On Standby - Chapter 19

Tang Feihuan returned to the emergency room with a grin, just in time to see Lin Ye consulting with the Deputy Director of Surgery and the Director of Orthopedics. She quickly composed herself, smoothing the overly bright curve of her lips, and got back to work. She waited until the two directors left to prepare for surgery before approaching Lin Ye.

Lin Ye handed back the patient’s medical records, which had been recorded by the attending physician. Seeing her approach, he immediately asked, “What’s the situation with the patient’s family?”

“The patient is Dong Guo. His girlfriend, Cao Yangqiao, is outside,” Tang Feihuan said, omitting the details of their breakup and focusing on the key points. “Cao Yangqiao broke up with him on Wednesday. Dong Guo refused to accept it, and they’ve been arguing for three days. This morning, he went to her apartment, they had another major fight, and he threatened to kill himself. When she still refused to reconcile, he jumped.”

“He’s crazy,” Gu Yan muttered. “She should run far away.”

Lin Ye’s starlike eyebrows lifted slightly. “What about Dong Guo’s parents?”

“They’re rushing to the airport in the neighboring city and should arrive by this afternoon,” Tang Feihuan replied, playing the recorded phone call aloud. “I’ve already informed them about the need for surgery, and they’ve given verbal consent.”

After listening to the brief recording, Lin Ye frowned, thinking of Dong Guo’s injuries. “No, we need to explain everything clearly,” he said as he walked. “Did you get the patient’s parents’ phone numbers?”

“Yes, here they are,” Tang Feihuan replied, showing him her phone.

Lin Ye took her phone and moved back to his office, using the public phone to contact Dong Guo’s parents. After two rings, the call was answered.

“Hello,” it was Dong Guo’s father again.

Lin Ye introduced himself. “Hello, I’m Lin Ye, Associate Chief Physician in the Emergency Department at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shujiang University. Are you Dong Guo’s family?”

“Ah, I’m his father.” Twenty minutes earlier, Dong Guo’s father had hung up the phone and immediately contacted the rest of the family. They were now preparing to rush to the airport in the neighboring city, with Dong Guo’s uncle driving and his mother, eldest uncle, and aunt accompanying him—a group of four.

“I need to explain Dong Guo’s condition in detail. Please listen carefully.”

Dong Guo’s father gave a heavy, affirmative grunt.

“Dong Guo fell from the third floor. Fortunately, he didn’t hit his head, but he sustained multiple fractures and internal bleeding in his abdomen. We’re performing emergency surgery now to open his abdomen, repair the damage, and stop the bleeding. If the surgery is successful, we’ll let the orthopedic team operate once his condition stabilizes. Do you understand?”

“I understand, I understand! You must save him!” Dong Guo’s father pleaded, without a word of thanks.

Lin Ye explained calmly and clearly to the family, “Also, we’ll have Dong Guo’s girlfriend, Cao Yangqiao, sign the consent forms on your behalf first. Is that alright?”

With a life hanging in the balance, Dong Guo’s father agreed to everything. “Yes, yes, yes! Save him first, save him!”

“We need you to sign a power of attorney authorizing Cao Yangqiao to sign the surgical consent form. You can fax a copy to our Emergency Department.”

Dong Guo’s father grew impatient. “Why does your hospital make everything so complicated?”

“Without your authorization, Cao Yangqiao wouldn’t dare sign, as signing carries legal responsibility,” Lin Ye explained, turning to Cao Yangqiao beside him. “Are you willing to sign?”

Cao Yangqiao swallowed hard. “If Uncle authorizes it, I’ll sign.” After two years together, she felt some attachment to Dong Guo. Saving his life was paramount.

Dong Guo’s father steeled himself. “Alright, I’ll do it. I’ll get it done.”

After a few more exchanges, Lin Ye hung up. He instructed another doctor to take Cao Yangqiao to the consultation room before turning to Tang Feihuan, his tone stern and righteous. “Doctor Tang, the doctor-patient relationship isn’t as simple as you think. The Emergency Department has suffered many losses because of this.” He understood that her long tenure abroad had left her unfamiliar with the realities of the domestic healthcare system.

Tang Feihuan gazed into his poetic eyes, momentarily stunned, then nodded firmly. “Understood, Director Lin.” She had been observing Lin Ye’s actions earlier, initially puzzled but silently memorizing each step.

She looks so naive. How did I never notice this side of her before? The word “adorable” flashed through Lin Ye’s mind unbidden. He frowned, quickly dismissing the thought and adopting a stern expression. “You also need to report this to the Medical Affairs Department.”

“Alright,” Tang Feihuan replied, her lips curving into a smile. She smiled at the stern-faced Lin Ye. “Director Lin, I’ll get back to work now.” As she turned to leave, she heard Lin Ye’s faint acknowledgment—a soft “hmm”—before she stepped out of the room.

Because of this incident, she hadn’t had time to hand over her shift. After the handover, she still needed to make rounds. Tang Feihuan silently prayed for fewer critical patients today.

Contrary to her hopes, Tang Feihuan was swamped with work. She only managed to wolf down half a piece of bread at noon and didn’t get a moment’s rest until nearly 6 PM. While waiting for her shift change, she chewed on the remaining half of her bread when she overheard a commotion outside the door.

“What a headache, dealing with these relatives again.”

