Chapter 67 - Why Don't You Understand, Yul? I

FIVE YEARS LATER :

Dr Xiao Zeng was taking the evening round along with his assigned intern and a nurse on his either side. Wearing his regular white apron and a stethoscope hanging around his neck, he was tired but still maintained a smiling face while greeting his patients.

The intern, Dr Wu Fanxing, had many files in his hand which he will be giving one by one as the doctor checked his patients, going in their separate rooms. The nurse carried a tray of required injections and small vials. They exited room number 84 and Xiao Zeng handed back the file to the intern.

"Dr Fanxing, tell me about the next patient." Dr Xiao demanded the intern.

Intern Fanxing immediately took out the file, "Room number 85, Mr Wang Yul, a police officer by profession, brought in yesterday with a bullet wound on his left arm. You were the one who operated on him. He is currently stable."

The intern and the nurse failed to notice the solemn expression of Dr Xiao as they approached their next destination. The trio entered room number 85. A patient with few minor injuries on the left side of his face and a large bandage wrapped around his left forearm was resting on the hospital bed. He tried to sit up at once seeing the doctor who avoided his eye.

"Zeng ge." The patient Wang Yul called out softly but Dr Xiao acted as if he didn't hear anything. The nurse helped him to sit up.

"How are his blood reports?" Xiao Zeng asked the intern while the nurse gave a painkiller shot to the patient.

"They are all normal, Sir. He was given a blood transfusion. No rejection reaction has been seen yet. The complete blood count is normal. BP is normal. Here are the other reports."

Dr Xiao asked again while checking the reports, "Bowel-bladder or any respiratory distress?"

"All are normal, Sir." Fanxing replied and vaguely glanced at the patient.

Wang Yul. Fanxing remembered the name as this particular person had been admitted before. Given his profession, Officer Wang Yul was likely to have more injuries than other common patients. The patient had been looking at his Senior, Dr Xiao, ever since they entered the room. Also, the usual calm and smiling Dr Xiao Zeng looked sad today... actually since yesterday. And he didn't even bother to hide his displeasure before the patient.

'Why is that so?'

Before his mind began wandering around, he was brought back by his Senior's voice.

"Reflexes?" Xiao Zeng asked as he checked the X-ray, holding it up against the light.

"N-Normal, Sir." Fanxing stuttered but recovered immediately and continued, "He can still move the fingers of the affected arm, slight numbness is observed but no flaccidity."

Dr Xiao nodded taking in the information, "Take another X-ray of the side view and refer it to our radiologist. I need their opinion by tonight." He ordered, "Discharge the patient tomorrow if everything remains fine, follow-up after 15 days."

"Yes, Sir," Fanxing noted it down and handed Dr Xiao Zeng the case file for signing.

"Go check for room number 86." He ordered them both and continued writing his observations. The nurse and the intern followed their Senior's order without any questions and left.

As the doctor and the patient were alone in the room, Dr Xiao checked Wang Yul's eyes for any signs of jaundice due to the blood transfusion. He wrote his observations on the file in his hand and turned back to leave.

"Zeng ge?" The patient called out.

Xiao Zeng stopped in his tracks, "It's Dr Xiao for you." He sternly imposed.

"Zeng ge, please listen..."

"What is there to listen?" Dr Xiao snapped. "You lied to me, Yul! You said you will be at the desk work in your office but despite all my pleas, you went on this S rank mission. You were back to being a field agent all along."

Zeng was furious and worried. The pair had had several arguments over Yul's choice of work as Zeng began thinking it was life-threatening after the first few times that Yul had been admitted to the Emergency Ward.

Yul promised Zeng to make him stop worrying that he will transfer to office desk work exclusively; no more dealing with the cases outside on his own with fatal weapons, imposing a threat to his life, no more field jobs.

"I am sorry, Zeng ge. I should have told you sooner." Wang Yul apologized sincerely. He had tried to limit himself to desk work but he couldn't put his heart into something that he never wanted. Desk job wasn't for him.

"Sorry?" Zeng chuckled bitterly. "Sorry is not enough, Yul. How many times has it been? You have so many scars on your body. Four bullet scars and seven deep laceration scars, Yul, excluding today's. You are fortunate that you were shot only in the arm. Who knows if it would be your head next time!?"

"Calm down, Zeng ge. I won't die so easily." Yul tried holding Zeng's hand with his healthy one but the approaching arm was slapped away.

"How are you so sure? Yul... I have seen patients die before me. Your batchmate died in this very hospital. Even his body was unidentifiable. It could have been you. Why won't you understand?!" Xiao Zeng had raised his voice now.

"Death doesn't discriminate. And if you keep going on the same way as of now, it would eventually come for you." He was on the verge of tears, "I don't want to lose you, Yul. Please, try to understand me." Tears made their way across his cheeks falling on the sterilized hospital floor.

"Every time a patient enters the Emergency Ward, I pray that it's not you. Please, please don't do this, Yul. You promised me you will return back to desk work only. It's better for you. Why don't you understand me? You will be safe there." Xiao Zeng was pleading with him. He knew that saying such things was inappropriate at the given time and place. Inside the premises of the hospital, Yul was still his patient and him, the doctor.

But Zeng couldn't help it. He couldn't just wait for the love of his life to die!