Chapter 497: We Give Up
When he returned to Sea City General Hospital, it was just past the end of the day.
Zheng Ren first reported to Chief Physician Pan before calling Xie Yiren.
Xiao Yiren had already gone home. During the day when Zheng Ren was not around, things were very quiet and nothing serious had occurred.
Su Yun vented his frustrations about this out on him by poking fun at him again. He told him stuff like that with his Conan’s constitution, there were usually a lot of patients wherever he went, and so on.
Zheng Ren ignored him. He changed his clothes and started to check the patient ward with Su Yun.
The ward was very quiet. The woman who was about to get married yesterday and was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer was not there.
She did not require an IV drop, so it was normal for a patient like her to not be there. Zheng Ren was not surprised.
When he reached the innermost ward, Professor Rudolf Wagner sat by his patient’s bedside like the day had just begun. He did not feel tired at all.
“Lil Fugui, how’s the patient’s condition?” Zheng Ren asked.
“Boss, you’re back! I’ve missed you so much!” Professor Rudolf Wagner made an exaggerated expression. He stood up and was about to give Zheng Ren a big hug.
“I’m asking you a question!” Zheng Ren berated him in a deep voice. The professor then remembered that this was Sea City.
“Boss, the patient’s condition is very good. He has not complained about any discomfort,” Professor Rudolf Wagner reported to Zheng Ren. “I think we can remove the urinary catheter early tomorrow morning and try to let him urinate on his own.”
“That’s a little early on the second day after surgery.” Zheng Ren did not allow the professor’s request to go through. “It’ll take at least three days. We can try it early on the fourth day.”
“Okay, boss.” Professor Rudolf Wagner considered the problem from the perspective of a scientific researcher. He just wanted to gather firsthand information. At worst, he could just remove the urinary catheter again.
Zheng Ren considered the problem from a clinician’s perspective. Even if the embolization operation was done well and the hyperplasia of the prostate tissue was about to die, it would take at least three days for there to be a qualitative change.
After setting down the big principles, Professor Rudolf Wagner reported to Zheng Ren about all the changes in the patient’s vital signs and urine volume after the operation.
Clearing all the questions in his mind, Zheng Ren left the ward.
Professor Rudolf Wagner still had to personally guard the ward. This patient was simply too important to him. All the data had to be firsthand.
Back in the office, Zheng Ren and Chang Yue, who was on duty, greeted each other as he found a computer to sit down at and use.
Zheng Ren read her information and saw that the 64-slice CT scan with 3D-image reconstruction had been completed. He suddenly felt a headache coming on.
“Su Yun, I want to do the reconstruction.”
“Boss, why don’t you buy yourself a machine?” Su Yun spat. “You’ve been dealing with the CT room for so long, so why don’t you fish out your contacts and just use me as the reason for doing so?”
Zheng Ren broke into a sweat. What Su Yun said seemed to make some sense.
“I’ll remember it. I’ll strengthen my connections with the CT department when I have the time for it,” Zheng Ren said. “Take a look. Can you do it tonight or tomorrow?”
“Why do you have so many things to do?” Chang Yue was unhappy. She glared at Su Yun and reprimanded him.
If there was anyone that Su Yun did not dare to retort, Chang Yue definitely occupied that spot.
When Chang Yue rolled her eyes, Su Yun would cower. This had already been proven by facts.
Su Yun had no choice but to smile sheepishly. It was his fault for not being able to drink better than her. It was better not to invite trouble. If she really pushed it, Chang Yue would say that he would have to treat her to dinner. In the end, the outcome would be boring.
Picking up the phone, Su Yun made a call.
Zheng Ren started to look at the patient’s various test indicators.
Alpha-fetoprotein 2000+. Liver function seemed to be good, but the indicators such as bilirubin and total bile acid were already starting to be a little high.
This meant that the liver tube was damaged when the tumor tissue had infiltrated.
The overall indicators were not bad. Other than the liver, there were no signs of metastasis for the time being.
As such, he would wait for an opportunity to go to the CT room to do a 64-slice CT scan with 3D-image reconstruction before performing surgery on the patient.
“Boss, you’re really lucky. Sister Zhao is working overtime. She asked us to meet her there in half an hour,” Su Yun said.
“Okay. ”
“Don’t forget to find time to thank sister Zhao,” Su Yun reminded him.
Zheng Ren could ignore the ways of the world but Su Yun had to care. This was also something a perfect assistant had to do.
“Got it.” Zheng Ren raised his head and pondered something for a moment before saying, “Go and see the patient with the impalement injury.”
There was still half an hour left. There was no point in going too early. Zheng Ren and Su Yun went to the ICU to take a look.
When they got out of the elevator, Zheng Ren heard some commotion coming from the ICU entrance before making their way there. It seemed that someone was arguing about something.
The ICU was the department responsible for cleaning up the hospital’s mess, so its costs were very high. Many patients’ families would object to the medical charges of ten thousand yuan for one day and one night after entering the ICU.
It was normal for it to be noisy but not to this extent.
Turning the corner from the corridor, Zheng Ren was stunned.
A young man who looked very familiar was kneeling on the ground. In front of him were two middle-aged men, a man, and a woman. They were talking to the ICU doctor.
Zheng Ren slowed his pace and walked over.
“Let’s give up. That’s all I’m asking for,” the middle-aged man said coldly. “Where’s the signature? I can’t read. Can you show it to me?”
“Uncle, I beg you, please don’t give up.” The young man knelt on the ground, extremely terrified. His voice was trembling. “I’m going to borrow money. I don’t need money from my family. I really don’t. I don’t need a single cent.”
Zheng Ren’s body suddenly turned cold. He could not help but shiver.
“Young man, it’s useless. Besides, what does any of this have to do with you?” The middle-aged man looked disgusted as if the young man in front of him had delayed him from resuming his business.
“Uncle, please don’t give up. Don’t sign it. I’ll go and borrow the money now!” the young man begged with tears streaming down his face.
“Do you think I don’t want to treat her illness?” The middle-aged man said coldly, “She’s been sick since she was young. The doctors in the town have seen her and said she won’t live to the age of 30. Since it’s like this, we should just be letting her fend for herself.”
Zheng Ren shuddered again.
Internally, his heart felt cold.
Su Yun narrowed his eyes. His gaze was like a knife as he looked at the man speaking.
“Uncle, I beg you!” The young man knelt on the ground. He did not have any good ideas. He bowed so low, his forehead banged against the floor.
There were other family members of various patients who were hospitalized in the ICU watching from the side. They all gave him a pitiful expression.
“What’s going on?” Zheng Ren went to the ICU doctor’s side and asked softly.
“They’re the parents of the girl with the congenital heart disease.” The expression on the ICU doctor’s face showed her attitude. “After contacting them, they came over and immediately said to give up on all resuscitation attempts.”
Zheng Ren was rendered speechless.
“Apparently the funeral parlor car from their hometown has followed them here. They’re going to pull out the plug now and take her back to be cremated.”
Cold shrouded over like a blizzard, a sharp wind sweeping up the snow as it flew into Zheng Ren’s heart and turning it into ice.
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Author’s note:
A brother who works in the South told me a story once. It was not his own experience but rather, certain regrets he had listened about from other doctors who were helpless in certain situations. It’s been a few years and I still think about it every now and then. In cases like these, the doctor really is powerless during these situations.