When I'm on the night shift, all the department heads can't sleep.

After Lin Ye finished speaking, he stuffed his residency training manual into the triage desk drawer, rolled up his sleeves by half an inch, and walked towards the waiting area.

The emergency room lobby was bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun in the evening, and the smell of disinfectant mingled with the aroma of grilled sausages sold outside.

Half a row of people were sitting on the waiting chairs. There were students dozing off with their backpacks in their arms and old ladies chatting while clutching their medical records.

The triage slip listed the patient's name as Zhang Guilan, and she was 47 years old.

He glanced around and spotted the person.

An aunt wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt was being helped by a young woman in a white shirt, her left hand in her pocket.

The girl frowned and muttered to herself as she walked, her voice just loud enough to be heard.

"I told you not to touch cold water, not to touch cold water! Couldn't I just wash it when I get home from get off work? You had to be so stubborn. Now it's bleeding and you're saying it's nothing. What if it gets infected?"

"What could possibly be wrong? It's just a small cut." The auntie stubbornly insisted, but when she saw Lin Ye approaching, she became even more embarrassed and hid her left hand behind her back. "Doctor, it's really nothing. My daughter insisted on dragging me here, which took up your time."

"It won't take long." Lin Ye stepped aside to lead them to the treatment room. "Let's go inside first, it'll be more convenient."

Once the curtain in the treatment room is drawn, most of the noise outside is blocked out.

Lin Ye pulled up a round stool for them to sit on, and first took the medical record book from yesterday from the girl and flipped through it.

It was indeed stitched up here yesterday. My left palm was cut by a broken bowl, leaving a two-centimeter gash that went under the skin. It required three stitches.

I've also received a tetanus shot, and the post-operative instructions in my medical record state to keep the area dry and change the dressing every three days.

"Does your auntie usually take any medication?" Lin Ye put the medical record book down and gestured for her to extend her left hand. "Like aspirin, or other commonly used blood-circulating medications?"

"No, just take your blood pressure medication."

Zhang Guilan stretched out her left hand, still feeling embarrassed.

"It was around noon today when my daughter went to work. I saw two bowls piled up in the sink, so I washed them with a little cold water. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but in the afternoon I noticed the gauze was damp. When I took it off, I saw some redness. When my daughter came home from get off work, she saw it and insisted on bringing me here."

"How can I not be anxious?" The girl's nose was red with worry. "I specifically copied down the precautions from the doctor's instructions yesterday and stuck them on the refrigerator. She took advantage of my absence and did something reckless. Doctor, can you take a look? The stitches have come undone. I just saw a lot of blood on the gauze."

"Let's take a look first."

Lin Ye didn't touch the gauze first, but gently touched her exposed fingertips with his fingertips.

The temperature is warm, and the nails are a healthy pale pink.

"Auntie, are your fingers numb right now? Does it hurt a lot?"

"It's not numb, and it doesn't hurt much, it's just a little swollen."

"Then make a fist and let me see?" Lin Ye offered his hand. "Squeeze my hand hard."

Zhang Guilan clenched her fist as instructed, her knuckles bending fully, demonstrating sufficient grip strength.

After loosening, all five fingers can be straightened, and movement is not restricted at all.

Lin Ye breathed a sigh of relief.

Ma Hao came in from outside carrying a dressing kit, put the tray on the operating table, glanced at the blood seeping through the gauze, and changed his mind before speaking.

"Let's open it up and take a look. We can't be sure just by looking at the blood on the outside."

Lin Ye took the tweezers and slowly peeled the gauze along its edge.

The outer layer of gauze was indeed soaked with a small patch of dark red bloodstains, but there wasn't much left when you peeled back to the inner layer.

The three stitches were all neat and tidy, the edges of the wound were aligned perfectly, and it did not split open. It was just a little red around the wound, and there was some light red bleeding around the needle holes. There was no pus or swelling.

"Look, the stitches are all fine." Lin Ye gently disinfected the wound with an iodine-soaked cotton ball and showed it to her. "It's just that the water irritated the wound, causing some oozing. Whether we need to re-stitch it depends on whether our superiors can take another look."

The girl leaned over for a look, let out a long sigh, and patted her chest.

"That scared me to death! I thought I had to sew it all back on."

Zhang Guilan laughed and poked the girl's arm.

"See, I told you it was nothing, but you had to make a big fuss about it."

Dr. Wang, who was on duty today, happened to come out of the clinic. Hearing Lin Ye call him, he came over and re-examined the edges of the wound, and then asked Zhang Guilan to bend and stretch her fingers.

"No need to stitch it up again." Dr. Wang took off his gloves. "Change the dressing and apply a little pressure bandage. Don't get it wet today, don't lift heavy things, and keep your hand elevated as much as possible. Depending on how the dressing changes go, don't rush to remove the stitches from the palm area prematurely."

Lin Ye applied a sterile dressing to the wound and then bandaged it with clean gauze under pressure.

When wrapping the bandage, I made sure it was just the right tightness, leaving my fingertips sticking out.

