Chapter 328


    Living in the shadow of an unseen enemy had been a nerve-wracking experience, but once they


    actually caught the bug, a strange sense of calm settled over them. Jasper and Ste reassured


    each other, "We''re better off than most. Our symptoms are lightpared to others."


    The one bright spot was that Cooper had pulled through. His symptoms were easing day by day,


    and his voracious appetite was returning. He was a bundle of energy, wagging his tail and offering


    caninefort to his ailing family.


    In the end, it all came down to being in good physical shape.


    Initially, fearing that Cooper might catch the virus, Ste had isted him in the spare room. But


    Cooper would scratch at the door, letting out pitiful whines until she couldn''t bear it any longer.


    She consulted with Dr. Collin, only to find out he had been infected too. Thankfully, as a physician,


    he had a strong mental attitude and had caught his symptoms early. He had been self-medicating


    and, though weak, was far from bedridden. It never crossed his mind that the first case to recover


    from the smog virus would be a dog.


    Collin made a special trip to check on Cooper, and upon seeing the dog''s robust muscles, he knew


    what was at y. "The virus is vicious," he exined, "but recovery leads to antibodies. From the


    cases we''ve seen so far, there''s no sign of mutation."


    The virus traveled with the smog – there was no escaping it. All they could do was keep up with


    sanitation to lower the chances of infection.


    Ste understood that as long as the virus didn''t mutate, Cooper, with his new antibodies, was safe


    from reinfection.


    Returning to her room, Ste unpacked 10 pounds of smoked sausage and bacon, salted fish, and


    20 pounds of soy flour that had been crushed into a fine powder. "Dr. Collin, these were prepared by


    us. We meant to give them to you earlier, but things have been hectic."


    Collin was adamant, "No, these are too precious. We can''t ept this."


    "If you fall, what happens to the sick survivors? We''re counting on you to cure us." Ste pushed


    the supplies into his hands. "You eat this first. I''ll figure out how to get more nutritious stuff."


    Collin was deeply touched, his voice heavy with emotion, "Ste, Jasper, on behalf of the research


    institute, I thank you."


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    "We should be thanking you," Jasper added. "If we hadn''te here, who knows if we''d still be


    standing."


    After Collin left, Ste brought Cooper back in.


    Their symptoms fluctuated, sometimes light, sometimes dragging them down. When the fever hit


    hard, Ste felt nauseous and her body ached as if undergoing surgery without anesthesia. Her


    coughs were like a bellows, constant and loud, and it felt like a de was slicing her throat. Just a


    few minutes of coughing made her feel like something was about to burst from her insides.


    Yet, this was still considered mild. One could only imagine the agony of the critically ill.


    Each one had an oxygen tank at hand, ready for moments when breathing became difficult.


    Once the symptoms eased, they would disinfect the room again.


    Dr. Garcia''s team had been working tirelessly, adjusting the treatment as new data came in. Ste,


    Jasper, Rosie, and Cooper had be so familiar with the herbal concoctions they were drinking


    daily that they could discern the ingredients by scent alone.


    The recipe had changed; the amount of dragonlily had increased, with the addition of licorice and


    goldenrod. After three days on the new form, Ste felt her symptoms lighten.


    Rosie, being younger, struggled more with her fever. Jasper coaxed her to eat the beef soup he''d


    prepared, insisting even when she had no appetite – she needed the strength to fight the virus.


    With her cheeks flushed and her voice hoarse, Rosie asked, "Jasper, am I going to die?"


    "No you''ll pull through," Ste consoled her, applying ice to help reduce the fever. "Jasper and I are


    getting better; you will too, very soon."


    Indeed, a healthy lifestyle was proving its worth now, helping them fend off the virus with


    comparatively mild symptoms.


    They were far luckier than most survivors. They had caught it early, had ess to good treatment,


    and their immune systems were strong. Everything was looking up.


    Years of disaster had weakened many, and the extended absence of sunlight had taken its toll,


    leaving people pale and unhealthy. Amid coughing fits, blood came up, along with something more


    solid. Ste had seen people carried into emergency rooms, never toe out again.


    Ste was grateful that her years of preparation had not been in vain, and that drinking herbal


    remedies for a long period of time could in fact control her condition without worsening it.


    She stopped her own medicine, sticking to what the hospital provided, and her symptoms began to


    fade. "Do you think Dr. Garcia has found a cure?" she asked Jasper one day.


    "Let''s hope," Jasper replied, having started some light exercises, feeling much better.


    Out of curiosity, Ste asked, "How do your symptomspare to thest time?"


    Jasper thought for a moment, "Night and day."


    His symptoms were tough but bearable. No matter how hard he coughed, it wasn''t as bad as


    before.


    Critically ill patients suffered severe damage to their livers and lungs from the virus, and many didn''t


    make it.


    Thankfully, none of them, including Cooper, had coughed up blood. Their organs weren''t severely


    damaged, and they hoped for full recovery, or at least no significant loss of function.


    After five more days of quarantine, Jasper and Ste felt fine, but Dr. Collin and Hugh''s conditions


    had worsened. Many doctors, including those from Phoenix Bay, Raven Port, and Mount Barker,


    had fallen ill. There were few medical staff left standing.


    Ste didn''t continue her quarantine. Instead, she approached Dr. Garcia with an offer. "Hello, I''m a


    student of Dr. Collin. My partner and I were infected recently, but we''ve been symptom-free for a


    few days. I''d like to join the team if you think it''s appropriate."


    Dr. Garcia looked even thinner, but his spirits were high. Knowing that he was at a high-risk age and


    a titanic figure in the medical field, many doctors were taking it upon themselves to protect him, with


    protective suits that would not leave their bodies. Even if they were scolded, they would not allow


    him to go to the dangerous wards.


    After a thorough check-up, Dr. Garcia confirmed, "You seem to have recovered. Continue the


    medication for two more days to consolidate your recovery. Monitor your health closely and report


    any difort immediately. And remember, don''t overexert yourself."


    Then he added, "You''ve been taking precautions, right?"


    Indeed, nothing could be hidden from a doctor''s eyes. Ste admitted honestly, "We started taking


    preventive measures about half a month ago."


    Dr. Garcia''s curiosity was piqued. "What did you use?"


    Ste shared the news of her connection with Collin, "The recipe is my own concoction, mostly with


    ingredients provided by Dr. Collin. However, I added two special herbs to the mix, one is Dragonlily,


    and the other is Grannyvine."


    Dr. Garcia raised an eyebrow, "Grannyvine?"