The drive was unhurried, as if Xie Yiren was enjoying every second of the journey.
Within the small, confined space of the vehicle, Zheng Ren could smell her faint scent. It made him dizzy.
Words failed him in such a scenario. They were never truly his strong suit.
Was he supposed to follow Su Yun's advice and try to put his arm around Xie Yiren? She was driving, though; what if they got into an accident?
What to say…
Zheng Ren's mind hummed like a broken television. He could almost hear crows cawing around his head.
How awkward…
Was this the tragic fate of a single dog?
"Zheng Ren, your shift is over, right? Where are you staying now? I heard that you stopped renting your place after becoming chief resident," Xie Yiren asked.
The question caught him off guard.
He had absolutely forgotten about his housing arrangement…
Zheng Ren's belongings were sparse. His extra stuff had been left with Little Zhao and whatever he wore had been thrown in with the emergency ward's laundry to be cleaned.
This was going to be awkward.
Was he going to have to spend the night on the streets?
No, Yang Lei was on duty tonight. He could still get into the hospital.
A thousand ideas ran through his mind as he tried to come up with a plan.
"I knew you had forgotten about this." Xie Yiren chuckled. "Sister Yue said you would, but I didn't believe her. Guess she was right."
These girls…
"How about you stay over at my place?" she asked. Her face was as red as an apple.
He instinctively opened his mouth to reject the offer.
Before the words left him, Su Yun's advice boomed like thunder in his ears.
If he rejected it… Zheng Ren ran through multiple possibilities in his mind.
It would be a dumb move.
"Sure," Zheng Ren uttered after some deliberation.
Xie Yiren let out an audible breath.
Were they cohabitating? Zheng Ren's c.h.e.s.t burst with joy, accompanied by anxiety.
He chanced a glance at Xie Yiren and saw an expression similar to his. She was also nervous.
"The house was cleaned today. You don't have to worry, housekeeping comes in every day." Xie Yiren kept rambling to disguise her anxiety. "I got a few sets of quilts for you and you can pick whichever you like. I was worried you wouldn't like silk so I got someone to custom-make one with Shandong cotton."
Wait a second, had he misinterpreted something? could also be translated as "escort", but the term is loaded and was thus replaced with the more literal "professional drinker".
Chapter 316 - I Like You (Part 4 of 4)
Zheng Ren was not a quick-witted man.
There was a moment of letdown. He did not know what to say to dispel the awkward tension in the car.
Xie Yiren had also picked up on the shift in mood and her voice cut off abruptly after the mention of Shandong cotton sheets.
The car crawled at a steady 20 to 30 miles per hour toward their destination.
Peace would be found once they reached the house.
The ride was not bad, however.
Occasionally, a food delivery rider passed the car and peered in.
They seemed to expect such a pace from a woman driver.
Xie Yiren drove as if they were on a stroll through the nightscape of Sea City. It would be almost serene if not for the food delivery riders zooming by.
Traffic was sparse, so there was a lower risk of an accident happening.
"That…" Zheng Ren made an attempt to break the silence. "Can I know where I will be living? How far is it from the hospital?"
"It's nearby," Xie Yiren said in a whisper.
Zheng Ren steered his thoughts away from cohabitation. He did not want to raise his expectations, only to have them shattered later.
The Volvo XC60 entered a residential area near the hospital with villas and manors. Zheng Ren and Xie Yiren chatted inanely as the car approached the house at a leisurely pace.
He was stunned by his surroundings.
They pulled up to a street that he had once visited.
"You'll be living in this house," Xie Yiren said with her head down. She handed him a set of keys without meeting his gaze.
"Oh." He took them with some disappointment.
Xie Yiren did not kill the engine as she came down from the car.
She took a deep breath of fresh air. There was an instant change in her demeanor.
The enclosed space was truly…
Stifling.
"You'll be staying here, while that one over there is mine. The Chu sisters come over sometimes, usually the one on duty," Xie Yiren said, pointing to the manor next door.
Zheng Ren scanned his surroundings and spotted the emergency department building.
It was less than ten minutes away. If there was an emergency at night, they could easily rush back to the hospital.
"Here, give it a try." Xie Yiren rubbed her face to relax her facial muscles and walked to the gate, explaining, "The keychain can be used to unlock the gate."
Zheng Ren studied the set of keys he had been given and tapped the keychain to the gate, which opened, letting them into the porch.
The exterior of the place was around 100 square feet.
It was different from Xie Yiren's house. There was no greenery here and the building design looked Northeastern.
"Insert the main door key and turn it clockwise," Xie Yiren said as she bounced on her feet.
Zheng Ren did as he was told.
A pair of men-sized house slippers greeted him at the doorway.
"It's a new pair. Sister Yue said to get you the same slippers as the hospital's so that you'd be accustomed to them. Try them on."
He changed into the slippers.
There was only one pair. Was she not also going in to give him a tour?
As the thought crossed Zheng Ren's mind, Xie Yiren piped up, "The bedroom is on the second floor. The bath has hot water 24 hours a day. You will be able to freshen up after a round of surgery.
