"No more patients? Then take a break for now."
Liu Banxia, who had just come out of Treatment Room Two, stretched lazily.
"Shoutian, you're doing great today. More than half of the patients were treated by you," Zhou Li praised him with a smile.
"Well, for minor doctors like us, all we can really do is debridement and sutures. We can't hope for much more." Noticing Qi Wentai approaching, Liu Banxia yelled out sarcastically.
Zhou Li glared at him; he never seemed to have a moment's peace.
Liu Banxia shrugged and trotted over to Wang Ying. "Sister Wang, I'm not bragging, but starting today, I'm going to work even harder. I'm going to tell Shi Lei—my attending—that I want to be permanently stationed in the emergency department."
"That won't work. Even though you're working hard, it would interfere with the normal triage order. You need to handle regular patient consultations in the emergency department to develop your skills comprehensively," Wang Ying said, sounding somewhat helpless.
Liu Banxia's face froze. "Sister Wang, was that Director Qin's decision?"
Wang Ying didn't say anything, which was a tacit confirmation.
Liu Banxia wanted to curse. That Old Qin is a real piece of work!
For him, nothing was faster than performing debridement. That way, he could quickly complete his daily tasks and, metaphorically speaking, grind through his workload.
With the extra time, he could undergo individual intensive training. By rapidly improving himself in a short period, he could secure a position at Second Hospital, which would also facilitate his subsequent plans for physical strengthening.
Not only did Old Qin snatch away my chance to perform surgery, but he's also blocked this path for me. How on earth did I offend him?
"Shoutian, don't be so pessimistic." Seeing Liu Banxia's face suddenly crumple, Wang Ying felt a bit sorry for him.
"And you, with such excellent debridement skills, why did you keep them hidden? If you had shown them off even a year earlier, you wouldn't be in this predicament," she said.
Liu Banxia could only manage a wry smile. A year earlier? Even a day earlier wouldn't have made a difference. I've always worked hard on debridement, but my skills were just... what they were.
It was a case of my eyes understanding and my brain remembering, but when it came to my hands? It was like they'd say, 'Okay, you two have fun without me.' If it weren't for the system today, the results would have been the same as yesterday.
"If you want to secure a permanent position, there's one last option, though it's a bit difficult," Wang Ying said again.
Liu Banxia, who had been looking utterly dejected, suddenly brightened with hope.
"Although it's hard to get into General Surgery, you could be hired as a resident doctor by our emergency department. When the time comes, I'll see what I can do, and you should also get Shi Lei and Director Zhou to put in a word for you," Wang Ying suggested.
"Sister Wang, do you think that's possible? Old Qin clearly can't stand me. He's retiring in three months, and my residency ends in two. What good would it do for me to even try?" Liu Banxia's face fell again.
"What good? Anything is possible! If you don't even try, who's going to help you?" Zhou Li scoffed at him.
"Well... um... should I go find my uncle? He's in Neurosurgery, though. I don't know if his word would carry any weight," Xu Dan said, hesitating slightly.
"Hmph, I knew it! Getting into our hospital so early—you definitely had connections. Now the truth comes out, doesn't it?" Zhou Li playfully pinched Xu Dan's nose.
"Sister Li, please stop teasing me. Aren't we trying to help Doctor Liu right now?" Xu Dan said with a pained expression.
"Sister Wang, Sister Li, Dandan, thank you all. My heart feels warm, and my eyes are stinging... I have to try! I'm going to find my attending!" Liu Banxia declared, then ran off towards the main building.
The desire to secure a permanent position had never felt so urgent. His time was running out. He'd never heard of any resident, who hadn't even performed a single primary surgeon operation, managing to stay on.
His only hope now was Shi Lei, the attending physician in General Surgery who had supervised him for nearly seven months. It wasn't much of an exaggeration to say that almost all his hopes now rested on Shi Lei's shoulders.
"What's the big rush?" Just as he was running, Shi Lei walked towards him.
Seeing Liu Banxia, Shi Lei felt a headache coming on. Of all the residents I've mentored over the years, this one is the most peculiar. Usually a goofball, but surprisingly reassuring when he gets serious.
"Attending, my savior! The guiding light of my life, my North Star, my sun!" Liu Banxia exclaimed as he ran up, spouting utter nonsense.
