Chapter 139 - 138: Special Treatment

Chapter 139: Chapter 138: Special Treatment

Yu Zhiming carefully examined the three sets of MRI scans on the light box.

He had to admit, Gu Qingran hadn’t been exaggerating too much.

The clarity of these images was indeed far superior to any he had seen before.

Many details of the brain tissue were clearly visible.

To Yu Zhiming’s delight, the scans clearly showed that a portion of the optic nerve was still intact and hadn’t completely torn away from the brain.

Yu Zhiming estimated that about a quarter to a third of the optic nerve remained connected to the brain.

However, he also knew that just because it was connected didn’t mean the nerve fibers were still functional or active.

One less optimistic finding was that, compared to the scans from two years ago, the size and number of blood clots had not noticeably decreased.

"Is the prognosis good?"

Yu Zhiming turned to Zhou Mo, who had come to his side. "There’s some good news, at least. It hasn’t gotten any worse."

"We need to get rid of these blood clots first."

"Their presence is compressing the optic nerve and obstructing blood flow, which is preventing the injury from healing properly."

Zhou Mo let out an "oh" of partial understanding, then asked with a smile, "So, what do you think of your new nickname, ’Life and Death Hand’?"

Yu Zhiming shook his head. "I don’t like it. It has too much of a martial-arts-world feel to it. It sounds more like a ruthless assassin."

Zhou Mo chuckled. "I think it’s pretty cool. It has the vibe of an invincible, miraculous doctor from a martial arts epic."

"Oh, Dr. Yu..."

Zhou Mo added, "In the work group chat, most people are just amazed, saying things like ’high skill makes one bold.’"

"But there are a few dissenting voices, saying you were taking reckless risks just to be sensational, that you were deliberately playing with fire to get attention."

"Some are also saying there were safer methods, like forcing the patient to drink high-proof liquor or something."

"Others claim the loach wouldn’t have survived long in the stomach anyway, so what you did was completely unnecessary and only made the injury worse."

Yu Zhiming said nonchalantly, "Let them say what they want. I’m confident I made the best call I could during that emergency."

He checked the time—8:21. He started to put on his white coat and get ready for work.

He was scheduled in the outpatient and emergency department today, so he needed to get to the O&E building a little early.

"Zhou Mo, Teacher Qi is here. Please give him the scans and the examination files on the desk."

Zhou Mo gave a crisp "Okay."

Qiao Lei, who was cautiously moving the office desk, quickly spoke up. "Dr. Yu, you can leave things like that to me."

"Starting today, you have a dedicated assistant. You can assign any task to me."

Yu Zhiming shot him a sideways glance.

"Just put the desk back first."

"Hey, didn’t you ask Zhou Mo before you moved it?"

Qiao Lei glanced resentfully at Zhou Mo. Seeing that she had no intention of explaining on his behalf, he said dejectedly, "I was just trying to make a good impression and got a little ahead of myself..."

Yu Zhiming hurried to the shift change assembly area in the first-floor lobby of the O&E building and was greeted by a round of light applause.

Noticing that a dozen or so people, including Director Zhao Shan, were all smiling at him, Yu Zhiming realized the applause was for him.

Yu Zhiming quickly bowed slightly. "Thank you, thank you! It was just an emergency rescue, nothing major."

Head Nurse Zhan Qi smiled. "Dr. Yu, here in the O&E department, we see all sorts of bizarre cases. Every year, we have a ’Most Bizarre Case’ competition."

"The rarity of swallowing a live loach, combined with the shocking rescue technique, is enough to get that case into the top ten."

Zhao Shan spoke up again. "But that’s not why we’re applauding."

He sighed slowly. "After the whole molestation scandal, I thought you might become timid and hesitant, shying away from difficult situations."

"But what happened last night proved me wrong."

"Not only did you step up, but you also used an eye-poppingly audacious treatment method without any hesitation..."

With a face full of admiration, Zhao Shan nodded. "Of course, part of that is due to your high skill making you bold, but it’s also enough to show..."

