Chapter 397 You're In trouble
When James followed Gerald to the Glowing Oasis CDC Hospital, the lobby was already in chaos.
Nearly a hundred people had been poisoned—waitstaff, diners, police officers, medical personnel—this was a major incident.
All medical staff had their vacations canceled, and key personnel from the Glowing Oasis medical system were all present.
Dozens of epidemiologists had come for consultations, but all their efforts were in vain.
None of the poisoned individuals showed any signs of improvement; in fact, their conditions were worsening.
Fortunately, these people were poisoned through contact and were not directly targeted by Dark Shadow; otherwise, they would have been dead already.
Even so, dozens of patients had gone into shock.
Of course, the general public was unaware of all this.
To avoid causing panic, the news had been sealed off early in the morning, but entering the CDC hospital, one could still feel an inexplicable tension in the air.
"What's going on with you people?"
"Aren't you all supposed to be medical experts? How come you can't even identify the poison?"
"Nearly a hundred people are getting worse. If you don't come up with a solution soon, they're all going to die."
"They are citizens of Glowing Oasis, and if they die because of your incompetence, don't you feel ashamed?"
When James and Gerald arrived at the observation room lobby, a woman in uniform was berating dozens of medical experts.
The woman in uniform was around forty years old, tall and attractive, but her demeanor exuded arrogance.
As she spoke, a secretary in the corner was filming with a phone, seemingly wanting to document the scene.
"Ms. Gonzalez, you're right. We are incompetent, and we apologize!"
"But please rest assured, we've just administered the X serum, which we believe will be effective."
"We've also brought in the most advanced equipment and sent someone to invite Daryl. We will do everything we can to save their lives!"
A middle-aged man who appeared to be a leader was wiping sweat from his forehead as he made promises to Isla.
"This matter has already attracted attention from higher-ups. I don't care what methods you use; you must save these hundred lives." Isla's tone was harsh. "If anything happens to them, it's on you."
The medical staff nodded repeatedly, indicating they would do their utmost.
"Mr. Rivera!" At this moment, a doctor saw Gerald and the others enter and quickly stood up to greet them respectfully.
Others followed suit. "Mr. Rivera."
Isla turned around with a playful smile. "Mr. Rivera, good evening. What brings you here?"
Gerald's face darkened. "If I didn't come, nearly a hundred people would be dead because of you."
"Mr. Rivera, what do you mean by this?" Isla's face was full of intrigue. "I didn't poison these hundred people. How can you blame me?"
Isla used to be afraid to challenge Gerald, but knowing he was a dying man, she had become brazen.
Even though Gerald had announced his recovery after a trip to Stardust City, she saw it as mere posturing.
Moreover, with a hundred people poisoned this time, if the situation escalated, Gerald would definitely be in trouble.
James narrowed his eyes slightly, sensing that Isla was not a good person.
"Enough with the irrelevant talk." Gerald didn't bother with pleasantries and coldly asked, "I just want to know, why did you stop Kaida from feeding them the pills?"
On the way here, Gerald had already figured out the situation. In the morning, Kaida had tried to bring pills to save people, but Isla had stopped her from entering the ward.
She accused Kaida of trying to poison the patients, had her detained, and took the pills for testing, only releasing her at dusk.
Isla laughed softly. "Yeah, I stopped Kaida because she couldn't explain where the pills came from, and they didn't have any certification."
"I was worried she might poison the patients, so I didn't let her give them out."
"Even though the tests later showed no toxins, several doctors said the pills were just supplements and wouldn't help at all."
"If taken, the pills might cause adverse reactions, so for safety, I sealed them."
Isla explained her reasoning calmly, leaving no room for blame.
James didn't listen to her; he was focused on the patients on the screen, his expression growing serious.
"Nonsense!" Gerald shouted. "These are pills formulated by Mr. Williams to slow down the poisoning and buy time to save lives. What you did was just endangering their lives!"
He turned to James. "Mr. Williams, is it still possible to use the pills now?"
James shook his head. "It's too late. The Toxiclear Elixir is most effective when administered immediately to protect the heart."
James had Kaida bring several boxes of silver needles. "Given the current situation, only immediate acupuncture can save them."
He had observed through the screen that many patients were in critical condition, with several in shock.
Gerald nodded quickly. "Then please, do whatever you need."
"Get the medicine from the top shelf and brew a large pot. We'll need it soon." James handed Kaida a written prescription. "Don't use a small flame; boil it quickly."
Kaida nodded. "Understood."
Gerald turned to Isla and the others. "Clear out and let James save the patients."
James didn't waste any time and headed towards the ward with the silver needles.
Isla looked at James and asked, "Mr. Rivera, who is he? Does he have a medical license?"
Gerald snorted. "He's a doctor from JZL Medical Clinic in Rosewood City, highly skilled."
"Stop!" Isla blocked James's path. "Mr. Rivera, you're the mayor, and I shouldn't question your orders."
"But this concerns the lives of nearly a hundred people. You're an outsider, and the doctor you brought doesn't have a medical license. Acting recklessly could lead to disaster."
"If anything happens to the patients, how will you explain it to their families?"
She signaled to a middle-aged man who appeared to be a leader.
The middle-aged man immediately stood up and shouted, "Yes, Mr. Rivera, we don't know where you found this 'expert', but has he diagnosed the patients on-site? Does he know what poison they've been exposed to? Does he know what medications the patients are allergic to?"
He sneered, "He knows nothing, and administering treatment like this is akin to suicide."
"Moreover, Ms. Gonzalez has already had us inject the X serum. What we should do now is wait for its effects."
"We should use scientific methods to save the patients, not let just anyone treat them."
He spread his hands, indicating his distrust of James. "Mr. Rivera, Ms. Gonzalez, I'm putting it out there—this man absolutely cannot be allowed to treat the patients."
"Who knows what his level of expertise is? If he messes up, the poison could react differently, and all our efforts would be wasted!"
"Mr. Rivera, professional matters should be handled by professionals." He subtly set a trap for Gerald.
"Get out!" Gerald didn't waste words; he stepped forward and kicked the middle-aged man away, then turned to James. "Mr. Williams, please."
James pushed the door open and entered.
Isla's gaze fixed on Gerald. "Mr. Rivera, you're acting recklessly, ignoring professional advice. If something goes wrong, who will be responsible?"
"If anything goes wrong, I take the blame, "Gerald said firmly. "But if not, you will be in big trouble."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
