Ch 627 - Did I Cheat?

Melissa hoped that by attempting to reason with Alex, she might make a good impression on Wayne and the others.

Alex ignored Melissa and looked straight at Wayne. "Mr. Shannon, I didn't steal the exam papers, and I didn't cheat, so I won't leave." He frowned. "Ask me a question right now, and I will answer it in front of everyone. If I can't answer, then you will have been proven right, but if I give the right answer, then I expect you to admit it in public and investigate those who have accused me."

Melissa gaped at him, thinking he must have gone insane. He had already failed once, and yet he was volunteering to try again.

"Mr. Shannon, I just gave him three questions to attempt, but he didn't answer any of them correctly," Troy said quickly. "His attitude is awful, and I don't see why we should waste any more time on him."

"Yes, Mr. Shannon," Melissa said, angry Alex hadn't listened to her advice and given in. "Alex used to be a student at Preston University in New York, but he wasn't studying medicine. He came here just to get close to me, so there's no need to test him again."

She shook her head. "Alex, I didn't want to tell on you, but it's gone too far, and I can't protect you now. If you don't admit the truth, then the consequences will be really serious."

Everyone stared at Alex, unable to believe he had gone to all this trouble just to chase after a woman.

Troy laughed. "Alex, are you prepared to give up this farce yet?"

Alex just looked at Wayne. "I'm telling the truth. You'll know that as soon as I answer your questions."

Wayne hesitated, unsure what to do.

"Mr. Shannon, I think we can test him," Troy said thoughtfully. "The examiners have some spare questions that weren't used in the exam. Why not use those? Then, once he fails, we can put an end to this. We can have him punished, and then he won't trouble us again."

He grinned. "And if Alex loses in public, then he won't be bold enough to cheat again."

"Then let's do it," Wayne said, nodding. He turned to Alex. "If you fail, then I expect you to admit your wrongdoing and name the person who gave you the answers. If you win, I will accept your innocence, apologize to you in public, and look into those who accused you."

Alex took a deep breath. "Okay," he said. "I accept your terms."

Troy tried to speak, but Wayne stopped him. "Don't say anything, Dr. Wilkinson. If you do, it'll only end in another argument, and then we'll be here all day. So, let's get started. Don't write on the paper. Write on the whiteboard, so everyone can see."

He gestured to someone and had a movable whiteboard pulled in.

Troy gritted his teeth and nodded, and then he took a marker pen and started writing on the board.

Patient 1. Female. Three years old. Initial symptoms included fever, sweating, and loss of appetite. Parents diagnosed her with a cold and treated her with over-the-counter medication.

In the afternoon, the fever increased, and the child's temperature reached one hundred degrees. Patient developed a cough, shortness of breath, and a headache. A crackling sound could be heard in both lungs, and the child became listless.

What is the diagnosis? What is the appropriate treatment?

Melissa and the other candidates were all stunned when they read what Troy had written.

This question went beyond the ones they had answered; it was incredibly difficult.

Several members of the medical board frowned. Although they believed Alex had stolen the answer, Troy's question was unfair, and they were starting to think he was a bully.

But Alex didn't care. He simply walked onto the stage, picked up the pen, and wrote out his answer.

Diagnosis—Respiratory infection resulting in pneumonia.

Tests required—Laboratory tests to determine if the pneumonia is bacterial, viral, or fungal.

Treatment—Depending on the cause, antibiotics, antivirals, or antifungal medication may be prescribed. In all cases, over-the-counter medications can be used to relieve pain and lower fever.

In less than a minute, Alex had written his answer.

Troy was stunned. He's right! he thought. How did he know that?

Wayne and the members of the medical board were also astounded.

Melissa gasped. From her own studies, she knew about medicine, and she knew Alex had probably given the correct answer. Besides, Troy had remained quiet, and she was certain he would have been quick to ridicule Alex if his answer had been wrong.

Wayne nodded, indicating Alex's analysis was correct.

The auditorium buzzed with excitement.

"He's right!"

"That was so fast. I barely had time to think about it, and he answered straight away. It's crazy."

"How long has he been a doctor? He must be very experienced."

"You're right. How else would he have known the answer?"

Troy scowled. "Mr. Shannon, why don't you ask the next question?"

Everyone looked at Alex.

"Go ahead," Alex said. "I'm ready."

Wayne walked forward and wrote his question on the whiteboard.

Melissa and the others gaped at it, amazed at how difficult it was.

Alex took exactly one minute to solve it.

Another examiner rolled up his sleeves and wrote out another question.

Everyone glanced at each other, unable to work it out.

Again, Alex wrote the answer within a minute.

One by one, the examiners wrote out their complicated questions, trying to defeat Alex.

The other examinees gradually lost their confidence when they realized they had no idea how to answer the questions. But no matter how difficult the problems were, Alex solved each of them in under a minute.

Wayne couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Alex was clearly a medical genius. They had all written out their hardest questions regarding a variety of subjects, and Alex had answered each of them correctly.

What's more, there were three problems where even the examiners were unsure about the answers, and Alex solved them just as easily as the others.

Wayne was annoyed with himself for almost failing to notice this talented young man.

Finally, it was all over, and there was complete silence.

Alex looked at Wayne and asked, "So, Mr. Shannon, did I cheat?"

Wayne waved his hand and smiled. "No. Of course not."

"Did I steal the answers from anyone?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Wayne said. "I'm satisfied you did not."

"Am I a waste of everyone's time?" Alex asked.

Wayne shook his head. "Apparently not. Clearly, you are the best the medical field has to offer."

Alex smirked. "Does my score of one hundred and fifty count?"

"Naturally," Wayne said. "I'm going to post the results for the entire district."

He put his arm around Alex's shoulder. "You're an outstanding doctor," he said, grinning at him. "From now on, if you need anything at all, come to me. If I can help you with anything, I would be glad to do so."

The other members of the state medical board crowded around, promising to assist Alex with anything he needed.