Chapter 154 - The Promise Which Brought Them Together

IQ of 135!!!!! 

The Junior doctors and the duty nurses stared at the frail girl lying in the bed with a stupefied look on their faces.

With such an IQ score, she is nothing but a genius,

"She is the youngest champion in the history of the nation-level mathematical quiz," Luo Ben Cheng stated with a proud face, "Eight months ago, she was in a car accident and she miraculously survived a near-death experience. The day she was fell from the school building she was supposed to attend an interview for a student exchange program with a famous school abroad. She is a hard worker and an optimistic person who wished for a bright future and a better life...As Dr Lee has mentioned there are people who live without any memories from their life before the accident. But in this case, it is not only our responsibility to save this person but also it is a challenge," Luo Ben Cheng concluded and examined his junior's faces "Do you recognize the challenge we are facing here?"

"Yes, we cannot administer drugs which might weaken her brain function," Yun Xian answered, "But if we do that, the amount of pain which the patient must go through will be far worse,"

"But it is only applicable if the patient wakes up from the coma," As soon as Luo Ben Cheng finished, Lee Tae Yang whose eyes were scanning the patient, suddenly opened his mouth,

"Professor, I have something to mention...I don't know how it is even possible,"

Luo Ben Cheng carefully listened to him. Lee Tae Yang was the top-scorer of his batch and one of the highly efficient resident doctors whom everyone approves. The surgeons in the neurology department often ask him to assist their surgeries because of his outstanding surgical skills.

"Last night when I came here, I heard her falling from the bed, she grabbed my hand and even talked to me...But when Professor Mao checked her, she went back to the unconscious state," Lee Tae Yang said it in a breath and waited for his professor to reject his claims,

However, Luo Ben Cheng believed his words, "Oh, then we should check it ourselves. Dr Lee, why don't you try calling her?" 

Lee Tae Yang nodded in agreement while moving closer to the bed. He took a glance at the patient and slightly bent down,

"Li Juan, can you hear me?"

He called her with a pair of doting eyes and melting everyone's heart with his deep masculine voice dripping in endearing emotions.

It wasn't a strong and stable tone which doctors usually use to wake the unconscious patients, but his voice was something similar to the tone which someone uses to call their dear ones.

"Li Juan, can you hear me?" He repeated,

"Professor, should we try calling her family members and let them try once?" One of the junior residents asked Luo Ben Cheng.

Professor Luo who was keen on observing Lee Tae Yang's interactions with the patient gestured others to keep quiet,

Lee Tae Yang glanced at the monitoring system which was indicating the patient's vitals.

Her respiration and heart rate appears normal, so it is okay to use some force to wake her up.

He took a deep breath and touched Li Juan's shoulder blade to wake her up,

He gently shook her and called again in a raised voice,

"Li Juan, can yo-" All of sudden his words stuck in the throat when he saw the slight movement of irises under her thick eyelids, 

Unknowingly Lee Tae Yang leaned closer with a faint smile,

"Li Juan," 

The moment he uttered her name, Li Juan's long eyelashes fluttered open, revealing a pair of coal-black irises, 

She woke up like a beauty who has been cursed to deep sleep for a thousand years,

The deep dark oceans in her eyes reflected Lee Tae Yang's dazzling face,

"Eyes opens to speech-" He reported without averting his eyes away from her,

One of the doctors noted it down,

Lee Tae Yang carefully removed the oxygen mask which covered half her face and Li Juan's small yet appealing face appeared before everyone.

When her oxygen support was removed Li Juan's nostrils and chapped lips flared a little, but surprisingly there wasn't any other prominent indications discomfort.

Her eyes remained anchored on the person who stood beside her.

"Can you talk? Lee Tae Yang asked her, Can you tell me what is your name?" 

Upon hearing his question her lips trembled in a vague effort to speak, but only some muffled voices came out of her mouth,

Even after trying for a few minutes, she couldn't render a complete sentence or any meaningful words,

"Verbal response-incomprehensible speech or sounds," Lee Tae Yang reported,

Once Li Juan secured a better score in GCS, a scaling system which is used for testing the response of people with brain injuries, to distinguish the severity of their injuries, Luo Ben Cheng's face brightened and he walked over to check her in person,

Lee Tae Yang took a step back to make space for his professor, however, the moment he moved away from the bed, suddenly Li Juan raised tried to rise her palm as if she is trying to stop him, but her palm fell onto the bed with a low thud sound,

Looking at her reaction, Luo Ben Cheng halted his steps, "Dr Lee, stay there and continue with GCS,"

Lee Tae Yang nodded and turned to face the girl who was looking at him with glistening eyes, 

"Can you grab my hand?" He asked and moved his palm towards her,

Like an obedient kid, she reached out for his strong arm, her thin and long fingers gently touching the white of his palm,

"Great," Lee Tae Yang's lips curled up into a warm smile and faced his colleagues to report,

"Motor response-obeys commands,"

"Professor, GCS-score-12," The doctor who was noting down the reports said in an elated tone,

Luo Ben Cheng picked up the pen torch from his coat's pocket and moved towards Li Juan, however she made a weak effort to tighten her fingers over Lee Tae Yang's smooth palm,

"Tae Yang, stay there," Luo Ben Cheng ordered, somehow felt that the patient has some kind of trust towards Lee Tae Yang. So he asked his junior to stay beside her and flashed the light to check the patient's response to light,

When bright light blinded her sight, Li Juan squinted her eyes, the pupils contracting to adjust with the sudden brightness.

