Chapter 18: ‘teaching’!
“Doctor Lu, good morning…” Nurse Xiang Yali greeted Lu Cheng as he passed the nurse station.
Lu Cheng glanced at the time: “It’s already 7:45, how is that early.”
“Yali, is there something on your mind? I’m all ears.” Lu Cheng cupped his ear with his hand.
Xiang Yali, true to her reputation as the department’s ‘gossip monger’, glanced left and right: “Last night, Orthopedics admitted two patients with tendon injuries.”
Lu Cheng’s expression flickered upon hearing this: “Oh, Orthopedics admitted them? That’s why Brother Han didn’t call me.”
“Mm, Sister Lin said Director Peng of Orthopedics’ son came to our ward yesterday, and then Du Daihua from the clinic sent the patient to Orthopedics…” Xiang Yali finished and observed Lu Cheng’s expression.
To Xiang Yali’s disappointment, Lu Cheng didn’t seem angry. Instead, he smiled faintly and said, “Orthopedics is the primary department for admitting tendon injuries anyway… Director Peng’s technique is quite good.”
“Yali, are you stirring up trouble this early in the morning?”
Xiang Yali had a slightly plump face and build, giving a pleasant overall impression. She was the department’s queen of gossip, and once she knew something, it was no longer a secret: “Of course, I’m not stirring up trouble. If it were just that, what would be the point?”
“Guess what happened next?”
Lu Cheng was too lazy to play guessing games with Xiang Yali: “I’m going to change and prepare for rounds.”
The Emergency Department didn’t have unified departmental rounds, but the on-duty doctor had to check on the patients.
Xiang Yali quickly stopped Lu Cheng: “Professor Chen was called in last night to save the day, and he was furious when he came out of the operating room…”
“Professor Chen said that if something like this happens again, whoever dares to make a call next time, he’ll curse them out directly!!”
“If you don’t know how to do it, don’t mess it up. He’s not responsible for cleaning up ‘cripples” messes. Director Lin was also in the ward last night and didn’t sleep at all. You’d better be careful…”
Lu Cheng paused upon hearing this, surprised that Professor Chen Song had encountered so much after having his late-night snack.
“Okay, thank you.” Lu Cheng nodded in thanks.
The news that Director Lin was in a bad mood was quite important, after all, Director Lin was the ‘director’ of the Surgery Group, and the Emergency Department’s Surgery Group essentially relied on Director Lin for their livelihood.
Without Director Lin Qianlong, everyone’s performance would drop by at least a third, and that was no joke!
While people with higher titles in the hospital certainly earned more, they were usually in very critical positions, doing ‘work’ that others couldn’t. Group leaders were typically the ‘stars,’ and others could only ‘eat’ if they followed the group leader!
When Lu Cheng pushed open the door to the doctor’s lounge, a puff of smoke hit him.
It was Director Lin Qianlong and Tian Zhuang, the night shift doctor from yesterday, smoking. When Lu Cheng opened the door, they clumsily “hid” their cigarette butts. Seeing that it was Lu Cheng and not the on-duty supervisor on rounds, they relaxed.
“Director Lin, Fifth Brother.” Lu Cheng greeted them politely.
Tian Zhuang had a pointed long face and a receding chin, his appearance somewhat resembling Emperor Taizu of Song. He was the fifth sibling in his family and was called Fifth Brother in the department:
“Xiao Lu, come here quickly, you’ve become quite the big shot this time.”
“Last night, Professor Chen directly called the President and cursed on your behalf…”
Director Lin Qianlong kicked Tian Zhuang upon hearing this and said irritably, “Is Professor Chen calling and cursing Vice President Zeng a good thing? He wasn’t just cursing others.”
Tian Zhuang, who was always forthright in his words and actions, had dark skin and was a simple person: “That’s right, Director Lin, you were also scolded.”
Lu Cheng’s movement of buttoning his white coat paused, and he looked at ‘Fifth Brother’ with a slightly conflicted expression, this straightforward big boy, then asked, “Director Lin, what’s going on?”
Director Lin Qianlong roughly explained the entire sequence of events.
The gist was that Dr. Peng Kun from Orthopedics wanted to perform tendon suturing, so his father and director, Peng Haibo, personally stepped in to teach.
