"Achoo." An orc sneezed, and a long string of snot immediately shot out. Before anyone could react, he slurped it back in with a loud sniff.
Shen Yunyun shuddered, her stomach churning. How disgusting was that? Then she looked at the few young cubs, their faces chapped and cracked, and felt a pang of guilt toward them. She should have realized their winter would be harsh. Whether in the orc world or among ancient humans, winter was a major ordeal. With scarce clothing and food, a simple chill could take someone away. She hadn't thought to remind them to stock up on winter provisions or prepare cold-weather supplies in advance—she really was a negligent deity.
Shen Yunyun remembered she had come to deliver beef and mutton to them. She quickly urged the orcs to check if anyone else in their homes was sick; she had to save their lives first. Once again, she was carried on Zhi's shoulder to another cave. This one was large, likely where the rest of the tribe's orcs lived.
By the left cave wall, there was some dry grass where a dozen female orcs sat, a few holding cubs in their arms, while male orcs embraced the females from behind to keep them warm. It was clear that even though the males were freezing, they were doing their best to care for the females and cubs.
"Great Beast God," the crowd said, kneeling before Zhi and Shen Yunyun, who sat on his shoulder. A female orc immediately pleaded, "Please, Great Beast God, save the cub—he's dying."
Shen Yunyun quickly patted Zhi's head, and he set her down. She hurried over to check on the child. He had a fever too, burning fiercely—his face flushed red, lips cracked, eyes tightly shut. Shen Yunyun felt a knot of trouble. She asked the cub's mother to wake him, but after calling for a while, he wouldn't stir.
"What do I do?" Shen Yunyun grew anxious. She wasn't a doctor; she didn't know how to give injections, and she had no needles anyway. This cub needed to be taken to a hospital for treatment immediately. She quickly adjusted the time here to match the modern era, scooped up the cub, and vanished from the cave in an instant.
She found herself in her basement at home, but she didn't have time to wonder why Little Tangyuan could go straight to the hospital while she was stuck here. Carrying the cub, she went to the village clinic. Without waiting in line, she felt his forehead and applied a fever patch. When she took his temperature, it was off the charts. The doctor was alarmed and urged her to go to the hospital.
"Give him a fever-reducing shot first—I'm afraid it'll be too late by the time we get to the hospital." The doctor agreed and administered the shot. Shen Yunyun asked for an IV drip, but the small clinic doctor didn't dare. He pushed her to leave quickly.
Shen Yunyun begged, "Please, start an IV first—he must be dehydrated. Rehydrate him, and give him any nutritional drips you have." The doctor finally complied, urging her to call 120 immediately. As Shen Yunyun prepared to dial, the cub opened his eyes.
"He's awake," Shen Yunyun exclaimed joyfully to the doctor. The doctor came over, listened with a stethoscope, and decided it wasn't too complicated, so he prescribed more medication. After four bottles of fluids, the cub was breathing steadily and had fallen asleep.
"Come back tomorrow for another round." "Okay," Shen Yunyun agreed, thinking to herself that orcs had strong constitutions—maybe he wouldn't need to come back tomorrow.