Claire was different. She had actually bought the professor a latte, and surprisingly, he drank it!
It was a rare sight indeed!
Was it just because Claire was the genius every professor fought over?
"Why would I be nervous?"
Claire had worked alongside many doctors, including industry giants.
Plus, she had been personally mentored by Mary, so stage fright was completely out
of the question.
"Fair enough."
Skye didn't know what else to say.
Exhausted from the brief excitement, the three girls hauled their belongings back to the dorm for a quick nap.
Once back in their room, Skye and Zara finally recovered from the shock.
"Claire, why did you major in clinical medicine instead of traditional medicine, which you're already great at?"
Skye was like a giant, curious toddler.
Zara was equally intrigued.
Lex had seen Claire's medical skills firsthand; she had saved a life during an overseas competition.
But how did these two suddenly know about it? Had Claire saved someone else today?
"I'm already proficient in alternative medicine, and it's a lifelong study. But honestly, I've basically mastered everything they can teach in a classroom."
"Clinical surgery, however, is hard to practice without formal hospital placement. That's why I chose it."
Claire answered earnestly.
Skye chewed on her thumbnail. "I barely understood that, but it sounds incredibly badass."
Zara raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying you've maxed out your holistic medicine stats, and you're only studying clinical medicine to get hands-on experience?"
"Wait, what's your ultimate goal with all this practice?"
Claire smiled softly. "To save lives, of course."
Zara rolled her eyes inwardly. *Yeah, right.*
She had a sneaking suspicion Claire was just treating the hospital like a video game to level up.
"Why did you want to become a doctor in the first place?"
Skye was terrified of pain and blood, so the field was a massive *no* for her.
"Because my grandmother and our neighbor are doctors." Claire's reason was unpretentiously simple.
"Uh... so it runs in the family, I guess." Skye had expected some grand, inspiring monologue. But that was it?
It wasn't even a burning lifelong passion.
Truly, geniuses operated on a completely different wavelength.
The conversation quickly moved on in Dorm 301.
That evening, Owen actually delivered the food.
Skye tagged along as Claire went downstairs to grab the massive catering bags.
"What did your brother bring us, a Thanksgiving feast?" Skye panted as she trudged
up the stairs, carrying a heavy load.
"It's probably just a few family recipes."
Claire didn't know for sure either.
But when they opened the
containers, a mouthwaterings
awaited them. Every single dish was
packed to the brint
"Whoa! Is that BBQ brisket? And what are those ribs? They look amazing."
"Honey-glazed pork ribs," Claire replied, not even looking up as she divided the rice.
It was one of her favorites, so it made sense her family would send it.
"We've also got grilled asparagus, chicken stew, and a side salad."
"Oh my god, there are even dessert pastries! This is too sweet!"
Skye swallowed hard, her mouth watering.
This was practically a five-star dining experience.
Claire saw her drooling but didn't tease her, simply handing out the silverware and plates.
"Eat up while it's hot."
Claire took a sip of the chicken stew first.
The others quickly followed suit.
The rich broth was made from
premium ingredients sourced directly from The Janes Village brimming with fresh herbs and wild mushrooms.
It was unbelievably delicious!
The Churchill Family staff had clearly gone all out, dividing the hearty stew into four individual thermoses, one for each girl.
No wonder the bags were so heavy.
Even the notoriously picky Zara had to give it a thumbs-up after one taste.