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

When Lin Ye heard the name Zhou Fengying, the first thing that flashed through his mind was the old woman's head injury.

Acute exacerbation of chronic subdural hematoma.

History of antithrombotic medication.

Vomiting, altered consciousness, weakness in the legs.

If it had been any later that day, the elderly man might not have even had the opportunity for surgery.

But now, the family members stand in front of the triage desk, their eyes red, the medical record folders in their hands crumpled and deformed.

"Where is Dr. Lin Ye?" the man asked.

Nurse Zhao stood up: "The emergency room isn't a complaint window. How is your mother now?"

The man gritted his teeth: "I'm alive. But even after being discharged from the hospital, I still walk unsteadily, can't sleep well at night, and complain of dizziness every day. You said you'd save me, but after saving me, you just abandoned me?"

That's not a nice thing to say.

Lin Ye couldn't immediately refute it.

In the emergency room, "survival" is the top priority. But once patients return home, the pain, aftereffects, costs, and care are just beginning.

Lin Ye walked over.

"This is Lin Ye. Did Grandma Zhou Fengying come today?"

The man was taken aback, not expecting him to admit it so readily.

"In the car. My mom doesn't want to come in; she says she's afraid of the hospital."

When Qin Hai came out of the emergency room and heard the last sentence, his expression darkened.

"Bring the elderly person in for an assessment first. They can't stay in the car at the hospital."

The man immediately became alert: "Are you going to check me again?"

Sun Zhiqiang, who had just returned from transferring a patient with high potassium levels, looked displeased upon hearing this: "If she's dizzy and weak right now, of course she needs to be evaluated. Are you here to hold her accountable, or to delay things?"

The man's temper flared up: "My mother is getting weaker and weaker the more you treat her!"

Nurse Zhao slammed her hand on the triage desk: "Go outside if you're arguing, go inside if you need help. Choose one."

Liu Zhenhua happened to come over from the corridor at that moment.

Upon seeing the medical record folder, he immediately asked, "What happened?"

The man, as if he had seized upon someone in charge, said, "You're the boss, right? I want to file a complaint. Last month, my mother was diagnosed with a brain hemorrhage in the ER, underwent surgery, and spent a lot of money. She's still not well."

Liu Zhenhua looked at Qin Hai.

Qin Hai said, "First, assess the elderly person."

Liu Zhenhua nodded: "Take care of the patient first, then we can talk about the complaint. Family members, come with me. I'll explain the complaint process to you, but you can't block the emergency room."

After a few seconds of hesitation, the man finally turned around and went to the car to pick up the person.

When Zhou Fengying was wheeled onto the observation bed, she looked noticeably thinner than before.

Her cloudy eyes flickered when she saw Lin Ye.

"Dr. Kobayashi?"

Lin Ye bent down: "Grandma, it's me. Are you feeling unwell today?"

Zhou Fengying said softly, "I feel dizzy, and my legs won't obey me. It's not your fault, my son is worried."

The man standing beside her, his eyes reddening, said, "Mom, stop taking sides."

The system did not display a red countdown.

Lin Ye became even more cautious.

The absence of red lights does not mean there are no problems.

He conducted a physical examination according to procedure, asking about post-operative follow-up visits, medication, rehabilitation training, and whether there had been any recent falls.

"Have you had the follow-up CT scan?"

The man looked down and rummaged through the medical record folder: "The neurosurgery department wants a follow-up appointment in two weeks, but we're scheduled for the day after tomorrow. My mom's walking has gotten worse these past two days, that's why I'm worried."

"Do you have a fever? Do you have any new headaches, vomiting, or drowsiness?"

Zhou Fengying shook her head.

When Luo Jianping was called down by phone, his hair was still messy.

He frowned as soon as he entered the room: "Zhou Fengying? Didn't you attend your post-operative check-up on time?"

The man's face stiffened: "I can't get a number."

Luo Jianping reviewed the medical records and discharge summary, his tone not pleasant: "I wrote in my discharge summary that if your symptoms worsened, you would need to go back to the emergency room. I didn't tell you to just tough it out at home."

The man choked on his words: "I thought I would recover gradually after the surgery."

