After her rebirth

Katniss leaned in and whispered, "Samuel, mind if I check you out?"

Samuel blinked, a bit thrown off, and then it hit him-Katniss was the doc who patched up Maximilian. He'd been so wrapped up in their drama, that he totally spaced on that. Katniss was a lifesaver for their family. Samuel had seen Max's rough shape and felt the pain, hunting down top docs everywhere, but nothing worked. And now, here she was.

Snapping back, Samuel grinned, nodding like a bobblehead, "Sure thing, but I didn't bring any cash for a consult."

Katniss flashed a sweet smile, dimples and all, "No sweat, it's on the house."

Samuel's heart melted a bit; that smile reminded him of his daughter. She had those same deep dimples...

"Katniss, you see something off?" Felix piped up, always on high alert about health stuff after hanging with Max for so long.

He could tell Katniss had spotted something.

Katniss hesitated, "Can't say for sure without a check-up."

The room went dead quiet for a few beats before Max chimed in, "Alright, let's do it."

Samuel shrugged; he knew his body was fine, but he was curious if Katniss was as good as Felix said. So, he sat down for the exam.

As Katniss got to work, the room went silent.

A moment later, Katniss looked up, eyes serious, "Samuel, you got pain in your ribs?"

Samuel's eyes widened, "Yeah, a bit, but it's no biggie."

No biggie? Small problems left unchecked can snowball into a catastrophic mess.

Katniss shook her head, looking all serious, "You gotta treat stuff early. If you let it slide, it can get bad. Everything's connected in the body. Rib pain might seem minor, but it's 'cause your liver and gallbladder meridians are blocked." Seeing Katniss drop some serious knowledge, Samuel's face got serious too, "You're right. What do you suggest?"

Everyone was glued to Katniss. She didn't flinch, her confidence shining through.

"It's not major, but don't ignore it. I'll start you on some meds. After my exams in twenty days, I'll do some acupuncture."

Acupuncture would be quicker, but Katniss was swamped right now.

"Exams?" Samuel blinked, "How old are you?"

Katniss blinked back, "Nineteen, still in school."

Samuel was stunned, then shot a look at Max.

Max gave him a puzzled look.

Samuel's look said: "She's so young, and you're still chasing her?"

Max was speechless.

If Katniss had caught their looks, she'd probably wonder what the heck was up with Samuel.

She ducked her head, rummaging through her bag for some paper and a pen, then scribbled out a prescription.

Felix reached for it, but Samuel snatched it first, muttering, "Dang, your handwriting's on point. You into calligraphy or something?"

In her past life, Katniss had dabbled in calligraphy during her downtime. Most of her time was spent on the Manners family, leaving little for herself, let alone fun stuff.

Calligraphy was a chill, indoor hobby.

Katniss shrugged, "Just a bit."

Samuel grinned, "That's pretty cool. If you were my granddaughter, I'd be over the moon!"

They were having a blast, and Samuel totally forgot about his plan to make Katniss his granddaughter-in-law. When he snapped back, he saw Maximilian giving him the silent treatment. Samuel quickly said, "Katniss, you should check on Maximilian too."

He still needed to play matchmaker for these two.

Katniss glanced at Maximilian, noting he looked better than yesterday, and shook her head, "No need today, I'll swing by in a couple of days."

She'd just checked him yesterday; not much would change overnight.

She had to rush back to school for classes.

So, Katniss cheerfully said her goodbyes and headed out.

Maximilian didn't even get a word in.

As Katniss was about to leave, Samuel suddenly remembered something, "Hey, when's your birthday?"

Katniss looked a bit puzzled but answered honestly.

Her birthday was at the start of next month.

It was coming up, right after her exams.

But no one had ever celebrated her birthday; she'd be celebrating solo again.

Katniss left with a smile, thinking about enjoying her birthday cake alone next month.

As soon as Katniss went downstairs, Maximilian peeked out the window, watching her leave. She looked all happy like a silly little animal. Before she left, she even asked a gardener for a flower, then started hopping away.

Yep, like a happy little bunny.

Maximilian's eyes followed her until she was out of sight. When he turned around, he was met with Samuel's gossiping, excited eyes.

Samuel said, "Maximilian, nineteen's not too young. She can get hitched!"

He was all fired up, thinking this was a solid plan. He could almost see Maximilian and Katniss tying the knot next month.

"Grandpa," Maximilian frowned, "Ms. Manners and I are just doctor and patient."

Hearing him switch up how he addressed Katniss, Samuel knew he was ticked off.

So he slammed the table, "Fine, doctor and patient. But if you don't like Katniss, there must be someone else. At twenty-five, my buddy's grandson already has a kid." Maximilian's brows knitted tightly. Despite his usual decisiveness, he seemed helpless in front of Samuel.

But with the vibe around Maximilian growing colder, no longer the warm and peaceful one from before, he calmly said, "Grandpa, I have no plans to get married, nor will I have any relationship with Ms. Manners." After he died, should Katniss be left to mourn him?

Someone like him should go to hell alone, why drag Katniss down?

She should find a healthy guy from a good family, have kids, and live a happy, peaceful life.