“The last time?”
Nora raised her brows again. She had already long forgotten that she had operated on Mrs. Hunt before.
Tina frowned at her reaction at once. She said, “You can’t really be that greedy, right? It’s said that different people gain different insights and experiences when watching Anti perform surgery. You should give more of such opportunities to other people instead, Ms. Smith.”
While speaking, she spied Director Shaw’s assistant walking over out of the corner of her eye. She changed her attitude at once, switching from a lofty attitude to her usual gentle one. She let out a sigh and said, “I’m not doing this to fight for opportunities for myself, of course; I’m already authorized to enter the operating room. I just feel that Ms. Smith shouldn’t trouble Director Shaw because of things like this. We were allowed to enter the operating room only after going through a careful selection process. If you make use of such means to get in, then it’ll mean that someone else deserving the chance won’t be able to get in…”
Sure enough, her remark resonated with the person walking over.
There was no way everyone could enter the operating room. An additional person going in would mean one fewer person from the school going in. Moreover, observing and learning up close would also feel different from just watching videos.
The assistant was a doctoral student. Once he graduated, he would remain on campus and become a professor, as well as a specially-invited chief doctor in the hospital. He was also the protégé whom Director Shaw was the proudest of. His name was Michael Lange.
He curled his lip disdainfully inwardly and said somewhat unhappily, “Director Shaw asked me to bring you in.”
Tina frowned at the sight.
Just whose connections did Nora use to actually make Director Shaw treat her so politely…? On top of that, he had even sent his most capable assistant to pick her up.
The Andersons weren’t capable of this. In that case, could it be the Hunts?
Tina lowered her head and followed behind them.
When Nora entered the conference room, Director Shaw was in the midst of a consultation with a few experts. Doctors of Tina’s level could only take the furthermost seats and listen to their discussion.
However, as soon as Nora entered, Director Shaw stood up and said, “You’re here, Ms. Smith.”
As he spoke, he made a move to give up his seat to her.
Nora waved and said, “It’s fine.”
She randomly pulled a chair over, sat behind the few of them, and said, “Go on, don’t mind me.”
Director Shaw understood what she was like—the big boss didn’t like trouble, so she might leave early—so he didn’t dare to say much about it. He continued the discussion with the others instead.
Tina, who was seated at the back, glanced at the postgraduate students standing behind the row of chairs, and curled her lip in disdain.
Real chief physicians were all seated at the front and participating in the discussion.
Only postgraduate students who came along to study would sit behind their teachers. Sometimes, when there weren’t enough chairs to go around, they would have to stand instead.
Among those who came to listen, Michael was the only one qualified to sit at the front.
She’d thought that Nora must be very capable, but as it turned out, she was also just here to listen!
The corners of her lips curled into a smile.
Two hours later.
“… This is a bleeding point. We have to take special care to avoid this spot during the operation.”
After discussing various possibilities, Director Shaw and the others finalized the surgical plan.
Director Shaw was a relatively democratic and magnanimous person. Whenever he had an operation slated, he would have his doctoral and postgraduate students discuss the operation together. As such, he asked, “Do you have any other opinions? Or is there anything that you feel we should pay attention to?”
With the few mentor-level doctors jointly discussing the operation, all the details had already been gone through, so everyone shook their heads.
Director Shaw then looked at Nora and asked, “Is there anything special to take note of?”
Nora raised her droopy, slightly world-weary almond-shaped eyes and leisurely uttered, “No.”
This was just a minor operation. Director Shaw had already taken every single possibility into consideration.
Nora had listened to their discussion very seriously. As a result, now that she had relaxed, she couldn’t help but yawn after she spoke.
It made her look lazy and sloppy as if she had been close to nodding off the entire time.
Tina glanced at Michael and sighed. She said, “Some people don’t even have the opportunity to come in and listen even if they want to, yet there are people who don’t know to cherish the opportunity they have. What a waste of places…”
A constantly serious Michael looked around.
All the students who were here for the discussion were very attentive. Everyone was holding pens and notebooks, and writing notes. Some had even brought recorder pens, for fear that they would miss important things to take note of.
Even Director Shaw and the other chief doctors had notebooks with them and were making notes about the key points of the operation.
Nora was the only one sitting there casually.
Michael thought of his roommate, who hadn’t been selected to participate in Anti’s surgery because they were short of a place. Before he came here, his envious roommate had said to him, “You’re so blessed. I’m willing to do anything just to observe Anti’s operation even once!”
Anti was their—all the neurosurgeons’—idol. An opportunity like this was simply too rare, yet that woman wasn’t cherishing it!
In the midst of his thoughts, Director Shaw said, “Michael, go to my office and get the list of personnel participating in the operation the day after tomorrow.”
Michael nodded.
Director Shaw’s office was just next door. The personnel list needed his signature for final approval.
After taking the list, he took a casual look at the names on it while on the way back.
First on the list was Anti.
In the past, her name was something that only existed in legends. However, he now had the opportunity to meet her up close. The sight of her name alone made Michael rather excited.
The second was Director Shaw…
Following it was a list of assistants. He went through the names from the start to the end, but he suddenly realized that Nora’s name wasn’t on it?
His footsteps suddenly became rather light and springy.
He just knew that Director Shaw wasn’t a man who acted according to one’s connections!
After he returned to the conference room, Director Shaw announced the list and signed it. He dismissed everyone after that. Then, to Nora, he said, “Please wait for me for a while, Ms. Smith. I have a very important phone consultation that will take about ten minutes, but I have something to talk to you about after that.”
Nora yawned again and nodded.
Director Shaw said, “Michael, take Ms. Smith to my office first!”
Michael nodded and led Nora out of the conference room.
Tina was very happy when she heard the list of personnel participating in the operation.
She didn’t expect that Nora’s name wouldn’t be in there! It seemed like the connections she had used weren’t powerful enough after all!
She wondered if she was spluttering in anger at the moment? Or perhaps, she was mad and embarrassed instead?
Tina wanted very much to admire her current countenance and facial expression.
Thus, she deliberately dawdled a little in the bathroom. When she saw Michael walking out of the conference room with Nora, she walked over and pretended to bump into them. Then, she said pretentiously, “You won’t be able to observe Anti’s operation this time, Dr. Smith. Don’t be too disappointed, though. After all, there will always be another chance next time, right?”
Nora, “???”
She looked at Tina lazily. “Are you very bored and idle today?”
Tina cast her eyes down and said, “How can you say that? I was just trying to comfort you out of kindness. I know you must be in a very bad mood because you can’t take part in Anti’s operation, but this can’t be helpe—”
However, as soon as she said that, Nora interrupted her and said, “Who says I’m not taking part in it?”