"Go ahead and check it out. I'm going to head back now." She quickly turned to leave.
"Hey!" Zheng Ren called out before his brain could process what he wanted to say.
Xie Yiren's body jerked to a stop, but she did not turn to face him.
A hotheaded Zheng Ren walked up to her and hugged her from behind.
She had on a form-fitting winter coat that served its purpose without sacrificing aesthetic.
Zheng Ren could feel her body tremble slightly in his arms.
He lowered his head and said into her ear, "Yiren, I like you."
There was a sudden tension in her body, followed by violent trembling. Her nervousness was palpable.
"Mm," Xie Yiren vocalized before breaking from Zheng Ren's embrace and quickly walking out the door.
He was unsure if he had heard her response correctly. Had she even heard what he said?
"Funny…" Xie Yiren let out a shy chuckle. "I'll be heading home. If there's no emergency call, I'll be in first thing in the morning."
With that, she left. The red Volvo sped off while Zheng Ren's mind drew blanks.
The car mosied into the driveway next door.
As the walls blocked his view of Xie Yiren, he shut the front door. Her lingering scent still teased his nose.
He inhaled heavily and went upstairs.
The house had the same floor plan as Xie Yiren's. There was a huge bed in the bedroom with two quilts that Xie Yiren had handpicked for him.
Zheng Ren felt their fabric, then promptly threw the silk one into the closet.
There, he found an array of clothes. Were these for him? Zheng Ren was familiar with the brand; it was the same one that Xie Yiren had gotten him when he was in Imperial Capital.
He went to the bathroom to wash up. When he was done, he texted Xie Yiren.
Their conversations through th
e screen flowed more easily, with less anxiety and trepidation. Xie Yiren's scent was still with him.
Zheng Ren dozed off into a deep slumber, only waking when the sun rose the next day.
He jerked awake with a start.
Where was he? Was the on-call room so big?
Slowly, his mind pieced the puzzle together and he remembered he was in Xie Yiren's house.
She had too many houses to her name. Having fewer would be better.
Zheng Ren's thoughts went in all directions as he began his morning routine. He texted Xie Yiren his usual morning greeting, asking about breakfast.
They met up for it before leaving for the hospital, both seemingly in silent agreement to put the events of the previous night behind them.
Before the 8.00 am shift change, Zheng Ren went to check the wards.
The patients who had gone home had yet to return. Drips would only be attached after the shift change so there was no point in patients coming in early.
Staying home was much better than waiting in the hospital.
Patients with minor illnesses always preferred to go home.
Old Chief Physician Pan could not do much to change their minds.
Doctors could only try their best to communicate the risks and get the patient to sign a disclaimer.
Old Chief Physician Pan arrived at the emergency ward at 7.55 am, spotting and approaching Zheng Ren. "A former comrade sought me out for a friend of his who has liver cancer. Can you take a look? If surgery is viable, we'll take him in."
Zheng Ren nodded.
Behind the old chief was a man and a woman, both middle-aged. They smiled at Zheng Ren.
"You must be Dr. Zheng. Here are my father's scans. Please take a look," the man said.
Zheng Ren bade them to wait as he had to oversee the shift change.
It was 8.00 am. The shift handover was starting.
Chapter 317 - Fourth-Grade Pain
There had been few incoming patients the day before and those already in the emergency ward had remained stable throughout the night. Hence, the shift handover was brief.
Once the handover and ward rounds were done, Old Chief Physician Pan returned to his office.
Zheng Ren called the two middle-aged visitors over to ask about the patient's history, checking their scans and medical test results.
The patient was a 69-year-old male with no prior medical conditions. A week ago, he had sustained some blunt force trauma and had gone to the local hospital for a check up. An ultrasound scan had revealed space-occupying lesions in the liver; the largest was 6 x 7 cm and suspected to be malignant.
The patient's medical history was simple and clear. The space-occupying lesions had spread throughout the liver and conventional surgery was no longer an option.
Right now, interventional surgery was the best route.
However, Zheng Ren could not tell if the surgery would be effective without a contrast-enhanced 64-slice CT scan.
He informed Chang Yue to admit the patient before heading off with Su Yun to check on the post-surgery patients.
They arrived at the gastroenterology department and were greeted by Department Chief Xia. Her treatment of Zheng Ren had improved significantly; even the other department chiefs did not receive such warmth.
She personally escorted them to the TIPS surgery patient.
His hematemesis had abated and hepatic encephalopathy was no longer an issue. Zheng Ren estimated that the second stent could be removed after one or two days of observation.
The patient's family thanked him profusely, but he was just glad he had managed to save the man from death.
Gratitude from the patient's family was secondary.
The sump syndrome patient was also recovering from her surgery. There were still hints of a fever but it was being managed.
She had a body temperature of 39.5 °C pre-surgery, but it now hovered around 38.5 °C.
Zheng Ren was confident in his operation. The next most important thing to treat was the patient's sepsis. Once that was under control, she would have won the battle.
After the checks were done, Department Chief Xia escorted them all the way to the entrance of the gastroenterology ward.
