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M: TSIA Chapter 65: Night Nurse
🕑 Added 2025-01-20 12:45:41 +0000 UTCListening to the argument between the two, Lance, who had been quietly observing, finally smiled, showing his slightly prominent white teeth. "You both, may I say something?"
Strange looked surprised for a moment, his sharp eyes shifting towards Lance. "What do you mean?"
"It's just a warning," Lance said, shrugging casually, his face remaining calm despite the tense situation. "There’s an old saying in the East: If you can't say everything, you can't do everything. If you do too much, your fate could end prematurely."
"Doctor Strange's style may not be entirely wrong, but it's good to leave a little room in everything. No life goes smoothly. Leave a little margin for others, and also for yourself. It could be an opportunity to turn things around in the future."
"The doctrine of the middle way?" Strange frowned, clearly skeptical. "That Confucian philosophy emphasizes harmony, compromise, and avoiding extremes, right? Seeking balance in contradictions?" Strange let out a small laugh, his tone filled with mockery. "Westerners—especially me—don't really care about things like that. It sounds too idealistic."
Lance continued to smile calmly, unaffected by Strange's attitude. "Maybe so. But I’m sure you will start to learn about Eastern culture when you face the greatest disaster of your life."
Strange glanced at the book Lance was holding with a dismissive look, his eyes sharp as usual. "Ancient fables? Don’t think that reading a few books can make you a great person."
Doctor Strange, who is currently very much a believer in science, seems to scoff at anything that smells of the spiritual and metaphysical.
Lance smiled casually, his tone slightly playful, yet there was still seriousness behind it. "I'm not a great person, Doctor. If I had to explain it in simpler terms, I might be called a medium or a paranormal. I can't see the entire future, but there are certain things—certain feelings—that are quite strong. Especially for certain people."
Then Lance looked at Strange meaningfully, his eyes sharp and full of conviction. "For example, you, Doctor Strange," Lance said in a deeper voice, as if weighing each word. "In the near future, you will face a great disaster. This disaster will destroy your life, tear everything down, and leave you with nothing but a dwindling hope. If you're smart enough, you might find an opportunity to survive."
Strange let out a small laugh, filled with his characteristic scoffing tone. "Psychic medium? Nonsense. I'm a doctor. I believe in facts, not fantasies. Humans are matter, and the world is also matter. All that nonsense about spirits or fate is just stories for children."
Lance continued to smile, his face showing no hint of doubt or confusion. It was as if he was used to such rejection. "Maybe so, Doctor. But I'm sure that one day, you will believe it. Oh, when you are truly desperate, you know where to find me. If you come with enough humility and plead sincerely, maybe—just maybe—I will give you a little advice."
Without waiting for a response from Strange, Lance turned to Christine, who had been quietly observing their conversation intently. Lance looked at Christine with great attention, his eyes sparkling as if trying to see deeper into her being. "Miss Christine," Lance said gently, "have you ever thought about where your future is headed? What is it that you truly want from this life?"
Christine, known as part of the "Night Nurse" team in the Marvel universe, is a skilled surgical nurse. As a nurse, Christine has good relationships with many superheroes and has the ability to provide medical care to those who are injured—especially those who cannot be admitted to regular hospitals. With her experience and expertise, Christine is not only caring but also dedicated.
Lance thought that Christine, with her attentive nature and exceptional skills, would be a very qualified bearer of the white lantern message—someone with the potential to bring about positive change in this chaotic world.
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Christine looked at Lance with curiosity, slightly shrugging her shoulders. "I'm just an ordinary emergency doctor," Christine said in a somewhat humble tone. "I only have one aspiration in this life—to save more lives."
"But your medical skills aren't enough to fulfill too many aspirations," Lance replied, his voice filled with heartbreaking conclusions. Lance's words made Christine's eyes dim slightly, as if she was already very familiar with that bitter reality.
As the head doctor in the emergency room, Christine often faced situations that made her feel powerless. If Christine had medical skills like Strange, perhaps the outcomes for many of her patients wouldn't be so dire. But the reality was, Christine did not possess such skills, and Strange had no compassion. Strange's medical skills were more directed towards those who could pay—an approach that was in stark contrast to the values held by Christine.
Therefore, their relationship always felt strange. Like friends, but not friends. Like lovers, but not lovers. A relationship caught in the tension between two very different worlds.
"Don't worry," Lance said, changing his tone and smiling meaningfully. "The cold-hearted Doctor Strange will get his comeuppance, and the kind-hearted Miss Christine will also receive blessings from Strange's misfortune."
Strange scoffed at Lance's seemingly serious words, but Christine clearly did not believe him. Where Christine only offered a bitter smile and replied in a calmer, yet desperate tone: "If God wants to bless me, please ask Him to hurry. That old man can't last much longer. Strange may not want to pay attention, but I will do my best to save that person."
Strange looked at Christine with a cold gaze, then spoke in a mocking tone, as if there was no room for empathy. "Christine, even with my skills, I can only help that person through this point. But, it will only extend their life by two or three years at most. And you know that. There's no need to sacrifice everything for someone who will ultimately die. Don't be foolish, Christine. Don't ruin your reputation for a futile sympathy."
Strange's words sounded sharp, but there was a bitter truth behind them. For Strange, reputation was everything. A doctor's salary was often directly tied to their credibility. Every mistake, no matter how small, could erode patient trust and tarnish a hard-earned name.
