Free Web NovelChapter 459: Chapter 459: Abortion
After he spoke, everyone was stunned for a moment before someone scoffed. "Look how scared you are! What’s the big deal about digging up a body?"
"Yeah, it was freezing these past few months. Lots of people couldn’t take it and just jumped. Is it really that surprising to dig up a body? They’re just poor souls, in the end. You might as well just help take care of the body!"
"Don’t even get me started, I saw a jumper with my own eyes! I was so cold I couldn’t sleep that night, and when I rolled over, I saw two people jump from their window one after the other! I was nearly scared to death. I couldn’t tell if my body was colder or if my heart was."
"What’s there to be afraid of? During that time when the heating was out, a lot of people didn’t make it and just froze to death. There are bound to be plenty of bodies in this building! How are we supposed to get by if you all get this worked up over every little thing?"
"Yeah, right. You talk a big game, but you’ll be singing a different tune when you’re the one face-to-face with a corpse."
"..."
Listening to the crowd’s chatter, Melody Summers thought, ’After a while, Titus Lowell, his two brothers, and Joyce Lawson’s family will probably all be dug up.’
’I need to get my story straight with Joyce Lawson first. We’ll pin her family’s deaths entirely on Titus Lowell and his crew.’
Melody had a good idea of how Joyce had dealt with her family. She felt they had it coming. Joyce, however, still had her whole life ahead of her; she couldn’t be dragged down by those ungrateful wretches of a family.
Silently scheming, Melody took the herbs and went to find Winnie Summers.
"Oh, you silly girl," Winnie chided with a frown when she saw Melody run in. "You just don’t listen, do you? I told you to stay put at home, but you had to come running out!"
Melody scratched her head and replied with a grin, "Mom, I brought some medicinal herbs. They’re for detoxing and bringing down fevers! The proportions are all mixed according to a formula. We can brew some for the neighbors to drink. It might help with their fevers."
At Melody’s words, the people from the emergency management office all gathered around.
Seeing the herbs in the bag, Colin Summers nodded repeatedly. "Is this bupleurum? It’s great for reducing fevers! And are these isatis root and honeysuckle?"
Mr. Lynch chimed in from the side, "These herbs are all meant for fighting fevers and infections. Let’s hurry and brew some for the residents. I’ll get the water boiling!"
Everyone quickly sprang into action. As he helped boil the water, Shawn Lynch sighed, "To be honest, herbal medicine has a limited effect on fevers. It really only helps a little. If only we had some modern medicine..."
Hearing this, Mr. Lynch smacked his son on the back of the head again. "You little punk," he scolded in a low voice. "Every time you’re asked to do something, you just complain. Where are we supposed to find modern medicine now? We’re lucky to have these herbs!"
Many residents were now running high fevers; some were so bad they’d fallen unconscious. Thermometers maxed out the second they were used.
The emergency management staff could only scramble to bring their temperatures down with ice, afraid their brains would get cooked otherwise.
Even the residents with only low-grade fevers were crying out about the pain racking their bodies. Some were in so much pain they wept. A constant wave of groans echoed through every room of the temporary shelter.
Melody said from the side, "Lynch, don’t worry. The formula I found is very effective. After the residents drink it, it should alleviate some of their symptoms!"
The formula was actually just a common one Melody had found in a book. But since the herbs came from her Arcadian Space, she was confident they would at least relieve the residents’ symptoms, even if they couldn’t provide an instant cure.
After a while, the air grew thick with the strong aroma of brewing medicine.
Once a pot of the herbal medicine was ready, Harvey Jennings volunteered to test it.
Having been living among the residents, Harvey had gotten infected a couple of days ago. His face was currently flushed an unnatural red, and his head felt like it was being stabbed with needles.
He downed a large bowl of the concoction, the bitterness immediately causing his face to scrunch up. ’This is ridiculously bitter!’
The bitter flavor spread from the back of his tongue to fill his entire mouth. It was so intense he felt like the top of his skull might just pop off!
After finishing the medicine, Harvey rested for a moment. He was amazed to find his headache had eased considerably!
The feeling of a steel needle being driven into his brain vanished, replaced by a sense of relief. Harvey felt his once-heavy body become much lighter, and he began to sweat faintly.
He said to the crowd in an excited voice, "This herbal medicine is really effective! I don’t feel as bad as I did before. My head doesn’t hurt anymore, and I’m starting to sweat!"
Hearing this, everyone gathered around Harvey to take a closer look and noticed that his face was indeed clearly less red than before.
Shawn Lynch gasped, his face a mask of disbelief. ’He hadn’t expected the herbal medicine to actually work! He’d always assumed it was just a placebo. He never thought it would be this potent—it was far more effective than any modern medicine!’ freёweɓnovel.com
Shawn looked at Melody with admiration and said, "Summers, your formula is incredible! I’ve never seen an herbal remedy take effect so fast. Could you give me a copy of that formula?" fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
Hearing this, Mr. Lynch couldn’t resist slapping Shawn on the forehead again. "Cut the crap," he scolded. "Hurry up and distribute the brewed medicine to the residents!"
Seeing this, Melody also started to help distribute the medicine.
Melody poured the brewed medicine into a large thermos and carried it to the living room of Apartment 2304.
Most of the residents in the living room of 2304 were infected—which was understandable. After all, with everyone huddled together for warmth and unable to open the windows for ventilation, the rate of transmission was bound to be high.
Many residents’ faces were flushed from high fevers. They tossed and turned on their bedding, groaning incessantly from the pain wracking their bodies.
Holding the thermos, Melody distributed the medicine, one bowl at a time.
The residents didn’t care whether the herbal medicine was bitter or not. Hearing from Melody that it was to reduce fever, they all took their bowls and gulped it down.
—They were just in too much misery! This fever was somehow even more painful than COVID!
As she was distributing the medicine, Melody suddenly saw someone unexpected—
"Joanne White?! What are you doing here?!"
Looking at Joanne huddled in a cashmere sleeping bag before her, Melody was shocked. Her eyes widened as she asked in confusion, "Didn’t you say the Sutton family had plenty of supplies and that you didn’t need to come to the shelter?"
Joanne White didn’t answer Melody’s question. She had no strength at all; her face was flushed and her lips were chapped. It was obvious she was running a high fever, too.
Seeing a dazed Joanne struggle to sit up to drink the medicine, Melody quickly reached out and stopped her. "Hey! Don’t drink that!"
Melody snatched the bowl from Joanne’s hands and explained in a low voice, "Aren’t you pregnant right now? You shouldn’t just take medicine without checking. Wait for me to go back and check my books to see if this formula will affect the baby..."
Hearing this, Joanne forced a smile. She took the medicine bowl from Melody’s hands and said in a low voice, "It’s fine. I’ve already lost the baby..."
Melody was stunned. "Huh?!"
