Love's So Contagious

Speak of the Devil

Gulf stumbled into his office and sank into his chair. When the new office chairs had arrived, he had been skeptical. But now, as the pain from the past few days subsided, he had to admit that the previous administrators had made a wise investment.

The previous week had been absolutely dreadful, and Gulf didn't think that was an exaggeration. He hadn't been running between buildings like this since his days in medical school, when he had made the questionable decision to pursue a joint degree. That had been years ago, and he certainly hadn't been pregnant back then. Plus, there hadn't been any life-or-death situations.

There weren't many studies on bacterial meningitis in the elderly population, and there was a good reason for that. Elderly individuals in the Western world rarely fell victim to bacterial meningitis. They typically didn't live in crowded environments, and even when they did, their personal space was respected unless there was a medical necessity. They certainly didn't go around swapping saliva like teenagers.

They simply weren't at risk, unless someone foolishly put them in harm's way.

It seems like the disease really took a toll on them. A lot of the residents in the nursing home were already dealing with health issues, making it harder for their immune systems to fight back compared to younger or healthier individuals. Unfortunately, many of them succumbed to the illness and Gulf felt helpless.

He administered antibiotics to most of them, but around ten percent of the elderly couldn't take them due to various reasons. Some had conflicting medications, allergies, or were already on a different antibiotic regimen for infected bedsores.

Complications from meningitis were also common, but they were much more challenging to manage. Two patients passed away during surgery to remove gangrenous limbs, while four others died from kidney failure possibly caused by meningitis. Additionally, ten patients had advance directives stating not to use extraordinary measures to save their lives under any circumstances.

Gulf had to acknowledge that, given their conditions, those patients had a slim chance of survival even without the advance directives. The severity of their prior health issues and the aggressive nature of the meningitis didn't leave much hope. Despite this realization, he still felt devastated by the losses and the feeling of defeat.

Most of the patients that he had cared for at Rathanburi Medical had passed away, although he tried not to take it personally. He had chosen to keep them at Rathanburi Medical because they were the most severely ill patients from Vihokratana Enterprise, and their prognosis was always uncertain.

The one thing that kept him going at the moment was Mew. Mew was the bright spot in his day. Just the sight of Mew and knowing that he was nearby made the burden on Gulf's shoulders feel much lighter.

A familiar figure cast a shadow across his desk. Gulf smiled. "Speak of the devil and you'll see his horns."

Mew chuckled. "So now I'm the devil?"

"Hmm. You certainly tempt me into mischief."

"That was only one time. Just one!" Mew leaned closer across the desk and lightly kissed Gulf's lips. "How long have you been on your feet?" Gulf didn't respond, and Mew frowned. "Did you go home last night?"

We faced a crisis, alright? Mrs. Boyle suddenly started to fail, which meant I had to go over to Upstate. Then we lost Mr. Molinari, which was bad, and then I had to go to Community because Mrs. Tremblay got—

Mew held up a hand. "Honey, stop. I get it. People are sick. It's bad. Look." He looked away for a moment. "Can you just, maybe, come down to Obstetrics with me?"