On Standby - Chapter 1

On the last day of July, at dawn, the horizon was tinged with a faint orange glow. Gentle light surged through the clouds like a rising tide, gradually awakening all living things.

In the Nanping International Community of the Shatan District in Shu River City, on the eighth floor of an ordinary residential building, the third apartment from the left was, as usual, the first to light up. Tang Anhua, having finished his morning chores, wiped his hands on his apron and headed toward the bedroom. He encountered Jiang Junli, already dressed and ready for the day, who nodded toward the room and asked, “Still not up?”

“I just heard some movement.”

Tang Anhua frowned almost imperceptibly. “First day of work and she’s already thinking of being late?”

Jiang Junli smiled. “When have we ever had to worry about her studies or work?”

“That’s you not worrying. Do you think I worry any less?” Tang Anhua, tall and lean, shifted his weight and added, “No, I need to go check on her.” He reached the door and raised his hand to knock, but the door swung open from the inside.

“Dad?” Tang Feihuan stood there, already dressed in white cigarette pants and a light blue short-sleeved shirt. At 169cm tall, with shoulder-length hair tied back, high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and half-rimmed glasses perched on her straight nose, she often projected an air of aloofness when silent.

Tang Anhua paused for a couple of seconds, then quickly said, “Time for breakfast.”

“Oh, okay,” Tang Feihuan replied, still a bit groggy from sleep. She moved to the dining room, greeted Jiang Junli, and sat down across from her at the table. She began eating slowly and deliberately.

“I’ll drop your mother off first, then you,” Tang Anhua said. As a middle school geography teacher at Shatan No. 1 Middle School, he naturally had more free time than Jiang Junli, who worked as a thoracic surgeon at the First Affiliated Hospital of Shu Jiang University School of Medicine. During vacations, he made it a habit to drive his family to work every day, without fail.

“Dad, that’s not necessary,” Tang Feihuan said after swallowing half a steamed bun. “I’ll ride my motorcycle to the hospital.”

“The one you bought last week?”

Tang Feihuan nodded.

Tang Anhua knew his daughter’s stubborn nature—once she made up her mind, it was nearly impossible to change it. Still, he couldn’t help but warn her, “Riding a motorcycle is dangerous. You’re just a meat bag on wheels. As a doctor, how can you not understand that?”

“Danger depends on the rider, Teacher Tang. I’ll drive safely.”

Jiang Junli set down her chopsticks and chimed in, “Old Zhao from Respiratory Medicine has been riding a motorcycle for 23 years without a single accident. Young Li from Radiology has been riding for 11 years, also without incident. And…”

“Alright, alright, you’re playing the good cop again, indulging her,” Tang Anhua grumbled, biting into his steamed bun. He stopped arguing.

“Thanks, Mom,” Tang Feihuan said, her brow smoothing as she placed a freshly peeled egg into her mother’s bowl.

Tang Anhua feigned jealousy. “No favoritism!”

“There’s enough for everyone,” Tang Feihuan replied. But before she could finish, he continued to grumble, “Lili, why did our daughter major in cardiology abroad only to come back and take the dirtiest, most exhausting job in the Emergency Department?”

“Emergency and cardiac surgeons both need courage and meticulousness. She’s gaining experience in the Emergency Department first. Director Fang from the Second Affiliated Hospital’s Department of Cardiac and Vascular Surgery is also keeping an eye on her.” The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shu Jiang University School of Medicine and Jiang Junli’s First Affiliated Hospital both belong to the same university system. The Second Affiliated Hospital’s Emergency Department and Department of Cardiac and Vascular Surgery are its flagship departments. Tang Anhua not only had no objections to Tang Feihuan working there, but he fully supported her decision.

“Oh, so you two had already planned this? I was worried she wouldn’t be able to handle the Emergency Department.”

Tang Feihuan handed over the peeled egg and replied, “I spent over half a year in the Emergency Department. I’m used to the pace.”

“That’s not the same,” he countered. “How many emergency cases do foreign hospitals see in a day compared to our domestic hospitals?” Realizing he was being too long-winded, he quickly backtracked. “Still, it’s good for young people to endure some hardship. It’ll toughen your spirit.”

Jiang Junli, observing the father-daughter exchange, smiled, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes deepening. “You’ve said it all yourself,” she teased.

Across from them, Tang Feihuan, whose ears had been stuffed with a basketful of words since dawn, straightened up, ready to escape. “Dad, remember to take Tomato out for a walk. I’m leaving now.” Last March, Tang Feihuan had adopted a Shiba Inu in Germany and named him Tomato. Half a month ago, he had crossed the ocean with her to return to Shu River.

Tang Anhua called out, “Hey!” and was about to offer more advice when Tang Feihuan, already at the entrance, vanished with her helmet. All that remained was the sound of the elevator doors opening.

During the second ten-day period of the summer heat, even the early morning air offered no respite from the sweltering heat. Tang Feihuan rode her motorcycle out of the outdoor parking lot and onto the asphalt road. The helmet gradually trapped the rising heat, but she relished this feeling of unrestricted freedom, her pores breathing freely. As a doctor, particularly a surgeon, she spent most of her days confined to cramped, enclosed spaces like laboratories or operating rooms. Only during her brief commutes to and from work could she embrace the wind from all directions.

After a 28-minute ride, at 7:35 AM, she was just 50 meters from the rear entrance of the Second Affiliated Hospital’s Emergency Building. As pedestrian traffic thickened, Tang Feihuan slowed down. Suddenly, just five meters ahead, a middle-aged man carrying a plastic bag stumbled violently and collapsed to the ground.

