Chapter 282 - 282: 282 | A Fortunate Recovery

Von fell silent. Suspending the tour would be disastrous. There was the money already tied up in the production, his agreement with Vanguard, and the twenty-six-show System quest. He couldn't afford to lose either of them.

"Nobody's announced anything yet, right?" He finally said.

"No. David's waiting for us to decide."

Von exhaled, only for the pain in his ribs to cut the breath short. The doctor reminded him to remain still before stepping outside to speak with the orthopedic team, leaving Emily beside the bed.

She watched him for a moment, then pulled her chair closer. "There's something I need to tell you. I approved the replacement equipment."

Von turned his head. "The arch?"

Emily nodded. "David wanted another inspection, but I signed off after the technicians cleared it. I should've listened to him."

Von frowned. "Em, why are you acting like you walked onstage and pushed the damn thing over?"

"Because ... if I'd listened to David, you wouldn't be here."

"Maybe. But I'm not blaming you, alright?" Von tried to reach for her hand and winced when his ribs pulled. Emily moved closer before he could try again. "Come here. You're making me work too hard."

She took his hand, managing a small, tired smile despite herself.

A knock interrupted them. David was outside with an update from the promoter, and Emily needed to speak to him before the postponement notice was finalized. She hesitated at the door, looking back at Von.

"Don't try to stand up while I'm gone."

Von glanced at the splint. "Wasn't planning to."

Only after she left did he let his expression change. He'd managed to keep Emily from worrying even more, but the doctor's assessment hadn't left much room for optimism. A few weeks offstage would be bad enough. Months would destroy the tour schedule, and the System wasn't going to reward him for shows he never performed.

Even worse, he would face its punishments for failing the Quest.

'Come on. There's got to be something.'

He closed his eyes and summoned the familiar purple interface, going straight to the Star Shop. As he searched through the items he'd seen before, he remembered a consumable that had appeared during his earliest voucher rolls and again when he was preparing the music video.

A Health Recovery Pill. Back then, he'd passed it over because he hadn't needed it. Unlike the Stamina Recovery Pills that restored his energy, this one could heal injuries outright, provided they weren't fatal. A broken leg and two fractured ribs certainly qualified. Better yet, it cost only a hundred EXP, an absurdly small price compared to the weeks of recovery the doctor was predicting.

There was just one problem. He hadn't saved the item, and the Star Shop wouldn't let him summon something simply because he wanted it. Every voucher produced a random selection; he could buy an item only if it appeared. The System could sometimes be influenced by what he wanted, but he still remembered burning through more than a hundred vouchers while looking for Director's Eye.

Von checked his remaining vouchers and swallowed. He had enough to try his luck, but nowhere near enough to feel confident.

'Please don't screw me today.'

He spent a voucher, and the familiar holographic case unfolded.

[Consumable: Vocal Lubricant]

[Item: High-Fidelity Microphone]

[Skill: Basic Scriptwriting (D)]

Von stared at the three options. "You ain't gonna surprise me by giving me at my first try, huh?"

He dismissed the holographic case and opened another with a second voucher.

[Item: Acoustic Guitar Strings]

[Consumable: Stamina Recovery Pill]

[Item: Cosmetic Hair Dye]

He went again, dismissing another set of useless items before spending another voucher. Then another, and another, and another, and another...

The holographic cases kept opening and closing, but no matter how many times he tried, the damn pill refused to appear.

Eventually, Von stopped to check his remaining vouchers, and his expression fell.

● Star Shop: 11 Vouchers

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

He had already burned through sixty-nine of his eighty vouchers without getting what he wanted. At this rate, he would have to waste even more EXP buying additional vouchers, assuming the System offered him that option.

"I better get this thing soon, or at least an offer to buy extra vouchers."

Von sighed, took a deep breath, and used one of his eleven remaining vouchers.

The next holographic case unfolded, and his eyes immediately locked onto the first option.

[Consumable: Health Recovery Pill]

● Cost: 100 EXP

● Description: Instantly recovers full health after being dealt non-fatal injuries. (Only one can be saved)

For a moment, Von only stared at the words. Then he broke into a grin and tried to sit straighter, immediately earning another sharp reminder from his ribs.

"Ow! Okay, okay." He lowered himself back onto the pillow. "Just give me the damn thing."

He selected the pill before the System could even finish displaying the remaining options.

[-100 EXP]

[Health Recovery Pill Acquired!]

A small pill appeared in his palm. He checked the door once more before putting it into his mouth and swallowing. Almost immediately, warmth spread through his chest and down his right leg. The pressure around his ribs eased, followed by the deep ache beneath the splint, until he realized he was breathing normally again.

Von waited another few seconds before testing his leg. His ankle moved without resistance, and when he flexed his knee, there was no pain at all. He sat up slowly, took a deep breath, then laughed under his breath.

"Holy shit. It actually worked."

He loosened the splint and lowered his feet to the floor. His right leg held his weight without so much as a twinge. After a few careful steps beside the bed, he bent his knee and straightened it again, grinning as he considered how much trouble he'd have explaining this.

The door opened just as he turned back toward the mattress.

"VON!"

Emily stopped in the doorway with the doctor behind her. Her eyes went straight to the splint lying on the bed, then to Von standing beside it.

"What are you doing?!" she demanded.

"Walking," Von replied, although her expression made him reconsider the joke. "Look, I know how this looks, but my leg doesn't hurt anymore."

The doctor hurried over and guided him back to the bed. "You have a confirmed tibial fracture, Mr. Varley. You should not be putting weight on that leg."

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. I don't feel anything."

He allowed the doctor to examine him. There was no tenderness along the fracture site, no pain when he moved the ankle, and no discomfort when the doctor pressed carefully against his ribs. After repeating several checks, the man stopped and frowned.

"Have you taken anything since I last examined you? Any medication at all?"

"No," Von replied, keeping his face straight.

The doctor ordered repeat X-rays. Von complained about the delay, but he went along with it when Emily threatened to call David and have him personally cancel the show. By the time he returned to his room, another physician had been asked to review the original images against the new ones.

Both doctors spent several minutes checking the scans, then confirmed Von's identity and examined him again. The first doctor finally turned his chair around, visibly struggling to make sense of what he was seeing.

"The fractures we documented earlier aren't visible on these images," he said. "That shouldn't be possible. We need to verify both sets of scans and continue your observation."

Emily looked at the screen. "So his leg is healed?"

"I'm saying the images no longer show the injuries we diagnosed. I can't explain that, and I'm not comfortable making any conclusions until we've investigated further."

Von glanced at the clock. The concert was still hours away, and David hadn't canceled it yet.

"Alright, Doc. One question." He sat forward, looking between the two physicians. "Can I perform tonight?"