Dominic gently placed his fingers on her wrist, eyes closed. He appeared to be sleeping, but he wasn't. Frowning, he concentrated on her pulse. After a time, he removed his fingers and leaned in to examine her face, lifting her eyelids and then feeling her neck.

Watching from the surveillance cameras, Fred rested his chin in his hand, pensive. Despite appearances, Dominic was treating her. Earlier doctors had relied on advanced equipment for diagnosis, but this practitioner used observation, questioning, and pulse-taking. Fred was uncertain if Dominic could save Lily, but it was their only hope.

After his examination, Dominic stood, gazing at Lily. He opened the black, old-fashioned cloth bag he carried, revealing a set of silver needles of varying sizes. Intrigued, Fred sat upright. Was Dominic about to perform the acupuncture the doctors had mentioned?

Eyes wide, Fred watched as Dominic selected a needle and inserted it into Lily's arm. Fascinated, he wondered, "Why doesn't it bleed? Does this technique really work?" He stared at the screen as Dominic continued, inserting needle after needle.

With the final needle, Dominic paused. "You're my most disobedient student," he muttered, looking at her. "You always did things your way. I shouldn't have indulged you just because you were smart. Look where you've ended up."

He choked back emotion, heartbroken by her lifeless state. She might stop breathing at any moment, without a chance to say goodbye. "Goodbye, Lily," he whispered, taking a deep breath before inserting the last needle.

A bad feeling washed over Fred. He couldn't articulate it, but something was wrong. "Stop him!" he shouted into the microphone, rushing from the surveillance room.