After being separated from my family, I became a darling of the military region thanks to my medical

When Ye Zhen came out of the ICU, the fluorescent lights in the corridor had already been turned on for the second time.

The light bulb was humming.

Zhou Hai followed behind, holding a lab report that had just been delivered from the laboratory; the paper still had a damp feel from being freshly printed.

"The blood and qi have come out."

Ye Zhen took it, her steps unwavering, her eyes already scanning the numbers on it.

"pH 7.31, PaO2 45, carbon dioxide partial pressure slightly high, BE -6, standard bicarbonate 18."

She flipped it over to look at the biochemistry.

"Kidney is 3.2, sodium is also low, albumin is 26, hemoglobin is 9 grams, and blood sugar is 3.4."

Zhou Hai didn't interrupt her, waiting for her to make a judgment.

Ye Zhen folded the lab report and tucked it into the patient's medical record book.

"Low oxygen is definitely a problem, mild metabolic acidosis, dehydration, low protein, anemia, and malnutrition."

Her voice was very flat.

"This child has been suffering from chronic oxygen deficiency and is not getting enough to eat, resulting in a severely disrupted internal environment. To put it bluntly, his constitution is extremely weak."

Zhou Hai asked, "When can I go on stage?"

"Not now."

Ye Zhen closed the medical record book.

"First, correct the acidosis, rehydrate, and gradually bring the electrolytes back up. Albumin will be administered tomorrow once it arrives. The anemia isn't at the point where a transfusion is absolutely necessary yet; have crossmatch ready."

She paused.

"Provide adequate nutritional support and observe for 48 hours. Once the indicators stabilize, we can then hold a preoperative discussion."

Zhou Hai nodded.

"Would you like to initiate the discussion tomorrow morning?"

"right."

Ye Zhen said, "Let's discuss the plan first, without setting a date for the surgery. The surgery date will depend on the child's vital signs over the next two days."

The two walked to the nurses' station.

Ye Zhen handed in the medical record book and gave instructions to the nurse on duty.

"The IV fluid resuscitation order for bed number two is written on page three. Continue the IV fluid resuscitation tonight according to the prescribed dosage, and take the acid-correcting medication slowly, don't rush."

The nurse turned to the third page to confirm.

Ye Zhen continued, "If the body temperature exceeds 38.5 degrees Celsius, use physical methods to lower the temperature first. Don't immediately use antipyretics. If the blood pressure is 20% below baseline, notify me immediately."

"clear."

The nurse responded quickly, taking a pen to write it down in the handover log.

Ye Zhen turned and walked towards the family waiting area.

Tian Gensheng and Cuihong were still standing in front of the glass window.

The two of them remained in almost the same position she was in before she entered the ICU, as if they hadn't moved an inch from beginning to end.

As soon as Ye Zhen walked past, Tian Gensheng turned around first.

His face was very tense.

"Dr. Ye, have the test results come back yet? What were they?"

Ye Zhen looked at him.

"Xiao Bao's heart problem does require surgery, but it can't be done immediately."

Tian Gensheng's face turned pale instantly.

"Why can't we do it?"

He took a step forward in a hurry, and his voice changed.

"Didn't you say you could cure Beicheng? Are you implying we don't have the money?"

As he spoke, his knees were already bent halfway down.

"Dr. Ye, I'm begging you. The red card says it's free, you can't go back on your word. If the paperwork is incomplete, I'll get it done right now. Just tell me what you need, and I'll get it done."

Ye Zhen grabbed his arm, preventing him from kneeling down.

"Let me finish speaking first."

Tian Gensheng's arm trembled violently under her hand.

Cuihong turned around too, twisting the hem of her clothes with both hands, tears welling up in her eyes.

Ye Zhen didn't let go, and her voice remained steady.

"It's not a matter of going back on my word."

"It's because Xiao Bao's foundation is too weak right now."

Tian Gensheng stared at her blankly.

Ye Zhen slowed down her speech.

"He has been deprived of oxygen for too long, and he hasn't been eating well. Some of his blood counts are off, and he's also dehydrated. If we push him onto the operating table now, his heart might not be able to handle it."

Tian Gensheng couldn't understand those terms about blood and electrolytes.

But he understood that "he couldn't handle it."

The color drained from his face.

Ye Zhen continued, "So we need to rest for a couple of days first. We'll use medication to restore order to the blood; we'll replenish fluids to keep the body hydrated; and then we'll provide the necessary nutrition."

"This is called preoperative preparation."

"It's not that it's incurable, it's just so we can perform the surgery."

Cuihong eagerly asked, "How long will it take?"

Forty-eight hours.

Ye Zhen said, "Two days."

Cuihong loosened her grip on the hem of her clothes a little.

"It can be done in two days?"

"If the indicators meet the requirements, we'll proceed in two days."

Ye Zhen took the red card from Tian Gensheng and pointed it out to him.

