Tall and long-legged, with a mature and sophisticated aura, hardworking and resilient... Liu Zhi has everything Meng Yang likes!
Chapter 8 Reporting
The next day, Liu Zhi carried a can of concentrated Chai Chen decoction to work. As she entered the office, her former roommate, Nurse Wang, stared at her the whole way.
That look was eerie, especially given the enmity between the two.
The backstabbing and infighting among roommates exists in everything from student dormitories to employee dormitories.
There are never two people in the world who are completely compatible. It is normal for roommates to have some minor frictions due to differences in lifestyle.
However, "quantitative change leads to qualitative change," and their constant friction eventually escalated into long-standing resentment.
The day before Liu Zhi and Meng Yang started sharing an apartment, Liu Zhi worked the shift from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.
After finishing her shift, Liu Zhi stayed in the office until nearly six o'clock before returning to her dormitory.
No matter how careful and tiptoeing she was, Nurse Wang, a light sleeper, was still woken up.
The workload in the hospital is very heavy; sometimes nurses are even more tired than doctors, which Liu Zhi can understand.
Therefore, every time she took a night shift, she would rest on the bench in the corridor until it was close to the nurses' shift change before going back. That day, Liu Zhi's neck pain was so bad that she had no choice but to go back to the dormitory early.
Nurse Wang usually didn't get up until close to her shift change, and when she was busy, she slept less than five hours a day. The sound of Liu Zhi opening the door was like a timed alarm clock, causing Nurse Wang unbearable pain. At first, Nurse Wang could tolerate it, but after a while, she found herself finding fault with Liu Zhi in every way.
The fact that she went back at six o'clock became the trigger. The long hours of work pressure catalyzed the conflict, and Nurse Wang and Liu Zhi had an argument.
Adults rarely completely break off relations. After Nurse Wang made a few sarcastic remarks, Liu Zhi didn't say another word and quickly packed her things and moved out of the staff dormitory.
Liu Zhi ignored Nurse Wang's gaze and walked straight back to her seat.
As Liu Zhi pulled out the chair, she suddenly understood the meaning behind Nurse Wang's gaze.
On her chair was a jar of homemade honey kumquats, with a bright red piece of paper pressed under the glass jar.
The piece of paper looked exactly like a red envelope, and Liu Zhi was startled when she first saw it.
Liu Zhi only breathed a sigh of relief when she touched the note in her hand.
Actually, this is an envelope made of colored cardstock. Inside the envelope is a note with a line of words written in crooked handwriting: "Dr. Liu, thank you!"
Liu Zhi is not the kind of doctor with such high moral character that he would pay for a patient's medical expenses in advance, but he is also not the kind of person who would forget all principles for a little bit of profit.
Accepting red envelopes from patients is a serious violation of regulations. If it really is a red envelope, Liu Zhi will take leave to return it.
Liu Zhi could guess that these things were sent by the old lady and her grandson. She put the thank-you note in the drawer and placed the glass jar on the emergency room's communal dining table, planning to return it during her mealtime.
The chief resident's work is complex and demanding.
There are two chief residents in the neurosurgery department. They work in shifts every 24 hours and there are no holidays.
Liu Zhi and her colleague are responsible for bed management, surgical requests, and various consultations in their ward. The work of a chief resident goes far beyond this; Liu Zhi performs no fewer than one hundred surgeries a year.
Liu Zhi chose to perform surgeries in two sub-specialties: cerebrovascular diseases and brain tumors. He planned to perform forty surgeries in the former and sixty in the latter.
The residency system is an essential step for every doctor to advance their professional title, and it's an incredibly tough year. Some doctors can't endure it and simply change jobs.
Although Liu Zhi had already experienced the high-pressure environment of the emergency department, she was still exhausted to the point of not being able to handle it when she actually became a resident.
The tedious registration procedures took up most of the morning, and by the time Liu Zhi had a moment to spare, it was already noon. She searched through the records and found the old lady's number, but before she could even dial it, she was called to the medical education department.
