Chapter 3 A Miracle

• Beep... Beep...
• The heart monitor next to the sickbed erupted into a shrill alarm, startling everyone in the room. Jennifer's faint heartbeat steadily weakened until it flatlined.
• “Oh no! The patient's heartbeat has stopped. The situation is critical.” Catherine's complexion drained of color, her panic evident as she shoved Finnian aside, accusing him in frustration, “This is all your fault! The patient's life is in danger because of you.”
• Aware of the critical situation, Catherine realized it wasn't the time to assign blame. She couldn't afford to waste another moment berating Finnian. Turning to the anxious young nurse beside her, she commanded, “Lily, fetch a mobile hospital bed immediately. Help me transfer the patient to the operating room for emergency treatment.”
• As soon as Catherine finished her sentence, the heart monitor's alarm abruptly ceased. The lines on the display began to fluctuate erratically, their amplitudes growing larger with each beat, unlike the feeble pulsations before.
• Then, Jennifer's fingers quivered twice, and her eyelids fluttered open slowly.
• Catherine stood in disbelief, mirrored by everyone in the room except Finnian, their expressions a mix of astonishment.
• “Cath, should we proceed with emergency treatment?” Lily asked uncertainly.
• “No,” Catherine murmured, still dazed and unable to gather her thoughts for a long moment.
• “Jennifer, you're awake! This is wonderful!” Nathan's voice trembled with excitement as he clasped one of Jennifer's hands, tears of joy glistening in his eyes.
• “Mom, how do you feel? Are you experiencing any discomfort?” Finnian exhaled deeply, taking a seat beside the bed and gently grasping his mother's other hand, his concern evident.
• “Finn, you're back.” Jennifer, having just regained consciousness, spoke with a weak voice. Her tone held a hint of astonishment as she reached out to touch Finnian's face, a spark of surprise and joy flickering in her eyes. Slowly, color returned to her cheeks. “I feel... so thirsty.”
• “Mom, here's some water.” Yvonne swiftly fetched a cup of water and handed it to Finnian, who carefully helped her take small sips.
• Observing the elated expressions on Finnian and his family's faces, Catherine was struck with utter amazement. While Nathan and Yvonne might perceive it as a miracle, Catherine, as a medical expert, recognized the gravity of Jennifer's condition. She understood that Jennifer's recovery wasn't miraculous but rather a testament to Finnian's remarkable medical skills.
• It became apparent that Finnian's claims were true. He possessed the ability to revive those in a vegetative state, akin to a miracle worker in the realm of medicine. Catherine had never encountered such extraordinary talent in all her years of practice.
• As Catherine reflected on what just happened, her gaze lingered on Finnian, a surge of inexplicable excitement coursing through her. Though tempted to approach him and ask how he did that, she refrained, not wanting to disrupt the warm moment Finnian and his family were sharing.
• With a mix of emotions, Catherine exited the hospital room. The revelation of Finnian's ability to revive a vegetative patient left her profoundly shaken, an unprecedented sensation coursing through her. Never in her wildest dreams had she fathomed the existence of such a profound level of medical expertise, particularly within the realm of traditional medicine.
• Of course, it wasn't that Catherine held traditional medicine in disdain. On the contrary, she regarded it as the cultural cornerstone, steeped in millennia of wisdom and truths. However, her understanding had always been that traditional remedies operated slowly, particularly in cases of severe or chronic ailments, necessitating three to five months of treatment for any discernible effects. Yet here was Finnian, accomplishing what seemed impossible—resuscitating a vegetative patient in just over ten minutes. Was this still the traditional medicine she knew? The feat appeared too miraculous to comprehend. Were it not for witnessing it firsthand, she would have dismissed it as implausible.
• Lost in contemplation, Catherine was jolted from her thoughts by the screech of brakes reverberating from outside. A sleek luxury SUV came to an abrupt stop, its door swinging open to reveal two burly men dressed like bodyguards carefully lifting an unconscious young man out of the vehicle.
