Chapter 15

After medication, Zhou Wenyun finally fell asleep, her condition temporarily stable. Tang Feiwan quietly asked Zhang Yan beside her and learned that half a month ago, she had accompanied Zhou Wenyun to the bird and flower market for sketching.

Zhang Yan said haltingly, “On the first day of hospitalization, the doctor asked if I raised birds or had any bird contact. I said no. I completely forgot about the sketching trip with Yunyun. It was so long ago.”

“We now strongly suspect you and Wenyun are infected with psittacosis, also known as parrot fever. We need further tests.”

Considering Zhang Yan’s poor condition, Tang Feiwan had a nurse draw blood directly for mNGS. When the results came back, both blood samples contained Chlamydia psittaci sequences. Tang Feiwan promptly started tetracycline medication. With the correct drugs, Zhang Yan’s breathing difficulty improved the very next day. On the third day, Zhou Wenyun’s fever also broke. After another period of treatment, both could be discharged.

That day, Tang Feiwan was on the day shift. After rounds, she organized patient files, planning to transfer the recovering patients to the regular ward. Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door behind her. Someone asked, “Is Doctor Tang here?”

Three or four doctors turned, including Lin Ye and Tang Feiwan.

Zhou Wenyong appeared at the door with Zhou Wenyun. He smiled. “My mom and my sister are being discharged today. We want to give Doctor Tang a banner.”

A smile appeared on Liu Zhinan’s cheeks. “Xiao Tang, come on, accept the banner.”

Tang Feiwan was a bit embarrassed. Her right index finger habitually adjusted her glasses. She said directly, “No need. I was just doing my job.”

Zhou Wenyong said sincerely, “Of course. My mom felt much better the second night after being transferred to your ICU. My sister too. She said you often checked on her and taught her to draw.”

Hearing about drawing, Liu Zhinan was interested. “Draw what?”

Zhou Wenyun opened her art folder and pulled out a piece of paper, smiling brightly. “A heart. Doctor Tang said my life force is strong and my heart can keep beating for many more years.”

They said doctors were artists delayed by medicine, and Tang Feiwan was no exception. Her medical illustrations had won awards abroad.

“Not bad!” Liu Zhinan praised sincerely, passing the paper to Lin Ye. “Lin Ye, take a look.”

Lin Ye held the paper and studied it carefully, her thoughts drifting. Years ago, while reviewing for finals, Tang Feiwan had drawn anatomical diagrams in her dorm, joking that if she couldn’t be a doctor, she could sell her art. Lin Ye had praised her talent, but while she wasn’t paying attention, Tang Feiwan had pecked her lightly on the corner of her lips, smiling, “I think so too.”

“Mm, it’s good.” Lin Ye returned the paper to Zhou Wenyun, cutting off the memory.

Tang Feiwan caught the upward curve of Lin Ye’s lips. Though it lasted only two brief seconds, it was enough to make her heart bloom. So she happily accepted Zhou Wenyong’s banner. But unlike the typical banners patients gave doctors, like “Miraculous Hands, Superb Skills,” this one was different. When Zhou Wenyong unfurled it, the header of the red silk banner read: “To Doctor Tang Feiwan.” In the middle were two large characters: “Badass.”

Liu Zhinan laughed. “This is great. Simple and clear.”

Tang Feiwan was even more embarrassed, but she agreed to Zhou Wenyong’s photo request. She stood in the middle, flanked by the siblings. Liu Zhinan, taking the photo, shook his head. “Xiao Tang, smile! Don’t be so serious.”

“Good. One more. Hold that smile.”

Zhou Wenyong was very satisfied with the two photos. He invited Lin Ye, “Director Lin, thank you for not giving up on us and for repeatedly persuading us to continue treatment. Could we take a photo together? With Doctor Tang.”

Tang Feiwan thought Lin Ye would decline. Unexpectedly, she nodded.

So Lin Ye and Tang Feiwan stood in the middle holding the banner. Liu Zhinan, phone in hand, said, “Xiao Tang, move closer to Lin Ye. Why are you standing so far?”

“Oh.” Tang Feiwan shifted half a step to the right. Their arms lightly touched.

Liu Zhinan pressed the shutter and gave an OK sign. “Three, two, one. Say cheese.”

After the photo, Lin Ye accepted the siblings’ thanks, then grazed Tang Feiwan’s arm on her way to her desk, the contact as light as a dragonfly skimming water, carrying the soft warmth of skin. Tang Feiwan froze at the brief touch, her face instantly reddening. She exchanged a few more words with Zhou Wenyun and Zhou Wenyong. When they left, she slid back into her seat, propped her face on her left hand, turned to the wall, and smiled to herself.

There were many patients during the day, but fortunately, despite some close calls, all were successfully resuscitated. Some were transferred to other departments after consults; others stayed in the EICU for further treatment. At past 5 p.m., Lin Ye sat at her desk going through the literature when Lu Yuqing’s call came through. She answered. The other person spoke first: “I thought you’d be busy and wouldn’t pick up.”

“If you’d called ten minutes ago, I wouldn’t have had time.” Lin Ye multitasked, her fingers never stopping on the mouse. In 2015, following Director Gao’s advice, she had enrolled in an on-the-job PhD program in internal medicine at Shujiang University Medical School. This was her third year.

