Timothy cheered up. "How sure?" he asked.
"One hundred percent," Alex replied quietly.
The door opened behind them, and Brian and Susan came into the room.
"You've got a lot of nerve, Timothy," Brian said. "How dare you go against my orders and vouch for the suspect?"
"Alex has already met his bail conditions," Timothy said. "According to proper procedure, he should have been out a long time ago. You've been too harsh on him. Besides, the most important thing is that he can save Haley."
Susan looked at Alex. "Are you sure?" she asked.
"Absolutely," Alex said, nodding.
"That's a pretty bold assessment," Susan said. "We have twenty medical experts working on the best possible treatment plan, and we give her no greater than a forty percent chance. Yet you, a complete unknown, claim to have abilities beyond those of our greatest medical experts."
Although she would have liked someone else to take over the responsibility of Haley's case, she felt Alex was deliberately mocking her and her team.
"If you were that good," she said, "wouldn't I have heard of you?"
Alex sighed and said, "No. I like to keep a low profile."
Susan laughed dismissively. "Tell me then," she said. "What kind of operation will you perform? Will you go for an ordinary suture or mattress suture?"
"I don't need to open her up," Alex said. "I can use acupuncture."
"That's ridiculous," Susan said. "How could acupuncture treat an injury like this?"
"If you don't understand," Alex said, "then don't pretend you have all the answers."
Susan folded her arms across her chest. "I don't know how you managed to talk your way in here," she said. "But we are medical professionals, and your tricks won't work on us."
She turned to Timothy and Brian and said, "This boy is a liar. He can't cure Haley at all. Don't let him mess you around."
Susan's experts echoed her sentiments. In addition to Alex being too young, Haley's injuries were complex, and even the most experienced doctors were struggling with them. What could Alex possibly do?
Timothy said, "Listen, Brian, Alex is—"
"Shut up!" Brian said, rudely interrupting his younger brother. "I won't let Alex get involved without Susan's approval. I don't have faith in his medical skills, and I don't believe a criminal suspect would go around saving people out of the goodness of their heart."
Of course, there was another reason. He was afraid he would be criticized for releasing Alex just to save his daughter, and he didn't want the two events linked.
He looked at Alex and said, "Timothy has tried to save you. Today, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and release you from custody. But mark my words, if there's any trouble from you before the case is over, you'll go straight back behind bars. You're not invincible just because you have some basic medical skills. Remember, there's always someone better than you."
He turned impatiently to Timothy and said, "Get him out of here. The doctor I called will be here any minute."
"Can't you listen to me for once?" Timothy demanded. "We can trust Alex."
"Out!" Brian barked.
Susan stared at Alex. "You need to leave," she said. "Brothers shouldn't be fighting because of you."
"I didn't even want to come here," Alex explained. "Because I don't like you very much."
He motioned to Timothy not to fight for him anymore. Then he looked at Brian calmly and said, "You are far too arrogant. I came to save Haley for Timothy's sake. Now you want to drive me away, so of course I won't stay."
He looked at Timothy and shrugged. "We tried our best," he said.
Timothy whispered, "Alex, don't go yet." Then, seeing Alex's resigned expression, he added, "I know you've done your best for Haley. It's not that you don't want to treat her, it's that they won't let you."
Brian said, "You don't have to worry about who's to blame for anything. Just get out."
Susan looked at Alex with contempt. She thought his performance was laughable.
"This is your last chance," Alex said calmly. "I can save Haley and heal her injuries. I may be the only one in the whole country who can. But I'm leaving now. I hope you won't regret it, Brian."
"Regret?" Brian asked. "I regret nothing. Do you really think you're the only one who can save her? That you're a medical genius? Now who's being arrogant? In addition to Susan and her colleagues, I've invited other doctors to see Haley, and I'm sure they're far superior to you."
Brian couldn't bear to listen to any more of Alex's boasting. The real experts were cautious and realistic about Haley's injuries, but Alex seemed to be behaving as if he could cure her purely with his belief in himself.
A nurse ran in with a look of excitement. "The miracle doctor is coming," she said.
Brian was ecstatic, sure now his daughter would be saved. He had pulled out all the stops to arrange for the best doctor in the country to come and treat her.
"Are you still here?" Susan asked Alex. "Why are you so determined to make a fool out of yourself?"
Timothy was about to lose his temper, but Alex pulled him to the door before he could react. They went out with Brian to meet the approaching group.
A bald old man and his assistant came around the corner and walked toward them. When he saw Alex, he was clearly taken aback. He shouted joyfully, "Greetings, doctor! What a pleasure it is to see you here."
Brian and Susan were stunned and had no idea how to react. How did the world-renowned medical expert, Dr. Liam Fox, know who Alex was?
Alex was also confused. He didn't know the old man, so why was he so pleased to see him?