Chapter 1645
Lily poured the steaming decoction, its aroma redolent with traditional herbs, into a bowl. She turned to place another pot on the stove—this one containing a detoxification and antipyretic brew, to be diluted before room spraying. Finishing, she found a layer of sweat on her forehead. Fortunately, she wasn't wearing protective gear; otherwise, the exertion would have been even more intense. Each removal felt like a shower, leaving her drenched and, were it not for her robust physique, fatigued.
She sat on the stool, massaging her neck with one hand while diligently recording data with the other. A memory surfaced: her attempt, while working under Professor Thompson, to destroy the data, only for Austin to inadvertently restore it. Later, she'd sought a hacker, Benedict promising to follow up—a promise still unfulfilled. Had he forgotten? Was his contact unreliable? Or was the research institute's firewall simply impenetrable? Lily shook her head, patting her aching shoulders, uncertain even if Austin had been located. Dominic's sadness, should anything befall him, weighed heavily.
A knock. "Come in," she said, raising her head and pinching the bridge of her nose.
Dr. Edmund Morris entered, holding a folder. "Dr. Blanc asked me to give this to you."
"What is it?" Lily asked suspiciously, taking the folder.
Her eyes narrowed as she read. "Asymptomatic infection?"
Edmund nodded. "Patients show no symptoms, no discomfort, yet test positive."
"Asymptomatic carriers?" Lily mused, flipping through the folder, noting numerous similar cases—individuals who, except for proximity to diagnosed patients, would have remained undetected.
Dr. Morris shook his head. "That's an oversimplification. The lack of current symptoms doesn't preclude future manifestation. Even without illness, they pose a societal risk, given this disease's high infection rate."
"Where are they?" Lily asked, finishing the file.
"Under observation in another district," he replied. "Dr. Blanc wants your traditional medical perspective on these cases."