CHAPTER 209: 209 BIRTH, AGING, SICKNESS, AND DEATH

This old woman reacted really quickly.

This old woman’s reaction was really quick.

Du Heng paused, choosing his words more carefully. "This illness isn’t something that can be cured immediately. There are many indicators we need to look at. Sir needs to go home and recuperate properly. Once he’s mostly recovered, we can begin Treatment."

The old woman looked a bit deflated, her spirits dampened. "He still needs to recuperate, huh?"

"Yes, Sir has been ill for over a year, and he also has diabetes. Recuperation is essential. You should call your grandson in; I need to speak with him."

"Alright then."

The old woman eventually called her grandson.

Within thirty seconds, a man and a woman, both appearing to be in their thirties, squeezed in from the crowd outside the door.

"Grandma, why did you call us?"

"Doctor Du wants to talk to you. He said young people remember things better."

The man turned to Du Heng, a deep-seated distrust in his eyes.

He didn’t actually believe what the newspaper said, but since the old man was so insistent, he had no choice but to go along with his wishes.

Du Heng had seen such looks many times in recent months; he knew exactly what this family member was thinking.

But he didn’t care.

"Sir, could you please help wheel the Old Man out first? It’s too stuffy and crowded in here. I have a lot to discuss, and it will be uncomfortable for him to stay."

A flicker of suspicion crossed the man’s eyes, but seeing Du Heng’s steady gaze, he complied and wheeled the Old Man out.

At this point, Du Heng also stood up. "Everyone, please step back a bit and wait by the door for your number to be called. It’s too crowded in here."

Du Heng had to repeat this four or five times before the crowd slowly retreated.

Seeing the Old Man’s grandson return, Du Heng said, "Come in and close the door."

The man’s doubtful expression deepened. He closed the door and waited for Du Heng to speak.

Du Heng now spoke without reservation, explaining the Old Man’s true condition.

"If you don’t believe me, you can take him to another Hospital for a Check-up. As for whether to tell the Old Lady, that’s for you to decide. I told her that Sir needs to go home to recuperate."

After speaking, Du Heng fell silent, watching the man quietly. He knew that such news would take time for anyone to process.

The woman beside the man placed a hand on his shoulder, also watching him quietly, waiting.

They came seeking Treatment for Paralysis, and instead, I’m telling them he’s beyond saving. Anyone would need time to digest that.

After a long silence, the man slowly exhaled. They had anticipated such a situation, given the Old Man’s age. They just hadn’t expected it to come so suddenly, so quickly.

"Doctor, is there really no hope at all?"

"Sir’s bodily functions are deteriorating, and his organs are failing. This is an irreversible process. If you’re asking if I can prolong his life, I can, for perhaps half a year at least, a year at most."

The man’s eyes lit up at this, but Du Heng continued, "But what would be the point? Sir is already showing signs of dementia; his reactions are slow, and he can’t care for himself. In the later stages, if we use medication to forcibly prolong his life, he will suffer greatly. If he goes to a Big Hospital and is admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, they’ll insert various tubes and administer all sorts of drugs. That would be even more painful than Chinese herbal medicine, and it would likely only extend his life by about half a year. Also, I must tell you, whether it’s the Chinese herbal medicine I prescribe or Western medicine, the cost will be very high."

The man looked conflicted. After a long pause, his expression firmed. "Thank you, Doctor. I think I’ll take him to another Hospital for a second opinion."

Those were very impolite words. Who tells a doctor to their face that they’re going to another hospital? It was a clear show of distrust. But Du Heng understood the man’s position. Facing the death of a loved one isn’t something everyone can handle with detachment. Besides, he couldn’t expect his words, the words of a doctor from a small health clinic, to be completely convincing.

"Alright, that’s understandable. You should get a second opinion at another Hospital. Perhaps my Check-up was mistaken."

After the man left, Du Heng remained silent, not immediately calling for the next Patient. Even though someone else had already entered, he sat quietly for a moment.

This was the second terminal case he had diagnosed with no viable solution. Birth, old age, sickness, and death—such is the law of nature. Humans often seem so powerless.

However, he didn’t dwell on it for too long. After composing himself, he resumed his work.

The subsequent patients were mostly routine cases; several in a row suffered from hemiplegia.

After examining them, Du Heng admitted all those who could be treated and met the criteria for hospitalization.

Just as he was about to admit the current Patient, Wu Buwei tugged his arm. "Senior Brother, we’re out of Sick beds."

Du Heng stopped. "Out of beds? Are all of them full?"

"All thirty Sick beds are occupied."

Zhonghu Health Center, based on the township’s current population, was only adequately staffed in terms of authorized job positions; in most other respects, it fell short of requirements. However, limited by funding, the prevalence of pathogens, and other problems, it had just been scraping by. Now, the sudden surge in patient cases (often linked to pathogens) exposed all the Health Clinic’s resource problems.

The woman waiting for Treatment overheard Wu Buwei and immediately became upset. Everyone before her had been admitted; how could it be that there was no room when it was her turn?

Her husband was also a chatterbox, nattering on incessantly since they had entered. If you asked the Patient one question, he would give ten answers, all about trivial matters completely unrelated to her condition.

To sum up his ramblings: his Wife had brought this on herself and deserved it. Though, in a way, she did. She had won a big hand playing mahjong and, having sat at the table for too long, got overly excited and collapsed.

But for a man, a husband, his mouth was too loose, like a machine gun, with every verbal bullet hitting his Wife’s sore spots.

Now, he stood to the side, still chattering, and turned his verbal assault on Du Heng, making Du Heng want to slap him.

It was incredibly infuriating and agitating.

However, Du Heng didn’t need to act. The woman seeking Treatment only had paralysis in her left arm; her right hand and lower limbs were fine.

Perhaps having endured for too long, the woman couldn’t stand it anymore. Disregarding their surroundings, she started to physically lash out, and quite fiercely at that.

Instantly, the consultation room filled with wails and screams, but the loudmouthed husband didn’t dare retaliate.

The woman, however, roared like a furious dragon. Channeling the firm spirit of someone who had just won a major hand in mahjong—a Great Four Happinesses with a unique tile—she slapped the man squarely across the face.

She didn’t just slap him; she clawed and tore at him as well.

Du Heng and Wu Buwei deliberately paused for a moment, watching until they’d had their fill, before stepping in to separate them.

Looking at the man, Du Heng thought he was the one who truly needed to be hospitalized. He even mused that if he called Gong Daoyang right now, the woman would undoubtedly be detained for assault.

But the man, even as he stood there with a bleeding lip, a scratch on the corner of his mouth, and his hair like a bird’s nest, didn’t stop talking. He began to wail at Du Heng, "Doctor, look at this crazy woman! She hit me so hard..."

Du Heng was dumbfounded. Does this man have masochistic tendencies? Still running his mouth after all that? For a moment, Du Heng felt the urge to let the woman go. People like him clearly haven’t been disciplined enough. It also shows there are too many meddlers like myself. That mouth of his deserves to be torn apart.