Chapter 693 - 22: Fever (Part 2)
The snow-covered earth, the howling wind all day long, the frozen rivers, the ubiquitous hungry beasts...
Perhaps by then, the real challenge will begin.
...
The chill of the night gradually dissipates as the sun rises.
During the shift change, Paul remained silent, whether due to lack of sleep or not having adjusted his state, he looked even more listless, even worse than before bedtime.
...
Chen Zhou was awakened around eight in the morning.
Although the sun was already high in the sky, and the earth was bright and clear, there was still a trace of chill lingering in the grasslands.
The campfire was loaded with much fuel, flames licking the bottom of the military pot, the broth had long been boiling, and the rolling bubbles emitted an enticing aroma.
The three little Serrated Tiger Cubs originally surrounded Paul waiting to eat the cooked strips of meat, but upon seeing Chen Zhou emerge, they immediately ran over.
With three little followers trailing behind, Chen Zhou approached the campfire, picked up the wooden bowl left by the challenger, spooned a ladle of hot soup, glanced at Paul’s complexion, and inquired with concern.
"Are you sick?"
Paul shook his head without speaking.
Seeing this, Chen Zhou walked up hurriedly and touched Paul’s forehead—
Scaldingly hot.
"High fever."
"Damn, why didn’t you say you were sick?"
Supporting Paul’s already wobbling body, Chen Zhou placed his palm on Paul’s forehead again, estimating the big guy to have a fever of at least 38°, which was already an extremely dangerous temperature.
But the headache for Chen Zhou was that among the spoils from killing another team of challengers, there weren’t any medicines to treat colds and flu.
He did know some herbs for identification, but this was the Prehistoric World, and even if he could find those herbs, the urgent need made it unlikely to find them in time.
"We’ll have to lower the temperature physically first, then replenish fluids and electrolytes, just to prevent further temperature rise."
With scarce medical supplies, Chen Zhou had to lift Paul up, then despite his protests, carried the big guy on his shoulder and tucked him into the Shelter.
Afterwards, he emptied the broth from the military pot, scooped a pot of river water, heated it to around 30°, and soaked the Ninja’s belt in it, letting Paul use this damp cloth strip to wipe the sides of his neck, armpits, palms, soles, and other major blood vessel areas.
This would effectively help lower Paul’s temperature.
While Paul was wiping himself, Chen Zhou untied the paracord binding the wooden beams and removed part of the roof of the Shelter, allowing the outside wind to blow inside.
The time was about nine in the morning, the temperature had risen to about 22°, ideal for ventilation and heat dissipation.
Leaving Paul in the house to cool down alone, Chen Zhou began thinking about how to make saltwater to replenish Paul’s electrolytes.
However, in the wilderness, there was simply no salt available.
If he chased a herd of deer, he might find open-air salt rocks, but there was simply not enough time now.
Helplessly, Chen Zhou could only search for wild beasts near the riverside, kill them, and let them bleed—
The blood of animals contains sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, etc., also known as electrolytes, along with glucose, amino acids, and other nutrients.
During the food-scarce winter, fierce beasts often tear open the large arteries at the prey’s neck and drink its blood while the prey’s heart is still beating to supplement nutritional deficiencies.
To some extent, blood is the organism’s own produced electrolyte supplement liquid, except its taste is difficult to accept.
...
After wiping the body twice and drinking nearly half a pound of fresh blood, Paul’s complexion finally showed improvement, his fever-induced blurry eyes regaining their sparkle.
Curling up in the Shelter, he had crimson blood stains on the stubble at the corner of his mouth, seeing Chen Zhou holding the military pot heading outside, he unexpectedly cried like a child.
"Chen Zhou, I’m not a qualified partner, I’ve always been dragging you down."
He buried his head between his knees, choking up.
"I knew last night I was sick.
I knew I’d disrupt your plan again, just like I did before, I always can’t help.
I’m ashamed of my name, I’m not as strong as Paul Korchagin.
Chen Zhou, I think I can’t be a hero anymore.
Leave me here and go by yourself, I believe you’ll be better suited for this challenge alone..."
At the Shelter’s entrance, Chen Zhou turned around, blocking the sunlight.
"Comrade, is this how the great mentor of the Soviet Republic guides you toward your goals?
If you don’t want to drag me down, get up like a man and accompany me on the remaining journey.
If you want to die, die with value, die in the long winter belonging to Slavs, or die under beastly claws, or die in enemy attacks, but don’t sit here lamenting like a defeated stray dog.
I’ve always seen you as a true partner, a peer friend, how can you become like this over a small cold?"
Putting down the military pot, Chen Zhou suddenly stood up—
His height surpassed the Shelter, normally he had to stoop to walk inside, but standing up directly overturned the roof above.
With pieces of twigs and moss-covered mud falling, more light poured into the Shelter.
"Paul Korchagin, stand up!
Don’t shrink here as a coward, don’t you want to be the hero who completes the challenge?"
Paul’s face turned completely red after listening, feeling ashamed for his evasion, unable to look Chen Zhou in the eye, he dragged his weak body and stood up against the wall.