On Standby - Chapter 15

Zhou Wenyun was currently asleep, her condition temporarily stable. Tang Feihuan questioned Zhang Yan, who was lying beside her, and learned that half a month earlier, she had accompanied Zhou Wenyun to the flower and bird market for sketching.

Zhang Yan recounted haltingly, “On the first day of hospitalization, the doctor asked if I kept birds or had any contact with them. I said no, completely forgetting about the sketching trip with Yunyun. It had been so long ago.”

“We strongly suspect that you and your daughter have contracted ornithosis, also known as psittacosis, so further testing is required.”

Considering Zhang Yan’s weakened state, Tang Feihuan immediately ordered a nurse to draw bl00d for mNGS testing. When the results came back, Chlamydia psittaci sequences were detected in both bl00d samples. Tang Feihuan promptly started them on tetracycline antibiotics. The correct medication worked swiftly; Zhang Yan’s breathing difficulties eased dramatically the next day, and Zhou Wenyun’s fever broke on the third day. With continued treatment, both were expected to be discharged soon.

That day, Tang Feihuan was on the day shift. After completing her rounds, she was organizing patient records at her desk, preparing to transfer improving patients to general wards. Suddenly, a knock came from the door behind her. A voice called out, “Is Doctor Tang here?”

Three or four doctors turned to look, including Lin Ye and Tang Feihuan.

Zhou Wenyong appeared at the door with his sister, Zhou Wenyun, smiling. “My mother and sister are being discharged today,” he said. “We wanted to present Doctor Tang with a banner of appreciation.”

Liu Zhinan clapped his hands, a smile spreading across his face. “Xiao Tang, hurry up and accept the banner!”

Tang Feihuan felt a little embarrassed. She instinctively adjusted her glasses with her right index finger and said bluntly, “There’s no need for a banner. It’s just my duty.”

Zhou Wenyong insisted sincerely, “No, no, we must. My mother felt much better the second night after being transferred to your ICU. My sister too—she said you often checked on her and even drew pictures for her.”

Hearing about the drawings, Liu Zhinan’s interest was piqued. “What did you draw?” he asked eagerly.

Zhou Wenyun opened her sketchbook, pulled out a sheet of paper, and beamed. “A heart! Doctor Tang said my heart is strong and can keep beating for many years to come.”

It’s often said that many doctors are artists whose true calling was overshadowed by their medical careers. Tang Feihuan was no exception; her medical illustrations had even won awards abroad.

“That’s a great drawing!” Liu Zhinan exclaimed sincerely, handing the paper to Lin Ye, who had been glancing over. “Lin Ye, take a look too!”

Lin Ye took the paper and studied it carefully. For a few seconds, his thoughts drifted back to the distant past. Tang Feihuan, then a senior in her first semester, had been reviewing for finals in her dorm, sketching anatomical diagrams. She had joked that if she didn’t become a doctor, she could make money as an artist. He had praised her talent, only for her to steal a quick kiss on the corner of his lips when he wasn’t looking, smiling and saying, “I think so too.”

“Hmm, not bad,” Lin Ye said, returning the paper to Zhou Wenyun, quickly cutting off the memory before it could stir up any lingering emotions.

Tang Feihuan caught the brief curve of his lips—a fleeting smile that lasted only two seconds, but enough to make her heart bloom. She gladly accepted the banner Zhou Wenyong presented. Unlike the usual banners patients give doctors, with phrases like “Miraculous Healing, Exceptional Skill,” this one was different. Zhou Wenyong unfurled the red silk banner to reveal the words “Doctor Tang Feihuan” at the top, followed by two bold characters in the center: “牛逼” (Awesome).

Liu Zhinan chuckled, “Perfect! Simple and to the point.”

Tang Feihuan blushed even harder but agreed to Zhou Wenyong’s request for a photo. She stood in the middle, flanked by Zhou Wenyong and his sister Zhou Wenyun. Liu Zhinan, taking the photo, shook his head. “Xiao Tang, smile! Don’t look so serious.”

“That’s right! One more, keep smiling!”

