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

Lin Ye walked along the street for two alleys and stopped in front of a noodle shop that was still open.

He hadn't eaten anything since noon, and his stomach was in so much pain that he couldn't tell if he was hungry or in pain.

"A big bowl of beef noodles, with a fried egg and lots of cilantro."

Lin Ye found a spot to sit against the wall.

There weren't many people in the shop at the moment. The owner responded and turned to go downstairs.

Lin Ye took out his phone, which vibrated twice in his pocket, and opened it.

A voice message from Wang Xiulan, the mother, popped up at the top of WeChat.

"Ono, are you working the night shift again this weekend? We bought some fresh pork ribs today. If you can take a break, come home for lunch tomorrow."

Lin Ye returned to the main interface and opened the electronic schedule in the department group.

Drag the table to the two weekend cells; below Saturday is the word "Closed".

He returned to the chat interface and typed a reply: "Saturday is my day off. I'll be back for lunch."

Soon, the other side replied with a big smiley face emoji.

The noodles were served, and the steam hit my face, completely dispelling the lingering smell of disinfectant in the emergency room.

Lin Ye poked the fried egg open, soaked it in the noodle soup, and ate it in big bites.

The next day, around noon, Lin Ye pushed open the security door of the old house, and the aroma of pork rib soup wafted into the hallway through the crack in the door.

"You're back." Wang Xiulan, wearing an apron, poked her head out of the kitchen. "Go wash your hands, the rice will be ready soon."

Lin Ye hung his coat in the entryway and walked into the living room.

The father, Lin Guoping, was sitting on the sofa, fiddling with a new pool paddle covered in red and black rubber, with a freshly opened tube of glue next to him.

"Have you changed the rubber?"

Lin Ye walked over and pulled up a chair to sit down.

"It was just glued on last night." Lin Guoping flipped the racket over to check the edges, asking seemingly casually, "Was it another night shift yesterday? You look even worse than during your residency training. Is the schedule for full-time doctors even tighter?"

"No, I was on the day shift yesterday, and I got off work a little late." Lin Ye watched his father carefully put the racket back into its case. "What time does the community tournament start this afternoon?"

"It's 2:30." Lin Guoping zipped up his paddle case before looking up at him. "If you're free this afternoon, come for a walk with me. Don't just stay inside staring at your phone."

"OK."

"No need to say no, come and eat first." Wang Xiulan carried the casserole to the table and put the top few pieces of pork ribs directly into Lin Ye's bowl. "Look how thin you are. Even if the department is busy, you still have to find a moment to eat a bite at mealtimes."

Lin Ye picked up the bowl, lowered his head, and took a big gulp of pork rib soup.

Hot soup warms the stomach, and conversations at the family dinner table revolve around daily necessities and neighborhood gossip; no one mentions electrocardiograms or asks about blood pressure.

He picked up a piece of pork rib; the meat was stewed until tender, and it fell off the bone with a gentle touch.

After finishing the meal, Lin Ye helped clear the dishes and put them in the kitchen, then dozed off on the sofa for a while.

Just after 2 o'clock, Lin Guoping slung his racket over his shoulder and stood at the door urging them to hurry up.

The community activity center is not far from my home, and there are four green pool tables in the activity room on the first floor.

The afternoon session was quite crowded, mostly with retired locals. Incandescent lights shone on the tables, and the sound of balls hitting the racket surfaces filled the air.

Lin Guoping greeted his old buddies, took off his coat, and went to warm up.

Lin Ye found a bench against the wall and sat down.

"Hey, isn't this Xiao Lin?" An old man carrying a thermos recognized him. "Haven't seen you in a while. I heard from your dad that you're a senior doctor in the emergency department of the First Municipal Hospital now?"

"Uncle Zhang," Lin Ye moved aside to make room, "I've just been promoted, I can't really be considered a senior doctor yet."

Old Zhang sat down, unscrewed his thermos, took a sip of water, and leaned closer: "Xiao Lin, can you give me some advice? These past few mornings, my shoulders and back have been feeling tight, and my neck is uncomfortable too. Could it be a flare-up of my cervical spondylosis?"

Did you wake up with a stiff neck last night?

"No, it's just tightness, and sometimes I feel a bit of tightness in my chest, but it gets better after moving around a bit."

"Is your chest tightness?" Lin Ye's gaze lingered on Old Zhang's face, observing his complexion and breathing rate. "When you feel tightness, does it radiate to your left shoulder? Are you sweating?"

"It doesn't hurt, but I feel a little short of breath." Old Zhang pointed to his heart. "I'm wondering if it's because it's been so lively lately."

"If you feel tightness in your shoulders and chest, but don't have a clear sprain, it's best to get an electrocardiogram (ECG) done at the hospital to be on the safe side. Sometimes, myocardial ischemia can also manifest as discomfort in the shoulders or back. You have high blood pressure, so don't take it lightly."

Old Zhang nodded after listening.

"Okay, I'll go to the community health service center tomorrow morning to get a map."

On the court, Lin Guoping's forehand smash drew cheers. The old man retreated to the side of the table, wiped his sweat, raised his chin at Lin Ye, and looked smug.

Lin Ye smiled and turned his gaze back to the arena.

The race at 2:30 was very intense. Although the old neighbors were not young, they ran with great speed and agility.

Old Zhang was also a key player. He played a doubles match, dodging and blocking left and right. After a few rounds, his back was soaked with sweat.

After finishing the game, Lao Zhang left the field and sat down on the bench. Suddenly, his expression changed.

