Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Slapping Doctor Strange
Ten minutes ago.
New York Presbyterian Hospital.
Doctor Strange had just pushed open the office door when he was suddenly punched in the head.
With no psychological preparation, he emitted a painful grunt, clutching his head as he stumbled backward, hitting the desk with a thud.
As he opened his eyes, he saw his brother, Victor, approaching him with a menacing aura.
"Victor?!"
Clutching his head, Doctor Strange, upon realizing it was his brother, felt anger surging within him.
"Have you lost your mind?"
"Yes, I have. I came to see you, you heartless creature."
Victor clenched his fists, advancing towards him step by step.
"If it were anyone else, upon receiving the news of our father's death, wouldn't they rush over immediately? Yet all you said was 'I see' and hung up."
Victor had called him last night to inform him of their father's passing. However, Doctor Strange had casually replied with "I see" before ending the call.
Enraged by Doctor Strange's dismissive response, Victor had rushed from Philadelphia to New York to reprimand his cold-blooded brother.
Doctor Strange tried to calm himself down and explained, "I did intend to come."
"But you had more important matters to attend to than family, right?"
With a disdainful snort, Victor interrupted him.
Doctor Strange raised his hands calmly, saying, "Yes, I am a doctor. You wouldn't understand. The lives of others depend entirely on these hands of mine!"
Victor didn't buy his brother's excuses and coldly remarked, "You're right. I don't want to understand you because you're just a foolish and cowardly man."
"What?!"
"I don't know about this 'Hand of God,' but ultimately, Doctor Strange, you're just afraid of failure."
Victor's words left Doctor Strange momentarily stunned.
"Doctor Strange, compared to facing us and Dad, confronting the harsh reality of helplessness, it's much easier for you to put on a hero act in a white coat."
Continuing to mock Doctor Strange, Victor shook his head disdainfully before turning to leave.
Watching his brother walk away, Doctor Strange's heart was filled with painful turmoil.
Since becoming a doctor and achieving success, his relationship with his family had gradually drifted apart.
"Thud!"
A fist slammed onto the desk, and Doctor Strange breathed heavily.
After taking a few deep breaths, he calmed his inner turmoil.
Though he had wanted to slap Victor just now, he still felt guilty towards his family.
Not wanting their relationship to deteriorate further, he composed himself and quickly walked out of the office to chase after his brother.
At the hospital entrance, Doctor Strange grabbed Victor's clothes and apologized, "Hey, listen, Victor, I'm sorry for all this. I did intend to come, but something came up."
"What's the point of saying that now, Doctor Strange? Dad is already gone, and nothing you say can change that."
Victor shook his head, breaking free from Doctor Strange's grasp and briskly walking to the other side of the street.
Perhaps consumed by anger, he failed to notice the speeding car heading towards him from the opposite side of the road.
"Thud!"
A black Lexus car struck Victor heavily.
The terrified driver even forgot to hit the brakes. After swerving, the car crashed into a nearby café.
With everything happening so quickly, Doctor Strange only heard a loud dull thud before seeing his brother lying on the ground.
Returning to the present.
Peter raised his head, looking at the disheveled Doctor Strange stumbling towards him.
With a loud thud, Doctor Strange knelt in front of his brother, trembling as he reached out to Victor's face.
Gwen stood helplessly, unsure of what to do.
After standing up, she looked to Peter for guidance, wondering what they should do now.
Peter shook his head at Gwen, indicating that there was nothing they could do.
"No! No! Victor! Don't leave me, please, why? Why?!"
Trembling, Doctor Strange held Victor's face, his body shaking as if struck by a severe chill.
"Why would God do this to me? Victor, it's all my fault, please, don't leave, I beg you, I beg you."
Watching Doctor Strange's agony, Gwen couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
Though she didn't know Doctor Strange, she knew that the person lying on the ground must be very important to him.
Taking a deep breath, Gwen addressed Doctor Strange with a trembling voice, "Sir, his breathing has stopped, but if we take emergency measures now, there might still be a chance."
Doctor Strange seemed to be in a daze, completely absorbed in his own world.
The emotions of pain, self-blame, and guilt had caused his brain to shut down, rendering him unable to hear anything.
"Sir, can I perform CPR on him? Can you move aside, please?"
Gwen repeated her request to Doctor Strange, hoping to administer chest compressions.
But Doctor Strange still didn't respond.
Peter, standing nearby, furrowed his brows slightly.
He had always thought Doctor Strange was the proud, arrogant doctor, but he didn't expect him to have such a past.
The person lying on the ground must be his relative.
Witnessing a loved one's death could indeed make someone emotionally distraught.
"Peter?"
Seeing Doctor Strange unresponsive, Gwen turned to Peter once again, seeking help.
Sighing, Peter grabbed Doctor Strange, who was collapsed on the ground, and pulled him up.
Then, he slapped him hard across the face.
"Slap!"
The loud slap echoed as it landed on Doctor Strange's face, making his ears ring.
"Doctor Strange, if you don't want him to die like this, you better not cry here like a coward."
Shocked by Peter's stern rebuke, Doctor Strange stared at the familiar face before him.
Then, mechanically, he turned his head to look at Gwen, who was performing CPR on Victor.
Awakening from his daze, he nodded repeatedly.
"Yes, yes, call an ambulance, Victor isn't dead yet, and I'm a doctor, let me help!"
With that, he struggled to break free from Peter's grasp and stumbled towards Victor, who was lying on the ground.
Fortunately, at that moment, the ambulance from the Presbyterian Hospital had arrived.
The paramedics quickly assessed Victor's condition and promptly placed him in the ambulance.
After a brief check, they started administering medical treatment.
Watching the scene unfold, Doctor Strange's mind cleared up. He knew what he had to do.
...
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