The Accidental Son-in-law Is A Genius

Module 2 - SON-IN-LAW WAS RIGHT?

....Clarke steadied himself as he got back on his knees, his face calm despite the outburst. “Ma,” he began, his tone polite yet firm. “I believe you might be experiencing poor blood circulation in your leg. It’s causing the pain and numbness. If you allow me, I can help ease it.”

Mrs. Nate scoffed loudly from across the room. “Oh, look at this! Now he’s a doctor too? Michelle, you should let him go before he makes it worse.”

Michelle’s suspicious glare lingered on Clarke. But the sharp, pulsating pain in her leg forced her to consider his words. “Fine,” she muttered reluctantly. “But if you make it worse, I’ll make sure you regret it.”

Clarke gave a slight nod and retrieved a small pouch from his pocket. Inside were slender acupuncture needles, clean and meticulously stored. The room fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned to him.

“What in the world is that?” Mrs. Nate shrieked, stepping forward. “Needles? Are you out of your mind? Are you trying to kill her?”

“Aunty, please,” Clarke said, his voice calm but firm. “These are acupuncture needles. I’ve been trained in this. If you’d just allow me—”

“Trained by who? Some quack on the internet?” she snapped.

“By a licensed practitioner. You wouldn't know him,” he replied sharply, meeting her very gaze for the very first time. This was a matter of someone's health after all. “Now, if you want her pain to subside, I suggest you let me proceed.”

Michelle, still clutching her leg, groaned in frustration. “Rachel, just let him do it. Anything is better than this pain.”

Mrs. Nate scowled but backed off, crossing her arms. “Fine, but if anything goes wrong with my sister, you’ll wish you’d never married into this family.”

Clarke wasted no time. 

He carefully sterilized the needles and placed them at precise points on Michelle’s leg. His hands were steady. His focus was completely full. And his movements were confident and deliberate.

Michelle winced at first, but as Clarke gently worked, her face slowly began to relax. The pain seemed to ebb away, leaving her in visible relief. She sighed deeply and her body slumped back into the sofa.

“It’s... it’s working,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Her gaze shifted to Clarke, this time with something that resembled gratitude… or at least less hostility.

Mrs. Nate’s jaw tightened as she observed the scene. She definitely refused to admit she might have misjudged Clarke.

“See?” Clarke said, pulling the needles out carefully. “The circulation is improving. You’ll need to elevate your leg and avoid standing for long periods today.”

Michelle nodded, still catching her breath. “Thank you,” she muttered, avoiding his eyes.

“Don’t mention it,” Clarke replied with a small smile. 

He began cleaning up, ignoring the stupid burning glare of Mrs. Nate.

“Well, I suppose even a broken clock is right twice a day,” she muttered under her breath. “Don’t let this make you cocky, Clarke.”

Clarke chuckled softly to himself as he packed away his tools. The Nate household was always going to see him as worthless. But at least, for a brief moment, he’d proven them wrong.

Not long after, Michelle insisted she was fine, but Clarke was adamant about getting her checked out properly. “We should go to the hospital,” he said. “This might be more than just poor circulation. Just to be sure.”

Mrs. Nate’s scoff echoed in the living room. “Oh, now you’re playing doctor and ambulance driver. Can’t wait to see what else you’ll add to your resume, Clarke Nobody.”

Ignoring the jab, Clarke turned to Michelle. “Ma, please. It’s better to be safe. I’ll take you.”

Michelle hesitated. Her pride is still bruised from needing his help. But the lingering ache in her leg made her nod nonetheless. “Fine,” she said, her voice clipped. “But only because I don’t want this getting worse.”

---

The drive to the hospital was no less than tense. Mrs. Nate, seated in the back with Michelle, just kept muttering under her breath every few minutes about Clarke’s ‘incompetence.’ 

Clarke stayed silent. His eyes were better off being focused on the road.

Once they arrived, Michelle was taken into the emergency room while Clarke and Mrs. Nate sat in the waiting area. Mrs. Nate made it her mission to critique every aspect of his existence during their wait.

“You could’ve at least cleaned the car before driving us,” she started. “And your driving? Horrendous. How does Winny tolerate it?”

Clarke bit his tongue, counting to ten in his mind. It was pointless to argue with her.

---

An hour later, a doctor emerged with a clipboard in hand. “Mrs. Michelle Nate’s family?”

Both Clarke and Mrs. Nate stood. “I’m her sister,” Rachel said quickly, stepping forward. “This here is just her son-in-law.”

The doctor nodded. “Well, it’s a good thing she came in. She’s been experiencing symptoms of peripheral artery disease, which can lead to serious complications if untreated. The lack of blood flow to her legs caused the pain and numbness.”

Mrs. Nate’s mouth fell open slightly. “Peripheral what?”

“It’s a condition where the blood vessels narrow, restricting circulation,” the doctor explained. “It’s common in older adults and those with underlying conditions like high cholesterol or diabetes. We’ll start her on medication and recommend some lifestyle changes.”

Clarke, standing silently beside Mrs. Nate, felt a mix of relief and vindication. He’d been right.

“Wait,” Mrs. Nate said, narrowing her eyes. “Are you saying that he”...she pointed at Clarke…“was right about this?”

The doctor blinked in confusion. “Based on what Mrs Michelle told me he had told her, yes. Recognizing the symptoms and addressing them quickly was the right call too.”

Mrs. Nate turned to Clarke, her expression unreadable. “Hmph. Well, it’s not like you’re a genius or anything,” she muttered before sitting down, clearly disgruntled. Her pride was crushed.