"A force to be reckoned with, indeed!"
Many in the room nodded in agreement.
Van's surgery involved confidentiality agreements, so they couldn't discuss it.
But the highway accident had made the news, so there was no harm in bringing it
up.
True talent could not remain hidden forever.
Wasn't Claire the perfect example of that right now?
Sharing a bit of her background helped everyone understand her capabilities.
Even the specialist who had fiercely opposed her had nothing left to say.
Once their prejudices faded, the room began seriously evaluating her surgical plan. Both Claire's and Mary's proposals were viable.
As for which one to use, it was entirely up to the two of them to decide.
The hospital administration preferred Mary's plan-not out of malice, but simply because she had decades of experience, while Claire's approach still felt a bit too daring to the rest of them.
Mary herself, however, thought her granddaughter's plan was superior.
Ultimately, Vice President Sterling spoke up. "You two will be the ones in the operating room. Dr. Mary, you and Claire can collaborate on the final approach."
As for everyone else's opinions, they were merely suggestions.
Did anyone really think they could dictate how Mary ran her surgery?
Catching the Vice President's drift, the others exchanged knowing glances.
What else could they do?
They had to defer to his judgment.
After thirty minutes of discussion, Mary stood up. "Dr. Duncan, would you be willing to assist us in the operating room?"
Mary looked at Dr. Duncan. As Lance's primary physician, inviting him to scrub in was a massive display of trust.
Dr. Duncan looked incredibly flattered.
"Of course!"
The others were slightly taken aback that Mary had specifically chosen him.
A few even thought about volunteering—it was an incredibly rare learning opportunity, after all.
Why give it exclusively to Dr. Duncan?
They all wanted a front-row seat to observe.
But space in the operating room was limited; they couldn't just cram everyone inside.
If Mary didn't offer, no one had the nerve to invite themselves.
Some cast hopeful glances at Vice President Sterling, wanting him to put in a good word.
Vice President Sterling?
He wasn't about to stick his neck out for them.
Earlier, Dr. Duncan was the only one who had firmly stood by Mary's side.
She was simply rewarding his loyalty. The rest of them had missed their chance.
Mary's choice wasn't just about
returning à favor. As Lance's
attending doctor, Dr. Duncan needed to be the one to present the finalized surgical plan to the family
It was only then that the rest of the room realized the family was actually against Claire scrubbing in.
Dr. Duncan immediately assured them he would handle the family.
He didn't feel the least bit used.
To him, Mary was facing a hurdle, and being able to help her overcome it was a genuine honor.
Leading the way, Dr. Duncan took the finalized plan out to speak with Latham and Octavia.
"You are Dr. Mary's family, so I'm sure you understand and deeply respect her medical expertise."
"While Claire is young, she was trained personally by Dr. Mary. If Dr. Mary vouches
for her, it means she truly has the skill. Furthermore, Claire was..."
Dr. Duncan recounted the highway
accident. The details were still available online, detailing how the victim had suffered an
uncontrollable arterial bleed in his leg
If Claire hadn't intervened when she did, he would have faced an amputation.
Latham was stunned to learn that the hero doctor from the highway incident was actually Claire.
Astounded by his adopted daughter's growth, he shot Octavia a look of deep dissatisfaction.
Octavia had neglected Claire entirely.
Even if she had known from the start that the girl wasn't her biological daughter, treating her with even a fraction of care could have built some sort of bond between them.