"Do you have any concerns?" Lin Xiao Tian noticed the oddity on the uncle's face.
The uncle was silent for a moment, then spoke:
"Doctor Lin, I am very grateful that you saved my daughter, but the hospitalization fees... are really too expensive. If possible, I would like to take my daughter home."
Lin Xiao Tian pondered for a moment, then said, "Taking her home is also an option, but... my suggestion is still to keep her for observation. No one knows when she might have an episode next. If she's in the hospital, we'll still have time to take some measures."
The uncle hesitated for a while, but in the end, he nodded, "Alright, then we'll stay!"
After saying this, he bowed to Lin Xiao Tian again, then hurried out of the consultation room.
Watching the uncle's departing figure, Lin Xiao Tian couldn't help but recall his own past experiences with debt collectors. He wanted to help the uncle, but his contract with the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hall only stipulated the waiver of medical fees, not hospitalization expenses.
He hesitated for a moment, then finally picked up the phone.
"Hello! Director Xu? This is Lin Xiao Tian."
"Haha, Xiao Tian! How are you settling in on your first day at work? I've heard that you actually brought a dead person back to life this morning. Indeed, I was not wrong about you."
On the other end of the line, Xu Qing He's voice, full of admiration, came through.
"Director Xu is too kind, I am just doing what I should do."
"Modest! Very good! I like young people like you!" Xu Qing He praised without restraint.
Then, he continued to Lin Xiao Tian, "By the way, is there something you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Actually, there is one thing I need to discuss with you."
"What is it? Just say it, and I'll fulfill whatever I can," Xu Qing He responded generously.
"It's about our contract, which stipulated the waiver of medical fees, right? I was wondering if we could also waive the hospitalization fees?"
"What?" After hearing Lin Xiao Tian's words, there was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the line.
"Xiao Tian, do you know how much our medical hall's hospitalization fees are for the most ordinary ward per day? It's a full five hundred yuan! If I waive this for you, will the medical hall still be able to operate?"
Xu Qing He sighed.
"What's the difference between hospitalization fees and medical fees? I'm not taking a salary anyway, so you can just consider it as offsetting that part!" Lin Xiao Tian replied.
"This..." Xu Qing He on the other end of the line was silent for a while. "Alas! Forget it, let's offset it then! However, I must say beforehand, it can only offset the cost of a standard ward!"
"Okay! Thank you, Director Xu!" Lin Xiao Tian chuckled.
After a few more brief chats, Lin Xiao Tian hung up the phone.
At the same time, at the hospital's billing counter.
The uncle waited in a long queue and finally reached the front.
"Hello, for bed number 301, can you please extend it for half a day?" the uncle said to the nurse at the window.
"Half a day?" The nurse was taken aback. "No, hospitalization must be paid for at least a full day."
"This... can there be some flexibility?"
The nurse at the window glanced at the uncle. Seeing his disheveled appearance, she knew he was likely short on money. However, she patiently continued, "This is the rule, I can't do anything about it. You can try to raise the money first and make sure to pay the fees within today."
"Alright!" The uncle sighed.
He only had two hundred yuan on him right now. He didn't know where to find the remaining three hundred yuan.
Just as he was about to leave, the nurse suddenly called out to him.
"Huh? This bed number 301 has already been extended for a week."
The uncle was stunned when he heard this and quickly asked, "It's already been extended? When was it extended? Could there be a mistake?"
"The name of the person who paid for the extension is Lin Xiao Tian. Do you know him?"
"Lin Xiao Tian?" The uncle was stunned.
...
Ever since Lin Xiao Tian revived the little girl, his clinic had become incredibly busy.
Before, he only had a few sporadic appointments, and they were often canceled.
But now... it was a completely different scene!
"Everyone, please don't crowd, line up in an orderly fashion, one by one!" The nurse looked at the crowd helplessly.
But her words had no effect on the people who were now blinded by desperation.
"What's going on? I was here first, why are you cutting in line?"
"What do you mean you were here first? My left foot clearly moved forward a step before yours, it was you who forcefully cut in line!"
The appointment machine was already swamped. Everyone wanted Lin Xiao Tian to treat them, but the doctor's daily appointment slots were fixed, making it a brutal process of "first come, first served."
"Heh heh, I got one!" a young man exclaimed excitedly.
Although it was the last appointment slot for the day, and he could only come in the afternoon, for him, it was already an incredibly fortunate event.
"Hey! Weren't you the one who kept saying Dr. Lin was a quack doctor just now? Why are you rushing for an appointment now?" a middle-aged uncle who didn't get a slot immediately stood up and retorted.
"That's right! He was the one shouting the loudest, and I remember he even had a specialist appointment!"
"He already has an appointment and is still competing with us for one, that's too much!"
"Young man, that's not honest of you!"
Suddenly, the young man became the target of everyone's criticism.
"What's dishonest about it? I got this appointment through my own ability, where is it dishonest? If you can, then go and get one yourselves!" the young man immediately retorted.
And similar scenes were happening all over the waiting hall.
Those who managed to secure an appointment with Lin Xiao Tian felt lucky for acting fast.
As for those who couldn't, they could only watch enviously.
There were even instances of people trying to buy appointments at high prices!
Furthermore, when they learned that Lin Xiao Tian only worked one day a week, the frenzy to get an appointment became even more intense, even leading to physical fights.
Facing this situation, the most distressed were the security guards on site. They not only had to prevent people from sneaking into the consultation room but also maintain order.
At this very moment, besides the security guards on the scene, Xu Qing He, who was in his office, was also incredibly busy.
In just half a day, he had already received over twenty phone calls, almost all of which were asking for the same thing.
"Hello, Director Xu, could you trouble yourself to make an appointment for that Dr. Lin Xiao Tian?"
"Heh heh, Section Chief Li, Dr. Lin's schedule for today is already full, we really can't squeeze anyone else in." Xu Qing He was also very helpless.
On one hand, he had to consider Lin Xiao Tian's workload, and on the other hand, he had to deal with these influential people. He didn't dare to offend either side.
"What? Director Xu, you're not being fair! Have you forgotten who helped you out with that situation at your place last time? Now I'm asking you for one appointment, and you won't even help with this small favor?"
"It's not that I'm not helping! Section Chief Li, I genuinely can't arrange it. All the appointment slots for today are already filled."
"Then tomorrow, tomorrow will be fine, right?" Section Chief Li on the other end of the phone was clearly displeased.
"It's like this, Dr. Lin only works one day a week, so you'll have to wait until next week."
"What? You mean I have to wait a whole week?"
"Alas! How about this! I'll discuss it with Dr. Lin again. Section Chief Li, please don't rush!"
Xu Qing He chatted with the person on the phone for a few more minutes and then hung up. But his troubles were far from over. At this very moment, an even more troublesome figure stood before him.
"Heh heh, Mayor Liu, please accept my apologies. I received quite a few phone calls this morning." Xu Qing He said with a plastered smile.
"Director Xu is incredibly busy, I understand that. However, regarding the appointment, I hope you will pay extra attention to it!" Mayor Liu's tone was calm.
"Of course!" Xu Qing He could only continue to smile obsequiously.