"In that moment, you truly put the patient first, without considering the consequences of a potential mistake!"

"That quality is exceedingly rare!"

Zhao Shan’s gaze swept across the group as he said in a solemn voice, "I can’t say doctors who can do that are as rare as a phoenix feather, but there are definitely... not many."

"That is the real reason we’re applauding you!"

Yu Zhiming said humbly, "Director Zhao, you’re giving me too much credit. At that moment, my brain just short-circuited, and I acted without thinking it all through."

"Afterward, I was terrified, to be honest."

"My shirt was soaked with sweat, but no one could see it."

His words drew a few light chuckles from Zhao Shan, Zhan Qi, and the others.

After the laughter subsided, everyone shifted into work mode.

The supervisors from the night shift began to report, one by one, on the events of the previous night and any matters needing attention...

Yu Zhiming was still in Specialist Consultation Room 15.

He was told that all sixty of his appointment slots for the day had already been fully booked the day before...

Yu Zhiming was starting to realize that the patients who booked appointments in advance were all unwell and came with difficult and complicated conditions.

There were some illnesses that even Yu Zhiming found difficult to diagnose.

He could only describe in detail the organ and bodily injuries he detected and then refer the patients to the appropriate departments for further examination.

This caused his examination efficiency to drop to about twelve or thirteen minutes per person.

By the time the morning was over, he had barely seen twenty-two patients.

Yu Zhiming walked quickly to Staff Cafeteria No. 2, the one closest to the O&E department, and got a plate of food.

He had just sat down and taken a couple of bites when Qiao Lei arrived with a tray and sat down across from him.

"Dr. Yu, I got the parking spot! It’s space 106 on the second basement level of the general administration building!"

"That fast?!" Yu Zhiming was a little surprised.

After Zhou Mo’s reminder, he had figured it wouldn’t be too difficult to get a parking spot at the hospital given his status.

But getting one so quickly and easily was still beyond his expectations.

He had originally expected to wait a few weeks or even a month or two.

Qiao Lei lowered his voice and said, "Director Dong from the logistics department said the spot was freed up a few days ago by a director who was transferred to a different post."

"A lot of people wanted it, but he specifically held it back."

"Director Dong said that with your medical skills and status, Dr. Yu, you’d surely be buying or be assigned a car soon, and it wouldn’t do for you to have a car but no place to park it, right?"

Yu Zhiming was slightly taken aback, then smiled. "It’s rare to be so thoughtfully remembered by a high-ranking director. I’m a bit flattered, actually."

"Did this Director Dong say anything else?"

Qiao Lei chuckled softly. "Director Dong said that high-level doctors like you deserve special treatment."

"He also mentioned that after receiving targeted treatment, his mother’s previous discomfort has improved a lot. Not only has her appetite gotten better, but she can also sleep soundly through the night now."

"Director Dong asked me to pass on his thanks."

Yu Zhiming nodded in understanding.

Qiao Lei continued, "Dr. Yu, I also got a new mobile number set up in your name. The last four digits are 5678."

"This number?"

Yu Zhiming explained, "It’s for my personal use. In a few days, you’ll be responsible for answering my old number and relaying messages."

"Too many people have my old number."

Qiao Lei said, "Oh."

Seeing that Yu Zhiming had started to focus on his food and wasn’t talking anymore, he spoke up again.

"Dr. Yu, is there anything else you need me to do?"

"If not, may I accompany you to the outpatient clinic?"

Yu Zhiming took a sip of soup and asked, "Do you want to go back to being a doctor?"

Qiao Lei shook his head. "I know I’m not cut out to be a doctor. That’s one of the reasons I came to Binhai without hesitation."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "But, as your assistant, I need to be with you as much as possible."

"Accompanying you is also part of my main job description."

"Besides, the outpatient clinic is crowded with patients and their families. Doctor-patient relationships are a bit tense these days, so it’s best to be prepared for any potential issues."

Yu Zhiming smiled. "After you finish eating, you can come with me to the clinic..."