Inside the clinic, the air was thick with the tension between the three experts. Isla, standing by the window with arms crossed, glared at the two men beside her. "Your tonic might have been a good supplement, Garrick, but it was my herbs that brought balance to the child's qi. You should know better than to claim otherwise."
Garrick smirked, leaning against the wall. "Ah, Isla, so quick to take the glory. The herbs may have helped, but they wouldn't have worked without the tonic. My concoction did the real work of nourishing the child's body. You wouldn't know subtlety if it hit you in the face."
Fenwick remained seated, calmly watching the bickering unfold. "Both of you are missing the point. The herbs and tonic may have played their part, but it was my acupuncture that restored the child's life force. The meridians were blocked, and none of your treatments would've had a lasting effect without clearing those pathways."
