Secretary Shin immediately rushed to Thorne’s office, and I quickly turned my attention back to the child. Her face was flushed, swollen, with hives creeping up her arms. I carefully moved her to a nearby room, which was equipped with essential medical tools.
I placed an oxygen mask on her and checked her pulse with the machine.
"What happened?" I asked, gently removing her clothes to inspect for any other symptoms.
"S-she was just playing with a cat," the guardian stammered, trembling with panic. "I let her, since I was doing housework. Then, out of nowhere, she collapsed, and I found her like this."
"Name?" I asked.
"Juliette Lewis," the guardian replied.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and Thorne entered with his stethoscope in hand.
"Zaira?" Thorne called out.
"Patient’s name is Juliette Lewis, around 7 to 10 years old," I explained quickly. "She’s presenting with hives, facial swelling, and shortness of breath, which points to a severe allergic reaction."
"Any known allergies or prior history?" Thorne asked, his tone serious.
"N-no," the guardian stuttered, clearly shaken.
"Zaira, I need to grab something from storage. It’s a stick, often referred to as—"
"Epinephrine. I’ll get it," I interrupted, already moving toward the storage room.
I threw open the door and was met with a few colleagues who looked surprised to see me.
“Zai?” one of them asked.
“Where’s the epinephrine? Now!” I snapped, urgency in my voice. They exchanged confused looks but began to act quickly.
“What’s that? Use the proper terms!” one of them shouted as they rummaged through the shelves.
“Elrithium,” I said, using the local term for the medication.
One of them handed me the epinephrine, and I rushed back to the patient’s room. I handed it to Thorne, who administered it without hesitation. Within moments, Juliette’s breathing stabilized, and the swelling in her face started to ease.
Thorne looked at me with a solemn expression.
“She’s stable for now, but we need to determine what caused this reaction. The allergy is severe, and the nearest hospital with full facilities is a long way off,” he said, his voice firm.
"I’ll arrange for her transfer to the hospital, but by the end of the day, I need answers on what triggered this," Thorne added, his gaze intense.
The end of the day? Was he serious?
“Am I understood, Zaira?” he pressed.
“Y-yes, doc,” I answered.
I glanced at the child, now resting with the oxygen mask in place, and then turned my attention to the anxious guardian.
“The child is stable now,” I reassured her. “Thank you for your patience.”
She exhaled in relief. “Thank you.”
“I’d like to ask you a few questions to help identify what might have caused the allergic reaction,” I continued. “Dr. Ackerman has suggested transferring your child for further examination. Any details you can provide will be crucial.”
“Is that alright?” I asked gently.
She nodded, and I offered a soft smile, guiding her to a nearby table and gesturing for her to sit.
As I prepared to ask more questions, I jotted down some notes.
"Does Juliette have any medical history, such as past medications or surgeries?" I asked.
She shook her head. "Juliette has been healthy since birth. It's rare for her to get sick," the mother explained.
"You mentioned she was playing with a cat. How long has she had the cat?" I asked.
"Her cousin gave it to her for her birthday a week ago, along with some expensive shampoos," she replied.
"I see," I murmured. "Can you tell me what she ate in the last 24 hours?"
"She had her usual eggs and vegetables for breakfast. This afternoon, I was frying fish for lunch," she answered.
"What about family history? Does anyone in your family have allergies?" I asked.
She paused for a moment. "Her father had a mild peanut allergy when he was young," she said.
That didn’t seem to be relevant, as the patient hadn’t eaten peanuts recently. I still wasn’t sure what caused this. Tests would be ideal, but we didn’t have the equipment here, and transferring her could take too long.
"Do you have any ideas, Doc?" she asked, her voice full of hope.
"Not yet. I'm still uncertain. The patient’s environment could be significant, but I can’t draw any conclusions at the moment," I said, offering her a reassuring smile.
"You can come over to our house; it's not far—just a short walk," she suggested.
"Is that alright?" I asked, not wanting to impose.
"Yes, if it helps identify the cause. I’d appreciate any help you can provide. I’m a med student myself, though I didn’t finish due to financial issues," she explained.
"It’s the least I can do," she added.
I asked Thorne for permission, and he agreed. I left the clinic with Georgina, Juliette’s mother. Arlo and Arthur stayed behind to keep an eye on the child while she slept.
As we walked to her house, I considered all the possible causes for Juliette’s allergic reaction—the cat, the shampoos, the food—but I still needed more information.
After a short walk, we arrived at a two-story house made of wood and concrete.
"Please, come in," Georgina said, leading me up the concrete stairs to the front door.
I followed her inside. The living room was small but cozy, mostly made of wood. A soft pink couch sat in the center, a wooden chandelier hung from the ceiling, and a stone fireplace held a collection of glass souvenirs, with a reindeer head mounted above it. The space felt like a typical family home.
The environment didn’t seem to be a factor in Juliette’s allergies.
"What a lovely home," I said with a smile.
Georgina thanked me.
"Sorry, but could I have a glass of cold water?" I asked.
"Oh yes, of course," she said, leading me to the kitchen.
The kitchen was surprisingly clean. I noticed an unfinished fish dish with sliced lemons on the counter—likely what Juliette had eaten.
Just then, a greyish cat with green eyes jumped onto the table and began nibbling at the fish.
"Oh dear, I’m sorry about that," Georgina said, quickly moving the dish to the floor for the cat.
