The Master They Underestimated

Chapter 4

The automatic glass doors of Jayrodale General Hospital opened abruptly as a group of bodyguards rushed into the lobby, clearing a path for an incoming gurney.

  An elderly man lay on the stretcher, his face pale beneath the bright fluorescent lights. An oxygen mask covered his nose and mouth while a paramedic checked his pulse and quickly updated the medical staff.

  Hurrying behind them was a tall woman in a fitted black dress. Her long dark hair fell over her shoulders, and the calm expression she usually carried had been replaced by worry.

  “Grandpa, please... just hold on. Stay with me.”

  Vanessa Rhodes held his cold hand tightly until the nurses rushed him through the double doors of the emergency room.

  As the only heiress of the powerful Rhodes conglomerate, Vanessa was used to handling difficult situations. She was intelligent, confident, and respected in Jayrodale's business circles, but none of that mattered to her now.

  Arthur Rhodes was the only family member who had always stood by her. The thought of losing him terrified her.

  “Get the best doctors here immediately,” she ordered the head of security. “I don't care who they have to call. Just make sure my grandfather gets the best treatment possible.”

  “Understood, Miss Rhodes.”

  The bodyguard quickly stepped aside and began making calls, while Vanessa remained near the emergency room doors, watching as the medical staff hurried in and out. She tried to keep her composure, but every passing minute made it harder to hide her worry.

  Her grandfather had been fine that morning. Now, he was fighting for his life, and no one had been able to explain why.

  Footsteps approached from the other end of the hallway. A middle-aged doctor in a white coat walked toward her, adjusting his glasses as he came to a stop.

  “Miss Rhodes, I'm Dr. Nathaniel Grant, the deputy chief of medicine. I was informed that your grandfather was brought in. Can you tell me exactly what happened?”

  Vanessa turned to face him.

  “He collapsed during an executive meeting. He complained of dizziness, then suddenly began struggling to breathe. Our private doctor tried to help him but couldn't determine what was wrong.”

  She took a breath, trying to keep her voice steady.

  “Dr. Grant, my grandfather has regular medical checkups. He was doing well just two weeks ago. I need to know what's causing this, and I need your team to do everything possible to save him.”

  Nathaniel's expression grew serious. He could tell how much Arthur meant to her, and he understood the pressure that came with treating someone as influential as the Rhodes patriarch.

  “I understand your concern, Miss Rhodes. I'll oversee his treatment personally. Our chief physician is currently away at a conference, but we have experienced doctors on duty. We'll do everything we can to stabilize him.”

  Vanessa studied his face, looking for any sign of uncertainty.

  “I hope you understand that I won't accept carelessness when my grandfather's life is at stake.”

  “Of course.”

  Nathaniel gave her a brief nod before turning toward the doctors gathered outside the emergency room.

  “Everyone, I want your full attention on this case. We need to find out what's causing Mr. Rhodes's condition and stabilize him as quickly as possible. If you've noticed anything unusual, speak up immediately.”

  The doctors nodded and began discussing the case among themselves. Before long, a young resident stepped forward, eager to take part.

  “Dr. Grant, I'd like to assist you with the treatment.”

  Nathaniel turned toward him. It was Dr. Julian Mercer, a resident who had been making steady progress at the hospital. He was ambitious and confident, and he had been waiting for an opportunity to prove himself in a high-profile case.

  “Are you prepared to handle the pressure?” Nathaniel asked.

  “Absolutely, sir. I'll follow your instructions and give the patient my full attention.”

  Nathaniel gave a small nod.

  “Good. Get ready. You're coming with me.”

  Julian's face brightened. He turned toward Vanessa, eager to make a good impression.

  “Miss Rhodes, I'll do everything I can to help your grandfather recover. You can count on me.”

  Vanessa gave him a measured look.

  “I'll hold you to that, Doctor. My grandfather's life is what matters here, not promises.”

