The Divine Physician's Rebirth: Ascension from Silverbrook

Chapter 3: The Dark Needle

“Hey, Dad, you okay?” Rowan's son asked, sounding worried.

“Way better,” Rowan said, his voice stronger. He'd been in bad shape just minutes ago, almost unable to talk, but now he seemed stable.

“Wow! You're a lifesaver!” Rowan's son said, amazed.

Theo, standing there, just rolled his eyes, looking totally confused. Nobody knew what he was thinking. About five minutes later, Ryder took out the needles and helped Rowan sit up, his voice serious.

“Your heart is in bad shape. Don't ignore this,” he said.

“Huh? Heart trouble? Dad just had a stomachache!” Rowan's son said, surprised. He didn't get it.

“Yeah, a stomachache. What's with the heart stuff?” Theo asked, sounding skeptical.

“You really don't know much. Ever heard of pain that's not where the problem is? No wonder you don't have many patients,” Ryder said, patting Theo on the shoulder like he was teaching him something. “His stomach hurts, but it's really his heart.”

Theo's face turned red, feeling embarrassed, but he didn't argue. Instead, he asked, sounding a bit shameless, “What's that needle trick you used?”

“Ever heard of Four-Colored Needles?” Ryder asked with a smile.

“F-Four-Colored Needles?” Theo stammered, “You're kidding, right? That's an old lost technique. It's just a story. You're full of it!”

“Guess you don't know everything,” Ryder said, shaking his head and stepping back.

Rowan, now standing with his son's help, felt much better. He looked at Ryder, grateful. His son was already thanking Ryder a lot.

Rowan nodded, “Theo, whatever it is he's doing, your assistant is great. I can see he's way better than you.”

Theo was mad, his face showing anger and frustration. He started to say something, then stopped, realizing he had no comeback.

Rowan turned to Ryder again, “Thanks for saving me. I could have died,” he said, sounding sincere.

As Rowan said that, Ryder felt a bit of some energy coming from Rowan and going into his head.

'That's good karma,' Ryder thought, feeling a warm rush.

Healing others was the quickest way to get good karma. Back in the day, many got enlightened through being doctors. They understood the human body and themselves better. Plus, it made it easier to get through some tough stuff later on.

The Dark Medical Sect was all about this good karma. A main thing in their secret book was that the good energy you get from healing people goes into your head to make you more aware. Being aware helped a lot with making pills, and getting better at your skills.

That was why the Dark Medical Sect was a big deal for a long time. Their pills were super valuable, and people would do anything to get them.

Being reborn in this clinic... Ryder thought it was meant to be.

“Hey, your boss is kinda cheap. Hope he treats you well,” Rowan whispered, covering his mouth, but Theo could still hear him.

Theo jumped up, red-faced, and yelled, “Rowan, you old coot!”

“Haha, Theo, be nicer to your assistant if you don't want problems,” Rowan said, smiling at his old friend.

Theo started to reply, “This...” then rolled his eyes and shut up.

Rowan turned to Ryder, more serious, “How much do I owe you? I'll pay.”

Before Ryder could answer, Theo grabbed his arm and said, “Two hundred bucks. That's not too much for your life!”

Theo held out his hand, grinning.

“But you were poking me and it didn't do anything,” Rowan said, raising his eyebrow. He pulled back his hand, took out 200 bucks from his wallet, and gave it to Ryder.

Ryder smiled and pointed at Theo, “Give it to my boss.”

“Tough break!” Rowan chuckled, giving the money to Theo.

“Mr. Rowan, I'll write you a prescription. Take it on time, and you'll be okay,” Ryder said, writing on a small paper.

He gave it to Zara, who was still super impressed by how good Ryder was. “Zara, can you get the medicine ready?”

“Yeah! Right away!” Zara said, almost skipping to get it.

Rowan and his son, looking relieved, thanked Ryder again before leaving. But as the door closed, a police siren wailed. Two cops walked in, changing the mood right away.

“What's going on here?” The older cop asked, looking around.

“Well...” Theo stammered, looking flustered. He was now thinking about how much he wanted Ryder to stay.

“What's happening?” The cop asked, getting impatient.

Ryder stepped up, staying calm. “It's just a mix-up. Everything's fine,” he said with a smile.

“What?” the cop asked, looking at Ryder suspiciously.

“Officer, sorry for the trouble, it's all good now!” Zara said, standing next to Ryder.

Theo stayed quiet, thinking.

“Don't waste our time,” the cop said, not wanting to talk more, and left.

Ryder, sitting down casually, turned to Theo. “Mr. Theo, what's my pay gonna be?” he asked, joking.

Theo frowned, thinking. He stroked his chin, gritted his teeth, and finally said, “Eight hundred a month. Room and food included. Take it or leave it.”

“Dad, how can you pay only 800?” Zara said, annoyed.

“Shut up! Whose side are you on, you brat?” Theo snapped, his face red.

But Ryder stood up and smiled, “Okay, I'll take it. But I get to use the herbs in the clinic for free.”

“Deal.” Theo said quickly, happy that he got a skilled guy for cheap.

But then he looked at Zara, who was looking at Ryder with admiration, and he got worried. He yelled, “One more thing! Stay away from my daughter! She's gonna marry someone... better.”

“Dad! What are you saying?” Zara blushed, glancing at Ryder.

Ryder smiled a bit but didn't say anything.

“I mean it!” Theo said, pointing at Ryder's stuff on the floor. “Take your things. The room at the end is yours. Zara, lock your door tonight.”

Zara pouted and made a face at her dad. Then she turned to Ryder, “You hungry? Want me to make you some noodles?”

“Thanks,” Ryder nodded, smiling. “I'd like that.”