The formidable son-in-law

Chapter 2

Dad?" A male voice from beyond the crowd called. John stretched himself to look at where the voice came from. 

The young man rushed down on his knees beside his father. 

"Dad, what's wrong?" 

"Is there any doctor here on the train? Please help me," he asked. No one answered him. He crawled to a man's knee. The man moved back. 

"Anyone at all? Please my father will reward you," the young man assured them. John wanted to move forward. But he wasn't sure who the man was. He was just escaping something, and he is not ready to plunge himself into the middle of another crisis. He looked back at the lady he sat down beside. She was still engrossed in her music, and the creepy man was still staring at her. 

It was when their eyes met, that the man seemed interested in what was going on. 

"What's happening?" The man asked loudly. He got the attention of the lady that had been ignoring him. She stood up and knelt on her chair. She turned and looked at the crowd. She removed her earpiece. 

"I am a doctor," the man announced loudly. The man gave the girl a side eye, hoping she would notice him. 

"I will help your father, boy," the doctor said loudly. 

"Are you a doctor?" The man's son asked. The doctor brought out his card. He gave it to the boy. 

"Oh great. Please help my father. He will reward you handsomely. Please," the boy cried to the doctor. 

The doctor knelt down beside the man. He brought out his stethoscope. He checked the man's heart rate. John winced. He wondered what the man was doing. 

The doctor raised the man's eye lid. He looked at him. 

"I think I know what happened to your father," the doctor announced. 

"Will he be alright? What is it?" 

"It's a heat stroke, and Oh yes, he will be alright. You have me here," the doctor replied. 

"Excuse me doctor," a voice interrupted. 

"How could it be heat stroke?" 

"Do you question my expertise?" The doctor defended himself. 

"No I don't, but I do not see logic in what you just said. The train station didn't have AC, but he wasn't that hot. And since we got on the train, the air conditioner has been functioning well," the voice asked again. John stretched his neck a bit to know who it was. 

"Boy, has your father ever boarded a train?" The doctor asked. 

"No sir!" 

"Has he ever been in a train station before?" He asked. 

"No. He only took the train because he has a very confidential meeting," the boy replied. 

"The doctor stood up and stared at the lady. So now that I have given you a reason as to why he could have a heat stroke. Well, let me break it down more. The level of heat he experienced at the train station was enough to make his blood volume fall. And that made him fainted when he stayed there for long," the doctor defended himself. The lady who asked how it could be a heat stroke really didn't have any other thing she could use to query him. 

"Just treat him already then," she replied. 

The doctor brought out a bottle with some type of balm in it. He poured a little bit of the content on his palm. He rubbed his palm together. John inhaled the scent emanating from it. It's a good scent and everyone around it felt it too. 

"This is a special balm I made. It cures all sorts of minor illnesses. Headache, heat strokes, body aches. Once I rub this on his face, and inhale it. In few seconds, he will be awake," he promised. The man's son was looking hopeful. 

The doctor rubbed the balm on the man's face. He dropped some into his mouth and two minutes later, nothing happened. 

"You are just a fake," someone screamed. 

"No I am not, it should work, there is just something wrong," he defended himself. The son lost hope in the doctor and he began crying again. 

"Please anyone! Save my dad. He will reward you," He begged. John moved forward. He knelt beside the man and his kid. He shoved the doctor aside. 

"Why don't you go back to creepily staring at her," John whispered to the doctor. 

"Are you a doctor?" The man's son asked immediately. 

"Not a professional doctor but I have the skills, is that enough?," John replied. 

"As long as it will save my father, it's plenty."

"Does he have any underlying sickness?" 

"Not that I know of. My father is a healthy man. He eats healthy and takes care of himself," the kid replied with his voice trailing off. 

"Calm down. I will check him now. What's your name?" John asked. 

"Nathan," the boy replied. 

"Hey! Quit the familiarity. Save the man or you get out of there," an angry male voice yelled at John. 

"He thinks he is the one. He quickly became a doctor at the mention of a reward," another said. 

"Who else will do that if not a gold digger and a scum."

Nathan looked at John. 

"Don't worry, your father will be fine," John comforted him. 

In the process of talking with them, John already touched the man's neck to feel his pulse. The man wasn't in any serious health issues. It was just that he passed out either from stress or some other minor issue. Although he could not truly discern what it was, he knew it's not something serious. 

But then, the man looks well dressed, and his skin is smooth. His son's face looks young and pale. One of the signs of the wealthy. 

John knew if the man was left alone, he would wake up eventually, but he wasn't going to let go of an opportunity to get some rewards no matter how small it is. The last of the money he had with him was what he used in boarding the train. 

He brought out a small bag and opened it. He lay it up beside the man, and different sizes of pins became visible. 

"Acupuncture?" A man from the crowd gasped. He looked at the man's face. The man took him seriously. He noticed the admiration 9m the man's face. He picked up some of the needles. 

"You know it?" A lady asked him. 

"Yes. It saved my life once. Anyone who knows acupuncture is not a mere doctor. That person is someone to be respected," the man said. John knew the man didn't convince anyone about him. It only gave some people more doubts about who John really is. Despite having a nice appearance that would have passed as a noble, he still looks tattered. 

John began his practice. He placed the needles on his chest. Although not deep enough to hurt him. 

"I will need some space and fresh air," he ordered. Everyone left except the doctor and the man's son. The doctor stared down at him with intense hatred, John wasn't bothered. 

"You know I will sue you for this. Practicing medicine without being a doctor and without the registered equipments," the doctor warned. 

"Well, I will be expecting you," John replied.