Chapter 1615

Lily hadn't slept in two days. She watched intently as she drew a tiny amount of medicinal concoction and carefully fed a white mouse. When the creature finished drinking, she replaced the dropper and returned the mouse to its observation cage, bending over to study it closely. After a long silence, Dr. Morris hesitantly asked, "Are you sure this will work on the mouse?"

Lily shook her head. "No."

Dr. Morris was surprised. "Why not?"

"Because I'm not sure it will work at all," Lily explained. "How could I use it on a human without knowing the result?"

Straightening up, Lily glanced at him before turning to feed the other white mice. She had familiarized herself with the virus, but its cunning nature meant that individuals of different ages and constitutions exhibited varying wrist pulse changes. To ensure accuracy, she’d isolated the virus from each patient and introduced it into these laboratory mice, using different strains to improve the results. Her hope was that by adjusting the medicinal mixture based on each case, she could develop a cure and end the pandemic.

Leaning against the table, Dr. Morris observed her focused work. "Honestly," he said blandly, "I don't hold much hope for your experiment."

"Okay," Lily replied, unfazed.

"Even if herbal medicine works," Dr. Morris continued, "it's too slow. The virus mutates too quickly. Your medicine wouldn't even take effect before the virus changes. It simply can't keep up."

Gazing at her back, Dr. Morris's expression wasn't hostile; he simply lacked trust. He thought, She's too young! I've seen many skilled, experienced herbalists who are far older. It all comes down to accumulated experience. This differs from mainstream medicine, where we rely on equipment and data. He mused further, A surgeon needs experience, let alone a practitioner of herbal medicine, which is…unconventional. He continued, However, Dominic Fike recommended her, and Dr. Blanc holds him in high regard, so there's little I can say. Still, my opinion is one thing; my trust is another.

Lily straightened, feeling a twinge in her lower back. She gently pestled herbs, then turned to him. "Are you saying you have no faith in our project, that we won't find a cure?"

Stunned, Dr. Morris quickly explained, "No, I didn't mean that! I'm just saying that herbal medicine—"

"Why are you so prejudiced against herbal medicine? Do you think it's inferior to mainstream medicine?" Lily interrupted.

Dr. Morris frowned. "That's not what I meant! I just think that even if it works, it's too slow and can't keep up with the virus's mutation rate. So—"

"Have I ever said my concoction is meant to catch up with the mutation speed?" Lily asked.

Dr. Morris was puzzled.

"The virus is cunning, rapidly mutating, and drug-resistant. But why should we try to outrun its mutations? Herbal medicine views illness as our bodies' defense mechanism reacting to pathogens, manifesting in various ways as they damage our organs."