CH-081

81 What have I done?

By the time she was brought to the medical room, Sister Rita had already fallen into a coma due to excessive blood loss.

This kind of shock is often the main fatal factor in severe blood loss.

Although a leech had bitten a vein in her forearm, causing alarming bleeding, fortunately it wasn't the brachial artery, which carries the greatest risk in the arm, nor was it a large tear leading to acute massive hemorrhage.

The medical room wasn't far. As soon as Shu Li arrived, he immediately ordered someone to bring out the hemostatic strips.

His university major was clinical psychology, a profession that interfaces with hospitals. Basic medical and anatomical knowledge was also mandatory content.

Although he had no intention of working in a hospital when he chose psychology, he still secured the best major his school offered. During the years he could study, he never skipped a single course, never relaxed his efforts.

Now, that knowledge proved useful indeed.

But what Deacon Sidan brought him were bloodstained, dark-colored cloth strips, terribly dirty.

"Bring new ones."

Deacon Sidan hadn't expected Shu Li to have so many demands. He worked slowly and even retorted, "Everyone uses them like this. What's the problem?"

So the priest favored by Bishop Hugo was actually this picky and troublesome? That was the impression Deacon Sidan formed.

But what he didn't know was that although Shu Li seemed easygoing, he never compromised on professional matters, and even had sharper, colder arguments.

Like now, when lives were at stake and someone was still dragging their feet, his sharp-tongued nature was provoked.

Shu Li couldn't be bothered to explain the importance of cleanliness and disinfection. "If someone else's vomit was stuffed in your mouth, you'd still eat it, right?"

"Just bring me new ones quickly."

Startled by Shu Li's cold expression, Deacon Sidan had no choice but to go get clean cloth strips and hand them to Shu Li.

While bandaging with his head down, Shu Li didn't forget to stop him and said coldly, "I will criticize you later. Don't leave yet."

You're going to criticize me, and I should still stay? But he didn't dare run away either, afraid that if he fled, even if he wasn't scared of Shu Li, he would be disciplined by Bishop Hugo.

Deacon Sidan felt both anxious and wronged, yet his feet obediently didn't dare leave Shu Li's side.

Drawn by the commotion of Shu Li carrying someone across the stone corridor, Father Leyton and the others also arrived at the scene.

Leyton immediately saw the pitiful, restrained Deacon Sidan, glanced past his plea for help, and looked directly at Shu Li who was bandaging.

At the same time, he was captivated by Shu Li's bandaging technique. Shu Li didn't rush to bandage the bleeding wound. Instead, he first tied a strip around the upper third of the arm, then began bandaging the wound. After finishing, Shu Li also placed a nearby Bible under Sister Rita's injured forearm.

Why do that? Leyton couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he tried.

Such strange occurrences were not isolated.

When Shu Li and his companions first came to the pharmacy in Sidan City, they had directly refused the most popular and trendy bloodletting therapy. Leyton had been very curious to understand why back then.

As such events happened repeatedly, Leyton had a strange intuition that Father Aris had astonishing insights and understanding in medicine.

He wanted very much to understand. But this wasn't the time for that.

Only when he couldn't feel Sister Rita's distal pulse and saw that the bleeding had gradually stopped did Shu Li speak again: "Is there a heater? We need to keep warm especially in winter to prevent frostbite."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shu Li noticed the entire medical room was packed. They had all come to see the excitement or check on the patient's condition.

Shu Li frowned slightly. "...Everyone out. The medical room can't be crowded with so many people; it will affect the patient's rest."

Most importantly, these people had no concept of asepsis. The germs and viruses carried by numerous visitors could easily cause cross-infection.

Seeing Shu Li's serious expression, Raymond, Father Simeon, and Father Leyton all shooed the extra people out.

Shu Li sighed inwardly, then looked at the deacon responsible for managing medicines and bandages. "If you can't change them for new ones every time, these hemostatic cloth strips must be thoroughly washed with hot water, dried in the sun, and then reused after each use, regardless of the weather."

Deacon Sidan made a bewildered sound: "Huh?"

Doing that would be so troublesome! Besides, boiling the hemostatic strips in hot water would waste so much water and fuel. How much would that cost? How could the authorities agree to allocate money to the medical room? Anyway, if people can't be cured, it's because they aren't devout enough, or have too many sins, so much so that even the Lord is unwilling to save them. What ability do they have to save anyone?

From his expression, Shu Li knew he was wasting his breath, so he stopped explaining and instead instructed him to go boil some more hot water.

Basic hygiene concepts only improved after the mid-nineteenth century. Even in big cities, there were people ignorant of hygiene, dumping feces directly onto the streets. So why expect more from the present? Why expect more from a piece of cloth?

As the saying goes, "The mean is the fundamental state of the world; harmony is the universal path to follow." Shu Li felt this matter was beyond his capability. It would be better to hand it over to Bishop Hugo and see how he handled it. If Bishop Hugo didn't agree with his thoughts either, then at least Shu Li could manage the Savoy Pastoral District well, and that would suffice.

