Colin entered the clinic, greeted by only a little less chaos than the day before. Today, there was just one frantic mother with a crying child. Instead of the elderly man with a cane, the waiting room was now occupied by a lady in a white bun, cheerfully chatting with a plump middle-aged woman. When Colin walked in, every head turned toward him.
"Good morning, would you like to register for a doctor's appointment...?"
Stacy, who greeted him with that, tilted her head. Her auburn curls, tied in a ponytail, rippled slightly.
"Doctor Stone?"
He smiled at her shyly, rubbing his smooth chin.
"Do I really look that different with or without the beard?"
For a moment, she just stared at him, unable to get a word out. Then, she exhaled sharply and said simply:
"Wow…"
"I came in later than yesterday, but if there are any urgent cases, especially kids, I'll take them now."
"O… okay," Stacy stammered. But she quickly got her bearings. "I'll send the first patient right in."
Colin gave a confident smile (though he still felt self-conscious under the gaze of the women in the room) and walked into his office. He now slightly regretted shaving his beard. But he had done it impulsively, and…
Get a grip, man. You don't have time for this!
The thing with shaving his beard was like this:
Last night, Colin went out to do some shopping and ran into Brad by chance. They talked for a while, during which Colin had a hard time controlling his feelings. After getting back from the store, he bumped into him again. Supposedly, Brad went out to look for a dog, but was that really it? Under his gaze, Colin shivered. In the bathroom, Colin looked into the mirror and…
"You'd look better without the beard," Brad's voice echoed in his head.
"You have such beautiful features, it's a shame to hide them."
"And your eyes. You have gentle but strong eyes. Really nice and… intriguing."
Under the weight of those words, Colin became defenseless and reached for his razor.
That's the whole story, but for some reason, it brought a flush to his face.
Because the truth was, Colin had grown that beard for one very clear reason—he wanted to look older, more serious, more professional. Not to boost his self-confidence—he knew full well he was a good doctor—but to avoid the weird looks from the older folks in the country, who would undoubtedly have reservations about him being too young to treat them.
And yet, a few comments from Lipsky, and what? His whole plan had crumbled like a house of cards. Because Lipsky decided he looked better without the beard.
Seriously?
Colin sighed, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. He had to see his first patient, and honestly, he was grateful for it.
***
The patient who entered Colin's office at 10:45 looked strangely familiar. This was unusual, considering Stone had only been in town for two days. Perhaps he had treated someone from the man's family, he thought, but quickly decided that wasn't really important.
The man appeared to be around fifty years old, well-built, and quite handsome. He dressed elegantly, like someone from the upper class, though his clothes were fairly simple.
"Good morning! Please have a seat, Mr..."
"Jonathan Anders," the man replied, taking his place in the patient's chair. Colin began typing his name into the system to pull up his chart, when the man raised his hand.
"I'm not here for myself, but for my son."
Ah, Stone thought. A parent.
"Miles Anders," the man added.
Colin tilted his head slightly. Okay, he thought, typing the name in. A patient appeared in the system. His date of birth...
"Miles Anders is an adult," Colin remarked. He hoped this wasn't one of those parents who interfered with every aspect of their child's life—even the most private, like their health. After all, there was such a thing as doctor-patient confidentiality.
Of course, there were exceptions, such as when a patient authorized a family member to receive information about their health. Or if a patient, for some reason, couldn't act as their own guardian. But more often than not, overbearing parents simply wanted to know too much and put doctors in an uncomfortable position.
Colin would need to check for any authorizations to share health information that had been granted.
"Yes. But his situation is… complicated," the father explained calmly. "Please, look closer."
Stone scanned the information and immediately spotted the most important detail:
Diagnosis: Intracranial injuries – traumatic brain injury. Persistent vegetative state. (ICD-10: S06.2 – diffuse brain injury, R40.2 – coma). Description: Patient, 20 years old, admitted two years ago after a blunt force head injury (non-penetrating mechanism, no skull fractures). Initially diagnosed with diffuse axonal injury (DAI) confirmed by MRI (hyperintense changes in T2-weighted sequences in the corpus callosum, midbrain, thalami). Initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score on admission: 3 (E1V1M1).
