System Came When the Doctor was Thirty

”You can imagine, I’m just the one on duty in the ward. The doctor who examined you is from the emergency department. If I wanted to avoid responsibility, I could simply ignore it.”

”I could prescribe you some medicine and send you home.”

”But I can’t do that,” Dr. Lu said very seriously.

The young man thought carefully and said, ”Dr. Lu, I’m sorry. My words earlier were offensive. You are a good doctor.”

Although focusing on performance is ’the truth,’ it can also be seen as offensive.

Lu Cheng explained the reason, and now that this reason was validated, the young man felt both a bit anxious and a bit trusting in Lu Cheng’s medical skills.

”It’s good to make a decision and start treatment early,” Lu Cheng said comfortingly, then directly returned to the doctor’s lounge.

This kind of situation is beyond Lu Cheng’s ability to handle, but it can be left to professional doctors. What Lu Cheng could do was to find clues through conversation and thoroughly investigate.

How to treat after the diagnosis is confirmed is currently beyond Lu Cheng’s responsibility.

But such timely discovery is certainly beneficial to him.

...

Just as Lu Cheng returned, Chen Faming from the emergency surgical department hurriedly rushed over. He glanced at Lu Cheng and, wide-eyed, asked, ”Lu Cheng, did you order the cranial MRI for Liu Xiaoshuai?”

”Yes, Teacher Chen, I did,” Lu Cheng said.

”The duty doctor from the emergency MRI just called me and told me to take a look, saying there are signs of rupture.”

”I just took a look. Where is the patient now?” Chen Faming quickly asked.

Chen Faming is a neurosurgery attending, about to be promoted to deputy chief physician, and had come for a rotation in the emergency department.

The hospital requires a rural experience and an emergency department rotation to be promoted to deputy senior.

If a neurosurgery case made it past Chen Faming in the emergency but went undetected,

Though Chen Faming wouldn’t bear heavy responsibility, internally, he would certainly be laughed at and remembered for years.

”He’s on the bed,” Lu Cheng said.

”I just called for a neurology and neurosurgery consultation.”

”No need for a consultation; I’ll call immediately to arrange for someone to take him to the operating room. It must be handled right away.”

”If we handle it now, it can be done with interventional methods. If we wait any longer, it’ll require a craniotomy,” Chen Faming said.

Lu Cheng said, ”Teacher Chen, the patient’s family hasn’t arrived.”

Chen Faming replied, ”If the family isn’t here, have the patient himself sign, or get the unit leader to sign!~”

After saying this, Chen Faming immediately ran over.

Seeing Chen Faming like this, Lu Cheng couldn’t rest and quickly followed.

Because of Chen Faming’s involvement, Liu Xiaoshuai’s referral process went smoothly. Even though Liu Xiaoshuai was a bit scared, he didn’t dare to joke with his life.

Soon, Liu Xiaoshuai was transferred to neurosurgery, while Lu Cheng started writing consultation and transfer records.

While writing, Chen Faming silently entered, saying in a low voice: ”Lu Cheng, thank you. If something had happened to Liu Xiaoshuai in the surgical observation ward, I’d be in big trouble.”

Lu Cheng understood what Chen Faming meant.

Chen Faming was the first doctor to see the patient. As the duty doctor in the emergency surgical department, while you might not treat an intracranial aneurysm, you must diagnose it.

Moreover, Liu Xiaoshuai had already provided crucial evidence.

Liu Xiaoshuai had fallen, with a clear history of trauma, and according to protocol, a cranial CT should be done, but it wasn’t undertaken.

If suddenly the patient was gone, how could it be explained?

Even if the death’s cause isn’t fully blamed on Chen Faming, promotion would likely be difficult.

”Teacher Chen, I was just a bit paranoid due to the patient’s robust physique,” Lu Cheng said.

”When I ordered the tests, Liu Xiaoshuai even accused me of chasing performance,” Lu Cheng replied.

”Dr. Lu, regardless, thank you.”

”The best outcome is avoiding any incidents.”

Just then, the hospital leaders made their rounds. Upon entering the emergency ward, they found three people and smiled, saying, ”Oh, is it three people on duty in the emergency ward?”

Dean Huang Chuntao, Vice Dean Xiang Kun, Vice Dean Yao Xin, and Chen Zhong from the medical office came in with red envelopes to express their sympathy.

