Web Fic
Chapter 97
Chapter 97
Chapter 97 Do You Dare
A spry
old woman dressed in cultural attire and whose hair was dark and glossy walked in through the courtyard gate. She appeared highly anxious.
“Old Mdm. Brown,” Romona greeted with a hint of relief. She rushed forward to clasp the old lady’s hand. “I’m glad that you’re here. You need to talk some sense into Uncle Adam. Can you believe he just randomly hired someone to treat Waylynn? Even the top ten miracle physicians are at a loss. How can an outsider possibly help?”
The elderly woman was Xena Brown, the lone female among the top ten renowned doctors of Loang.
Every month, the Wright family would invite Xena to administer a seven-day treatment for Waylynn. They hoped that it would provide the latter respite from the searing pain of her burns.
Romona’s confidence soared as she knew she had backing now. “Finnegan, I suggest you leave immediately. While you might have successfully fooled Uncle Adam and even Granddad, I doubt that Old Mdm. Brown, a respected medical expert, will be taken in by your deceit.” Content provided by NôvelDrama.Org.
“Finnegan? You’re Finnegan Larkin?”
Xena pushed Romona aside and rushed over to Finnegan.
Romona seemed utterly displeased as she watched Xena hold the man’s hand and study him from head to toe. “I didn’t know you were actually this young. Seems like the old men weren’t kidding!”
Adam was caught off guard. “Old Mdm. Brown, why are you here?”
Old Mdm. Brown should only arrive a week later.
Xena flashed a warm smile and replied, “Last night, Old Mr. Wright called me and mentioned there might be hope for treating Waylynn’s burns. So, I caught an early flight to ensure I don’t miss out on witnessing a potential miracle!”
Adam nodded. It did not occur to him that his father had tipped her off.
Finnegan, who had guessed Xena’s identity based on the ongoing conversations, introduced himself humbly, “Nice to meet you, Old Mdm. Brown. I am Finnegan Larkin.”
There’s no need to be so formal.” Xena waved her hand in a dismissive gesture.
Her late master had once received guidance from Sawyer and considered him as a mentor.
In terms of seniority, Xena had to respectfully address Finnegan as “Mr. Larkin.”
Finnegan naturally understood this. However, he couldn’t possibly put on airs in front of Xena, who was already in her seventies.
“Old Mdm. Brown, I’m much younger than you. You can just call me Finnegan.”
Xena, however, had a traditional and stubborn mindset. She shook her head and said, “That won’t do. If my late master knew about this, he’d say I lacked respect for my seniors.”
Romona finally snapped back to reality.
Feeling baffled, she asked, “Old Mdm. Brown, why are you being so polite to him? He’s just a jerk who likes to speak nonsense.”
“Shut up!” Xena scolded with a stern face. “Mr. Larkin is my senior. If you dare show disrespect again, I’ll give you a resounding slap. Even Old Mr. Quickwood and Old Mr. Wright won’t be able to stop me!”
Romona had thought that Xena would be on her side, but to her surprise, she defended Finnegan even more adamantly than Adam.
Wait a minute!
Romona widened her eyes in realization. “Old Mdm. Brown, what did you say?”
Xena said with a serious expression, “He is my master’s senior, Mr. Larkin.”
Upon hearing this, Romona stood frozen in place.
Old Mdm. Brown’s master’s senior? Didn’t her master pass away over twenty years ago? How could he have such a young senior? However, Old Mdm. Brown doesn’t seem like she’s joking.
Romona suppressed her shock and said, “Old Mdm. Brown, I’m not sure what’s going on here, but Finnegan definitely isn’t a capable man. I hope you can persuade Uncle Adam to change his mind so that Waylynn’s injuries won’t worsen!”
“Captain Quickwood, it’s not good to bear grudges,” Finnegan interrupted before Xena could reprimand her. He also signaled Adam to remain quiet.
Romona scoffed, “It’s your fault for questioning my character and acting so arrogantly back then. Besides, Old Mdm. Brown and the others have no idea how to treat Waylynn’s burns. Even if you have some skills, there’s no way you are more talented than them, right?”
Observing her pettiness and refusal to accept defeat, Finnegan resolved to dampen her spirits. “You seem to hold a rather negative view of me. How about we make a bet? If I can heal Ms. Wright’s burns, you’ll serve as my maid for a month. If I fail, I’ll apologize for what I said that day and crawl out of the Wright residence on my knees.”
Xena’s expression shifted slightly. “Mr. Larkin?”
Adam also hurriedly advised, “Dr. Larkin, Romona has a bad temper. There’s no need to care about her.”
Finnegan ignored them. His gaze remained fixed on Romona as he asked, “Do you dare accept the bet?”
At first, Romona was a little hesitant.
However, his words felt like a provocation to her. She retorted, “Fine, I’ll take your bet! But I have an added condition: If you fail. I get to beat you up, and you can’t ask anyone for help.”
“Okay! Just be prepared to be my humble maid.”
“You should prepare yourself for a good thrashing from me!”
After sterilizing themselves and changing into sterile attire, they stepped into the sealed sterile ward.
Waylynn, whose body was marred by burns covering nearly ninety percent of her skin, was lying on the sterile bed, draped by a thin sheet. Only her face was exposed. Her features were distorted; her upper lip and nose were dangerously close to merging.
The burns had stripped her skin away, leaving behind a desiccated, darkened flesh. The gory look was enough to send shivers down one’s spine.
When Waylynn saw them, including Finnegan who was a stranger, she looked fearful, and a raspy sound escaped her throat.
The fire episode had not only damaged her skin but also affected her ability to speak.
Adam quickly rushed to Waylynn’s side and comforted her, “This is Dr. Finnegan Larkin. We have asked him to treat you. There’s no need to be afraid.”
Waylynn merely shook her head, inadvertently causing her neck to crack.
It was evident she was not keen on Finnegan tending to her wounds, nor did she wish an outsider to witness her altered appearance.
Seeing that, Adam, as a father, couldn’t suppress his sadness. “Waylynn, please trust me just this once. Let Dr. Larkin treat you.”
The tears in her father’s eyes tugged at Waylynn’s heartstrings.
Suppressing her internal resistance, she rasped out a strained acknowledgment.
“Thank you
for your help, Dr. Larkin.”
Finnegan nodded and stepped forward to begin the examination for Waylynn.
Xena said, “Mr. Larkin, nearly ninety percent of Waylynn’s body has been burned. Apart from a small section below her abdomen, the other parts of her, including her head, are affected. We’re currently focusing on softening the burn scars and alleviating the pain caused by the wound’s tightening and tearing. In addition to her vocal cords, numerous nerves throughout her body have suffered damage. It’s a challenge to help her to stand up. I’m afraid…”
Xena trailed off, but Finnegan understood she was implying that even he might not be able to treat Waylynn.
Romona added coldly, “Finnegan, quickly speak up if you don’t have a solution. I promise to go easy on you when I beat you up.”
Finnegan ignored her threats.
His gaze was infused with spiritual energy as he studied the body beneath the sheet. It was burned beyond recognition, and some areas were cracking and seeping with blood.
Finnegan furrowed his brows as Waylynn’s burns were more serious than he had initially presumed.
When Adam noticed Finnegan’s solemn expression, he asked anxiously, “Dr. Larkin, do you have a solution? It would help if Waylynn could regain just a fraction of her health so that she doesn’t need to be contined in this sterile chamber forever.”
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Chapter 97 Do You Dare
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After thinking for a short while, Finnegan said, “Her condition is slightly more dire than I have anticipated. But it will merely require more time for me to treat her. She will be fully recovered and given a new lease on life in a month’s time.”