Days as a Spiritual Mentor in American Comics

The other two also came to a realization. The unique enclosed structure of the hospital, which was originally thought to be a cage, now seemed more like a shelter.

The arrival of Wanda brought fresh news from outside, informing Schiller and Strange that the outbreak of the plague in Magic Core Town was far worse than imagined, and it might have escalated from a town-wide quarantine to an outright riot.

Although being trapped in the ward was indeed boring and various rules were restrictive, compelling them to heal, it was, no matter what, probably more relaxing than dealing with a plague and riot outside.

Moreover, Schiller had noticed something before. The patients that were brought in were all unconscious upon arrival, including Stark and Wanda, who seemed to have been in a coma.

This actually left space for the doctors to restrain and anesthetize them. Otherwise, like when the werewolf first emerged from the passage, giving the doctor a sudden bite, they might not have been able to defend against it.

"I think we can look at this problem from a different angle," Schiller said. "We previously thought that maybe the medical staff here had offended those two children, and since the children often heard them complain, they chose to punish them in this way."

"The majority of the medical staff may complain, but they spare no effort in rescuing and healing patients. Everyone does their best to save lives and help more people. This busy work may seem like a punishment, but isn't it also fulfilling the doctors' desire to treat and save patients?"

Strange stroked his chin and said, "That can also be understood this way. The number of people who fall ill each day in the world is fixed, but the number of those who receive treatment can vary. The busyness of a hospital not only implies the multitude of sick people but also suggests that more people have the chance to be treated."

"But that's clearly not the case in this world," Wanda said. "A plague has broken out here, which is why there are so many more patients. Now no one knows why the plague has erupted."

"Don't you find this plague strange?" Schiller asked. "Normally, a plague is caused by a single disease, such as the Black Death, or a certain type of flu. But why are the patients suffering from different diseases this time?"

"Although they are all infectious, the foci, pathologies, and morbid manifestations are completely different. So many different infectious diseases erupting together does not seem like a natural phenomenon."

While Schiller and Strange were talking, they didn't stop their hands and continued to treat the two patients lying on the operating table. Their actions dazzled Wanda.

"Can I help with anything, gentlemen?" she offered to help proactively.

"Can you assist with preparing medications?" Schiller asked as he sutured, "I'll tell you the procedure; you just pour it into the test tube."

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"No problem, I'll be as careful as I can."

Wanda walked over to the medication preparation station. Focused on his operation, Schiller directed: "The first bottle on the top shelf on the right side, pour in one unit, which is one scale on the test tube."

Wanda carefully poured the liquid in. Schiller then instructed: "Two flat spoons of powder from the pink container on the left."

Wanda opened the lid of the container, scooped two small spoons of powder into it, and followed Schiller's instructions to grind herbs, pour the herbal juice in, and then heat the test tube.

She did it meticulously and without any errors. Schiller complimented her, "You have a natural talent for nursing, lady."

Wanda opened her mouth, but her expression dimmed. After drawing the liquid with a syringe, she said, "Actually, after I graduated from high school, I wanted to become a nurse. I had even passed the application for nursing school."

"Then why didn't you go?"

"I'm a mutant. They thought it too risky for me to contact the patients, so they persuaded me to give up."

"Did you give up then?"

"What else could I do? Not even ordinary hospitals were an option, let alone the pediatric hospitals I really wanted to go to..." Wanda sighed.

"If you had mentioned wanting to work at a pediatric hospital, they might have agreed," Strange chimed in. "Pediatrics is the department most in need of hands. Nurses have to double as childcare workers, the work is plentiful and miscellaneous. Parents are very difficult to deal with, and no nurse wants to rotate there."

Wanda paused with the syringe in her hand and then said tentatively, "If I can now get through the training at the nursing school, can I go work at a hospital?"

Schiller looked back at her in surprise and said, "You want to work at a hospital? I mean, you want to work?"

"Is that not okay?" Wanda was hesitant as she said, "Just because I like children does not mean I want to be a full-time mother."

She paused, then continued with a touch of sadness, "Alright. I've been looking for a nursery school for Billy and his brother, but most nurseries require the parents to have stable jobs. I don't want them to be looked down upon in the future."

"Why not work in the Andromeda Galaxy?" Schiller asked. "Most mutants should be involved in development work now, shouldn't they?"

Wanda shook her head and said, "I don't want a job just because I'm a mutant; I want to do a normal person's job."

Schiller finished his suturing. He waved to Strange and the two shoved the patient into the passage, then Schiller clapped his hands and said, "You don't want to reveal that you are a mutant in the circles Billie will be in the future, even though you're already stronger than gods?"

"At least when they're little, I don't want them to be treated differently," Wanda said with a mix of emotions. "I'm really tired of drifting from place to place and being met with disdain wherever I go."

"Alright, that's understandable," said Schiller.

"...Don't you have anything else to say? Doctor?" Wanda cautiously asked.

"Uh, say what?"