Upon seeing them, Lu Cheng quickly said, ”Dean Huang, Dean Yao, Dean Xiang, Dr. Chen is on duty in the surgical department.”

”Just now, there was a trauma patient with an intracranial aneurysm. I asked Teacher Chen to come for a consultation to check the images. The patient has just been transferred.”

Chen Faming promptly added, ”Dr. Lu, the patient has been taken by our neurosurgery team. I have to return to my post.”

Lu Cheng had already pointed the way; it was impossible for Chen Faming not to step down.

How could being away from duty be explained otherwise?

What Lu Cheng said was factual, so no investigation into these details would ensue!

Yao Xin introduced, ”Dean Huang, Dean Xiang, this is Dr. Lu Cheng from the emergency surgical department, selected to join our hospital last month.”

”He’s a resourceful young man.”

Xiang Kun then introduced internal medicine’s on-duty doctor, Guo Lili.

”Great work, Dr. Lu, Dr. Guo, Happy New Year.” Huang Haitao handed out two red envelopes.

This red envelope was given not just to Lu Cheng and Guo Lili; inpatient ward patients and duty nurses also received one, each with two hundred yuan inside—a gesture from the hospital!

”Thanks to all the deans for your hard work, too.”

”It’s noodles for everyone tonight, the hospital has ordered them for everyone,” Dean Huang explained before leaving.

They had many places to visit, needing to go to almost every department, so they didn’t stay long.

In Xiangzhou, there isn’t a tradition of eating dumplings for the New Year, but some families do have noodles, so it’s up to the unit leaders whether to arrange noodles.

About half an hour later, Chen Faming called Lu Cheng to come to his surgical department.

As the duty doctor in the ward, Lu Cheng could run around, but he couldn’t run.

”Dr. Lu, after our director reviewed the scan, we decided to perform a minimally invasive surgery for the aneurysm tonight to avoid unnecessary risks,”

Chen Faming said with a smile, ”Of course, I also got reprimanded just now.”

”Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Chen,” Lu Cheng courteously replied.

”It wasn’t hard; it’s mainly thanks to you. Without you, this patient would’ve definitely slipped by me,”

”Next time, I’ll treat you to a meal. And don’t call me teacher; I’m only two years older than you. Just call me Brother Chen,” Chen Faming said warmly.

”What shall we drink tonight?”

”Brother Chen, the delivery services are closed. If we want drinks, it’ll have to be tomorrow,” Lu Cheng replied with a smile.

Chen Faming said, ”Then it’ll be tomorrow.”

”Xiao Lu, you go rest first. I’ll treat you tomorrow.”

Lu Cheng explained, ”No need, Brother Chen. I’m going home tomorrow… my hometown is in Long County…”

Chen Faming said, ”Oh, I see, then after the New Year; there will be more opportunities anyway.”

After parting ways with Chen Faming, Lu Cheng saw that the small research group chat was also lively.

Xie Yuan’an, feeling bored, chatted a few words in the group and then started distributing red envelopes in celebration.

After Chen Song and Tong Yuan’an took the lead, Mu Nanshu and Xie Yuan’an followed suit, and everyone urged Lu Cheng to send a red envelope too.

Dai Linfang, in particular, was the most insistent.

Lu Cheng then sent a 50-yuan red envelope.

Although the envelope was small, it still drew a series of images thanking the boss.

Lu Cheng laughed as he scrolled up to snatch red envelopes, only to find that Tong Yuan’an and Chen Song were quite stingy and only sent 20-yuan envelopes.

He wondered how they could send such small amounts, considering they were professors.

Of course, Lu Cheng didn’t mind much.

Lying in bed, after seeing the ”Skill Points +15” prompt, Lu Cheng whispered to himself:

”Happy New Year! It’s truly 2024 now.”

”A new year, work hard. Strive to...”

Lu Cheng’s whisper was interrupted by the sudden sound of heart-wrenching cries outside: ”Mom... Mom...”

”Mom.”

”Grandma...”

Evidently, an elderly person hadn’t been saved and passed away.

She passed on New Year’s Day, a day when families reunite.

In this world, riches aren’t always within one’s control, but life and death are the most uncontrollable.

Lu Cheng didn’t open the door to look because it wouldn’t change anything. He slowly closed his eyes, hoping to fall asleep quickly, so he could finish his shift and head home upon waking.

Other people’s joys and sorrows, Lu Cheng could never fully empathize with. His thoughts were not present.