Chapter 202 Doing Trivial Work
Addison messing up was nothing more than a random blip, James almost forgot about it in a heartbeat.
James was drowning in work these days, no way around it.
He had to see the patients, manage the renovations, and teach Randy how to mix meds, but he still squeezed in time to train Samuel.
First off, James set Samuel up with a medicinal bath to toughen him up, then schooled him in some killer martial arts moves.
The set only had three moves.
But man, they packed a punch.
Samuel was hooked right from the start. Every day after cleaning the clinic, he'd sneak into the backyard and practice like a man possessed.
After a few days, Samuel got the hang of it and even started giving off this low-key intimidating vibe, which made James feel better, not having to babysit him to avoid screw-ups.
Still, James couldn't catch a break. After the whole snake-bite drama with Lily, his rep shot through the roof, and he was seeing over a hundred patients a day.
Randy and Daniel were swamped, and Bradley, Mark, and Katherine couldn't pitch in, so James had to step up.
"You've got a cold. I'll hook you up with two sets of meds."
"Your toothache's from inflammation. I'll give you a couple of acupuncture treatments, but lay off the spicy and fried stuff."
"Your muscle cramps are from a calcium deficiency. No meds needed; just grab some dietary supplements or vitamins."
That day, James treated over twenty patients in one go. Just as he was about to see the next one, Bruce rolled in with Mia.
James gave them a nod.
"Mr. Williams, you're busy, huh?" Bruce, looking way less intimidating than usual, smiled sheepishly. "Go ahead, finish up first."
He sat down with Mia to wait, not a hint of impatience.
Mia was well-behaved too, sitting quietly with her dad and occasionally glancing at James with a mix of fear and admiration.
They waited for three hours. By the time James was done, it was almost noon.
James didn't put on airs and invited Bruce and Mia to join him for lunch.
Olivia wasn't around today, so everyone had a boxed lunch and a soda.
"Bruce, sorry for the simple meal; it's just too busy." James apologized. "I'll treat you to a big meal another day when I have time."
Bruce waved it off. "James, you're too kind. I'm the one intruding."
After some small talk, James got to the point. "Did you come here today for a health issue?"
Logically, Bruce shouldn't have shown up until next month; his health was fine for now.
"No, my health is great. Your skills not only got me out of the wheelchair but also restored seventy percent of my martial arts abilities. I can feel the power in me.."
Bruce, knowing James' no-nonsense style, got straight to it. "I came here today for two reasons. First, to thank you for your generosity. After taking the medicine, Mia's regained some strength. I brought her here to see how much of her martial arts abilities can be restored."
He pulled out a check and handed it to James respectfully.
"This is a token of Mia's appreciation."
$1,562,500.
James didn't touch the check, just took a few bites of his food, then reached out to hold Mia's hand.
Mia's body trembled, and she almost dropped her knife and fork. It was like no man had ever held her wrist before.
"Keep taking the meds," James said, letting go of her hand. "After two weeks, come back, and I'll hook you up with a new prescription."
"In a month, she'll get back about thirty percent of her martial arts skills. In a year, she can regain ninety percent of her old strength. But she needs to chill and not go all Hulk on people. If she gets messed up again, that's it."
James didn't have much of a soft spot for Mia, but if she could turn things around, he was down to give her a shot.
"Thank you, Mr. Williams," Mia said softly before Bruce could jump in. "I'll be a better person from now on."
She had no fight left in her for James. One palm strike had taken her down, and one dose of medicine had brought her back. She was a big deal among the younger crowd in the Mystic Alliance, yet she couldn't handle a single hit from James. The gap between them was like night and day.
How could Mia not be convinced?
"That's not enough," Bruce suddenly said, all serious. "James went out of his way to help you change. You should pay him back properly. This clinic is crazy busy, and they're short-staffed."
"Starting tomorrow, you will report to the clinic every day. You might not be able to diagnose or prescribe, but you can at least serve tea and clean up."
He pointed at Mia. "This will not only teach you a lesson but also lighten James' load so he can better treat patients."
Mia quickly lowered her head. "Got it."
James was taken aback and quickly waved his hand. "Bruce, this won't work; it'll mess with her martial arts training."
He just had a small clinic, and Mia doing chores would be out of place.
Bruce cut him off. "Her martial arts are crippled. Without getting back at least fifty percent, more training is pointless. This is also the punishment she deserves. You can't just let it slide; there has to be some consequence."
"Don't worry, she won't take a penny in wages. Just provide food and lodging. James, you're a kind person. Give Mia a chance."
Bruce was dead set. "If you don't want to see her, I'll come and do the chores myself."
Mia looked pitiful. "I'll do my job well."
James had a headache dealing with this father-daughter duo.
'Could it be that James feels sorry for Mia and doesn't want her to do heavy work?' Bruce thought.
Seeing James hesitate, Bruce seized the moment. "By the way, James, I heard you are divorced, and Mia..."
"Stop right there," James quickly interrupted, his headache worsening. "Alright, for your sake, I'll let Mia do some chores. Food and lodging provided, $5,000 a month, one-month trial period."
James made a decision. "If she does well, she stays; if not, she's out."
"That's settled then," Bruce said, delighted. He patted Mia on the head. "Stop eating and get to work. Can't you see how messy the clinic is?"
Mia thanked James repeatedly and got up to tidy the patient area and serve tea.
Daniel was over the moon; finally, someone was there to help.
James then looked at Bruce. "You mentioned two things. Besides your daughter, what's the other one?"
Bruce's expression turned serious. "Mr. Davis wants to see you."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
