Urban Immortal Doctor

Chapter 2 The Exorbitant Medical Fee

Sean was stunned by Jack's actions. Recognizing him, he exclaimed, “Kid, the person is dead. What are you messing around for?“

Trying to show filial piety, is it? If he had that much concern, he should have brought 50,000 dollar earlier for the surgery. His mother wouldn't have died then. Sean despise people like him who have no money yet pretend to be something they’re not…

He rambled on, but Jack paid him no mind, focusing intently on administering acupuncture to Helen.

“Kid, I’m talking to you, do you hear me?”

Seeing the young man ignoring him, Sean’s anger surged, and he yelled again, “Are you even a doctor? What’s with these needles? Do you want your mother to never rest in peace? Let me tell you, this is the ICU ward, and it’s charged by the hour. You haven’t even settled the previous medical bills yet. What are you playing at here? Stop it right now!”

Finally, Jack inserted the last needle and sighed in relief. His mother had suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage, a condition that was trivial for the Ancient Medicine Sect. Luckily, he had returned in time. Any later would have been too late.

Sean shouted, “Are you done making a scene? This time you’ve spent is also chargeable.”

He then said to Dora, “Call the funeral home immediately to take the body away.”

Jack replied coldly, “You quack, what nonsense are you spouting? My mother is still alive!”

Sean, with disdain, said, “Alive? Are you mentally ill? If your mother can come back to life, I’ll give up my position as the chief doctor…”

As he spoke, the monitoring equipment by the bed beeped, and Helen’s heartbeat resumed. First slowly, then it stabilized.

“What… How is this possible?”

Both Sean and Dora were dumbfounded. The patient had shown no signs of life just moments ago, and now she was alive? If this weren’t the ICU, they would have thought it was a case of a corpse coming back to life.

Jack, seeing the situation was under control, removed the silver needles from his mother and disconnected the monitoring devices.

As he finished, Helen abruptly sat up, looking around and asked, “Son, where am I?”

“Mom, you’re finally awake.”

Jack, overwhelmed with emotion, held Helen's hand. If it weren’t for the legacy of the Ancient Medicine Sect, they would have been separated by life and death.

Sean’s eyes widened in disbelief, unable to comprehend the miraculous recovery. He knew Helen's condition too well; such a quick recovery seemed impossible.

Helen asked, “Son, what happened? I remember fainting suddenly. Am I ill? Is it going to cost a lot?”

“It’s alright now, Mom. You’re cured. We can go home now.”

Jack had not only cured his mother’s cerebral hemorrhage but also treated other underlying conditions. Helen was now healthier than ever, eliminating the need to stay in the hospital.

“That’s good. Let’s go. I always said it was a minor ailment that didn’t require hospitalization, just some rest.”

Helen, who had single-handedly raised Jack and his siblings in poverty, dreaded hospital expenses the most.

As they were about to leave, Sean blocked their way.

“Hold it! You can’t leave yet.”

Jack frowned, “What do you want?”

Sean said, “You can leave, but first you have to settle the medical bill.”

Helen asked, “Oh, of course. How much is it, doctor?”

Sean replied, “Thirty-nine thousand eight hundred dollar.”

“What, that much?”

Helen was startled. If not for the recent improvements to her health by Jack, she might have collapsed back onto the hospital bed.

Jack angrily said, “My mother was saved by me, why should we pay so much?”

“This is the ICU, where charges are calculated by the hour. Plus, the cost of the emergency medicines sums up to this amount,” Sean replied, tossing a list of medication to Helen. “Look at this. We spent a lot of manpower and medicine to save you. Otherwise, you would have been long gone and unable to stand here talking.”

Helen held the bill, unable to understand the medical details but shocked by the exorbitant figures.

Jack scanned the bill and his expression darkened. “Are you sure all these medicines were used for my mother?” Having studied at South Lake Medical University, although not graduated, he was familiar with common medications.

“Of course, now hurry up and pay,” Sean insisted.

Enraged, Jack grabbed Sean by the neck and pinned him against the wall. “You, a useless and heartless person, how dare you call yourself a doctor?”

Sean struggled to breathe, but couldn't loosen Jack's iron-like grip. Helen and Dora were shocked by his outburst and tried to intervene. Dora attempted to pull Jack’s arm but found it immovable.

“Son, let go! It’s illegal to hit someone,” Helen pleaded.

Upon hearing his mother, Jack released Sean.

Coughing and gasping for air, Sean regained his breath.

“What’s going on? Why are you so angry?” Helen asked.

Jack exclaimed, “This corrupt doctor! He demanded 50,000 dollar for surgery and refused to treat you without it. He misdiagnosed you as dead, which is a grave mistake! Now, he’s fabricating charges with medicines you never received. How can such a person be a doctor?”

Regaining his composure, Sean yelled, “Nonsense! These are the medications used for your mother’s emergency treatment. You must pay today, or I’ll call the police!”

Jack, holding the billing details, retorted, “You think we don’t understand, right? My mother had a severe cerebral hemorrhage, but why are there medications like blood clot dissolvers on this prescription? And what about these injections? Together, they weigh over 25 kilograms. Are you saying all this was used on my mother? Even an elephant couldn’t handle 25 kilograms of fluid in less than 24 hours!”

“I…” Sean was speechless, caught off guard.

He had assumed they knew nothing and thus prescribed unnecessary medications, both to earn a commission for the hospital and to make extra profit. This was his usual practice, but today Jack saw through his scheme.

While Sean was at a loss, the emergency room doors burst open. A middle-aged man carrying a ten-year-old boy rushed in, yelling, “Doctor, please look at my son!”

A nurse accompanying them said to Sean, “Dr Perry, this is a patient arranged by Director Smith from the Health Bureau. We’ve been instructed to give our full effort in treating him.”