Vomiting blood. Bleeding in the eyes. Red lines like worms across the skin. They were all symptoms of the same plague that had brought the capital to its knees once before. The records of that time Misha had read out of curiosity all came back to her in an instant.
The first signs of the plague looked quite similar to a common cold. As it progressed, it became a fever, vomiting, then vomiting blood, violent coughing fits, and trouble breathing. At the end, the victim lost consciousness. Once the bruises like red lines across their skin began to show, the next step was death. The plague had taken the name “Red Eye” because of the bleeding in the eyes that accompanied that last stage.
The method of transmission was unknown. The original cause was unknown. With no understanding of the disease itself, the only treatment possible was to administer a fever reducer and an anti-inflammatory medicine, then to keep the patient isolated. In the end, the mysterious plague passed on as the seasons changed, but it had taken a quarter of the population with it. The king and queen at the time had been victims along with everyone else.
“Geord, send a message to the royal clinic. We have a case of the Red Eye plague. Judging by the situation, there’s a possibility it has already spread through this whole area. Tell them to make arrangements for a quarantine.”
Wails filled the air at Misha’s declaration. At some point, a group of neighbors had gathered to watch the commotion. It was a remarkable number of people considering how empty the neighborhood had felt before, and now they all stood overcome by terror. To the people of the capital, the Red Eye plague was a death sentence. Memories of that horrible time had only begun to fade, but now they’d been revived once more. No small number of those gathered immediately started to run.
One of the onlookers, an elderly man, called out to Misha with a trembling voice. “There’s no way, right? This has to be a mistake!” He had sick people at home too.
Misha hesitated. “I’ve never seen it for myself, so we’ll need the royal clinic to issue an official diagnosis, but as far as I can tell, all of the symptoms line up,” Misha replied softly, looking him straight in the eye.
A ripple went through the crowd, an unmistakable wave of despair.
“I’m sorry, everyone, but please go home and stay inside. I’m sure more information will come shortly. If there is anyone sick in your households, make sure you cover your mouth and nose like I am when dealing with them. Don’t touch any blood or waste with your bare hands if you can help it. In particular, be careful about any cuts or scrapes you have. We don’t know how the plague spreads, but in most cases, disease spreads through contact with fluid from a sick person.”
The people gathered looked around at each other. No one moved, prompting Geord to step forward.
“Everyone, I’m sure you’re confused and anxious, but please do as you’re told. We will be taking care of this situation.”
Geord’s hard voice was finally enough to pressure the crowds to start moving, in no small part helped by his hand resting on the pommel of his sword. Of course, they also wanted to get away from the dying old woman in front of them. Perhaps she had the Red Eye plague, but they didn’t know yet whether that was what they had. Staying here would increase the chance they caught it, though.
“No need to call your family to come back home. Just stay indoors,” Geord called out after them as they left. If news of the Red Eye plague’s return spread through the city, it would start a panic.
The festival had brought many people to the capital. Although many of the visitors had already started on their way back home, there were still more people than usual in the city.
At Misha’s insistence, the stunned old man finally got moving, preparing new sheets and clothes for his wife. Though frail and weak, Mary was still breathing. Her flame hadn’t been extinguished yet.
Ensuring the old woman was on her side in case she started vomiting or spitting up blood again, Misha finally stepped back outside.
“Misha...” Yuu and Teto, both on the verge of tears, fixed their sights on her.
After giving them a small nod, she went to a small sink in the garden to wash her hands and removed the scarf around her face. “It’s kind of a waste, but please throw away her clothes and sheets. Either burn them or bury them somewhere,” she instructed as the old man came outside, and she had him wash his hands and gargle.
“Is granny...going to die?” Yuu whispered, as if afraid asking the question would make it come true.
Misha hesitated for a moment before walking over and kneeling down in front of him. “I’m sorry. I don’t know. We don’t know how she got sick or how we’re supposed to treat her, so I don’t know what medicine will make her better.”
“What?!” Yuu cried. “But you promised you’d save her!”
Misha winced. “Yes, I did. So I’m going to start researching it now. I’ll find out how to make things better. So you make sure to encourage her too, okay? Help her beat this disease,” she said, putting her hands on his shoulders.
They stared at each other quietly for a moment. Then, still holding back tears, Yuu slowly nodded.
“Good boy.” After patting him on the head, she stood up and turned to his grandfather to give him a few more instructions.
She told him to keep her lying on her side so that if she vomited again her throat wouldn’t get clogged. If she vomited or spat up blood, in no circumstances was anyone to touch it with their bare hands; they would cover their hands with some kind of cloth while cleaning it up. Making her eat while unconscious was too dangerous, but they could at least give her a bit of water. However, they had to be careful not to touch her saliva while they did so. They needed to constantly be washing their hands and gargling, and they should keep the windows open to keep the room well ventilated.
She then smiled at the boys, who had stood by listening even more intently than their grandfather was, before turning and walking over to Geord.
“You could have gone ahead,” she said.
“Not by myself I couldn’t.”
Misha’s declaration had clearly shaken the people of the neighborhood. There was a good chance they’d do something irrational like attack her. Geord absolutely would not leave her defenseless on her own.
Misha gave a small shrug. “Then let’s hurry.” She started off, walking quickly yet calmly. Considering the situation, Geord had expected her to bolt off right away, so he was quite surprised by her behavior.
“If we start running, it’ll make everyone more scared. So, only after getting around that corner...” she murmured, her gaze fixed forward.
Only then Geord noticed how tightly clenched the girl’s fists were.
“There’s a guardhouse not far from here. We can send messengers from there.”
“Okay, then. Lead the way.”
As soon as they stepped around the corner, the two burst into a sprint.