Questions, Threats, and Quiet Deals"
The next morning, the air in Port Victory carried the tension of something brewing beneath the surface.
Jack Dawkins felt it before he even stepped out of his tiny hospital room.
Because Governor Edmund Fox had summoned him.
1. The Governor's Office — A Drunk Man's Sharp Questions
Governor Fox was already three gulps deep into a bottle, staring at the young surgeon with narrowed, bleary eyes.
"You're Jack Dawkins," he muttered, tapping his desk. "My daughter speaks of you. Too much."
Jack said nothing.
The Governor leaned forward.
"She's changing. Not attending dinners. Not caring for noble duties. Reading… anatomy books."
He snorted.
"What woman reads about spleens?"
Jack raised an eyebrow.
Belle read about everything.
But he kept silent.
The Governor's gaze hardened.
"And she disappears for hours. Comes home smelling of… medicine. Strange medicine."
Jack didn't flinch.
"That's called working in a hospital, sir."
Fox slammed his bottle down.
"Don't play games with me, boy. I know she's hiding something — and it leads back to you."
Jack met the Governor's glare evenly.
"I'm her instructor. That's all."
Fox scoffed.
"You? Teaching my daughter surgery? Don't be ridiculous. You're an orphan with a criminal past. A street rat."
Jack's jaw tightened — but he controlled himself.
Governor Fox pointed a shaky finger.
"If you harm her… if you drag her into some dangerous nonsense… I will bury you in this colony."
Jack simply nodded once.
"Understood, Governor."
Fox squinted at him, as if trying to see past skin and bone.
"…You're holding something back."
Jack didn't blink.
If only you knew, he thought.
Finally, the Governor waved him away.
"Get out. Before I say something I regret."
Jack turned and left without a word — walking out of Government House with calm steps but coiled tension.
2. Jack Heads to the Hospital — And the Real Web Is Revealed
As he walked through the streets toward the hospital, Jack's mind sharpened.
The Governor wasn't stupid.
He was drunk—loud—stubborn—but not stupid.
Belle had changed too quickly.
Her mother was calmer than she should be.
And the rumors about "the Doctor" were spreading.
Jack needed to tighten everything.
Hide the clinic.
Hide the surgeries.
Hide himself.
But he wasn't alone anymore.
Four people knew the truth:
Hetty Baggett, his loyal right hand and clinic nurse
Belle Fox, his apprentice
Agatha Fox, Belle's mother and now political shield
Fagin, his uncle and quiet accomplice
These were the only ones he trusted.
And even then, only barely.
3. Hospital Entrance — Belle Is Waiting
Belle stood near the hospital steps, hands behind her back, eyes tense.
The moment Jack approached, she stepped into his path.
"He called you, didn't he?" she asked.
Jack nodded.
Belle swallowed.
"And… did he suspect anything?"
Jack studied her face.
"He's suspicious, yes. But he doesn't know. Not yet."
Belle's shoulders slackened with relief.
"Jack… my father isn't a bad man. But he doesn't understand medicine. He doesn't understand ambition. And he definitely won't understand you."
Jack smirked faintly.
"Good. I don't intend to be understood."
Belle frowned.
"Jack, this is serious. If he keeps digging—"
"He'll find a dead end," Jack interrupted.
"Your mother and I have a deal. She'll warn me if the crown comes sniffing."
Belle nodded slowly.
"…She told me. She said you made her promise."
Jack's voice softened slightly.
"I'm protecting all of us. You included."
Belle looked away for a moment, gathering her courage, then met his eyes again.
"I can handle my father. But Jack… you need to be careful. The Doctor is becoming a legend. And legends get hunted."
Jack stepped closer so no one could overhear.
"Then we make sure the legend stays a ghost."
Belle bit her lip but nodded.
4. Inside the Hospital — Hetty Joins Them
Hetty Baggett slipped out of a patient room and waved them over.
"You two need to see this," she whispered.
Jack raised an eyebrow.
"What now?"
Hetty lowered her voice even further.
"The mayor—sorry—Governor Fox just sent a man. A soldier. Said he's 'inspecting' the hospital. Asking who performs the unusual surgeries."
Jack and Belle exchanged a sharp look.
The Governor had acted quickly.
Too quickly.
Hetty continued:
"I told him nothing, Jack, but he's going room to room. We need to be careful."
Jack's expression hardened, mind already racing with strategy.
"Belle. Hetty. Pass me any chart that looks complicated. I'll take only minor cases today. No advanced procedures. No speed. Nothing flashy."
Belle nodded.
Hetty added quietly:
"And the soldier is heading toward the operating theatre… the one where you saved the miner boy."
The one Belle saw him truly work — with Transparent World, Sun Breathing, and impossible precision.
Jack exhaled once.
"Alright," he said calmly.
"It's time to hide the Doctor."
Belle stepped closer.
"Jack… what are we going to do?"
Jack's eyes glinted.
"We're going to show the world Jack Dawkins — the slow, ordinary surgeon."
Belle stared at him.
"And the Doctor?"
Jack smirked.
"He vanishes today."