As for Deacon Sidan, who had received his task, he scurried away as lightly as a freed sparrow, gone in the blink of an eye.

Seeing that Shu Li finally had a moment to spare, Leyton's inner questions were bursting to come out, yet he felt he had so many things to ask that he didn't know where to start.

"What happened?"

Shu Li had just sat down when Naxi burrowed into his arms, rubbing against him like a snowball, then looked up, acting cute and demanding to be petted.

He couldn't help but smile, reaching out to smooth its fur. "Naxi is a little hero who made a great achievement today."

The little fox, comfortable, squinted its eyes and made a small purring sound from its throat, like a snore. It rolled over with a grunt, four paws in the air, revealing its soft little belly, patting it lightly as if to say, "Come on, pet me."

Shu Li explained how Naxi had led him to the altar to find Sister Rita, who had lost too much blood, allowing him to rescue her in time.

"Little Naxi really did a great deed!" Father Simeon also praised Naxi.

Seeing their gazes all turn to Naxi, Leyton grew anxious, afraid he would lose his chance to ask. He quickly steered the topic to his own question, asking Shu Li why he had taken those two extra steps to stop the bleeding.

Leyton asked, "Was placing the Bible under Rita's arm at the end to pray for the Lord's blessing?"

Shu Li paused, glanced down, and then noticed that the book he had casually used to elevate the wound was a Bible. "..."

He quickly responded, "Yes, the most important reason was naturally to request the Lord's protection."

A flicker crossed his eyes, and he added, "Also, I suddenly thought that the blood inside the body flows within it. If we elevate the injured area above the body, the blood will flow from the internal organs and won't easily go upward, just like water cannot flow upstream without external force. This way, the bleeding can also be controlled."

This statement was definitely half-true, a bit of a jumble. Because Shu Li knew that this era had not yet seen William Harvey in the seventeenth century. Medicine knew nothing about the heart's role in blood production and circulation, still stuck in Galen's second-century theory of "the liver producing blood." Saying too many things that contradicted their common sense would be impossible to explain clearly.

Shu Li finally pulled back slightly to the core of his topic, preventing Leyton from thinking too deeply. "You should also know that no matter how effective bloodletting therapy is, losing too much blood will still cost you your life."

But Leyton's mind was completely absorbed in Shu Li's previous words. Those words were a bit casual, a bit presumptuous, and very understated, but for Leyton, they were like thunder exploding in his ear.

He stared blankly at Shu Li, the sentence "blood flows within the body" echoing repeatedly in his mind.

Leyton suddenly felt enlightened. That's right, if blood is static within the human body, why does a wound bleed incessantly? If the body's blood doesn't flow, where does it come from? Why had he never seriously thought about this issue?

"So," he murmured, "do you think the bloodletting treatment proposed by the wise Hippocrates is also wrong? According to what you're saying."

Leyton realized that as he spoke these heretical words, his heart was strangely heating up, and the blood in his ears was rushing.

But the next second, Shu Li's words poured cold water on him. "Bloodletting treatment is certainly effective, otherwise it wouldn't have been passed down for centuries without a single physician able to refute it." In truth, this was related to both educational levels and religious influence.

The excitement on Leyton's face slowly faded at Shu Li's words. "..."

But Shu Li hadn't finished. "However, I don't think all diseases can be treated with bloodletting. For example, if a person has already lost too much blood, letting more blood out means there isn't enough blood volume in the body to sustain life, and they would surely die without a doubt."

Leyton hadn't expected this sudden twist. He couldn't help but stare intently at Shu Li's face, listening with rapt attention.

Shu Li's voice was as powerful as ever. "Think about it. A person's body weight includes skin, flesh, and bones and blood, all of which are fixed. This also means the body's blood volume is certainly limited, even less than one might imagine. And people still don't know how much should be let out to be safe."

"Yes, that makes perfect sense. The body's blood volume certainly isn't that much. Just like when you drain all the blood from a live chicken, its body weight doesn't decrease by much... The same goes for humans." Leyton couldn't help but agree. "In just a few words, you've pointed out what I've been failing to consider. You're truly remarkable."

The light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter. He unconsciously grabbed Shu Li's hand and said excitedly, "You've inspired me so much."

Shu Li felt he hadn't really inspired him that much. It was just that Leyton himself already had similar thoughts, which was why he could resonate. Otherwise, no amount of words from Shu Li would have reached him.

Shu Li asked instead, "In fact, you've long believed that bloodletting treatment is wrong, haven't you?"

Leyton fell silent. "..."

After a moment, he glanced again at Sister Rita, who remained in a coma, then looked back at Shu Li, his gaze growing firmer. "You've made me realize that I actually started doubting this world a long time ago."

"In truth, I've seen many people die because of bloodletting therapy. Some of them might have had headaches or fevers, others were unconscious, had nosebleeds, or were in childbirth. But because we all blindly believed that bloodletting was the most effective method, we never thought about better ways."

"We all once thought that we were simply unlucky, not favored by the gods, which was why we died from bloodletting. People in this world are inherently this fragile. There are so many who die young. What does that have to do with the therapy?"

