Chapter 14 Dr Gavin's Surprise

• The truth is, Kenneth was clueless about market prices. Hollow Springs was a small town, and twenty bucks a pound sounded pretty darn good to him.
• "Hmm, how about twenty-five a pound?" Nelson jumped right in with an offer.
• Kenneth was floored by the offer. "Twenty-five bucks a pound? That's a steal! You must be giving me such a sweet deal because of Grandpa, right, Dr. Gavin?"
• "Nah, nah. Friends are friends, and business is business. Your stuff is top-notch. If you're hesitant about my word, we can always draw up a contract," Nelson suggested.
• "No need for a contract, Dr. Gavin. I have complete trust in you and the long-standing reputation and integrity of Sagebrush Herbal Emporium!" Kenneth replied with a grin.
• To Kenneth's amazement, Nelson was actually offering a premium price! If they could work together to develop the Brighter Valley area, they could make a killing.
• "And listen, Ken," Nelson said, "you won't find this price anywhere else in the county. I'm the only one buying."
• "Haha, thanks again, Dr. Gavin!" Kenneth chuckled with genuine happiness.
• Kenneth understood Nelson's point. Even if others offered to sell him the same herbs, Nelson wouldn't buy them.
• And if Nelson wouldn't, the other herbal shops wouldn't either, due to his influence and integrity. They'd all be coming to Kenneth for his exclusive goods.
• "Let's skip the formalities. Stay for dinner," Nelson said.
• "Letty, get the herbs for this prescription ready and send them to Mayor Stein," Nelson said, patting Kenneth's shoulder as he handed the prescription to Leticia.
• Kenneth caught a glimpse of the prescription as Nelson's arm brushed past him. He couldn't resist interrupting, "Excuse me, Dr. Gavin. Is this for lumbar muscle strain? If I'm reading this correctly, it seems like it also addresses some internal inflammation issues. I think there should be another prescription for external application as well."
• "Oh? You know about this, too?" Leticia paused, surprised by Kenneth's confident assertion. He seemed pretty knowledgeable about medicine.
• She turned to her grandfather and saw a hint of impressed surprise on his face as well.
• "That's right," Nelson explained. "You've probably heard of Shelly Stein, our county mayor. She's had this condition for years, and she's been under my care for the past few months. Keke has already prepared the external medication, and now we just need to get the internal one ready for delivery."
• "Dr. Gavin, with all due respect, this prescription shouldn't be taken orally."
• "What?" Both Keke and Leticia gasped in surprise.
• How dare Kenneth question a prescription from Nelson? He was the most renowned medical expert in all of Unisdale! Not to mention, he was the vice president of the Holistic Medicine Association. His credentials and experience were beyond reproach!
• Nelson, however, remained calm. "What's your concern with this prescription? Why do you say it shouldn't be ingested?"
• "Dr. Gavin, the problem lies with this main ingredient," Kenneth began as he pointed to several ingredients listed on the prescription. While its primary function is to clear inflammation and detoxify when combined with these other ingredients and this specific guide herb, this seemingly harmless formula could turn explosive and potentially harmful."
• Nelson furrowed his brow, thrown into contemplation by Kenneth's skepticism.
• Leticia, unable to contain herself, blurted out, "My grandpa's a medical marvel! Those herbs are great, but don't you even think for a second yours are..."
• "Hold your horses, Letty!" Nelson cut her off, a sudden spark in his voice. "Keke," he addressed the apprentice, "take a good, long look at this prescription. See if there's any clash between these ingredients?"
• Keke, the original creator of the prescription that Nelson had tweaked, immediately dove into a deep analysis.
• Moments later, a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. "Doc," he gasped, "This mix could put Ms. Stein in real danger!
• Panic surged through Keke. The prescription looked okay on its own, but together, it could be deadly for Shelly!
• "Wait a minute, seriously? This guy figured it all out?" Leticia muttered under her breath, eyeing the man from the neighboring, less-developed valley with newfound curiosity.
