“So, they really have the nerve to make you leave with nothing?”
The next day, Nancy came for her nasal treatment, but couldn’t resist bringing up the latest on Sophia’s divorce. She grew increasingly indignant, cursing the Scott family.
“The Scott family is awful! I should have my brother talk to Scott Livinus, get them to at least leave you with a fair settlement. They donate millions every year to NGOs, so this shouldn’t be a big deal.”
Sophia hesitated, then quickly said, “No! Don’t drag him into this!”
“Why not?” Nancy asked, puzzled.
“I just don’t want any extra trouble.” Sophia laughed as she removed the acupuncture needles. Nancy’s nose began to run again, emptying everything it had, and by the end, her nasal passages felt almost completely clear.
Sophia prepared a fresh batch of medicinal powder for her to inhale.
“Oh, this feels like I’m snorting something illegal!” Nancy joked.
Sophia chuckled. “You have quite the imagination.”
As she was about to disinfect the needles, she noticed two men carrying a middle-aged woman down the mountain path.
The woman was clutching her abdomen, sweating profusely in pain. The two men, likely her husband and father-in-law, looked worried, and a woman around sixty, probably her mother-in-law, followed closely behind.
“What happened? Need any help?” Sophia approached them.
The group hesitated, but finally, the older woman spoke up. “You’re Dr. Smith’s granddaughter, right?”
Sophia nodded. She didn’t recognize them, but they were all old neighbors up on the mountain, so they’d likely known her family in the past.
The older woman sighed. “Your family has always been so kind. It’s a shame your parents passed, and the clinic closed down. A real loss for all of us.” She looked at the woman on the stretcher and added, “My daughter-in-law is pregnant and suddenly started having sharp pains. We’re taking her to the hospital.”
Sophia glanced at the woman. Her face was pale, her lips tinged with an unhealthy blue, and her eyes were shadowed with dark circles, giving her an overall weak appearance.
Abdominal pain during pregnancy is no small issue. Sophia checked the woman’s pulse, closed her eyes to concentrate, and then switched to her other wrist.
“This is habitual miscarriage from multiple abortions. How many times has she had one?”
The older woman looked shocked.
The fact that Sophia could deduce so much from just a pulse check was impressive, though not too surprising given her family’s medical background. Still, most doctors would ask a series of questions before giving such an assessment. Sophia, however, had simply checked the pulse and given her conclusion.
“Gina, what exactly do you mean?”
“Your daughter-in-law’s uterus is severely damaged, with both new and old injuries. There’s also stagnant blood that hasn’t cleared, likely from multiple miscarriages.”
The daughter-in-law’s eyes filled with tears at these words.
Sophia said gently, “Bring her inside. I’ll prescribe some medicine. There’s a chance the baby can be saved, but if you wait any longer, even if she keeps the baby this time, the stagnant blood will prevent it from absorbing nutrients, and it won’t survive past three months.”
Everyone’s faces turned pale at this.
The older woman gripped Sophia’s hand tightly, pleading, are you serious? My daughter-in-law won’t carry this baby past three months?”
“Yes, if she doesn’t receive treatment.”
With that, Sophia walked over to her desk, pulling out her prescription pad before looking toward the doorway. “Well, aren’t you coming in?”
The family exchanged glances, and the older woman steeled herself, saying, “Dr. Smith was a brilliant healer; I trusted him for decades. His granddaughter must be just as capable!”
With hope, they carried the pregnant woman into the clinic.
—
“Name?” Sophia asked as she took her seat.
“Tina.”
“Age?”
“Thirty-three.”
“How many abortions have you had?”
“Four.”
“And how many children have you given birth to?”
“Three.”
Sophia glanced up at her. “All daughters?”
Tina nodded, looking uncomfortable.
Sophia made no comment, continuing to jot down notes. “This pregnancy is about 75 days along, correct?”
Everyone froze, especially the older woman, who exclaimed, how could you possibly know that? According to the ultrasound report, she’s about 70 days pregnant.”
Sophia gave her a level look. “I felt it in her pulse. If I can’t even tell that much, I have no business being a doctor.”
The older woman looked genuinely amazed. It had been years since she’d seen Sophia, and when she’d heard that the clinic was reopening, she’d dismissed it. After all, it had been closed for nearly two years, and there were rumors that as a woman, Sophia hadn’t inherited Dr. Smith’s skills. The clinic’s prolonged closure had led many to assume it would never reopen, especially in such a remote area.
She’d even thought that perhaps the property had been rented out for another type of business.
And yet here it was, still a clinic.
But could Sophia really determine the exact gestational age just from the pulse? If that were possible, then why would anyone even need ultrasounds?
As if on cue, the older woman suddenly asked, “Doctor, can you tell if it’s a boy or a girl?”
Sophia’s face hardened. “Does it matter? Let me be very clear: if your daughter-in-law undergoes another abortion, not only might she lose the ability to conceive, she could lose her life! In this day and age, are we really still worrying about having a son?”
The older woman flushed, embarrassed, and didn’t dare say anything more.
Tina bit her lip, her face crestfallen. Even in this moment of crisis, her family was more focused on the baby’s gender than her well-being. It was disheartening, but given her environment, she couldn’t help but feel that producing a son was important. After three daughters and four terminations, her body was now paying the price. This pregnancy had already brought her significant hardship.
Sophia’s reprimand left everyone silent, and no one dared mention the baby’s gender again. The air in the clinic felt tense, with only the sound of Sophia’s pen scratching on paper as she wrote and revised her prescription, finally settling on a combination of herbs.
Holding up the prescription, she addressed the family:
“I won’t sugarcoat this. This formula includes herbs that will promote blood circulation and help resolve blood stasis.”