  Julian's smile faltered, but he quickly recovered.

  “Yes, ma'am.”

  He was about to follow Nathaniel toward the emergency room when a senior physician stepped forward.

  “Deputy Chief, may I make a suggestion?”

  Nathaniel stopped and glanced at him.

  “What is it, Dr. Foster?”

  “Wouldn't it be better to bring Dr. Damon Cahallan into this case? He's one of the strongest diagnosticians we have. If Mr. Rhodes is suffering from an unusual condition, Damon's experience could make a difference.”

  Nathaniel's expression tightened.

  “Why bring up Cahallan now? We already have a team ready to handle the case.”

  “Because this isn't an ordinary case,” Dr. Foster replied. “Last month, Damon identified an arterial complication that several experienced doctors had overlooked. I'm not questioning Julian's ability, but we should have the most qualified people involved from the beginning.”

  Another senior doctor stepped forward in support.

  “Dr. Foster is right. Damon's diagnostic skills are well known in this hospital. It would be unwise to leave him out simply because we've already chosen an assistant.”

  Julian's expression darkened.

  “Are you suggesting I'm not qualified to help?”

  “No one said that,” Dr. Foster replied. “But there's a difference between being qualified and being the best person for a particular case. The patient's condition should come before anyone's pride.”

  Julian clenched his jaw, clearly unhappy with the remark.

  Nathaniel had heard enough. He knew Damon was an exceptional doctor, and that was precisely what made the situation uncomfortable. Giving Damon the case would mean allowing someone else to receive the recognition he had hoped Julian would earn.

  “That's enough,” he said firmly. “I've made my decision. Julian will assist me, and we'll proceed with the treatment. We don't have time to keep debating this.”

  The senior doctors exchanged frustrated glances. None of them wanted to argue further with the deputy chief, especially with the patient in critical condition.

  A short distance away, Damon Cahallan stood near the central station, reviewing a patient's test results on his tablet. He had heard every word of the discussion, but he made no effort to join in.

  Since his breakup with Tessa Whitlock, he had become even less interested in hospital politics. He had spent enough time dealing with people who judged doctors by their connections rather than their ability. He wasn't about to beg anyone for a chance to prove what he could do.

  A fellow resident approached him, shaking his head in disbelief.

  “Damon, are you seriously going to let them push you aside again?”

  Damon continued scrolling through the results.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Don't pretend you didn't hear them. The Rhodes patriarch is in critical condition, and the senior doctors specifically recommended you. Yet Dr. Grant still chose Julian.”

  Damon finally lowered the tablet and looked at him.

  “Dr. Grant is in charge of the team. If he wants Julian to assist him, that's his decision.”

  His colleague stared at him as though he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

  “And you're just going to accept it? Everyone here knows how good you are. You could have handled this case, but you won't even speak up for yourself.”

  Damon placed the tablet on the counter and adjusted his coat.

  “I became a doctor to treat patients, not to compete for recognition. If Dr. Grant doesn't want me on the case, there's no point in arguing with him.”

  “That's exactly why they keep overlooking you!” his colleague protested. “You do the hard work, someone else takes the credit, and you act as though none of it matters.”

  Damon gave him a faint smile.

  “Would making a scene change his mind? If the patient needs me, he'll ask for my help. Until then, I have other patients to attend to.”

  His colleague let out a frustrated sigh.

  “Sometimes I wonder if anything can make you angry.”

  “Plenty of things can,” Damon replied, picking up his tablet again. “Hospital politics just isn't one of them.”

  Before his colleague could respond, a triage nurse hurried down the hallway.

  “Dr. Mercer! Deputy Chief Grant needs you in Bay 1 immediately!”

  Julian straightened his coat and quickly stepped forward.

  “I'm on my way.”

  As he passed Damon, he slowed briefly and gave him a satisfied smile, as though he'd won a competition.

  Damon didn't even look up.

  Julian's expression tightened at being ignored, but he continued toward the emergency room.

