The Broken Heir

First Karma

Nicholas finally gave in and followed Dr. Hans’s orders. As a result, he is now assigned to the emergency department and has been scheduled to work for two whole weeks straight.

This situation forces him to stay in the hospital longer and cuts into the time he needs to work on his thesis after his research data is destroyed.

He might be willing to do anything to replace his research data. However, he doesn’t know if his scholarship will continue under these circumstances.

His mind is in disarray, and he’s furious about his unfair situation. He clearly remembers Paula and August smiling and looking satisfied and happy when they heard his final decision yesterday.

Meanwhile, Dr. Hans remained silent and avoided Nicholas, knowing Nicholas couldn’t have stolen the research data. Dr. Hans had arranged for Nicholas to obtain the data through his connections.

“I’m sure... Dr. Hans made another deal with August, Uncle!” Nicholas told Nathan over the phone that day.

“I’ll find out the truth. In the meantime, focus on your responsibilities there,” Nathan replied. “Be sure the truth will find its way!”

Nicholas took a deep breath and nodded slightly. He knew plans didn’t always go as planned, but he had to keep going and slowly fix things.

He was grateful to have Nathan there for him, even for a moment.

After that, Nicholas returned to his duties as an emergency department doctor. He performed his tasks with sincerity and determination, knowing his experience would make him a better doctor than August and Paula, who had betrayed him to bring him down.

Meanwhile, a major accident occurred in a crowded California area when a drunk driver caused a chain-reaction collision that struck a jewelry store.

The high-speed vehicle and the gathered crowd resulted in numerous casualties ranging from minor to severe injuries and three fatalities.

The incident caused the hospital, especially the emergency department, to suddenly become chaotic with the screams of patients, doctors, nurses, and rescue workers.

Due to the hospital’s medical center status and proximity to the accident site, all victims were rushed there.

“Dr. Nicholas, there’s a patient with altered consciousness and a blood pressure of 150/100. Oxygen saturation at 80%.” A nurse appeared. “There’s also a wound on his chest, Doctor!”

They rushed toward the patient suffering from thoracic trauma.

The blue bruise on his chest and his difficulty breathing led Nicholas to diagnose a broken rib that had pierced his lung and caused a pneumothorax.

Nicholas quickly administered first aid.

“Increase the oxygen and prepare the chest tube insertion kit now!” Nicholas ordered.

He swiftly drained the accumulated blood from the victim’s chest to raise the oxygen saturation before sending the patient to the operating room for further treatment.

Nicholas carried out the procedure rapidly, demonstrating exceptional agility and skill gained from experience and training.

He did all this without realizing his actions had caught the nurses’ attention and several other on-duty doctors, including a senior physician.

They quietly praised his abilities and acknowledged his exceptional skills.

“After the chest X-ray, immediately send the patient to Dr. Robert. Report all actions taken and medications administered during the handover later!” Nicholas instructed.

The nurse nodded and wheeled the last patient out of the room.

Meanwhile, Nicholas scanned the area and breathed a sigh of relief after confirming all patients had been attended to on time.

Dr. Timothy, also on duty in the emergency department, approached Nicholas and patted his shoulder.

“Good job, Nich!” he said.

Nicholas smiled and bowed his head. He rubbed his neck and felt his chest ease as the weight of a heavy burden lifted during the chaos.

He had been overwhelmed by the sudden arrival of so many patients, leaving his mind blank, disoriented, and unsure who to attend to first.

He finally took a deep breath, exhaled several times, focused, and strengthened his resolve.

His deliberate movements as he looked toward the triage line, followed emergency protocols, and assessed patient conditions allowed him to gradually gain control.

“You’re too kind, Dr. Timothy!” Nicholas modestly said.

Timothy smiled and shook his head.

“Want to relax for a moment?” he asked.

He then led Nicholas to the lobby and directed him to the vending machine selling various snacks and cold drinks.

“I’ll treat you as a welcome to the Emergency Department today!” Timothy said.

Nicholas sat back against the row of waiting chairs while Timothy carefully selected the snacks and drinks to buy.

This transfer benefited Nicholas, as it would help him hone his skills. The only drawback was that it would take up more of his time.

Nicholas closed his eyes for a moment.

Just a few seconds.

He was exhausted, and closing his eyes briefly wouldn’t be a problem, especially with Timothy there.

However, he couldn’t keep them closed when he heard August clapping and making sarcastic remarks.

“Wow, wow! How cool of you to be sleeping here,” August said. “Are you neglecting your duties because you hate being transferred to the Emergency Department?” he asked again.

Nicholas jolted awake and immediately straightened his back. His drowsiness vanished, replaced by anger that made his face tense and stiff.

“We’re not here to relax, Dr. August!” Timothy said.

August turned and nodded.

“Of course not if you’re not slacking off!” he retorted. “But Nicholas is different!” August shouted.

“Enough, August!” Nicholas replied, standing up and almost grabbing August’s collar.

Instead of staying silent, August laughed and took two steps back before provoking Nicholas again.

“Are you afraid they’ll find out why you were transferred here?” he asked.

August smirked triumphantly, satisfied to see Nicholas holding back his anger but remaining silent.

August was also furious because Nicholas’s self-control was so strong.

But August opened his mouth again to stir up Nicholas’s emotions.

“They need to know, Nicholas! You’re not worthy to be a doctor after stealing my research data and beating me up that night!”

He shouted loudly so all the hospital visitors could hear him and focus their attention on them, especially Nicholas. “This punishment is proof that you’re the culprit, Nicholas! You’re the culprit!”

Amid the accusations and probing glances he received from everyone, Nicholas noticed his bracelet vibrating repeatedly.

Regardless of what happened or what Nathan detected afterward, Timothy intervened to ease the tension.

“Enough, Dr. August!” Timothy snapped. “Resolve your personal issues outside! Not in the hospital!”

He then placed a can of cold coffee and a snack in Nicholas’s hands before leaving.

“Don’t let your emotions get the best of you,” he whispered.

Nicholas took a deep breath and tried to calm down. He didn’t want to argue in front of patients, their families, hospital staff, and visitors.

“You’ll pay for your lies, August!” Nicholas said.

Like a curse or a fortunate accident, he hadn’t taken a few steps away from August when the scoundrel bumped into a hospital janitor carrying a mop and a bucket of water.

“Whoa!”

The janitor and the visitors who witnessed it shouted reflexively as August fell after colliding with the pile of cleaning tools.

“Aaarrgghh!”

But it didn’t stop there. August fell hard enough on his tailbone to groan in pain.

As if misfortune struck again, a pair of scissors sticking out of the janitor’s pocket fell and unexpectedly stabbed August’s palm.

His screams grew louder, filled with pain, shame, and panic, as he couldn’t stand or lift his body.

Nicholas and Timothy, who were nearby, finally rushed to help him.

***