The Surgeon’s Studio

“The patient’s illness doesn’t transmit via airborne. The patient’s room has a strong smell so I don’t wear masks,” Zheng Ren replied in a deadpan manner.

They all knew which hospital room had a strong smell.

The rooms all had ventilation. Sometimes the room was crowded with family, leading to a drop in air quality but never a strong smell.

The tetanus patient was from the countryside and had lower hygiene standards. In addition to the closed door and windows, a foul smell permeated through the room.

Every doctor who made their rounds thought the previous doctor would wear a mask, but no one did in the end.

The doctors were aware of the implications of putting on a mask.

The patient’s family would notice the doctors only wore the mask when entering their room. It would wound their pride.

Although it was the prerogative of medical personnel to don a mask when making the rounds, Zheng Ren, Chang Yue, and Su Yun decided against it for the sake of the patient and the family.

The patient was in a stable condition now. The abnormal posture of the patient had relaxed a bit after the administration of the tetanus toxoid but the patient’s limbs were still restricted with straps.

Zheng Ren performed a thorough check of the patient’s limbs for any signs of necrosis.

The check up was done in 30-minute intervals and this was the sixth visit. Chang Yue noted down the muscle tension and the angle of the arched back each visit.

From the data collected, they could infer the patient was on the right track toward recovery.

Zheng Ren felt a weight lifted from his shoulders.

It was his first time encountering a tetanus patient and he went with the treatment plan from a medical book.

Medical textbooks were a reliable source of information. Zheng Ren wondered if he should update his book collection with some new edition textbooks.

He had the fourth edition surgical handbook when he was in medical school. They should have the eighth or ninth edition now with more updated procedures contained within.

Chang Yue bid the patient’s family farewell and they exited the patient’s room. The door quietly closed behind them and everyone took a deep breath of fresh air.

It was almost lunchtime. They visited a few more patients on their way out.

Thanks to his superb surgical skills, the patients were all healing well.

They were greeted with warm smiles all around.

Zheng Ren knew the generous smiles were mainly meant for Chang Yue.

Treatment was only 30 percent of the work, care was 70 percent. Chang Yue clearly did a very good job attending to the needs of the patients and their families.

They walked into one of the hospital rooms and saw a looming figure.

The large man was tidying up the cushions, a task typically done by the nurses. The mess could be attributed to the influx of hospital visitors.

The man was focused on the task. His big hands patted the cushions and smoothed out the creases.

The other two occupants in the room had been admitted for more than five days but once the critical period was over, they snuck out to go home. As such, the room appeared tidier than the other rooms.

“Fan Tianshui,” Chang Yue called out.

“Yes.” The heavyset man turned and saw Chang Yue and Zheng Ren. He gave them a wide smile.

This was the patient with gangrenous appendicitis whom Chu Yanzhi rescued on the night Su Yun and Chang Yue finished 11 cartons of Snow.

The patient recovered in record speed from the severe infection. He could be discharged after less than one week of hospital stay.

The man was made of something else.

“You should stay a few more days,” Chang Yue said.

“No, it’s alright.” Fan Tianshui stood with his back straight as a pole. “I wouldn’t want to owe the hospital too much.”

His words were honest and earnest.

“Chief Resident Zheng, Fan Tianshui has requested to be discharged. No fever in the past four days. No swelling or discharge at the incision site. A successful recovery overall,” Chang Yue reported to Zheng Ren.

A voluntary discharge only required the patient’s signature but Chang Yue relayed the patient’s status out of habit.

“Have you spoken to him about the job?” Zheng Ren asked.

He remembered Chang Yue had asked him if he could help this patient.

Zheng Ren had contacted Little Six and managed to get him a job as a security guard.

He could not guarantee it was good pay but it was better than being jobless and homeless.

Judging from Fan Tianshui’s habits, Zheng Ren figured he had some military background. Zheng Ren had always respected the army.

Fan Tianshui’s mannerism and behavior definitely did not tarnish the army’s reputation. Zheng Ren did not know how the man ended up on the streets but he would rather let his condition deteriorate than commit any crime.

Fan Tianshui once protected the country with his life and now, he put honor above his life. Zheng Ren could respect that.

“Yes. I had to persuade him for two solid days before he accepted,” Chang Yue said with a smile.

“That’s good. About the medical bill, didn’t Chief Pan settle it?”

“Debt must be repaid,” Fan Tianshui said in a tone that brooked no dissent. “I must also thank all of you who have cared for me during my stay here.”

“It’s not an issue.” Zheng Ren did a final check up to assess the patient’s status. If all was well, he could leave the hospital.

The sutures were thick and obvious. Fan Tianshui probably could remove them himself.

“Dr. Zheng, I will give you my contact number as soon as possible,” Fan Tianshui said as he took two steps forward. His fighting spirit was palpable. “You can contact me for anything. I’m reliable.”

His commitment made Zheng Ren smile.

“I’m serious,” Fan Tianshui emphasized. He was worried that Zheng Ren took him as a joke.

“I heard you were willing to pay the compensation even though you did not harm the man who accused you.”

“He’s a civilian. I went into the army to protect the country.” Fan Tianshui scratched his head in embarrassment. “Dr. Zheng is a good man. Doctors are incredibly important on the battlefield and the soldiers will always go after anyone who harms them.”

Zheng Ren was reminded of the battle in Southern Xinjiang decades ago. One side targeted the enemy’s field hospital and incited an uproar. The enemy returned the volley with heavy artillery that rained down on their base.

Fan Tianshui stood to face them and bowed in a perfect right angle. Then, he took his meager belongings and walked out of the room.

“Where is Dr. Zheng…” Thanks to his quick reflexes, Fan Tianshui avoided collision with a passerby. He gave the person an apologetic smile and left.