The Final Diagnosis

Instantly, all eyes were on me as if I were a spectacle.

“What kind of doctor is this? I’m not getting treated here anymore. What if you kill me over a common cold?”

“Someone from this hospital needs to get out here right now and explain this to us patients!”

“Seriously! A doctor’s job is to save lives, not cripple them!”

I was met with a barrage of public criticism. Peter had clearly been playing the victim and sharing his sob story for a long time.

Skylar suddenly rushed out from the crowd. She picked Peter up from the floor and held him in her arms.

She glared at me with teary eyes and said, “Chester, how could you be so heartless? Was this all because you were jealous that Peter was better than you? Did you have to ruin his entire life over this?

“I’m divorcing you!”

“Good grief. Even his own wife says he’s the problem. What kind of person does that make him?”

“Why hasn’t he been fired? Where is the management?”

I watched them all talking over each other.

Finally, I spoke. “Peter, I wasn’t even on duty during your hospital stay. I didn’t perform your surgery. On what grounds are you accusing me of illegal practice and ruining your life?”

After I finished speaking, the crowd immediately fell silent.

How could a doctor who was not even at the hospital have harmed him on the operating table?

The commotion grew so loud that it drew the attention of the hospital security and administration. Albert walked up to me to get a better understanding.

I explained everything to him. He frowned and said, “This matter has nothing to do with Dr. Alcott. He hasn’t been to the hospital at all for the past week.”

After Albert said that, the crowd immediately changed their tone.

“Wait, this doctor didn’t even do the surgery? Why is he being accused?”

“Exactly. The hospital needs to bring out the doctor who actually caused the accident.”

Albert looked at Peter on the floor. He was also surprised by his sudden leg paralysis, but still said, “Sir, if there was a medical error, we will handle it. But you need to take this up with the surgeon who actually operated on you.”

Peter continued to cry and said, “The one who operated on me was Chester’s trainee! He told me every step was taught to him by Chester himself!”

I was taken aback. I looked toward my mentee, Paul Kent, who had just arrived.

Paul had been assigned to me by the hospital. He was usually well-behaved and attentive. It had not been his first independent surgery. He could have never slipped up that badly.

When I looked at Paul, his eyes were already swollen from crying.

“How could a medical mistake like this happen?

“Chester, I followed your surgical procedure to the letter. I told you the steps felt wrong at the time, but you shut me down. This happened because you had insisted on the wrong protocol!”