Chapter 113: A New Employee Joins
Monday at the clinic was relatively quiet.
With some free time in between patients, Ethan leaned back in his chair, staring off for a moment—but his mind was anything but idle.
He was thinking about Saturday's poker game.
And, for some reason, Paige.
Aunt Mary had mentioned once that Paige was doing very well in the casinos in Las Vegas.
Knowing Paige, Ethan was almost certain—
She was playing Texas Hold'em.
That thought instantly perked him up.
If he told Sheldon—
That Paige was a consistently profitable poker player, earning a steady income year after year…
Ethan could already picture Sheldon's expression—completely triggered.
Flying to Las Vegas wasn't realistic.
But a weekly poker night? That was entirely doable.
As for Penny—
Shuffling, dealing, taking tips?
That was practically the perfect side job for her.
Once Penny was on board, Leonard would follow naturally.
Howard and Raj? A little convincing, and they'd sit down too.
Ethan mentally mapped out the whole setup, quietly pleased with himself—
Knock knock knock.
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
Ethan straightened immediately, tidying his desk out of habit.
"Come in."
The door opened.
Helen stepped in.
Ethan looked at her. "What's up?"
She didn't answer right away—just shifted slightly to the side.
A man dressed in black stepped into the room.
Familiar outline. Familiar silence.
John.
"Hey, doctor," he said, voice low and calm. "Long time no see."
Ethan froze for a second, then stood up.
"Wow, John."
He smiled genuinely. "You're finally back."
They exchanged a brief hug.
Just a moment—but Ethan immediately noticed something off.
John's body felt… wrong.
"Injured?" Ethan asked.
"Yeah." John's tone was flat. "Nothing serious."
Ethan thought to himself—
Right. As long as you're still breathing, it's "nothing serious."
Helen spoke up, her calm tone carrying just a hint of suppressed irritation:
"Not minor."
"Right tibia fracture."
"Gunshot wound in the left arm—bullet removed."
"Extensive abrasions across chest and back."
She looked at Ethan. "Doctor, he's yours."
"Got it." Ethan nodded. "Relax. I'll handle it."
"I'll get coffee." Helen turned and left the room.
Ethan gestured for John to sit.
After a quick examination, everything matched Helen's report.
The bullet had clearly been removed by John himself—torn flesh, rough work, no finesse whatsoever.
The abrasions across his chest and back were even worse—raw and brutal.
Ethan examined while asking casually,
"So… car crash?"
"What've you been up to all this time?"
John closed his eyes, voice steady.
"Someone took my car."
"I went to get it back."
"Also made sure they wouldn't cause trouble again."
Ethan looked up. "And how did you 'make sure'? Killed them all?"
"Just part of them." John paused. "The rest… I spoke to in person."
"…Right." Ethan sighed. "And you're sure they won't come back for revenge?"
He genuinely didn't understand John's logic.
You were already face-to-face—what were a couple more bullets?
John opened his eyes and looked at him.
"They can't win."
Ethan paused.
"…Fair enough."
The healing began.
A soft glow settled over John's body.
The process clearly drained both body and mind—before long, John's breathing deepened, steady and slow.
Within minutes, he fell asleep.
Ethan continued the healing, watching him with interest.
He remembered the last person like this—Marcus.
Same pattern.
Sleep after treatment.
Wake up like nothing ever happened.
As expected.
A few minutes after the healing ended, John opened his eyes and stood up.
Ethan looked at him and, for a moment, had the strange feeling—
Like a brand-new night demon was standing in front of him.
Except now—
That "night demon" had a wife beside him, holding coffee.
Quiet. Controlled.
Almost gentle.
The three of them sat down.
Ethan considered his words before asking,
"So… everything's settled?"
"Yes."
John nodded. "Helen and I are heading home today."
He added, "Thanks for taking care of her."
Helen nodded as well, visibly relaxed now.
"Congratulations."
Ethan smiled, genuinely pleased. "So… you're heading out now?"
"Of course not."
Helen shot him a look. "There might still be patients later."
John gave a small shrug, clearly leaving the decision to her.
Ethan hesitated for a moment.
"Then… Helen, are you still coming in tomorrow?"
"Obviously." She rolled her eyes. "What, are you firing me?"
"No, no—of course not."
Ethan denied it immediately. "Why would I? I wouldn't dare."
"I'll bring her in tomorrow," John added. "And take a look at your clinic's security. See if anything needs improving."
Ethan nodded, then asked with a hint of anticipation,
"So… you're actually coming on as security?"
"Security consultant," John corrected.
After a brief pause, he added, "I'll drive her to and from work every day, check in regularly. Part-time is fine."
"Sounds good."
Ethan nodded, then turned and pulled a few documents out of a drawer.
"Then let's sign the contracts now?"
He placed the papers in front of John and Helen.
Both of them looked at him at the same time. "???"
"What?" Ethan tried to act natural. "Why the surprise? Is there a problem?"
John flipped through the contract silently.
Helen skimmed a page, then looked up. "Is this really necessary?"
Of course it was necessary.
Ethan hadn't thought so before—but now he understood just how valuable a good receptionist was.
Security? Honestly, he could probably hire any old guard for that.
But the front desk? That was critical.
And now that the couple was here—bundle them together, get them signed, and they wouldn't be going anywhere.
Ethan nodded seriously.
"Yes. It's necessary."
"The front desk and security are both important."
"We can't keep doing this off the books."
He paused, then added,
"Also… I got schooled by an intern before."
"She said just throwing out an offer with no contract shows a lack of sincerity—then she pulled out her own contract on the spot."
"So I've learned my lesson."
"Make it official. Everyone feels more secure."
John closed the contract.
"I don't mind."
Helen shot him an annoyed look, then turned back to Ethan, about to speak—
Ethan immediately cut in:
"Look here—'The clinic provides free medical care for employees and their immediate family.'"
"Nice benefit, right?"
Then, almost casually, he added:
"You two don't have kids yet, right? You should get started soon—have a few little Johns or Helens."
"I can't promise everything—but I can guarantee your kids will be perfectly healthy."
"And when the time comes, you can deliver right here at the clinic. One hundred percent safe."
At the mention of giving birth at the clinic, both Helen and John turned to look at him.
Their expressions… were hard to read.
Ethan immediately realized something was off and hurried to clarify:
"Uh—not me delivering, I mean. I can, technically—I did rotations—but Mary's already working here now, so she'd handle it."
"There'd also be female nurses."
"I'd just be backup—making sure both mother and child are completely safe."
A brief silence fell over the room.
Helen and John exchanged a glance.
"…Fine." Helen sighed. "We'll sign."
The two of them signed the contracts.
Ethan carefully collected the signed documents, then handed them their copies.
"Perfect."
He smiled.
"Congratulations—you're officially part of the Rayne Clinic."
"Employees number two and three."