Latham's concerns were completely justified.
"I will be the lead surgeon, but I need Claire to assist me."
In truth, Mary was worried about her own physical endurance.
If she couldn't pull through, Claire was the only one who could finish the operation in
her place.
If any complications arose during the procedure, Claire would be perfectly equipped to handle them.
This was the absolute trust Mary had in her granddaughter.
But the others wouldn't necessarily believe it.
After all, Claire was simply too young.
"Claire?" Latham's eyes widened in shock. "Mom, how could she possibly assist you?"
"Are you sure you're not joking?"
Octavia's reaction was even more explosive. "Mom, having Claire assist you? That's impossible!"
"She's just a child! Even if she learned a little medicine from you, there's no way she could be of any use in an operating room."
"Have you gone senile? Are you really willing to risk Lance's life just to give Claire some practice?"
Octavia couldn't be blamed for speaking so harshly.
She felt she was already showing immense restraint.
Mary had always favored this non-blood-related granddaughter, but there had to be a limit.
Given her age, how could Claire possibly step up to the operating table?
She was a student, not a doctor.
Only professionals could handle professional matters. What did Claire count as?
She suspected Mary just wanted to teach Claire and was using this as an excuse to bring her into the OR.
If this were anyone else's surgery, Octavia wouldn't have cared at all.
But this concerned her son's leg. There was zero margin for error.
She would absolutely never agree to let Claire into that operating room.
Setting aside the fact that Claire had always disliked Lance and clashed with him constantly, even if they had a great relationship, she still wouldn't allow it.
Mary shot a glance at Octavia. The sheer coldness in her eyes startled her daughter-in-law.
Octavia realized she had crossed a line.
"I'm sorry, Mom. I didn't mean it like that."
"I wasn't insulting you. I'm just genuinely terrified for Lance."
"He's your biological grandson. Aren't you afraid something might go wrong during the surgery?"
"To be completely honest, Lance and Claire don't have a good relationship. Claire hates him. If she does something during your surgery..."
Octavia wasn't just being malicious; she was truly afraid Claire would sabotage the operation.
Mary scoffed. "Absurd. As a doctor, how could Claire possibly take personal revenge on a patient?"
"You're the one who has disliked her from the start! That's why you slander her and make these baseless assumptions!"
Octavia felt it was completely impossible to communicate with Mary.
She turned to her husband. "Latham, say something."
Latham was far more rational than Octavia.
Though he didn't buy into Claire's medical skills, he deeply respected his mother and knew she wasn't someone who would mix personal feelings with professional duties.
Mary was incredibly principled, even when it came to Claire.
"Mom, you have to give us a valid reason why Claire absolutely must be in there."
"What if she goes in and ends up causing the surgery to fail?"
"Let alone our family, even those doctors will definitely question your judgment."
Dr. Duncan, standing nearby, was thoroughly confused.
Why did it sound like Mary trusted this granddaughter implicitly, while Latham and Octavia were completely repulsed by her?
Wasn't Claire the daughter of the James family?
"We've already agreed to let Claire participate in the consultation. If she proves she can handle the assisting rote hospital won't object) Dr. Duncan interjected.
He spoke up to defend Mary.
"Mary is a consummate professional. As family members, you shouldn't be
questioning her decisions in this regard."