Chapter 5 Deterioration

• Beep!
• Henry had just finished speaking when the lights in the operating room flickered, and Finnian emerged. He appeared weary, evidence of the substantial vital energy he had expended in treating Kenneth.
• Stepping forward, he said, “The patient is no longer in immediate danger, but his condition isn't stable yet. Please don't touch the silver needles on his body until his condition stabilizes. Once he's out of the woods, I'll remove them.”
• Claudia rushed forward, her tone sharp and accusatory, reminiscent of an unreasonable shrew. “What have you done to my son? Who gave you the audacity to treat him recklessly? His status is of the highest nobility, and if any harm befalls him, I'll make you pay!”
• Finnian's countenance turned frigid. Just moments ago, the patient's condition had been critical. Without his swift intervention, the outcome would have been dire.
• Yet, his efforts were met with harsh rebuke from the patient's family, which deeply upset him.
• Wearing a dark expression, Catherine defended Finnian, “Hey! That's totally uncalled for! Did you not hear? Finnian has saved your son. How can you insult him when you should be thanking him? Is this how people of your status should behave?”
• “Who do you think you are? How dare you lecture me?” Claudia shot Catherine a furious glare.
• “Catherine, shut your mouth! I haven't even settled the score with you for what happened earlier, and now you dare to confront Mrs. Hubbard. You're far too audacious!” Henry's tone sharpened as he was apprehensive that Catherine's actions could spell trouble for the hospital. “You're fired. Gather your belongings and leave immediately!”
• “Fine, I'll leave! I don't want to stay in a hospital as unreasonable as this one!” Catherine retorted with a sneer. She threw her staff ID to the ground before grabbing Finnian's wrist and leaving without a backward glance.
• “You...” Henry and Claudia seethed with fury. In contrast, Matthew maintained a semblance of composure, clearly more cultured than the other two. Glancing coldly at Catherine and Finnian's leaving figures, he led the others into the operating room.
• In the operating room, Kenneth lay on the hospital bed, his breathing steady and his complexion restored to a healthy hue. His vital signs had stabilized, and the various indicators displayed on the medical equipment were all within normal range.
• “Dr. Quinton, how is my son's condition? Will there be any lasting effects?” Matthew's voice betrayed his anxiety as he sought reassurance from James after his examination.
• “Don't worry. Mr. Kenneth is in good condition,” James responded, holding two medical reports in hand. His brow furrowed as he continued, “However, what puzzles me is that initially, Mr. Kenneth was diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome. Yet, in this recent examination, aside from an atrial septal defect and a minor narrowing of the pulmonary valve, no cardiac abnormalities were detected. It's weird.”
• In James' hands were two documents. One was a medical report pre-treatment, while the other detailed Kenneth's condition post-treatment. The stark contrast between the two revealed a remarkable truth: Kenneth's once-afflicted heart disease had been completely cured.
• Could Finnian have cured Mr. Kenneth's heart disease?
• James couldn't help but shake his head, a wry smile tugging at his lips. Heart disease is deemed incurable by contemporary medical standards. Finnian, an amateur in the field, couldn't possibly achieve the feat of curing it.
• “Is it possible there was a misdiagnosis?” Matthew ventured.
• “Probably,” James conceded, though a hint of uncertainty lingered. Aware of the hospital's state-of-the-art equipment, he doubted the likelihood of a misdiagnosis. Yet, beyond this possibility, no other rationale seemed to fit.
• “I was wondering how Kenneth got diagnosed with heart disease especially since he's always been in good health. Turns out it was indeed a misdiagnosis.” Claudia sighed with relief. However, her relief quickly turned to concern as she noticed the circle of silver needles surrounding Kenneth's chest. “What are these needles doing on my son? What if they harm him? Remove them at once!”
• Claudia moved to take action, but James intervened, his hand halting her. “Mrs. Hubbard, these silver needles are for acupuncture, likely placed by Finnian. He mentioned that Mr. Kenneth hasn't fully passed the critical period, so it's best not to remove the needles just yet. Let's observe for a while longer.”
• “Observe what? My son doesn't even have heart disease! What's the point of these needles?” Claudia disregarded James's advice and swiftly pulled out all the silver needles. As she saw the lengthy needles penetrating deeply into her son's flesh, she gasped, her tone dripping with resentment. “What is Finnian thinking, inserting such long needles into my son's body? Is he trying to harm him? If I had known he was so malicious, I would have skinned him alive just now. I shouldn't have been so lenient!”
• Beep! Beep!
• Claudia's words had barely left her lips when the machine beside the bed emitted shrill alarm. Startled, James swiftly turned to see the once-steady heartbeat graph now convulsing erratically, its rhythm weakening to a near-flatline.
• “What's happening?” Claudia exclaimed, her grip loosening on the silver needles, which clattered to the floor.
• James' complexion drained of color. “The patient's heartbeat is faltering. We need to administer oxygen immediately!” he urged, motioning urgently to Henry. Together, they swiftly applied an oxygen mask to Kenneth, barely sustaining his fading pulse.
• “What's wrong?” Claudia's voice trembled with anxiety.
• James frantically assessed Kenneth's condition, his expression alternating between grave concern and disbelief.
• “Dr. Quinton, what's happening to my son?” Matthew's tone grew stern when James, who was visibly distressed, didn't say a word.
• “Mr. Kenneth's condition is dire... It appears he's experiencing a heart attack...”
• “Nonsense! Didn't you just confirm that Kenneth had no heart disease?” Claudia's rebuke dripped with frustration.
• “To be precise, Kenneth is not suffering from acute coronary syndrome, but rather a hidden congenital heart condition,” James clarified solemnly.
• James was indeed the leading expert in internal medicine in Newcove. Unlike William's oversight in diagnosing Kenneth's congenital heart disease, James adeptly identified the condition. “Previously, Finnian used acupuncture to suppress Mr. Kenneth's congenital heart disease, rendering it undetectable by our equipment,” James explained gravely. “Now that the silver needles have been removed, he's having a relapse, and his condition has deteriorated.”
• Claudia's complexion drained of color as she finally realized what she had done. She scrambled to pick up the scattered silver needles from the floor. “Will it help if I reinsert the needles?”
• James shook his head solemnly. “No, acupuncture is a complicated practice, with varying factors such as acupoint selection, applied pressure, and depth of insertion. Reinserting them recklessly could exacerbate the situation.”
• “What else can we do?” Claudia's face ashened.
• “You just can't do anything right, can you? If anything happens to Kenneth, prepare yourself for a divorce!” Matthew glared daggers at his wife, hoping he could beat her up. Though his anger surged, he restrained himself from unseemly actions in public.
• Taking a deep breath, Matthew steadied himself and implored James, “Dr. Quinton, Kenneth is my only son. Please, think of a solution. You must save him.”