  Across the hallway, Vanessa had watched the exchange from beginning to end. She had noticed the senior doctors' insistence that Damon be included, as well as Nathaniel's immediate refusal.

  It wasn't the first time she had seen people use their positions to favor someone they liked. But seeing it happen while her grandfather's life was in danger made her deeply uneasy.

  She turned as her personal assistant, Eunice Brooks, hurried over.

  “Miss Rhodes, is there any news about your grandfather?”

  “Not yet.” Vanessa glanced toward the emergency room before looking back at her. “I need you to find out something for me. Who is the doctor they were arguing about just now, and why were those senior physicians so determined to have him treat my grandfather?”

  Eunice followed her gaze to where Damon stood near the central station.

  “The doctor standing by the desk?”

  “Yes. Find out everything relevant to his qualifications and experience. I want to know why they believe he's the right person for this case.”

  “Understood, Miss Rhodes.”

  Eunice moved to the side, pulling up her ipad while Vanessa remained outside the emergency room, watching the doors with growing concern.

  She had no intention of interfering in the doctors' work without reason. But if her grandfather's life was at risk because someone had allowed personal interests to influence a medical decision, she would not stand by and accept it.

  A few minutes later, Eunice returned, her expression serious.

  “His name is Dr. Damon Cahallan. From what I have read, he's considered one of the best diagnosticians in the emergency department. Several senior doctors believe he's especially good at identifying unusual conditions.”

  Vanessa turned toward the emergency room, where nurses hurried past the glass doors with trays of medication and medical equipment. Every passing second made her more anxious, but she forced herself to remain composed.

  “Then why did Dr. Grant choose Julian when his own colleagues recommended Damon?” she asked, turning to Eunice.

  “From what I've gathered, Dr. Grant and Dr. Mercer have a close relationship. He's been giving Julian opportunities to handle important cases, even when other doctors disagree with his decisions.”

  Vanessa's fingers tightened around the strap of her handbag. “So my grandfather's life has become another opportunity for him to promote someone he favors?”

  Eunice lowered her voice. “It appears that way, Miss Rhodes. The senior doctors weren't happy about it, but Dr. Grant refused to reconsider.”

  Vanessa looked toward the emergency room doors, her expression growing colder. She had seen enough favoritism in business to recognize it, but she had never expected to encounter it while her grandfather's life was at stake.

  “If anything happens to my grandfather because someone wanted to protect his position, I'll hold the hospital responsible.”

  Eunice nodded, then hesitated as though she had remembered something important.

  “There's another detail you might want to know. Dr. Cahallan recently went through a public breakup with Tessa Whitlock, the CEO of Stevens Corp. She's now engaged to Beckett Sloane"

  Vanessa glanced toward Damon, who stood near the central station, calmly examining a patient's results on his tablet. He hadn't argued with the deputy chief or tried to convince anyone of his abilities. He had simply stepped aside and continued working.

  Vanessa watched him for another moment. She couldn't understand how a doctor with such a reputation could stand by while a less experienced colleague took his place in a critical case. Still, she had no time to concern herself with his personal circumstances.

  “I don't care what happened between him and that woman. If he's as good as they claim, then I want him treating my grandfather.”

  Before Eunice could answer, a piercing alarm sounded from inside the emergency room.

  The doors swung open, and a nurse rushed into the hallway, nearly colliding with a passing orderly.

  “Dr. Grant! We have a problem!”

  Nathaniel hurried toward her, his expression tightening. “What happened? Is the patient responding to treatment?”

  “No, Doctor. His blood pressure keeps dropping, and his heart rhythm is becoming dangerously unstable. We've administered the prescribed medication, but his condition isn't improving.”

 Nathaniel stared at her. “That shouldn't be happening. What else have you tried?”

 The nurse hesitated, then delivered the words that made everyone in the hallway go still.

 “Doctor, we've tried everything. We're losing him.”