Chapter 604: Sun Rain

The ten people who had been chosen immediately followed. The ward was in chaos. The patients all tried to rush out but were blocked by the police at the door.

"Don’t cause any trouble! Anyone who makes another scene will be kicked out of the shelter immediately."

The patients didn’t dare to clash with the armed police, so they could only retreat to the corners, secretly praying they would be chosen by the nurse next time.

Meanwhile, the nurse led the ten people to a new ward. It contained exactly ten beds, arranged in two rows for the men and women. The nurse pulled the privacy curtains, and then several people in protective suits entered.

"Everyone, take off your outer clothing and expose your burned and ulcerated skin. We will now begin applying the ointment. After it’s applied, do not scratch the ulcerated areas. If you feel any discomfort, please report it immediately."

After the patients lay down, nurses in protective suits began applying the ointment. One nurse with a camera was also present, taking photos to create a before-and-after comparison.

The ointment was highly effective, but it took two to three hours to work. A few patients began to scream and shout after the ointment was applied. The ulcerated areas required debridement—removing the dead flesh—before the ointment could be put on. To preserve the ointment’s potency, no anesthesia was used during the debridement process. The patients howled in agony, yet the worst pain was still to come.

The absorption of the ointment was the most excruciating part. Several sturdy men, nearly six feet tall, were cursing from the pain, while a few of the frail-looking women remained completely silent.

"Do men and women experience different levels of pain when the ointment is absorbed?"

"How could it not be different? I just asked them. These women have all given birth before. They said the pain from the debridement and the ointment absorption is less than a fifth of the pain of childbirth, so they can tolerate it."

"I remember reading a study about this. Women have a higher tolerance for pain than men, yet clinical observations and research indicate that women are also more sensitive to it. This is because women have more nerve fibers than men. For instance, the skin on a woman’s face has an average of 34 nerve fibers per square centimeter, whereas a man’s has only 17. This is one reason why women react more strongly and sensitively to pain." After the nurse finished, the others nodded in agreement.

"Look! The burn on this patient’s arm is getting lighter," the nurse with the camera called out, urging the others to come and see.

"Take a look at this report from the base laboratory. For superficial burns, it only takes half an hour for the ointment to take effect. Deep burns are divided into two types. The first, where the skin turns black and the muscle tissue beneath is severely damaged, is called a Type A burn. The second, where ulceration begins and the muscle becomes necrotic, is a Type B burn. The ointment works much more slowly on these two types, likely taking several more hours. As for the debrided areas, it might take a few days for new tissue to grow back."

Based on the degree of the burn, the patient’s arm had a superficial burn. Once the ointment was fully absorbed, the burn on his arm completely healed.

A few hours later, the ointment had been fully absorbed by all ten patients. The superficial burns were already back to normal. The skin on the Type A burns had faded from black to red, with full recovery expected in another day. The Type B burns required injections of medication to promote muscle and skin regeneration. Patients with a faster metabolism could recover in two or three days. As for the ulcerated areas, they would need continued treatment with the ointment, with recovery taking anywhere from one week to half a month.

The patients were thrilled as they observed the changes in their bodies. A nurse reminded them that they would have to remain in the ward for treatment and observation for the next few days. If they had ulcers on their legs, they were to avoid getting out of bed as much as possible. The patients all readily agreed to follow the nurse’s instructions.

—

It had been half a month since the sun returned. Experts had predicted the Sun Poison would dissipate in about two weeks, but instead, it had grown even more severe. In that short time, the temperature in Frelia had already reached 36°C. In addition to guarding against the Sun Poison, residents now also had to take precautions against heatstroke.

Evelyn Ford had been busy in the laboratory making various medicines. When Liam Sterling mentioned the weather was getting hotter, she and Wendy decided to prepare some traditional remedies, like an anti-heatstroke liquid and cooling pills.

The base’s daily broadcast punctually announced the death toll. For the past two days, however, that number had dropped significantly, as the pharmacy had already produced a large batch of the ointment.

Rhys Chase ordered all the base’s Solar Lamps to be dismantled. They were too bulky, and the base lacked the warehouse space to store them, so he had Ronan Kendrick come and collect them all. Rhys Chase said Ronan could keep two of them, though he figured the devices would be useless in the future. Ronan didn’t refuse. He planned to place one in the livestock area and one in the cultivation area. The day-night cycle in his personal space synchronized with the outside world, meaning the cultivation and livestock areas went dark at 8 p.m. Sometimes they needed to work late, so installing two Solar Lamps that they could turn on as needed would make things much more convenient.

That evening at dinner, while everyone was discussing the progress of the salt mine’s refinement, there was a sudden knock at the door. Annie ran to open it and, seeing it was Liam Sterling and Ryan Rowe, stepped aside to let them in.

"Why is there water vapor on your heat-resistant suits? Your shoes are wet, too. Did you two fall into a pond?"

Once in the living room, Liam Sterling hurriedly took off his heat-resistant suit. He waved his hand in response to the question. "No, it’s raining outside. A Sun Rain. It started all of a sudden and it’s pouring. The water is practically boiling. It was right when the workers were getting off their shift, so a lot of people got caught in it. They’re getting badly scalded."

Ryan Rowe, on the other hand, remained silent. Ronan Kendrick got up, pulled two new pairs of slippers from a cabinet for them, and only then did Ryan Rowe murmur, "Thank you."

"Rain?" Quincy couldn’t help but complain. "This damned weather... it’s like the heavens are completely fickle, just doing whatever they feel like."

Liam Sterling’s and Ryan Rowe’s feet were scalded red, and both of them looked pale. "The crops in the cultivation area are protected by greenhouses, so they should be fine," Liam said. "But the hundreds of acres of medicinal herb fields have probably been devastated. This rain is dangerously hot. People can’t even stand it, let alone the herbs."

Hearing what Liam Sterling said, a somber mood fell over the group.

"There were many residents working outside. This Sun Rain has probably scalded a lot of them. Fortunately, the ointment we developed for the burns can also be used for scalds."

Evelyn Ford looked at Liam Sterling and Ryan Rowe. "What about the herbs? Are they just going to let them be destroyed in the fields?"

"Mr. Chase has already sent a thousand people to harvest them," Liam replied. "The herbs are reaching maturity and must be brought back. If they can’t be made into medicine for humans, they can at least be processed into medicine for the livestock."

Evelyn Ford was relieved to hear that.

If hundreds of acres of herbs were lost, the damage would be immense.

"Mr. Kendrick, Evelyn," Liam said, "Mr. Chase is worried the greenhouses for the livestock farm and vegetable plots won’t hold up for much longer. He sent us to ask for your help moving the animals, fish, and shrimp."

Evelyn Ford understood the gravity of the situation and agreed without hesitation.

[BZZT... BZZT... Emergency announcement. A Sun Rain has begun over the base. The rainwater temperature is extremely high. All residents currently outdoors must return to the shelter immediately or find cover from the rain.]