My Childhood Friend Turned Yandere in the Apocalypse

Chapter 263: Ch 263: Chronic Exhaustion

’Are they healing every minor injury that is brought their way? No wonder they are so exhausted all the time. No one can handle this much pressure.’

Rin felt sorry for Amelia and quickly grabbed her hand to stop her from continuing.

Amelia looked at him with a startled expression on her face and then looked at her wrist in his hand. She expected him to let go, but Rin did not release her hand.

Instead, he gave the man a glare, which made him become defensive instantly.

"Hey! What are you giving me that look for? Do you think I came here unnecessarily? We have been given a medical facility, so why should I not use it? Besides, potions are expensive and letting this heal on its own is too much."

The man likely felt guilty because he was saying too much all of a sudden. It almost felt like he was fumbling his words.

Rin looked at the shallow cuts on the man’s hand and then back at his face.

"You will survive if this injury heals naturally."

Rin pointed out, causing the man to stiffen.

"T-That’s easy for you to say. You are strong and have resources. Some of us need to save what we have. If the medical wing is offering treatment, then why should I not use it?"

The man questioned, sounding more defensive than before.

Rin wanted to argue with him, but he stopped himself.

The man was not entirely wrong.

The medical wing existed to help people. If someone got injured, then of course they would come here for treatment. The real problem was that too many people were relying on Amelia and Reina for things that did not require immediate attention.

He looked around the room.

There were files stacked everywhere. Medical reports covered almost every surface, and there were empty cups scattered around as well.

It looked less like an office and more like a battlefield.

"Amelia, how many people come here every day?"

Rin asked.

Amelia blinked before answering.

"I stopped counting after the first hundred."

Rin felt his headache worsen. He did not like the fact that the number was larger than he had expected.

"A hundred?"

"Well... closer to a hundred and fifty on some days. But we can manage as long as their problems are minor."

Amelia admitted sheepishly, but she looked too tired to pull that expression off.

The man in front of them suddenly looked uncomfortable.

"A-A lot of people need help these days. We are in the apocalypse."

"I am sure they do. But I doubt all of them are coming here with life-threatening injuries."

Rin replied, and that made Amelia wince.

"How many of those patients actually need immediate treatment?"

Rin asked.

Amelia hesitated.

"Maybe... twenty?"

"Twenty?"

"On a bad day."

Rin closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead.

That meant over a hundred people were coming here with minor injuries that could heal naturally or be treated with basic supplies.

No wonder Amelia and Reina were collapsing from exhaustion. They were practically running a free clinic twenty-four hours a day.

Still, even twenty major injuries were too many.

"I didn’t realize it was that bad."

"It’s not that bad. Rather, it’s an expected number. However, the lack of help is our problem."

Amelia replied, and silence settled over the room. No one wanted to continue this conversation because there was no solution to this problem.

But Rin needed to provide a solution, or things would not get better for anyone.

"We need new rules in place to stop people from abusing the medical wing all the time."

Rin was not happy about this. But if this was what was needed to maintain the peace and safety of his people, he was willing to give it a try.

The man immediately looked alarmed.

"Wait, you’re not going to stop people from getting treatment, are you?"

"No. But I am going to stop people from abusing the system."

Rin answered.

That made the room go quiet again.

"From now on, minor injuries will be treated with basic medical supplies. The healers will prioritize serious cases. If someone has a paper cut or a shallow scratch, then they can handle it themselves. You both should also turn such patients away."

The man immediately looked embarrassed and glanced at his hand. There was embarrassment and guilt in his eyes. But the most prominent emotion was resentment.

Amelia looked relieved.

"R-Really?"

"Really."

Rin nodded.

"And we are going to recruit support staff as well. Even if they are not healers, they can help with paperwork, sorting supplies, and basic treatment."

Amelia’s eyes widened.

"You would do that? But what about rotations...?"

"They will be permanent staff, and they will work if they want to earn their keep. We need to take these steps because if we don’t, then both you and Reina are going to collapse again within a week."

Rin answered.

Amelia laughed weakly at that.

Unfortunately, neither of them could deny it.

The help was needed here, and it was needed urgently. Still, it was not a solution that would resonate with a lot of people.

Humans are creatures of habit, and once they get a taste of something for free, they do not want to work for it.

Naturally, there was a tense silence as soon as Rin’s new policy was announced. Tensions were running high, and even Rin expected something to happen sooner or later.

The ripples of his decision began to show quickly as people started to display their discomfort with his presence.

It started small, but it soon became evident that people were becoming more and more uncomfortable around him. But the tension felt artificial, almost as if someone else was controlling it.

’I guess there is a mastermind behind this sudden shift. I better keep an eye on things and make sure nothing fishy is going on.’

Rin decided instantly, but the eyes that were looking at him never went away. They only increased in intensity, reminding him that he had nowhere to run, even if he wanted to.