Chapter 313 - 211: A Slap
After parting ways with Jiang He, Lin Peidong pulled Xu Chen into a small conference room.
He laid into him at once:
"In the OR today, if Leader Jiang hadn’t reacted so quickly, you’d have been fucking arrested by the police by now, do you understand?"
Xu Chen bit his lower lip and nodded.
Lin Peidong silently lit a cigarette.
After taking a slow drag, he said, "Xu Chen, do you have any idea how serious this is? If that patient had died today, his family would have torn you to pieces. The hospital couldn’t protect you. The university would expel you immediately. For the rest of your life, forget about being a doctor—you might not even be able to find a normal job."
"It’d be one thing if your stupidity only affected you, but you would have dragged Jiang He down too."
"Leader Jiang is only twenty-one. He just won a provincial commendation and received an unprecedented promotion to lead his own medical team. He’s about to represent our Affiliated Hospital No. 1, and our country, to challenge the doctors at Johns Hopkins University in the United States. He’s a once-in-a-century genius."
"If a patient had died on his table today, what do you think Medical Affairs would say? Are you aware that because of Ma Huaide’s ousting, a lot of people resent him? They’re just itching for a chance to dig up some dirt on him."
"Xu Chen, if you had ruined Jiang He’s future, it wouldn’t just be you. Even I, Lin Peidong, wouldn’t be able to show my face in this hospital ever again. I wouldn’t be able to face Old Yang, or Elder Dean Chen!"
Xu Chen had been drowning in his own fear and regret.
It was only now, hearing his uncle’s words, that the reality of the situation truly hit him.
’That split-second decision to act on my own... it almost dragged everyone down...’
"Xu Chen, what on earth were you thinking?"
Lin Peidong looked at his nephew, his expression a mixture of anger and disappointment.
"Did getting good grades in school and having everything go smoothly here at the hospital make you think this was all about showing off? How could you not understand a rule this basic?"
Xu Chen was silent.
The fog in his mind was finally beginning to clear.
’Yes, I’ve been so childish.’
’I treated the operating room like my personal stage.’
’I thought that just because I’d watched Jiang He’s surgical videos, I could keep up with his pace.’
’So childish. So dismissive of a human life.’
"I’m sorry," Xu Chen said, his voice hoarse. "Uncle, I was so selfish."
Lin Peidong sighed inwardly.
"Leader Jiang saved the patient. That’s your only chance now. Go and figure out a way to earn the family’s forgiveness. If you can’t do that, then pack your things and get the hell out of Affiliated Hospital No. 1."
The door closed.
The conference room was silent.
Less than two minutes later, the door was pushed open again.
This time, it was Han Yuan who came in.
She still didn’t know what had happened; she had only seen Lin Peidong drag Xu Chen into the conference room.
She came in and asked worriedly, "Dr. Bao Bing, what’s wrong?"
Xu Chen’s voice was surprisingly calm:
"Han Yuan, I made a mistake. I made a very, very big mistake."
Han Yuan’s heart sank. "What exactly happened?"
"During the last surgery, the patient’s intestines had become extremely fragile from exposure to pancreatic fluid. Without getting Jiang He’s permission, I took it upon myself to use a rigid suction tip to clear the fluid from the paracolic gutter."
Han Yuan: "?"
Xu Chen continued, "I perforated the patient’s transverse colon. His blood pressure immediately plummeted, and he went into shock."
Han Yuan was incredulous. "You... what were you thinking? How could you use an instrument during surgery without an order from the lead surgeon? Do you have a death wish?!"
Xu Chen shook his head, a self-deprecating smile on his face. "I was too eager to prove myself. I thought I understood the procedure and wanted to help Jiang He speed things up... I can’t say I had the best intentions, but I certainly caused the worst possible outcome."
Han Yuan didn’t know what to say.
The Xu Chen she knew might like to act cool sometimes, but he had always been meticulous in his professional duties.
She never imagined he would make such a basic, yet fatal, error.
After a long silence, Han Yuan finally asked, "How’s the patient now?"
"He survived. Leader Jiang cut the intestine, brought it out of the abdominal cavity, and performed a double-barrel colostomy."
Han Yuan finally let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God... Thank God Leader Jiang was the one in charge of the surgery."
She fell silent for another moment, then looked up and snapped, "You idiot! How could you do something like that? That’s a human life we’re talking about!"
"I know. I was so stupid."
"Where are you going?"
"I’m going to find the family. I’m going to explain everything and ask for their forgiveness."
Han Yuan was stunned.
Watching Xu Chen’s retreating back, the scolding words she wanted to say caught in her throat.
"Wait." Han Yuan hurried after him.
"What is it?"
"Let’s go. I’ll go with you."
"You..."
"Don’t say it. You made a mistake, so you have to apologize properly and face the consequences. But no matter what, I’ll go with you."
Xu Chen froze. The bridge of his nose tingled, and his eyes instantly welled up.
But he fought back the tears and gave a firm nod.
"Okay."
...
「In the family waiting area outside the ICU.」
Xu Chen found Guo Chengyu’s family.
Guo Chengyu’s wife, Liu Suxin.
Next to her was a man, Guo Chengyu’s older brother, Guo Chenggang.
Xu Chen glanced back at Han Yuan and whispered, "No matter what happens, stay out of it."
Han Yuan pressed her lips together and nodded.
Xu Chen walked up to the pair. His first instinct was fear, and he found himself unable to speak.
But after a moment, he gritted his teeth, mustered his courage, and said, "Excuse me... are you Guo Chengyu’s family?"
Liu Suxin stood up, her expression a little nervous. "Doctor... you are..."
Xu Chen was still afraid, and his voice trembled slightly. "I... I was the first assistant for Mr. Guo Chengyu’s surgery today. My name is Xu Chen. I am here to apologize for my wrongdoing."
Liu Suxin froze. "Your wrongdoing? But Dr. Jiang just told us the surgery was a success."
Xu Chen said, "The surgery was a success only because of Dr. Jiang He’s superb skill. During the operation, the patient’s intestine ruptured. It didn’t rupture on its own because of the illness. It ruptured because of me."