Chapter 10 : Emergency Patient (1)

Tang Zhen adapted well.
Within two days, she had basically familiarized herself with the ward procedures.
Even the daily handovers, which had previously given her the most headaches, she could now handle with ease, at least without making any more unnecessary low-level mistakes.

It was just that Chi Yuqin’s phrase, ‘a textbook-style handover,’ would pop into her head from time to time.

Tang Zhen knew her shortcomings.
Her head was filled with theoretical knowledge.
When it came to professional terminology, she remembered it more clearly and answered more quickly than anyone else.
But theory was theory.
No matter how well she remembered the professional terms, if she couldn’t apply them to the patients, it was all just a pile of nonsense.

She asked Liu Sisi—

“Do you think… how much of a commission can you get for one surgery?”

“I don’t know about other hospitals, but at Renhua, it’s probably not much.”

“Then is eight hundred possible?”

“That depends on the complexity of the surgery. But Renhua’s system is very strict, especially in matters like this… But if you take on private work, it’s hard to say. But even then… private work has to be approved by the hospital. It’s hard to say.”

Liu Sisi shook her head and glanced at Tang Zhen—

“Why are you asking this?”

“Just asking.”

On Friday, as soon as work started, Director Wang rushed over from the main building.
An emergency meeting was called.

Tang Zhen had just finished changing a patient’s dressing and was coming out of the ward when Liu Sisi stopped her.

“Have you heard? Our department admitted a heart failure patient. They say it’s quite serious. All the attending physicians have been called to a meeting.”

“Oh.”

“Oh? No… I mean, you’re way too calm, aren’t you?”

“It’s normal for the cardiac surgery department to admit a heart failure patient, isn’t it?”

“Uh… there’s nothing wrong with that, but this one is different. Didn’t you see Director Wang came in person… no… hey, don’t tell me you don’t know yet?”

Tang Zhen really didn’t know.
She hadn’t stopped moving since she started work.

“I’m really impressed by you. For such a big thing, if you had just listened in a little, you should have caught a whiff of it.”
Liu Sisi stuck her head out, glanced left and right… saw no one, then leaned closer and lowered her voice. “I’m only telling you this. Just listen, and don’t spread it around.”

This was Liu Sisi’s catchphrase.
Every time she told her something, she had to preface it with this.

“This patient came once before and was rejected by Director Liu. They say that last night, the inpatient department suddenly received a call and admitted him on the spot. Do you know who admitted him?”

“Who?”

“Chi Yuqin.”

“She’s back? Wasn’t she in the neighboring city for a surgery?”

“Exactly! Who knows? That’s not the point… don’t you think it’s strange? In the middle of the night…”

Tang Zhen didn’t understand the meaning behind Liu Sisi’s words and thought it was a procedural issue. “If the situation is urgent, it should be possible, right?”

“Sigh, who’s talking to you about that!”

Liu Sisi felt that Tang Zhen had no office awareness at all.
Was this a matter of procedure?
She was still fresh out of school, as green as could be.

“What’s Director Liu’s seniority? He’s been in cardiology for so many years. Last month, he was awarded some honorary medal. The news reports were everywhere. He walks with a swagger, the only thing missing is two bodyguards following him. Let alone us little nobodies, even Director Wang has to show him some respect. And now… he just rejected the patient, and Chi Yuqin admitted him right after, and at such a time… in the middle of the night… if you were Old Man Liu, what would you think?”

Tang Zhen was starting to get it. “So, what exactly is the illness?”

“So after all I’ve said, you’re still stuck on this?”
Liu Sisi was exasperated with Tang Zhen.
“Coronary artery blockage plus ischemic cardiomyopathy.”

“This… is there anything special about it?”

“Do you know how old that person is?”

“How old?”

“Eighty-three.”

In the meeting room, Wang Qiugin sat at the head of the table.
On her right was a faction of old-timers led by Director Liu, who had always advocated for a stable approach.
On her left was a group of young key members led by Chi Yuqin, who were known for breaking with the old and establishing the new, with their own set of principles.

“I know this patient. He came to see me last month. At that time, I saw that his condition was very complex, so I told him to go to the Second Hospital. After all, Renhua isn’t the only one in Jingbei that can treat this disease. But I didn’t expect… that he would be admitted by Deputy Director Chi last night. It must have been very troublesome for Deputy Director Chi in the middle of the night.”

Liu Renzong’s words were light, but he bit down hard on the ‘Deputy’ in Deputy Director Chi.

With a sullen face, anyone with ears in the room could hear the underlying meaning.

“Director Liu is too kind. It’s no trouble at all. A doctor seeing a patient is like a taxi driver picking up a passenger. It’s a professional requirement. Refusing a ride is illegal, you know,” Chi Yuqin said.

Neither of their voices was loud, but the tense atmosphere of a drawn bow was constantly escalating.

Wang Qiugin looked from side to side and spoke to ease the tension—

“The Second Hospital has indeed had many successful cases in recent years. We should indeed learn from them. At the last seminar, I had some academic exchanges with their team. Some of them are even Director Liu’s students.”

