Chapter 198 Addison Versus James
Riley's knife was razor-sharp, and she had a powerful background. James knew better than to mess with her; otherwise, he might end up dead without even realizing it.
So, he greeted David and took off.
Even then, James felt a chill down his spine, like someone was itching to stab him.
On his way back to Bright Heart Hall Clinic, James' phone buzzed. He glanced at it—Addison was calling.
He hung up without a second thought.
Addison was relentless, calling three more times before giving up.
Then she sent a text, accusing James of being heartless and trying to turn her daughters against her.
She even threatened to call the cops and accuse him of kidnapping Kaitlyn.
James ignored it and didn't tell Kaitlyn to go home. She was an adult and could make her own choices.
Besides, leaving the Smith family was a good thing.
Lost in thought, James arrived at the clinic. Just as he got out of the car, two more cars pulled up.
It was Addison and Christopher.
James frowned, surprised they had found him.
"Help! Help!"
Just as James was wondering how to deal with them, a desperate cry came from outside the clinic.
A middle-aged man was running frantically, holding a little girl.
He aimed for the taxi stand but turned into the clinic when he saw it.
"Doctor, doctor, help! Help!
"My daughter suddenly collapsed. Please, see what's wrong with her."
A middle-aged man, around forty, was drenched in sweat, holding a four-year-old girl in his arms.
Her face was ashen and his breathing was labored. The girl clutched an ice cream cone in her hand.
Patients quickly stepped aside to let the nearly unconscious child get treated first.
Daniel instinctively called out, "What happened to her?"
"I was using the restroom in the park and told her to wait at the entrance. When I went in, she was fine, eating her ice cream. When I came out, she had collapsed." The man cried out, almost out of breath. "Please save her, I'm begging you, save her."
James stepped forward and took the girl's hand, his expression changing slightly. "She was bitten by a snake."
He then lifted the girl's pant leg, finding three snake bite marks on her left foot.
Her ankle was swollen and slightly blackened, looking very serious.
"Bitten by a snake?"
The man staggered, shocked that his daughter had been bitten by a snake. He then grabbed James and shouted, "Doctor, please save my daughter, save her."
James gently reassured him, "Don't panic, don't panic."
"Are you an idiot?" Just as James was about to take out his acupuncture needles, a scolding voice came from the door. "Your daughter was bitten by a snake, and he can't treat that. Do you want her to die sooner?
"And the owner of this clinic is my ex-son-in-law, who lived with his wife's family after marriage. He only knows how to do laundry and cook, and his medical skills were learned from watching medical lectures.
"His medical license was obtained through connections. Ask him if he has systematically studied medicine or treated anyone before? Letting him treat your daughter is a death sentence."
The man was stunned, not knowing how to react.
Many patients were also taken aback, seemingly surprised by James' background.
James looked up and saw Addison and Christopher rushing in, carrying an emergency kit.
Daniel looked angry and wanted to retort, but James smiled and waved him off, not wanting to argue with someone like Addison.
"James, you may know some medical skills, but this kind of venomous snake bite is beyond your capability. You can't take the risk." Charles also scolded James, "Otherwise, it could be fatal. You need to be practical."
Addison said, "I am the director of CF Clinic, Addison Moore. I have experience with snake bites, handling at least dozens of cases a year. Let me save your daughter."
Addison pushed James aside, then put on gloves to examine the girl's wound.
"This kind of venomous snake bite can only be treated in a hospital. Judging by her condition, she was likely bitten by a rattlesnake, which is common in summer. I happen to have the antivenom.
"Christopher, get the medical kit from my car, now."
James had always disrespected her and even convinced her precious daughter to leave home. Addison didn't mind saving a patient in public to embarrass him.
She figured if she cured the little girl, this clinic would probably have to shut down.
Christopher turned and ran out.
Hearing that Addison was a doctor from CF Clinic, the middle-aged man sighed in relief and said, "Ma'am, thank you."
He shot James an angry look, thinking that if it weren't for meeting a good person like Addison, his daughter would have been delayed by this quack.
Addison waved it off and started treating the girl's wound.
She released the venomous blood from the girl's ankle and then picked up the rattlesnake antivenom to inject.
"Addison, you're being too hasty. You haven't even diagnosed the girl's condition properly, and you're randomly injecting antivenom?"
James couldn't stand it anymore and quickly spoke up to stop her.
"Aren't you worried that the wrong antivenom won't suppress the venom and might even worsen her condition?"
"James, how dare you speak like that? Show some respect," Charles glared at him. "Even if you're divorced, you should still call her Mom."
James warned again, "I'm telling you, don't use the wrong antivenom, or the consequences will be severe."
"Shut up!" Addison was furious. "Are you the doctor, or am I the doctor? What right do you, a latecomer to medicine, have to question me? I have greater expertise than you.
"This wound is clearly from a rattlesnake bite. How could the rattlesnake antivenom be wrong?"
Charles nodded. "Based on my experience, this is indeed a rattlesnake bite."
The middle-aged man glared at James and shouted, "If you don't understand, don't interfere."
James explained, "She wasn't bitten by a rattlesnake; she was bitten by a coral snake."
This type of snake was not only highly aggressive and lightning-fast but also had a fatality rate comparable to that of a king cobra with a single bite.
"Coral snake?" Addison scoffed, "In this place, in this environment, where would a coral snake come from?"
James frowned. "Believe it or not, she was bitten by a coral snake."
"Shut up already. The more you talk, the more ignorant you sound," Addison looked down on James' medical skills. "Just watch. After I inject this antivenom, the little girl will be fine in ten minutes."
James shouted, "You're going to delay her treatment."
The middle-aged man shouted, "Alright, young man, enough of your whining. Mrs. Moore here is a highly experienced doctor, far superior to someone like you with no formal training.
"If you don't know what you're talking about, then shut up. If you delay my daughter's treatment, I swear I'll tear this clinic apart."
He shook his fist at James, clearly ready to take physical action if James continued.
Addison gave James a triumphant look and then injected the antivenom into the little girl.
Soon, the girl's complexion improved slightly—less of the dark hue, her lips regained some color, and she appeared to be stabilizing.
The middle-aged man and several patients clapped, acknowledging Addison's effort.
James, however, frowned, staring at the girl's heaving chest.
He sensed something was wrong and grabbed the girl's hand, his face changing dramatically.
"What are you doing? Why are you touching my daughter?" The middle-aged man slapped James's hand away and shouted, "Don't cause trouble, or I won't let you off."
He then looked at Addison. "Mrs. Moore, why isn't my daughter waking up?"
"Don't worry, it's too soon to see results. The antivenom takes time. We need to wait at least ten minutes!."
Addison confidently checked the time. "If it works after ten minutes, another injection will do the trick.
"James, if I save this little girl, you better hand over Kaitlyn."
James didn't respond. Seeing the girl's increasingly flushed face, he turned and rushed out of the clinic, heading straight for the park restroom.
"See, he's scared, isn't he?" Addison looked at James with a proud smile. "Competing with me in medical skills? I'll scare you to death."
Christopher and Abigail cheered.
Before they could finish speaking, the little girl's body convulsed, her limbs twitched, and she spat out a mouthful of blood.
Her entire face turned black in an instant.
She was in critical condition!
Addison's confident facade crumbled as he stood frozen, dumbstruck by the unfolding crisis.
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