Sophia looked out the window. The night sky was dark, with only the distant city lights twinkling in the absence of stars.
Twenty minutes later, the car wound its way along a mountain road, arriving at Mr. James’s residence.
Scott Livinus led the way, and the door was quickly opened by Mr. James, who looked weary and haggard.
“Mr. Scott,” he greeted with a tired nod.
“Mr. James,” Scott Livinus said, offering his apologies. “I apologize for visiting so late, but I heard about Mrs. James’s condition and brought some supplements that might help with her recovery.”
Visiting patients late at night was generally inappropriate, but by framing it as a response to urgent news, Scott Livinus conveyed sincerity and respect. And since Mrs. James was a woman, it was fitting that he specified he’d come only to deliver health supplements rather than intruding further. His explanation was carefully worded to avoid any impropriety.
Mr. James’s eyes were red and sunken, clearly a man who hadn’t slept for days. Gripping Scott Livinus’s hand, he choked back tears, “Thank you, Mr. Scott. Please, come sit in the living room!”
As soon as they entered the room, a faint gust of wind carried the scent of blood through the air. As a traditional medicine practitioner, Sophia was highly sensitive to smells. Mrs. James was upstairs, yet even from this distance, the coppery scent was palpable, a stark indication of the severity of her condition.
Mr. James, may I ask when Mrs. James’s symptoms first began?” Sophia inquired gently.
Mr. James gave her a perplexed look, prompting Scott Livinus to add, “She comes from a family of traditional medicine practitioners.”
Mr. James had already exhausted all possible options, consulting every doctor he could find, yet none had been able to treat his wife’s condition. Hearing that Sophia was from a well-known lineage of traditional medicine, he grasped onto her as though she were his last hope, saying urgently, “Young lady, do you know how to treat illnesses?”
“I can give it a try,” Sophia replied humbly.
Mr. James fell silent, torn between a flicker of hope and the fear that this hope might soon be crushed, plunging him into deeper despair. He had even consulted the best national physicians, and none had been able to help his wife. Now, here was this young woman—no matter her family background, what could she realistically accomplish? If her father or grandfather had come, there might be a sliver of hope. But her…
Mr. James’s emotions were conflicted.
Still, since she had come with Scott Livinus, he couldn’t outright dismiss her.
“She fell ill seven days ago, and the symptoms were severe from the start. She bled so heavily that we needed basins to catch it; the bedding and mattress were soaked. I was horrified and wanted to take her to the hospital, but any movement made the bleeding worse. Later, I managed to bring in Dr. John, who managed to stabilize her condition, but the bleeding hadn’t fully stopped. She’s fading fast.”
Sophia nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll need to check her pulse.”
Mr. James led her upstairs. The moment the bedroom door opened, Sophia’s brows furrowed as the heavy scent of blood filled the air, a clear indicator of just how much blood Mrs. James had lost.
The woman on the bed was pale, her breathing faint, with barely any rise and fall in her chest. Sophia gently held her wrist, taking her pulse on the left side before moving to the right wrist, where she closed her eyes and carefully assessed the symptoms and pulse patterns, gathering all the information her senses provided.
The patient’s breathing was shallow, her pulse nearly undetectable, her limbs cold, and her face pallid.
Mr. James asked anxiously, “Young lady, how is she?”
Before Sophia could answer, the door suddenly swung open.
An elderly man in his seventies entered the room, frowning as he saw Sophia. “Mr. James, didn’t I instruct you that no one was to disturb Mrs. James’s rest? Why have you allowed an outsider to come in?”
Mr. James, caught off guard by his sudden appearance, replied awkwardly, “She was brought by a friend, and she comes from a family of traditional medicine practitioners, so I thought…”
“What?” Dr. John’s expression darkened with displeasure. “Does Mr. James not trust my medical expertise?”
“No, Dr. John…”
Dr. John scoffed. “Mrs. James’s bleeding has already slowed under my treatment, and there are signs of improvement. To interrupt her treatment now would be unwise. Do you understand the risks you’re taking, Mr. James?”
Mr. James nodded repeatedly, apologizing profusely. “Dr. John, we’re all following your guidance. You’re the expert in this field, and you’re the one who has managed to stop her bleeding thus far. Of course, I trust you!”
Dr. John’s expression softened slightly. “Good. Besides, all that’s needed to treat Mrs. James’s condition is to stop the bleeding, which Western medicine specializes in. As for these so-called traditional medicine heirs…”
Dr. John cast a dismissive glance at Sophia, clearly unimpressed. “Let’s be real here! Traditional medicine is good for minor ailments and health maintenance, but when it comes to life-threatening matters, it simply doesn’t suffice!”
Dr. John was a former director at the city hospital, a man of considerable authority. Mr. James had pulled strings and called in favors to bring him here, and it was true that under Dr. John’s care, his wife’s bleeding had been partially controlled.
Perhaps he had acted too hastily. He shouldn’t have risked offending Dr. John by inviting this young woman to take a look at his wife’s condition—especially knowing that there was little hope.
Besides, Dr. John wasn’t entirely wrong. Could traditional medicine really cure something this severe?
Thinking this over, Mr. James turned to Sophia and said politely, “Young lady, forgive me, but my wife needs to rest. I think it’s best if you leave now.”
Sophia remained silent, her dark eyes narrowing slightly, a faint smirk playing on her lips.
“Mr. James, I’m afraid I can’t leave—not when I see a physician using the wrong approach on a patient without intervening. I cannot sit by and watch ineffective treatment endanger her life.”
Her words sent a shockwave through the room. Dr. John’s eyes widened in fury, and he snapped, “What did you just say? Are you implying that my treatment is wrong? That not only will it fail to cure her, but it will also harm her?”
“With all due respect, yes,” Sophia stated confidently. “Dr. John, if I’m not mistaken, you used a cardiac stimulant as an emergency measure, followed by a hemostatic drug to stop the bleeding, giving the appearance of improvement. However, from the perspective of traditional medicine, hemorrhaging is like a flood—you can’t block it; you must redirect it. Treating hemorrhaging by staunching the blood flow is actually a major taboo in our field.”
