Chapter 94
At the mention of a doctor in the crowd, people immediately parted to make way for Caitlin.
But as soon as they realized the “doctor” was just a girl of seventeen or eighteen, skepticism swept through the onlookers. Whispers rippled-how could someone so young possibly be a real doctor? She probably hadn’t even started college yet, had she? Everyone knew medical school took years, and fresh graduates could barely land a job as a medical assistant, let alone actually treat patients on their own. No hospital would trust a teenager like her, not even as an intern.
Caitlin, however, paid no mind to their stares. Unfazed and composed, she knelt beside the elderly woman lying on the pavement. Her expression didn’t waver for a second, calm and focused even as the sun beat down relentlessly. With practiced hands, she checked the woman’s pulse, then reached into her satchel and pulled out a slim case of gleaming silver acupuncture needles.
The needles glinted sharply in the sunlight, sending a shiver through the crowd.
Just as Caitlin was about to insert the first needle, someone couldn’t hold back any longer. “Hey, young lady, do you even have a medical license? If something happens and this woman dies, you’ll be held responsible! There are plenty of witnesses here-you can’t just run away p>
“Human life is at stake, sweetheart, don’t do anything reckless,” another voice chimed in.
Caitlin’s tone was steady and clear. “Please, everyone, don’t worry. I’m a practitioner of traditional medicine with all the necessary certifications. This woman’s condition is critical-if we don’t treat her right now, she could stop breathing at any moment p>
Her words only deepened the crowd’s disbelief. People exchanged looks, amusement and derision flickering in their eyes. A teenage girl claiming to be some kind of prodigy? Sure. Certifications? That was rich.
“If you’re really some legendary healer, then I’m Hippocrates come back from the dead!” one man scoffed.
“And I’m Jesus Christ,” someone else called out, and the crowd erupted into laughter.
But Caitlin didn’t so much as flinch. Calmly, she inserted needles into several key points on the old woman’s body-careful, precise, utterly unhurried. Then she reached into her bag again, this time producing a small porcelain vial. She tipped out a single brown pill and gently placed it in the woman’s mouth, coaxing her to swallow.
This was no ordinary pill. It was a fast-acting heart remedy, one Caitlin had crafted herself-far more effective than anything available in a pharmacy. On the rare occasions it surfaced on the medical market, a single pill could fetch upwards of twenty thousand dollars, and even then, it was nearly impossible to obtain.
Seeing Caitlin not only perform acupuncture but also give the woman a mysterious pill, the crowd grew even more alarmed.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing? What if she dies because of you?” someone shouted.
“She won’t,” Caitlin replied firmly. “She’ll wake up very soon p>
“How soon is ‘soon’?” another asked.
“Within three minutes,” Caitlin said quietly.
Three minutes? The crowd was incredulous.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep!” a woman sneered. “That poor lady hasn’t
moved an inch-if anything, you’ve made things worse p>
“There’s no way she’ll wake up, not in three minutes. Not even in thirty p>
Someone pulled out their phone and started a timer.
Caitlin ignored the jeers and accusations, her focus entirely on her patient. The seconds ticked by.
Ding.
Three minutes had passed.
“Hey, girl, you said the lady would be awake by now. Why isn’t she moving? Are you going to admit you messed up p>
“Murderer p>
“She’s not going anywhere-let’s keep her here until the police arrive p>
The tension in the air was thickening by the second.
And then, just as things were about to spiral out of control, the elderly woman’s eyelids fluttered—and with a trembling breath, she opened her eyes.