Chapter 40 Only Treats Minor Illnesses
Patrick strolled into the store, letting out a big ol' sigh of relief. Just a bit ago, while they were trudging through Chrysanthemum Alley, he was sweating bullets, thinking Charles would bounce.
But, Charles actually toughed it out.
Inside the pharmacy, it was all spick and span, with paintings on the walls and medicine cabinets smack dab in the middle.
Charles gave the place a once-over, his eyes landing on one of the paintings. Adeline sauntered over and said, "That's a replica."
Charles asked, "Where's the original?"
She replied, "Beats me."
Adeline clearly wasn't in the mood to chat, and Charles got the hint, zoning in on the painting, his eyes widening.
In the oil painting, there was this huge valley, with the morning sun just peeking over the ridge, casting a soft golden glow. The valley was still cloaked in morning mist, giving it a mysterious vibe.
If he didn't know the original "Dawn Valley" was snatched up by some overseas collector, he might've thought this one was the real deal.
Whoever faked it did a bang-up job.
Xavier piped up, "Opening a foot massage joint like this in a city; that's wild!"
"Pharmacy," Adeline corrected him, cool as a cucumber.
Xavier quickly backtracked, "This pharmacy is pretty rad!"
"Adeline, you're back!" Summer hobbled out from the back room, leaning on a cane. Seeing the crowd, she was first surprised, then beamed. "Are you all Adeline's friends?"
Patrick jumped in, "Yep! Hi there."
Summer nodded approvingly, her eyes landing on Charles. "And this gentleman?"
Before Adeline could say anything, Charles nodded. "Yep. Hi."
Summer's smile was warm, her face crinkling up, making her look like the sweetest old lady. Seeing Adeline with so many polite and good-looking friends, she was genuinely stoked for her.
Then, Summer playfully scolded Adeline, "Adeline, why didn't you tell me you were bringing a crowd? I'll have Robert grab some groceries and whip up something tasty for everyone."
"Grandma, they're not here for a meal. He's not feeling well, so I brought him for some acupuncture," Adeline said, pulling out a wheelchair to help her sit down.
As a seasoned healer, Summer could tell Charles's condition just by looking at him. "Adeline, is he just not feeling well?"
Adeline gave a small smile. "Yeah, just a bit off. His digestion's slow, so I'm giving him a massage. Don't worry, I won't give him any random meds."
Summer patted her hand gently. "Remember what I told you."
Adeline chuckled. "I did. For minor stuff, use massage. For major issues, don't prescribe meds recklessly if massage can't fix it. Send them to the hospital across the street. We only handle minor stuff here."
She remembered Summer's advice clearly, but couldn't quite recall why they had to do it this way. It seemed like something from way back, even Angela had once reminded her that Summer had once caused a death while treating a patient and it was better to steer clear of the pharmacy.
Summer was super hush-hush about the incident, leaving Adeline clueless about what went down. She didn't dare bring it up with Summer and couldn't find any clues, so she had to let it slide.
Over time, this whole thing became a thorn in Adeline's side. She always felt like there was more to it and that it might bite them in the future.
Summer didn't know what she was thinking, just assuming she was zoning out again. She stroked Adeline's long hair and smiled. "Adeline, good girl."
To play along, Adeline slightly lowered her body, looking all obedient.
Xavier was gobsmacked. Was this really the same miracle doc they knew, who always smiled but whose smile was colder than ice? The only one who could match her chilly demeanor was Charles. Wherever they went, the cooling effect was like air conditioning.
While Xavier was lost in his thoughts, Patrick frowned. "Mr. Livingston, her grandma's leg..."
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