Chapter 23: Aggressive Intimacy
David, assigned to handle logistics by House, quickly located the patient.
This was a young male patient, but he was in rough shape at the moment.
Weakness had turned his lips ashen, cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his unbuttoned collar revealed an angry rash spreading across his chest.
But even in this condition, his stunning girlfriend with a killer figure was still gripping his hand at the bedside, speaking softly to him.
Her eyes, like clear pools, were filled with tenderness.
The sweetness saturating the room caused David—who'd never experienced such devotion—to take psychic damage.
The stoic David couldn't help but clear his throat twice to interrupt their private moment.
The girl looked up at the sound and, seeing an unfamiliar doctor, immediately became guarded:
"Who are you?"
"I'm Dr. Wells, here to consult on some aspects of his case."
The girl glanced at the ID badge on his white coat and raised her eyebrows:
"Intern? The attending physicians who just left couldn't diagnose the actual problem, right?
So now they're making you, the intern, be the fall guy? Let me tell you, you absolutely don't need to take the blame.
Their incompetence is their problem. You should categorically refuse their unreasonable demands!"
"Mindy!"
The boy spoke up to stop his girlfriend's tirade, then turned to David with an apologetic expression:
"Sorry, she's like this—can't stand workplace exploitation.
Uh, I didn't mean to imply you're being exploited..."
Seeing the boy still trying to explain, David shook his head and cut him off:
"It's fine. Things aren't what she thinks. The diagnosis is already established.
But before starting targeted treatment, I need to see the cough medication you were taking previously."
Mindy said, confused:
"Cough medication? What could possibly be wrong with that? It's just regular over-the-counter stuff."
"Do you have it with you? Let me examine it and I'll know."
"Hold on."
Mindy started digging through her crossbody bag and quickly extracted a small amber prescription bottle.
At this point, only one small yellow pill remained in the bottle.
David opened it and tapped it into his palm.
As expected, this small yellow pill had no imprint markings on either side.
David returned the pill to the bottle and gestured to Mindy:
"I need to take this for analysis. I'll notify you when the results come back."
Watching David exit the room, Mindy whispered to the boy, "I'm going to ask about what's actually happening."
Then Mindy caught up with David:
"Dr. Wells, wait up."
David stopped:
"What is it? Still convinced I'm being scapegoated?"
Mindy smiled sheepishly, glanced around, then whispered:
"I wanted to ask—before his symptoms started, we were, well, you know."
David smiled knowingly:
"Don't worry, his condition isn't communicable.
When he was admitted, we ran a full STI panel, and everything came back negative."
Mindy explained with slightly flushed cheeks:
"No, that's not what I meant. I wanted to know if his illness was caused by me.
Because I was kind of... aggressive at the time."
David hadn't expected this was what Mindy wanted to ask.
Although he genuinely wanted to know what degree of aggression she was referring to, it was clear the boy's illness had nothing to do with this vigorous activity.
"Uh... don't worry, this has nothing to do with you.
If everything goes according to plan, he'll recover quickly."
Hearing David's reassurance, Mindy exhaled in massive relief. She'd been terrified she'd caused the boy's condition, which would have haunted her forever.
"Thank you. Even though you're an intern and your assessment might not be definitive, thank you anyway."
After speaking, Mindy walked back to the room with a spring in her step.
David, however, was still pondering what kind of experience this so-called aggression entailed.
Most of his adult life in his previous existence had been spent in hospital beds, but the experiences of this life had been enjoyed by his predecessor.
Now, David found himself stirred by a few words from this girl, sparking some unfamiliar thoughts.
Fortunately, a sudden stabbing headache dispelled all such notions.
With the constant specter of death hanging over him, he really didn't have the energy to spare for such a physically demanding activity.
Because during such activity, a person's pupils dilate, arteries constrict, body temperature elevates, heart rate accelerates, and blood pressure spikes.
Moreover, breathing becomes shallow and rapid, the brain releases electrical impulses indiscriminately, various glands discharge secretions, and muscle contractions equivalent to lifting three times one's body weight occur.
For David, this was an activity comparable to running a marathon—simply a catastrophe that would accelerate his deterioration.
David sighed. They say even dying in the throes of passion leaves you a happy ghost.
But who wouldn't want to experience that passion multiple times before dying?
David shook his head, casting aside all the romantic notions in his mind, and headed directly to the lab with the "cough medication."
Soon, the analysis results confirmed that David hadn't misremembered the case progression.
What was in this small amber bottle labeled for cough treatment wasn't cough medication but colchicine for gout.
David brought the report back to House. House examined the report, then studied David, his mind swirling with questions.
Could this kid actually have some kind of diagnostic algorithm in his brain? Could he accurately identify the relevant pathology among countless possibilities without any preliminary empirical treatment?
Seeing House's contemplative silence, Foreman was first to speak:
"What's wrong? Did the kid screw up?
If you ask me, we should do an exploratory lap and find out directly what's causing the problem."
"No, he's correct. The patient did indeed take gout medication instead of cough medication.
Let's proceed with David's treatment plan—administer the Fab fragments.
We should see results shortly."
Foreman fell silent again, a sense of inadequacy lingering in his chest, refusing to dissipate.
With House's approval, the patient was soon transferred to a sterile treatment room.
Almost immediately after the Fab fragment infusion, the patient's heart rhythm normalized, and his blood pressure rose to healthy parameters.
After providing instructions for post-treatment medications, David received the life extension notification he'd been hoping for.
[Rescue successful. Lifespan extended by one day. Current lifespan: 5 days, 18 hours.]
Looking at the boy in the hospital bed who was earnestly telling his parents he intended to marry his girlfriend, David's eyes filled with envy.
The boy had taken the wrong medication and been saved, now having the chance to build a life with his girlfriend.
But David couldn't.
Sighing softly, David shook his head and left the room.
Cameron noticed David's dejection:
"What's up? Envious of them?"
"Of course. Aren't you envious of a life where you're healthy and with someone you love?"
Cameron shook her head:
"If two people are together and inevitably do that sort of thing, I think it's a mixture of violence, awkwardness, and messiness.
If God hadn't made the end result incredibly compelling, I believe humanity would've gone extinct long ago.
You know, men are fortunate to have only one second of actual pleasure, but women can experience up to an hour!
It's simply an unimaginable ordeal."
David looked at Cameron—who could clearly coast on her looks but chose to rely on her intellect as a physician—and instantly understood her perspective.
Regarding this, David could only think that to change Cameron's mindset, she'd have to experience it with the right person herself.
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