"Look, the number is here."

"The project registration form is at the nurses' station, and it's also clearly stated in the admission record that it's Huaxia Heart Rescue, and the expenses are covered by the project."

She turned the page to the last one.

"There's a rule here."

Tian Gensheng looked at it twice, flipping through it over and over.

He didn't know many characters, only the red seal.

As he watched, his lips moved a few times.

"Dr. Ye, it's not that I don't believe you."

His voice was hoarse.

"I'm just scared."

Ye Zhen pressed his hand down.

"Being afraid is the right thing to do."

"It would be abnormal for a father not to be afraid."

Tian Gensheng's eyes immediately reddened.

Ye Zhen looked at him.

"But what you can do now is neither kneel nor beg."

You need to eat, you need to sleep, you need to hold on to yourself.

Her tone became a little harsher.

"You'll be signing the consent form for the child's surgery in two days. If you collapse first, who will sign it for him?"

Tian Gensheng put the card into his inner pocket.

He pressed it harder through the clothes.

It was as if they were afraid the paper would fly away.

Footsteps sounded from the other end of the corridor.

Gu Zheng walked over carrying an enamel mug and an oil paper package.

He stopped in front of Tian Gensheng and shoved the things into his hands.

"Hot water, steamed buns."

"Finish eating."

Tian Gensheng froze, looking down at the thing in his hand.

"Commander, I'm not hungry."

Gu Zheng lowered his eyebrows.

I didn't ask you if you were hungry.

I meant after you finish eating.

His voice wasn't loud, but his tone was absolutely uncompromising.

The name sounded familiar to Tian Gensheng.

Like a retired militia company commander in a village, when he reprimands someone, he can slam down a single sentence and no one can talk back.

Tian Gensheng glanced at Ye Zhen.

Ye Zhen nodded at him.

Only then did he unscrew the enamel mug lid.

The heat hit my face immediately.

Tian Gensheng's eyes reddened again. He lowered his head, took a bite of the bun, chewed it a couple of times, but couldn't swallow it.

Cuihong took another bun from his hand, broke it in half, and stuffed it into her mouth.

She chewed while tears streamed down her face.

The hot steamed buns, mixed with tears, tasted salty and bitter.

Gu Zheng stopped looking at them and turned to walk to Ye Zhen's side.

His gaze swept across her face.

Ye Zhen's lips were pale, and there was a dark circle under her eyes. Her left hand rested on the side of the medical record book, and her fingertips were still trembling slightly.

Gu Zheng asked, "Is the handover complete?"

Ye Zhen nodded.

"I'm gone."

Gu Zheng: "Where to?"

"Go back to the office and write the preoperative plan."

Gu Zheng reached out and snatched the medical record from her hand.

Ye Zhen looked up at him.

Gu Zheng tucked the medical record book under his arm.

"The preoperative plan will be written tomorrow."

"Go home now."

Ye Zhen frowned.

"Tian Xiaobao's condition can't wait. I need to finish the guardianship plan for tonight at least."

Gu Zheng looked at her hand.

"Your hands are shaking, do you know that?"

Ye Zhen pulled her hand behind her back.

Gu Zheng didn't follow her to look; he just took a step forward and stood next to her.

He lowered his voice so that only she could hear him.

"Honey, what's your heart rate and blood pressure right now? Have you measured them?"

Ye Zhen didn't say anything.

Gu Zheng stared at her.

"There are staff on duty in the ICU. Once you've finished writing the doctor's orders, the nurses will be watching over them, and Zhou Hai will be keeping an eye on things."

"Nothing will happen tonight."

His voice was even deeper.

"If you don't sleep now, your hands will shake even more when you go into surgery tomorrow than they do now."

"Are you trying to save people, or are you trying to harm them?"

Ye Zhen stopped in her tracks.

The corridor fell silent.

The fluorescent light overhead shone on her face, illuminating her weariness clearly.

She closed her eyes briefly.

two seconds.

When he opened his eyes again, the calmness in them was still there, but it wasn't as tense anymore.

"Give me back my medical record."

Gu Zheng didn't move.

Ye Zhen reached out to take it.

Gu Zheng took a half step back.

"Write it when you get home."

Ye Zhen's hand was suspended in mid-air.

She looked at him for three seconds, then finally withdrew her hand.

"Let's go."

Gu Zheng then turned and walked towards the elevator.

After taking two steps, he turned back to see if she was following.

Ye Zhen followed behind, her pace much slower than before.

As she passed the family waiting area, she still turned her head to glance at the glass window.

Inside the window, Tian Xiaobao was lying on bed number two.

The oxygen mask was on.

The green waveforms on the monitor kept moving to the right.

The dripping sound is even.

One sound after another.

Like this child who was carried out of the mountain valley, finally caught by the lights of the northern city.

Ye Zhen withdrew her gaze and stepped into the elevator.