It was rush hour at six in the evening, with cars clogging the streets everywhere except for Clearwater Alley. However, the quiet tranquility there was broken by a group of people huddled together, their voices buzzing with gossip."Did you guys hear?""What?""A doctor from the hospital across the street got arrested!"Sarah, just returning from grocery shopping, stopped in her tracks. "Isn't that one of the Gunther family members who caused a scene here a while back? I believe that they came that time to harass Ms. Harris!""I think so too!" chimed in another neighbor. "The news said that their entire family is corrupt! They've been deceiving patients for years!""That doctor even suppressed her colleagues. Ms. Harris must've been one of them!"Sarah turned her head toward the gossiping crowd, a knowing smile spreading across her face. "Now you all see the truth, don't you? Remember how some of you used to badmouth Aria?"One of the neighbors mumbled sheepishly, "Well, Ms. Ha
Georgina's cheerful interruption cut off Aria's unspoken concerns. "Aria! Get Sam to fill some water for Sarah and the others to soak their feet."Aria naturally withdrew her hand, responding with a small smile, "Okay."Sam's issue would have to wait. There was no point in pushing it now. Besides, with enough herbs in his system, he wouldn't arouse suspicion.As night painted the alleyways with warm shadows, the aroma of food filled the air. Tonight, a genuine smile stretched across Georgina's face, the happiest she'd been in a long time. With a pair of reading glasses perched on her nose, she kneaded her neighbor's shoulder with practiced concentration. A satisfied grunt from the patient elicited a mirroring smile from Georgina. Aria, watching the exchange, raised an eyebrow. After Sarah and the others had departed, Aria spoke as she helped Georgina to her feet. "Grandma, how about we reopen Heartbound Hall?"Upon hearing that, Georgina's face froze. "Why did you suddenly brin
Georgina stood up with the help of the walking cane. "I'm still not sure about reopening Heartbound Hall."Aria's smile remained small. "There's no rush, Grandma. But the world could always use more good doctors to balance out the bad ones, wouldn't you agree?"Georgina paused, considering Aria's words. "You're right, child. Sometimes, I forget how much wiser you seem than your years."Aria decided not to push further, letting the seed of the idea take root in her grandmother's mind. After all, the emotional toll of failing a patient was a heavy burden for a kind-hearted doctor to bear.Sam understood Aria's intentions. Thus, he waited until Georgina had retired for the night before assembling a computer from what appeared to be scrap metal.The dog outside began barking, but upon Sam's gaze, it fell silent, cowering. The powerful canine tucked its tail between its legs and shrunk into a ball, whimpering softly.Sarah, who had seen Sam tinkering with the "scrap" before, had assum
Since they planned to reopen Heartbound Hall, a steady supply of herbs was crucial. Nestled on the border of two states, Southbury boasted a humid climate and dense undergrowth — a veritable treasure trove for foragers. Here, one could unearth a bounty of mushrooms, including prized wild portobello and yarrow.Sam particularly favored these two herbs, easily drawn to their scent.For the locals, the mountains provided sustenance while the river quenched their thirst.Gathering a few wild yarrows was a common practice, considered perfectly acceptable. Yet, Aria and Sam weren't content with a meager harvest. They scoured nearly half the mountain, their backpacks overflowing with herbs by the time they started their descent.On their way back, they encountered Jonathan Brooks, an early riser who prided himself on being the first to claim the day's choicest mushrooms. It was a surprise for Jonathan to encounter others even earlier than himself, especially in the dark hours of the m
Jonathan hesitated. "Electrodiagram? Is it that serious? It only happens…""You must go." After saying that, Aria gave him a name card. "Or you can come to Heartbound Hall at Clearwater Alley."Jonathan still seemed unsure after receiving the name card.Meanwhile, the duo had already descended from the mountains. Jonathan couldn't help but notice how familiar they seemed with the path, moving much faster than he did.Sam wasn't eager to return home, especially after hearing about wolves in the mountains. He seemed almost eager to encounter them.Aria lifted him and settled him into the back seat, securing a red and black helmet on him. "Hold onto the bag."Sam sat upright, muttering a response.Aria kicked the pedal, swinging her long leg over the seat, her hair fluttering in the wind. Despite her fatigue, her face remained strikingly beautiful. "We'll come back another day. It's already 4:30 am. Grandma will call us for breakfast at six when she wakes up."Sam gestured eagerly
The sun was shining brightly the next morning. Before Aria had even gotten up, the clinic was already bustling.Sam came in twice and gestured beside her. However, Aria couldn't even be bothered to open her eyes. Finally, her grandmother's voice cut through the haze. "Aria, it's Thursday. Why aren't you in school?"With a groan, Aria sat up and shuffled out of bed. Despite the lack of sleep, her bare face held an undeniable beauty. "I don't have class in the morning."Georgina, a woman with a keen eye, wasn't fooled. She let out a sigh that spoke volumes. "If catching up is a problem, just tell me, dear. It's no big deal. Sarah mentioned there are supplementary classes available. Why not look into those?"Sam's eyes widened at that suggestion. A faint smile touched Aria's lips as she secured her long hair in a simple ponytail, the action revealing a small mole at the corner of her eye. "No need, Grandma. I'll handle it."Aria smiled and tied her long hair in a ponytail, making t
Absolute silence was required when checking the pulse. Thus, Solo didn't dare to say anything despite seeing Aria so close to Landon. Besides, Landon didn't resist.Releasing his wrist, Aria muttered, "It's only been three days. Why has your condition reverted back so quickly?"Landon coughed again, his voice hoarser than before. "I've always been like this. No need to blame yourself."A lazy smile played on Aria's lips. "Blame me? I'm not as virtuous as you think. I just want to understand why. Your condition shouldn't have worsened so soon."Landon's thoughts turned to the discarded aromatherapy diffuser, his expression darkening.Aria turned to Solo. "Tell me everything he's eaten, when he slept, when he woke up, in as much detail as possible."Solo immediately reported to her.Aria went silent after hearing that. "It looks like there isn't any problem with your diet."Landon clenched his hand into a fist and croaked out, "Uh-huh."Aria glanced at him. "Next time you're fre
The unexpected visitor turned out to be Joel. His face lit up with relief the moment he spotted Aria. Sweat glistened on his forehead as he approached. "Dr. Genius, I've been searching for you. Kenneth and the others were asking why you didn't come to Elmer Square for consultations yesterday."Being retired cadres, the elderly in Elmer's held significant sway, and Joel couldn't afford to offend them.Since they had asked about Aria, Joel had to seek her out."I've decided to reopen my grandmother's clinic here," Aria announced, handing Joel a piece of paper with a practiced smile. "So, I won't be continuing my consultations at Elmer Square anymore."Joel nodded, wiping his brow. "You understand Kenneth's condition and Mandy's heart..."As they were not alone, Joel was too embarrassed to say that Elmer needed her. Thus, his expression appeared strained. Aria smiled casually. "I was planning to inform them. Now that you're here, please let them know they're welcome to visit her