"I'm new here, and I haven't had the privilege of seeing Claire's techniques firsthand yet."
"I'm worried that if I don't perform up to her standard, it might negatively affect your recovery experience."
Daniel scrutinized Lionel. The man had usually trailed along with Lawler and the others into the ward.
He just hadn't expected him to be this kind of sycophant.
"Sure, no problem."
"Let Claire do the demonstration."
"But if you're too slow to learn it, don't you dare blame her for being a bad teacher."
Lionel's smile stiffened. *As if I would blame her?*
Why was this old man being so utterly sarcastic?
Daniel couldn't care less how ugly the doctor's expression had turned.
He was going to file for his discharge soon anyway.
From now on, he'd just visit for regular check-ups instead of staying cooped up in the ward.
A large part of his recovery was thanks to Claire, and Daniel was deeply grateful to her.
Not to mention, she was Pandora's granddaughter!
He would unconditionally take Claire's side no matter what!
"Thank you, Daniel. You're incredibly understanding."
Despite the heavy sarcasm, the old man had at least agreed.
Lionel let out a breath of relief.
Now, it was time to see exactly what kind of level Claire was operating on.
He even purposely suggested scheduling the session for tomorrow morning, acting
as if he was worried she wouldn't be prepared.
Lionel patted himself on the back for giving her a grace period.
But Claire shot it down.
"It's fine, I can start right now."
"I might not have time tomorrow, so let's just get it over with."
Claire immediately agreed to perform the treatment on Daniel.
Lionel was slightly baffled.
Was she really that confident?
Had he seriously misjudged the situation?
Was she actually a master at this?
Though still highly skeptical, Lionel followed Claire into the room.
Claire's movements were blindingly fast, completely devoid of any hesitation.
Lulled by the precise treatment, Daniel soon began to snore softly, drifting off to sleep.
For the first time, Lionel finally understood the bitter taste of witnessing someone vastly superior to himself.
"Did you catch all that, Lionel?"
After withdrawing the needles, Claire glanced over at him.
Lionel hated to admit it, but he had to confess that her technique was absolutely flawless.
She looked even more masterful and at ease than his own mentor.
"If you don't mind me asking, who did you train under?" If Claire was this brilliant, her mentor had to be a living legend.
How had he never heard of someone with this caliber of skill?
As far as Lionel was concerned, he had met plenty of heavyweights through his mentor yet he'd never heard of any top fer alternative- medicine experts residing in Apex.
Was her teacher based outside of Apex?
"My mentor was Hale."
Hale?
Lionel completely drew a blank at the name.
"And where exactly does Dr. Hale practice?"
Even though he didn't recognize the name, Lionel couldn't stop himself from prying.
He had already made up his mind to call his mentor later to see if he knew who this Hale was.
"I'm not entirely sure. Currently pushing up daisies in the afterlife suppose?" Claire's expression matched the dry, deadpan tone of her voice
jel
Lionel was stunned. *The afterlife? What kind of clinic was that?*
Wait, did she just say the afterlife?
"Your mentor passed away?" Lionel asked, startled.
"Unfortunately, yes," Claire sighed softly.
"So if you're hoping to consult with him, you're out of luck."
"At least, not right now."
Lionel felt a lump form in his throat
Her implication was crystal
clear held only get to consulse
her mentor once he was
That absolutely wouldn't be necessary!
He suddenly had zero desire to exchange medical notes with her deceased mentor.