Chapter 285

Old Mr. Blackwell knew Jasper was just messing with him, trying to lighten the mood. So for once, he didn't put on a fake frown or toss back some sarcastic joke like he usually would. He only gave a faint smile, a look of resignation settling on his weathered face. "Before I got transferred to Jadewick, I lived back in my hometown with my mother. Wages weren't much back then, but being a doctor still had its perks. Life wasn't too bad. Mom and I had enough to get by. She had magic hands in the kitchen. I was always swamped at work, barely had time to eat, but she made sure every meal was different so I'd look forward to eating something. She used to bring it right to the hospital and sit there watching while I ate. The worst times were during holidays—nothing like now, back then fireworks weren't banned, so every New Year's Eve the ER would be packed: burn victims, drunk injuries, you name it. Doctors were scarce, we were always on our feet. After I started working, I never managed to