Bayu's black car sped away from the farm without much conversation. The road was fairly crowded that afternoon, yet Bayu kept taking gaps between vehicles with a much more aggressive driving style than usual. It wasn't because he wanted to drive recklessly. Ever since receiving the call from the hospital, one thought had occupied his mind: Lukman might not survive until they arrived.
Rian sat in the back seat, staring through the window at the passing streets. Jojo sat beside him with his front paws resting on the seat, occasionally peeking toward Bayu through the gap between the front seats. Even the cat, who normally never seemed to run out of ridiculous comments, remained unusually quiet. He could sense the tension filling the car.
Rian's mind, meanwhile, was occupied with something far more complicated.
He had already used his mysterious liquid to heal Herman, but Herman's condition had never been as severe as Ilham's. Herman had certainly been seriously ill, but his body had still been strong enough to withstand the changes caused by the liquid. Lukman was different. He had just undergone surgery after being shot, lost a tremendous amount of blood, and was now showing signs that several of his body's functions were beginning to fail.
Rian didn't know whether his liquid could pull someone back from the brink of death.
He didn't even know whether the liquid had a limit.
The more he learned about it, the more carefully he treated it. Its power was extraordinary, but that also meant using it carelessly could create consequences he didn't understand.
"Mr. Bayu," Rian finally called after several minutes, his voice calm despite the growing possibilities running through his mind. "What exactly did the doctor say about Lukman's condition when they last contacted you?"
Bayu kept his eyes on the road.
"His blood pressure has been dropping since last night. They've been doing everything they can to stabilize him, but his body isn't responding as well as they hoped."
Bayu's grip tightened around the steering wheel.
"The main bleeding was stopped during surgery, but he'd already lost too much blood. His organs weren't getting enough oxygen for too long. Now some of them are starting to show signs of failure."
Rian fell silent.
He didn't need to be a doctor to understand how serious that was. When the body lost too much blood, the heart struggled to maintain circulation. If the situation continued for too long, the organs would begin to suffer one after another.
"Then why did you only contact me now?" Rian asked.
It wasn't a complaint. He simply wanted to understand why Bayu had waited until the situation had become this critical before asking for his help.
Bayu remained silent for several seconds before answering.
"Because I didn't want to force you."
His hands remained firmly on the steering wheel, but his grip tightened again.
"I know what you did for my father isn't something ordinary. I also know you deliberately keep that liquid a secret. So from the beginning, I thought I had no right to ask you to do the same thing for someone else."
He paused, swallowing hard.
"But earlier, the doctor called and told me Lukman's condition was getting worse. His consciousness was fading, his blood pressure was becoming harder to maintain, and they told me to prepare for the worst. At that moment, I realized that if I stayed silent simply because I was afraid of bothering you, I might regret it for the rest of my life."
Rian stared at the back of Bayu's head for a long moment.
Bayu had a position and influence far greater than his own. If he wanted to, he could have shown up with several people and ordered Rian to do something.
But he hadn't.
Even in a situation this desperate, Bayu was still respecting the boundaries Rian had established from the beginning.
That was precisely why Rian didn't mind helping him.
"If the liquid doesn't work, there's not much I can do," Rian finally said. "I also don't know how his body will react in its current condition."
Bayu nodded.
"I'm not asking for a guarantee."
"There's a chance nothing will happen immediately."
"I understand."
Rian turned back toward the window. Several cars were moving slowly ahead of them, while the afternoon sky was beginning to change color.
For some reason, the ordinary scene outside made his thoughts feel even heavier.
He remembered Herman's face when he had first recovered.
The old man's body had once looked as though it were slowly losing its strength, but after receiving Rian's liquid, his condition had gradually improved. Rian still remembered the way Bayu had looked at his father back then.
That hadn't been the look of a high-ranking officer looking at an acquaintance.
It had been the look of a son looking at his father.
Now Bayu was looking at someone else with the same desperation.
"What's his chance of survival?" Rian asked.
Bayu was silent.
"The doctor didn't give me a number."
"Then let's assume there isn't one," Rian said, taking a slow breath. "I'll do whatever I can."
Bayu glanced at him through the rearview mirror.
"Thank you."
Rian shook his head.
"Don't thank me yet, Mr. Bayu. We haven't even arrived."
That earned Bayu the faintest smile since they had left the farm.
"I understand."
From the back seat, Jojo finally spoke.
