Chapter 400
As they entered the treatment room, they found a young girl suffering from a persistent high fever and intermittent chills. Bernard was treating her with several nurses, but his frustrated expression suggested he was struggling with the case.
“Dr. Aicker, what’s the meaning of this?” Bernard asked unhappily when he saw Andrew. “This patient is under my care.”
“When it comes to saving lives, it doesn’t matter who’s in charge–what matters is helping the patients,” Francesca replied coolly.
“Dr. Aicker, are you saying I’m incompetent because I haven’t cured this child yet?” Bernard snapped angrily.
Before the situation could escalate further, a well-dressed man with graying hair—the girl’s father—interrupted anxiously. “Dr. Aicker, can you treat Lucy or not? If not, I’ll transfer her immediately. We can’t waste any more time.”
Before Francesca could respond, Bernard quickly put on a pleasant smile. “Don’t worry, Mr. Chapman. Lucy likely has a viral infection. I’ll identify the virus and prescribe appropriate medication right away!”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Marcus Chapman said worriedly. “Lucy has been staying in our villa, and our housekeeper is perfectly fine. How could she get infected?”
With a patronizing smile, Bernard explained, “Mr. Chapman, children have weaker immune systems. This is quite normal. Please rest while I cure her immediately!”
Andrew observed the interaction, noting that Marcus was likely an important business executive, given Bernard’s deferential attitude. However, he could not stay silent about the misdiagnosis.
“This isn’t a viral infection,” Andrew stated firmly. “Blindly prescribing medication without identifying the real cause will only worsen things.”
“Dr. Lloyd, are you trying to tell me how to do my job?” Bernard sneered.
Marcus turned to Francesca with interest. “Dr. Aicker, is this gentleman also a chief physician here?”
“Yes, Mr. Chapman. Dr. Lloyd is our deputy chief,” Francesca replied with a smile.
“Dr. Lloyd, if it’s not a viral infection, what is it?” Marcus asked eagerly.
“Your villa is in the countryside, isn’t it?” Andrew asked instead. “Surrounded by vegetation or farmland, with lots of mosquitoes?”
Marcus’ eyes widened in surprise. “That’s exactly right. Our villa is on the rural outskirts of Jayrodale, surrounded by farmland. But what does that have to do with Lucy’s condition?”
“Everything,” Andrew explained. “Lucy has malaria from a mosquito bite. If your villa were in the city, there wouldn’t be as many mosquitoes, which is why I made that connection.”
Marcus looked at Andrew with newfound respect. “I’ll admit I initially underestimated you because of your youth, but now I understand why you’re a deputy chief. You’re truly brilliant for your age!”