Chapter 1230: 【1230】It’s not easy for young professionals
Xie Wanying watched as she went to make a phone call, faintly recalling the previous events in General Surgery Department Two. She thought: This person doesn’t seem to plan on conducting a physical examination for the patient, as if she never cared about such a thing.
Physical examination? Suspecting endometriosis? Blood tests and imaging studies aren’t the results more accurate? What era are we in now—doctors still prioritize physical examinations? Haven’t you noticed that in outpatient clinics, many senior doctors hardly examine patients physically? They ask a few questions and directly issue test orders instead. But this obstinate one, unexpectedly, hasn’t kept pace with the times. Shen Xifei raised her eyebrows; she wouldn’t waste her time on useless efforts.
As for the last time when Tan Kelin glared at her, seemingly ready to throw her out over her poor performance in physical examinations, she had always believed he was purposefully making things difficult for her. Tan Kelin—the poker-faced one—who doesn’t know about him? Anyway, as a gynecology graduate student, she’d never end up working in General Surgery Department Two, so she wasn’t bothered.
The patient was transferred to gynecology to be handled, so Xie Wanying could no longer intervene. She returned to the internal medicine examination room to see another internal medicine patient. She remembered it was also a young female patient, in her twenties, who had come alone. She had probably waited for quite some time and was last in line to be seen in their internal medicine clinic.
As she entered the clinic door, she saw a short-haired young woman, about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, sitting in the patient’s chair. Her sickly complexion was pale and green, her large eyes lifeless, and she spoke in a faintly trembling voice to the nurse who had entered earlier: "How much longer do I have to wait before seeing the doctor? I came here after work to see a doctor at nine o’clock in the evening, and now it’s eleven o’clock at night."
At this point, the young patient glanced again at the clock mounted on the white wall, confirming that she hadn’t mistaken it nor spoken incorrectly. But this realization only deepened her awareness that she’d already waited more than two hours, pushing her to the brink of collapse. She said, "I’ve waited for two hours. Every time it’s about to be my turn, you tell me the others are more critical. Do I have to wait until I’m on the verge of death for a doctor to finally see me?"
The nurse didn’t argue with her. After listening to her complaints, a faint look of helplessness appeared on her face.
There was nothing to be done. Tonight, most of the emergency cases were elderly people and children, or patients rushed in who urgently needed immediate medical attention. This was the emergency department, inherently dealing with acute and severe conditions. Granted, the young woman had a high fever, which also qualified her for emergency treatment. But given her age and relatively stronger health, she unfortunately had to make way for the elderly and younger patients.
Seeing that the medical staff didn’t respond to her question, the young woman seemed to lose her breath along with the silence. Their unspoken words implied that she had to accept her fate—that her life was inherently valued less than others’ lives.
"Don’t worry. The doctor is back; the doctor will see you now." Noticing Xie Wanying entering the door, the nurse immediately spoke to comfort her.
But when it came to seeing the doctor? Hearing that the doctor had returned didn’t bring even a trace of joy to the patient’s face.
She had originally imagined that going to the hospital to seek medical care would be like grabbing the last lifeline, only to discover that the hospital ultimately crushed the last fragile straw in her heart.
She was utterly broken, wasn’t she?
Young professionals face immense pressure at work.
Listening to the patient’s earlier recounting, she had managed to leave work only after eight o’clock, rushing to the hospital to seek treatment despite a high fever of 39.1 degrees Celsius. Her company didn’t allow sick leave, and as a working professional without securing a better job opportunity elsewhere, who isn’t forced to endure hardships out of fear of quitting recklessly? She had no choice but to grit her teeth and push through.