Her Rebirth of Retribution
Chapter 187 The First Patient In The City

"How can this be allowed? Just let someone else do it. It's too dangerous for you."

"It's fine," Calista reassured. She had other intentions for this trip, and she was determined to take care of it personally.

The line was moving rather slowly, so Calista seized the opportunity to pose a few questions to the people waiting in line. "Do you know the first person who fell ill? Does the first person who fell ill have any friends?" After asking several people without any success, she noticed a boy at the end of the line. He looked anxious as if he was worried that the food might run out before it was his turn.

Calista smiled, turning to the person next to her. "Derek, get me a bowl of oatmeal and pasta."

"Sure." Derek was a man of few words and quite a looker. Calista found him agreeable, thus she remembered his name.

After getting the food, Calista waved at the boy. "Come here."

The boy's eyes lit up and he hastily ran over. The others were slightly disgruntled, but upon recognizing it was Calista, they wisely held their tongues. Offending her could potentially mean going hungry. Calista held the food, yet she did not give it to him. "What's your name?"

"Rupert. My name is Rupert." He stared intently at the bowl for quite some time before finally shifting his gaze toward Calista.

"Do you know Pierre?" Pierre was the person she had just learned about, the first one who fell ill.

"I do." Surprisingly, the boy nodded. "Mr. Pierre often gives me food."

Calista narrowed her eyes and noticed the sun was nearing its descent. She chuckled and said, "How about I walk you home? You're so young. If someone were to snatch your food away, you'd go hungry."

She wasn't trying to scare him. A single bowl of pasta for each person was simply not enough for some.

Thinking that there was nothing in his home that others might covet, Rupert said hesitantly, "You don't mind? My mother... my mother has contracted the virus."

The underlying message was that it would be dangerous to go over there.

"It's all right," Calista said with a smile. "Lead the way."

Upon seeing Calista leave, both Levi and Derek hastily followed her. They traversed a path riddled with potholes and uneven ground. Calista halted in front of a shack, and even before they entered, they were hit with an unpleasant odor.

Levi and Derek had already put on their protective masks early on, and Calista had done the same. As soon as they entered, they saw a woman lying on a straw mat. Although she had endured a high fever for three days, she seemed to be on her last legs. "Mom." The moment he saw her, Rupert was filled with distress. "Mom, I've brought you something to eat."

The woman's parched lips moved slightly. When she saw Calista, there was not a hint of emotion in her eyes. Everyone knew what fate awaited those who contracted the virus.

"Mom, say something. Are you thirsty? Let me get you some water."

Rupert skillfully offered water to the woman. Seeing that she seemed a little more energized, Calista said, "Have some oatmeal. It might make you feel better." She then asked Derek to feed her.

Levi felt a need to do something, so he beckoned to Rupert. "You must be hungry too. Come and have some pasta."

Seeing that his mother was already eating, Rupert began digging in as well. He was extremely hungry. After finishing the food his father had left behind, he had been eating whatever he could replace for the past three days. His mother had been doing the same.

Once they had finished eating, Calista began to explain her intentions. mean no harm. We are a special support medical team from Chanaea, specifically here to combat the K Virus. We have a few questions for you. Of course, in

an

return, we will leave some food for

your child."

The woman initially showed no reaction. It was only when the topic of food was mentioned that she glanced at her child and spoke in a hoarse voice. "Go ahead and ask."

Calista nodded.

"Do you know the first patient in the city?"

The woman thought it was a strange question but honest nonetheless. "I do... His name is Pierre... He used to be my neighbor..."

A hint of a smile flashed in Calista's eyes. "Do you know where he went on the day he fell ill?"

The woman coughed twice. "He went hunting. Sometimes, the men around here crave meat, so they head into the woods to hunt."

Calista slightly raised an eyebrow. "So, do you know where he was hunting that day?"

"I do... He... often went hunting at a secret location with my man... My son knows about it too."

Seeing that the head of the family was nowhere in sight for quite a while, Calista asked, "Where is the child's father?"

The woman's eyes dimmed. "We were driven out by the people in the city... We had no food, no money, and no job. My man had no choice but to hunt in the forest every day, but he... he never returned after he left three days ago."

If it had been in the past, she could have asked others to help her search. But now, everyone outside the city was too preoccupied with their own affairs. No one had the time to look for others.

"I see." Calista lowered her gaze,

then suddenly suggested, "How

about this? We need to visit the

woods for our research anyway. Let

your son guide us there tomorrow,

and perhaps we can help you replace

the child's father along the way."

A glimmer of light finally emerged in the woman's eyes. "That will be wonderful. You all are truly kind-hearted."