evella instinctively turned towards the noise, their eyes landing on a figure collapsed on the ground.
"Nora, it appears there's been an accident," Evella observed.
"Let's investigate," Nora suggested.
Driven by her medical instincts, Nora briskly walked towards the field, with Evella trailing closely behind. In the center of the field lay a young man in a basketball jersey, unconscious. A few others in similar jerseys huddled around him, one performing CPR.
As Nora and Evella pushed through the crowd, Evella gasped in recognition. "Gary?" she exclaimed.
Nora momentarily put aside the personal connection and asked, "What happened?"
"We're not certain. We were just playing basketball when Gary suddenly clutched his throat, lost his speech, and then collapsed," one of the men explained.
Evella clung to Nora's hand tightly. "Nora, you're so proficient in holistic health. Can you examine my brother and determine what's wrong?"
Nora didn't need to be asked twice. She would have done it regardless. She patted Evella's hand reassuringly, signaling her to remain calm, and then squatted down beside the stricken man to check his pulse.
Typically, Nora could diagnose a patient's ailment with a reasonable degree of accuracy. But this time...
Nora's brows knitted together as she concentrated on taking the pulse again. Strangely, she couldn't identify the illness afflicting him. She also lifted the man's eyelids and noticed his pupils were dilating erratically.
"Did anyone call for an ambulance?" she inquired.
"It's already en route," a man in the group confirmed.
"Nora, what illness does my brother have?" Evella asked, her voice laced with anxiety.
Nora reflected silently, "It's challenging to make a diagnosis at this stage. He needs to be taken to the hospital for further tests."
Upon hearing this, Evella's face turned ashen. "Nora, are you saying even you can't determine what's ailing him? He's not suffering from something terminal, is he?" After uttering these words, she hastily spat on the ground a few times. "Phew, phew, phew, listen to me and my doom and gloom; my brother's healthy, he couldn't possibly have anything terminal."
Nora, recognizing Evella's heightened anxiety, attempted to soothe her. "There's no need to worry, he'll be alright. Can you all recount exactly what transpired before he lost consciousness?" she asked.
The man's pulse, steady and strong, didn't suggest any life-threatening condition. As Evella had previously stated, he wasn't ill. In fact, he was in excellent health. So, what could have caused his sudden collapse? Nora knew she needed to identify the cause of his unconsciousness to provide appropriate treatment.
"We were engaged in our usual pastime, playing basketball," one of the men volunteered.
"Before the game, we warmed up with some stretching exercises. We'd been playing for over an hour when Gary collapsed. Nothing unusual had occurred. Gary seemed perfectly fine. It was so abrupt. He grabbed his throat as if he wanted to speak, but no words came out. He looked like..." The man's voice trailed off as he exchanged glances with his friends.
Nora, listening attentively, prompted, "Like what?"
The man hesitated before finally confessing, "Like he was possessed or something."
His words sent a wave of unease through the group. "Guys, do you think Gary could be cursed or something?" he asked, causing the others to glance around nervously, their faces reflecting their shared fear.
Nora, unimpressed, dismissed their superstitions. "Enough with the nonsense; there's no such thing as curses. There's a logical explanation for his unconsciousness."
Just then, the wail of an ambulance siren filled the air. Together, they carefully lifted Gary onto the waiting stretcher. Evella hurried to keep pace, while another student clambered into the ambulance.
After a moment's consideration, Nora decided to join them. She had yet to encounter a medical condition that she couldn't diagnose, and she was determined to uncover the cause of this man's sudden coma.
Once inside the ambulance, the paramedics fitted an oxygen mask over Gary's face. As the siren wailed, Nora mulled over the information she'd gathered from Gary's friends. Her gaze fell on Gary's face, now obscured by the oxygen mask. His lips were turning an alarming shade of blue, suggesting a cardiac issue or asphyxiation. He had clutched at his throat before losing consciousness...
An idea sparked in her mind. She turned to Gary's friend and asked, "Was he chewing gum while playing basketball with you all?"
The man pondered her question. "I believe he was."
Nora nodded, as if this confirmed her suspicions. "The gum must've become lodged in his windpipe, causing asphyxia and leading to his coma."
The man looked doubtful. "Really? Chewing gum caused him to suffoEvella? We chew gum all the time while playing basketball, and sometimes we accidentally swallow it, but nothing like this has ever happened."
Nora offered a knowing smile. "Just because it hasn't happened, doesn't mean it can't. The hospital will confirm it with a checkup."
Despite his skepticism, the man fell silent as Evella quickly interjected, "I trust Nora's expertise. She even managed to cure my grandpa's terminal brain cancer."
Nora simply smiled, offering no further comment. Soon, the ambulance pulled up to the hospital. Nora disembarked and quickly explained the situation to the attending doctor. An X-ray soon confirmed the presence of a foreign object lodged in Gary's throat, and he was rushed into the emergency room for immediate surgery.
"Nora, my brother will be alright, won't he?" Evella asked, her face etched with worry.
"He'll be fine once they remove the blockage," Nora assured her.
Evella smiled, relief washing over her. "Nora, we were so fortunate to have you with us today. If we hadn't figured out why my brother fainted, any further delay could have been life-threatening."
Nora simply smiled in response, offering no further comment. Just then, her phone buzzed. It was a call from Ebenezer. He was probably anxious because she hadn't shown up at the restaurant for their planned meeting.
"Evella, I have some other business to attend to. I need to go," Nora said.
"Of course, Nora. Will you be at school tomorrow? Can we have lunch together?" Evella asked.
"Sure," Nora agreed, before answering the call from Ebenezer.
"Hello?"
"Nora, where are you? Can't find your way, huh? Want me to send a driver to pick you up?"
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