Chapter 67: An Unexpected Discovery

Chapter 67: Chapter 67: An Unexpected Discovery

Besides discovering that the bride-to-be, Yao Chengyun, was over a month pregnant, Yu Zhiming also unexpectedly found that her kidneys showed significant swelling and inflammation.

Upon further questioning, he learned that Yao Chengyun’s bowel and bladder movements had been normal that morning.

She also wasn’t feeling any pain or other discomfort at the moment.

Yu Zhiming’s initial diagnosis was an acute nephritis flare-up.

Moreover, the onset of the condition was extremely rapid.

After learning that Yu Zhiming was a young doctor specially recruited by Huashan Hospital, Yao Chengyun followed his advice.

She immediately went with Yu Zhiming, Zhou Mo, and Zhou Mo’s mother, Zhou Hao. After a car ride of over half an hour, they arrived at the Qi Yue Medical Research Center of Huashan Hospital.

After arriving at the center, Yu Zhiming performed a more detailed examination on Yao Chengyun.

The results of this examination truly stunned Yu Zhiming.

Yao Chengyun’s kidneys were actually showing signs of renal failure. Not only that, but her liver and lungs were also showing signs of inflammation.

Furthermore, whether it was a hallucination brought on by anxiety and fear or a real symptom, Yao Chengyun reported a burning sensation in her throat, nausea, and the onset of abdominal pain.

Yu Zhiming revised his diagnosis to acute poisoning.

Or a high-risk viral infection.

Treating it as acute poisoning, he had the nurses and residents induce vomiting and perform a gastric lavage on Yao Chengyun, while also starting supportive drug therapy for her kidneys, liver, and lungs.

Moreover, Yu Zhiming administered broad-spectrum antibiotics to Yao Chengyun to boost her resistance to viruses.

At the same time, he had a nurse urge the hospital’s lab to initiate its emergency rapid-testing protocol for the samples of Yao Chengyun’s blood, saliva, urine, and stool that had been sent over.

While Yao Chengyun was undergoing gastric lavage, Yu Zhiming went to the medical research center’s laboratory. He used the specific reagents regularly stocked there to test her bodily fluid samples.

He was trying to quickly screen for any potential toxins or viruses in her system.

The results were all negative.

Yu Zhiming started to panic. He took out his phone and dialed Qi Yue’s number...

"Teacher, I have a patient in critical condition..."

Yu Zhiming concisely but thoroughly recounted Yao Chengyun’s situation and the measures he had taken.

"Teacher, her condition is deteriorating rapidly. If we can’t find the cause and provide targeted treatment, I suspect..."

"...her liver and lungs might also begin to fail, just like her kidneys."

"By then, it’ll probably be too late for anything."

"Zhiming, your medication choices and response measures have been flawless. I’d say you’ve done an excellent job."

Qi Yue first affirmed his actions over the phone, then added a critique, "As a doctor, you can’t panic, no matter how dire the situation gets. If you’re panicking, how can you properly treat your patient?"

Yu Zhiming took a deep breath. "Teacher, this is the first time I’ve encountered a patient whose illness has progressed this quickly."

"Her kidneys started failing in less than an hour. At this rate, I don’t have much time left."

"I don’t have any leads right now, and the lab still hasn’t sent over the test results..."

Qi Yue said reassuringly, "Testing takes time."

"Sigh. Did the patient say if she ate or drank anything unusual today?"

Yu Zhiming replied, "I asked her in detail on the way to the hospital."

"The patient said she’s been eating clean to stay in shape and look her best for the wedding. She hasn’t eaten out at all."

After a moment of silence, Qi Yue’s voice came through the phone again.

"A burning sensation in the throat, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, and successive damage to the kidneys, liver, and lungs."

"Zhiming, you diagnosed it as acute poisoning or a high-risk virus, but the lab’s standard specific reagents couldn’t detect anything."

"If, as you say, the patient really was poisoned, what toxin do these symptoms make you think of?"

’What toxin?’

Yu Zhiming racked his brain.

But at that moment, his mind seemed to have frozen solid. He couldn’t come up with a single thing.

He could only admit honestly, "Teacher, my mind’s a blank right now. I can’t think of anything useful."

Qi Yue’s voice suddenly came from the phone, tinged with a hint of excitement. "Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses."

"You’re so young and have limited experience. It’s understandable that you aren’t skilled at handling emergencies under pressure."

After a pause, Qi Yue’s tone became serious as he gave an order.

