Chapter 84: Hope Salvation
"They all look happy..." Reinhard said quietly, hearing the question in his own statement. "Is this the norm?"
Martha glanced at him, something in her expression suggesting she heard more than just the surface question. "At first it wasn’t. But a month after I took over, it started to change into this."
Marie’s eyes shone with curiosity. "How did you do it? Most cities tend to have a mixed bag of people who are happy, in pain, or sad after visiting clinics. But so far, all I’m seeing is happy faces."
Martha’s smile grew as she slightly puffed her chest out. "Better practices. We help ease patients into processes, and we always put their well-being first."
Reinhard’s voice came softer than intended. "Do you mean using expensive materials and medicine?"
"So you caught onto that." Martha’s tone carried no defensiveness.
"But won’t it cost you money?" Reinhard pressed on with a raised brow. "Is it really worth it?"
Martha chuckled before a gentle expression appeared. "As a business? No. But as a person who’s been in our patients’ shoes, it’s absolutely worth it."
Reinhard fell silent, his mind turning over her words. Then a smile appeared on his face as he recalled the happy faces and excitement on the kids’ faces.
"You’re amazing." Marie said with a grin.
Joseph sighed before smiling and nodding. "If only most cities followed this practice."
"Hopefully they will if the clinic can grow more famous and become the gold standard," Martha said, her voice carrying determined optimism.
Marie clenched her fist, her entire posture radiating conviction. "I’m sure it will. Others will recommend it, and even we will spread the word about what you’re doing here."
Martha’s face brightened as she held her hands together. "Then I am grateful to you all."
She stopped at a room, opening the door to reveal a clean examination space. "Let me do one more check on Joseph."
The examination had barely begun when a nurse appeared in the doorway, her face apologetic but urgent. "Doctor Valkyrie, we have a patient presenting with-"
"I’ll be right there," Martha said immediately, already moving. She glanced at the nurse who’d been assisting. "Continue the examination. Standard protocol."
The nurse nodded, stepping in to take Martha’s place as the doctor swept from the room.
The remaining examination proceeded quickly without much hassle or pain. The nurse worked with gentle competence, checking Joseph’s wounds, assessing his mobility, and asking questions about pain levels.
Within twenty minutes, she nodded with satisfaction. "You’re good to go," she said, already making notes on a chart. "The wounds are healing well. Just avoid strenuous activity for another day."
Joseph, Reinhard, and Marie all thanked her before leaving the room and heading toward the clinic’s exit.
They moved through the reception area again, passing those same happy patients. The children on the floor were laughing now, playing some game involving stacking wooden blocks.
The doors opened before them, afternoon sunlight streaming through.
A figure entered just as they were close to the door. The person was tall with short black hair and wearing a black suit with gold chains that caught light with every movement. They had glasses that were covering their silver eyes that Reinhard recognized immediately.
"Phineas..." Reinhard muttered with a frown, leading Marie to narrow her eyes while Joseph grit his teeth.
Phineas moved through the clinic entrance with easy familiarity, greeting nurses who passed with warm words that drew genuine smiles in return.
"Clara, your daughter’s recital went well, I hope?" Phineas asked one nurse, who beamed and nodded excitedly.
"Marcus, did that treatment I recommended for your father help?" Phineas asked another, a male nurse, who confirmed with visible relief.
All of this surprised the trio, but at the same time, it seemed to fall in line with the type of person Phineas was. They saw a small boy approach Phineas, and then he crouched immediately, bringing himself to the child’s eye level.
They spoke briefly about something that made the boy giggle, while Phineas ruffled the boy’s hair with gentle affection before standing.
Then Phineas’ gaze lifted and landed on them before his eyes widened.
Phineas expression displays surprise and delight before he says. "Is that you, my rising actors? Why are you all here?"
Marie’s expression shifted to a light frown, while Joseph’s glare and clenched fist.
Reinhard simply sighed, his face remaining calm as he spoke. "I thought you didn’t want us to miss your performance."
Phineas blinked, processing before he nodded, and then understanding crossed his features. "Of course I don’t want you to miss it, but I didn’t expect you all to arrive so... Early."
Marie’s brows furrowed. "We were supposed to come later?"
"I was expecting you three to come at the earliest in another two days, or the latest in four days." Phineas hand rose to caress his chin, his expression growing thoughtful, and then his eyes widened with dawning horror. "Did you all go through Colin Forest? That’s the only way to explain why you’re so fast..."
"We didn’t want to miss your performance." Reinhard bluntly says with a calm look.
Phineas trembled, his entire body shaking with emotion. His hand pressed against his chest as concern and appreciation warred across his features. "Ah, my dear actors. You fill me with such joy, but you know the main performance can’t start without you all, and I would have waited. I didn’t want you to put yourself in danger."
Marie beamed while her fist was clenched. "How could we miss the opening act?"
Phineas trembled again as he looked at them with a faint smile. "Ah, you guys honor me!"
Reinhard’s voice cut through the theatrical display. "How is Anasha doing?"
Phineas blinked in surprise before his smile returned. "Little Anasha is doing marvelously. I’m preparing her for when she takes center stage and dazzles the entire city. I’m sure with such good actors as you guys, her performance would shine even brighter."
Reinhard’s eyes closed briefly, something easing in his posture. "So she is safe."
Phineas gasped, and his hand flew to his chest again with theatrical offense. "Of course she’s safe! As your stage director, how could I let the main actors be unfit to perform? It would bring shame to me. Please don’t confuse me with those fakes and liars."
Reinhard nodded slowly and accepted the assurance. "Shouldn’t you tell us what to expect, so we don’t mess up the performance?"
Phineas blinked before he hummed as he became lost in thought. His fingers drummed against his thigh, and then he chuckled. "That’s true. Well, you should know the performance starts in five days, on September the fourteenth."
Reinhard’s mind calculated immediately, counting backward through their journey and forward to the date mentioned. "A Tuesday? I thought it would be on a Friday or Saturday at least."
Phineas sighed, his gaze dropping to the floor with a troubled look and his jaw tightening with visible frustration. "My other colleagues kept refusing when I wanted to do that, and so I had to compromise."
"I’m surprised you would let others interfere with your work, considering how invested you are in it." Reinhard said in surprise.
Phineas chuckled before sighing as he glanced down with a resigned look. "Ah, normally I wouldn’t. But when you’re working with others, there are times you must compromise."
Reinhard raised a brow. "So, you would change the plot for them?"
Anger flashed across Phineas features as his silver eyes narrowed behind his glasses, and his hands clenched at his sides. "Absolutely not. The plot will always remain, even if it means they must go."