Sports Medicine Master System-Chapter 38: You’re Not Wrong

Warm sunlight streamed into the café, but for some reason, Monty shivered.

"Chen, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. You want me to contact Patrick, and that’s no problem, as long as he’s willing to meet you. But..." His tone shifted, and he lowered his voice. "But asking me to talk to the media about the team’s management problems... I really can’t do that."

"I’m just a regular role-player. I have a wife and kids; I need this job. Besides, like I said, I’m just an ordinary player. I don’t have that kind of influence. Nobody will care what I say, so I can only say I’m sorry."

Monty shrugged and shook his head at Chen Yu apologetically.

Chen Yu fell silent.

After watching Monty quietly for a long moment, Chen Yu sighed softly. "I’m sorry, Monty. I’m the one who should be apologizing. I put you in a difficult position."

Monty quickly shook his head and pulled out his phone. "How about this? I’ll ask Patrick for you first."

He got up to make the call.

Chen Yu watched him go, his feelings a complicated mix.

At that moment, Chen Yu suddenly realized he had oversimplified things.

’What right do I have to ask Monty to do this?’

’For a player to publicly question the management... the repercussions are just too great.’

’Isn’t this just being generous at someone else’s expense?’

’And then there’s Hill.’

A wave of disillusionment washed over Chen Yu.

’From the beginning, all I wanted was to be a team doctor, to use my system and my abilities to help those in need as best I could.’

’This mess with the Magic... what does it have to do with me?’

’If I can’t be the Magic’s team doctor, there are other teams. If basketball doesn’t work out, there are other professional leagues.’

’Besides, I don’t even want to be the Magic’s team doctor anymore.’ 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

’As for Hill...’

’I should have just walked away the first time his attitude flipped.’

’Whether his ankle was misdiagnosed, whether that misdiagnosis will cause future problems, even if he ends up like Hardaway—cartilage removed, career crippled—that’s his own choice. It has nothing to do with me.’

’I only make 850 US dollars a day from him. He’s a superstar with a multi-million dollar annual salary. Is it really my place to worry about him?’

’And what’s the result? I’m in a world of trouble. Why did I even bother?’

Just as he was thinking this, Monty walked back.

From his expression, Chen Yu already knew the outcome.

’It’s to be expected. Why would a superstar, famous throughout the United States and even the world, agree to meet a total stranger?’

"Chen, I spoke with Patrick, but he doesn’t have time. You know how it is with us players, always running around, flying from game to game," Monty explained apologetically.

For the past two years, Ewing had barely finished a season healthy due to knee injuries and a fractured wrist. But since coming to the Supersonics this year, he had been much healthier, with perfect attendance.

"It’s fine." Chen Yu waved his hand. "Actually, I don’t think there’s any need to meet him anymore."

Chen Yu stood up and shook Monty’s hand.

’Looks like it’s time for me to leave.’

But just as Chen Yu turned to go, Monty, perhaps sensing something was wrong with his mood, suddenly called out to him. His expression was serious as he said, "Chen, I just want to say, don’t pay any attention to what John or Joe are saying. You didn’t do anything wrong. You’re just doing the right thing. They’re the ones who are wrong, not you. You have nothing to blame yourself for."

Chen Yu paused for a moment, nodded, but didn’t speak.

"I’m serious," Monty called out again. "If I were the general manager or the head coach, I would definitely hire you as the team doctor. Because you’re the only one qualified to be a real team doctor."

Chen Yu didn’t stop walking, heading straight out of the café.

He drove back to the hotel.

’I’m not going to see Hill. After I told him about this yesterday, his attitude was even worse than Monty’s.’

Chen Yu didn’t want to deal with this anymore. And he couldn’t.

’He’s so concerned about the fans’ wishes and the management’s attitude, right? Fine, then let him make his comeback. His cartilage damage is just a potential injury risk. He had almost perfect attendance for six whole seasons before this, and his physical gifts are incredible. Maybe he’ll come back and be perfectly fine.’

’As for me...’

