CHAPTER 465: 465 A BLACK DAY PART 2

DING! Emergency Surgery Task Completed

Earned 300 Experience Points, Diagnostic Studies Proficiency: 100 points, Suturing Skill Proficiency: 100 points, Dressing Skill Proficiency: 100 points, Gastric Surgery Skill Proficiency: 100 points, Glory Points: 3.

"Teacher Liu, you’ve done two surgeries back-to-back. You should rest for a bit. I’ll go talk to the patient’s family," Su Wenhao said quickly, noticing Liu Banxia’s still grim expression after the surgery.

Liu Banxia nodded, then looked at Wu Xiaoyue. "Thank you, Doctor Wu. It was a great help having you called over. It saved a lot of time and reduced the risk of infection."

"Isn’t this what we do? Go get something to eat. Who knows what might happen this afternoon," Wu Xiaoyue said.

"You all seem busy too. I see Dr. Chen has surgeries scheduled for today and tomorrow," Liu Banxia remarked.

"We weren’t well-known before, but now Dr. Chen’s reputation has spread, so more patients are coming to us directly or transferring here," Wu Xiaoyue explained.

"If it weren’t for the Spring Festival approaching, we’d probably have even more patients. Cardiothoracic surgery will also be adding attending physicians, right? My skills aren’t as good as Dr. Chen’s."

"Every department, except for general surgery, will be adding staff. But it’s hard to say when they’ll all be in place. Half of the CCU staff were practically begged for. Manpower is the main issue now; we’ll have to see if there are any personnel transfers after the Spring Festival."

This was a persistent problem; every department except general surgery was short-staffed. It was also the emergency center doctors’ favorite topic when chatting with Liu Banxia.

They genuinely aren’t afraid of someone taking their surgeries; there are so many now they can’t keep up. An extra colleague just means more rest time for everyone.

Back at the emergency center, Liu Banxia glanced at the time; it was already past two in the afternoon. He gave a quick nod to his colleagues and headed straight for the cafeteria.

Just as he entered, he saw Qiaoqiao waving vigorously at him.

Liu Banxia smacked his forehead. He’d completely forgotten.

Qiaoqiao had been spending time in Tang Feifei’s ward all day. They had even arranged to have lunch and dinner together. However, his mood, soured by that difficult case, had made him completely forget their plans.

"Made a mistake, have you?" Qiaoqiao asked as Liu Banxia hurried over.

"A big one. How did you know I was just coming to eat? You weren’t waiting for me, were you?" Liu Banxia asked.

Qiaoqiao glanced at him. "In your dreams! Do I look like some silly wife who has to wait around for a mopey guy like you? I had a feast of big bones with someone else for lunch."

"You’re such a wimp sometimes! Didn’t you used to say you couldn’t let patients affect your mood? Look at you now! You scared Xu Yino and the others so much they had to call in the big guns – me!"

Liu Banxia pinched her nose. "It’s just... too many unresolved cases. The negative feelings pile up. And those guys always know exactly who to send to deal with me."

Qiaoqiao said happily, "I’ve ordered you sweet and sour pork and a small pot of stew. Eat up, get your strength back for this afternoon’s battles. You can do it; I believe in you."

"Is Tang Dou all settled?" Liu Banxia asked.

"Hehe, I sent him over to Uncle Qiu’s to play with Tiggie. It’s actually great. Now, whenever I go out, I can just let Doudou go find Tiggie. It saves me a lot of trouble, and Doudou enjoys it too," Qiaoqiao said.

"Your food is ready! And a freshly squeezed orange juice, on the house for the beautiful Miss Qiaoqiao," Zhou Qiang said at that moment, personally delivering Liu Banxia’s tray.

"Thanks, Manager Zhou. I won’t be going out for dinner; I’ll eat here. Could you make me a pork knuckle? Make it really tender and not too salty or oily. And it has to be non-iodized salt, right?" Qiaoqiao said, glancing at Liu Banxia.

Liu Banxia nodded. "Also, get some shrimp for the hyperthyroid patient. Manager Zhou is an expert; just tell him, and he’ll know what to do."

"Let me tell you, I might not have figured out everything about running a hospital cafeteria, but I’ve thoroughly researched patient meals. Sometimes, you don’t even need to ask these doctors; just come straight to me," Zhou Qiang said with a smile.

"How about this: I’ll make you two some pig trotters tonight. Gnawing on them while they’re hot and fragrant is the best! Plus, they’re full of collagen—the more you eat, the more beautiful you’ll become. Let’s just say, Banxia, you’ll have to keep a very close watch on her then," Zhou Qiang said with a grin.

"Why is that?" Qiaoqiao asked curiously.

"Well, isn’t it because the more beautiful you get, the more I’ll look like a wreck in comparison?" Liu Banxia said with a smile.

"That’s a great idea! Manager Zhou, add four more pig trotters. Let Qing Kewa, Liang Xiaolin, Xu Yino, and Liu Yiqing get some nourishment too," Qiaoqiao said joyfully.

"Consider it done! I won’t disturb you two lovebirds any longer. Dinner is on me!" Zhou Qiang said, beaming as he walked away.

"Actually, the roasted pig trotters at Wang Mingxing’s place are the best. It’s just that you’ve been too busy lately to go there," Qiaoqiao said.

"Aren’t you afraid of turning into a little chubby girl? Then you can compare whose arms are thicker with Doudou," Liu Banxia teased.

