Barry had been urging her to return to Apex for a while now. Since Ethan Monroe was already back for the break, Barry knew exactly when her vacation started.
He desperately wanted her help in the lab. Their experimental drug had passed the first phase and was now entering phase two.
They were convinced that combining the medication with Claire's acupuncture techniques would yield far superior results.
Daniel wasn't the only patient volunteering for this trial anymore; two other bone cancer patients had stepped forward.
Barry was itching to get Claire officially involved in the study.
He had even called her again that very morning.
Claire really couldn't put him off any longer.
She had promised to stop by that afternoon.
After dropping Shirley off at home, Claire headed straight to the hospital.
She walked directly to the research building.
Barry had told her earlier that they were working out of the lab.
Lawler was already waiting for her arrival.
The moment he spotted her, he hurried over.
"Claire."
"Lawler," Claire greeted him with a warm smile.
"You've got some serious dark circles under your eyes. What happened?"
Lawler offered a tired smile. "The second phase of the trial has hit a massive roadblock."
"Otherwise, my mentor wouldn't have been hounding you to come back."
"He wants to see if you can work your magic."
"We might be too boxed in by conventional Western medicine, but your expertise in alternative medicine could offer a completely fresh perspective."
"The problem is, your specific acupuncture technique isn't something just anyone can replicate. Without it, the drug can't reach its full efficacy, and Dr. Barry is still trying to find a viable substitute."
Lawler caught her up on their progress as he guided her down the hall toward the lab.
When Claire walked through the doors, the entire team paused their work to greet her.
A few new faces had joined the project and hadn't met her yet, so Lawler took the lead on introductions.
The newcomers were absolutely
floored when they realized this was the mysterious traditional medicine prodigy everyone had been
whispering about
She was just so incredibly young.
"You can just call her Claire. Her grasp of traditional medicine completely outclasses
most seasoned professionals in the field."
Lawler had gone from heavily doubting Claire to trusting her implicitly.
He had recently repaired his strained relationship with his father, and he knew Claire was a major reason for that reconciliation.
Of course, his praise wasn't just blind gratitude.
He stated it as a sheer fact: her medical skills were undeniably at the top of the industry.
The two new hires consisted of a brilliant young doctor who had just dying abroad, and
an alternative medicine practitioner.
The traditional medicine doctor was named Lionel.
Lionel came from a prestigious lineage of medical practitioners.
His skills easily surpassed those of standard doctors in his field.
Under the age of thirty-five, he had very few rivals.
Beyond his family background, he was also the prized student of a legendary medical master.
Consequently, his own acupuncture techniques were highly advanced.
But expecting him to perfectly
replicate Claire's unique method alleviate pain and accelerate drug absorption for bone cancer patients wasn't going to be easy.
"Lionel wants to discuss acupuncture with me?"
Claire was a bit surprised when Lionel approached her directly.
He wasn't there to question her age or credentials; he genuinely wanted to compare
skills.
"Yes. I just want to understand exactly how you integrate your acupuncture
techniques with the pharmacological treatments."
"I heard the patient, Daniel, is an acquaintance of yours. Would it be possible to do
a clinical demonstration with him?"
"Of course, we would secure his full consent first."
It was a delicate request, considering Daniel was a personal connection of Claire's.
But if she was willing to ask him personally, it would be the perfect scenario.