After exchanging contact information, Xu Qiushuang waved her phone and turned to leave, clearly in good spirits. Fang Zhiyan, however, sighed, understanding her thoughts but feeling the weight of his current situation—struggling even with basic living needs. He thought hopefully about earning more money after passing the medical practitioner exam.
Back at the apartment, he tidied up quickly. The next day was a regular day shift.
When Fang arrived at the hospital, Zhu Zixiao was already waiting in the office.
"Xiao Fang, what's up with you? Always cutting it close when arriving for your shift," Zhu couldn't help but tease him. "No enthusiasm for work, huh?"
Fang Zhiyan grinned, "Being precisely on time is a skill not everyone has. You should try it sometime."
"Really?" Zhu replied, confused. "Why would I? If an emergency patient arrives, I can lend a hand."
Just as he finished speaking, someone from the emergency ward called out, "Dr. Cao, come quickly; the patient in bed number two is in pain again."
Hearing this, Fang turned to see Nurse Shen Qingyue calling. Cao Chong rushed into the room, and Fang Zhiyan followed quickly.
The patient, a young woman, was in visible distress, sweating profusely and clutching her abdomen in pain.
Cao Chong, clearly anxious, muttered, "We've already given her three doses of dolantin, but it's not alleviating the pain."
Fang Zhiyan took the opportunity to observe the patient's condition. She sought pressure relief, indicating she probably wasn't experiencing bleeding or acute inflammation. The pain wasn't being subdued by medication, suggesting an intense pain level. With no other option, Cao Chong instructed someone to call Chief He.
Fang Zhiyan asked a few questions, learning that the patient had experienced sudden abdominal pain two days ago, and subsequent dark red fecal discharge. CT scans had ruled out mesenteric artery thrombosis.
Vice Chief He Dongfang soon arrived in a hurry. After listening to a brief explanation, he frowned. "Do we need to consider exploratory surgery? But there's no obvious surgical indication."
Fang Zhiyan suggested, "Have you done gastrointestinal endoscopy?"
Cao shook his head, "The pain is too severe."
"Has the patient eaten anything?" Fang continued.
"No."
After some thought, Fang proposed, "Could it be oral amoxicillin leading to this?"
He elaborated, suggesting the issue might be antibiotic-associated hemorrhagic colitis.
He Dongfang, contemplating his words, instructed Cao to follow Fang's recommendation. They reconvened outside to discuss the situation with the patient's family.
Ten minutes later, Shen Qingyue reported the patient had fallen asleep, the pain significantly relieved. The team exchanged amazed glances—Fang had been right after all.
"Xiao Fang, you really are something," He Dongfang praised, clearly pleased. "Not bad for someone I personally recruited."
Fang, remaining humble, replied, "I just happened to read about similar cases, just luck."
He Dongfang remarked with a smile, "Luck is part of skill, after all, and not everyone pays attention to medical literature. Keeping you as just an intern really is a waste."