At this, Liu Renzong’s expression finally softened a bit, and he nodded at Wang Qiugin.

“However, since the patient has already been admitted, there’s no reason to send him back. Otherwise, it would be detrimental to Renhua’s reputation. Those who know the inside story will be fine, but those who don’t will think we’re scared, that we don’t dare to treat him. Old Liu, don’t you think that’s right?”

Wang Qiugin brought up Renhua’s reputation, silencing Liu Renzong.
If he had any more objections, his intentions would be too obvious.

“You are all experts in our cardiology center. Let’s hear each other’s opinions. Don’t be so serious. Speak freely.”

Liu Renzong spoke first. “It’s all for Renhua. So I’ll go first… my opinion is, we can admit the patient, we can treat him, but it’s best not to operate.”

He tapped his fingers on the table as he spoke.
Everyone knew these words were meant for Chi Yuqin.

“First, we can’t just operate for the sake of operating. That’s meaningless. Because no matter what, this surgery will be completed. And after it’s done? Do we need to consider the risks? What’s the success rate? Even if the surgery is successful, how long can it be sustained? The patient not only needs to live but also needs to have mobility… if the surgery is done, but he can only lie in bed, living on a machine… what then? These are all issues that need to be considered.”

“According to Director Liu’s meaning, should the life of every patient with high risk and low success rate be given up?” Chi Yuqin retorted.

“I am just analyzing from a medical perspective.”

“In that case, I will also analyze it from a medical perspective with Director Liu. First, this disease is not a terminal illness. The real risk is a series of complications during the perioperative period. But if we only evaluate based on the probability of complications, then as long as the mortality rate is higher than ten percent, it’s considered high risk. The actual situation is definitely higher than this percentage. Then I think… our cardiac surgery department can close down, and all cardiac surgeons can be unemployed.”

“It seems Deputy Director Chi is very confident in herself.”

“Director Liu has it backward. I have the professional expertise first, and then the confidence.”

“Having confidence and professional expertise means you can disregard the cost of risk? Isn’t your tone a bit too arrogant?”

“Even a random shop on the street has to bear inventory costs, let alone us who have to cut people open with a knife. If you’re afraid of this and that… you might as well retire early and make way for the younger generation.”

“You!”

“Alright, alright—”
Wang Qiugin quickly waved her hand, mediating.
“Director Liu’s point is not without reason.”

Chi Yuqin wanted to say more but was silenced by a look from Wang Qiugin.

“Director Liu, do you have any other suggestions?” Wang Qiugin asked again.

“An old guy like me, half-buried in the ground, afraid of this and that all day, how dare I have any opinions? Deputy Director Chi can just decide for herself!”

Liu Renzong stood up and left, the chair behind him clattering as it was knocked over.

Since he had been angered away, the meeting could only end here for now.

Wang Qiugin dismissed the meeting, and everyone left one after another.
When everyone was gone, she turned to Chi Yuqin—

“You—”

“Don’t say anything, I know what you want to say. He was the one who insisted on discussing it from a medical perspective with me. It wasn’t me who argued with him.”

“Director Liu’s seniority at Renhua is very deep. In the future, if you want to be promoted, his evaluation will be very important.”

Chi Yuqin didn’t respond to that.
After a moment of silence, she spoke—

“Do you believe it? If I hadn’t taken this case last night, we would all be drinking tea in the complaint reception office today.”
Her voice paused, then continued, “Teacher, the patient’s condition is very serious. The old lady knelt down to me, begging me to save him.”

The meeting room was silent.
After a long while, Wang Qiugin stood up from her chair and walked to Chi Yuqin’s side—

“You don’t have to worry about Liu Renzong. I’ll handle it.”

The sun slowly moved, the glaring light shining into the window, making the four white walls even paler.

After Wang Qiugin left, Chi Yuqin stayed in the meeting room for a while longer.
When she came out, she saw a person standing by the white wall in the corridor.
Tang Zhen had her hands in her pockets, the fine baby hairs on her forehead glowing with a golden light under the sun.
Her small, palm-sized face had a tender pink hue.

Chi Yuqin’s gaze rested on Tang Zhen’s face for two seconds.

Tang Zhen felt that this person’s eyes seemed to be missing something, and yet had something more…

Less coldness, more fatigue.

“Are you looking for me?”

“Dr. Zhao is looking for you.”

“Got it, I’ll go over now.”

Chi Yuqin had just taken two steps forward when she saw Tang Zhen still standing there, motionless.
Although her eyes weren’t staring at her face, they were fixed on the corner of her clothes.

“Do you like to stare at me?”

“I… I…”

Tang Zhen’s face turned beet red as she stammered.

Chi Yuqin reached into her pocket and took something out—

“Here.”

“…”

“Take it. Haven’t you been staring for a while?”

Seeing that Tang Zhen didn’t reach out, Chi Yuqin directly grabbed her arm and stuffed the thing into her hand.

“Eat it yourself. Don’t give it to anyone else. You know the reason, right?”