Two cases were done last night. The quality of the first surgery was acceptable, but during the second surgery, the suture slipped, nearly declaring the operation a failure.
A failed tendon suturing surgery isn’t fatal, and then Director Peng Haibo used the ‘great summoning technique’!
Chen Song was assigned to the Emergency Department from a rural area, so it was understandable for him to cover for the Emergency Department. To go and clean up messes for Orthopedics—wasn’t that treating Chen Song like a ‘foreigner’? Chen Song’s surgery was indeed performed.
Director Lin Qianlong, who called Chen Song, and Vice President Zeng, who knew Professor Chen Song, were both scolded by Chen Song.
“Currently, the Medical Affairs Department has temporarily suspended Orthopedics’ tendon suturing services…” Director Lin Qianlong concluded cautiously.
“Professor Chen truly cares about you.”
Lu Cheng could understand Peng Kun’s desire to perform tendon suturing and expand Orthopedics’ territory, and he could also understand Peng Kun’s reasonable use of his own mastered ‘resources’ to pave his way.
If he could pull it off, it would be great, but being unskilled and eager to play—wasn’t that just asking for trouble?
However, Lu Cheng was not smug: “Is the patient okay?”
“Since Professor Chen intervened, of course the surgery ended perfectly. He has already been transferred to our Emergency Department’s observation ward. He’s in bed 6,” Director Lin said.
“Xiao Lu, our Surgery Group finally has seven postoperative patients, breaking our previous record.”
The maximum number of inpatients in the comprehensive emergency ward was six; most of the time, it was two to three, not many.
The specialty departments also wouldn’t tolerate Lin Qianlong poaching too many surgeries.
“Director Lin, patient 3 will be discharged today,” Lu Cheng said.
“But we still have 7 inpatients now… Xiao Lu, don’t you understand what I mean? With Professor Chen’s commotion, the disease type of tendon injury has been attributed to our Emergency Department’s comprehensive ward,” Director Lin reminded him.
Lu Cheng nodded, his tone calm: “I know, Director Lin, but there are so many pitfalls in tendon rupture suturing!!”
“Whether it belongs to our department or not, there’s only so much we can do.”
“It makes no difference.”
Tian Zhuang furrowed his brows like mountains, speaking in his honest tone: “There is still a difference. Director Peng of Orthopedics doesn’t dare to snatch patients anymore. At least not until Professor Chen leaves in three months.”
“Or unless they’re willing to swallow their own teeth with blood, and accept any misfortune themselves.”
“Director Lin, with this, we can perform one more type of surgery, and our performance bonuses should increase significantly.”
Director Lin Qianlong was annoyed when Tian Zhuang spoke so bluntly and pointed outside: “Get back to rest!~”
“It’s only 7:50, I’m not off duty yet,” Tian Zhuang explained.
“I’ll cover the remaining ten minutes for you! Go back,” Director Lin said sarcastically.
“Then thank you, Director Lin.” Tian Zhuang turned and left with a gruff demeanor, even remembering to say thank you.
Director Lin was so angry his eyes were about to roll out of his head.
Lu Cheng swallowed lightly a few times, hesitated to speak, then said, “Director Lin, Brother Zhuang is quite simple-minded. No wonder you only dare let him write medical records and not talk to patients.”
This was the first time Lu Cheng had met an adult who was so childlike.
Most others were just pretending to be foolish or naive.
Director Lin covered his forehead, his brow deeply furrowed, suppressing his anger: “Xiao Lu, focus on tendon suturing. If the opportunity arises, you can also mentor others in the department.”
“Except for Tian Zhuang…”
Tian Zhuang had truly left, leaving Director Lin, who had been up all night, to cover the last ten minutes for him.
Lu Cheng’s tone was cautious: “Director Lin, it’s not that I don’t want to mentor, but I don’t know how, and I might not be able to… Tendon suturing requires a high level of suturing basic skills, and there are many pitfalls…”
He couldn’t possibly manage all the senior doctors in the department.
If he had to mentor, Lu Cheng would actually prefer to mentor ‘Tian Zhuang.’ After all, Tian Zhuang graduated from Jilin University and has good talent and aptitude. But with ‘Brother Zhuang’s’ straightforward personality, Lu Cheng really couldn’t lead him!
…
