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

When the first bag of blood was hung up, no one in the emergency room mentioned food poisoning anymore.

The lid of the cold chain box was opened.

White mist wafted out along the edge of the box.

Nurse Zhao, wearing gloves, took the blood bag out of it; her fingertips were red from the cold.

The blood bag was placed next to Liang Shumin's bed.

Once the tubing was connected, a dark red color flowed down the transfusion tube.

very slow.

It was so slow, like it was being held back by something.

Qin Hai glanced at it.

"Pressure bag".

Nurse Zhao immediately put the pressure bag on.

She squeezed the rubber ball tightly, making a squeaking sound.

The plastic film on the outside of the blood bag was wrinkled from being pressed.

Liang Shumin lay on the emergency bed, his lips even paler than before.

An oxygen mask covered half of his face.

The exhaled mist condenses layer by layer inside the transparent cover, then quickly dissipates.

The monitor is still beeping.

Blood pressure 78/42.

Heart rate 145.

The numbers didn't go up.

They just didn't smash it any further.

The vascular surgeon stared at the screen, tapping his finger twice on the bed rail.

"Let's just go like this."

Qin Hai looked up.

"Has the anesthesia taken effect?"

The sound of box wheels dragging over the floor tiles came from the other end of the corridor.

The on-duty anesthesiologist pushed the airway cart in.

He was wearing a green scrubs over a white lab coat, the cuffs rolled up halfway, and there were still water stains on the back of his hands from washing them.

He judges people first.

Next, let's look at the guardianship.

Finally, check the infusion tubes.

Have you eaten anything?

Liang Shumin's wife, holding her phone, paused for a moment.

"I had some cold dishes for breakfast."

"Have you taken any medication?"

"I drank Huoxiang Zhengqi Water (a traditional Chinese medicine)."

The anesthesiologist didn't look up and yell at him.

He simply placed the airway pack on the bedside table.

The metal buckle hit the bed rail with a snap.

"Full stomach, shock, and potential for reflux and aspiration at any time. Administer oxygen via face mask on the way, with an airway pack accompanying the patient. Once in the operating room, induce induced breathing on the operating table; vascular surgeons should be on standby first."

The vascular surgeon nodded.

"Preparing for open surgery."

The phone in the operating room was still ringing.

The voice of the scrub nurse came through the loudspeaker.

What types of artificial blood vessels are available?

The vascular surgeon quoted two models and then added:

"Don't remove the endovascular instruments, but prepare for open resuscitation. Without aortic CT angiography, don't waste time guessing at the anatomy."

There was a short, curt reply on the other end of the phone.

"Know."

Upon hearing the words "open surgery," Liang Shumin's wife immediately dug her fingers into her phone case.

There was a piece of old rubber on the edge of the phone case, which she had picked at until it was curled up.

"Doctor, do we need to open up my abdomen?"

The vascular surgeon turned around.

There were still marks from the mask at the corners of his eyes from the previous surgery.

"We cannot guarantee that it will just involve placing a stent."

His voice was very calm.

"His blood pressure is too low, and there's no time to do the scans. We need to control the bleeding first. We can either perform open abdominal repair, or, depending on the situation on the operating table, transfer him to an intracavitary procedure. Ultimately, it depends on his condition after he goes inside."

The woman didn't quite understand.

She only understood "control the bleeding".

The son on the other end of the phone also got anxious.

"Doctor, will my dad make it to the operating room?"

The vascular surgeon glanced at the monitor.

There was no immediate response.

That pause was more significant than simply saying it was dangerous.

Qin Hai took over the conversation.

"Every step we're taking now is to help him make it to the operating room."

After he finished speaking, he pushed the signing board onto the small table at the foot of the bed.

There were shallow marks from an old ballpoint pen on the board, and half of a torn IV patch was stuck to the corner.

"You're the wife, you're here. You need to be informed about the risks of the surgery, anesthesia, and blood transfusion. Your son's phone is on, listen in too."

The woman looked down at the paper.

The words are densely packed.

Her tears fell and blurred into a small dot.

"If I sign, will it save me?"

No one dared to respond too confidently to that statement.

The only sound in the emergency room was the squeezing of the pressure bag.

Nurse Zhao bent down and put the pen into her hand.

"A signature does not guarantee the outcome."

she says.

"It allows doctors to continue racing against time."

The woman's lips trembled slightly.

Her fingers, gripping the pen, froze, and she almost drew outside the lines with her first stroke.

The son's voice was hoarse on the other end of the phone.

"Mom, sign it."

"Let the doctor save you."

The woman closed her eyes briefly.

The signature fell.

Next to the name Liang Shumin, there was a crooked signature from a family member.

Qin Hai didn't wait for her to put the pen down properly.

