Chapter 9: Critical Condition

Words : 1869 Updated : Mar 13th, 2025

The applause said it all—Walter's first independent surgery at Tenos Hospital was nothing short of perfect. Raina found Walter just as he stepped off the operating table and handed him a cup of hot coffee. The man accepted it, taken aback. "Thank you, goddess." Raina smiled. "No need to be so polite. Remember to treat me tomorrow." Walter grinned. "My memory isn't great; you'll have to remind me." Raina frowned and pouted. "If you forget, it just shows you weren't sincere." Her face turned cold, feigning anger as she turned to leave. Walter quickly called out, "I was just joking. I won't forget." With her back to Walter, Raina's frosty expression softened for a brief moment. Then, she slowly vanished from his sight. Walter took a sip of the coffee. It was a cappuccino. The rich aroma of milk mixed with bitterness left a sweet aftertaste in his mouth. To earn respect, one must first possess the corresponding abilities. Raina wouldn't have extended her kindness so readily if his performance had been mediocre. Elliott witnessed the scene, feeling a whirlwind of jealousy, admiration, and longing. As a resident in the emergency surgery department at Tenos Hospital, he had always harbored feelings for Raina but kept them hidden. He only dared to admire from afar, never daring to approach. Yet, Walter received a coffee she had bought. He wondered if Walter would be granted any other privileges from her after this. Jealous, angry, and insecure, Elliott tried to stop himself from thinking further. The ringtone of his phone interrupted his thoughts. Thomas Saiger, the chief resident of the emergency department, called. Thomas and Elliott were both part of Treatment Group Three, led by Associate Chief Physician Layla Rathbond. Although Thomas hadn't yet been promoted to attending physician, his position as chief resident ranked higher than that of a general resident. In terms of hierarchy, Elliott was under Thomas' supervision. Elliott nervously arrived at the office. Thomas didn't beat around the bush and questioned, "I heard you misdiagnosed a patient today." Cold sweat broke out on Elliott as he hurried to defend himself, "The patient didn't clearly explain their condition during the examination." Thomas raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "You've only been a resident for a year, so lack of experience and making mistakes is understandable! But how could you let an intern on their first day point out your mistake?" "He, he's not just any intern," Elliott stammered. Thomas looked skeptical. "Oh? How so?" "He just performed a gallbladder surgery that received unanimous applause! Mr. Shayle and Mr. Tibbert were both present. Our group's interns are far behind him." Thomas pondered briefly and asked, "Which bed is that patient in?" "I think it's number 67." Thomas didn't believe in hearsay; he trusted his own eyes. If the intern truly had potential, he could plan ahead and recruit him. If not, by the principle of survival of the fittest, staying in the emergency surgery department would be difficult, and he could ignore him. Then, the man stood up and walked toward the ward. Upon seeing the patient, he conducted an examination. The incision and suturing were impeccable. This newcomer was worth paying attention to, and Thomas decided to approach Walter. ***** Walter received a call from Thomas and went to the chief resident's office. Thomas warmly invited Walter to sit and poured him a cup of water from the dispenser. "How does it feel on your first day?" "Tenos Hospital is a big hospital, and the seniors are very experienced. I can learn a lot," Walter said humbly, accepting the paper cup with both hands. "Seeing you reminded me of myself four or five years ago," Thomas said, "Newly arrived, full of passion and ideals, ready to make a name for myself as a renowned doctor. However, dreams remain as dreams. After several years, I gradually understood that you not only need ability but also opportunities in this big hospital." Walter offered a faint, knowing smile but didn't respond. It was clear he and Thomas didn't see eye to eye. Opportunities were created, not given. After a brief pause, Thomas laid his cards on the table. "Ms. Rathbond is a leader very willing to give young people opportunities. Although Mr. Tibbert is competent, but lacks experience in mentoring young people. If you agree, I'll immediately apply to transfer you to Treatment Group Three. In less than three years, you'll be an attending physician. Layla places great importance on nurturing young talent!" Thomas' promise was highly tempting. Generally, young doctors took at least five years to move from residency to attending physician. "Thank you for your kindness, but I'm quite satisfied with my current arrangement," Walter politely but firmly declined. They were not on the same path. Walter felt he and Thomas were not alike and decisively chose to refuse. Seeing Walter's distant demeanor, Thomas lost interest. After some awkward small talk, Walter found an excuse to leave. Thomas' gaze fell on the computer monitor as he tapped the table with a pen. "Young folks need a few bumps in the road to learn that one needs to make the right choice to succeed." Thomas didn't take Walter too seriously; after all, he was just an intern. Even if he managed to stay at the hospital and become a resident in half a year, he would still be under his management. However, he still needed to find an opportunity to knock some sense into him, to let him know that he had authority in the emergency surgery department. ***** Thomas arrived at the outpatient clinic and called Walter over. "Every intern in the emergency surgery department needs to experience each position," Thomas explained with a seemingly legitimate reason. "Your arrangement is very thoughtful." Walter didn't resist. Patients trickled in one by one. Walter efficiently handled simple level-one suture surgeries. Thomas, who was eager to find faults, surprisingly found none. In the middle of the night, at three o'clock, Lennox Quipp rushed in, holding several examination reports. "Dr. Saiger, we've just received a patient with an unclear condition. Can you take a look?" Lennox, a third-year resident, reported difficult cases to Thomas first. Thomas looked at the CT scan, his brows furrowing gradually. "Bring that patient over!" Soon, a man in his thirties, supported by his wife, walked into the room. His face was ashen as he clutched his chest, struggling with every step. "Doctor, my husband's chest hurts a lot. It started with mild pain around 7:30 last night, and an hour ago, it suddenly became severe. He is in excruciating pain now." "Any trauma?" The emergency department was divided into internal medicine and surgery. Without trauma, it usually fell under internal medicine. "No, but he did run ten kilometers around ten o'clock. Could it be related to that?" Thomas carefully examined the report again. The ECG didn't show pathological Q waves, and the coronary angiography didn't reveal significant narrowing. The causes of chest pain were varied, with myocardial infarction being the most dangerous. The ECG and myocardial enzyme profile were not typical, so it wasn't an acute myocardial infarction. In such cases, doctors usually diagnose it as low-risk angina, suggesting the patient rest a bit to relieve it. At this point, the patient was in so much pain that his voice trembled. "Doctor, please do something! The pain is unbearable." Thomas glanced at Walter out of the corner of his eye. "Walter, how about you take a crack at this one?" Having Walter take over wasn't because the patient's condition was simple. On the contrary, the patient's condition was dire. The level of difficulty was definitely beyond Walter's capabilities. Thomas mused, "It's good for young people to face setbacks. That way, they can recognize their own abilities and place." "Oh no!" Just as Walter was about to step forward for an examination, Lennox, who was closest to the patient, exclaimed. The patient's pupils blew wide, and he lost all reflexes to light. "It's a critical condition!"

Chapter 9: Critical Condition

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