Zhou Wenyong was delighted with the two photos and turned to Lin Ye. “Director Lin, we’re also deeply grateful to you for your persistent encouragement to continue treatment. Would you mind taking a photo with Doctor Tang?”

Tang Feihuan assumed Lin Ye would decline, but to her surprise, he nodded.

Lin Ye and Tang Feihuan stood side-by-side, holding the banner between them. Liu Zhinan, holding the phone, called out, “Xiao Tang, move closer to Lin Ye. Why are you standing so far apart?”

“Oh,” Tang Feihuan shifted half a step to the right, their arms lightly brushing.

Liu Zhinan pressed the shutter button, giving the OK sign. “Three, two, one, cheese!”

After the photo shoot, Lin Yecheng accepted the siblings’ gratitude and walked away from Tang Feihuan toward his desk, his arm brushing lightly against hers like a dragonfly skimming water, leaving behind the warmth of his skin. Tang Feihuan froze at the brief contact, her face flushing crimson. She exchanged a few polite words with Zhou Wenyun and Zhou Wenyong, and after they left, she sank back into her chair, propped her cheek on her left hand, tilted her head to gaze at the wall, and began to giggle to herself.

Although the daytime patients were numerous, fortunately, all emergencies were successfully managed. Some were transferred to other departments after consultations, while others remained in the Eicu for further treatment. Around 5 PM, Lin Yecheng sat at his desk, reviewing medical literature, when Lu Yuqing’s call came through. He answered, and she immediately said, “Director Lin, I thought you’d be too busy to answer.”

“If you had called ten minutes earlier, I wouldn’t have had time,” Lin Yecheng replied, multitasking as his fingers continued to scroll through the documents. In 2015, following Director Gao’s advice to pursue advanced studies, he had enrolled in the part-time doctoral program in internal medicine at Shu Jiang University School of Medicine. This was his third year of study.

“I know you’re busy,” Lu Yuqing said through the Bluetooth connection. “Hey, I just found out Tang Feihuan moved in across the hall from you. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Lin Ye glanced up at Tang Feihuan’s empty desk, guessing she was in the ward, before replying slowly, “There’s nothing special about it. Since you didn’t ask, I didn’t think to mention it.”

Lu Yuqing clicked her tongue. “Why would she move in across from you? What’s her motive?”

Tang Feihuan had moved in twelve days ago. Aside from a few casual greetings at the door during commutes, nothing noteworthy had occurred. Lin Ye’s expression remained unchanged. “Shouldn’t you ask her yourself?”

Lu Yuqing snapped, “Director Lin, I swear, talking to you is like talking to a brick wall!”

“Hmm, perhaps.”

Just as Lin Ye finished speaking, a loud crash echoed through the phone. Fearing something had happened to Lu Yuqing, he asked urgently, “Lu Yuqing, what was that?”

“Someone on an electric scooter fell at the intersection,” Lu Yuqing said, unbuckling her seatbelt. “I can’t talk now. I’m going to check on them.” With that, she hung up, activated her hazard lights, and rushed out of the car toward the fallen rider.

“Hey, are you okay?” The middle-aged man who had fallen lay sprawled on the ground, clutching the handlebars of his electric scooter, his consciousness fading. Lu Yuqing tried to turn him onto his back, but as soon as she straightened him, he suddenly vomited all over her.

Lu Yuqing frowned, but instead of immediately cleaning herself, she urgently began unbuttoning the man’s shirt to ensure proper airflow. After observing his face to make a preliminary assessment of his condition, she shook off the mess on her hands and ran back to her car to grab her phone. She dialed emergency services: “Hello, this is at the intersection behind the Guiyun Road Fire Brigade. Someone has collapsed and is suspected of having an acute cerebral hemorrhage.”

Eighteen minutes later, the fallen man was wheeled into the resuscitation room. Nurses and the Resident Physician stabilized him first. Lin Ye pulled back the privacy curtain and entered. After a quick examination, he immediately ordered, “Draw bl00d for emergency bl00d tests, and contact radiology for a head CT scan.”