"You really can't get your hands wet when you get back. Don't wash dishes or clothes. Keep your hands elevated as much as possible, and don't let them hang down all the time, otherwise they'll swell up easily."

"What if something happens when we go back? We'll have to come back again?" the girl asked hurriedly, taking out her phone to write it down.

"If the outer gauze gets soaked quickly, or if your fingers become numb or turn white, if the pain suddenly worsens, or if the wound reopens, come over immediately."

Lin Ye spoke slowly, explaining each point clearly to her.

"Nothing else is wrong, don't worry too much."

"Okay, thank you, doctor, thank you so much."

The girl nodded quickly, helped Zhang Guilan walk out, and continued to scold her.

"Did you hear the doctor say you can't get it wet? I'll wash the dishes from now on, so don't touch them."

"Okay, okay, you're such a nag."

Zhang Guilan complained, but a smile played on her lips. When she reached the triage desk, she even turned back to wave to Lin Ye.

Ma Hao packed up the dressing tray and winked at Lin Ye as he turned around.

"Wow, Brother Ye, these days even a small wound needs a review by a higher-ups. You're really taking it easy."

Lin Ye wrote down the treatment he had just received on the medical record, signed it, and handed it to the nurses' station. He smiled when he heard this.

The words Qin Hai had just said to him were still ringing in his ears.

Everything you've done, who mentored you, and who signed off on it must be documented.

What you've seen, and what your superiors have seen, means that if anything really happens, everyone can explain it clearly.

He used to think about finding high-risk patients hidden under his nose, but now he realizes that it's also right to not upgrade cases that shouldn't be upgraded, to clearly define the conditions for follow-up visits that should be kept, and to follow the proper procedures.

Nurse Zhu took the patient's medical record and filed it, then looked up at him and handed him half a slice of iced watermelon.

"It was just delivered from the fruit shop downstairs, it's ice cold, and it's quite sweet."

Lin Ye took it and took a bite.

It is indeed sweet.

The cool sensation slid down my throat and into my stomach, and most of the frustration I felt from finishing the manual in the afternoon dissipated.

Ma Hao leaned closer and reached out to grab it.

"I want to eat it too."

"Go get it yourself, there are still some at the nurses' station." Nurse Zhu slapped his hand away, annoyed. "How old are you, still trying to steal things?"

Ma Hao pouted, then ran off to grab a slice of watermelon, munching on it as he approached Lin Ye.

"Hey, how's your manual coming along? The demonstration and discussion session is tomorrow afternoon at 3 PM, are you nervous?"

"good."

Lin Ye threw the watermelon rind into the trash can, took out a tissue to wipe his hands, and glanced back at the corner of the residency training manual peeking out of the triage desk drawer.

The question sheet that Zhou Min gave me is still tucked inside.

The first question is clearly stated:

Why do you think this person cannot be treated as an ordinary person?

When he was examining Zhang Guilan's wound just now, the thought actually crossed his mind.

What if the tendon ruptures?

What if the wound gets infected?

But he didn't first consider the worst-case scenario.

I checked the activity, the temperature of the fingertips, removed the gauze to examine the wound, and only after finding concrete evidence did I draw a conclusion.

There was no neglect or reckless upgrading; isn't that the answer?

"Oh, right, you owe me meat."

Ma Hao suddenly remembered this and reached out to poke his arm.

"I covered for you for four hours, and I just handed you the dressing kit and tweezers. You deserve some extra food, right?"

"I know." Lin Ye smiled. "After the demonstration room is finished tomorrow, I'll treat you to stir-fried pork, as much as you want."

"You mean what you say!" Ma Hao's eyes lit up instantly, forgetting to even eat the watermelon. "I want the one from the back gate, extra spicy, and with a fried egg!"

"OK."

Nurse Zhu's voice calling out numbers rang out again. Lin Ye sat back down in the chair next to the triage desk, pulled out his residency training manual, and turned to the blank page.

The pen paused for a moment, then I wrote down today's record of actions:

When a patient with bleeding after a hand laceration was admitted, the physical examination showed normal finger movement and no wound rupture. After the attending physician reviewed the case, the patient was given a dressing change and pressure bandage was applied. The patient was instructed to avoid getting the wound wet and to elevate it. If the gauze quickly became soaked, the fingers became numb and white, or the wound ruptured, the patient was taken back to the emergency room.

The handwriting isn't exactly beautiful, but every stroke is clear and there's no ambiguity.

After he finished writing, he capped his pen and looked up at the entrance of the emergency room.

It was already dark outside, the streetlights were on, and people rushed in carrying takeout, while others helped their family members slowly walk out.

A breeze blew in through the door, carrying the heat of summer and the scent of flowers sold by the roadside.

He wasn't really sure how the discussion in the demonstration room would go tomorrow afternoon.

However, he has completed all the necessary manuals, followed all the required procedures, and can clearly explain everything he needs to say.

In any case, just like this wound today, we should look at the evidence first before drawing conclusions; that's always the right approach.