The Divine Physician's Rebirth: Ascension from Silverbrook

Chapter 7: Debt

Theo jumped, nearly dropping his bowl. Footsteps pounded through the clinic, a jumble of worried voices rising louder and louder.

“Hey, what's going on?” Theo yelled, trying to be heard, but no one listened. The room was filled with panic.

“Doctor, help! My legs, I can't feel them!” A shaky voice cried out. A woman stumbled forward, grabbing at her legs, eyes wide.

A man, bent over in pain, gasped, “My back is killing me! I can barely move!”

A frantic voice shrieked, “Something's wrong with my kidneys! Help!” The clinic had turned into an emergency room in seconds, everyone yelling.

All the voices mixed together into one desperate cry. Theo's heart pounded as he looked around, confused. Not a normal day.

Everyone was focused on Dante.

Dante calmly put down his bowl. He wiped his mouth slowly, like he was ready for this. He smiled slightly, but seemed serious. Standing tall, he raised his hand to quiet the crowd, speaking calmly but firmly. “Okay, everyone. Line up. I'll help you one at a time, but let me finish eating.”

Theo was stunned as the crowd actually started to line up. ‘Was this a joke?’ He'd never seen anything like it. He hurried over to Dante, struggling to keep up through the crowd with his short legs.

“What's all this?” Theo asked, annoyed. “I'm the doctor here! Shouldn't they be coming to me?”

“A regular, who'd been in the chess game,” Theo chuckled.

“You're okay, I guess. But Dante...” a man smiled, “He's special. Draven was stuck in bed, but after some needles from him, he was walking again!”

Theo's jaw dropped. “Draven can walk? He cured him?”

“That's right!” People agreed excitedly. “It was a miracle!”

Theo's mind raced. Just then, the clinic door creaked open. Mr. Draven himself walked in, helped by his family. His legs shook, but he was walking. It seemed impossible.

“Young man,” Draven said, his voice full of emotion. He clasped his hands, tears in his eyes. “Thank you so much.” He walked towards Dante, each step slow but his own.

Dante stood up calmly. He smiled gently. “It was nothing. I just hope traditional medicine keeps doing well here.”

Draven's son, a big guy with a tough face, stepped forward, handing Dante a fancy banner and a thick envelope. “Please, a thank you.”

Theo's eyes went straight to the envelope. He grabbed it from the young man. “Yes, thank you!” he blurted out, too excited.

The room went silent. Draven's family looked at each other, unsure what to do about Theo's greed. They smiled weakly, but said nothing.

Dante just sat back down and picked up his bowl, like nothing had happened. “Let's help you all,” he said, turning to the line of people.

The crowd moved forward quietly as Dante started checking people out.

The first patient stepped up—a man with a tired face. “Doctor, my stomach's been bad for years. Bloated, painful, always hurting.”

Dante checked the man's pulse. He frowned, thinking hard. “Cold got inside,” he mumbled. He looked at the man. “You fell into cold water as a kid, didn't you?”

The man's eyes opened wide. “How did you know?”

Dante smiled and pulled out a small bag of herbs. “Take this three times a day for three days. You'll feel better.”

He did the same with each patient. He acted like he knew them all, his diagnoses right, his treatments good. Some got acupuncture, others herbs, all specific to what they needed. Over hours, he helped over thirty people, who were so relieved and grateful.

Theo watched, unable to look away. The money on the counter kept growing so much he couldn't believe it. He got such a kick.

When Zara got back from school, she was shocked to see the packed waiting room, the pile of money, and the happy patients. She stopped, her mouth open. “Dad... this is amazing!” She teared up, grinning.

Dante didn't care, his focus was complete. This was what mattered. Not money or praise, just helping people. He felt good with each patient, each diagnosis, each treatment.

As the last patient left and the clinic started to empty, the sun went down. Some people were still outside, really needing help.

Dante stood up, smiling a little. “Okay, everyone, I need to stop for today. Even healers need rest.”

The patients outside nodded and left.

Theo rubbed his hands together excitedly. “Let's get drinks tonight to celebrate!” He could feel the anticipation. “Zara, get my best stuff!”

Zara grinned, heading to the back. “Wow, Dad, you're being nice today!”

But as she was about to go in the back, the clinic door flew open.

Three tough-looking guys walked in, making the room feel scary

“Well, well, Theo! Celebrating huh?” The leader, a skinny guy named William, smirked, his toothpick moving around in his mouth.

Theo's smile died. “Uh... William! What are you doing here?” he stuttered, bowing a little.

William wasn't friendly. “Stop, old man. Saw all the people you had today. You made good money.” His tone turned mean. Daniel says, “the protection money is going up this month. Time to pay.”

Theo’s face drained of color. "No, William, please—this... this isn’t the time!" His voice wavered, betraying the fear that churned in his gut.

William’s smirk only widened. "Shut up, Theo. If you can’t pay, maybe your daughter can help us out. What do you think, huh?" He took a step forward, his intentions clear as he reached out to touch Zara’s cheek.

Before his fingers could make contact, a firm hand shot out, gripping William’s wrist with surprising force.

Dante stood there, slender and unassuming, but his eyes were cold, as though they had frozen over.

William’s confident sneer faltered as he looked into Dante’s gaze—one that was both calm and unshakable.

Dante’s voice, smooth and authoritative, broke the tension. "You’ve got two seconds to reconsider. One… two…" His grip tightened just enough to make his point.