"Juliette isn’t really a fan of fish, so Zeus is eating it," Georgina explained.
"I see," I said, smiling.
"Juliette only eats certain parts of the fish and likes to dip them in vinegar. She can be quite particular about her food," Georgina giggled.
I smiled at her. "Can I see the cat's shampoo?" I asked.
"Of course! I'll be right back," she replied.
While I waited, I noticed the cat eating the fish, mainly the white meat. Pictures of Georgina’s family decorated the walls. I smiled at a photo of Georgina on her dad's shoulder.
"Miss Zaira?" Georgina called.
I turned to find her holding out the cat's shampoo. I examined the ingredients—nothing unusual.
"Does Juliette bathe Zeus?" I asked.
She shook her head. "No, Juliette is too chaotic with bathing Zeus. It’s too much of a chore for me."
I chuckled. "I see."
"Does Juliette eat fish often?" I inquired.
"Yes, she does. She’s young and eats fish sometimes, though she’s not particularly fond of it. There haven’t been any issues before," Georgina explained.
The clock tower struck lunchtime, but I still didn’t have a clear lead. The cat’s fur might be important.
"Oh, it’s lunchtime. Do you have any other questions, Miss?" Georgina asked.
I shook my head. "I'm finished for now. Thank you so much, Georgina."
She smiled. "Do you have any leads yet?"
I returned her smile. "I’ll update you further."
Back at the clinic, I sat in the small kitchen, barely touching my lunch as I read through my handbook. The others were eating and chatting away.
Secretary Shin had closed the clinic for a brief break so we could enjoy our lunch.
“Hey, Coffey!” Keegan called as he sat down in front of me.
“Still buried in your books? You need to eat, you know,” he said.
“I’m really curious about what the professor gave me. I can’t pinpoint the allergy,” I replied.
“I’ve asked about her history and food consumption, even visited her house. The cat might be a factor, but it’s still unclear,” I explained.
“Wow, it’s been a short while and you’re already deep into it,” Caden said with a smile.
He pulled the book away from me, and I frowned. “Hey! I was using that!” I protested.
“You should eat. You can always ask the professor for guidance; I’m sure he wouldn’t mind,” he suggested.
“Yeah, you’re right,” I conceded. He had a point. Perhaps Professor Thorne wouldn’t mind if I asked him about the case.
“Hey, dear,” Secretary Shin’s voice interrupted as she approached our table.
“The patient wanted me to give you this, as a thank you for taking care of her,” she said.
She placed a plate of freshly cooked fish with lemon slices and vegetables on the table.
“I guess you already have a fan on your first day. Keep it up, darling,” Secretary Shin said with a wink.
“Nice! Free food!” Arlo exclaimed happily.
He quickly sliced some of the fish and tasted it, only to immediately spit it out in confusion.
“Ew, gross!” Caden said.
I looked at him. “Is something wrong?”
“Yeah, the fish doesn’t taste like anything and has a weird hint of something!” he said, putting his fork down.
“I’m out!” he declared, leaving the table.
I examined the fish. As Caden was about to take another bite, I stopped him.
“Why?” he asked.
“Don’t eat it!” I said.
He looked at me, puzzled, as I sniffed the fish. It had an unusual odor...
That’s it!
“Is something the matter?” Caden asked.
With excitement in my eyes, I replied, “Caden, come with me!” I didn’t wait for his response and immediately dragged him along.
I saw Georgina walking slowly.
“Georgina, wait!” I called out.
She stopped, and that’s when I saw her collapse, unconscious.
“Caden!” I yelled, running toward her.
Excessive sweating, shortness of breath, her skin turning a reddish color. It was happening again.
“Caden, take her to the clinic, now!” I demanded.
I ran ahead, not waiting for his response. My mind was racing. I had seen this somewhere before.
“Where are you going!?” I heard him shout, but I wasn’t listening. I just kept running—I had to finish this.
With a burst of adrenaline in my chest, excitement rumbled inside me. I knew what had happened. I was sure of it.
I was stretching from my chair as I heard a gurgling sound in my stomach. As I was about to head off, Caden stormed into my clinic, bringing an unconscious woman.
"Doc!"
I recognized her—the mother of my patient?
"What happened!?" I asked.
"She fell unconscious on the road when Zaira called her," he said, quickly bringing her inside.
The symptoms matched those of her child. I needed Zaira's answers.
"Epinephrine," I called out.
Arthur handed it to me, and I administered it to the mother. A few seconds later, she was back to normal, just like her child.
"Where’s Zaira?" I asked Caden.
As Caden was about to speak, someone opened the door. Zaira, sweating and smiling, walked in.
"Coffey?" I called.
"Professor, I need to talk to you," she said. I looked at her. She was catching his breath as she supported herself in the door frame. 
"It's the patient. I was wrong... It's not an allergy," she said.
A few minutes later, both patients were stable. I called the hospital to send carriages to my clinic to fetch them. The child remained asleep, while Zaira was speaking with the mother.
I trusted her too much, and it was a wrong move to give her a case on the first day. Although I have some ideas about what happened to both patients, I don’t have all the information. I'm sure Zaira knows more.
When Zaira emerged, I looked at her with curiosity. 
"You said it wasn’t an allergy," I said. 
She nodded. 
"Explain it to me," I said, sitting on my swivel chair.
She sighed heavily. "I apologize for the mistake, Professor, but it wasn’t an allergy. It was scombroid poisoning," she said.