"Oh, come on, eating them once in a while is fine. Speaking of, um, Tang Feifei... she’s just on medication and diet control now, right? Is there anything else she needs to be careful about? She’s really been through a lot," Qiaoqiao said.

"For now, it’s just medication and dietary management. We’ll do a comprehensive check-up on her this evening. Honestly, her case is a real headache; her condition is so complex," Liu Banxia said, picking out a piece of perfectly marbled stewed meat and feeding it to Qiaoqiao.

"I talked to her. She said she’s going to postpone her new drama and focus on her health. After all, she’s still young. Even if she lies low for a year, people won’t forget her," Qiaoqiao said.

Liu Banxia nodded. "Actually, I was thinking of suggesting the same thing. Otherwise, if those nodules really start to bulge later, it’ll be much harder to deal with."

"Also, tell her not to lose heart. Worst case, she just stays in the hospital a bit longer. No matter what, I have to get to the bottom of her illness. At the very least, we can’t have her wetting the bed every day. She deserves a normal life."

"Alright, I’ll head up then. Don’t eat so fast, and that habit of always mixing your rice with the dishes isn’t good for you," Qiaoqiao reminded him before turning to leave.

Having eaten his fill, Liu Banxia worked on adjusting his mood.

This won’t do. It will affect patient consultations and everyone else around me. He went to the restroom and splashed water on his face again, feeling a bit more alert.

"Qiaoqiao added pig trotters for your dinner tonight. Don’t forget to ask Old Zhou for them at mealtime," Liu Banxia said when he returned to the emergency center.

"Teacher Liu, do we get some too?" Miao Rui asked joyfully.

"They’re eating it for the collagen, to make their skin beautiful. What do you need to beautify? Still, I can’t treat you guys unfairly. There are chicken legs; I’ve already told Old Zhou," Liu Banxia said.

"Haha, Teacher Liu is the best!" Miao Rui praised.

"Someone from hospital administration just came by," Wang Chao said, approaching him. "That young man really is from India. They’ve contacted their embassy, and someone will be coming over directly."

"When they arrive, make sure he’s properly isolated. It doesn’t matter who comes; if they’re here, they follow our rules," Liu Banxia stated.

"You can rest assured about that, no problem," Wang Chao said, patting his chest.

Liu Banxia chuckled. "He’s your patient anyway. You can handle the reception when they arrive. I don’t have that much free time to waste."

"So, has today’s difficult patient stopped bothering you now?" Wang Chao asked.

Liu Banxia nodded. "Qiaoqiao gave me a good scolding. She’s really worried. Honestly, I just hope all our patients can get diagnosed or recover quickly so they can go home for a happy New Year."

Wang Chao chuckled. This was his doing, of course. Though Xu Yino was the one who put it into action, Qiaoqiao was clearly more effective.

"Teacher Liu, an assault victim is en route. Vitals are stable, but the assault injuries are severe," the dispatch nurse called out.

"We’ve got a live one! Let’s see... Xu Yino, you take this patient. I’ll assist," Liu Banxia announced.

Xu Yino pumped a small fist, then immediately tensed up.

She was happy to be assigned the case, but also nervous because the Big Demon King was supervising. Who knew what kind of mood he was in today; he might as well be having his ’man-period.’

"Patient’s vitals are stable, conscious. Multiple blunt-force contusions, possible rib fractures," the paramedic reported as they wheeled the patient in.

"This looks pretty bad. Let’s take him to Trauma Bay One," Xu Yino said quickly after a glance.

"Alright everyone, prepare to move! One, two, three—transfer to the bed! Remove the backboard! Hook him up to the monitor!" Xu Yino commanded.

"Patient’s right orbit and eye are swollen, possible fracture. Left cheek is red and swollen. Teacher Liu, perform the initial trauma assessment; I’ll auscultate his heart and lungs."

Liu Banxia didn’t speak. He first checked the patient’s head for other injuries, then began palpating the abdomen. When he touched the patient’s left ribs, the man winced.

"Suspected left rib fractures. Arms and legs intact, good distal perfusion," Liu Banxia reported after his assessment.

"Bilateral breath sounds clear, heart sounds normal. Everyone, step back! Let’s get a chest X-ray," Xu Yino said.

Everyone quickly stepped back. They positioned the cassette, and with a CLICK, the X-ray was taken.

"Fractures of the left sixth and seventh ribs. Are you feeling any discomfort in your head right now?" Xu Yino asked, looking at the displayed X-ray.

"A little dizzy," the patient replied.

"We’ll get a CT scan for you in a bit. Has your family been contacted?" Xu Yino asked.

The patient nodded.

"Then..."

BEEP BEEP BEEP... BEEP BEEP BEEP...

Xu Yino had barely spoken two words when the patient’s eyes rolled back, and he fainted. Simultaneously, the monitor blared an alarm.

"Patient’s O2 saturation is dropping! Teacher Liu, intubate! He’s unconscious, no need for meds, straight intubation. I’m checking his pupils... Oh no, they’re starting to dilate!" Xu Yino said urgently.

"He must have an intracranial bleed! Call Neurosurgery to meet us in the OR! Stat head CT! Rapid blood panel, and prep an OR now!" Xu Yino ordered.

By the time Xu Yino finished her orders, Liu Banxia had already intubated the patient. His oxygen saturation finally began to improve. However, the most pressing concern was his head. Xu Yino quickly pushed the gurney towards the CT room.

Liu Banxia sighed internally. What a cursed day. This patient’s condition is completely unpredictable too.