“Right, you’re a busy woman.” Lu Yuqing spoke through her Bluetooth. “Hey, I just found out Tang Feiwan moved in across from you. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Lin Ye glanced up at Tang Feiwan’s desk, saw no one, guessed she was in the ward, and slowly said, “It’s nothing special. You didn’t ask, so I didn’t say.”

Lu Yuqing clicked her tongue. “Why did she move across from you? What’s her angle?”

Tang Feiwan had been living there for twelve days. Apart from the occasional encounters at the door when coming and going from work, exchanging a few words, there really was nothing special. Lin Ye’s expression didn’t change. “Shouldn’t you be asking her?”

Lu Yuqing was exasperated. “Lin Ye, talking with you is like hitting a dead end.”

“Mm, maybe.”

As Lin Ye finished, a loud crash came from the other end. Worried, she asked, “Yuqing, what happened?”

“Someone on an electric scooter fell at the intersection.” Lu Yuqing unbuckled her seatbelt. “I’ll call you later.” She hung up, turned on her hazard lights, pushed open the door, and ran toward the fallen person.

“Hey, are you okay?” The fallen middle-aged man lay face down on the ground, still gripping the scooter handlebars, dazed. Lu Yuqing wanted to turn him over to lie flat. Just as she rolled him onto his back, pfft, the man vomited all over her.

Lu Yuqing frowned but didn’t deal with the mess on her clothes. Instead, she rushed to unbutton his shirt to keep his airway open. She observed his face, made a preliminary assessment, then shook the filth from her hands, ran back to her car, grabbed her phone, and called emergency services. “Hello, at the intersection behind the Guiyun Road Fire Station, someone has collapsed. Suspected acute cerebral hemorrhage.”

Eighteen minutes later, the man was wheeled into the resuscitation room. Nurses and the resident stabilized him. Lin Ye pulled back the curtain and entered. After a quick examination, she said, “Draw blood for the emergency panel. Contact radiology for a head CT.”

After giving instructions, Lin Ye turned and spotted Lu Yuqing standing at the resuscitation room door. Lin Ye moved closer and caught the stench emanating from Lu Yuqing, then pointed at the bed the patient had just been on.

Lu Yuqing rolled her eyes. “Yes, exactly what you think.” She frowned harder. “I need to wash up.”

Before long, the head CT results came back, showing acute cerebral hemorrhage in the posterior fossa. After reviewing the report, Lin Ye made arrangements. “Start mannitol to lower intracranial pressure. Contact neurosurgery for a consult. He’ll probably need a lateral ventricular drain.” She handed the CT report to the ward physician. “Where’s the family? Have they been contacted?”

The resident beside her answered, “Contacted. The patient’s son is on his way.”

Lin Ye nodded.

At that moment, the night-shift doctor, changed and ready, came over. “What’s the situation inside?”

“Posterior fossa hemorrhage. Neurosurgery has been notified for a consult.”

“Leave it to me. You go home early.” The night doctor, like Liu Zhinan, was a veteran attending, just as experienced as Lin Ye.

“I’ll wait until he’s in the OR.” Lin Ye first did a bedside handoff with the night doctor, then consulted with the neurosurgery associate director to determine the surgery time before returning to the office.

In the corner of the office, Gu Yan clung to Tang Feiwan, notebook in hand, asking, “Doctor Tang, the respiratory and circulatory system…”

Tang Feiwan interrupted, her tone a little cold. “Gu Yan, I’m sure your theoretical knowledge is already solid. What you need now is clinical practice. So why did you hesitate this afternoon when I asked you to place multiple IV lines for the patient?”

Gu Yan stammered, “I, I…”

Tang Feiwan continued, “Also, when I asked you how to manage a patient with atrial fibrillation, myocardial ischemia, and lung function impairment after establishing venous access, why were you so slow to respond?” Seeing Gu Yan frozen, she added, “You eventually answered 5% GS 20 ml + Cedilanid 0.2 mg IV push, which is correct. But if the patient we were rounding on had actually gone into atrial fibrillation, every minute you delayed the order would have worsened her condition. Understand?”

Gu Yan swallowed hard and nodded firmly.

Outside the office, Lin Ye listened to their exchange. The resident trainee was supposed to be her responsibility, but Gu Yan liked going to Tang Feiwan, and Tang Feiwan was willing to teach. It saved her some trouble. She walked past them and summarized, “Gu Yan, if clinical work only means taking notes and doesn’t involve doing or proactive thinking, you’ll never improve.”

“Thank you, Director Lin, thank you, Doctor Tang. I understand.” Gu Yan thanked them repeatedly and left with her notebook.

After Gu Yan left, the large office held only Lin Ye and Tang Feiwan. As expected, silence fell again. Each packed up, preparing to leave. Tang Feiwan broke the awkwardness. “Director Lin, I heard Doctor Lu saved a patient with acute cerebral hemorrhage.”

A classic case of talking just to have something to say.

Lin Ye, her back turned and her expression out of sight, said, “Yes. Posterior fossa hemorrhage. After neurosurgery consult, he’s prepping for emergency surgery.”

Tang Feiwan gazed at her back and replied, “Lucky Doctor Lu was there. She saved his life.”

“Mm.”

Then silence again.

Tang Feiwan was about to shut down her computer when Lu Yuqing burst in. She probably hadn’t seen Tang Feiwan sitting to the left of the water dispenser, as she said giddily, “Lin Ye, guess what? Officer Jiang heard my clothes got dirty and brought me a change of clothes after work.”