Illnesses tended to spike in autumn and winter, and Sydney had been seeing patients for three days straight. After this stretch of nonstop appointments, the rush finally began to ease.
“Dr. Wilson,” said a woman in her forties as Sydney performed acupuncture, “thank you so much. Every time I ask for
an extra appointment, you agree.”
That afternoon, the clinic had no scheduled appointments, so Sydney was treating outpatients. She inserted each needle with care while the patient, who suffered from serious kidney disease, lay on the table, expressing her gratitude.
The woman’s family situation was difficult. She had lost a child in her middle age, and her husband was unreliable. Every visit meant leaving home before dawn and taking two buses and three subway transfers from the suburbs.
Whether out of medical compassion or something more personal, Sydney smiled and said, “Why thank me? You pay for
treatment, and it’s my job to help you get better.”
The woman blinked back tears. “The front desk told me you give me a discount every time. You never charge for
acupuncture.”
Sydney paused, though her hands remained steady as she inserted the last of the needles. After a moment, she said, “If
my mother were alive, she’d be about your age.”
She quickly composed herself and added, “If you need anything, press the call button. I’ll come back in 30 minutes to
remove the needles.”
By three in the afternoon, Sydney was starving. After purchasing a portion of pasta Bolognese from a nearby shop, she
called Tiffany.
Her lawyer friend was tied up with work, so instead of heading home, Sydney decided to visit her mentor’s wife, Eliana. To her surprise, Alan was home as well. Both welcomed her warmly.
“The nurse said you’ve been swamped,” Alan said. “And you still came to visit? Aren’t you tired?”
“I’ve missed Eliana,” Sydney replied, placing a basket of fruit on the table before gently taking the older woman’s arm.
“I promised I’d do beauty treatments for her this week.”
Sydney had always been fascinated by skincare. Her colleagues often asked her to refresh her homemade herbal formulas, but only Eliana received the full treatment.
Eliana laughed and nudged her husband. “Did you hear that? She came to see me, not you!”
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“You little rascal,” Alan said with a chuckle, glancing at Sydney. “Can’t even tell the difference between an emperor and
a king.”
Eliana grinned. “So which one are you?”
“I’m the king, of course,” he said with a dramatic sigh. He was known for spoiling his wife and never winning an
argument.
Sydney couldn’t help laughing.
Later, in Alan’s private medicine room, she carefully chose a dozen herbs and got to work crafting her skincare
formulas.
Halfway through, Eliana peeked in with a smile. “Syd, how about sweet–and–sour beef strips tonight? I’ll make Alan
cook them himself.”
Sydney’s eyes lit up. “Yes, please. I’ve been craving his cooking.”
She had known them since she was nine. Alan first taught her to identify medicinal herbs, then to understand medicine itself. Even as a child, she arrived early and stayed late. At first, Julian would drive her back and forth. Later, she began
coming and going on her own.
Eliana had once wished for a daughter but gave birth only to a son. Sydney became the sweet, thoughtful girl she never had. Now, she knew Sydney’s tastes as well as if they were family.
“All right, carry on,” Eliana said, closing the door with a warm smile. “Dinner will be ready soon.”
Sydney might only be tinkering in the background, but her talent was clear. Alan and Eliana had seen it long before she
ever did.
