CHAPTER 177: 177 HEART-WRENCHING CASES

"You really know how to worry people. This isn’t such a big deal, and your initial judgment wasn’t that far off." Seeing Liu Banxia still looking downcast during dinner, Liang Xiaolin couldn’t help but offer some consolation.

She really didn’t want to say anything, feeling Liu Banxia was being overly dramatic. If a doctor’s every diagnosis had to be impeccable, then practically no one would dare to be a doctor.

But looking at Liu Banxia sinking into gloom was affecting her appetite.

Liu Banxia responded with a nod, managing a faint smile. "You’re right. Let’s enjoy our meal. After we’re done, you and Qing Kewa can get off work and go home to rest."

Qing Kewa, who was struggling to grab fried peanuts with chopsticks, glanced at him and resumed her effort.

It was a feeling others could hardly understand. It wasn’t just about a simple blood test, but his state of mind. Only Liu Banxia himself truly knew how he had felt at that moment.

I’d reflected on this before. After getting the system, my ego inflated, and I became somewhat arrogant. I’d reminded myself back then, but only today did I realize that reminder was just wishful thinking. My initial diagnosis at the time was genuinely leukemia. Since acute leukemia often affects infants and young children, I was thinking that once the blood test results came out, I’d be able to show off in the emergency department again. I was truly getting carried away, flying a bit too high, a bit too far. If it weren’t for little Haohao today, it probably wouldn’t have been long before I made an even bigger fool of myself.

I really should thank little Haohao. I’ll bring him a chicken leg later.

With this thought, his spirits lifted considerably. He found Qing Kewa’s struggle with the peanuts amusing and helped her pick up two.

Liu Banxia seemed to have let the matter go for the time being, but others weren’t about to let him off so easily. Even during the meal, he overheard people discussing an ER doctor who had ordered a coagulation test for a child’s rhinitis.

Although no one mentioned him by name, the incident had just occurred, and the gossip was spreading like wildfire. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who was spreading it.

What else could I expect? The lab wouldn’t bother with such trivial matters. Du Fancheng isn’t a gossip, and he’s probably busy performing a nasal endoscopy on Haohao right now. The only ones who could know about this are people from the emergency department.

Nurses like Zhou Li had a good relationship with him; the only one in the entire emergency department who consistently opposed him was Qi Wentai.

"What on earth is he thinking? Why is he so annoying?" Liang Xiaolin complained.

"What else could he be thinking? He just wants to irk me. Just like Qin Hai. Can’t cause real harm, but loves to make people uncomfortable," Liu Banxia said casually.

"Actually, I think I finally understand why Old Qin was always targeting me in the emergency department. It was probably because I often badmouthed him behind his back, thinking I was challenging his authority."

"Now karma’s come around, hasn’t it? Little Qi is doing the same to me. But I’m a magnanimous person; I won’t stoop to his level. How’s that for an attitude?"

Liang Xiaolin looked at him exasperatedly, finding Liu Banxia’s way of thinking quite peculiar.

When no one was talking about him, he’d feel incredibly aggrieved. Now that people were criticizing him, he simply brushed it off.

"Actually, I had no choice either. After leaving school, I went straight into a hospital. In those two private hospitals, I had to walk on eggshells; the people there were even more complex than in public hospitals," Liu Banxia said.

"So, I developed this thick-skinned personality. As for real-world experience, I have none. With just a little achievement, my ego swelled. Otherwise, how could I have dared to pick a fight with an associate chief physician? I had so much gall, a soup bowl couldn’t hold it!"

"PFFT... what’s with you?" Liang Xiaolin, who was drinking soup, choked on her sip and shot him an annoyed glare.

"HEH HEH, Brother Qiang, can I get a chicken leg to go?" Liu Banxia called out to Zhou Qiang.

"What’s wrong? Just one? Not two?" Zhou Qiang asked, glancing at him.

"It’s not for them. Their performance was just average today, so no extra chicken legs. It’s for a little patient of mine. He had his blood drawn unnecessarily, so I need to make it up to him."

Declaring it so openly was tantamount to announcing to everyone that he was the emergency department doctor in question. This immediately made those who had been gossiping feel a bit embarrassed, as they had been talking behind his back.

Actually, this was quite normal. Mealtimes were for idle chatter. What else was there to discuss in a hospital besides such minor incidents?

Liang Xiaolin gave him a helpless look. That stunt of his just now had attracted a lot of attention. She decided she would leave work on time in the future and not get mixed up with him.

After finishing his meal, he greeted Chen Jianxin and headed toward the ENT (ear, nose, and throat) department. It felt somewhat fated, as this was already his second trip there today.

Before he even reached the ENT department, his phone rang. It was Du Fancheng.

"Brother Du, is the examination done? Is it rhinitis?" Liu Banxia asked immediately after answering.

"It’s slightly more serious than rhinitis. There’s a polyp growing in the sinus. We’ve taken a tissue sample for biopsy," Du Fancheng replied.

DING! Mission completed: The Boy with a Nosebleed

Gained 100 experience points, 30 diagnostic skill proficiency points.