Her originally rosy cheeks quickly lost their color, turning a grayish-white.

He slid down the bench, his hands gripping the edge tightly, cold sweat visibly pouring from his forehead.

"Old Zhang, what's wrong?"

The old man next to him was startled.

"Dizzy...nauseous..."

Old Zhang's voice softened, his breathing became rapid, and his body began to lean to one side.

People playing ball around gathered around.

"Is it heatstroke?"

"Quickly, quickly, lay him flat."

"I have some sugar water in my bag, quickly give him a sip, he must have low blood sugar."

Several old friends hurriedly tried to lift Old Zhang to the ground, and someone had already opened a bottle of sweet drink and handed it to his mouth.

"Don't touch him, don't lay him flat!"

Lin Ye quickly stepped forward and blocked the beverage bottle that was being offered to Lao Zhang's mouth.

"Don't feed him water, it could be even more dangerous if he chokes on it. Also, don't lay him completely flat."

Lin Ye supported Lao Zhang's shoulder with one hand, keeping his upper body slightly raised in a semi-sitting position, while his other hand accurately placed on the radial artery at Lao Zhang's wrist.

The elderly people around him were stunned by his steady movements and subconsciously took a half step back.

Lin Ye frowned. His pulse was rapid and shallow, with a fast and somewhat erratic rhythm.

"Is there a blood pressure monitor in the activity room?"

Lin Ye looked up and asked.

"Yes, yes, it's in the manager's cabinet!"

An old man quickly ran to get it.

An old-fashioned desktop mercury sphygmomanometer was quickly brought over.

Lin Ye knelt on one knee beside the bench, skillfully helping Old Zhang roll up his sleeves, tie the cuffs, put on the stethoscope, and squeeze the air bag to inflate it.

When the gas is released, the mercury column slowly descends.

The first faint pulsation was heard.

Systolic blood pressure 85, diastolic blood pressure 50.

"Uncle Zhang," Lin Ye said, taking off his stethoscope and looking at Old Zhang's pale face, "did you take your blood pressure medication this morning?"

"I...I ate." Old Zhang weakly opened his eyes, his voice trembling. "I was worried about my blood pressure during today's match, so I took half an extra amlodipine tablet."

Lin Ye untied the cuff and put the blood pressure monitor away.

"He secretly added blood pressure medication, and he just did strenuous activity and sweated a lot. The vasodilation and dehydration caused his orthostatic hypotension to flare up." Lin Ye turned to his neighbor and said, "Help me turn the air conditioner vent up so it doesn't blow directly on him. Leave the door open to let some fresh air in. His heart rate is a bit fast right now, so don't let him get up and walk around."

He then turned to Old Zhang: "Please stay in this position and lean back, don't be nervous. Breathe slowly, and loosen your collar."

Old Zhang leaned against the wall, the rise and fall of his chest gradually slowing down.

After about ten minutes, the cold sweat on his forehead gradually stopped, and some color returned to his cheeks.

Lin Ye checked his blood pressure again.

The systolic blood pressure returned to 98, and the pulse rhythm also stabilized.

"Are you feeling better?"

"I feel much better. Just now, everything went black, and my heart was pounding." Old Zhang let out a long breath and looked at Lin Ye with some lingering fear. "Thank goodness you were here, Lin."

The old man who had just wanted to drink sugar water also came over.

"We thought it was low blood sugar, but as soon as Xiaolin put his hand on it, it was immediately different. Your ER doctors are really reliable."

"Don't add extra medication before playing ball in the future. Remember to drink warm water if you sweat a lot, don't gulp it down after the game." Lin Ye handed the blood pressure monitor back to the administrator. "When you feel completely better, slowly stand up. Don't forget about the electrocardiogram tomorrow."

"I can't forget it, I'll go first thing tomorrow morning."

Old Zhang nodded repeatedly.

Lin Guoping walked over with his racket, looked at Old Zhang, then at his son, his face expressionless, but the lines at the corners of his eyes relaxed.

"Alright, it's good that Lao Zhang is alright." Lin Guoping patted Lin Ye on the back. "Let's go, we'll head back too."

As evening fell, the setting sun bathed the buildings of the old residential area in a warm orange hue.

Lin Ye and his father walked to the top of the stairs.

Lin Guoping stopped and handed a plastic bag he was carrying to Lin Ye.

"Your mom washed some grapes this afternoon for you to take home and eat."

Lin Ye took it; it was heavy.

"Your job is all about working non-stop, and I can't persuade you to switch departments." Lin Guoping looked at the streetlights that were now on. "Don't try to cut corners when you're on night shift. Eat on time. Come home whenever you have free time, so your mom can cook you something decent."

"Know."

Lin Guoping waved and turned to go upstairs.

Lin Ye stepped out of the community gate, and the evening breeze brushed against his face, bringing a touch of coolness.

On this Saturday, without the sound of alarms or the creaking of the emergency bed wheels, he truly felt like an ordinary person, with the most ordinary parents and everyday meals.

My phone vibrated in my pocket.

Lin Ye took it out and saw it was the emergency department's work group. Qin Hai had posted the night shift schedule for tomorrow.

He clicked on the image and zoomed in.

Sunday night shift: Received Lin Ye for treatment, and kept Ma Hao under observation.

Lin Ye looked at the two names side by side on the screen, locked his phone, and put it back in his pocket.

The heartwarming weekend for ordinary people is almost over, and a tough battle awaits him in the emergency room tomorrow night.