• "You saved the day!" Nelson boomed.
• "Dr. Gavin, that's way too much credit," Kenneth replied modestly. "With your expertise, I'm sure you would spot the issue when preparing the herbs."
• "No way, doc! This goes beyond experience. It's pure skill. Your talent is truly remarkable! I wouldn't hesitate to say so!" Nelson insisted.
• Nelson had never encountered anyone as young as Kenneth with such a profound gift for medicine. Kenneth's understanding and skill were utterly phenomenal!
• It was mind-blowing how he could merely glance at a prescription and pinpoint the hidden potential side effects. Nelson was absolutely convinced; Kenneth had to be a master of advanced medicine!
• "Dr. Gavin, that's incredibly kind of you to say," Kenneth replied humbly, "but my skills pale in comparison to yours."
• "Don't be so modest, young man," Nelson said, impressed by Kenneth's humility.
• "Speaking of which," he continued, "could you do me a favor and whip up a prescription for internal use? I'd like to compare it to what you think would be the most effective option."
• "Certainly," Kenneth replied.
• Creating a basic anti-inflammatory and detoxifying prescription was a simple task for Kenneth. Three minutes later, he presented Nelson with two prescriptions.
• "Dr. Gavin," he explained, "one is for internal use, and the other is for external application – both tailored specifically to the symptoms you mentioned."
• Nelson took his time scrutinizing them. He recognized some of the herbs, while others were unfamiliar.
• "Hey, Keke. Come here for a moment and take a look at these. Check the references online and see if you can find any information about these herbs, "he called.
• Turning to Ken, he continued, "Ken, please stay for lunch—you've been a huge help today."
• Nelson needed some time to pore over the prescriptions, and he saw potential in Kenneth. He had displayed undeniable potential and could even become Unisdale's leading holistic medicine doctor.
• "Thank you for the invitation," Kenneth responded, "but I have errands to run to pick up some herbs and treat a friend who's currently crashing at my place. Unfortunately, I can't stick around longer."
• "Of course," Nelson replied understandingly. He glanced towards Leticia. "Letty, Come here a second."
• "Get those herbs ready for Ken, chop-chop!" Nelson barked orders at Leticia.
• With Nelson's gracious assistance and urgency, Kenneth left within ten minutes, toting two huge black bags brimming with herbs.
• "Grandpa, I don't quite understand," Leticia said to Nelson, her voice laced with frustration. "Why all the fanfare for that man? Is he some celebrity that you need to personally see him off?"
• Leticia was bewildered by her grandfather's elaborate gestures towards Kenneth. The most gifted member of their own family had never received such a warm welcome and enthusiastic cheers from him.
• She couldn't believe her grandfather was going all out for this Kenneth guy. The most talented person in their whole family never got this kind of excited welcome or cheers from him.
• Nelson chuckled. "You have no idea, kiddo. This guy's something special, trust me."
• Just then, Keke burst out of the back room, flustered and clutching a stack of papers. "Doc, I found what you were looking for! Gotta say, these prescriptions are a game-changer!"
• "What do you mean?" Nelson inquired.
• "I scoured medical journals and finally found traces of these prescriptions… in your notebook!" Keke explained.
• Nelson's surprise was apparent. "Wait, are you saying these prescriptions might be from the same source as my own notes?"
• "Exactly!" Keke exclaimed. "Found it on page three!"
• "What? Show me, quick!" Nelson practically ripped the prescriptions from Keke's hands.
• He flipped frantically through his notebook, comparing it to Kenneth's prescriptions. A few minutes later, his eyes went wide. "Arcane Formula: Needle Mastery? No way, this has gotta be it, Arcane Formula: Needle Mastery!"
• Leticia, totally lost, piped up. "Grandpa, what's this Arcane Formula: Needle Mastery stuff? What does it mean?"
• Nelson, practically vibrating with excitement, shouted, "It's a marvel! A true marvel!"
• He bolted out of the room, searching for Kenneth, only to find him already gone.