Xion was about to start treating patients. Noxian was beside him, but Mister Berry was nowhere in sight. What startled Xion was the sudden arrival of Allen.
"Can I also stay here?"
The deep voice drew Xion’s gaze to Allen, whose sunset-orange eyes gleamed with anticipation.
Though confused, Xion nodded hesitantly. "Err... Sure."
So, now Xion was treating the patients, and Noxian helped him with the herbs. Meanwhile, handsome Allen remained perched on the stool.
His gaze did not falter even for a second.
Allen was the healer of nobility. That fact alone was enough to show his superior talent. And now, that very talent was observing Xion’s every move, scrutinizing each touch with heavy precision.
It was so intense that it nearly made Xion’s hand tremble several times.
Is he here to keep an eye on me or something? Xion thought while trying not to make any mistake.
A sudden commotion erupted outside the clinic, breaking through his already tense nerves. Shouts and screams echoed, growing louder with every passing second.
Xion glanced toward the street, and he could vaguely hear the loud voices calling Healer something.
Trouble already? Though he did have a hunch that sooner or later someone would come to trouble him, he hadn’t expected it so soon!
But it seemed trouble always found him.
The clinic doors slammed open, revealing a frantic group of people storming in. At their center, a young boy was carried by two men. His piercing cries echoed so loudly that Xion had to cover little Noxian’s ears.
"Help my child! Please!" one of the men pleaded desperately.
Xion took one look at their attire. They were lavish and finely tailored. Clearly, they were not here to stir trouble. Well, at the very least, not over money.
Snapping out of his momentary surprise, Xion motioned toward the empty bed. "Lay him down there. Quickly."
The young man was clutching his stomach with trembling hands. He writhed in pain as his escorts gently lowered him onto the bed.
Xion immediately approached the thin man who was curled up while holding his big pregnant-looking belly. His pale-yellow hair was stuck to his forehead, and Xion wondered if all of it was sweat or his tears.
With the help of the two males who came with the patient, he steady the crying male.
The moment he rolled his shirt heavy gasps rang in the vicinity.
"Noxian, only keep the relevant people in, and shut the door."
The crowd pressing around him grew so thick it blocked out the sunlight.
But even the shadow could not hide the huge bluish-purple gash spreading all over the stomach.
He barely touched the outer edge where the color was still light, yet the man screamed loudly. He could even see the blood-red veins spreading like spider webs.
"Nikolai, my child. You will be fine. See, we have found the caped healer!"
Father’s words had no effect on Nikolai as the male was too tormented by the pain to even notice his surroundings.
As his hands began their examination, Xion noted the telltale signs of Compartment Syndrome- the unnatural swelling, the tenderness around the affected area, and the way the young man screamed when his stomach was even lightly touched.
Xion’s lips tightened. Compartment Syndrome was not unheard of but to this extent...
In his old world, he would have made long incisions in the skin to relieve pressure. This would restore normal blood flow and prevent permanent tissue damage.
In severe cases, the wound might be left open and covered with sterile dressings or a vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) device to allow swelling to subside before a secondary surgery to close the wound.
Before Xion could take action, Allen’s chair scraped against the floor as he stood up. His deep voice rang out.
"It’s Devil’s Spawn," Allen said, stepping toward Xion. His tone was flat but carried a weight that silenced the entire buzzing room. "It’s incurable. You’ll only make it worse by touching him."
That made Xion frown harder. What the heck was even Devils’ spawn?
Allen, now standing beside Xion, was looking at Nikolai with pity, "They say the Devil choose his targets and impregnate them. One can only survive if they give birth to his child. No one survives as devil’s child eats away his mother
Xion, "... The fuck?"
Now, Xion was usually a soft-spoken person but there were some moments when he could not control his emotions and let his tongue express them quite vividly. More often than not it had landed him in trouble.
Just like right now. The way Allen’s orange eyes widened at his vocabulary, he knew he had messed up. But right now was not the time to think about that.
Xion took a deep breath before pointing toward the writhing man, "Increased pressure within a muscle compartment is cutting off blood flow. If we don’t relieve it, the tissues will die, and he won’t survive."
His words made Allen halt. "Tissue?" For a moment, doubt flickered in his gaze.
Nikolai’s father who was keenly listening to their conversation, fell to his knees beside Xion and held his hands in a bruising grip.
"Please, you must help my son! If you have even the smallest chance - anything you can do. I’ll do whatever it takes!" His words tumbled out as his eyes glistened with unshed tears.
Xion almost winced when his hands were held so tightly. Howbeit, he spoke in a gentle, assuring tone, "We need to perform surgery on him, and the rest depends on his luck and your care. Now, if you move aside."
The father nodded fervently, tears spilling down his face.
Even if Xion was confident in treating it, he could not be sure about the various factors, like the jumbled mess of mana rotating in the veins along with suppressed blood.
Noxian had already driven all the irrelevant people out and now only a few of them were left.
"Okay, we need to prepare a few things for the surgery. Noxian, help me bring the first aid kit and the cleaning alcohol. Also, bring me those herbs."
While giving various orders to Noxian Xion went beside the counter and crouched down. Now, with his body completely hidden, he immediately ordered the medical tools he would need for the surgery.
One by one, the medical tools he needed began to appear, a scalpel, clamps, sutures, and sterile cloths.
His heart raced. The act was risky; summoning tools in a world where such objects didn’t belong was bound to raise suspicion. But there was no other choice.
A life was hanging by a thread, and he, a doctor could not just turn his head around and pretend nothing happened.
Attention be damned, Xion thought. If I can save him, then it’s worth it.