Dominance of the Forgotten God of War

7. Trouble at the hospital

After a great deal of contemplation, Alex finally decided to take his chances.

“Alright, I will treat your father,” he said, much to the caller’s relief.

“Thank the heavens!” the voice on the other end exclaimed, exhaling the anxious breath he had been holding for so long. “You will be adequately compensated, Mr. Verlaine. I promise you that.”

Alex, however, had no interest in the man’s money. All he wanted to know was his real identity and how someone like him had managed to obtain his number.

“Before I decide to visit your father, I need to know who I’m talking to and just how you got hold of my number.”

“My name is Josiah Warrington. I’m the only male heir of the Warrington bloodline. We are an A-tier family based in the provincial capital of Lichtenstein,” the voice from the other end revealed. “My friends at the City Council helped me track down your number. They said you were the only one who could help us.”

Even after hearing everything, Alex couldn’t recognize the family as they were far too insignificant for his former self to care about. For now, all he understood from the caller’s replies was that they were desperate to get him to treat their family head.

Alex listened to everything carefully and asked for the address. “I’ll visit the patient soon. Send me the location.”

“My father is admitted in the New Hope Medical Center. We have reserved the top floor for him. Please call me once you reach, and we will take you to his cabin,” Josiah replied.

Hearing the name, Alex remembered it was the same hospital where his brother-in-law, Jakob, was being treated. A frown appeared on his face as he recalled that morning’s interaction with Felicia and her mother.

But eventually, Alex decided to put all things aside and focus on the present.

“Fine, I will visit the hospital this Thursday,” he replied, much to Josiah’s relief.

“I thank you for your time. You are our only hope,” Josiah responded. “I will make all the necessary arrangements. See you soon, Mr. Verlaine.”

As soon as the call disconnected, Alex turned to Dr. Lucy and gave her a summary of their phone call.

“What do you know about this Warrington family?”

“The Warringtons are an A-tier family with assets worth atleast a few billions. It’s certainly not enough to make them a part of the Ascended Circle, which is why they barely know anything about your real identity. But I am guessing they are a resourceful family if Josiah Warrington was able to find your real number,” she replied.

“And he believes I can treat his father,” Alex responded.

Dr. Lucy smiled. “I guess they must have heard about the tremendous successes of the Miracle Maker. But they are hardly worth your attention. I can go on your behalf if you—”

“No, I will go myself,” Alex replied, cutting her off. Staring at his glowing palms, he added, “This is a perfect chance to test my powers.”

***

The next morning, as Felicia walked into the New Hope Medical Center, she was surprised to see Robert hadn’t arrived yet. She tried calling him, but all her calls went unanswered.

Even though Robert had promised that the Miracle Maker was going to perform the surgery today, there was still no sign of either of them.

She was about to dial the chief medical officer's number when she saw her mother quarreling with a group of men wearing black suits standing near the stairs leading up to the top floor.

“You can’t stop me from using this staircase. My son’s admitted here!” Mrs. Rashford cried out exasperatedly. “Get out of my way before I lose my cool!”

“That doesn’t matter. The top floor is off-limits to all patients and their families,” one of them replied sternly. “Now, back off and stay away from these stairs.”

Furious with what she was hearing, Felicia stepped forward.

“Just what the hell is happening here? How dare you talk to my mother like that?” She demanded an immediate explanation.

The men however, remained stone-faced, refusing to speak another word.

Mrs. Rashford turned around and wrung her hands in frustration. “I told them that Robert has booked a VIP cabin for Jakob upstairs, but these fools won’t let me through. These brainless oafs are saying the whole fifth floor has already been reserved for someone else!”

“Don’t create a commotion. Get moving,” one of the men said, gesturing for them to be off.

Hearing this, Felicia flew into a fit of rage and grumbled in an incensed tone. “You don’t even know who you’re messing with. The VIP cabin on the top floor has been reserved for my brother by Robert Salasar himself. He is the only heir to the most powerful B-tier family in this city, so unless you want to become unemployed for life, don’t push your luck!”

But the men merely smirked at her instead of being bothered by her threats.

“As we said before, the top floor is reserved for our boss. If you want a VIP cabin so badly, you can always try the lower floors,” one of the men replied, gesturing toward the elevator.

“The top floor has the best view, and the cabins upstairs are much bigger as well,” Mrs. Rashford butted in. “My son, Jakob, only deserves the best!”

“Just beat it. That floor is strictly off-limits for you,” came the sharp reply.

“Now, move along. Don't waste our time,” another guard added, shooing them off.

But despite their repeated refusal, Mrs. Rashford refused to budge.

“I am not going anywhere! I’ll see how you stop me from shifting my dear Jakob to the VIP cabin upstairs!”