‘Prometheus! You’ve created something far stronger than the New York virus.’
When Taeho inserted the needle into the patient’s vein, dark red blood slowly filled the syringe. He handed the collected sample to Gihwan.
“Let’s begin analysis immediately. Starting with RNA extraction.”
“Yes!”
The two of them collected samples from the remaining six patients as well.
They all had similar symptoms.
Systemic bleeding, multiple organ failure, neurological symptoms.
It was when he was examining the last patient, a ten-year-old boy.
The child suddenly grabbed the sleeve of Taeho’s protective suit.
“......Mai.”
The child murmured in Lingala. Jean-Paul interpreted.
“He’s asking for water.”
“It’s dangerous for him to drink water right now, so give it with gauze.”
Just as Taeho was about to place the water-soaked gauze against the child’s mouth, the child vomited blood.
“Uegh......”
A dark red clot of blood splattered onto Taeho’s protective suit.
The child convulsed a few times, then went still.
“Cardiac arrest!”
Taeho shouted.
“Gihwan, BVM! Bring the Ambu bag!”
“Yes!”
Gihwan began rummaging through the equipment box he had brought.
Taeho immediately laid the child down and secured his airway.
With one hand, he lifted the chin to open the airway. The inside of the child’s mouth was full of blood and vomit.
“Suction!”
“Here!”
Jean-Paul handed him the suction device.
He sucked out the foreign matter from the mouth.
“BVM is here!”
Gihwan handed him the blue Ambu bag.
Taeho pressed the mask fitted with a HEPA filter tightly over the child’s face. He secured the mask with his left hand and squeezed the bag with his right.
Whoosh. He forced air in.
The child’s small chest rose.
“Jean-Paul, hold the mask seal. Gihwan, bagging! Starting CPR!”
Taeho placed one hand on the child’s chest.
Pediatric CPR was performed with either one hand or two hands stacked together. For a ten-year-old, one hand was enough.
He began compressions.
Taeho kept the rhythm at 100 to 120 compressions per minute.
‘......Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen!’