Zein then regarded Sulastri with a gentle gaze and said, "Isn't that so, Mrs Sulastri?" His voice carried a warmth that softened the air between them.
Sulastri paused, her eyes shimmering as memories pressed upon her.
For a moment she seemed lost in the weight of recollection.
At length she nodded, "Indeed, Doctor! When I was working, I often did all of that!" Her voice trembled, the truth of her past laid bare.
She went on, "In those days, when I served in the isolation ward and the ICU, I was constantly obliged to cleanse medical instruments and patients' beds with disinfectant whose odour was sharp and overwhelming!"
"Almost daily my hands were exposed to that solution. At times I had no gloves, for we would run short of protective supplies!"
Drawing a slow breath, she continued, "I was accustomed to tending patients in grave states of infection! One had to be swift, one had to be alert!"
"Frequently I resorted to antiseptics and alcohol in great measure, so that all remained sterile!"
"But in time the skin of my hands grew coarse, sometimes sore, and small blemishes appeared. Yet I dismissed it! I thought it merely the ordinary hazard of the profession!"
Her face grew more strained, her voice faltering, "I was also burdened with night shifts for many years! My sleep was ever unsettled!"
"At times I did not sleep at all for two days together. The rooms where I laboured were seldom touched by sunlight. The lamps blazed incessantly, no matter the hour! Oftentimes I scarcely knew the time of day…"
Sulastri bowed her head, her frame trembling as though she were holding back a flood of tears.
"Perhaps it is all of this that continues to haunt me. I thought everything would be well once I retired. Yet it seems my body has preserved something that…"
Her words faltered, the sentence left unfinished, suspended in the silence of the room.
The three physicians, Dr Iman, Dr Bagus, and Dr Hendra, were struck with astonishment at her confession.
Never had they imagined that such seemingly minor occurrences could culminate in consequences so grave.
By contrast, Widodo felt a surge of satisfaction within.
"Now you see the price of underestimating Dr Zein, the brilliant physician who owns this hospital!" He murmured inwardly, his thoughts tinged with triumph.
The three doctors turned at once towards Widodo, whose expression betrayed his quiet delight.
When all the doctors of Derisa Hospital, and even the eminent physicians of other institutions, had failed to discern the cause, Zein had unravelled it in but a single night.
Shame now weighed upon them, for they had belittled him.
Indeed, as Director Widodo had declared, attitudes may shift, yet knowledge will ever advance with time and experience.
At last, in a voice subdued and contrite, Dr Iman spoke, "We... and I myself in particular, beg your pardon for the limitations of our knowledge, Doctor!"
"We were far too hasty in drawing conclusions and in underestimating you!" He added earnestly, his head bowed in humility.
Dr Bagus and Dr Hendra followed his example, their regret plain.
Both now recognised that Zein's dedication and the sharpness of his analysis lay far beyond the reach of ordinary physicians.
Zein smiled with composure, "It is of no consequence. Regard it as new knowledge and experience for the three of you! The world of medicine is ever evolving, and each day we continue to learn!" He replied with calm assurance.
Zein's countenance grew solemn, his gaze fixed upon the ceiling as though searching for unseen truths.
"But the matter at hand is…"
"This skin condition has mutated! And the mutation is no ordinary one! Its effects may advance with alarming speed, and the patient's body no longer responds as it once did!" His voice rang with authority.
"Mutated???!" cried Dr Bagus, startled. "Do you mean it, Doctor?! If it has truly mutated, then the symptoms and treatment must also change?!" His words carried the tremor of unease.
Zein inclined his head, "Indeed, Dr Bagus!" He answered with firm conviction. "The symptoms and their management have already shifted with time!"
"I have not yet performed any laboratory tests, but from the pattern of symptoms, the manner in which the skin reacts, and the history of exposure endured by Mrs Sulastri, I can conclude that this is not mere contact dermatitis!"
He began to summon forth the language of medicine, "At first it may have been nothing more than a simple irritant reaction, but now observe the progression of signs!"
"Unusual patches, itching accompanied by a burning sensation, changes in the texture of the skin, and the emergence of a fine, scaly layer!"
"This reveals that the skin cells are no longer responding as they ought to external stimuli!"
"And the next likelihood is…" Zein paused, his eyes sweeping across the faces of the doctors.
"This reaction is not confined to the surface. I suspect the deeper layers of the skin have already undergone a shift in immunity!"
"The patient's body may now be misidentifying the natural structure of its own skin as a threat!"
Dr Hendra narrowed his eyes, "So, this is a kind of autoimmune response, Doctor?!"
"Yes! But not the classical autoimmune forms such as lupus or psoriasis!" Zein declared.
"I am persuaded this is a new form, one not yet documented! It is like an advanced mutation!"
"An advanced mutation born of chemical exposure, enclosed environments, prolonged stress, and disordered sleep. All of these have acted as catalysts!"
Zein's gaze grew more intense, "And remember, this is but a single case that we know of! Others may remain undetected, their symptoms too subtle to discern!"
"But if this is left unchecked, in the years ahead there may arise a new generation of skin diseases, elusive to recognise and resistant to conventional medical treatment!"
The doctors exchanged glances, their expressions a mingling of unease and reverence.
Zein released a measured breath, "This is precisely why I said we cannot address this with the old methods! We must devise an approach entirely new!"
Sulastri, listening intently, grew more despondent. Her face clouded with sorrow, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
As a retired nurse, she understood with painful clarity the weight of Zein's words.
She knew how grave such a condition could be, and the peril it posed if not treated with precision.
In a voice faint and trembling, she asked, "What will become of me, Doctor?"
Zein offered her a gentle smile, seeking to soothe her troubled heart.
"You must not dwell upon it, Mrs Sulastri! Entrust it to us! We, as doctors, shall find the way forward!"
"We shall strive with all our strength to see your condition improve!" He replied with quiet assurance.
Turning then towards Widodo, who stood nearby, Zein spoke in a calm yet resolute tone.
"Mr Widodo, I require your assistance to commence laboratory testing at once!"
"I must know whether my suspicions are correct. We need certainty, so that our next steps may be taken with precision!"
Widodo nodded firmly, "Very well, Dr Zein! I shall instruct the laboratory team to conduct a full examination!"
"We shall ensure everything is completed with the utmost speed!" He declared, already preparing to act.
Drawing his phone from his pocket, Widodo contacted the Derisa Hospital Laboratory.
"Yes, this is Widodo! Assemble the laboratory team immediately! We require skin and blood samples from the patient, Mrs Sulastri!"
"Top priority! Process them within two hours! I expect the preliminary report as well!" He commanded.
Once the call was ended, Widodo summoned a senior nurse at the counter and issued instructions.
"Take Mrs Sulastri to the sampling room! Prepare forms for toxicology analysis, skin tissue histopathology, and immune response! Inform the laboratory team this comes directly at Dr Zein's request!"
The nurse nodded swiftly and departed to carry out the order.
When all was arranged, Widodo returned to Zein, "Everything is now in motion, Doctor! I have directed our finest laboratory team!"
"I have even requested the head of the laboratory himself to lead the analysis! If this truly is a mutation of a new disease, we must not falter in the least!"
Zein inclined his head in quiet acknowledgement.
If his suspicions proved true, the medical course ahead would demand both caution and urgency.
From her hospital bed, Sulastri gazed at Zein and Widodo with tearful eyes, her heart suspended between hope and dread.