"Do you think it's normal? Everyone around me is urging me to accept my mutant identity, that there's no need to fit into ordinary human society. Jarvis said the same thing."

Schiller shook his head and said, "Identity issues aren't a disease, they're a choice. You can choose to be a mutant, or you can choose to be an ordinary person. It's just that living in ordinary society requires a higher cost. As long as it's acceptable to you, then no one can say anything about it."

"You don't think I'm betraying the mutants, do you?"

"Some will. With your strength, not contributing to mutants is considered irresponsible. But becoming a mutant wasn't your choice, and you have no obligation unless you turn around and harm mutants. Otherwise, it's not a betrayal."

Wanda silently pondered for a while, then said, "What about humans?"

"What?"

"I mean, suppose there's a very strong human who chooses not to live in human society or contribute to it, but instead goes off to join an alien race. Wouldn't you be angry?"

"You can't compare it like that, ma'am. If I had to say, it would probably be an Earthling who has lived in an alien society since childhood, identifies more with their alien identity, and chooses not to live on Earth but to work on another planet and live an ordinary life. And when Earth is in grave danger, they would still step forward and help as much as possible—we usually call such people comrades."

"Sounds a bit like Star Lord," Strange said. "He left Earth for many years, and even now he chooses not to live on Earth but continues to rove around the cosmos."

"So how do you all view him?" Wanda asked.

"He's not as powerful as you are," Shiller said. "And human development doesn't rely on his help that much. His significance to humans isn't quite the same as yours to mutants; the comparison isn't exact. Personally, I agree with his choice."

"Why?"

"He's lived in outer space for many years. Although his lifestyle isn't vastly different from Earthlings', there are still differences. Occasional visits might be fine, but forcing him to live here long-term, he might not adapt."

"Living long-term in an environment you don't feel comfortable in can cause all kinds of emotional issues. It might end up with him not only being unable to help but also causing harm."

"It's better to let him choose the life that suits him best. When he's in a good mood, his career will go smoother, and he'll have more capacity to care about his homeland. Contributing during critical moments is better than nothing."

Wanda seemed to finally relax. She exhaled, let her shoulders sink, and said, "What I'm really worried about now is Magneto. He will definitely disagree, but I don't want to listen to him anymore."

"Whether he agrees or not doesn't matter," Shiller said. "Professor X will understand you, and that's enough. He will find a way to persuade your father."

"You think he'll understand me? He also cares a lot about mutants."

"He will," Shiller said. "If he really doesn't get it, I'll go talk to him. But he's a very understanding person, and if you had talked to him earlier, he might already have recommended a nursing school for you."

"Really?" Wanda still seemed unconvinced, she said, "He really would agree to me staying on Earth to be a regular nurse instead of going to the cosmos to help them expand their territory?"

Shiller nodded and said, "You're indeed very powerful, but the fact is, mutants are already strong enough without you. Their problems can't be solved just with one or two powerful people, so whether you're there doesn't really matter."

Wanda nodded earnestly, standing in place and seemingly imagining her future happy life. Then she suddenly perked up and said, "After I end this game, I'll check which nursing schools are good in New York..."

"Myers Nursing College!" The two doctors said in unison.

"The nurses from there are all very good. Our head nurse in the department graduated from there," Shiller said. "The only issue is you have to get into New York University first."

"Of course, the nursing school at Columbia University is also good," Strange said. "The head nurse of neurosurgery graduated from there."

"Yes, that's also a good choice. And then there's Rochester, which is well-known for women's and children's health care."

Wanda immediately leaned in. She hadn't shown this girlish shyness much lately, but she still stood between the two, hands clasped together, and said with hopeful eyes, "The best doctors in New York, please write me a recommendation letter. I'm begging you."

"Well, you have to say which one of us is the best divine doctor," Shiller teased her.

"That's right, which one of us do you think is more impressive?"

"Uh, can't both be impressive?"

"No, you have to name the most impressive one."

"Then it has to be Doctor Shiller."

Shiller laughed joyfully, while Strange pretended to be dissatisfied and probed Wanda, "Why him?"

Wanda said confidently with a smile, "If I said it was you and made Doctor Shiller unhappy, he'd definitely find a way to stop you from writing a recommendation letter. But if I said it was Doctor Shiller and made you unhappy, you can't make him not write one, right?"

"Very clever, ma'am," Shiller said with a snap of his fingers in praise. "I think even if I don't write you a recommendation letter, you'll get admitted."

"Then don't write her one!" Strange said.

"Are you discriminating against mutants?" Shiller tapped the operating table with a scalpel and said, "I warn you, Dr. Strange, watch your words and actions!"

Then he lowered his voice to Strange, "Please, this is the Scarlet Witch. Once she passes the nursing exams, get her to the Elders Council Hospital, and we'll have the strongest head nurse in the universe. Dormammu will have to lie down quietly, and Mephisto will have to line up for an appointment!"

Strange gave him a surreptitious thumbs-up.