No Aus
Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Shermaine wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Yeah.”
Danielle said, “Come to Yaleview Hospital.”
In the study on the second floor, the computer screen was lit, and voices echoed from the speakers.
Joshua was in the middle of an international meeting. At the moment, he sat in the chair, holding a cigarette between two fingers. Smoke curled around him, and his sharply defined profile gave off a quiet intensity. He looked more handsome like a movie star.
Suddenly, Shermaine knocked on the door. After hearing his response, she poked her head in. “Mr. York, cant borrow a car?”
She had been in Basterel for over three months but she kept forgetting to buy herself a car–partly out of laziness, partly because having a driver at the Jean residence made getting around so easy.
Joshua turned to look at her. “You’re heading out?”
“Yeah.” Shermaine nodded. She then asked, “There’s no curfew or anything, right?”
“No.” Joshua opened the drawer, casually grabbed a car key, and gestured for her to come take it herself. “But try to be back early. My grandpa might call tonight to check in.”
“Got it,” Shermaine smiled, took the keys with a quick thanks, and turned to leave.
Joshua didn’t say anything else after that. He could’ve asked where she was going, but he didn’t. Just like he’d said–they’d stay out of each other’s way.
So Shermaine had no intention of reporting anything to him. With the car key in hand, she headed straight to the garage.
The engine roared to life, and once she pulled out, a quick turn and a drift sent the deep blue sports car disappearing into the night.
At Yaleview Hospital, Danielle greeted Shermaine with a hug. Then she led her straight to neurosurgery and walked her toward the OR, filling her in on the patient’s condition along the way.
The patient was a member of the Barker family, and his background was anything but ordinary.
Years ago, he’d been shot in the head, and during the initial surgery, not all the shrapnel was removed–a small fragment had been left in his brain.
At first, it didn’t cause much trouble. The fragment didn’t affect his brain function. But as he got older, it started to shift, gradually pressing on his optic nerve. He now suffered frequent headaches.
If they didn’t operate soon to remove the fragment, there was a serious risk it would affect his brain permanently–he could go blind, or worse, lose cognitive function altogether.
However, not a single neurosurgeon in the country dared to take on the operation, because the success rate was too low–less than 20 percent–and with the patient’s background, no one was willing to take the risk.
And the situation had become urgent. Surgery was the only option now. So the case landed on Danielle’s desk. As a gifted neurosurgeon, she had made a name for herself after returning to the country, dedicating herself fully to her career.
However, guaranteeing a one–hundred percent/success rate was even harder. Danielle didn’t have the confidence to pull it off, so she turned to Shermaine to lead the surgery.
If Shermaine did it, the operation would be a guaranteed success and nothing would go wrong.
She was the most brilliant young medical prodigy Danielle had ever met, and next to her, Danielle couldn’t help but feel ordinary.
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20:37 Fri, 30 May
Chapter 14
Shermaine might not be widely known back in their country, but abroad, the name Dr. Shue rang out in every circle there wasn’t sout who didn’t
know it.
Outside the OR, a crowd of specialists and one of the patient’s family members, Cora Barker, had gathered.
When they saw Danielle walk in with a woman even younger than herself, the doctors exchanged strange looks. Cora frowned, thinking. Is this young, pretty woman really & doctor?‘
Everyone knew that to become a professional surgeon, one had to spend four long years in med school–if not more–and even after graduating, they’d still need years of hospital training before becoming an attending physician.
“Dr. Shelly, is she reliable?” Cora asked.
Danielle replied, “More than I am.”
Cora paused, then said nothing else. In the end, she chose to
trust whoever Danielle brought–this was their shot.
As the OR doors shut behind them, Shermaine put on a sterile gown, pulled
on
a
mask, and walked up to the operating table.
Danielle came up beside her. “Sheary, scalpel.”
Shermaine took the scalpel and made the first incision on the patient’s skull.
hea
The moment the blade touched down, the other doctors watched with their hearts in their throats, afraid she might slip or lack the skill and end up losing the patient right there.
But watching her technique–steady, fast, practiced, and precise–they finally started to relax a little.
They were still skeptical of Shermaine at first, but after seeing how she handled the procedure, they, like Danielle, began assisting her with full confidence.
Danielle was known as a naturally gifted surgeon, and doctors like her were extremely rare. Though young, she was highly praised by senior figures in the field and deeply admired by her peers–a rising star the industry was determined to cultivate.
And yet, the surgery that even Danielle had no confidence or ability to perform was somehow being done by someone else. The other doctors all began to think that Shermaine had to be even more skilled than Danielle.
Three hours wasn’t particularly long, but for those waiting outside, it felt excruciatingly endless. Just when the tension was becoming unbearable, Danielle walked out of the operating room.
The hospital’s vice president, Ruben Hunter, dabbed at his forehead with a handkerchief and asked, “How did it go?”
Danielle pulled off her mask, and the usual chill on her beautiful face softened into a faint smile. “The surgery was a success. The patient’s family can rest
easy.”
Cora, standing nearby, finally let out a breath she’d been holding the entire time. Her eyes were red, her voice trembling. “Thank goodness. That’s great.”
Just then, Shermaine came out. “Mrs. Barker, my surgical fee is three hundred thousand dollars. Is that alright?”
“No problem at all,” Cora said through tears of joy. “Thank you so much. May I ask your name?”
“Shermaine Shue,” Shermaine replied.
Cora took her hand. “Dr. Shue, you’re incredible. I can’t thank you enough. If you ever need anything from me in the future, please don’t hesitate to ask.” Shermaine smiled, “Saving lives is part of the job. I don’t do it for free–it comes with a price. You really don’t need to be that pol
“Of course I do,” Cora insisted.
Chapter 14
Off to the side, Ruben stared in disbelief. ‘Three hundred thousand? That’s way too expensive, he thought. But he had to admit, the result spot for
itself. No other doctor had dared to take on this surgery–but Shermaine bad, and it was a success.
Ruben couldn’t help but ask, “Danielle, did she go to med school with you?”
Danielle smiled, “Technically, she’s my junior.”
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