"If he doesn't make it, I still want dinner."
Rian immediately turned toward him.
"Seriously?"
Jojo calmly licked one of his front paws, as though he had just said something completely reasonable.
"An emergency does not cancel dinner."
Rian stared at him for several seconds before shaking his head. Somehow, even in a situation this serious, the cat still found a way to think about his stomach.
Strangely enough, though, it helped.
The tension in the car didn't disappear, but it became slightly easier to breathe.
---
The hospital came into view not long afterward.
As soon as the car stopped, Bayu got out before the engine had even been properly switched off. Rian followed immediately, with Jojo jumping down from the back seat and hurrying alongside him.
Bayu didn't say anything.
He went straight into the building and headed toward the floor where Lukman was being treated. Several hospital staff members who recognized him greeted him along the way, but he only responded with brief nods without slowing down.
When they reached the intensive care unit, a doctor immediately came out to meet him.
"Mr. Bayu."
"How is he?"
The doctor looked exhausted. "Still critical. His blood pressure dropped again a few minutes ago. We managed to bring it up slightly, but his body is becoming increasingly difficult to stabilize."
Bayu stared at him.
"His consciousness?"
"It's decreasing. At the moment, he's barely responding."
The doctor glanced toward Rian and Jojo standing a few steps behind.
"And him?"
"The person I told you about."
"The one with the alternative treatment?"
Bayu nodded.
The doctor hesitated. He clearly didn't fully understand what Bayu meant, but Lukman's condition left little room for argument.
"We will continue all necessary medical treatment," he said firmly. "If you intend to give the patient anything, I need to know what it is."
Rian didn't object.
In fact, he respected the doctor's attitude. The man might not know who Rian was, but he was still doing his job and making sure no one recklessly interfered with the patient's treatment.
"I understand," Rian replied. "I just want to try something that worked before. But I won't interfere with your treatment."
The doctor studied him for several seconds before finally nodding.
"Five minutes. After that, we evaluate his condition."
Bayu immediately opened the door.
Rian followed him inside.
---
Lukman looked completely different from the last time Rian had seen him.
He lay motionless on the bed, his face pale and his body surrounded by medical equipment. An IV line ran into his arm, monitors continuously recorded his heartbeat and blood pressure, and several other machines worked to keep his body functioning.
Rian stood beside the bed without doing anything at first.
He simply looked at the man.
Lukman had always been the person standing behind Bayu. During the lunch with Herman and Anton, he had spoken very little, but Rian still remembered the way he constantly observed his surroundings. He wasn't the kind of person who talked unnecessarily. From the way he worked, Rian had always gotten the impression that Lukman was careful and observant.
Now the man who usually stood straight and alert couldn't even open his eyes.
Bayu stood on the other side of the bed.
"He's someone I trust completely," he said quietly.
Rian didn't look at him.
"I know."
Bayu seemed slightly surprised.
Rian continued, "I didn't talk much with him that day. But you can learn a lot about someone from the way they observe things."
Bayu lowered his head.
"He's worked with me for years."
There was something different in his voice when he spoke about Lukman.
"He knows when to ask questions, when to stay quiet, and when to take a risk. Two days ago, he helped uncover information related to the case we're handling. That's when he was shot."
Rian tightened his grip around the small bottle in his hand.
So Ilham's wasn't simply a subordinate.
He was someone Bayu had relied on for years.
Rian opened the bottle.
The liquid inside looked exactly like ordinary water.
But in reality, one part of it came from the mysterious liquid he had been protecting all this time, while the remaining nine parts were ordinary diluting liquid he had prepared beforehand.
A one-to-ten ratio.
Rian had deliberately chosen that concentration.
He didn't dare use the same strength he had used when treating Herman. Lukman's body was already too weak, and Rian had no idea whether an extremely powerful healing effect would place too much strain on a system that was already struggling to survive.
In his mind, one part to ten was the safest middle ground.
Strong enough to give Lukman a chance.
Weak enough to reduce the risk.
"What is that?" Bayu asked.
"The liquid."
Bayu stared at the bottle, then looked back at Ilham.
"Do it."
Rian approached the bed and carefully administered the liquid without disturbing the medical equipment already attached to Ilham's body.
Once he was finished, Rian stepped back.
Nothing happened immediately.
He didn't panic.
