Chapter 17 — The One Who Keeps The Venom Saves People

Khe Lanh Snake Farm welcomed noon with a completely different atmosphere from the previous night - the rain had completely stopped, weak sunlight penetrated through the thin layer of clouds, shining down on the farm yard with water remaining in sparkling puddles. Khiem has been sleeping in the staff lounge since arriving, while Dai Khac Thanh sits in the office, his eyes still have dark circles but his hand has begun to compile a report summarizing the recent unusual bite.

Du returned to the camp around noon, after handing over the monitoring of baby Nhi to another doctor at the Son Trach district hospital with careful instructions about dosage and signs to be wary of. She entered the office, still tired but her eyes were much more relaxed than last night.

"Is the baby completely stable?" Thanh asked as soon as he saw her.

"Kidney index has improved clearly, blood clotting remained stable for six hours without needing further intervention." Du sat down in the chair opposite, exhaling a long breath as if he had just relieved a burden that had been on his shoulders for many hours. "Doctor Thu said if this situation lasts another day, we can consider discharging the baby in the next few days, just need regular outpatient monitoring after that."

"So it was a success." Thanh smiled, a tired but genuine smile.

"Half success." Du said, his voice becoming more serious. "I still only have one Frost Scale in my hand, and my stock of specialized serum is almost used up. If there are another bites in the coming days — and with the flood situation continuing, that possibility is not small — I will be in the same situation as last night, maybe even worse because this time there are no reserves left to start with."

Thanh nodded, his expression becoming thoughtful. "I have considered that. This morning I received two more reports of suspected Mist-Scaled Viper bites from two other communes. Fortunately, both cases were mild, only needed monitoring at the commune health station, no need for specific serum. But that was just luck, not something we can count on forever."

"I think I need another trip, more planned than last time." Du said, although her voice couldn't hide her hesitation. "Not the type of rushing out in the middle of a flood night in an emergency situation, but a well-prepared survey, during the day, when the water begins to recede, to find and capture a few more individuals, enough to build a more stable reserve."

"Are you sure you're ready for that?" Thanh asked, his eyes searching, not doubting her abilities but worried about her mental state after last night.

Du was silent for a moment, thinking carefully before answering. "I'm not sure I've stopped being afraid. Maybe I'll never completely stop being afraid when I have to face that river again. But I think that's not a condition for me to do this job. My grandfather once said, you don't need to stop being afraid, you just need to learn to live with it."

Thanh nodded, didn't say anything more, just gently patted her shoulder, a gesture he rarely did but was always meaningful when he did it.

"I will report to the Department of Health about the entire incident last night, and propose additional budget for expanding the herd of specialized immune horses for Mist-Scaled Viper, based on the sudden increase in bite data this year." Thanh said, switching to a business tone. "If approved, we will no longer have to fall into such a sprint situation in the following flood seasons."

"I also want to suggest one more thing." Du said, recalling the conversation with Tram in the hospital hallway this morning. "Build a network to share information and serum reserves between snake farms and hospitals in the area, not just for Mist-Scaled Viper but for all common types of venom. If everyone knows in advance who has what, who is lacking what, we can coordinate much faster than calling each place for help in an emergency like last night."

"Good idea." Thanh nodded and took notes in the notebook always placed on his desk. "I will include it in the report and propose working with the Department of Health and hospitals in the province on this matter."

"Ms. Tram from the Pharmacy department also has the same thought." Du added. "She mentioned that if there was a common data system with real-time updates on each place's serum stockpiles, we wouldn't have to spend hours calling each hospital to inquire like last night. Just one call, or even a text message, would be enough to immediately know what's available and what's missing."

"It sounds similar to the model some countries have applied to inter-regional blood banks." Thanh said, his eyes lit up with the excitement of someone who just saw a new direction for the job he had been working with for many years. "I can learn how to do that and apply it to anti-venom serum, not just in my area but can expand to the entire Central region if successful."

"That's a thing of the distant future." Du said, although she couldn't hide the optimism in her voice. "In the immediate future, we need to do our part well - ensuring Khe Lanh Snake Farm always has enough reserves and the ability to respond quickly when there is an emergency, no matter how unusual the flood season next year becomes."

The office door opened and Khiem walked in, his hair still messy from just waking up, but his eyes were wide awake. "I heard some good news about baby Nhi, right?"

"That's right, the baby is completely awake and still wants to drink orange juice." Du replied, unable to hide his smile.

"So we succeeded!" Khiem shouted, then embarrassedly lowered his voice when he realized he had just shouted loudly in the office.

"Only a partial success." Thanh repeated, but his voice was softer than usual. "There's still a lot of work ahead, but today, I'm allowing myself a little fun."

Du's phone rang, Thu's number. She picked up the phone immediately, her heart still feeling nervous every time she saw her young colleague's name appear on the screen.

"Miss Du, this is good news." Thu's voice rang out, sounding relieved and somewhat more excited. "Baby Nhi just woke up completely and asked her mother for orange juice."

Du laughed, the first genuine laugh after nearly twenty-four hours of continuous tension. "Let your baby drink in small sips, don't let him drink too fast."

"I know." Thu also laughed over the phone. "Thank you again, for everything."

Du hung up the phone, sat quietly for a moment, letting the good news sink deep into his heart. Outside the office window, sunlight began to shine more clearly through the fading clouds, and in the distance, birdsong rang out for the first time after many days dominated only by the sound of rain.

"When do you plan to go surveying to find more individuals?" Khiem asked, pulling a chair to sit next to the table, his voice full of enthusiasm again even though he had just woken up not long ago.

"Not yet." Du replied, shaking his head. "The water is still high, wait a few days for the water level to subside. Going during the day will be much safer than going in the middle of the night like last night. Besides, I also need time to prepare myself more fully, prepare both tools and route carefully."

"Shall I go with you?" Khiem asked, his eyes full of hope.

"Of course." Du nodded, smiling slightly. "After last night, I think you're qualified to participate in all of the camp's field trips. You're no longer a newcomer who needs to be protected."

Khiem smiled brightly, his eyes sparkling with pride. Thanh looked at both of them, nodded with satisfaction, then stood up and walked to the window looking out at the farmyard where sunlight was spreading across the still wet ground.

"I think everyone should get enough rest first today." He said, turning to look at the two. "Last night was a long night, both physically and mentally. Planning the next trip, or drafting a proposal for a sharing network, can wait until tomorrow."

"I agree." Du stood up, clearly feeling the fatigue that had now completely taken over her body as the adrenaline finally dissipated. "I'm going home to rest. Thank you, for all the right decisions you made last night."

"Thank you is correct." Thanh said, his eyes full of respect. "Not everyone dares to step out of their comfort zone to face the biggest fear of their life, just because a strange child needs help."

Du didn't respond right away, just nodded slightly, then walked out of the office, towards the employee housing area, where a comfortable bed was waiting for her after the longest night in recent years. On the way, she looked up at the gradually clearing sky, and for the first time in many hours, allowed herself to walk slowly, without haste, without having to race against anything.