System Came When the Doctor was Thirty

”Then he won’t be the first in line for rescue,” Lu Cheng began to console.

The hospital and the doctors have their own ’judgment.’ The more someone makes a fuss, the less life-threatening their condition usually is, which has become one of the ironclad rules of emergency medical treatment.

Even if there are exceptions that break this stereotype, it can’t correct or refute the general direction.

”Three now,” Mu Nanshu said.

Tong Yuan’an stepped out and heard Mu Nanshu’s words: ”Three what? Did three people die at the scene?”

Mu Nanshu shook his head: ”No, Teacher Tong, another one passed away in the emergency room.”

Tong Yuan’an’s expression immediately turned serious: ”Their deaths have nothing to do with you; this isn’t the scene of the incident.”

”You don’t have the right to disregard emergencies, so don’t practice beyond your scope.”

Lu Cheng laughed and said: ”Teacher Tong, let’s go for an ultrasound first. How are you feeling now? Do you have any subtle symptoms associated with peritoneal or meningeal irritation?”

Tong Yuan’an is a professional doctor, so when Lu Cheng asked him, he could be a bit more technical, not treating Tong Yuan’an like a medical novice patient.

”No, why don’t you wish me well!” Tong Yuan’an raised his eyebrows.

About twenty minutes later, all of Tong Yuan’an’s test results came out.

Tong Yuan’an and Lu Cheng carefully examined the CT scans of his abdomen and head and the ultrasound of the abdomen, all confirming that Tong Yuan’an only had superficial injuries, with no damage to the head or organs.

Tong Yuan’an immediately walked out of the emergency department. Seeing the sunlight outside, his mood finally relaxed completely: ”Damn, that was terrifying. Why are you Xiangxi people so savage?”

”Even I was scared.”

This wasn’t the first time. On the day Lu Cheng returned to Long County from Han City, a group of youngsters got into a fight. Now, it’s another incident involving a car ramming into people.

Lu Cheng replied: ”Teacher Tong, this kind of thing doesn’t have anything to do with where people are from. In recent years, incidents of intentional vehicular collisions have been happening from time to time.”

”I just overheard some gossip at the nurse’s station saying that the people who died at the scene were a mother and daughter, and the person who hit them was the woman’s husband. They divorced just a month after getting married...”

”Could this be one of those infamous marriage scams?”

Tong Yuan’an said: ”You ask me, who should I ask? When I was getting the ultrasound, the female doctor was gossiping with me too, saying it was the man who was deceived into going abroad by the woman, and he lost nearly two million.”

”Last week, the man even tried to file a police report, but it wasn’t accepted. He said he was going to solve the problem in his own way.”

”Posted on social media, visible to everyone in their work group.”

The gossip Tong Yuan’an mentioned was indeed just gossip. Lu Cheng felt somewhat shocked: ”Not accepted? That’s impossible, right?”

Tong Yuan’an replied: ”I don’t know if it’s true or not, but hearsay in times like this can seem more real than official notifications.”

”It’s fortunate you’re here this time and have picked up some skills from Chen Song. Otherwise, this might have had to be reported to the province.”

If an incident results in three or more deaths, or 11 or more serious injuries, or 1 death along with 8 serious injuries, or 2 deaths along with 5 serious injuries, or property damage amounting to over 60,000 yuan, the related information needs to be reported to provincial authorities.

But it doesn’t include three people.

While Lu Cheng was conducting rescue operations at the scene, Tong Yuan’an, albeit watching from the sidelines, could also ascertain that if it hadn’t been for Lu Cheng, there might have been more casualties.

Lu Cheng asked: ”Teacher Tong, what are your plans later? Are you going back to the hotel to rest or something else?”

Tong Yuan’an shook his head like waving: ”Me? I’m waiting for my wife and kid to come, and then I’m heading back to Sha City.”

”After such an incident, I’m not in the mood to play anymore; I need to go back and heal my mood.”

Lu Cheng then said: ”Teacher Tong, should I take you to the hotel to get your luggage and then to the high-speed rail station?”

”Sure, let me call my wife.” Tong Yuan’an got back into the rear seat.

Tong Yuan’an said: ”Honey, let me tell you, I almost died just now...”

This time, Mu Nanshu sat in the front passenger seat, glanced at Lu Cheng, while Lu Cheng focused on driving.

After delivering Tong Yuan’an to the high-speed rail station and meeting his wife and daughter, Lu Cheng hadn’t had a chance to exchange greetings before receiving a call from a Xiangxi State number.

”Teacher Tong, I’m taking a call,” Lu Cheng reported.

”Just went for noodles, and you encountered all this?” Tong Yuan’an’s wife sounded worried.

”Yes, at the time, I was rolling and crawling, and my adrenaline was definitely at its peak, scared to death...”

”I think this trip isn’t favoring us; maybe we should head back and go out next time?” Tong Yuan’an suggested.

Tong Yuan’an hadn’t even changed his clothes, and seeing him like that, his wife also had lost the mood to travel.

Tong Yuan’an’s daughter, probably around eight or nine, saw the bloodstains on his hand and nervously shouted: ”Dad, you’re bleeding.”

This shout made the family a bit tense. They soon discovered it was just a small scratch, easily treated with a bottle of iodine solution, so they started checking tickets right there.

...

”Hello?” Lu Cheng asked.

”Is this Lu Cheng, Dr. Lu? I’m from Feng County Government, and I’ve received feedback from the traffic police at the scene of the accident outside the ancient city. You helped rescue people as medical personnel, correct?” The voice was polite.

”Yes, I’m Lu Cheng, and you are?” Lu Cheng nodded.

”I’m Zhao Hetong. After receiving the accident report from our county traffic police, I have some specific questions I’d like to ask you.”

”You were the first medical personnel to arrive at the scene and provide emergency treatment. However, it seems you didn’t choose to rescue the most critically injured patient first. Can you explain your reasoning?” Although Zhao Hetong’s voice was polite, there was a hint of a trap.

Lu Cheng said: ”What do you mean by that?”

Zhao Hetong replied: ”I have received a comprehensive report on the accident, and upon receiving the report, promptly notified the State traffic management department and immediately launched an investigation into the cause of the accident and subsequent treatment.”

”We received reports from Renmin Hospital that one patient had arterial injury and ultimately died of traumatic shock.”

”Dr. Lu, I have no other intentions; I just want to ask the main reason you didn’t choose to save him first.”