Despite Walden's fiercely intimidating exterior, the man was an unrepentant foodie.
Back in his active service days, he was notorious for hoarding extra rations whenever he could.
And now, he had resorted to sneaking forbidden snacks!
"I'll have to stop by his room and check on him later."
The conversation soon shifted back to dense medical jargon, leaving Dane completely out of the loop.
Claire chimed in occasionally to add a point or two.
But as the youngest person at the table, she respectfully chose to listen to the seasoned experts.
The surgical team, led by Dr. Quincy, was thoroughly impressed by her demeanor.
This girl could handle intense pressure, and when things went wrong, she fearlessly stepped up to the plate!
She embodied the true spirit of youth, driven by passion and unyielding courage. Though young, her medical prowess was undeniably extraordinary.
When Dr. Sterling first recommended her, there had been plenty of skeptics.
But Claire's flawless performance today was enough to silence every critic and win their total respect.
Dr. Quincy eagerly extending an olive branch was the absolute best proof of her competence.
After lunch, as Claire left the cafeteria with Dane, the doctors lingered to discuss her.
"That girl has an incredibly bright future. Tandy, how long have you known her?"
Dr. Quincy still had no idea that Claire had been instrumental in Van's previous emergency rescue.
"I've definitely known her a lot longer than you."
"But don't get any ideas about making her your final apprentice. Her doors have long been closed to outside mentors."
Tandy admitted he had once entertained the fantasy of poaching Claire himself.
But after uncovering the sheer weight of her background, he had swiftly chosen to give up.
She had studied medicine since childhood, meaning her skills were carefully honed by a master. Neither the late Hale nor the legendary Mary would ever allow someone else to steal the glory of their prized student.
As envious as they were, they needed to have some self-awareness.
"Ahem, what's wrong with appreciating exceptional talent?" Dr. Quincy coughed defensively.
"And how are you so sure her doors are closed? Do you actually know her mentor? Even though Claire had politely declined earlier, Dr. Quincy hadn't fully given up hope.
"She was practically raised by Mary," Tandy revealed casually.
"Mary who?" Dr. Quincy frowned, assuming he had misheard.
"That's right. Mary. The First Scalpel."
Dr. Quincy fell completely silent.
"So, she's our junior colleague's student," he murmured before a slow, incredulous smile spread across his face.
"She's kept to herself in her quiet corner of the world for so many years. fassumed she had lost all ambition, but she silenty dropped a massive bombshell on us
"With her tossing a prodigy like that into the field, how is anyone else supposed to compete?"
"I almost forgot that you two studied under the same banner," Tandy chuckled, clearly enjoying the drama.
"All of you top-tier experts are so wrapped up in your own brilliance, you've
completely forgotten how fierce your junior colleague's temper is."
"If anyone tries to mess with her surrogate granddaughter, she'd definitely come out
of retirement just to teach you a painful lesson."
Dr. Quincy was even more astounded. "Her granddaughter? I haven't kept in touch
with her much lately. I truly had no idea."
"She really is incredible, quietly molding the perfect successor for herself."
What else could Dr. Quincy say?
He was incredibly jealous!
"My grandson refuses to touch a scalpel at all. He ran off to study computer science."
While tech was a booming industry, Dr. Quincy deeply craved a family heir who could carry on his medical legacy.
If he had one, he wouldn't be sitting here envying someone else's successor.
Then again, Dr. Quincy rationalized, helping nurture his junior colleague's student was practically the same as nurturing his own, right?
He made a mental note to reach out and have a long chat with Mary soon.
Miles away in Apex, Mary sneezed violently several times in a row, completely unaware that her prized student was once again being
targeted by an eager mentor.
Claire was equally oblivious as she followed Dane into Walden's VIP suite.