"Try not to worry too much," Alex said. "They should be able to stabilize her condition. Then, when she's a little stronger, the surgery she needs won't be so risky. If you need to, you could always ask Dr. Cook to help. The team he leads is first class."
"Brian has contacted Dr. Cook," Timothy said sadly. "But he's unavailable. He's been in the limelight so much recently and has achieved great things, but that means he's really busy."
He then forced a smile and teased, "You're going to have to do your very best, Alex. Your apprentice's reputation is far better than yours."
Alex laughed and said, "Don't worry. I'll soon be the top doctor."
"Okay, I won't keep you any longer," Timothy said. "I have to deal with the Naysmith family. A large pharmaceutical factory they own has developed a healing powder called Naysmith Healing Powder. It's taken seventy percent of the high-end market in less than a month."
He paused. "Riley Naysmith is a black-hearted son of a bitch," he explained. "Every batch of goods is auctioned off to the highest bidder at the gates of the factory. He's making a lot of money, but he cares nothing about the people who have to fight for supplies. People have been hurt. If I don't do something about it now, I might not be able to do anything later. Take care, Alex."
After hanging up the phone, Alex didn't start the car immediately. He sat and thought about what he had just heard.
Naysmith Healing powder?
Riley seemed to know quite a lot about medicine.
A crazy idea flashed through Alex's mind, and he sent a message to Lindsey, asking her to help collect information about Naysmith Healing Powder.
Alex was sure Riley had something to do with what had happened to Michael, so he naturally wanted to take his revenge.
After sending the text, Alex stepped on the gas and drove to the exam building.
It was still before eight thirty in the morning, but the parking lot was almost full. There were people everywhere, many of whom were there to compete.
Alex glanced around and estimated that at least a thousand people were participating in the competition at that location alone. It was obvious the Top Doctor Competition was a big deal.
He was walking up to the entrance when he heard a surprised voice, soon followed by a waft of perfume.
"Alex?"
He turned to look back and saw several pretty women approaching him with playful smiles on their faces.
The woman at the front was especially good-looking. She was wearing a white shirt with a long black skirt, and she was the source of the fragrance.
He thought she looked familiar, but he couldn't place her.
"What? Don't you recognize me?" she asked with a surprised smile. "It's Melissa."
"Melissa?" he asked with uncertainty. Then he smiled, stretched out his hand, and said, "You've changed. Long time no see."
It was true that Melissa had once poisoned him, but he was happy to let bygones be bygones. After all, she had been tricked by others. She seemed to know she had been in the wrong and had always been ashamed whenever she had seen him and Debbie.
"You recognized me, didn't you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Stop pretending. I don't believe you're here by chance. But why come to find me after all this time?"
Alex stared at her in confusion.
"What are you talking about?" he asked. "I'm here for an exam."
She flipped her hair over her shoulder and stared at him. "Come on, you always liked me, didn't you?" she asked. "I didn't believe it at the time, but I know now it was true. I've been avoiding you, but it seems you've been keeping tabs on me."
Under the surprised gazes of her friends, she persevered. "Alex, I'll say it again and for the last time, nothing can ever happen between us. You should give up. Don't waste any more time on me."
Her friends felt sorry for her having to put up with all the unwanted attention from the ordinary-looking and unimpressive Alex.
Melissa stepped forward and blinked up at Alex. "We're just friends, okay?" she said.
"Melissa, you're seeing things that aren't there," Alex replied. "I'm here to apply for the Top Doctor Competition. It has nothing to do with you, and I didn't even know you were here."
He held up his application form and said, "And again, I don't have feelings for you, and I never have."
For a moment, Melissa thought there must be something wrong with him. How could he stand there and lie so openly?
But, seeing the application form, Melissa and her friends had to accept that Alex had come for something other than her.
Melissa quickly hid her embarrassment and shrugged.
"You've never liked me?" she asked. "I don't believe it. I'm better than Debbie, aren't I? Apparently, you not only knew I was going to be here to take part in the competition, but you also insisted on sitting the exam with me! You know nothing about medicine, and yet you've come all the way to Baltimore to take a medical exam? That's not normal, Alex. You must be here for me."
She smiled as if she had seen right through him.
Alex was still puzzled. Melissa had studied singing and dancing, and yet she was now taking part in a medical competition. That was odd. If anything, he thought it more likely Melissa had deliberately signed up to see him.
"I'm a doctor now," he explained. "As far as I know, you have no medical background. We're from two different worlds."
"Let's go, girls," Melissa said with a wave of her hand. Then she led her friends off toward the exam hall.
Alex was stunned. He knew the standards of the medical profession, and for Melissa, an arts student, to suddenly become a doctor, there would have to have been some kind of miracle. It was all very strange.