"I can give Van an acupuncture treatment later tonight," Claire offered with an easy confidence. "It'll help him recover faster." She never hesitated when someone needed her. Walden looked genuinely thankful when he heard that.
Dinner was at a restaurant Walden picked out, and Dane joined them too. Turns out, Walden had chosen the same place Dane picked for lunch. As a thoughtful gesture, he ordered two servings of caramelized roasted pumpkin because he knew Claire loved it, placing one plate right in front of her.
"This pumpkin is amazing. You really have good taste," Claire said, clearly delighted. Walden tried some as well. The flavor was perfect for Claire, though a bit too sweet for his own liking. Still, he was just happy to see her enjoy it.
Sitting across from someone as important as Walden would have made most people nervous, but Claire carried herself with total ease. While everyone else chatted, she focused on her food, enjoying every bite. Dane, always attentive in his quiet way, kept an eye out for her preferences. Every now and then, he'd use the serving chopsticks to add food to her plate, noticing what she liked and making sure she got plenty. When it looked like she was full, he finally stopped.
Seeing all this, Walden thought to himself that even though Dane seemed reserved, he was actually a very considerate fiancé. Nothing like Van, who was stubborn beyond belief. Van was no longer young, but he refused all blind dates, no matter the setup. He didn't want anyone from the performing arts group, wasn't interested in teachers, and ignored all the eligible daughters from their neighborhood. Honestly, no one knew what Van was looking for. After Van's recent brush with death, Walden only felt more urgent about nudging his grandson to settle down.
Through the whole meal, Claire stayed happy just filling her stomach, barely paying attention to the ongoing conversations. She thought Dane was actually pretty decent as a fiancé. She didn't pick up on any strong romantic feelings, but he was clearly responsible and took his role seriously.
That night, Claire stayed at the hospital. The VIP suite had a lounge area where she rested so she could be nearby in case anything happened to Van. Thankfully, he made it through the night with no fever or complications. He was nothing if not resilient.
Claire gave him another acupuncture session the next morning. When Abbott came by and saw how much better Van looked, he said, "You should go home for the holidays. From here on, he just needs to rest.”
Claire understood perfectly. Abbott was telling her she'd done her part, and staying any longer wouldn't really help. The acupuncture was good for Vans recovery, but it wasn't enough reason for Mento miss New Year's with her family. After all, Abbott had called her away from the countryside, and he wanted to make sure she got back to her loved ones in time.
"Alright, Abbott. He's in your hands now," Claire said. Abbott just waved her off. “I'm used to working hard. It's no trouble."
He leaned in, speaking quietly, "We really owe you this time. You gave our tradition
a chance to shine. Walton's always saying Chinese medicine is only for long-term care, never for emergencies. You sure proved him wrong. Now he doesn't even dare argue with me about it anymore."
Claire couldn't help but laugh. These old men were honestly just like little kids, always competing.
She let Walden and Virgil know she'd be leaving. Walden seemed reluctant but understood, and he made sure someone bought Claire an afternoon ticket home. Virgil needed her Recipe for the hemostatic powder and made sure they traded contact info. They'd need to go over the details sometime soon.
Claire called Dane, telling him she'd be heading home in the afternoon. He immediately said he'd come to the hospital to pick her up.
When Van found out that Claire had not only saved his life but was also his childhood friend's fiancée, he
couldn't help but sigh about howmet
strange fate is. Dane stopped by to check on him, and Van really did look a lot better than when he first Woke up Still, after coming so close to dying, his mood was
understandably quiet.