Chapter 2
With Natalie in his arms, Matthew ran to the nearest Carlson Pharmacy, the biggest pharmacy chain in Eastcliff. The owner, Stanley Carlson, was a significant figure in the medical business in Eastcliff.
The largest part of the Cunningham's sales was so dependent on the Carlson Group that the latter controlled and supported the financial lifeline of the Cunninghams. Every one of Carlson Group's pharmacies had a highly skilled in-house doctor.
When Matthew went into the store with a girl in his arms covered in blood, everyone inside was stunned. "Hey, there's no use bringing her with that sort of injury into a pharmacy. You better send her to a hospital quickly!" said a young shop assistant who was stopping Matthew from going forward. "We don't have the facilities like a hospital and we can't save her!"
"There's no need for that!" Matthew shook his head and said in a low voice, "I need to buy a set of silver needles!"
"Silver needles?" The shop assistant was startled as there were not many people looking for such an item.
"Why do you want to buy silver needles?" asked an old man with white beard, out of the blue.
When the young assistant saw the man, he quickly greeted him respectfully, "Mr. Harrison!"
This elderly person was Joseph Harrison, a genius doctor of Carlson Pharmacy with remarkable medical skills that placed him amongst the top three in the whole of Eastcliff. The prestige which Carlson Pharmacy enjoyed now had a direct connection with Joseph's influence in the field.
However, Matthew didn't pay any attention to him and repeated in a low growl, "I need to buy a set of silver needles!"
With a mix of adulation and anger in his voice, the young assistant replied, "Hey, didn't you hear Mr. Harrison speaking to you?"
"I want to buy a set of silver needles!" Matthew yelled suddenly.
"What are you yelling for?" the shop assistant bellowed angrily. "Do you know where this is? Why are you making a scene here? You-”
With a wave of Joseph's hand, the shop assistant immediately stopped speaking. While glancing once at Natalie who was in Matthew's arms, Joseph said with a sigh, "Young man, this little girl has passed away. Why don't you give her a proper burial instead?"
"She's not dead yet!" Matthew shouted.
"How dare you speak to Mr. Harrison like that—" The young assistant wanted to blow his top at Matthew but was once again stopped by Joseph, who could tell that Matthew was in deep sorrow, and it was only normal for him to have such a reaction.
"Young man, I've been practicing medicine for more than forty years, and I'm able to tell from just a glance. It is indeed true that this little girl had no life force left."
"I'll say it again that she's not dead!" Matthew shouted in rage. "I need silver needles. Do you have silver needles?"
With a frown, Joseph asked, "Why do you want the silver needles?"
"I want to save her!" he said loudly.
"Save her?" Joseph looked at Matthew with a dubious look, wondering if this young man had lost his mind.
A dead person could never start breathing again. Even with superior medical skills, there was no way of bringing a dead person back to life! Despite that, Matthew appeared calm and gleamed with confidence in his eyes. This surprised Joseph, who began softly, "The shop doesn't have any silver needles."
Matthew then turned around and was about to leave before Joseph continued after a pause, "However, I do have a set of silver needles. I can lend it to you for a while."
Stopping in his trocks, Motthew spun oround ond nodded slowly. "Thonk you!"
"Bring me my silver needles ond prepore the room ot the bock," Joseph ordered.
The young ossistont looked puzzled. "Mr. Horrison, she's olreody deod. If onything hoppens-"
"If onything hoppens, I'll be responsible for it!" Joseph cut him off colmly.
Not doring to speok onymore, the shop ossistont rushed owoy immediotely os instructed, while Motthew corried Notolie into the room under Joseph's leod. There wos o hospitol bed in sight, so Motthew ploced Notolie on it. At the some time, Joseph brought o set of silver needles over.
In o fierce tone, the shop ossistont borked ot him, "These ore the needles for Mr. Horrison's use, of which he hod soved countless lives with them throughout the yeors. It's your greotest honor thot he is lending them to you now. Yet, you're octuolly using it on o deod person. This is utterly on insult to Mr. Horrison!"
As he ron his fingers ocross the silver needles, Motthew hod on inexplicoble sense of fomiliority ond his foce wos brimming with confidence.
The shop ossistont pouted his lips ond sneered, "Hmph, whot o woste of effort. I've never seen the deod coming bock to life!"
"Alright, leove the room now!" Joseph woved his hond ond ge