Chapter 704: One-on-One

"I think you’re the one with the problem! What sane person brings a dog for an X-ray? Humans are humans, and dogs are dogs. This is a hospital for people, not a vet clinic. Don’t you get it?" Karen Ford argued, standing her ground. She absolutely would not back down. The whole idea was ridiculous.

"Ronnie, your father sent them," the female doctor tried to persuade her.

"Dad is always ignoring the rules. I’m not going to indulge him."

Karen Ford gave her father no quarter. When it was a matter of principle, she refused to compromise. The female doctor looked helpless. ’If I hadn’t given birth to her in this very hospital, and if she wasn’t the spitting image of her grandpa, I’d really wonder if she was switched at birth. How else could she and her husband, both so easy-going, have produced a daughter who was such a stickler for the rules? Sigh. Her own father had been a bad influence. The family already had one high-ranking judge in her father; she really didn’t want her daughter to be another one. Having someone lecture you about the rules for every little thing... It was not a pleasant experience at all.’

Jim Thorne and Karen Ford faced off. Though Karen Ford was short, her presence was powerful, even eclipsing Jim Thorne’s. The moment Tang Xiaonan saw Karen Ford, she was immediately reminded of a high court judge—the kind you see on TV who commands respect without even being angry. Karen Ford had that same natural, awe-inspiring aura of righteousness, one that seemed to ward off all evil.

"Please get out," Karen Ford said calmly, pointing to the door.

"I’m not leaving. If you’re so great, why don’t you find me a veterinary hospital? If you can’t, then don’t you dare boss me around. I’m not afraid of you!"

"It’s your dog that’s sick, which has nothing to do with me. I have no obligation to find a doctor for you. I’ll say it one last time: please get out. Now!"

"I found a doctor, and that has nothing to do with you. It’s not like you work here. Your mom hasn’t said a thing, yet you keep yapping on and on. I’m not leaving! If you’ve got the guts, try and drag me out!" Jim Thorne tilted his chin even higher. He was the kind of person who would dig in his heels if pushed but would happily follow if coaxed; there was no way he’d submit to a show of force.

’Besides, she was just some little girl. What was there to be afraid of?’

Karen Ford’s thick eyebrows arched, and her lips pursed into a tight line. The female doctor grew nervous. That look meant her daughter was furious. ’And I’m worried about Jim Thorne!’ she thought.

"Since you refuse to comply willingly, then I’ll have to resort to using force!"

Karen Ford’s expression remained calm, as if nothing in the world could upset her. In truth, she was seething. ’I have to teach this punk a lesson and show him what rules are all about.’

She unhurriedly removed her thick down jacket, and Karen Ford rolled up the sleeves of her sweater. Jim Thorne scoffed and said with a sneer, "Just so you know, I’m not one of those guys who won’t hit a girl. I’d advise you not to go crying when this is over."

"Right back at you."

Karen Ford let out a cold laugh and slowly walked toward Jim Thorne. A thought suddenly struck Adrian Hawthorne, and he quickly took Dollar from Jim Thorne’s arms. Judging by his recent worldly experiences, Karen Ford was no ordinary little girl. Jim Thorne was likely about to suffer a defeat.

Adrian Hawthorne wasn’t worried, though. Getting Dollar’s X-ray was the priority. Jim Thorne was tough; a few bumps wouldn’t hurt him. Tang Xiaonan, on the other hand, was concerned. "Jim, don’t you hurt her," she said.

"I know!"

Jim Thorne answered gruffly. ’For my sister’s sake,’ he thought, ’I’ll let her have the first three moves.’

"Ronnie!"

The female doctor cried out, her voice filled with worry. Tang Xiaonan, thinking the doctor was worried about her own daughter, tried to comfort her. "Don’t worry, ma’am. My brother won’t actually hurt her."

The doctor gave a helpless, weary smile, at a loss for words. ’It’s the boy I’m worried about!’