"But when I saw Sister Rita's child being considered abandoned by the Lord, spoken of as a child steeped in sin, and even thrown out into the mountains, I didn't see it as praying for divine forgiveness, but as an act of cruelty. I remember that child. He was as kind and innocent as an angel. These things have been shaking my beliefs."

"However," Leyton couldn't help sighing, his voice following suit, "what meaning does it have for me to think or believe this is wrong? It still can't change the current situation."

Shu Li looked into Leyton's eyes and denied this. "That's not true. If you have the heart to change the situation, it's never too late. As long as you become an influential person, your words will naturally carry weight."

Like refuting a theory through blood volume. Or using controlled experiments for demonstration.

Just as the nineteenth-century French medical doctor Pierre Louis, relying on numerical medicine based on science and experimentation, proved that bloodletting was ineffective for pneumonia. One person alone caused the thousand-year-old practice of bloodletting to crumble.

"People blindly follow authority because they dare not doubt, don't know to doubt, or are unwilling to take an extra step. But aren't those who truly change the world exactly the ones who dare to question, persist in practicing, and overthrow traditions?"

For a moment, Leyton saw a much wider world in Shu Li's words. A world where pure truth and justice exist beyond the heavy doctrines and traditions.

"..." Leyton stared blankly at Shu Li, his expression too complex for words. It wasn't mere surprise, nor ordinary admiration, but the first time looking towards the light from within the fog.

He looked at the person before him not as a peer, but as a consciousness overlooking the world and the era. A flame that didn't belong to this generation yet burned unquenchably in the darkness.

At this moment, Leyton opened his mouth, his heart burning hot, even giving rise to a sense of awe.

But Shu Li, unaware of Leyton's emotional state, suddenly remembered something he had nearly forgotten after being interrupted by events, and asked, "Father Leyton, you asked earlier who used the kitchen last, right?"

Reminded by him, Leyton recalled the matter. "It was Sister Rita who used it last. She's been in charge of matters related to the bishop candidate selection, including the kitchen work."

"..." Shu Li remembered Sister Rita's words before she fell into a coma.

It was very likely that Sister Rita had poisoned the food and drink provided over the past two or three days. That was why she was so certain that even if she died from bloodletting and couldn't continue poisoning, the clergy members of the church would not come to a good end.

But what kind of chronic poison could be so perfectly appropriate? Colorless and odorless, undetectable after ingestion, yet not acting immediately to arouse suspicion?

The key to chronic poison lies in its incubation period and cumulative effect. Sister Rita didn't require a single fatal dose, but rather had it administered internally day after day, accumulating quietly in the body. Only when the dose reached the lethal threshold did symptoms begin to appear.

Having been here for about three days, Shu Li truly hadn't noticed any adverse reactions among them. Take Father Leyton, for example. His appetite remained good in the afternoon, his energy high, able to run and jump, with no signs of loss of appetite or physical discomfort. The incubation period of the chronic poison hadn't yet passed. He hadn't yet felt the toxin's assault.

Could this be the most terrifying aspect of the poison? Hidden beneath the facade of health, accumulating silently, waiting for the fatal strike.

But since she had planned to use poison, why would she suddenly resort to violence? Was it a crime of passion? What role did Father Jekai play in this? Had he long sensed Sister Rita's abnormality, perhaps even knew she was secretly poisoning people, yet didn't expose her? Because he believed Sister Rita's faith was sincere, merely twisted by despair.

Thus, after the murder occurred, instead of coming forward to take the blame or cover up the truth, Father Jekai intended to awaken her conscience through sacrifice. Not having evidence for this part was so frustrating!

Shu Li said to Father Leyton, "Sister Rita admitted to the crimes she committed before falling into a coma. I need your help with two things now. First, I need to investigate Sister Rita's residence. Second, I need to examine Bishop Whitemore's body."

Shu Li planned to add a few more sentences of explanation. But Father Leyton had already responded crisply, "Yes! Please follow me."

His attitude was so serious that Shu Li felt momentarily unaccustomed, but he still followed his steps.

Just as they were about to leave, the door having just been firmly pulled open, they saw a dark figure standing silently outside.

Bishop Holm had appeared at the medical room entrance at some point, his black robe heavy, yet his expression exceptionally bright.

He stood at the boundary between shadow and light, Shu Li's sentence still echoing in his mind: "But aren't those who truly change the world exactly the ones who dare to question, persist in practicing, and overthrow traditions?"

His gaze was fixed intently on Shu Li, his eyes holding an unstoppable excitement and surprise, as if what he saw was not a young priest, but an anomalous flame within the cracks of this era's history.

Unbelievable, that the person capable of saying such words had been hiding all along beneath this decaying and numb church.

"Father Aris," he spoke slowly, his voice deep yet firm, "you have finally shown me your distinctiveness!"

At the Harvest Festival, he had seen a younger generation worthy of appreciation. Only now did he realize how much this person had concealed his sharpness, how his words could resound so powerfully! His voice held undisguised praise and amazement.

Shu Li was stunned: "...?"

What have I done???