The head of the medical education department looked at her with his fingers crossed, his expression solemn.
"Dr. Liu, you've been reported for accepting money and gifts." The head doctor tapped the table. "This is a serious matter."
"I didn't," Liu Zhi said firmly.
Being falsely accused was a terrible feeling, and Liu Zhi's heart was filled with anger and helplessness on her way to the medical department. She didn't like to show her emotions, and even less did she like to let others see her vulnerability.
When the director questioned Liu Zhi with absolute certainty, Liu Zhi's heart trembled. She felt insulted, and her blood rushed to her head in an instant.
Liu Zhi felt like she was having trouble breathing. She controlled her emotions and tried to describe the matter in a calm tone.
"When I got to work today, I found a jar of candied kumquats and a thank-you note on my chair." Liu Zhi's throat was sore and her voice was hoarse. "I couldn't find out where the items came from during work hours, so I'm going to take them back during my lunch break."
"But the whistleblower provided photos showing you holding a red envelope. How do you explain that?" The director pulled out the photos and zoomed in several times.
“That’s just a red cardboard envelope, not a red envelope,” Liu Zhi said calmly. “I can go to the office and get it right now.”
“I’ll go with you,” the medical education department said.
The hospital staff knew the seriousness of the matter, and Liu Zhi received all sorts of looks from her colleagues on her way back to the office.
Whether intentional or unintentional, these gazes lashed at Liu Zhi's dignity like whips.
There were too many people at the affiliated hospital, and no one cared about Liu Zhi's true situation. Liu Zhi felt like a prisoner who was wrongfully imprisoned and sent to the execution ground.
As Liu Zhi led the way, his posture remained as upright as ever, and to others, he might even appear somewhat indifferent.
She was so indifferent that it was as if the matter had nothing to do with her.
Meng Yang witnessed this scene as soon as she entered the outpatient department, and her heart clenched painfully. When Liu Zhi passed by, Meng Yang abruptly turned her back and hid behind a support pillar.
Others might not be able to understand Liu Zhi's feelings, and even those who know her character cannot empathize with her. But Meng Yang can.
Liu Zhi's jawline was so taut; she was clearly so indignant and aggrieved.
Meng Yang pursed his lips as he watched Liu Zhiqing's gaunt figure disappear into the distance.
Everyone was too busy with work to go and watch the excitement.
Liu Zhi took the envelope out of the drawer and showed it to the head of the medical education department.
"What's wrong?" Director Shen approached, holding a teacup, to take a look. "Hello, Director Huang."
"Director Shen." The head of the Medical Education Department nodded to him.
"What's wrong with Xiao Liu?" Director Shen glanced at the envelope in Liu Zhi's hand. "From a distance, this envelope really looks like a red envelope."
"Around seven or eight this morning, an old lady came and put a jar on Xiao Liu's desk, with a crumpled piece of paper in her hand." Director Shen took a sip of tea. "I hadn't come in yet, I just glanced at it from the doorway and was wondering whose desk this was."
Director Shen was the first to volunteer to stay on the front lines, and he insisted on remaining in the emergency room even though he was nearly sixty years old. His actual status in the hospital was higher than that of Director Huang.
"The main thing is that the whistleblower sent over all the photos, so the authenticity is very high." Although Director Huang admired Director Shen, his expression remained as serious as ever. "Medical ethics and conduct are very important, and I must investigate thoroughly."
Director Huang is fair and impartial, and doesn't let personal connections or face-saving influence him. He is in charge of the hospital's medical ethics and conduct, and he is ruthless in dealing with doctors who neglect their duties. Most staff members feel that he is too upright and too meticulous in his work.
"Then let's check the surveillance footage around 7 or 8 o'clock." Director Shen stepped back, holding his cup. "I just got off the operating table, and my neck is hurting terribly, so I'll be going now."
“That’s natural.” Director Huang made way for Director Shen.
Liu Zhi followed Director Huang to check the surveillance footage. Looking at it from such a distance, it was like opening a red envelope. Fortunately, Liu Zhi later put down the envelope, unfolded the note, and read it carefully, thus clearing up the misunderstanding.
