Chapter 114:
Marsha walked with her, shoulders back, head high. The room watched them, some with admiration, others with envy. She turned just enough to give Rylie and Leland a look brimming with contempt.
Rylie didn’t flinch. She peeled the wrapper off a candy and popped it into her mouth like nothing had happened.
Leland, on the other hand, looked defeated. As much as he respected Rylie’s abilities, he couldn’t deny how far behind they were compared to Evita’s experience.
“We’re finished,” he muttered. “Might not even make the cut.”
Rylie didn’t answer. She just sat quietly, letting the sweetness melt on her tongue. Then she reached for another candy, still enjoying the flavor as if the room wasn’t closing in around them.
Right then, Brock stepped forward. “After a full review, we’ve found the Wildes’ diagnostics on the first two patients to be solid and commendable. However, their treatment plan for the third showed flaws, which places them in second.”
Second? Evita’s smile stiffened in an instant.
She wasn’t the only one caught off guard. The room stirred with disbelief.
If the Wildes didn’t take first place, then who did?
“Could be Rory,” someone whispered. “He’s from the military hospital. He might know the evaluators the Morgans brought in. That could’ve helped him score higher.”
“Still… this is Mr. Morgan’s health we’re talking about. I doubt they’d risk any kind of favoritism.”
Murmurs filled the space, but Brock didn’t offer any answers just yet. Instead, he turned to the crowd. “Miss Owen, would you mind stepping forward and shedding some light for us?”
Rylie popped the last bit of her candy into her mouth, wiped her hands, and stood up without hurry. Everyone watched as she made her way to the front.
“Sure,” she said, her voice calm. “What exactly would you like me to explain?”
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Brock unfolded the chart she’d written in and glanced at the contents with a faint smile. “It’s the third patient’s condition we’d like to understand. And your treatment plan, specifically.”
People leaned forward, eyes narrowing as they scanned the paper.
There was only one line: “Get plenty of rest and stay hydrated.”
“Rest?” someone echoed. “That’s it? That’s the treatment?”
“Seriously? The Morgans signed off on this? How could they take that seriously?”
“This is absurd. How could the Morgans accept such a diagnosis?”
“Selah’s student? She’s a fraud. How did someone like her even get into a seminar this important?”
The room grew louder. One voice fed another until the entire crowd was buzzing, tossing out accusations and doubts. Rylie stood calmly as whispers labeled her a fake. Leland stayed beside her, his face burning. He wanted to vanish.
He thought about speaking up, but with so many doctors around — people he might work with one day — he held his tongue.
.
.
.