Chapter 34: Mass Heatstroke Incident
"Mejiro Sakiya. Is that how you spell it?"
A staff member from the Hokkaido Racing Association looked up and asked.
"Yes, it's Mejiro Sakiya."
Kitano gave an affirmative reply.
"Then, we have no other questions."
After double-checking the naming application form, the staff member nodded at Kitano.
"Thank you for your hard work, Kitano Horse Owner."
In the past few days, Kitano had made several trips to the Racing Association due to ownership changes and registration issues for his two racehorses.
At this point, the two-year-old dark bay filly, formerly known as Resistance Queen, was just one step away from becoming an official racehorse.
"Oh, by the way—"
"If it's convenient, could the Kitano Horse Owner please tell us the meaning of the horse's name?"
The staff member called out to Kitano again.
"After all, it's a JRA regulation."
He shrugged helplessly.
"The meaning, you say—"
The first time he came to register Mejiro Pegasus, Kitano, unprepared, was troubled by this question for a long time.
After all, Pegasus was a name he came up with on the spur of the moment.
However, just as a Saint Seiya would not be defeated by the same move twice, Kitano had already prepared for this registration.
"Mejiro is a personal prefix, and Sakiya comes from Konohanasakuya-hime in mythology. The meaning is to hope this horse can be healthy and live long."
"I see. It's a name with a very good meaning."
The staff member nodded repeatedly while adding the explanation of the meaning in the blank space below the name column.
"But I thought it was that time-stopping maid from Touhou Project."
Scratching his somewhat sparse head, he smiled apologetically.
You're almost sixty, old man, aren't you?
[TL: The Old man is cultured!!]
However, most people who know this character probably aren't young anymore either.
"Then why not add that meaning too? A time-stopping racehorse sounds pretty cool."
Occasionally, Kitano would have days when his chuunibyou flared up.
"Exactly, exactly! That makes it perfectly dashing."
The staff member also happily affirmed it.
The two quickly reached a consensus on this matter.
After completing the registration, Kitano left the Racing Association.
In the parking lot, his phone in his pocket rang urgently.
"This is Kitano."
Walking unhurriedly, Kitano answered the call.
"Dr. Kitano, please come to our farm as soon as possible. The address is Sasaki Dairy Farm at Niikappu Town, 3-chome, No. XX. It's an extremely urgent situation!"
A man's somewhat hoarse voice came from the other end of the line, and even through the screen, his urgency was clearly palpable.
"I'll be right there."
His pace quickened to a jog, and he started the car before it had fully cooled down.
On the way, Kitano kept the phone line open.
"Our farm's dairy cows have suffered a large-scale heatstroke incident, and several have already collapsed consecutively!"
"Is it in the cowshed or the pasture?"
Holding the steering wheel, he asked calmly.
"The pasture, there are a total of twenty-six, and three of them… no! Four have completely fainted!"
The man's tone grew increasingly tense.
"First, move the most severely affected ones to the shade or any well-ventilated area. If you can't, set up a temporary awning on the spot."
"Then, lay a layer of dry straw beneath them, it doesn't need to be too thick."
This step was to cut off the continuous impact of the heat source.
"Understood, Mr. Kitano!"
The man shouted in a voice that made his eardrums ache, then gave a few instructions to someone off the phone.
"Do we need to cool them down?"
He asked loudly again, at a similar volume.
"Room temperature water is fine!"
Kitano also unconsciously raised his voice, but quickly adjusted it back.
As a doctor, he must always remain calm during work.
"Focus on splashing water on their ear roots, neck, abdomen, and the inner sides of their limbs."
Ice water can easily cause blood vessels to constrict, which is counterproductive for heat dissipation.
"Before I arrive, prepare an oral rehydration solution at a ratio of nine grams of salt and thirty grams of baking soda per liter of water."
Glancing at the back seat, the stock of glucose wasn't much.
However, it should barely be enough this time.
"How much?"
The man on the other end of the line pressed.
"As much as possible!"
Arriving at the farm, Kitano jumped out before the car had fully stopped.
"Bring my medical kit and the box of glucose from the back of the car."
He instructed the farm workers who had gathered around.
Then, he quickly walked towards the pasture where the incident occurred.
It wasn't a long distance, but Kitano was already drenched in sweat.
Starting from April, the weather had been unusually hot compared to previous years.
As large livestock, dairy cows generate a lot of heat and have limited ability to dissipate it through their skin and breathing, so heatstroke in such weather is actually not uncommon.
"Mr. Kitano, you're finally here!"
Mr. Sasaki, the farm representative and the man Kitano had been speaking with, rushed over and grabbed his hand as if he had seen a savior.
"Where's the rehydration solution I asked you to prepare?"
Kitano looked around. Several workers were spraying water on the cows with hoses to cool them down.
But there was no sign of the rehydration solution he had requested.
"It's over there!"
Sasaki quickly waved towards the edge of the pasture.
Seeing this, two workers quickly pushed a wobbly farm wheelbarrow together.
"There should be over two hundred kilograms here. If it's not enough, I'll have them prepare more."
With that, Sasaki waved his hand at the employees in front of him.
"This is enough."
Kitano quickly spoke up to stop their actions.
Even if multiple administrations of rehydration solutions were needed, four to five kilograms per cow was already quite sufficient.
"Find me a soft tube and a large funnel."
After giving instructions, Kitano turned and walked towards the cows with the most severe heatstroke, carrying his heavy medical kit.
"This one's condition is already very serious."
Kitano walked beside one of the dairy cows, and a distinctly rapid breathing sound reached his ears.
Touching the base of the cow's ear with the back of his hand, he could feel it was significantly hot.
Moreover, the dairy cow had already entered a state of cardiac arrest.
"I can only use adrenaline first."
He used a grinding wheel to cut open the bottle and took out a disposable syringe.
Under the sunlight, the cold, gleaming syringe was plunged directly into the vein.
Sweat ran into his eyes, but Kitano dared not blink.
Finally, the injection was completed.
Then came the second, then the third.
Afterward, he spent a considerable amount of time administering rehydration solution to the other dairy cows with milder symptoms.
Kitano was completely drenched in sweat.