• “Where's the doctor? Hurry, save him!” One of the bodyguards bellowed in agitation.
• Catherine sprang into action, gesturing for Lily to join her as they rushed over with a mobile hospital bed. The two bodyguards swiftly lifted the young man onto the bed.
• Trailing behind Catherine was a male doctor, approaching forty years of age. He was William Foster, the chief expert of internal medicine. In terms of medical prowess and experience, he held a slight edge over Catherine.
• “Mr. Kenneth?” William was taken aback as he recognized the young man's face.
• Kenneth's father, Matthew Hubbard, was the chairman of the prestigious Hubbard Group in Newcove, with industries worth billions under his control. Crucially, Newcove Hospital fell under the umbrella of Hubbard Group, with Matthew as its primary stakeholder.
• “Attend to Mr. Kenneth's injuries immediately. If anything happens to him, you'll all be out on the street!” one of the bodyguards issued a stern ultimatum.
• “Yes, of course.” William snapped to attention, hastily directing, “Cath, transport Mr. Kenneth to the intensive care unit for assessment. I'll contact Mr. Weber right away.”
• Catherine nodded in acknowledgment. With Lily and the two bodyguards' assistance, they swiftly sent Kenneth to the intensive care unit.
• In an instant, the test results were in. William's expression shifted dramatically as he perused the report in his hands.
• “What are you spacing out for? How is it?” the bodyguard scolded.
• “Mr. Kenneth's condition is dire. He's suffering from acute coronary heart disease and requires immediate surgery,” William responded, stuttering.
• “Well, what are you waiting for then? Prepare for surgery right away!” the bodyguard thundered.
• “Allow me to elaborate. In addition to heart disease, Kenneth also suffers from an atrial septal defect and pulmonary valve stenosis. The surgery is highly intricate, and regrettably, the odds of success are slim,” William explained solemnly, steeling himself. Despite his expertise in internal medicine, Kenneth's case presented a unique challenge. With multiple complications, the surgery posed a formidable obstacle. Even with his skills, William harbored doubts, unsure if he could achieve even a ten percent success rate.
• “What did you just say?” The bodyguard seized William by the collar, his eyes bloodshot from fury.
• “Easy, now. I've already alerted Mr. Weber and Dr. Quinton. They're on their way. Dr. Quinton is the leading expert in internal medicine in Newcove. Perhaps he'll have a solution,” William stammered, beads of sweat forming on his brow. He was acutely aware that Kenneth's condition was ill-suited for surgery. Even with James Quinton's arrival, the odds of success likely hovered between twenty to thirty percent at best.
• “Bullsh*t! A heart disease is an emergency! By the time this so-called Dr. Quinton arrives, Mr. Kenneth could be beyond saving!” The bodyguard erupted in rage as he forcefully shoved William to the ground. “I don't care what it takes, you must perform the surgery on Mr. Kenneth immediately. If you can't save him, you might as well prepare for your own death!”
• William's complexion drained of color. He's asking for the impossible! With my level of expertise, attempting the surgery under pressure would almost certainly end in failure. If anything were to happen to Mr. Kenneth, losing my job would be the least of my concerns. The repercussions could be far more severe.
• Catherine's eyes sparkled with sudden inspiration. “Wait, I know someone highly skilled in medicine. Perhaps he could save Mr. Kenneth.”
• Perhaps Catherine's medical skills were not markedly inferior to William's, but her clinical experience paled in comparison. Even William harbored doubts about the surgery's success, let alone Catherine.
• However, a sudden realization struck Catherine. Finnian, the most proficient doctor she had ever encountered, flashed into her mind. If Finnian could revive vegetative patients, perhaps he possessed the expertise to address Kenneth's heart condition.
• “Who is he? Where can we find him?” The two bodyguards grasped onto this glimmer of hope.
• “He's here in the hospital. I'll fetch him immediately,” Catherine declared, hastening away.