Upon reaching the gate, Meng Yang waved goodbye to Liu Zhi, but when he turned back, Liu Zhi's figure was already out of sight.
On her way home, Liu Zhi stopped at the supermarket to buy some groceries. She had been relying on Meng for food and drink for the past two days, and she couldn't bring herself to do it.
She rested for three hours and got up at five o'clock to make dinner.
Liu Zhi's cooking method is much simpler than Meng Yang's, but the presentation and taste are no worse.
A simple meal of two dishes and a soup, a balanced mix of meat and vegetables, providing good nutrition. When Meng Yang came home from get off work, he could smell the delicious aroma even through the door.
After finishing dinner and clearing the table, it was already seven o'clock. Meng Yang took a shower and went to the living room to look for Liu Zhi, but couldn't find her.
Actually, Liu Zhi lied; she had to work the night shift that night.
Meng Yang thought she had gone downstairs to do something, but after waiting for half an hour and not seeing her return, he made a special phone call.
Liu Zhi was busy resuscitating a patient and had left her phone on her desk. She didn't return Meng Yang's call until nine o'clock.
"You went to work again?"
"Um."
Meng Yang sat on the sofa, unsure of what to say.
"You're busy, I'm going to sleep."
"good."
The phone went dark, and Meng Yang stared at the screen, feeling a bit down.
Meng Yang wasn't upset because Liu Zhi went out without informing her; she was upset because her impulsive decision had wasted Liu Zhi's precious rest time.
She felt a mix of emotion—a touch of gratitude and sadness—that gave Meng Yang an indescribable feeling.
When Liu Zhi arrived home in the morning, there was a bowl of dry noodles and a bowl of pork rib soup on the table. There was a note on the table that read, "Remember to heat it up."
The pork rib soup was still warm. Liu Zhi held it in her hands and carefully took a sip.
...
For the next two days, Liu Zhi worked the 4 PM to 12 AM shift. The handover would take time, and Meng Yang wouldn't go to the main hospital until next week. Although their work hours were completely different, their electric scooters were idle at home, and neither of them rode them. Meng Yang took a taxi as usual, and Liu Zhi walked as usual.
Both of them ate lunch at their workplaces. Liu Zhi's off-get off work time was unpredictable, and the number of times they had dinner together this week could be counted on one hand.
However, every time Liu Zhi returned, there would be a bowl of soup on the table.
A few days ago it was pork rib soup, and these past few days it's mutton soup. The soups both have a unique flavor, unlike anything Liu Zhi has tasted before.
Liu Zhi, having finished her night shift on Friday, got up and opened the door to find Meng Yang sitting in the kitchen reading a book. The house smelled strongly of Chinese medicine; someone unfamiliar with the place might have mistaken it for a pharmacy.
Liu Zhi approached and found Meng Yang looking at a diagram of human acupoints.
"Are you brewing medicine?"
Meng Yang put away his book and looked up at her. "She's brewing medicinal cuisine."
Lifting the lid, the broth was bubbling, and small pieces of Chinese herbs were clearly visible.
"These past few days I..."
"I made extra, and saved you a bowl too." Meng Yang interrupted Liu Zhi before she could finish speaking, "How does it taste?"
"It tastes great." Liu Zhi helped her put the lid on the casserole. "My headache is much better too."
Upon hearing this, Meng Yang's lips curled into a slight smile, his face revealing his joy and pride.
Liu Zhi pursed her lips slightly. She knew that Meng Yang had specially brewed this drink for her.
Meng Yang treated her very well, and Liu Zhi sometimes felt that she was not worthy of Meng Yang's feelings for her.
"Are you taking a break this week?" Meng Yang asked with a smile.
"Rest." Liu Zhi sifted through all the possible scenarios in her mind and gave this answer.
“I’d like to go to an old man’s house. Could you please be my driver?” Meng Yang quickly added, “Taking a taxi isn’t very convenient. The roads and alleys around there are narrow, and I always have to walk a long way.”
"What shift do you work on Saturday, night shift..." Meng Yang was interrupted by Liu Zhi before he could finish speaking.
"Okay," Liu Zhi agreed immediately.
Are you getting up now to go to the night shift?
"Free dinner."
"Alright, alright, let me serve it!"
...
The dinner prepared by Meng Yang and the dinner prepared by Liu Zhi were like two extremes.
Liu Zhi always cooked rice for dinner, while Meng Yang always made porridge. Liu Zhi would vary the side dishes, while Meng Yang would vary the side dishes.
They discussed healthy dinner options at the table, each with their own set of theories, both of which sounded very scientific.
The following day, Liu Zhi discussed this issue with her colleagues while eating in the cafeteria. Her colleagues were more supportive of Meng Yang's way of eating.
The emergency room is busy day and night. Liu Zhi hadn't finished her lunch when a nurse called and urged her to go home.