“They’re just being unreasonable. If the surgeons hadn’t removed the spleen promptly, the patient might have died on the operating table.”

“Sigh, Director Lin is trying to negotiate. Let’s hope this doesn’t escalate into a full-blown argument.”

But the surgery was successful, and the patient was transferred to the EICU for close monitoring. Why are they still causing trouble? Tang Feihuan swallowed the last bite of bread, tossed the wrapper into the trash, and followed the sound of the argument.

Just outside the EICU, three or four family members stood on the left, while four medical staff in white coats stood on the right. A security guard stood beside Lin Ye, who stood between the groups. Though the shortest in stature, Lin Ye’s presence commanded authority. “Family members,” he said, “we obtained your informed consent for the surgery beforehand and explained the potential risks. During the procedure, the surgeons discovered a severely ruptured spleen that couldn’t be repaired, necessitating immediate removal.”

Dong Guo’s father snapped, his voice sharp and accusatory, “When did you say you were going to remove his spleen? Do you think you can just cut that out so easily?”

Dong Guo’s uncle chimed in, “Exactly! We looked it up online. Removing the spleen will weaken his immune system and affect his bl00d production.”

“During the surgery, we have a duty to inform the family and let them make the decision,” the Attending Physician beside Lin Ye explained. “But you were all on the plane at the time, and we couldn’t reach you by phone. Cao Yangqiao managed to contact Dong Guo’s older sister, Dong Ping, through his friend. Dong Ping gave her consent.”

“Moreover,” Director Lin added, “as I emphasized earlier, the initial impact of spleen removal is significant, but over time, the body’s compensatory and regulatory mechanisms will gradually reduce the long-term effects.”

Dong Guo’s father raised his voice, “Of course doctors would say that! They think we’re too ignorant to understand.”

Dong Guo’s uncle pulled out his phone. “Let’s file a complaint. No point arguing with them.”

Even with Lin Ye’s careful explanations, some family members remained stubbornly unreasonable. Tang Feihuan, seething with anger, was about to step forward when Sun Qinhuai called out from behind, “Doctor Tang, Dong Guo in bed three’s bl00d pressure is dropping!”

Tang Feihuan turned to face the Head Nurse, paused for two seconds, and then bolted.

Sun Qinhuai stepped forward, bypassed the security guard, and whispered to Lin Ye, “Director Lin, Patient 3’s bl00d pressure is dropping rapidly. Dr. Li is trying to stabilize him, but he doesn’t think he’ll last much longer. Doctor Tang has already rushed over.”

Patient 3… Dong Guo…

Lin Ye interrupted the conversation between Dong Guo’s uncle and the Attending Physician, his voice urgent. “Dong Guo’s condition has deteriorated. You need to prepare yourselves.”

Dong Guo’s father’s face flushed crimson. “How can this happen after a successful surgery? It must be because you removed his spleen!”

Lin Ye refused to engage further. He instructed someone to notify the Medical Affairs Department, gave a few more instructions, and then hurried toward the EICU with Sun Qinhuai.

In the EICU, Tang Feihuan was performing defibrillation and chest compressions on Dong Guo. Lin Ye observed their focused, coordinated efforts without interfering. He waited until Tang Feihuan straightened up with a shake of her head, and the EKG monitor flatlined, before pulling out a pupil pen to check Dong Guo’s eyes.

The Resident Physician sighed, “We’re doomed. Tonight’s going to be a complete disaster.”

“Go get the patient’s family. Just two of them,” Lin Ye said, pressing his lips together. “If they’re agitated, bring in the mother first. Tell them this is the EICU, and all patients need rest. No loud outbursts.”

Five minutes later, Dong Guo’s mother, dressed in a visitor’s gown, entered the room. Guided by a nurse, she rushed to Bed 3, collapsed onto her son’s body, and wailed uncontrollably. After a long moment, she lifted her head slightly, sobbing as she warned, “Don’t leave. My husband is extremely agitated right now. He has violent tendencies.”

Lin Ye offered a few words of comfort before explaining, “Our Medical Affairs Department doctors and security personnel are already trying to calm him down.”

The Resident Physician added, “Ma’am, someone will be here shortly to take Dong Guo away. You can handle the arrangements afterward.”

The woman’s eyes swam with tears. “Thank you,” she whispered.

It was past 10 p.m. By the time Tang Feihuan finished her shift and gave her handover, she finally clocked out. She took the elevator down to the basement level. Two nurses from another elevator were whispering: “I heard Dong Guo’s dad beat up his girlfriend. Luckily, someone was nearby, so Cao Yangqiao managed to escape.”

“Tsk, wasn’t he arrested?”

“Cao Yangqiao didn’t report it because her injuries weren’t serious.”

Tang Feihuan unconsciously clenched her fists. As she rounded the corner into the corridor, she suddenly spotted a man in dark clothing, no more than five meters away, clutching a four-legged stool and stalking Lin Ye.

The young nurse saw it too and gasped, “Isn’t that Director Lin? Who’s that behind her? What’s he doing with that stool?” Before she could finish, Tang Feihuan had already sprinted forward. A former sprinter with explosive speed, she closed the distance in an instant, positioning herself to the man’s right. Seeing his arm suddenly raise, Tang Feihuan shouted Lin Ye’s name and shoved her out of the way.

The next moment, the iron stool crashed squarely into her back.