"Zhiming, I suspect it’s ricin poisoning."

"Notify the lab. Have them check the patient’s stool for any ricin-related compounds first."

"Ricin poisoning has an incubation period of three to twelve hours. If we’re lucky enough, we might be able to find traces of ricin in her stool."

"For now, treat the patient as if it’s ricin poisoning."

"We’ll discuss the rest when I get to the hospital."

Yu Zhiming was about to say something, but he realized Teacher Qi had already hung up.

However, Teacher Qi’s diagnosis of "ricin poisoning" weighed heavily on Yu Zhiming’s heart.

Ricin is an extremely potent toxin; accidentally ingesting even a small amount can be fatal.

Moreover, this toxin cannot be detected by current technological means; diagnosis can only be made empirically, based on the patient’s symptoms.

Most importantly, this toxin has an average incubation period of ten hours.

Once the incubation period is over and the symptoms of poisoning become apparent, there are no effective treatments.

The best chance of survival comes from inducing vomiting, performing a gastric lavage, and providing supportive care immediately after ingestion.

Because of these characteristics, ricin, according to reliable sources, is often used as a poison for political or espionage-related assassinations...

Just a few minutes later, Yu Zhiming received a notification from the lab. They had found finely crushed fragments of castor bean shells in the patient’s stool.

Finally receiving a conclusive test result brought Yu Zhiming no comfort whatsoever.

Looking at Yao Chengyun on the hospital bed, who had been weakened considerably by the ordeal, Yu Zhiming was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Where’s your fiancé?"

"He went to Jinling early this morning for a busin—"

Yao Chengyun suddenly realized something and stopped abruptly, her hands gripping the bedsheets tightly.

"He said this business trip is very important for his career. If it’s not necessary, I don’t want him to come back."

"Doctor, do I need to tell him to come back?"

"Also, my parents and family... should I notify them too?"

Yu Zhiming could see how nervous Yao Chengyun was; her voice had started to tremble.

But there were things Yu Zhiming had to say.

He had to say them while she still appeared relatively "healthy" and had enough physical and mental strength to arrange her affairs.

"Your condition is quite serious. To avoid any unnecessary complications for the hospital, many documents need to be signed by your family. It would be best for them... all to come."

Yao Chengyun’s face turned deathly pale in an instant, drained of all color as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Doctor, what exactly is wrong with me?"

Yu Zhiming was silent for a moment, then said slowly, "It’s been confirmed. Ricin poisoning."

Upon hearing this, Yao Chengyun frantically grabbed her phone from the bedside and started searching.

Staring at the search results, she murmured, "All I did today was go to the studio to try on my wedding dress."

"I didn’t do anything... How could I have been poisoned?"

"Wooo..."

"I just found out I was pregnant today, too... wooo..."

Yao Chengyun suddenly tossed her phone aside, grabbed Yu Zhiming’s hand, and pleaded, "Doctor, please, I’m only twenty-five. I just found out I’m having a baby."

"Doctor, I don’t want to die! I really don’t want to die!"

Yu Zhiming tried to console her. "Don’t worry, our center’s Director Qi is on his way."

"He’s a nationally renowned expert in medical diagnostics."

"We’ll also invite toxicology experts for a consultation. We will do everything in our power to save you."

"We won’t give up."

"You can’t give up either..."

After much persuasion, Yu Zhiming managed to help Yao Chengyun regain some of her composure.

She picked up her phone and dialed her father’s number.

"Dad, I’m going to die! WAAAH..."

Yu Zhiming walked out of the emergency room and looked at Zhou Mo and her mother, Zhou Hao, who were waiting outside.

"It’s not looking good."

He said vaguely, then adjusted his composure and said to Zhou Mo’s mother, "Aunt Zhou, since you’re already at the hospital, why don’t you get a full check-up while you’re here?"

Zhou Hao declined, "There’s no need for a full check-up, Dr. Yu. Just a quick look from you will be fine..."

Yu Zhiming led Zhou Mo and Zhou Hao to an examination room and had Zhou Hao lie down on the examination table.

He put on a pair of surgical gloves and, with Zhou Mo watching, began to give Zhou Hao a full-body examination, from head to toe.

At first, during the examination of her thoracic and abdominal organs, Yu Zhiming didn’t find anything noteworthy.

But when he moved on to the gynecological exam, examining her uterus, fallopian tubes, and other organs...

...an unexpected discovery made an expression of astonishment spread uncontrollably across Yu Zhiming’s face.