After giving these instructions, Lin Ye turned to leave and noticed Lu Yuqing standing by the resuscitation room door. As he approached, he caught a whiff of the foul odor emanating from her and pointed to the bed where the man had been lying.

Lu Yuqing, covered in filth, rolled her eyes. “Yeah, it’s exactly what you think.” Her brow furrowed even deeper. “Ugh, I need to go wash up.”

Shortly after, the head CT results came back, revealing an acute intracranial hemorrhage in the posterior fossa. After reviewing the report, Lin Ye made arrangements: “Start mannitol to reduce intracranial pressure. Consult Neurosurgery for a consultation; lateral ventricular drainage will likely be necessary.” She handed the CT report to the Attending Physician and asked, “Have the family been contacted?”

The Resident Physician nearby answered, “Yes, the patient’s son is on his way to the hospital.”

Lin Ye nodded in acknowledgment. At that moment, the night shift doctor arrived, having changed into his uniform, and asked, “What’s the situation inside?”

Lin Ye glanced back. “Posterior fossa hemorrhage. Neurosurgery has been consulted.”

“Leave it to me. Get off work early,” the night shift doctor said. Like Liu Zhinan, he was a senior attending physician with experience comparable to Lin Ye’s.

“I’ll wait until he’s in the operating room before leaving,” Lin Ye replied. After conducting a bedside handover with the night shift doctor, she consulted with the Deputy Director of Neurosurgery to confirm the patient’s surgery time before returning to her office.

In the office, Gu Yan, clutching her notebook, was pestering Tang Feihuan with questions: “Doctor Tang, the respiratory and circulatory systems…”

Tang Feihuan interrupted her, her tone sharp: “Gu Yan, I believe your theoretical knowledge is solid enough. What you need now is clinical practice. So why were you so hesitant this afternoon when I asked you to establish multiple intravenous access points for the patient?”

Gu Yan stammered, “I… I…”

Tang Feihuan continued, “And when I asked you what medical order you would give after establishing intravenous access for a patient with atrial fibrillation, myocardial ischemia, and impaired pulmonary function, why did you respond so slowly?” Seeing Gu Yan’s blank stare, she added, “You eventually said to administer 20 ml of 5% glucose solution with 0.2 mg of Cedilanid via intravenous bolus, which was correct. But if the patient we were examining had actually experienced a sudden episode of atrial fibrillation, every minute you delayed in issuing the order would have worsened her condition. Do you understand?”

Gu Yan swallowed hard and nodded emphatically.

Outside the office, Lin Ye listened to their conversation. He was originally supposed to supervise the resident, but Gu Yan preferred seeking guidance from Tang Feihuan, and Tang Feihuan was willing to teach, which conveniently saved him some work. As he walked past them, he summarized, “Gu Yan, in clinical practice, simply taking notes without actively participating, practicing, or thinking critically will never lead to progress.”

“Thank you, Director Lin. Thank you, Doctor Tang. I understand now,” Gu Yan said repeatedly, clutching her notebook as she left the office.

After Gu Yan’s departure, only Lin Ye and Tang Feihuan remained in the vast office. As expected, an awkward silence descended once more as they tidied up their desks, preparing to leave for the day. Tang Feihuan finally broke the tension, asking, “Director Lin, I heard Dr. Lu saved a patient with acute cerebral hemorrhage on the way to work.”

A typical attempt to make conversation.

Lin Ye, his back turned to her, replied without seeing her expression, “Yes, a posterior fossa hemorrhage. Neurosurgery was consulted, and they’re preparing for emergency surgery.”

Tang Feihuan stared at his back, adding, “It’s fortunate Dr. Lu was there. He saved a life.”

“Mm.”

Another silence followed.

Just as Tang Feihuan was about to shut down her computer and head home, Lu Yuqing burst through the door. Apparently not noticing Tang Feihuan sitting to the left of the water dispenser, she exclaimed excitedly, “Lin Ye, you won’t believe this! Officer Jiang heard my clothes got dirty and brought me a change of her own after work!”