Taking Sides  

Lucius, his face a mask, said, "You're certainly reaching for the stars."

Scarlett felt a twinge of disappointment. She knew her own limitations. Even if she was willing to play the role of a daughter to a man like Lucius Zhou, he wouldn't want to be taken advantage of by her.

They were standing in the hallway talking when Jack emerged from the room. Scarlett, more anxious than Lucius, quickly asked, "Are you alright?"

Jack coolly replied, "I'm fine, just a minor scrape."

The doctor called from inside the room, "Can a family member come in?"

Lucius strode in. The doctor handed him a prescription. As he listened to Jack's anxious pacing outside, Scarlett softly comforted him, "Don't worry, I have a good way to take medicine."

Jack glared at her, "We're square now."

Scarlett pouted, thinking to herself that he was indeed his father's son. Lucius had uttered those very words not too long ago.

Just as she was thinking this, someone called her name, "Scarlett."

"Here," Scarlett responded instinctively, moving towards the door. It took her a moment to realize that it was Lucius who had called her.

Lucius had already picked up the prescription and was looking at her, his tone neutral, "Let the doctor check you out."

She moved her lips, saying, "No need, I'm fine."

Lucius didn't argue, "It's a work-related injury, I'll cover the cost." With that, he walked past Scarlett.

Scarlett knew better than to argue. She sat down in the chair, rolled up her loose pants to reveal her bruised leg. When she had changed clothes at home earlier, her leg had only been red. Now, the redness had faded, leaving a patch of yellow and purple on her fair skin, as if a palette of colors had been spilled on it.

The doctor bent down and prodded her leg with his finger, "Does it hurt here?"

Scarlett nodded honestly, "It hurts."

"And here?"

"It hurts."

The doctor then asked Scarlett to move her knee joint. She winced in pain, and the doctor said, "Your leg is swollen, we need to take an X-ray."

Scarlett looked up, "Is it that serious?"

The doctor replied, "My eyes aren't X-rays, I can't see your bones. We need to take an X-ray to see how serious it is."

Thinking of Lucius and Jack waiting outside, Scarlett didn't want to keep them waiting and said, "Doctor, can I come back tomorrow?"

The doctor was already writing a prescription and raised an eyebrow at her, "What do you think? You're in pain everywhere, you're already here, and you want to wait until tomorrow. Someone is eager to cover your expenses and you're still dragging your feet."

"What's going on?"

A deep male voice suddenly came from behind. Scarlett turned around to see that Lucius had returned.

"She needs an X-ray to see the results, but she wants to come back tomorrow. She asked me if that's okay, why don't you ask your friend if that's okay?", the doctor said.

The doctor was clearly annoyed. Scarlett had only asked a simple question, but it seemed to have hit a nerve. He wasn't just angry with her, he was also complaining to Lucius.

Lucius looked at Scarlett and suddenly asked, "Are you hungry?"

Scarlett looked confused, "No, I'm not hungry."

"Then there's no rush.", Lucius Zhou said.

He called Jack in to accompany Scarlett for the X-ray while he went to pay. Scarlett wanted to politely decline, but considering Lucius Zhou's personality, she decided it was best to say less to avoid causing a scene.

After the X-ray was taken, it turned out there was indeed a problem. The doctor said, "Minor bone fracture."

Upon hearing the word 'fracture', Scarlett asked, "Is it serious?"

The doctor retorted, "Don't you feel the pain when you walk?"

Scarlett choked up a bit, cautiously asking, "I don't need to be hospitalized or have a cast, do I?"

The doctor, busy writing, said as he wrote, "Our hospital beds are quite limited, and doctors aren't heartless, not every injury needs a cast. Just avoid wearing high heels, walk less, and come to the hospital if there's any discomfort. Don't ignore it and let the injury worsen before coming to us."

Ever since Scarlett had 'offended' the doctor, he hadn't given her a good look. His tone was sharp and when he finished writing the prescription, she took a look at it and it was all Greek to her.

"Doctor, what are all these medicines?"

Without looking up, the doctor said, "Go to the pharmacy."

Scarlett mused to herself, the doctor's mood seemed to shift quicker than the turn of a page. It was best to make a quick exit.

Just as she was about to stand up, leaning on the table, the prescription in her hand was taken away. Lucius asked, "Where is the endocrinology department?"

The doctor looked up and seriously replied, "On the fifth floor, but it's too late now, they've already closed. Who needs to see them? You can come early tomorrow."

Lucius looked at the doctor, his face expressionless, and responded without looking away, "Are we here to see a doctor or to see your mood? If you're not in a good mood because you're working late, either don't come or bear with it. Who gave you the right to be so prickly?"

The doctor was stunned, as was Scarlett. Neither of them expected Lucius to suddenly lose his temper.

The doctor's face was predictably ugly, and he was clearly embarrassed. He picked up and put down his pen repeatedly, trying to defend himself, "I didn't mean to be prickly, I'm just concerned about the patient's health, like this kind of carelessness..."

Before he could finish, Lucius cut him off, "You're the one who's caring? If you weren't concerned, you wouldn't be here. Do your job properly, improve your professional ethics when you have time. Answer the patient's questions properly, treat her like she's your daughter, say what you want to say."

The doctor, in his forties, was left red-faced and speechless by Lucius Zhou's words. He didn't dare to argue, but he couldn't just admit defeat either. He was so embarrassed he wanted to bury his head in his desk.

After a moment of stunned silence, Scarlett quickly whispered to Lucius, "Let's go."

Lucius stood his ground, "If you have any more questions, ask until you understand."

Scarlett didn't want to ask any more questions, the atmosphere was too awkward. But when Lucius spoke, her first instinct was to comply. She turned to the doctor and asked, "What are these medicines you prescribed, and is there anything I need to pay special attention to?"

The doctor, having been reprimanded once, was now more cooperative. He explained each medication and how often to take them.

Scarlett listened attentively, then turned to Lucius, "Okay, I don't have any more questions."

Lucius turned and walked towards the exit, with Scarlett following closely. She didn't dare to look back, thinking to herself that she couldn't come to this hospital again.

Lucius was familiar with the pharmacy from getting Jack's medicine earlier. When he went to get Scarlett's medicine, he took out his card. Scarlett quickly said, "I can do it myself."

Lucius ignored her, handed over his card directly, and the pharmacist filled a bag with medicine. He took the bag and handed it to her.

"Thank you.", Scarlett said.

Lucius headed for the exit, and Scarlett looked around, "Where's Jack?"

"In the car.", Lucius said.

"Mr. Zhou, thank you for tonight. It's late, I won't keep you any longer. When you have time, I'd like to treat you and Jack to dinner.", Scarlett said.

As they walked, Lucius said, "If you really meant it, you wouldn't say 'some other time'. I have time now."

Upon hearing this, Scarlett quickly glanced at him. It was already past nine in the evening. She didn't want to be alone with him and invite gossip, but then she remembered Jack was there too. It wouldn't be wise to sever ties after receiving help, especially when the one who assisted was as influential as Lucius.