Chapter 21 — Medicinal Garden After Hospital

More than two weeks after Mr. Quoc announced his decision to suspend the leveling plan, life in Yen Son gradually returned to its normal, peaceful rhythm. Quyen, Bao Nam, and Mr. Loc began drafting a comprehensive development project for the garden following Mr. Quoc's suggestion, while Mr. Thanh became more and more involved in the work of taking care of medicinal plants, gradually becoming an indispensable assistant.

But all that peace was suddenly broken on a Monday morning, when the emergency department of Yen Son district hospital suddenly received nearly a dozen consecutive cases of patients admitted to the hospital with high fever, vomiting, and severe diarrhea. At first, the doctors on duty thought these were just isolated cases of food poisoning, but by noon on the same day, the number of patients hospitalized with similar symptoms had skyrocketed to more than thirty people, most of whom were people living around the town center market.

Bao Nam, who was then on duty at the internal medicine department, was immediately mobilized to increase support for the emergency department, which was in a seriously overloaded state. He quickly realized that these were not isolated cases, but most likely a large-scale outbreak of gastrointestinal disease, most likely originating from a common source of infection in the community.

"I need to know exactly whether all these patients have anything in common in their daily activities," Bao Nam told the nursing team, his voice urgent but still maintaining the necessary calmness of an experienced doctor. After a quick review, doctors discovered that most of the patients had eaten or drank in the central market area within the last two days, especially those who had used public well water in this area, which had just experienced a prolonged period of heavy rain, putting the water source at risk of serious pollution.

Quyen, when receiving urgent news from Nhung, was immediately present at the hospital, even though she was on a break. Looking at the scene of the emergency department being filled with people, the cries and groans echoing throughout the hallways, she couldn't help but be shocked by the serious scale of the situation. "We need to mobilize more manpower and more medicine," she told Bao Nam, her voice urgent. "I will immediately check the pharmacy warehouse to see if there are enough infusion fluids, antibiotics, and anti-diarrhea medications."

Within just a few hours, the hospital's pharmaceutical warehouse had almost exhausted its infusion fluid reserves, while the number of patients continued to increase constantly, far exceeding the normal reception capacity of a district hospital with limited facilities. Mr. Hung, in his role as director, had to continuously call for emergency support from the provincial hospital, and mobilize all employees, including those on off-shift, to return to support.

In the midst of that urgent situation, when Mr. Loc heard the news, he was immediately present at the hospital, bringing with him some traditional herbal remedies that help treat diarrhea, rehydrate, and detoxify, which he has accumulated experience using over decades of practice. "While waiting for the infusion from the higher level, we can use a decoction of young guava leaves, combined with thin porridge seasoned with a little salt and sugar, to help rehydrate, temporarily stop diarrhea for mild cases, and reduce pressure for severe cases that need priority on intravenous fluids," he suggested, his voice full of experience.

Initially, a few young doctors in the hospital were hesitant about that proposal, still remaining cautious about traditional Oriental medicine methods. But it is Bao Nam, who was once one of the harshest skeptics, who is now the strongest supporter. "We are in an emergency situation, with a serious shortage of resources," he said, his voice assertive before the entire medical team. "Mr. Loc's prescription has been proven over many years in practice, and has a clear scientific basis for the effects of rehydration and electrolytes. I suggest that we apply it in parallel, combining both Western and Eastern medicine, classifying patients according to severity, to optimize available resources."

That proposal was quickly approved by Mr. Hung in an urgent context. Immediately, a patient triage system was established - severe cases with signs of severe dehydration were given priority for immediate intravenous fluids, while milder cases were transferred to a temporary treatment area right at the large warehouse next to the medicinal garden, where Quyen, Mr. Loc and Mr. Thanh busily prepared a series of pots of decoction from guava leaves, apricot leaves, and many other herbs that support digestion and detoxification.

That scene touched many people - the medicinal garden that was once almost flattened, has now become a place that directly contributes to the treatment of dozens of critically ill patients. Large pots were placed right in the middle of the garden, smoke rising and mixing with the scent of medicinal leaves, while volunteers, including residents who had participated in previous community meetings, bustled back and forth to help carry and care for patients.

Throughout that afternoon and night, almost no one on the medical team got any rest. Quyen busily ran back and forth between the pharmacy counter and the temporary treatment area, distributing medicine and assisting Mr. Loc in mixing more decoctions. Bao Nam almost never leaves the emergency department, constantly examining and closely monitoring the condition of each seriously ill patient, paying special attention to cases of young children and the elderly, who are at risk of getting worse faster due to weak resistance.

In the middle of the night, Nhung found a few free minutes and ran to the garden to find Quyen, her face haggard from nearly twenty hours of continuous sleep. "Have you heard the news that people suspect the source of infection is from the common well behind the market?" Nhung asked, her voice hoarse from fatigue. "The head of the commune health station has sent someone down to take water samples for testing. The official results will probably be available tomorrow." Quyen nodded, her heart was heavy when thinking about the hundreds of households around the market still using that water source every day for living and cooking, without knowing about the potential danger.

Mr. Thanh, while helping to refill the pot of decoction, also took the opportunity to advise people who came to get medicine, instructing them to temporarily boil the water thoroughly before using, and not forgetting to remind families with young children to take them to the doctor as soon as there are signs of abnormalities, even the smallest. Looking at the sight of her father being as busy and dedicated as the professional doctors and doctors, Quyen couldn't help but feel warm hearted, realizing that he had truly found his place again alongside the legacy his wife had built, no longer a bystander like before.

Near midnight, when the situation was somewhat stabilized, the aid convoy from the provincial hospital just arrived, bringing more intravenous fluids, antibiotics and a few additional doctors and nurses. Quyen, taking advantage of the rare silence, sat with her back against the hospital hallway wall, her body exhausted from fatigue but her spirit still unusually alert. Bao Nam came over, sat down next to her, and gave her a bottle of filtered water.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice filled with worry, his hand gently smoothing back the strands of hair falling from her forehead.

"I'm fine," Quyen replied, smiling slightly even though her eyes were dark with fatigue. "It's just that I never thought that one day I would witness my mother's garden directly participating in a life-and-death battle like this. If my mother were still alive, she would definitely be very proud."

Bao Nam nodded, put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her gently against him. “This has been a long night,” he said, his voice low and thoughtful. "But I believe that this is also an opportunity to prove, in the clearest and most convincing way, that the combination of Eastern and Western medicine is not an unrealistic idea, but a truly effective solution that can save people's lives in the most urgent situations." In the distance, the sound of a pot of decoction still boiling in the middle of the garden, the faint smell of guava leaves and apricot leaves mixed with the familiar smell of antiseptic alcohol of the hospital, creating a strange flavor but making Quyen feel strangely reassured, as if the garden itself was quietly contributing to the ongoing battle of life and death. The two sat leaning against each other in silence, amid the hustle and bustle of the doctors and nurses working around them, preparing themselves for a long night ahead, when the epidemic still showed no signs of stopping, and neither of them knew for sure whether the situation would get better tomorrow, or if things would get even more complicated before things could calm down.