"The brain isn't like an arm; you can't just stitch it up and call it a day." Luo Jianping examined the elderly man's muscle strength. "His right lower limb is still weak, but he's conscious. We'll do a follow-up CT scan to see if there's any further bleeding or residual fluid before we talk about rehabilitation."

Liu Zhenhua stood to one side, pointing with his finger at the medical record bag that the man had crumpled.

"You see, the explanation after the rescue is also part of the process."

Lin Ye didn't say anything.

He remembered the high-risk list that had just been posted on the wall.

The checklist outlined how to move patients through the treatment process, but it didn't cover how to help family members understand the difference between "temporarily alive" and "fully recovered" after the patient is saved.

The CT results were a little better than everyone expected.

There was no new major bleeding, postoperative changes, or a small amount of residual fluid. The neurosurgery department recommended continued follow-up and adjustments to the rehabilitation and re-examination plan.

Luo Jianping placed the film in front of the lightbox and pointed to the postoperative changes on the film with his finger.

"This isn't an acute worsening. The weakness in her legs and dizziness require recovery; it wasn't caused by the emergency room visit, but by the pressure from her previous hematoma and the recovery process after surgery. If you have someone to blame, blame yourself for not bringing her for a follow-up appointment sooner."

The man's face turned pale instantly.

Zhou Fengying hurriedly said, "Don't scold him. He works during the day and takes care of me at night."

Luo Jianping paused for a moment, then lowered his tone slightly.

"Taking care is hard work, but that doesn't mean you don't need follow-up checkups. We know you family members are tired. But if your symptoms worsen in the future, don't hold back and complain; come for an evaluation first."

The man had his head down, his fingers picking at the edge of the medical record folder.

"I thought... I thought the hospital just pushed people into the operating room and then nobody cared about them anymore."

Qin Hai looked at Lin Ye: "Did you hear that?"

Lin Ye nodded.

Qin Hai said, "Add a column to the high-risk list for follow-up reminders after emergency room discharge and transfer to other departments. This is especially important for elderly patients with head injuries, those taking antithrombotic drugs, and post-operative patients. Don't let family members go home with a bag of papers and have to guess what's going on."

Liu Zhenhua immediately wrote it down.

The man suddenly looked up at Lin Ye and said, "Dr. Lin, I'm sorry. I said something harsh just now."

Lin Ye shook his head: "You're in a hurry because your mother isn't fully recovered. Next time, it's okay to be in a hurry, but bring the person in first."

Zhou Fengying held her son's hand: "I told you Dr. Lin wasn't a bad person."

Nurse Zhao, tidying up the treatment trays nearby, said, "We have a lot of bad people in the emergency room, and they're bad because of their mouths."

The man clutched the medical record bag, his shoulders slowly slumping.

Just then, another series of chaotic footsteps sounded at the emergency room entrance.

A young girl was helped in by her companion; her face was flushed, her breathing was rapid, and her fingers were numb.

"Doctor! She said she feels palpitations, can't breathe, and even had a spasm just now! Could it be anxiety?"

The girl's chest heaved violently, her eyes were unfocused, and she kept saying, "I can't breathe... I really can't breathe..."

Her companion hurriedly explained, "She's been under a lot of pressure preparing for her postgraduate entrance exam lately, and she even drank milk tea during the day. It must have been a panic attack."

Lin Ye turned around and stopped in his tracks.

A system notification suddenly popped up.

[Emergency room alert activated.]

High-risk factors: Diabetic ketoacidosis, compensatory deep breathing due to metabolic acidosis.

[Key abnormalities: rapid, deep breathing; excessive thirst; abdominal pain; rotten apple-like odor.]

[Risk window: 22 minutes 36 seconds.]

Nurse Zhao also smelled something and frowned.

"Don't label her as anxious yet."

Lin Ye looked at the girl's chapped lips.

"Test blood sugar, urine ketones, blood gases, and electrolytes. Immediately."

The girl's companion was stunned: "She doesn't have diabetes!"

Lin Ye pushed the wheelchair over.

"Many people find out they have diabetes for the first time in the emergency room."

The high-risk list on the wall had just been added as a reminder for Zhou Fengying's follow-up appointment.

The next one is coming.