"Response to light seems good," Luo Ben Cheng took the stethoscope and checked her breathing rate,

"Her responses are impressive, Let's wait for 24 hours and if there aren't any problems, shift her to the ward," He informed the duty nurse while scribbling down something on the medical sheet, "Allow her mother to visit," 

"Yes, doctor," 

"Miss Li, thank you for waking up," Luo Ben Cheng smiled warmly at the girl, "See you tomorrow," 

He turned away to walk out from the cubicle with his juniors, however, Lee Tae Yang stood there like a statue, unable to move from his spot.

"Professor," Yun Xian called for Luo Ben Cheng in a puzzled tone when she saw her colleague was hesitating to leave. 

Luo Ben Cheng raised one of his eyebrows as he continued to examine the young man who stood next to the patient,

Li Juan was still clutching on to him,

When Lee Tae Yang noticed Li Juan's peculiar actions, bit his lips and tried to release her hold from his hand,

"I will come back," He said in a low voice and placed her small palm on the bed, even before he could turn away, Li Juan grabbed his sleeves again,

Lee Tae Yang glanced at the girl who was looking at him with an expressionless face.

"You don't want me to leave?"

Her ebony eyes blinked for once as an answer,

"I got some work in the morning, how about I come and visit you in the afternoon?" He suggested with a smile, however, there weren't any responses from her side, "I promise that I will return,"

Lee Tae Yang gasped and fished out a Jet black fountain pen lined with golden borders, from his coat's pocket,

"This is my favourite, I am leaving this with you. Give it back to me when I return, okay?" He purposed a fair deal and peeled her fingers from his coat to place the pen on her hand,

"Take care," He flashed a charming smile and headed towards the door,

Li Juan's eyes tracing his leaving back, unwilling to part with him.

Before closing the cubicle's door, Lee Tae Yang waved his palm and re-assured her that he will return.

As soon as they left the ICU, Luo Ben Cheng confronted his junior doctor with the question which was bugging his mind for a while,

"Do you know the patient?"

"No doctor, but she looks familiar," Lee Tae Yang said while trying to remember, "I think I've seen her somewhere," He said with a meek smile, "But I don't remember meeting her,"

"Either she knows you or maybe she mistook you as someone else. Other than these two reasons, I cannot draw a proper conclusion for her behaviour towards you," Luo Ben Cheng said,

"Since her GCS score is twelve, does that mean her chances for recovery is high?" Dr Yun shared her doubt,

"Better than before, but there might be some issues, anyway it is a good signal and let's hope for the best,"

Luo Ben Cheng said and headed towards his consultation room. They still have to check the outpatients who were waiting from the morning

------------------------

As promised to Li Juan, Lee Tae Yang came to visit her in the afternoon. However she was asleep when he entered into the cubicle, so he left her alone without disturbing her sleep,

"Excuse me, did the family members of patient number 14 visited her?" He asked the nurses who is on the duty,

"Yes, doctor. Patient's mother came and stayed with the patient for almost fifteen minutes,"

"Is she still here, can I meet her?" Lee Tae Yang inquired, he wanted to meet Li Juan's mother and ask more about her.

"She might be sitting outside," The duty nurse stood up from her seat and walked outside with Lee Tae Yang, but they couldn't find Li Juan's mother. "She might have gone for lunch. Did you have your meal?" The nurse asked with a smiling face,

"No, I haven't...my shift got over and I am planning to go home and cook something... I am craving home-cooked meals," Lee Tae Yang scrunched his face as if he is agonizing over it,

"I always bring food from home, if you don't mind I can share it with you," The nurse offered,

"Ahha then I will make sure to drop by," His voice perched up in happiness, "Nurse Xie, can I ask a favour from you? If that patient, Li Juan" Lee Tae Yang pointed towards the cubicle in the far end of the ICU and continued, "If she asks about me, tell her that I dropped by while she was sleeping,"

"But doctor, that girl is under...," Nurse Xie hesitated to continue,

"Ahhh, she can hear and comprehend the words, so it won't be a problem... Just tell her that I will come tomorrow morning,"

"Okay, I will tell her,"

Lee Tae Yang thanked her and left the ICU with steady steps towards the parking lot, while an unknown contentment spreading over his mind.