The Bleeding Heart

Chapter 23

Again, anything medicine related is most likely not real and the poisonous herb 'blackthorn' is just a plant that I made up.  Any coincidences whatsoever is purely unintentional. Thank you! =)))

And special thanks to crimsonsky for the cover! =)))

The Bleeding Heart

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Chapter 23

Nadyn panted.  “Come on…Andrew, wipe her forehead!  She’s sweating!”

“Yes, doctor!” And the man named Andrew quickly went to get a damp cloth and gingerly wiped the queen’s sweaty face.

“Doctor, the tub of ice cubes is ready,” a female attendant told her.

“A tub of ice cubes?!” Theodore exclaimed.  “Are you trying to freeze her to death?!”

“With all due respect, my King,” Nadyn said.  “Please trust that we know what we’re doing.  Hypothermia would decrease the heart rate and salvage any tissue damage if there’s any.  She’s already heating up and if we don’t cool her down while we find a way to cure this poison in her body, she’s going to burn up and that’s a lot worse.”

“Please, Your Highness, please go out of the room,” Andrew said.  “We will do everything to save the queen but if you’re here stressing yourself out, it won’t do anybody any good.”

Theodore looked from Andrew to Nadyn who was wiping his wife’s body to Riza herself, pale and still.  He shut his eyes tight, “Alright.”

“Transfer the queen into the tub!” Nadyn ordered, preparing the acupuncture set on the side.

“Roger!”

“Nadyn,” A female attendant called.  “The queen, she’s – ”

“She’s what?” Nadyn demanded, going inside the room where the tub of ice cubes was, widening her eyes as Riza started to convulse, her eyes opening and closing but she could not see the pupils.

“She’s having a seizure…” Nadyn gasped and then asked to no one in particluar.  “Damn it, have the results came?”

“Yes, doctor,” an attendant answered.  “The poison within the queen’s body is blackthorn.”

“Blackthorn?!” Nadyn’s eyes widened at the new information.  “Shit, where the hell did that blackthorn come from?  Do we have anymore antidote for that?”

“I’m afraid we have to use manual procedures, doctor,” another attendant chirped up.

“Get her out of the tub then lay her on the side once the seizures have stopped,” Nadyn ordered, pulling her sleeves up, getting the acupuncture set.  “If it’s blackthorn, then she’s in too much pain right now.  We’ll have to use acupuncture at this point.”

“Yes, doctor!”

The queen was laid on her side on top of the bed, wearing only a robe.  Despite being in a tub of ice cubes, Riza was still profusely sweating and Nadyn let the other attendants wipe her body of it as she cleaned the needles for the acupuncture.

Nadyn gave out a long breath and after carefully pinpointing the acupuncture point she was aiming for, Nadyn pushed the needle into Riza’s skin.  Blackthorn was a kind of poison wherein one wouldn’t feel the effects of it right away.  The victim would collapse eight hours after intake.  His eyes would roll to the back of his head and would burn up and sweat profusely.  He would experience seizures for a few minutes but that’s it.  That’s why it’s safe to use the method of acupuncture.