Ch 556 - Please Accept This Gift

Sophie was stunned for a while, and then she found her voice. "Dr. Cook, I'm sorry. I was just concerned about the patient, but please forgive me for speaking out of turn."

"Well, don't let it happen again," Vincent said. "You don't have the experience to know a master physician when you see one, but I can see Dr. Ambrose is a first-class healer. He knows much more about these things than we do."

Vincent's face shone with admiration, and it was clear he practically worshiped Alex.

"By asking for a second opinion, you've made it clear you don't trust Dr. Ambrose," Vincent continued, shaking his head. "Your medical training is not as important as the pursuit of truth. You need to remember that, Sophie, and learn a little humility. You yelled at Dr. Ambrose and embarrassed us all."

Sophie's face flushed bright red. It was the first time Vincent had expressed his opinion of her, and unfortunately, he had clearly found her wanting. She hadn't expected him to criticize her so harshly, and his disapproval stung.

"Sophie, I am extremely disappointed in your conduct," Vincent said, frowning at her. "And I simply can't overlook it. From now on, you are no longer a member of this team. You should spend some time thinking about what happened here and how you can improve on your behavior." He paused for a moment. "Perhaps it would be best if you have no further contact with this medical team at all."

He turned to Alex. "Dr. Ambrose, Sophie's words are her own, and I do not share her views," he said. "Still, I apologize for her ignorance."

Sophie's cheeks burned with shame as she turned to leave, and as she passed Alex, she glanced up at him with an indescribable expression.

Holly smothered a laugh, trying not to be rude.

"It's fine, Dr. Cook," Alex assured him. "You don't need to make such a big deal out of it."

"If you would be willing to teach me, I'd be very grateful," Vincent said. "I'm sure I could learn a lot from you."

Alex appreciated Vincent's attitude. Despite his skill, he was humble and willing to listen to alternative ideas, and he seemed like a good man.

But Alex's special supplement was a secret, so he didn't want to reveal it to anyone.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Cook," he said, "but I don't think that would work. You're already a well-trained doctor, and that should be enough."

"Please reconsider," Vincent said, almost pleading. "I genuinely want to learn, and I'll do whatever it takes. Please give me a chance."

Holly was stunned to see such a world-class doctor begging to become Alex's student. He had even asked in front of everyone, not too proud to admit Alex knew more than he did. No doubt, such an attitude had helped him with his studies, allowing him to make significant contributions to medicine.

"Alex," Holly said, moved by Vincent's sincerity. "Maybe you—"

"No," Alex said firmly. "It won't work. My medical skills are not easily passed on to others." He changed the subject, turning back to Vincent. "Now, to help the patient recover, she will require someone to look after her and monitor her progress. Are you up for the task?"

Vincent jumped at the chance to be useful, and he was delighted Alex was demonstrating such trust in him. He considered it a great honor to be asked to observe Keira, and he hoped it would lead to Alex changing his mind about teaching him.

"Of course, Dr. Ambrose," Vincent said, smiling at him. "I'd be happy for my team to stay with Keira. We'll watch her round the clock."

"Remember, you can't leave Keira alone until her condition is stable," Alex said, meeting his gaze.

"Yes, I understand," Vincent assured him. "You can depend on me." He knew his expertise was limited, and he was keen to discover more, but he hadn't known where to start. Now, he had met Dr. Ambrose, and it seemed like fate was smiling on him.

"Glad to hear it," Alex said, patting his shoulder. "I'm sure you'll do fine."

Alex's phone rang, and he glanced at the display. Then he grinned and answered, having a brief conversation before hanging up.

Alex told Vincent to take care of Keira, and then he went downstairs and wrote out the recipe for his supplement. "Follow these instructions to make the medicine, and then give it to Dr. Cook," he said. "Also, once Keira wakes up, make sure she rests. If she overdoes it, she could relapse."

"Thank you," she said.

"Well, now that Keira is going to be okay, I should get going," Alex said, smiling at her.

"But you haven't eaten yet," Holly protested, taking his arm. "Why not stay for dinner?"

She had been so busy worrying about Keira that she hadn't been paying much attention to Alex, but now she realized he hadn't even had a drink of water since he had arrived.

Jesse nodded. "Yes. Stay and eat with us."

Alex waved the suggestion away. "No, thank you," he said. "I have things to do, so I need to go."

"Where are you going?" Holly asked, still feeling guilty for neglecting his needs. "Why don't you let Jesse drive you there? It's not easy to get a taxi around here."

"I'm going to the Grand Theater," Alex said.

"Really?" Holly asked, surprised. "Are you attending the Cassidy Pike concert?"

"Yes," Alex said, nodding.

The earlier phone call had been from his mother. When she had heard Alex was in Philadelphia, she had immediately jumped on a flight to join him, and she had asked if they could go to the concert together.

He smiled to himself. His mother adored music, and she loved to go to concerts. She also liked to sing, and she often spent her spare time listening to music.

Since Alex's family had disowned him, they had enforced strict rules that forbade other family members from having any contact with him. This made it difficult for Flora to see her son, and she missed him.

"Wait a minute," Holly said, dashing into the study.

Within moments, she returned, carrying a bag. "I want to repay you for saving Keira," she said. "I know you're the Lord of the Moon Palace, so you're not short of status, money, or power. But I heard that you don't have a proper house in Baltimore, and that just isn't right. So, I'd like to give you this to thank you for your hard work."

She pressed the bag into his hands. "This means a lot to me, so please accept."

Alex was stunned, as he hadn't expected anything for helping Keira.

"Mrs. Lambert, I'm here as a favor to your relative, who is respected by everyone in the Moon Palace, and her advice is more valuable than any gift," Alex told her. "There's no need to give me anything."

"I must insist you allow me to show our gratitude," Holly said. "I'm afraid I'll be quite offended if you refuse."