The gesture was Department Chief Xia's way of acknowledging Zheng Ren's expertise. She now saw him as a peer, rather than a subordinate.
The two young doctors quickly made their way back to the ICU.
Su Yun showed no symptoms of a hangover, unlike the last time he tried competitive drinking with Chang Yue.
Zheng Ren was perplexed. The amount of Scottish whiskey Su Yun had imbibed yesterday night far outweighed the alcohol content of 11 packs of Snow beer, but the man was totally fine today.
As they walked, Su Yun suddenly asked, "Yesterday, did you get it?"
Get it… Zheng Ren was not sure how to answer the question.
If a hug was being implied, then yes, but Zheng Ren knew Su Yun meant something else.
"Your mood this morning tells me you at least got something. Don't rush; girls don't like a clingy man. One step at a time," Su Yun advised.
Zheng Ren found himself agreeing. He was glad he had managed to hold back yesterday.
Who knew what would have happened if he had given in to his emotions.
The two doctors changed before entering the ICU. Department Chief Qian was discussing a case, a stern expression on his face.
"Little Zheng, you're here," he said upon seeing them.
Sensing that the man had questions, Zheng Ren approached.
"The patient in the fifth ICU bed is struggling. We had thought her breathing tube could be removed today, but when the sedative wore off, her vitals became unstable."
Department Chief Qian's explanation was precise and to-the-point.
This would be the trauma patient who had fallen from a great height. Zheng Ren had performed her surgery.
Was there something he had missed?
Zheng Ren thought about it. She ought to be recovering gradually and was due to visit the orthopedic department in the next few days.
The System's mission, Save People from Misery, was ignored. Zheng Ren was not interested at the moment.
An elective surgery could never be treated like an emergency surgery. There were just too many unpredictable consequences for the patient.
What was going on?
Zheng Ren studied her. The display in the top right corner of his vision was still a mild red.
As expected, her multiple bone fractures had yet to be addressed.
Based on the System's diagnosis, there was nothing amiss…
Mystified by the turn of events, Zheng Ren silently stood aside and listened to the ICU doctors' case discussion.
Su Yun sidled up to him and whispered, "Boss, I have a feeling the patient's adenomyosis is acting up, causing agitation to be observed whenever sedatives wore off."
Zheng Ren thought it over. Without exact measurements, he could not come to a firm conclusion.
He nodded slightly, putting his right hand on his forehead as he ruminated.
"Little Su, what's your opinion?" Department Chief Qian asked.
"Chief Qian, I think the patient should undergo an interventional surgery to treat her adenomyosis. If it does not solve the issue, her uterus will need to be removed." Before anyone could interject, Su Yun continued, "The patient could no longer live with the pain from the adenomyosis and decided to take her life.
"We do not know how much pain she is in, but I believe it must be at fourth grade."
The pain scale commonly seen online ranged between 1 to 12. In medicine, though, pain was sorted into four grades1, the fourth being the most severe to the point of affecting blood pressure and heart rate.
The ICU doctors were used to Su Yun being right and did not repudiate him.
Although his diagnosis was out of the ordinary, the more they thought about it, the more it made sense.
Department Chief Qian sighed.
"The pain from
the fractures can be lessened by remaining still, so I believe the root cause of the patient's agitation is her adenomyosis.
"I suggest we inform the patient's family. If worst comes to worst, we will have to remove the uterus. We shouldn't delay any longer; the patient has been using a breathing tube for nearly 48 hours and we may end up having to perform a tracheostomy soon.
"There will be a risk of lung infections and other sorts of complications, threatening recovery," Su Yun elaborated.
Zheng Ren was unsure if the agitation was truly caused by adenomyosis, but agreed with Su Yun's assessment nonetheless. "We should try."
The patient was no longer in danger of bleeding out. It was worth a shot.
After all, it was a minimally invasive procedure.
Were it not for her fractures, the patient would be able to walk 24 hours after an interventional surgery.
If they had the compression device and other high-end equipment from Imperial Capital at their disposal, her recovery time could be cut short to 4-6 hours.
Department Chief Qian was impressed. Adenomyosis was not a rare disorder, but most women chose to perform a hysterectomy, giving up their reproductive ability.
The disorder was usually found in older women. Department Chief Qian had no experience handling a younger patient, who had yet to give birth, with it.
After some thought, the chief said resolutely, "I'll talk to the family. We can give it a shot." Non-medical pain scales seem to stretch from 1 to 10 at most. The author could be taking artistic liberties.
Chapter 318 - Precise To A Fault
The next step was confirmed. Department Chief Qian went to speak with the patient's family.
Zheng Ren and Su Yun returned to the emergency department.
As they walked, Zheng Ren was deep in thought.
He did not like to rely on luck. Much like the TIPS surgery, where most doctors had historically relied on chance, Zheng Ren had spent countless hours of training time to increase his probability of success and minimize his dependence on the fickle Lady Luck.
The adenomyosis had been initially viewed as a minor disorder that could be treated once the patient was stable, even though it would leave her without a w.o.m.b.
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