Chapter 163

163. Cat Hanyou (2)

****

Seeing a Non-Human Patient for the first time was… quite an experience. The differences were far greater than expected—how they reacted to toxins, their Anatomical Structure, everything.

It wasn’t just about having cat ears and a tail; this was something else entirely. And that made things tricky.

The situation started to come together though.

While I don’t know much about cats, I do know their metabolism is faster than humans, their Kidneys more efficient, and they don’t blink as often.

Meaning: anesthesia acted quicker and wore off faster too. Its effects seemed different altogether.

Trying to practice medicine properly here gives me a headache. I hadn’t even considered needing specialized knowledge to treat Non-Human Races…

“Wow, I almost died back there!”

“Yes.”

“Well, thank you so much for saving me! I thought I was done when I couldn’t breathe…”

“You’ve passed the critical stage.”

I locked eyes again with Daisy.

The Patient was wincing in pain. I wanted to give her more Painkillers, but her reaction to them had been erratic earlier—it’s risky.

Remember how she suddenly blacked out before? No way am I risking another dose.

Still, one question lingered. Arrows don’t grow on trees. Someone shot her, right? There must be some story behind it.

“Why did you get hit by an arrow?”

“Picking Mushrooms in the Forest.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.”

She coughed again.

Each cough brought fresh agony, her face contorted in pain. Dark brown Blood splattered from her chest with every spasm.

That has to hurt like crazy. My ribs feel sore just watching her. After thinking for a moment, I realized what might’ve happened.

If something with cat ears and a tail darted through the woods, a hunter could’ve mistaken it for game.

Or maybe it was discrimination against hybrids?

“Where did the person who shot the arrow go?”

“I don’t know.”

Daisy sighed deeply, as if enduring pain and exhaustion was second nature to her. Her large cat-like eyes blinked slowly.

“Don’t worry too much.”

“Why not?”

An unexpected response came from the Patient. This was the first time someone told *me* not to worry. Even psychotic patients in the ER never said such things.

“It’ll heal quickly anyway.”

“This isn’t exactly a minor injury though?”

“Cat Hanyous heal fast.”

“Do they?”

Daisy began making strange noises—a purring sound that took me a while to recognize.

“Does that make it less painful?”

“It helps recovery, probably.”

There’s a hypothesis suggesting that the vibrations from a cat’s purr promote tissue regeneration. Could this be why?

Fascinating indeed.

“Anyway, you’ll need to stay hospitalized for now. At least until your lung heals and we confirm no Inflammation remains.”

“Understood.”

We’ll use Antibiotics to prevent Infection. Since there’s no clear sign of infection yet, let’s start with Penicillin as a precaution.

Even if the fluid in her chest isn’t strictly exudate, using a loop diuretic to drain excess water from her lungs seems reasonable. So many medications to prescribe…

The Patient was moved back to bed.

Sorry to the cleaning staff—the sheets and Bed were soaked in bloody fluids during treatment. Thankfully, fresh linens arrived promptly.

Daisy leaned against the wall beside the bed, still groaning softly.

“Let me explain your treatment plan.”

“Yes.”

“We’ll administer antibiotics to prevent additional infections and use diuretics to stop fluid buildup in your lungs. However, expect frequent bathroom trips due to the diuretics.”

“When can we remove the tube?”

“In three days. Full recovery timing is uncertain though.”

“My family will worry.”

“Well, tell them everything’s fine so far. The procedure went well, the wound was stitched up, and you should recover within days.”

Small punctures in the lung can seal themselves quickly. Larger injuries may require surgical intervention or correction via chest tubes.

“Will I survive?”

“Yes. A collapsed lung is called pneumothorax. Minor cases heal within a day, but since yours is severe, recovery could take weeks.”

Daisy nodded.

“If you notice redness, swelling, or unusual sensations around the chest tube, inform us immediately—we might need to remove it.”

“Got it.”

“Alright then… Rest well. I’ll check on you during rounds tomorrow morning. If anything changes, let us know right away.”

The Hanyou girl stared at me blankly, lost in thought.

Leaving the patient behind, I stood up.

****

Daisy gazed vacantly at the hospital curtain.

She thought she’d die.

In fact, she’d prepared to leave final words with the friend who brought her here. But shortness of breath interrupted her speech, leaving no time for proper farewells.

In the Empire, discrimination against Non-Humans runs deep. Prejudice over skin color among humans is rampant too.

While being mistaken for an animal and shot with an arrow isn’t impossible, deliberate targeting wouldn’t surprise anyone either.

Would any Doctor in the Empire truly see the death of a hybrid girl as tragic? Money aside…

Not that money isn’t an issue—but some might ask why bother saving someone destined to die?

Academy Professors, cloistered in their ivory towers, likely lack empathy for common struggles. And many in the Empire view Hanyous as non-human.

But all these worries proved meaningless. This professor worked tirelessly, explaining everything in meticulous detail.

She surprised Daisy. Saving someone pierced by an arrow who couldn’t breathe—does that even make sense?

Still, seeing her breathe now meant survival. Recovery was underway. Daisy sighed in relief.

Daisy didn’t trust people easily. Perhaps it was part of being a Hanyou, or simply familiarity with prejudice.

Yet this place felt safe.

****

Currently two patients are admitted: One suffering blindness in their left eye after taking strange medication, and the Cat Hanyou struck by an arrow while walking.

Returning to the Research Lab.

Finally. It’s been exhausting.

The blind patient consumed Aspirin, so blood clots shouldn’t be an issue for now. Stopping the mysterious drug should resolve the problem.

In a modern hospital, we’d analyze the substance’s components, but no one asked. Honestly, we have no idea what concoction caused this.

Other side effects might emerge. We’ll monitor closely during admission, checking for new symptoms.

Amy furrowed her brow.

“So… Can you really stick needles into eyeballs?”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t that painful?”

“Less painful than other areas, probably.”

As long as the eye stays still. Piercing the sclera poses minimal risk, but damaging the cornea or iris could lead to blindness.

“Just imagining it makes me shiver.”

“It does.”

Doctors vary in tolerance levels. While most possess strong stomachs, many find ophthalmic surgery terrifying because of its precision requirements. Me included.

In the ER, any eye injury would prompt an immediate call to an ophthalmologist. Here, we lack that option.

Amy nodded.

“Still, how’s the Hanyou doing? I don’t understand why she recovered.”

“What part?”

“Did removing the arrow fix her?”

“No.”

“Then what?”

“Sealing the body cavity and draining accumulated fluids restored her breathing. The blood filling the space where her lungs belong prevented respiration.”

“The hole in her lung wasn’t sealed?”

True. Opening the thoracic cavity to manually repair the lung would’ve been far riskier than letting it heal naturally while draining fluids.

“Amy, do you know how lungs work? Like balloons?”

“Yes.”

“So imagine sewing shut a punctured balloon. What happens?”

“Oh…”

“Exactly. It’d only worsen the condition.”

Lungs aren’t organs you can simply suture closed—they’re delicate and fragile compared to other internal structures.

Amy shuffled through notes.

“At least treating the Cat Hanyou girl deserves recognition. Maybe it counts as developing a new treatment method!”

New treatment method?

I scratched my head.

“What new method?”

“That one. When lungs fill with liquid preventing breathing, inserting a tube beneath to drain the fluid.”

So THAT’S supposed to be new? Guess I hadn’t heard of it before…

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