Liu Banxia paused. "Are you still in the ENT department? I’m heading over there now."

"Yes, I’m here. Come on over," Du Fancheng said and hung up.

Liu Banxia quickened his pace. For a child this young, a polyp requiring a biopsy was unlikely to be a common one.

"Uncle, where have you been? The examination was really uncomfortable," Haohao greeted him warmly upon seeing him.

"Uncle bought Haohao a big chicken leg. Are you hungry? You can eat the chicken leg first," Liu Banxia said, presenting it.

Haohao obediently looked at his mother. Although he had just gnawed on a large bone and received a piece of chocolate, he still felt he had to ask for permission for this big chicken leg.

Haohao’s mother managed a nod before turning away.

"It’s in the maxillary sinus, which is why Haohao always feels uncomfortable and picks at it with his fingers. The growth rate probably isn’t very fast," Du Fancheng said, pointing at the computer screen.

Liu Banxia took a closer look. Even though he didn’t know much about otolaryngology, he still understood the basics.

"Please try not to worry too much. I estimate there’s a greater likelihood of it being benign," Liu Banxia said, moving next to Haohao’s mother.

"Haohao has had symptoms for about two years, and it’s only grown this much in that time. Does anyone in the family have a similar medical history, or does anyone in the household smoke frequently?"

Haohao’s mother shook her head. "His father doesn’t smoke, and no one in our family has this kind of illness."

"That’s even more reassuring then. It’s possibly just a simple polyp. It’s rare to find one in that location in a child his age," Liu Banxia said.

"It often occurs in people who frequently smoke or work in environments with irritating substances; those are the typical situations where such pathological changes might occur."

"Oh! We bought a new house three years ago and renovated it. Could that be related to this?" Haohao’s mother suddenly exclaimed.

"Well... we can’t say for sure," Liu Banxia frowned.

"However, if the formaldehyde concentration were truly high, it would be quite pungent. But since Haohao is young, it’s certainly possible this could have caused it."

"But it’s not necessarily a direct link. The onset of illnesses often involves multiple factors. Besides, Haohao isn’t showing any other symptoms, so it’s likely nothing too serious."

"Haohao, is the chicken leg tasty?" Liu Banxia moved closer to the little boy.

The little fellow obediently nodded. "It’s very tasty, even better than the chicken legs Mom makes."

"HAHA, Uncle knew you’d like it. Try to eat it all up, then you won’t need dinner when you get home," Liu Banxia said.

The little boy nodded happily and then took a big, satisfying bite.

"If you’re still worried, you could have Haohao stay with relatives for a few days and get his room tested. Use these next few days to also try and calm your nerves while you wait for the test results," Liu Banxia added.

Haohao’s mother nodded. "When Haohao’s dad gets here, we’ll check into a hotel if necessary."

"Alright then, I have to go back to the Emergency Department. There’s only one surgeon holding down the fort over there," Liu Banxia said.

"Doctor, thank you so much. If it weren’t for you taking an extra look, we wouldn’t have discovered this," Haohao’s mother said gratefully.

"Please don’t say that. You should thank Doctor Du. I’m a layman when it comes to otolaryngology; I almost made a mistake," Liu Banxia said with a bitter smile.

As a doctor, the thing you most want to hear is gratitude from patients or their families. But this "thank you" today... it feels a bit awkward in my heart.

This was sincere appreciation from Haohao’s mother, yet Liu Banxia felt he didn’t deserve it.

After bidding farewell to Haohao, Liu Banxia finally left the Otolaryngology Department. There was no need to stay longer since it wasn’t his area of expertise. Even if surgery were required, it would be a matter for the otolaryngology department.

"Why haven’t you two left yet?" Liu Banxia asked with a smile when he returned to the Emergency Department and found Liang Xiaolin and Qing Kewa still there.

"Has Haohao’s diagnosis been confirmed?" Liang Xiaolin asked.

"There’s a polyp in the maxillary sinus. I took a look; its base is somewhat irregular. We need to see the biopsy results before discussing surgical options," Liu Banxia said.

Liang Xiaolin was stunned. She also hadn’t expected this to be the outcome. An irregular base—she, of course, knew what that implied.

"Alright, you two should head home too. You’ve been through a lot today; hurry home, wash up, and get some sleep," Liu Banxia said.

"Got it. Qing Kewa, let’s go," Liang Xiaolin said, glaring at him.

"Why is she glaring at me?" Liu Banxia looked at Zhou Li.

Zhou Li shrugged. "How would I know? Who knows what you two have been up to."

Liu Banxia rolled his eyes. This Sister Li... definitely not someone to mess with, ever.

He wandered over to one side and, out of habit, picked up a book. But he couldn’t focus.

If little Haohao had only suffered from common sinusitis, he might have been able to put it out of his mind. But the possibility that this cute and polite little boy might have sinus cancer gnawed at him.

Even in this profession, some cases inevitably tugged at his heartstrings.

Otherwise, why else did he always try his best to smile when dealing with patients, to the point of appearing jovial? It was a form of defense, perhaps—a way to protect his own heart and, at the same time, help patients relax.