Chapter 6 Running With the Girl in His Arms

"The hospital called about my dad ... " The girl sobbed, her voice full of urgency as she stumbled towards the exit. "I need to get to the hospital now." Sherman quickly followed her, saying, "I'll come with you." Seeing her distress, he took charge and shut the shop door behind them, then flagged down a taxi on the roadside. They both jumped in, and Sherman urgently told the driver, "To the hospital, please—fast!" "Got it!" The driver hit the gas, and the taxi surged forward. Suddenly, the girl leaned forward sharply, nearly hitting the dashboard. Sherman instinctively reached out to steady her, immediately retracting his hand after. "Sorry, I didn't mean to." She nodded, too preoccupied with thoughts of her father to mind the contact. "It's okay," she murmured. The driver cursed suddenly. "D*mn, there's a traffic jam ahead. Looks like an accident." Panic crept into the girl's voice. "What now?" Tears welled in her eyes as she peered out at the congested road ahead. Sherman assessed the situation quickly and then handed the driver a ten-dollar bill. "We'll get out here." He then guided the girl out of the taxi. "What do we do now? My dad can't wait any longer," the girl cried out, her tears streaming down her face, pulling at the heartstrings of anyone who saw her. Without hesitating, Sherman lifted her up in his arms. "Where's the hospital? I'll carry you there." Shocked, she protested, "It's too far, please put me down." "Don't worry, I can handle it. Getting your dad help is what matters most right now." Touched by his resolve, she directed him, and soon they were speeding off on foot, Sherman dodging through the cars with surprising agility. Dodging between cars, the drivers saw a figure darting past, the breeze ruffling their hair. "What was that?" "Superman?" "Quick, film it!" ... Sherman's pace was so brisk that the girl had to nestle her head against his chest to cope with the speed. She felt an odd sense of calm listening to Sherman's steady heartbeat. Normally a half-hour journey, Sherman made it in ten minutes, cutting through city streets and alleys with ease. Once at the hospital, he gently set her down, and she sprinted toward the ward. Inside, a middle-aged man lay frail on the hospital bed, his complexion ashen and his body faintly emanating an odor of decay—a telltale sign of his grim condition. Around him, doctors stood in somber resignation. "Kidney failure, beyond the point of return," one muttered. "A shame," another added, "a transplant a month back might've made a difference." Among these doctors, there was one who caught particular attention—a woman in her thirties, strikingly beautiful with a finely sculpted face and subtle makeup enhancing her natural features. Her professional attire could not conceal her elegant figure, drawing occasional discreet glances from her male colleagues. "Dad!" The girl burst through the door, her eyes instantly flooding with tears at the sight of her father. "Doctor, please, how is he?" she pleaded through sobs. The female doctor, her expression a mix of sympathy and helplessness, responded gently, "Prepare for the worst." The words felt like a sledgehammer to the girl. "No, he can't just ... Please, there must be something you can do." With a heavy heart, the doctor explained, "Without a suitable kidney donor and at least half a million dollars, our hands are tied." She knew well the financial strain the girl's family faced; even with a donor, the costs were likely insurmountable. The girl's face went white as if the world was crashing down around her. She had lost her mother when she was just a little girl and had grown up leaning heavily on her father. Now, everything seemed to be collapsing in darkness around her. Sherman entered the ward too. He approached the man lying frail on the hospital bed and checked his pulse. Then he made a declaration that echoed startlingly across the room. "Don't worry, I can save your father." The girl's eyes widened in disbelief. "Really, can you?" Before Sherman could respond, a male doctor interjected sharply, "Who are you to make such claims? Stop spewing nonsense!" Another doctor chimed in, "This is end-stage kidney failure, affecting both kidneys. There's no saving him." "Trying to fool this young lady with false hope is utterly shameful!" The female doctor looked at Sherman with a critical eye, immediately skeptical of his claim. Amidst the accusations, Sherman remained composed, "True, his kidneys are failing, but that doesn't mean there's no solution." The skepticism from the female doctor deepened, "And how, pray tell, do you plan to achieve that?" Despite her extensive international training and having declared the man's condition critical herself, she found it hard to believe that this young man had a viable solution. Does this imply that all her years of medical training were in vain? Sherman looked directly at the young girl, hoping to instill some confidence in her, "Each of the body's organs correlates to one of the five elements: the liver to wood, the heart to fire, the spleen to earth, the lungs to metal, and the kidneys to water. "According to these principles, metal supports water. "So, by using needle treatment to boost the lung's energy to support the kidneys, and by activating the cycle of the five elements, we can establish a healing loop that may cure him." Sherman's approach was rare and complex, practiced by only a handful of specialists throughout Dragonia. The girl's hope rekindled upon hearing his proposal, "Really? Please, try to save my dad as soon as you can." The female doctor scoffed, dismissing Sherman's theory, "This is absurd. The idea that metal supports water and that the kidneys are associated with water lacks any scientific proof. Don't let him deceive you, he's obviously up to no good." The other male doctors, concerned for the girl's naivety, joined in dissuading her. "How could such a young man possess the skills needed for such a complex treatment?" "You should place your trust in professional medical expertise; we're the authority in this matter." "Open your eyes, young lady, don't be fooled." ... Conflicted by these assertions, the girl felt lost. What the doctors said appeared logical. Sherman, appearing no older than a high school student, did not fit the traditional image of a seasoned medical expert, who was typically older and thus, supposedly, more skilled. Seeing the girl's hesitation, Sherman argued, "The doctors here have already declared there's nothing more they can do. Given that, what's the harm in letting me try?" Contemplating her limited options, she agreed, "Okay. Go ahead and try." At this point, she was out of alternatives. This was the city's most renowned hospital; if their verdict was that her father was beyond help, desperation was all she had left. Acknowledging the general consensus of impossibility, the girl felt completely cornered. Sherman nodded in response, pulling out his silver needle, ready to begin. At that moment, the female doctor intervened sharply, "Stop!" she exclaimed, halting Sherman's actions.