Matthew realized Rachel had misunderstood him. He knew the problem stemmed from James' condition and had already devised a solution. "Rachel, I have a way to cure her husband."

A trace of surprise flickered in Rachel's eyes. Then, remembering James was comatose, skepticism replaced it. "Are you… are you serious?"

Jeffrey looked at Matthew as if he were an idiot. Curing a comatose patient was a challenge for the entire world. But Matthew had the audacity to boast.

Jeffrey's interest piqued. "He claims he can wake a comatose patient. Let's give him a chance to showcase his skills and enlighten us all," he said to Rachel.

Rachel frowned. Unlike Jeffrey, she genuinely wanted Matthew to try. He had cured Fred with his medical skills; perhaps a miracle could happen again. But then, recalling James' comatose state—a problem doctors globally found nearly impossible to solve—her confidence waned.

She said weakly, "Alright, give it a try."

Matthew approached Leah. "Hello, my name is Matthew."

Still despairing, Leah screamed, "Get out! I don't care what your name is. Leave! I don't want your money! I just want my husband to wake up!"

Matthew, admiring her selfless concern, noted she wanted only to save James. She was a good woman. If it had been Tessa, she would have chosen the money.

He ignored Leah's outburst, saying softly, "I can save your husband." His words were gentle.

Leah reacted strongly, grabbing Matthew's hand as if clinging to a lifeline. Her voice trembled with excitement. "Are you serious? Can you wake my husband up?"

Matthew felt her fingernails digging into his hand. He frowned slightly but nodded solemnly. "Yes. If you trust me, I can start treating him now."

Leah pulled Matthew toward the ward. "I trust you. Thank you so much. Even if there's only a very slim chance, I'm willing to let you try. Please, go ahead and treat him. I won't blame you if it doesn't work. I won't cause trouble." Tears streamed down her face.

Matthew was touched. Her promise not to cause trouble completely reassured him.

He walked to James' bed, took a deep breath, and cleared his mind. He observed James, noting his dry hair and cracked lips. On the bedside table, there was a disposable paper cup half-filled with water; a cotton swab lay across its mouth. It seemed used to moisten James' lips, yet they remained cracked—abnormal.

After observing the lips, Matthew reached out and lifted the tip of James' nose. Dry, hardened mucus filled both nostrils. When he pried James' eyes open, he saw the eye sockets were extremely dry as well.

The more Matthew observed, the more serious his expression became. James' skin was also dry, and the skin on his face was peeling. Everything confirmed his suspicions. The issue wasn't the medication or James' body; it was the doctor's mistake. The willow bark extract, often used as an antipyretic and anti-inflammatory medicine to treat colds and flu, had complex components. As a traditional medicine, it shouldn't be used in certain conditions. James had an energy imbalance that clashed with the medication's properties, causing this problem. The prescribing doctor was clearly a modern medicine practitioner.

Having identified the cause, the solution was straightforward. Matthew drew a silver needle from his wristband. He opened James' mouth and inserted the needle into his tongue.

Arms crossed, Jeffrey was surprised to see Matthew use acupuncture. He hadn't expected James to be a doctor. However, his surprise quickly turned to mockery. Even renowned traditional medicine doctors couldn't wake a comatose patient, let alone a young doctor in his twenties like Matthew. Jeffrey's face displayed eager anticipation of Matthew's failure. Rachel watched anxiously; the idea of waking a comatose patient seemed absurd to her.