Immediate cries erupted from the crowd. Tang Feihuan squeezed the handbrake, pressed the footbrake, removed her helmet, and swiftly dismounted her motorcycle. She rushed over, knelt beside the man, and patted his shoulder. “Hey, wake up! Wake up! Can you hear me?” There was no response. Recognizing the critical situation, Tang Feihuan knew every second counted. She pressed her left index and middle fingers against the man’s carotid artery while simultaneously observing the rise and fall of his chest. Confirming the absence of a heartbeat and breathing, she immediately shifted her position, kneeling beside him, and began chest compressions. Turning her head, she instructed the long-haired woman standing to her right, who seemed eager to help, “Cardiac arrest! Get a stretcher over here!”

“Huh?”

“Aren’t you an intern?” Tang Feihuan, with her keen eye for detail, immediately noticed the medical review materials the young woman was carrying.

“I’m… I’m a resident,” the woman stammered, turning and sprinting toward the Emergency Building without another word.

A few minutes later, paramedics lifted the patient, who had regained spontaneous breathing, onto a transport stretcher. Tang Feihuan, barely pausing to wipe the sweat from her forehead, hurried alongside the stretcher, saying, “Suspect myocardial infarction. Ventricular fibrillation is imminent. Get an ECG immediately.”

“Oh, right,” the male doctor replied casually. “Which department are you with?”

Tang Feihuan didn’t answer. The doctor, preoccupied with assessing the patient’s condition, didn’t notice. By the time he remembered to offer a word of thanks, she was already gone.

A nurse suddenly called out, “Dr. Liu, the patient’s breathing and heartbeat have stopped again!”

“Quick, hurry! Get him to bed three in the resuscitation room!” With that, he leaped onto the stretcher, knelt beside the patient, and began emergency resuscitation.

At 7:53 AM, Tang Feihuan knocked on the door of the Director’s office.

“Come in.”

“Director Gao.” Tang Feihuan had first met Gao Zongxiang ten days earlier. After signing her contract, she had been led to this office. Director Gao, well-aware of her capabilities, had given her free rein to choose a team, recommending Group One in Emergency Surgery, where she could learn from the senior director of General Surgery and even perform simple emergency surgeries as the primary surgeon. To his surprise, she ultimately chose Group Two, led by Lin Ye, specializing in critical care and severe trauma—a newly formed team, less than three months old, still working to build cohesion.

Director Gao praised her keen eye for talent, recognizing Lin Ye as the Emergency Department’s rising star. “Director Lin visited the Department of Critical Care Medicine and Emergency Medicine at the University of California at just 30 years old. At 32, he volunteered for the Aid Xinjiang program. Last year, he passed the Associate Senior exam, and this May, he was officially appointed Deputy Director. His future is limitless.”

“I’ve long heard of Director Lin’s reputation,” Tang Feihuan replied, her expression calm despite the turbulent emotions churning within. It had been five years since their breakup, three years of long-distance separation, and eight years since they last saw each other.

Director Gao’s gaze drifted to Tang Feihuan. “Ah, Xiao Tang! Let’s keep this brief. I’ll have someone take you to change first, then call Director Lin over so you can meet him.”

“Thank you, Director Gao,” Tang Feihuan replied, following the resident physician to the changing rooms at the end of the corridor. Their assigned room was on the right.

The resident physician swiped her card to unlock the locker and handed Tang Feihuan a set of scrubs. “Doctor Tang, this is a smart locker system. We use our cards to retrieve scrubs. Medium size—they should fit you.”

“Thank you,” Tang Feihuan said, accepting the scrubs, which were the same color as her blouse.

“I’m Wang Can, a resident physician in the Critical Care and Trauma Group 2. Our lockers are in the second row. Yours is number 204. Your white coat is also in the locker.” Wang Can, not one for small talk, managed to squeeze out a complete sentence.

Tang Feihuan nodded with a warm smile. “Tang Feihuan.”

Wang Can’s expression relaxed as she noticed the slight curve of Tang Feihuan’s lips. “Doctor Tang, our group used to be four men and three women. With you joining, it’s finally balanced.”

“I’ve gathered some information already—two attending physicians and four resident physicians.”

Wang Can interjected, “Right, and our Director Lin too.” Realizing she was keeping Tang Feihuan from her work, she pursed her lips and immediately apologized, “I just finished my shift and felt a connection with you, so I got a bit carried away.”

Tang Feihuan’s smile deepened. “No worries.”

“Doctor Tang, change into your uniform first. I’ll wait outside. Call me if you need anything.”

“Okay.”

Three minutes later, Tang Feihuan emerged, her name tag pinned to her chest:

Emergency Department

Attending Physician

Tang Feihuan

She followed Wang Can back to Director Gao’s office. Director Gao had just hung up the phone, and the two exchanged a few pleasantries.

“Director Lin is handling an acute myocardial infarction case with frequent ventricular fibrillation. He stabilized the patient just five minutes ago and has already notified cardiology to prepare for an emergency PCI,” Director Gao explained. As soon as he finished speaking, there was another knock at the door.

“Xiao Lin? Come in, come in,” Director Gao said with a smile, rising to his feet.

Lin Ye greeted Director Gao, seemingly oblivious to Tang Feihuan’s presence, and turned to close the door behind him. But when Tang Feihuan saw his back, her heart skipped a beat. Though her expression remained calm, her gaze locked onto him, unwavering.

It’s been so long, she thought.