130 Honor Over Life

"The patient's illness isn't airborne. The smell in the room is pretty strong, anyway, so there's no point in a mask," Zheng Ren replied, deadpan.

When that happened, everyone would know which room it was.

The rooms were all ventilated. Sometimes they were crowded with family, leading to a drop in air quality but never a strong smell.

The tetanus patient was from the countryside, where hygiene standards were lower than in the city. In addition, the door and windows were tightly shut, causing the room to stink unbearably.

Every doctor who made their rounds expected others to put masks on, but no one did.

They were aware of the implications of doing so

The patient's family would notice that doctors only wore masks when entering their room. It would be hurtful.

Although it was the prerogative of medical personnel to don a mask when making their rounds, Zheng Ren, Chang Yue, and Su Yun decided against it for the sake of the patient and her family.

The patient was in a stable condition now. Her abnormal posture had relaxed a little after the administration of tetanus toxoid, but her limbs were still restrained by straps.

Zheng Ren performed a thorough check of her limbs for any signs of necrosis.

Checkups were done in 30-minute intervals and this was the sixth visit. Chang Yue noted down muscle tension and the angle of the arched back during each visit.

From the data collected, they could infer that the patient was on the right track to recovery.

Zheng Ren felt a weight lift from his shoulders.

It was his first time encountering a tetanus patient and he was following procedures laid out in one of his medical textbooks.

Textbooks were certainly a reliable source of information. Zheng Ren wondered whether he should update his book collection with some newer editions.

He had the fourth edition of the surgical handbook when he was in medical school. It was likely in its eighth or ninth edition now with more updated procedures within.

Chang Yue bid the patient's family farewell and they left the patient's room. The door quietly closed behind them and everyone took a deep breath of fresh air.

It was almost lunchtime. They visited a few more patients on their way out.

Thanks to his superb surgical skills, the patients were all healing well.

They were greeted with warm smiles all around.

Zheng Ren knew the generous smiles were mainly meant for Chang Yue.

Treatment was only 30 percent of the work, while care was 70 percent. Chang Yue clearly did a very good job attending to the needs of patients and their families.

They walked into one of the hospital rooms and saw a looming figure.

The large man was tidying up his bed, a task typically done by the nurses. This oversight was probably due to the influx of hospital visitors.

The man, however, was focused on his task. His big hands patted the pillows and smoothed out their creases.

The other two occupants in the room had been admitted for more than five days, but once their critical period was over, they had sneaked out to go home. As such, the room was tidier than the others.

"Fan Tianshui," Chang Yue announced.

"Yes." The heavyset man turned and saw Chang Yue and Zheng Ren, giving them a wide smile.

This was the gangrenous appendicitis patient whom Chu Yanzhi rescued the night Su Yun and Chang Yue finished 11 cartons of Snow.

He had recovered in record time from the severe infection; after less than a week, he could already be discharged.

This man was made of something else.

"You should stay a few more days," Chang Yue said.

"No, it's alright." Fan Tianshui stood with his back straight as a pole. "I wouldn't want to owe the hospital too much."

His words were honest and earnest.

"Chief Resident Zheng, Fan Tianshui has requested to be discharged. No fever in the past four days. No swelling or discharge at the incision site. A successful recovery overall," Chang Yue reported to Zheng Ren.

A voluntary discharge only required the patient's signature, but Chang Yue relayed the patient's status out of habit.

"Have you spoken to him about the job?" Zheng Ren asked.

He remembered that Chang Yue had asked him if he could help this patient.

Zheng Ren had contacted Little Six and managed to get him a job as a security guard.

He could not guarantee good pay but it was better than being unemployed and homeless.

From Fan Tianshui's habits, Zheng Ren figured that he had some military background. Zheng Ren had always respected the army.

Fan Tianshui's mannerisms and behavior certainly lived up to the army's reputation. Zheng Ren did not know how the man had ended up on the streets, willing to rot rather than commit crime.

Fan Tianshui once protected the country with his life and now, he still put honor above survival. Zheng Ren could respect that.

"Yes. I had to persuade him for two solid days before he accepted," Chang Yue said with a smile.

"That's good. As for the medical bill, didn't Chief Pan settle it?"

"Debts must be repaid," Fan Tianshui said in a tone that brooked no dissent. "I must also thank all of you who have cared for me during my stay here."

"It's not an issue." Zheng Ren did a final checkup to assess the patient's condition. If all was well, he could leave the hospital.

The sutures were thick and obvious. Fan Tianshui probably could remove them himself.

"Dr. Zheng, I will give you my contact number as soon as possible," Fan Tianshui said as he took two steps forward. His fighting spirit was palpable. "You can contact me for anything. I'm reliable."

His commitment made Zheng Ren smile.

"I'm serious," Fan Tianshui emphasized. He worried that Zheng Ren was taking it as a joke.

"I heard you were willing to compensate the man who framed you, even though you did not harm him."

"He's a civilian. I joined the army to protect the country." Fan Tianshui scratched his head in embarrassment. "Dr. Zheng is a good man. Doctors are incredibly important on the battlefield and soldiers will always go after anyone who harms them."

Zheng Ren was reminded of the battle in Southern Xinjiang decades ago. One side targeted the enemy's field hospital and incited an uproar. The enemy had returned fire with heavy artillery that rained down on their base.

Fan Tianshui stood to face them and bowed at a perfect right angle. Then, he took his meager belongings and left the room.

"Where is Dr. Zheng…" Thanks to his quick reflexes, Fan Tianshui avoided colliding with a passerby. He gave the person an apologetic smile and left.

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