"The duty log shows that the family was informed on-site, and the son was also informed by phone. The patient is unconscious, and the emergency resuscitation procedure continues."

Sun Zhiqiang wrote on the side.

The pen tip scratched across the emergency record paper, making a soft rustling sound.

"time?"

"2:59."

"Shall we begin with the first bag of blood?"

"2:56."

"Is anesthesia administered?"

"2:58."

Every point in time was written down.

It's not for aesthetic reasons.

It's because if something really happened, these words would prove that they didn't waste their lives in hesitation.

Lin Ye stood beside the bed, his hand resting on the edge of the emergency bed.

Liang Shumin's hand slipped out from under the thin blanket.

My fingertips are icy cold.

He seemed to be trying to grab something, but in the end he only touched the back of Lin Ye's hand.

It's very light.

It's as light as a wet piece of paper.

Lin Ye lowered his head.

"Uncle Liang, can you hear me?"

Liang Shumin's eyelids twitched.

Her eyes were closed.

The mist inside the oxygen mask stopped abruptly.

The monitor suddenly became louder.

Blood pressure 70/38.

Nurse Zhao uttered a very low swear word.

She squeezed the pressure ball in her hand even faster.

"My blood pressure dropped again."

Qin Hai had already increased the speed of the booster pump a little.

"Don't waste any more time in the emergency room."

The vascular surgeon grabbed the bed rail.

"Walk."

As soon as that word was uttered, the emergency room felt as if it had been pushed from behind.

The anesthesiologist picked up the airway bag.

Nurse Zhao held the blood transfusion bag high and protected the tubing with her other hand.

Sun Zhiqiang pushes the monitor.

Holding the emergency records and test results, Ma Hao staggered for a moment, then quickly caught up.

The flatbed wheel turned and hit the metal strip on the ground.

bang.

Liang Shumin's wife instinctively ran after him.

Nurse Zhao turned around.

"Family members should follow you to the operating room door. Do not throw yourself onto the bed or pull on the tubes."

The woman nodded.

I typed so fast that my phone almost slipped from my palm.

The phone was still on speakerphone.

The son inside kept calling out:

"Mom, don't cry."

"Mom, listen to the doctor."

The corridor is not wide.

At night, the cleaning truck was parked by the wall, and there was a ring of grime water in the mop bucket that hadn't been emptied completely.

Sun Zhiqiang kicked away the yellow warning sign next to him.

The sign slid off the wall with a screeching sound.

The emergency bed was pushed past the nurses' station.

The nurse on duty made way.

Someone had just picked up their instant noodles, and before they could even break the chopsticks, they slammed the bowl back onto the table.

At the elevator entrance, the nurses who were supposed to pick up the patient from the operating room were already waiting.

She pulled her hat down low and held a stack of handover forms in her hand.

"Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm?"

The vascular surgeons did not stop.

"Suspected rupture, shock. No aortic CT angiography performed, bedside ultrasound supportive, hemoglobin 78, lactate 4.6. Take him to the operating table."

The operating room nurse glanced at the IV tubing.

"How many bags of blood?"

Nurse Zhao handed over the cold chain box.

"The first bag is being sent out; the blood transfusion department will continue to deliver the rest. We've already followed up on the crossmatch results, and Director Qin is continuing to pursue them."

Qin Hai pressed the elevator button.

The plastic around the button's edge has worn white.

The numbers jump down from five.

Four.

three.

two.

With each jump, Liang Shumin's monitor beeped.

It felt like each blow was hitting the heart.

Lin Ye stared at the screen.

He didn't look at the border.

There's no need to look at it at this point.

All dangers are looming ahead.

blood pressure.

lactic acid.

Hemoglobin.

The dark area on the abdomen.

And then there's this elevator that's been delayed for ages.

"Another one!"

Qin Hai suddenly roared.

The door to the freight elevator next to it was slightly ajar.

There were two boxes of cleaning supplies piled up inside.

Ma Hao rushed over and dragged the box out.

The bottom of the cardboard box scraped against the ground, making a dull slurring sound.

Use this.

The operating room nurses also lent a hand.

A box of disinfectant wipes was dragged to the wall, its corner cracked, revealing the packaging bag inside.

The freight elevator is propelled by a flatcar.

The space is too cramped.

The monitor almost got stuck in the door frame.

Sun Zhiqiang turned to the side and used his shoulder to support the instrument.

"Slow down, the pipes."

Nurse Zhao raised her arm, stretching the IV tubing into a diagonal line.

Liang Shumin's wife stood outside the elevator, not daring to squeeze in.

She clutched her phone, her face pale as a ghost.

Qin Hai glanced at her.

"Please take a seat. Wait outside the operating room."