Director Huang eventually agreed with Liu Zhi's statement.
"I'm sorry, Xiao Liu." Director Huang's expression finally softened slightly. "I'm just doing my job. I hope you can understand."
“I understand,” Liu Zhi said calmly.
"That's good, I'll clarify," Director Huang said.
...
There was a surgery scheduled for that afternoon, and Liu Zhi had to finish it no matter how bad her mood was.
As Liu Zhi left, she overheard several nurses at the duty station discussing the matter. They suspected that Nurse Wang might have reported it. Nurse Wang had just finished taking a patient's temperature and was pushing a cart over.
Both she and Liu Zhi had clearly heard the conversation.
When Nurse Wang wasn't grumpy in the morning, she was quite rational. She took a deep breath, looked at Liu Zhi, and said seriously, "I swear I didn't report this. Although we have a history, I don't hate you to this extent."
“I’m completely innocent,” Nurse Wang swore to the heavens, “believe it or not.”
Liu Zhi nodded and said, "I know."
She was already exhausted enough and didn't have time to worry about these things.
When Liu Zhi was reviewing the video, she also saw the photo. It was taken by a passerby wearing black clothes, probably a patient's family member who was dissatisfied with the treatment outcome or the medical system.
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Author's Note:
Nurse Fei reported this!!!
To reiterate, the author is not a medical professional, and their understanding of the general hospitalization system comes from online resources and oral accounts from relevant practitioners. Please do not take this too seriously!!!
Please point out any errors, I will definitely correct them, thank you so much!
Chapter 9 So Tired
The resection of a tumor in the jugular foramen region is a level four difficulty surgery, requiring a surgeon of Dr. Shen's caliber to perform it. Dr. Shen personally appointed Liu Zhi as his first assistant.
At the sink, Director Shen was disinfecting his surgical gown, while Liu Zhi stood beside him, rubbing her fingers together with her palms facing each other. Director Shen observed her movements and praised, "Your surgical hand disinfection technique is very standard."
Liu Zhi smiled through her mask, looking a little embarrassed.
Director Shen wiped the water off his forearm and squeezed a few milliliters of hand sanitizer into his palm.
"Keep your spirits up and don't let trivial matters bother you," Director Shen said with a smile. "I was also complained about several times when I was young, which is a valuable life experience."
"Practice more, accumulate more experience, and then pursue a doctorate; your path will be smoother," Director Shen encouraged Liu Zhidao. "Young man, keep it up!"
Having wandered far from home, Liu Zhi hadn't heard such advice from an elder in a long time.
Liu Zhi wasn't a cold-blooded person; she was just good at pretending. After hearing Director Shen's words, Liu Zhi's nose suddenly stung with tears.
The short, elderly man hunched over as he entered the operating room, his steps still appearing somewhat graceful.
There's a time limit for surgical hand disinfection, so Liu Zhi didn't want to reach out and wipe away her tears. She blinked several times, trying to force the tears back.
Dr. Shen has performed over a hundred of these surgeries; he knows every procedure and every detail by heart. Malignant tumors are extremely dangerous, and Liu Zhiguang's heart tightened just watching Dr. Shen perform the procedure.
The surgeon, Director Shen, was a completely different person from the old man comforting Liu Zhi by the sterilization pool. His eyes, fixed on the wound, were like those of an eagle, and his hands moved with precision and steadiness.
In that short time, the nurse wiped Director Shen's sweat twice.
Normally, a tumor resection in the jugular foramen area can be completed in two hours. Today's surgery was significantly more difficult than similar procedures, and it took Dr. Shen nearly an hour and a half to complete the main part. Liu Zhi followed Dr. Shen's instructions, not daring to be distracted for even a moment.
Liu Zhi has performed quite a few level one and two surgeries in the past two years. For level four surgeries, the chief physician usually appoints the attending physician as the assistant. This is a valuable opportunity to accumulate experience, and Liu Zhi cannot slack off in the slightest.