Chapter 2

Derek was caught off guard by my sudden praise, but he still managed a slight huff. "I'll give you credit for knowing your place."

I turned to Frank and said with absolute sincerity, "Dr. Chapman makes a good point, Mr. Frank. If AI can handle the diagnosis and treatment and get Mr. Joseph home in three days, that is definitely the best approach.

"I was being way too conservative with my approach earlier, almost compromising Mr. Joseph's treatment. I'm truly sorry, Mr. Frank."

I shifted my attention to Derek and continued, "That said, since Dr. Chapman came up with this diagnosis using the latest AI technology, the surgery should obviously be performed by Dr. Chapman himself—as he understands it best—or by the senior doctor supervising him.

"I'm not knowledgeable enough about this approach, so I won't overstep."

Just as I said that, a cough echoed from outside the office. Helen, our head of department, walked in with her hands behind her back, giving me a slight scowl. "What kind of attitude is that, Dr. Lund? Mr. Joseph is your patient. You can't just dump your patients onto someone else."

I couldn't help but sneer inwardly as I looked at her pretentious expression. "I'm not trying to hand off my patient to someone else, Dr. Walker. I'm just making way for someone better suited for this case.

"Dr. Chapman is using state-of-the-art AI medical technology. I'm certain that if a talented surgeon like you oversees the surgery, Mr. Joseph's surgery will be guaranteed to succeed."

Helen glanced at Frank after hearing that, a flicker of greed flashing in her eyes. She knew that it would be a monumental accomplishment if she successfully treated Joseph.

Derek had come to the same realization. He anxiously grabbed Helen's arm and said, "I'll definitely be able to do it if you're there to guide me, Dr. Walker!"

Frank made the call, saying, "Dr. Walker will head the team since she's the expert here. You'll both be rewarded handsomely by the Zeigler family as long as Joseph is back on his feet and discharged in three days."

Hearing that, Helen made a firm promise on the spot. "You can rest assured that Mr. Joseph is in good hands, Mr. Frank!"

I was about to go and handle the transfer paperwork after Frank left, but Helen suddenly stopped me. "Come to my office, Jasper."

I followed Helen, discreetly pressing the button on the recorder in my pocket.

Helen got straight to the point once we reached her office.

"Derek just bailed you out on Joseph's case, so it's only fair the department compensates him. You are to hand over that national grant research on complex retroperitoneal tumors over to Derek. He'll be listed as the first author, while you'll be listed as the second, Jasper."

I was utterly stunned. I had spent two years working myself to the bone on that research project. It was the result of two years of painstaking work and my sole chance at making associate chief.

I glared at her and asked, "You've got to be kidding me, right? Derek can barely read a basic anatomy diagram, yet you're making him the first author? You're robbing me in broad daylight, Dr. Walker!"

Helen slammed her hand on the desk and barked in rage, "Jasper Lund! How dare you speak to me like that! Do you not know that the department resources have always been allocated collectively?

"Derek just took that difficult case off your hands, so he needs a major publication to justify his surgical approach. It's about the collective honor of the entire department, Jasper!"

Derek stood off to the side with his arms crossed, a smug grin on his face. "You shouldn't be this selfish, Dr. Lund. You're already 30, so missing out on a promotion for a year or two won't kill you. I'm young and building my career, so I need these credentials to stick around at a top-tier hospital.

"I've also bailed you out of that tycoon's case. Is trading one research project for that really so unreasonable, Dr. Lund?"

I laughed in disbelief, my voice trembling with anger as I asked, "You think that's a troublesome case? I already had a full treatment plan mapped out for Joseph.

"Derek just wanted to steal the spotlight, completely ignoring patient safety to step into an OR with nothing but a useless app. Do you really dare present this to the board for review?

Helen completely dropped her facade. She pointed directly at my face and bellowed, "Shut up! You're handing over this research project to Derek, whether you agree to it or not, Jasper!"

I gritted my teeth in fury, enraged by their blatant attempt to steal my work. "I won't agree to it! I have all the data secured on my own encrypted hard drive, so you can't just steal it.

"I'll take this up to the Medical Affairs Office and report this directly to the hospital director! I'd like to see if you're the only one running this hospital, Helen Walker!"