* * *
"Lui! Lui!"
I kicked open the lab door and called for her. But neither Lui nor Rick was there. Then I remembered I'd asked them to take Rodent to the clinic and let him rest.
Whew. I sighed and headed to the clinic. The reason I'd come looking for her so urgently was because an idea had struck me.
Until now, even when I wanted to take Jin's temperature, I hadn't been able to ask Lui to make a thermometer because I didn't know exactly what a 1℃ difference meant.
But just now, I'd suddenly remembered what Celsius was. Ah, stupid me. This is why liberal arts brains are hopeless.
The freezing point of water at 0℃ and boiling point at 100℃—that's what had popped into my head moments ago. How could I forget? Of course, precisely setting water's boiling point to exactly 100℃ would be tricky.
Still, maybe now I could measure Jin's temperature. With him spiking fevers so often lately, I was already on the verge of dying from worry—why had it taken me this long to think of it?
About to fling open the clinic door, I remembered Rodent might be sleeping and opened it carefully.
Sure enough, Rodent was snoring away inside. His nose was still red from crying, but he seemed a bit calmer, so I let out a sigh of relief.
"Ober Teacher."
At Lui's voice, I gestured for her to come out quietly so as not to wake Rodent. She nodded and stepped outside.
"Why'd you call me, Teacher? Got another fun idea?"
Lui was so sweet. Even though I kept bringing her absurd sketches that made no sense by this era's standards and asking her to make them, she called them 'fun ideas' and loved it.
The real angel isn't me—it's Lui. Underground City's angel. Sniff, sniff.
"Wait a sec. I'll sketch it right now."
I thought about what a thermometer looked like. Hmm... Nowadays, they're all electronic ear ones that beep with the reading... Yeah, that's impossible here.
So I recalled the classic oral kind. They were common when I was a kid... Suddenly imagining Jin with one in his mouth was so cute I punched the air absentmindedly.
I drew the thermometer diligently and showed it to her, then explained the Celsius scale as best I could.
"Ooh! What a brilliant idea. Where do you get these endless inventions, Teacher? You call me and Rick geniuses, but I think you're the real genius!"
Lui exclaimed in awe.
No... I'm just from another world—Rick and Lui are the geniuses for turning my shallow knowledge into real things. But I couldn't say that, so I just scratched my cheek awkwardly with a smile.
"Plus, this! You said it's for measuring the Leader's body temperature, but it could be used for so much more. Rick's experiments often vary by temperature, so this would improve accuracy..."
Lui rambled excitedly, but I couldn't understand a word, so I just nodded. Sadly, she'd probably get more traction explaining to Rodent than me.
Unaccustomed to such praise, I felt shy and quickly excused myself, heading to the Greenhouse.
"Ah, Teacher. You're here."
Rishar greeted me in a gruffer voice than usual. Jin was fast asleep—must have dozed off again. Rishar, who had been gazing down at sleeping Jin, averted his eyes when our gazes met.
'...? What's with Rishar? Did I do something wrong?'
Was he blaming me for Jin suddenly collapsing? Thinking I'd failed in my duty as his primary physician?
The thought made me suddenly feel wronged. It wasn't like Jin collapsing was my fault. But I couldn't snap at the scary 'Gray Lion' with his stern face...
"I'll get going then. I have business, Teacher."
Rishar said curtly and left the Greenhouse. I stared at his retreating back and sighed deeply. Fine, go ahead, go!
But oblivious to the drama, Jin just snored peacefully. Ugh, really. I can't live because of this man.
* * *
Unlike my worry that Jin might have some unknown disease I couldn't identify, thankfully, he didn't collapse with a nosebleed again after that.
Well, the tachycardia still happened occasionally—no, frequently. Why, even after feeding him all that heart-healthy food so diligently?
"Teacher, Teacher!"
Just then, commotion erupted outside the clinic. I'd been marking Jin's tachycardia episodes in his chart when I jumped up in surprise and went out.
"The wounded are coming in, Ober Teacher!"
Wounded...? Oh, right—there was some big battle today, I think...
Thanks to Lui making bulletproof vests from the tough dwarven fibers, we'd never had any seriously injured before. Truly fortunate. I couldn't save anyone with a gunshot wound.
Soon, patients flooded in with torn clothes and bleeding wounds everywhere.
The worst was one with a deep gash on his forearm, bleeding profusely. Supported by Rishar, he looked in bad shape.
Ugh... For heavy bleeders, elevate the legs 20cm to prevent shock, wound above heart level... Luckily, no major vessels hit.
"...Hemostatic, hemostatic."
I quickly sprinkled the white powder Rick made on the wound. Without him and Lui, I couldn't do anything as a doctor.
Even now, I was using gauze sterilized in the finished autoclave and Rick's medicines.
Fortunately, aside from that one, most were minor. After disinfecting and bandaging, I finally caught my breath.
"Thank you, Teacher."
Rishar said curtly. He'd been avoiding me like I made him angry, and of course, we ran into each other today.
Having been too busy treating patients, the awkwardness of facing him now hit me hard.
"...I'll go then."
As Rishar tried to flee again, I noticed a gash on his forehead bleeding slightly.
Ah, Rishar was hurt too?
"Hey, Rishar! Your wound..."
I grabbed his sleeve lightly. He panicked, covering the cut with his hand.
"I'm fine."
And tried to leave the clinic. No, this man! I yelled to stop him.
"If you go see Jin bleeding like that, he'll worry. You know how bad stress is for health?"
Rishar froze mid-step.
Truth be told, I'd predicted he'd stop at that. Heh heh, such an easy guy.
"Th-then, just a quick treatment."
He trudged over and sat in the chair. I sighed, picked up alcohol swab with tweezers, and cleaned the wound.
"Big battle, huh."
Unable to bear the silence with our faces so close, I tried starting a conversation.
Rishar stared blankly at me for a while before answering.
"Yes. It was."
Not a yes/no question, Rishar? With such short replies, I had no idea how to continue... I gave up and sank into my thoughts.
The guy with the deep forearm laceration honestly needed stitches over just bandaging. But I didn't know how.
'Hmm, could I practice suturing?'
No talent for sewing in my old life, but Astrid seemed skilled with needles—maybe okay.
Suture thread was synthetic fiber now, but before, they used silk. Even plain silk could be sterilized in the autoclave.
Such knowledge came from watching medical dramas across eras. Modern ones are fun, but classics too.
And suture needles were curved like fishhooks...
'Yeah. Sketch it roughly and ask Lui to make them.'
If possible, nag Rick—er, ask him for anesthetic. Practice on pig skin, since pigs are similar to humans...
Lost in such thoughts, our eyes met. Rishar's pale sky-blue eyes wavered.
Oh, right—this was the first time facing him so closely. Not quite Jin-level, but damn handsome up close. Subjective taste, though.
'Strictly speaking, their types differ.'
If Jin was delicate, poignant, ethereal beauty, Rishar was textbook handsome.
Bold thick brows, straight high nose, sun-tanned healthy skin, sharply defined features... Like a handsome bronze statue.
"Wh-why are you staring like that..."
Rishar blushed.
Ah, I'd been scrutinizing his face unconsciously. W-well, who told you to gash your forehead...
"S-sorry..."
I quickly secured gauze with tape and pulled away.
"All done, Rishar."
Flustered by my staring, he thanked me hastily and fled the clinic.
