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

Ma Hao squatted on the chair, flipping through past exam papers. After flipping through two pages, he started yawning, his head bobbing up and down like a chick pecking at rice.

Just as Lin Ye finished organizing the medical records and stuffed them into a clip, the automatic door at the emergency room entrance slid open with a "ding," and a mother and child entered, shaking water droplets all over the floor as they closed their umbrellas.

The woman walking in front wore a light gray dress and held a little boy's hand. The little boy wore a dinosaur hat and held an Ultraman toy. He was hopping around and his eyes were darting around as soon as he came in.

The woman walked straight to the triage desk and looked at Lin Ye: "Dr. Lin, do you remember us?"

Lin Ye paused for a moment, then looked at the little boy's round face and immediately remembered.

This is Tongtong. She was brought here with acute epiglottitis. At the time, her face was burning red and she had difficulty breathing. Her family mistakenly thought the hospital was overcharging and made a fuss for a while. After she was saved, her family specially brought a bag of apples to express their gratitude.

The child looks a bit chubby now, with rosy cheeks and a lot of energy.

"Is that Tongtong?" Lin Ye smiled. "She's recovering quite well; she looks much stronger than last time."

"Yes, that's him. He just went to the ENT department for a follow-up check-up today, and the doctor said there's nothing wrong with him. We live in the neighborhood right in front of us. We went out for a walk after dinner, and it started raining after a short while, so we came to check on you."

Tongtong's mother handed over the paper bag in her hand. The bag was still warm and had the logo of the bakery at the entrance of the community printed on it. "These are cookies I just bought. They don't have too much sugar in them. You can have them if you're hungry while on duty. Thank you so much for last time. If you had come ten minutes later, this child might have been in trouble."

Tongtong peeked out from behind his mother, staring at Lin Ye for a long time before calling out in his childish voice, "Hello, Uncle." He pointed to his throat, "I'm all better now. Mommy said I can eat ice cream!"

"Good boy." Lin Ye reached out and patted his little head, his hair soft and fluffy. "If you ever have a sore throat or trouble breathing, remember to tell Mom and Dad right away and come to the hospital, okay?"

"I know! Ultraman will protect me!" Tongtong patted her chest, the dinosaur horns on her hat swaying back and forth.

Nurse Zhu heard the commotion and came over. Her eyes lit up when she saw Tongtong. She pulled an Ultraman sticker from the triage desk drawer and handed it to him. It was one she'd prepared for the crying little patients: "Here you go, little warrior. Eat well from now on and don't get sick again!"

Tongtong took the sticker, her eyes crinkling into slits with laughter. She slapped it onto her dinosaur hat and held it up for her mother to see: "Mommy, look! Ultraman is on the dinosaur, so I'm the strongest!"

Tongtong's mother was amused by him and chatted with Lin Ye for a bit more: "I was really scared last time. We wrote down all the precautions you mentioned and put them on the refrigerator. We were told to come to the hospital immediately if we had a sore throat or difficulty breathing. Today, the doctor said that I'm recovering very well, and I can finally relax. Thank you so much."

"Of course, it's good that the child is alright." Lin Ye took the paper bag, which was still warm, and he could smell the milky aroma even through the bag.

As they were talking, Tongtong tugged at her mother's clothes and whispered that she wanted to eat grilled sausage.

Tongtong's mother smiled and took his hand: "We won't disturb your shift anymore, Tongtong, say goodbye to your uncle and aunt."

"Goodbye, Uncle! Goodbye, Auntie!" Tongtong waved her little hand and skipped along with her mother towards the outpatient area. After taking a couple of steps, she turned back and waved the Ultraman toy in her hand at Lin Ye.

As soon as the two figures disappeared around the corner of the corridor, Ma Hao couldn't wait to open the paper bag. It was full of cookies, with a milky aroma and some almond slices sprinkled on top. They looked freshly baked and still warm.

"Damn, this smells amazing!" Ma Hao grabbed a piece and stuffed it into his mouth, his eyes lighting up. "It's even better than the cakes from the bakery downstairs! This is the reward for saving my life, it's totally worth it!"

"Eat slowly, don't choke." Nurse Zhu also took a piece, took a bite, and said, "It's really good. This family member is thoughtful to remember to come and check on things."

Lin Ye also took one. The cookie was baked to a crispy and crunchy texture, with a strong milky aroma, and it was sweet but not greasy.

He remembered the last time Tongtong was brought here, she couldn't even cry out loud. The situation was so dangerous back then. Now the child is lively and energetic. That sense of satisfaction is stronger than anything else.

Qin Hai came out of the consultation room to get some water and saw a bag of cookies on the cabinet. He casually grabbed one and asked, "Where did you get this?"

"The family of the child who had acute epiglottitis brought this here today for a follow-up examination, and they brought it with them specifically," Lin Ye said.

Qin Hai took a bite and nodded, "It tastes good." He paused, looked out the window, and said, "The rain has lessened a bit. You two keep a close watch on things for the rest of the night."

"Understood, Teacher Qin," Lin Ye and Ma Hao replied in unison.

Qin Hai returned to the clinic with his thermos. Ma Hao finished a cookie, wiped his hands, and picked up his workbook to start memorizing: "...Hey, Ye-ge, do you think this will be on the exam next month? I just ran into a family member who brought me cookies today, and it really stuck with me."

"It's highly likely to be on the test; they test on the handling of ENT emergencies every year." Lin Ye put the remaining cookies in the cabinet behind the triage desk, saving them for the nurses on night shift.

Looking at the cookies in the cupboard, I couldn't help but feel a little emotional. Having worked in the ER for so long, I've seen so much crying and arguing, and so much misunderstanding and questioning from family members. But there are also moments like this, where a warm cookie and a sincere thank you make all the sleepless nights worthwhile.