The patient who came for treatment was the old lady who had scoffed at the resident doctor's title that night.
Her grandson received IV drips for almost a week and recovered quickly. The old lady took care of him day and night, which took a toll on her health. She caught a cold the day before yesterday while out grocery shopping, and the cold medicine only made her condition worse.
Liu Zhi asked, "What cold medicine did you take?"
"The one they advertised in the recent ads!" the old lady said, clutching her stomach.
Liu Zhi didn't have time to watch the advertisements and had to communicate with the old lady to figure out the name of the medicine.
"Do you have a rash? Is your skin itchy?" Liu Zhi wrote quickly.
"My stomach hurts, and I feel very dizzy," the old woman said, her face contorted in pain.
How much did you eat?
"I took it according to the instructions," the old lady said. "I had my grandson calculate it: one pill for children aged three to ten, two pills for children aged ten to seventeen, and I'm fifty-six..."
"So you ate eight pills?" Liu Zhi looked up, her expression slightly somber.
"Um."
How long has it been?
"What I ate this morning."
"Prepare for gastric lavage!" Liu Zhi called to Nurse Jiang.
After her stomach was pumped and she was given a laxative, the old lady was left feeling weak and lying on her back receiving an IV drip.
When Liu Zhi came to check on her, she clutched Liu Zhi's white coat, tears welling in her eyes, and said, "Doctor, is something wrong with me? My grandson has no one to take care of him."
“You’ve had a check-up, and since you started treatment early, it’s nothing serious. A few days of rest after the IV drip should be enough,” Liu Zhi comforted you. “The nurses are feeding the child, so he won’t go hungry. Would you like your son to come and take care of him for a few days?”
"That's good, that's good." The old lady released Liu Zhi's white coat and said, her voice choked with emotion, "Thank you so much."
"It's alright, thank you for your understanding." Grandma Liu Zhichao nodded. "If you feel unwell, just let me know, and I'll come by from time to time."
"Okay, okay, okay." The old lady nodded.
The old lady didn't call her son once from beginning to end. She lay there all alone, and her loneliness and helplessness were even more apparent when compared to the other family members in his bed.
Finally, the nurse got the phone number from her grandson and called it.
The son arrived at the hospital, looking travel-worn and still wearing his wrinkled suit. He settled the bill, offered his mother a few words of comfort, visited her in the ward, and, after learning that everything was arranged, hurriedly left.
When it was mealtime, many family members had already started eating. The old lady closed her eyes to sleep, occasionally turning over in bed.
Her lips were chapped, and she kept swallowing hard.
You cannot drink water for six hours after gastric lavage, and you cannot eat for twenty-four hours.
Liu Zhi happened to witness this scene when she returned to the observation ward. She glanced at her watch and brought her a small cup of warm water.
The old lady took the call, tears welling up in her eyes.
At 8 p.m., before leaving get off work, Liu Zhi specifically asked the on-duty nurse to prepare a bowl of porridge for the old lady 24 hours later.
The nurse on duty told Nurse Jiang when she changed shifts in the morning. Nurse Jiang remembered it and gave the old lady the injection when the time came.
"You must be starving. It's time for some liquid food." Nurse Jiang handed over the meal box. "Dr. Liu specifically asked me to."
The old lady took a bite, and tears fell into the lunchbox.
Several times, the old lady propped herself up and gazed in the direction of her grandson's ward. Nurse Jiang watched, her heart heavy.
The old lady felt better and wanted to go back to take care of her grandson, but the doctor wanted her to stay for observation a little longer, which she absolutely refused to do.
--------------------
Author's Note:
Information about palliative care comes from the internet.
I first learned about palliative care from Newsweek, and just like the news said, "Palliative care allows life to end more calmly, gently, and with more dignity."
There isn't much information about this industry online, and I have to rely on guesswork in many places. Please point out any errors, and I will correct them!
Chapter 6 Burden
Meng Yang always slept in on weekends. Liu Zhi, having been instructed by Meng Yang, woke up much earlier than Meng Yang.
She plated and arranged the breakfast she had bought, waiting for Meng Yang to get up.
Having a rare moment of leisure, Liu Zhi slowed down her eating pace. She sipped her soy milk while browsing the news, and didn't see Meng Yang anywhere until the soy milk was empty.
Liu Zhi glanced at his watch and decided not to knock on the door for the time being.
She tidied up the dining table briefly and sat on the sofa to look at the latest academic core journals.
A recent research finding in neurology may have implications for future stroke treatment.
Meng Yang approached, but Liu Zhi didn't turn around.
The screen was filled with English text. Meng Yang recognized each word individually, but when they were put together, it was like reading gibberish. Meng Yang bent over, resting his knees on his hands, and leaned close to Liu Zhi to see, a posture that maintained a proper distance between them.
Liu Zhi's throat was a little dry, so she turned her back, covered her mouth, and coughed a few times.