Fifteen minutes later, the limousine pulled up to a huge home that sat behind high stone walls, and they parked in a beautifully landscaped courtyard.
"Please follow me," Jesse said, climbing out of the car. Alex smiled and let the polite older man lead him into the house.
They came to a large room on the first floor that had been turned into a conference room and pathology lab. There were several long tables laden with high-end medical equipment and computers. Two enormous monitors mounted to the wall showed scans and x-rays.
A cluster of people in white coats sat at a table in the center of the room, looking over data and sharing information in hushed voices. Their faces were solemn, and anyone could see how worried they were about their patient's condition.
At the corners of the room stood several men and women, who looked like orderlies and bodyguards. They stood in silence, ready to provide the doctors with anything they needed at a moment's notice.
"So, along with the intracranial hematoma, we're looking at a central nervous system that's going haywire," said one of the doctors, peering at her tablet. "And we still don't know what sort of pathogen we're dealing with or how to counteract it."
Some of the doctors looked up when Alex and Jesse entered the room, but then they quickly turned their attention back to their charts and slides. Nothing was going to shift their focus from their work.
Jesse was about to take Alex upstairs when a woman in her forties entered the room. Alex was struck by how gracefully she moved through the tense, clinical environment. She exuded a sort of serenity that impressed him, and he took an instant liking to her. It's her eyes, he thought. They shine with both wisdom and kindness.
"Ma'am," said one of the doctors when he noticed her.
Everyone stood and greeted the woman, and Alex realized this was Holly Lambert.
"I need an update," Holly said. "The latest treatments haven't worked. What's happening to my daughter? Why won't she wake up?"
"We still don't know," said the female doctor. "All we can say for certain is that she's getting weaker. She's rapidly losing weight, which may not be dangerous, but it's not a good sign. Her body can't take too many more invasive tests. None of the treatments we've tried are doing much more than keeping her symptoms under control, and they're not even doing that very well anymore. We're in the dark here, ma'am. We need more time."
"I don't think my daughter has much more time," Holly said, sighing. "I know you're all doing everything you can, but I need answers."
"Of course. We will get to the bottom of this," said one of the other doctors. "But we've exhausted the available options." He didn't seem hopeful. Keira was dying, and they were nowhere near finding out why, or how to save her.
"Excuse me," Jesse said, "Alex Ambrose is here."
"Thank you for coming, Alex," Holly said, turning to greet him with a tired smile.
Alex shook her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Lambert."
"Call me Holly," she said. "I feel a little better just knowing you're here." She had a great deal of faith in Grandma Spice, so she was hopeful Alex would be able to help.
"You're welcome," Alex said. "And please don't worry—I'll wake Keira up."
She looked into his eyes for a long moment, and then she said, "I believe you. Let's go upstairs, and I'll take you to my daughter."
"Ma'am, wait," said the doctor who had provided the update.
"This is Dr. Sophie Allbrook," Holly told Alex. "You might have heard of her father. Dr. Isaiah Allbrook? He's a world-class doctor and extremely famous in medical circles."
"Ma'am, I know it seems bleak, and you have every right to pursue other avenues," Sophie said, "but your daughter's condition is critical. Starting a new course might set us back, and bringing in a new doctor—someone who doesn't know anything about this case could be disastrous. I would strongly caution against adding a new variable at this time."
She glared at Alex. "Dr. Ambrose was it? I don't know the name. Which hospital do you work at? Where did you go to school? Is there anyone who can vouch for you? This room is full of some of the finest medical practitioners in the world, and you're not old enough to be more than a resident, so why should we let you within a mile of our patient?"
Sophie and her team were getting nowhere with treating Keira, but she was sure they were close to a breakthrough. And now we have to deal with this guy, she thought. How does Holly even know this kid? Why is she acting like he's her last hope?
"Who are you?" she asked. "Are you even a doctor? I've worked with many experts from around the world, and I've never heard of you. So what makes you think you can do something that we can't? This is ridiculous."
While she spoke, her colleagues gathered behind her. Sophie was only saying what they had all been thinking. No one understood why Holly had brought this young man here or why she was treating him like someone special. What they did understand, though, was that saving the life of a Lambert would be a career-making opportunity, and they were not willing to share that glory.
"So," Sophie said, folding her arms. "What do you know about medicine? How many patients have you successfully treated?" She paused, raising an eyebrow. "Do you even have a medical license?"