’What do I have to lose?’

’Do I care about Billings’s slander?’

’Will the media care?’

’Once Hill makes his comeback, who’s going to care about a minor doctor like me?’

’The worst-case scenario is I go back to Jackson Memorial Hospital, go back to my old job, and easily make over a hundred thousand US dollars a year. Life would be good.’

’It’s like I always say, there’s a critical shortage of doctors in the United States. I’ll have no trouble finding work.’

’But...’

Chen Yu gripped the steering wheel, a deep-seated unwillingness filling his heart.

’Other people might not know, but I treated Hill with my own hands. How could I not know?’

’Letting Hill come back now is just pushing him into a pit of fire.’

’How did Hardaway’s career get ruined? It was exactly the same as Hill’s situation now. Cartilage damage, forced to come back by the Magic’s management, and pushed until he ended up like this, with his cartilage removed.’

Just then, his phone rang.

He picked it up, and his eyes widened in surprise.

「Half an hour later.」

At Orlando International Airport, Lexi flew into his arms, leaping onto Chen Yu as her red lips eagerly found his.

A moment later, Chen Yu set Lexi down, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Lexi huffed lightly. "A certain someone said he was coming back to see me, but it’s been so long. Where is he? I had no choice, so I took my vacation time and came myself."

Chen Yu said awkwardly, "Sorry, that’s my fault. A lot has happened these past few days. But I have time now. I’ll show you a good time in Orlando. We can go to Universal Studios. You said you wanted to go."

Orlando is a famous tourist city in Florida, with Disneyland, Universal Studios, and so many other attractions.

Lexi shook her head, leaned close to Chen Yu’s ear, and whispered breathlessly, "No. Right now, I just want to go to the hotel."

Reunited after a long time apart, the passion that erupted between them was like the supervolcano at Yellowstone National Park, exploding ceaselessly.

「After a long while.」

Lexi, looking exhausted, finally stopped and lay resting in Chen Yu’s arms.

"So what are you going to do now? Go back to Miami? Matthew complains to me all day about having too many patients. He says he’s going crazy from the workload." Lexi traced circles on Chen Yu’s chest with her finger.

Chen Yu was touched. ’I knew Lexi wouldn’t just show up out of the blue. She must have seen the media reports and came specifically for me.’

After thinking for a moment, Chen Yu said, "Maybe."

"Hey!"

Lexi suddenly sat up.

"Go back? You can’t be serious, can you?" She glared at Chen Yu. "Have you forgotten why you quit your job at the hospital? Back then, I really admired you because you had the courage to chase your dream. But now? If you go back with your tail between your legs like this, I’ll look down on you!"

"And another thing! Even if it’s not for that basketball star, for the sake of your own reputation, you can’t just let it go this easily, can you?"

"That damned old bastard! How dare he! How could he have the nerve to call you a fraud? Doesn’t he know perfectly well who made the misdiagnosis? I think he’s been a doctor for so many years that he’s completely forgotten the Hippocratic Oath."

"Chen, show them the same fire you had when you called Matthew an idiot! You’re the one who’s right, so why should you bow your head to them?"

During his second year of residency, the orthopedics department admitted a 7-year-old boy with severe pain in both shoulders. They ran repeated full-body examinations but couldn’t find the cause of the problem.

When Matthew thought the boy’s problem was psychological and that he was faking it, it was Chen Yu who scoured medical literature, argued his case forcefully, and found the true cause: the extremely rare Gorham-Stout disease.

Because of that incident, not only was Matthew not angry, he actually began to see Chen Yu in a whole new light.

After her angry speech, seeing Chen Yu just staring at her blankly, Lexi gave him a push. "Well? Are you still going back to Miami?"

Chen Yu gave a wry smile. ’After you’ve said all that, how could I possibly go back?’

’I can’t let a woman look down on me!’

’Besides, Lexi’s right. I haven’t done anything wrong. Why should I be the one to leave with my tail between my legs?’

’If anyone should get lost, it’s Billings!’