Chapter 639: Patience and Empathy
For a moment, she wondered if all the rumors about Carl adoring his sister were exaggerated. Maybe they were
wrong after all.
“That's exactly what I'm saying,” Carl confirmed calmly, not looking her way.
“You're setting her up to fail?” she pressed, stunned. “The toughest case | have might take even an attending
physician weeks to solve! Anyone who gets it would have to be the unluckiest student here, and you wantto
hand it to your sister? The least qualified student in this hall? Do you hate her that much?” she blurted out
before realizing who she was talking to. The words slipped out, too shocking to hold back.
Carl didn’t respond. He didn’t need to. He saw no reason to defend himself or explain what he felt for Nnenna to
someone who clearly wouldn't understand.
His gaze remained fixed on Nnenna, her calm expression, the way her brow didn’t crease even once, her hand
steady as she wrote. There was something peaceful, almost mesmerizing, about it.
It had been weeks since he had last spent any real twith her. Someone was always hovering around, Arthur,
Ava, Emily, Darius, someone. It was starting to irritate him more than he cared to admit.
And now, finally, when he could at least watch her in silence, someone had to start buzzing in his ear with
ridiculous talk. Her first words, though bootlicking, were far better than this nonsense. Too bad she had ruined
her chance by treating him like everyone else, someone desperate enough to cheat for success.
Carl, however, was completely confident in the girl he had raised. The woman's earlier suggestion was insulting,
infuriating, even. If not for his legendary self control, he might have already had her thrown out of the hall and
stripped of whatever position gave her power over the clinical exams.
Who knew how many desperate parents or guardians she had already taken money or favors from to “make
things easier” for their wards? The thought disgusted him. Silently, he made a note to investigate her later.
His eyes returned to Nnenna. She was no longer bent over her paper, now she sat upright, scanning through her
work. Revising before submission, he thought, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “That's my girl,” he murmured
under his breath as she stood and walked toward the front to submit, more than an hour before time.
“She’s definitely going to fail,” the woman muttered, her tone laced with smugness. “She didn’t even bother to
delete or rewrite any answer. And now that | have to hand her the toughest case, she’s done for. What a pity.”
She scoffed softly, adding under her breath, “I guess the rumors about you two being close were wrong after all.”
Her bitterness slipped through, part anger at Nnenna’s supposed arrogance, part frustration that all her
bootlicking had clearly been a waste of time.
Her voice was low but just loud enough for Carl to hear.
Carl didn’t respond. He simply sat there, quiet, composed, his demeanor gentle as usual, but the faint chill that
swept through the hall a moment later made the woman instinctively rub her arms, unsure why the air suddenly
felt colder.
The second part of the exam began after a short break. One by one, students were assigned their cases.
True to Carl's warning, the invigilator made sure Nnenna got the toughest one on the list. As she handed the
tablet to her, she sighed softly, pity flickering across her face. Maybe she would have made it if | had given her
an easier case... too bad.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtNnenna accepted the tablet, puzzled by the woman's sympathetic expression. “Good luck in there,” George said
with a quick smile before heading toward the observation room.
Linda trailed behind him, throwing Nnenna a sideways glance full of sarcasm, as if mocking her for daring to
compete on the slevel as them, the “big leagues.” She didn’t speak though; she still had her own turn to
prepare for and knew better than to stir trouble openly. Still, that didn’t stop her from feeding little rumors in the
background whenever she got the chance.
But Nnenna didn’t waste a second. She turned on her heel and headed straight to the treatment room, her face
calm, her steps steady. Whatever case awaited her, she would face it head on, without fear, without hesitation.
The treatment room was quiet, very quiet.
Only the soft beeping of a monitor broke the stillness. Nnenna stepped inside, her white coat crisp, her ID tag
swinging lightly as she walked.
The patient, a middle aged woman with graying hair and sharp, watchful eyes, sat upright on the bed. Her arms
were crossed. The expression on her face screamed unimpressed.
“Good afternoon, ma'am,” Nnenna began with a warm but professional tone. She bowed slightly in greeting, the
way she had been trained. “My nis Nnenna White. I'm a final year medical student, and I'll be taking your
case today. Is that alright with you?”