Patient remains in a vegetative state, becoming persistent after 12 months. Current condition: no conscious response to external stimuli, spontaneous eye-opening, no verbal or motor communication with the environment. Brainstem reflexes intact. Spontaneous breathing. Cardiopulmonary stability maintained with enteral nutrition via PEG tube.
Below, it was added:
Stay: Home care as per family request, with medical services provided under palliative care and supervision of the primary healthcare physician.
Okay, that clarified the situation.
Colin immediately shifted his gaze to Jonathan Anders. The man sat calmly, emotionless, though his eyes betrayed the shadow of long-term suffering. No surprise there. His son, instead of enjoying life, was at home, unresponsive to any stimuli, so still that at times, he seemed to be dead.
"As you can see, Dr. Stone, Miles couldn't come in person."
"Yes, of course. Has something happened? An infection…?"
"No, my son's condition remains unchanged. It's just... I heard you were quite a capable neurology resident before a certain… unpleasantness befell you."
It took Colin a moment to process what he had just heard. In the next instant, his back was covered in a cold sweat.
"How…?" he muttered through stiff lips.
Anders lifted his chin, straightened in his chair, and crossed his leg over his knee.
Colin couldn't help but think of the phrase "alpha male." He couldn't stand it. It usually described dominating control freaks who always had to have their way, no matter what. And it was neither pleasant nor safe for those around them. This alpha male, Jonathan Anders, was clearly marking his territory.
The only problem? The clinic was Colin's territory.
Stone tensed further. He stared at the man, waiting for his next move. He didn't have to wait long.
"When you spend more time in this town, you'll learn about certain relationships in White Shore. I belong to a group of people who take a keen interest in this town and its residents. It's only natural that I want to know everything about our new doctor, into whose hands I'll entrust the safety of the people of White Shore—and my son."
Stone moved his jaw slightly, feeling the blood drain from his face.
"Everything...?"
"Everything," Anders admitted. "Your career, your potential, all your... personal grievances. Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking to dig up your dirt and use it against you, but to make the most of your value. And the most important thing is whether you will be useful for my son."
Ah, right.
Colin had a hard time swallowing.
The guy had dug into his entire past to find something he could use to control him.
Damn it.
He didn't even need to dig that deep, because the scandal that forced him to leave the hospital was pretty well-known in the media.
"My past has nothing to do with this," he explained. "I've read your son's diagnosis. There's nothing that can be done. No doctor..."
"I'm aware of the limitations of medicine. And I know your potential, Dr. Stone. I don't expect miracles right away."
"Then what do you expect from me?"
"Friendship."
Friendship, huh?
"Dr. Stone, whether you're with us for a year or for ten, my friendship won't harm you. On the contrary, you might find it quite helpful. I'm sure it will be safer for you than the one you have with the Lipskys."
All of Colin's alarm bells went off suddenly, loud and clear, screaming: DANGER.
But should he be afraid of Lipsky, who had so far been nothing but kind and friendly, or this stranger who seemed to know all about his unpleasant past?
Instinctively, he knew to never trust people who collected information to gain an advantage over others.
Still, he had to tread carefully.
"Lipskys?" he asked, trying to mask his unease.
"They're a very aggressive and dangerous family," Anders explained. "Living under their roof might prove, at the very least, unpleasant for you. I'd be happy to offer you accommodation in my home. You see, I'd feel more at ease knowing that Miles has a future neurologist close by, and that this neurologist is safe."
Colin wasn't sure if he was hearing right, because what he was hearing sounded like a bad line from a gangster movie. Those veiled threats meant to intimidate but not strong enough to be considered criminal threats…
Wait a second… Brad had mentioned having some trouble with someone.
Now Colin knew where he recognized that face from.
He swallowed hard but lifted his head high.
"Thank you for the offer. I'll think about it. But for now, I don't see any reason to worry about my safety where I'm currently staying. I suppose you have more information than I do."
"I invite you to a home visit and dinner today. We'll have a chance to discuss things further. For now, let me just say this: the state my son is in is the result of Joseph Lipsky's actions. My son is what he is now because of the Lipskys."