"What on earth are you blabbering about? You haven't caused more trouble, have you?" Shi Lei's square-jawed, thick-browed face was etched with worry.
Liu Banxia shot him a mock-reproachful look, then his eyes sparkled like little stars. "Attending, I'm a good boy, really! But I'm not satisfied. Can you please help me arrange another surgery? I'm not picky about the type!"
Shi Lei glared at him. "You're not picky? You wish you could be! Why do you think I've kept you in the emergency department? At least with the patients you see there, it's easier for me to speak up. Do you expect me to go around begging other departments for surgical opportunities for you, like some attendings do?"
"My attending would never do such a thing! We can 'borrow' an opportunity, and I'll find a way to 'repay' it later, right?" Liu Banxia began with an air of righteousness, but by the end, he was looking at Shi Lei with a pitiful expression.
Passing hospital staff and patients' family members couldn't help but glance a couple of extra times at the two men—one with a serious, square-jawed face and thick brows, the other quite handsome but currently looking utterly pitiful.
"Behave yourself." Shi Lei cautiously stepped back, maintaining a safe distance. This kid has a history; I'm afraid he might get handsy.
"Shoutian, good thing you didn't go far! Hurry, there's a patient with abdominal distension and acute abdominal pain. Quick!" Zhou Li called out, also running over.
Without paying Shi Lei any mind, Liu Banxia spun around and, WHOOSH, ran back to the emergency department, where Xu Dan was waving him over.
After steadying his breathing a little, Liu Banxia put on his most gentle smile and walked up to the patient's bed.
"Patient Liu Liyou, 55 years old. Abdomen is protuberant, accompanied by abdominal distension, abdominal pain, and dyspnea," Xu Dan introduced quietly.
Liu Banxia nodded slightly. "Does he have any prior medical history? For example, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, anything like that?"
"None of those. My belly just gradually got bigger after I retired—only been retired for two years. It's nothing serious, I just can't quite catch my breath right now. I'll probably be fine after I pee a couple of times," Liu Liyou said.
"Be quiet and listen to the doctor," Liu Liyou's wife glared at him.
"But the doctor asked me, so I answered. It's not my fault. Such a small thing, you're always scaring yourself," Liu Liyou mumbled.
"Why don't you mention you drink every day? This is cirrhosis of the liver. Do you think that's a small matter?" Liu Liyou's son, Liu Haibing, said in a low voice.
"Am I drinking your alcohol or eating your food? I've spent my whole life in construction, and now I'm supposed to feel unwelcome in your little company? If you're so capable, then go find a proper wife, bring her home, and give me a grandson! Nobody asked you to come. If you don't like it here, then get lost!" Liu Liyou's voice grew louder.
"Sir, please calm down," Liu Banxia said hurriedly.
"Dandan, measure Uncle's blood pressure. And you, sir," Liu Banxia said, turning to Liu Haibing, "please wait in the waiting area for now. Sister Li, could you bring an ultrasound machine over? The ascites seems quite severe."
This is the worst, when family members create a scene. It makes it impossible to sort out the actual medical issues.
"I do have a bit of liver cirrhosis. It was discovered during a routine physical at work. I didn't bother telling him," Liu Liyou said, gesturing towards his son, "because he'd just nag endlessly. Back then, I couldn't help it; there were so many social engagements, and I developed quite a taste for alcohol."
"Now, I'm controlling it much better. At most, I only drink two bottles of beer per meal. I'm this old already; who knows how many good years I have left? No need to torture myself too much."
"Uncle, you have a good attitude, but it's still best to drink as little as possible. Just now, during percussion, I detected shifting dullness. Even without an ultrasound, it's clear your ascites is already quite severe," Liu Banxia said with a smile.
"So, what do we do? Don't you doctors have that medicine that makes you urinate? Give me some of that. If I pee more, it'll go away, right?" Liu Liyou asked.
"Uncle, ascites means there's fluid in your abdominal cavity, not in your bladder. So, even strong diuretics to make you urinate more won't directly empty it out like that," Liu Banxia explained with a smile.
"Alright, alright, you're the doctor. I'll listen to you." Seeing his wife glaring at him again, Liu Liyou instantly became as meek as a lamb.
This made Liu Banxia and the others chuckle. This Uncle is actually quite endearing.