Chapter 239 – The Mine’s Doctor is having a Bad’s Day

Nicole was having a bad day. 

Well, the day had already started off on an extremely horrid note.

The damage from the mining accident seemed to worsen with every passing day, and it had only been three days. 

The worst part was receiving a body and having to give the order for it to be moved to the temporary morgue.

Ugly wounds, disfigured body parts, and horrible screams. 

He became a doctor to help people, but being a doctor also meant he ended up being the closest to the dead and dying. 

This incident had almost been his breaking point, but he chose to hold on. Just long enough that the people who could be saved would be. He wasn’t a leader. The biggest command he ever gave was to tell miners to take it easy after a bad checkup. However, yesterday was the first time he screamed at everyone. 

He demanded that no one fight. 

He had people who needed saving. 

People who were dying. 

Anyone who chose to let their anger out, chose to try to fight during this situation, would not receive medical help from him or any of the temporary staff from the capital. He remembered his lungs almost dying after he made that declaration and would never forget the looks the people gave him. A mixture of understanding, reluctance, and a little bit of fear. The glimpses of the latter two almost made him want to scream again at the sheer audacity. 

He quickly calmed from that moment. Being around dead poured down any fiery emotion. 

Nicole heard some groans, and eventually screams, but his new helpers told him no one was hurt. What nearly popped a vein was finding out that somehow, some of the potions were destroyed. He prayed that happened on the trip here, and not after they arrived here. Because if it was the latter, that meant people still couldn’t bloody behave enough, to the point it was risking the lives of their companions.

[Yep, he looks mad.] (Syrus)

[Understandable so.] (Luna)

[Let’s… try to make sure the doctor doesn’t have any more trouble.] (Eva)

Anlesa stood across from the doctor as he just stared at her. They had just told him the unconscious man was trying to break the potions. 

He looked back to the man on the ground, and they looked around. “Is she telling the truth?” 

The crowd's eyes flinched and surveyed each other, looking for anyone who had an answer, truly unaware if she was actually speaking the truth. People did see the man’s tantrum, but it was unknown if he was actually damaging the potions. Most people didn’t want to be near the tables. Not wanting to be responsible for damaging any of the supply. 

The sacred bodies leaving the medical tent were a horrifying sight, and they all knew people trapped in the mine, with unknown conditions. 

Syrus sighed, “This is the one.” Eva picked up the potion carefully and adjusted it so the light reflected in the pressure cracks of the bottle. 

“...” Nicole’s eyes darkened. He could almost see the fingerprint pressed into the potion. He asked, not expecting a reasonable answer, “Is there any glass in the mixture?”

“None detected, but if you are worried, use a strainer; I have one in my bag if you need it.” Eva gave her a quick report. She was confident there was nothing remaining; she used her mana with Manipulation to detect any objects within the potion. 

“You know the proper filtration methods?” For the first time today, Nicole saw a bit of hope in humanity's intelligence. 

“Yes.” Eva decided to ask, “Do you know who that man is? He was complaining about the quality of the potions on a purely visual analysis." 

“Him?” Nicole did a double take at the unconscious man. “Looks familiar, but I can’t put my finger on it.” His burrow frowned. “Judging a potion's quality on looks?” He walked towards the potion supply, he hadn’t seen all of the newest batch, but from the ones inside the tent there were made from a few different sources. Looking at the batch that was from the same lot as the damaged potion, they were a bit yellower than the ones they normally buy when there weren’t incidents going on. “They don’t even look watered down? Just a bloody different colour, which just be from differently sourced ingredients.” 

He gritted his teeth. If the potions were going to be damaged just because they looked a little yellow? He almost wanted to treat someone’s bone without numbing the pain. Not an alchemist by any means, but many doctors who learned in the capital were taught about potions and, more importantly, what to look for when purchasing and using them.

Using a potion that was mixed with certain ingredients, whose purpose was not what was labelled, or worse case, heavily watered down, could result in losses. Lives and profit. 

“Exactly, perfectly average good potions.” 

“What made you decide to step in?” 

“Someone was shitting on my work?” Anlesa answered, “Second time today, I hope this place isn’t like this normally.” 

Nicole’s eyes sparkled for a moment, learning there was someone here who could make potions. He quickly tried to think of a way to keep her here for at least a little bit, but then the woman's words fully entered his mind. His eyes fell to the ground. “I hope so too.” 

[Fuck, looks like he has really been dealing with some shit.] (Syrus)

[Stress from all the… well, everything.] (Luna)

[Yeah…] (Eva)

“I am Nicole, currently the main doctor at this operation.” He decided to introduce himself.

“Syrus.” 

“Thank you for keeping the supply safe.” He bit his tongue for a moment. “I can’t offer you anything, but can you make sure nothing happens to those potions? At least until the next batch arrives, we have already lost too many.” 

[Everyone…?] Eva felt a little sympathetic about the situation.

[Learning no, but I don’t want to risk losing out on being paid by some lying about the potions breaking.] (Syrus)

[We will make a compromise.] Luna took control. 

“We… I am ready to stay to ensure nothing happens until the next batch arrives or by the evening.” Luna’s voice firmed, and Nicole felt he was starting to deal with a superior who wouldn't take ‘no’ for an answer. “And anyone who is injured due to trying to pick a fight with me, before now, and until the end of this contract, will cause no responsibility to fall befall me.”  

“That is fine by me.” Nicole had to agree. He wasn’t sure if he had the position of power to actually agree to the no responsibility line, but he already wasn’t going to be helping those who injured themselves by causing conflict, so he intended to lean on that if required to ensure the responsibility landed on.

He just wanted the rest of the rescue mission and as many casualties saved as possible, but why did the world seem so keen on making that as hard as possible?