The woman's eyes immediately reddened.

"Can't I come along?"

There are no seats inside.

Qin Hai's tone was firm.

"If you fall, we'll have to save another one."

The woman stood frozen in place.

The son on the other end of the phone hurriedly said:

"Mom, listen to the doctor."

The elevator doors closed.

With his last glance, Lin Ye saw her standing outside the door, her cracked-screen phone pressed against her ear.

It's like holding onto an invisible rope.

The freight elevator goes up.

The elevator car swayed slightly.

The numbers on the monitor kept changing.

Blood pressure 68/36.

Heart rate 152.

The anesthesiologist's hand was already on the airway bag.

If you lose consciousness again, you'll have to deal with your airway on the way.

The vascular surgeon stared at Liang Shumin's abdomen.

"Hold on for one more minute."

No one knows whether this was said to the patient or to the elevator.

Lin Ye held on to the bed rail.

My palms were sweaty.

A light blue border flashed briefly at the edge of my field of vision.

[Current Status: Suspected rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysm; patient has been transferred for emergency surgery.]

[The chain of evidence includes: low blood pressure, signs of shock, abnormal bedside ultrasound, low hemoglobin, and elevated lactate.]

[Result: Still under evaluation.]

Still under evaluation.

Lin Ye suppressed those five words.

The elevator doors opened.

The lights outside the operating room were blindingly white.

Someone inside had already lifted the curtain.

"Over here!"

The operating room nurse took the bedside table.

The flatbed cart was pulled out of the elevator.

The wheel rolled over the threshold, giving a sudden jolt.

Liang Shumin tilted his head slightly.

The oxygen mask was tilted half an inch.

The anesthesiologist reached out and pressed it back down.

"Don't touch the headboard."

The vascular surgeon called out into the room while changing his shoe covers:

"Open abdomen pack, hemostats, artificial blood vessel, suction fully open. Prepare for anesthesia induction, keep the vasopressor on."

Lin Ye followed to the line of control.

Further ahead, it's no longer a place the emergency room can access.

Nurse Zhao handed the IV line to the circulating nurse in the operating room.

"The first bag is almost finished, and the rest of the blood is being sent. He's allergic to penicillin, his blood pressure medication is irregular, and there's no clear anticoagulant. His son's phone is with his family."

The circulating nurse repeated it.

"Penicillin allergy, irregular blood pressure medication, anticoagulation details unknown, further blood transfusions to be sent."

"It's not an anticoagulant, the cause is unclear."

Lin Ye immediately spoke up.

"The family said they did not take anticoagulants, but their medication history is incomplete. It has been recorded as the family denying anticoagulant use, which still needs to be verified during the procedure."

The circulating nurse glanced at him.

No rebuttal.

She changed a few words on the handover form.

"The family denies the use of anticoagulants; this needs to be verified."

Qin Hai also glanced at Lin Ye.

That one glance wasn't a compliment.

But I didn't interrupt.

Just as the operating room door was about to close, the vascular surgeon suddenly turned around.

"Continue to expel blood in the emergency room."

Qin Hai nodded.

"I'll hold the phone."

The door closed.

The red light is on.

When Liang Shumin's wife arrived, she saw the lamp.

She stopped at the doorway, her chest heaving violently.

The phone call hasn't ended yet.

On the other end of the phone, the son asked:

"Did you go in?"

The woman opened her mouth.

No sound was made.

Nurse Zhao helped her up.

"They're inside."

She answered for her.

"Now we're waiting for news from the operating room."

The woman slowly slid down the wall and sat down on the chair.

The chair leg scraped against the ground with a short sound.

She stared at the red light on the door, her finger still hovering over her phone screen.

The screen cracked, cutting his son's name into several pieces.

Emergency room patients should not wait too long outside the operating room.

Qin Hai turned and walked back.

"Sun Zhiqiang, the blood transfusion department continues to follow up and find out where the second and third bags are. Nurse Zhao, have the family stay at the door; don't let her faint alone. Ma Hao, complete the handover time."

"Linye."

Lin Ye looked up.

Qin Hai slapped the emergency record folder into his arms.

The corner of the paper clip hurt his chest.

"Back to the emergency room."

"The next one is still waiting."

The moment he finished speaking, Qin Hai's phone vibrated in his pocket.

He took it out and glanced at it.

It's a call from the operating room.

Everyone stopped in their tracks.

Qin Hai answered the call.

"explain."

The background noise on the other end of the phone was very loud.

The sounds of suction devices, instruments clattering, and the hushed counting from the anesthesiology department were all mingled together.

The voice of a vascular surgeon came from inside.

"The abdominal cavity was filled with blood when we opened it up."

"Don't ask about the result yet."

"Send more blood."