He had hoped the liquid would work, but his previous experiences had taught him that healing didn't always happen within seconds. And Lukman's body was in a far worse condition than anything Rian had ever treated before.
The doctor watched the monitor closely.
Several seconds passed before his expression changed.
"His blood pressure is starting to rise."
Bayu immediately turned toward him.
"Are you sure?"
The doctor didn't answer because his eyes remained fixed on the monitor.
"It's rising slowly. Don't do anything yet."
Rian held his breath.
The numbers on the screen began moving little by little. There was no sudden jump, but the trend was unmistakable.
The blood pressure that had been steadily falling was beginning to stabilize.
"His heart rate is becoming more regular as well," the doctor said.
Bayu looked at Lukman.
His face was still pale, but his breathing appeared more controlled than before.
Rian felt some of the tension leave his shoulders.
At least Ilham's body was accepting the liquid.
But he wasn't willing to consider him safe yet.
"Will he keep improving?" Bayu asked.
Rian shook his head.
"I don't know."
Bayu looked at him.
Rian continued honestly, "The liquid isn't a magic switch that fixes everything. His body still has to do the work itself. I only gave it a push so it has a chance to stabilize."
The doctor had heard the explanation and was now looking at Rian with an even more confused expression.
"What exactly did you give him?"
Rian hesitated for a moment.
There was no way he could explain the true source of the liquid.
"A family herbal remedy," he finally answered.
The doctor sighed, clearly dissatisfied with the answer, but the condition of his patient was more important than arguing about where the liquid had come from.
"What's important is that we monitor his response."
Rian nodded.
"That's what I want too."
---
Nearly half an hour passed before the doctor finally stepped out of the room.
Bayu was still there.
So was Rian.
Jojo sat near the door, occasionally licking his fur while keeping an eye on everything happening around him. For a cat who normally loved causing trouble, he was surprisingly quiet. Even Jojo seemed to understand that this wasn't a place for unnecessary jokes.
The doctor looked over the latest test results.
"For now, his condition is more stable."
Bayu immediately raised his head.
"How much more stable?"
"His blood pressure is no longer dropping the way it was before. Several other indicators are also showing a better response."
The doctor paused before looking directly at Bayu.
"But I want to make it clear that he's still in critical condition. We cannot say that he's out of danger yet."
Bayu nodded.
"How long until we'll know?"
"The next several hours will be extremely important."
Bayu fell silent again.
But this silence was different.
Earlier, he had been silent because he was afraid.
Now he was silent because, for the first time since receiving that phone call, he finally had something he hadn't had before.
Hope.
Bayu walked over to Rian and stopped in front of him.
"If it weren't for you..."
Rian immediately raised a hand.
"Don't."
Bayu stopped.
"I helped because I could," Rian continued. "If someday I needed help and you were in a position to give it, maybe you'd do the same for me."
Bayu looked at Rian for a long moment.
The words were simple, but that was precisely why Bayu knew Rian meant them. There was no hidden request for a favor, no attempt to build a debt, and no expectation of reward.
Bayu eventually nodded.
"I won't forget this."
Rian smiled faintly.
"I don't mind if you remember it. Just don't show up at my farm later with a whole group of sick people."
Bayu finally laughed.
"Don't worry. I'll keep this secret."
From the floor, Jojo suddenly spoke.
"Good. If too many patients start coming, my food expenses will increase."
Rian looked down at him.
"Do you have no feelings?"
Jojo lifted his head with a completely serious expression.
"I have feelings. Hunger is one of them."
Bayu laughed again, this time more freely.
For the first time since receiving the hospital call, his expression looked slightly lighter.
Rian smiled as well.
He knew Lukman wasn't truly safe yet. The next few hours would determine whether his body could maintain the improvement or begin deteriorating again.
But at least they had made it through the worst part.
Rian slipped the empty bottle back into his bag.
The one-to-ten liquid had worked even on a body that had nearly lost the strength to survive.
And that realization made Rian uneasy.
Until today, he had thought of the liquid as an extraordinary tool for improving crops, restoring things, and creating products capable of making him money.
But now he had seen something else.
The liquid could save lives.
And if word of that ability ever spread, Rian knew his life would never remain as simple as it had been.
People would be willing to pay almost anything for something capable of standing between them and death.
Rian stared at the door behind which Lukman was still being treated.
He had just saved one person's life.
Without realizing it, he might also have opened the door to a much bigger problem.