The woman eyed her from head to toe before scoffing softly. “Another one of you students,” she muttered. “The
last one couldn’t even take my blood pressure properly.”
Nnenna smiled gently, unoffended. “I'm sorry to hear that, ma’am. I'll do my best to make you comfortable. May
| know your name, please?”
“Mrs. Tasha.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Tasha. May | sit?”
The woman gave a slow, suspicious nod.
In the observation room above, the atmosphere was tense. The examiners and senior students watched through
the transparent wall and live broadcast feed. Carl sat quietly in the center, his arms folded, his face unreadable
but eyes locked on Nnenna.
“She’s calm,” one of the senior examiners murmured.
“Too calm,” Linda whispered mockingly from the corner. “That patient's a nightmare. She doesn’t talk unless she
wants to humiliate you.”
George shot her a sharp look. “You would be surprised what Nnenna can do.”
Online, the chatroom for the live session was buzzing.
@MedNation: Whoa, she got a difficult person? This case might just be the toughest!
@OmnioraObserver: Poor girl. She’s done for.
@FutureDrK: Wait, she’s the one skipping years? Interesting. Let's see what she’s got.
Things in the treatment room were getting serious.
“So, Mrs. Tasha,” Nnenna began, flipping open her tablet to start documenting. “What brings you to the hospital
today?”
The woman shifted slightly, adjusting her head tie. “Chest pain,” she said curtly.
“Can you tellmore about it?” Nnenna asked, her tone patient and steady. “When did it start?”
The woman hesitated, eyeing Nnenna’s composed expression before speaking. “About two weeks ago. But it got
worse yesterday.”
“Can you describe the pain for me? Is it sharp, dull, or squeezing?”
“Squeezing. Like something pressing on my chest.”
Nnenna nodded, noting it down. “Does it spread anywhere, your jaw, neck, or arm?”
“Yes... to my left arm.”
Nnenna paused slightly, glancing up, her eyes thoughtful. “Any shortness of breath?”
“Yes. Especially when | walk or climb stairs.”
“Any swelling of your legs?”
“Hmm... a little,” the woman said reluctantly.
Nnenna was building a picture in her head, angina? Myocardial ischemia? Possibly heart failure? But she didn’t
rush.
“Have you ever been diagnosed with high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol?”
The woman sighed. “Yes, all three. And arthritis too.”
“That's okay, ma’am. You're doing well,” Nnenna reassured her. “Are you currently on any medication?”
“Yes, but | stopped sof them last month. They madedizzy.”
“Did your doctor stop them, or did you decide to?”
“I stopped them myself,” the woman said, almost defensive.
“
Nnenna nodded, unfazed. ‘|
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The woman blinked, caught off guard by the compassion in Nnenna’s tone. “Hmm... you sound like my
daughter,” she murmured quietly.
Nnenna smiled softly. “She must be wonderful, then.”
A faint smile flickered on the woman's lips, the first of the day.
The air in the observation room was warm.
“That was smooth,” George whispered, impressed. “She’s winning her trust.”
Linda scoffed. “Trust won't help her diagnose congestive heart failure with atypical symptoms. Wait till she gets
to physical examination.”
Carl said nothing, his face gentle but
his eyes glinting faintly with pede He
recogniged jhattond thé patience, it
was how he had taught her to handle
people, not just medicine. The
content is on novelenglish.net! Read
the latest chapter there!
@OmnioraObserver: She's good. Real good.
@MedLecturer J: Her approach is textbook perfect, respect, empathy, rapport. I'm taking notes.
@LoraStan: She's just lucky the patient's talking.
Back in the treatment room
“May | examine you now, ma'am?” Nnenna asked gently.
“Go ahead,” Mrs. Tasha said, surprising everyone in the observation room.
Nnenna sanitized her hands and
began systematically, inspection,
palpation, percussion, Aegon
her moyerpentsplelisean
cbnfident. She noted subtle ankle
swelling, mild jugular vein distension,
and faint crackles at the lung bases.
Her brow furrowed slightly,
concentration deepening. The
content is on novelenglish.net! Read
the latest chapter there!
When she placed her stethoscope on the chest, she listened carefully, heart sounds irregular, possibly an S3
gallop.
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