NOVEL NEXT Chapter 33: Riot!
Riot!
Chapter 33: Vira's body!
Author: How many times have you been bitten?
Vira: Too many to count!
Author: Then you must have a high resistance to venom.
Vira: Yes, but Silas's venom gets more potent as he gets older, so yeah, the outcome has never changed.
As Vira fell numb onto the bed, Nicolas and the nurse were worried sick. While Nicolas ran to call the doctors back—this time to treat the master instead of the pet—the nurse stayed behind to tend to him.
The previous doctors were veterinarians, so they were spared from this task. However, taking care of Vira was a terrifying job, and they could only hope Lady Luck would bless them.
Before Nicolas could even call them, the doctors were still safe. The one who wasn't safe, however, was Vira, who had been bitten on the neck. While the venom itself was weak—normally causing only swelling and irritation—the location of the bite was the real concern.
Swelling and congestion in the neck could lead to a blocked airway and multiple other complications if left untreated.
As the long-retired Nicolas rushed to find the doctors, the nurse quickly began caring for Vira.
First, she carefully lifted him from the bed and positioned his upper body upright. This, she knew, would help reduce the swelling. Throughout the process, she kept talking—mainly about how terrible adder venom was and the dangers it posed. Whether she was trying to reassure herself or simply fill the silence, she wasn't sure.
Then she pulled out the little viper, who—just like its predecessor—was wrapping around the neck of its friend, seemingly oblivious to the effects of its bite. Completely unaware of the trouble it had caused, the snake was also repeating the nurse's words to Vira, adding to his suffering. So yeah, Vira was getting mentally assaulted by the snake and physically by both the swelling and the nurse, who, in her attempt to cut off his T-shirt collar (which might have caused further complications), had somehow managed to get rid of the entire shirt.
Now, I don't think it's particularly appropriate to describe a seven-year-old's body, but I'll do it anyway. With the T-shirt removed, Vira's lean and toned physique was exposed to the world. His stomach was flat, and while he didn't have a well-defined six-pack, there was a faint hint of abdominal muscles beginning to form. His torso was proportionally shorter than his limbs, making him slightly less aesthetically balanced, and unlike a trained adult, there were no visible veins. Not that he didn't train—he did—but his young body hadn't fully developed yet. All he had was smooth, elastic skin, untouched by time or hardship.
While I was busy describing what Vira looked like, the nurse had already done everything she could as an emergency precaution for an adder bite on the neck. Now, she was staring blankly at his face—not out of admiration, but because the swelling in his neck could block his airway at any moment, which might mean she'd have to perform CPR.
When Vira's face was neutral or emotionless, it wasn't particularly pleasant to look at—certainly nothing pretty. Unlike when he smiled or was peacefully resting, there was nothing charming about it. Unfortunately, neither of those expressions were happening now. Vira was more alert than ever, and his sudden collapse seemed to have triggered something. Every friend he had—whether inside or even remotely close to the city of Leicester—had started moving toward the hospital.
The aftermath of this would be explained later, but for now, Nicolas had returned with the doctors.
While different from the ones who had just left, these doctors seemed just as afraid—if not even more—of Vira. But regardless of their fear, they got to work diagnosing his condition. Upon confirming that his airway was not blocked and that the infection and swelling didn't even require antivenom, they breathed a sigh of relief. They hung an IV pack, connected it to his hand, and administered medication to reduce the swelling.
After finishing their work, they left a nurse behind to take care of Vira's needs.
Soon after, Nicolas appeared in Vira's field of vision. He had never actually left the room after returning with the doctors, but fearing he might disturb them, he had stayed in the background.
Now that everything was done and Vira seemed to be fine, Nicolas finally came forward to take care of him. Just as he sat down beside Vira's bed, the door swung open—Peter had returned.
Despite not having seen Vira even once in the past six months since he started wandering, Peter's respect for him hadn't dwindled in the slightest. But this wasn't about that. He had brought concerning news.
As soon as he saw Vira, Peter spoke:
"The animals you keep have started rioting and are now blocking the roads. Also, birds have crowded the entire hospital roof… and they keep slamming into the doors."
Hearing this seemed to answer Vira's curiosity about why Peter looked so unkempt, but there was still something more important to address. Turning towards Nicolas, he raised his hands and started performing strange movements with his fingers.
Hmm… I remember this scene from before. Oh, Vira was using sign language to give orders.
Using the little bit of sign language he had learned from Luna, Viper ordered them:
"Peter, tell the subordinates not to attack them. Let them be. Also, call the doctors."
Peter had no clue what that meant, but when Nicolas translated it for him, his expression darkened.
Hurriedly, Peter said, **"About that… Because they blocked the roads and attacked a few people who tried to stop them, one of the new guys panicked and shot… He's dead now. James shot him down the moment he fired, but the lion you brought back from Africa is in critical condition. And I can't get the doctors—**the animals are blocking the way."
Vira's face contorted with rage, but instead of lashing out, he once again signed to Nicolas, asking him to call the doctors. Seeing this, Nicolas—already exhausted from running earlier—turned to the nurse, who had been watching them, and asked her to fetch the doctor.
A few minutes later, the nurse returned with the doctor.
As soon as he saw them, Vira hurriedly asked, "Is there a problem if I'm moved?"
Upon hearing that there wouldn't be any issue, he ordered the doctor to remove the IV. The moment the needle was pulled from his arm, he bolted toward the hospital door.
And so, a naked child was now running straight into the chaos. Strangely, unlike the others who had been attacked, the animals immediately scattered the moment they sensed his presence—fleeing as soon as he came within a 350-meter radius.
Within half an hour, Vira had gotten into a car and driven all over the city, calming the animals and birds as he went.