A Country Doctor

Why do people have a fever, and how do they cure it?

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When the doctor arrives to the house of his patient, he finds a bad-ridden boy who appears to be fine. He has no fever. The boy complains of pain and begs the doctor to let him die. Later the doctor discovers, his patient has a massive wound on his side with worms inside of it. The boy's family gathers around the doctor to see him work and the horses from the outside stick their heads inside the house through the windows.

The family of the boy engages in bizarre behavior. They sing a strange religious verse and undress the doctor until his is completely naked. Afterwards they lay him beside the boy in the bed, hoping that this will cure him. The doctor assures his patient that he will not die, and quickly leaves the room. He does not get dressed as he wants to get out of there as soon as possible.

I want to push open the window, but first I'll look at the sick man. Thin, without fever, not cold, not warm, with empty eyes, without a shirt, the young man under the stuffed quilt heaves himself up, hangs around my throat, and whispers in my ear, "Doctor, let me die."

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A Country Doctor