"Blood pressure dropping, 90 over 60."
"Heart rate at 55 and falling."
"Body temperature at 34 degrees Celsius, pulse extremely weak, barely detectable."
Zhang Fan swiftly moved to the side of the gurney, commanding, "Prepare for transfer, on my count... 1... 2... 3..."
As he examined the patient, Zhang Fan rapidly dictated, "Combined thoracic and abdominal trauma, glass shards penetrating the chest and abdominal cavities. Suspected pericardial and lung lobe injuries. Prepare for an immediate bedside CT. Get blood typing done, inform the blood bank to prepare two units, alert the operating room, and have thoracic surgery send someone down for a consult."
"Heartbeat has stopped!" a nurse shouted, as the vital signs monitor began to alarm, the ECG line nearly flat.
"Administer one milligram of epinephrine intravenously. Prepare for internal chest compressions."
"Dr. Zhang, the risk of infection is too high, maybe we should wait..."
"The patient can't wait. I'll take full responsibility for any issues!"
......
......
"Time of death, 11:28. Dr. Zhang, you did everything you could."
At that moment, the doors to the emergency operating room burst open, and in stormed the short, stout Deputy Director Yang, visibly furious.
"Zhang Fan, who gave you the authority to perform a thoracotomy without approval? Now that the patient has died, you will bear full responsibility."
Zhang Fan nodded numbly and walked towards the exit of the emergency operating room. Today was supposed to be Deputy Director Yang's shift, but he had fled to the restroom upon seeing the severity of the car accident victim's injuries, leaving Zhang Fan, a mere intern, alone in the duty room.
Deputy Director Yang bellowed in anger, "The leader is speaking to you, and this is the attitude you show? Do you even want to keep your job as an intern?"
Just then, an elderly doctor walked in through the door. "Deputy Director Yang, let me handle this matter. You have more important things to attend to than dealing with an intern."
But Deputy Director Yang wasn’t ready to let it go. He continued, "Director Tang, this Zhang Fan must be disciplined. He has no sense of organizational discipline. I suggest we terminate him immediately."
Director Tang raised his voice a notch, "Yang Jian, I am still the head of the emergency department. I will handle this personally."
The argument didn’t make Zhang Fan pause. The patient’s condition was critical, and even the most experienced emergency doctor might not have done better than Zhang Fan.
Yet, Zhang Fan couldn’t help but ask himself, had he really done his best?
At that moment, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Zhang Fan pulled it out and immediately smiled. It was a message from Tong Wei, his girlfriend of one year, saying she was at the hospital entrance and wanted to see him.
Glancing at the time, he realized it was already noon. Zhang Fan waved to a nurse and then dashed toward the hospital’s main entrance.
The thought of his girlfriend’s face brought a warm feeling to his heart. Especially at a time like this, he really needed someone to comfort him.
Typically, interns in the emergency department wouldn’t stay for more than two weeks, but Zhang Fan had been there for four whole months.
All his fellow interns had already been transferred to their respective departments. He was the only one left.
He had submitted numerous reports, but instead of receiving any news of a transfer, his shifts had only increased.
Zhang Fan sighed deeply in his heart, thinking that this couldn’t go on. Maybe it was time to go home and admit defeat to his father. After all, finding a good girl like Tong Wei wasn’t easy.
As he ran out of the hospital entrance, Zhang Fan immediately spotted Tong Wei. She was the kind of beautiful girl who stood out in a crowd.
Zhang Fan waved enthusiastically, certain that she had seen him, but she didn’t respond. It was then that he noticed the elegantly dressed middle-aged woman standing beside her.
Zhang Fan recognized the woman immediately—she was Tong Wei's mother. Her sudden appearance sent a shiver of unease down his spine.
"Let's break up."
Those were the first words Tong Wei had spoken to Zhang Fan in two weeks. He heard every syllable clearly, but his mind refused to process their meaning.
"Why?" Zhang Fan blurted out instinctively, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Tong Wei's mother stepped in, her tone curt and dismissive. "You have no money, and no future."
Zhang Fan tried to argue, his voice faltering. "But once I become a senior doctor—"
She cut him off with a scoff. "Don't you get it?"
"Get what?" Zhang Fan asked, his confusion mounting.
Her lips curled into a sneer. "You'll be stuck as an intern in the ER for the rest of your life."
Zhang Fan turned to Tong Wei, searching her face for any sign of hesitation or regret. Instead, she met his gaze with a determined expression, her voice steady as she confessed, "The truth is, I’m a materialistic person. I love luxury—designer brands, jewelry, fancy cars, and mansions. You can’t give me any of that. Letting go is the best thing for both of us."
"But I... I can—"
"I’m engaged," she interrupted, her words final and unyielding.
