Surgeons Episode 15 Recap
> Surgeons Recap
Zhao Yu Xi, a young patient, presented with ecchymoses, abnormal urinalysis, and suspected Henoch-Schönlein Purpura (HSP). Her grandmother confirmed Yu Xi's history of HSP, which caused abdominal pain, bloody stools, and rashes, requiring a strict diet. The grandmother personally prepared and delivered all of Yu Xi's meals to the kindergarten, ensuring she didn't consume any nursery food. Despite this, other children at the kindergarten were experiencing similar symptoms.
Lu Chenxi, suspecting the cause wasn't food poisoning, questioned the principal about other activities. The principal recalled that the senior class, including Yu Xi, had recently used a newly constructed swimming pool. Lu Chenxi promptly contacted medical services and the CDC to check for any infectious disease outbreaks and to obtain water samples from the pool.
When Dr. Yuan was taking Yu Xi upstairs for further examinations, Yu Xi caught sight of a pregnant woman, Liu Ling, being pushed in a wheelchair by Nurse Kang. Yu Xi cried out "Mommy!" repeatedly, but Liu Ling did not seem to hear her as she was talking on the phone with Qi Dawei, who was telling her his ex-wife Zheng Yan Hua had signed the divorce papers and they could get married soon.
Overwhelmed by emotion, Yu Xi refused treatment and insisted on finding her mother. Dr. Yuan informed Lu Chenxi, who initially dismissed it, believing Yu Xi's mother was deceased and the child had mistaken the woman for her. However, Yu Xi remained inconsolable, continuing to cry and demand to see her mother. To calm the child and facilitate her treatment, Lu Chenxi decided to find the pregnant woman, described by Dr. Yuan as having long hair and being quite pretty.
Upon entering Liu Ling's room, Lu Chenxi was surprised to see her, realizing she was the same woman. Before Lu Chenxi could speak, Liu Ling, seeing Yu Xi's grandmother, immediately played the victim, falsely accusing Lu Chenxi of bullying her, knowing Zheng Yan Hua, and even chasing her from the Emergency Department. Liu Ling's boyfriend, Qi Dawei, grew enraged, argued with Lu Chenxi, and attempted to push her. Just then, Zhuang Shu arrived to consult on Liu Ling's case.
He intervened, blocking Qi Dawei and sternly declaring that the hospital was a place for healing, not for families to cause a ruckus. He suspended Liu Ling's consultation until the matter was resolved, adding that if they didn't respect or trust the doctors, they shouldn't have come to the hospital. Zhuang Shu then pulled Lu Chenxi away, concerned for her safety. Outside the room, Yu Xi's grandmother confessed that Liu Ling was, in fact, Yu Xi's biological mother.
She explained that Liu Ling had divorced Yu Xi's father over two years ago and subsequently disappeared without contact. To protect Yu Xi from the pain of abandonment, they had told her that her mother had passed away. Both Lu Chenxi and Zhuang Shu were shocked by this revelation. Zhuang Shu quickly surmised that Liu Ling's histrionic outburst was a deliberate attempt to create a distraction, preventing Qi Dawei, her current partner, from learning about her past and her child.
Meanwhile, Qi Dawei, undeterred, continued to argue with Professor Fang, claiming Zhuang Shu, as an invited foreign specialist, had no right to stop a consultation, and threatened to complain to the Hospital Director. Zheng Yan Hua then entered the room, telling Qi Dawei to stop causing trouble, and apologized to Professor Fang. Back with Yu Xi, Zhuang Shu gently spoke to the crying child, asking if her mother loved her and would want her to get well.
He explained that if her real mother were present, she would surely want Yu Xi to undergo examinations and treatment. His kind words calmed Yu Xi, who eventually agreed to cooperate with the treatment. Inside Liu Ling's hospital room, Zheng Yan Hua confronted Qi Dawei, reminding him of their wedding and his promise to give her a better life, questioning if mere money was enough.
She then presented him with divorce papers, which she had already signed, telling him to stop making trouble. Qi Dawei, seeing his ex-wife's resolution, dropped his complaints against the doctors. Liu Ling, feigning remorse, claimed she felt like a "bad person" for breaking up his family but insisted it was all out of love. Qi Dawei tried to reassure her, telling her to focus on delivering their "big fat son" and enjoying a happy life.
Their conversation was interrupted by Qi Dawei's assistant, Zhao, who rushed in with urgent news: the Construction Bureau had ordered a reexamination of the swimming pool water pipeline his company designed for the kindergarten. Zhao explained that many children at the nursery had suffered from vomiting and diarrhea due to infectious contamination, prompting CDC involvement, and tests showed the pool water failed numerous quality parameters. Despite Qi Dawei's initial resistance, he had to leave immediately to address the escalating crisis.
Liu Ling, subtly, breathed a sigh of relief. Later, Liu Ling, anxious about getting married quickly, texted Qi Dawei repeatedly, but received no reply. She called Zhao, who impatiently told her that Qi Dawei was in deep trouble. The company's drainage system for a seafood restaurant was also found to be substandard and leaking, and with the kindergarten pool contamination, Qi Dawei faced potential legal responsibilities as the direct supervisor. Zhao stressed that marriage was the least of their concerns.
Lu Chenxi was feeling disheartened, deeply affected by recent events, including Professor Fu Bowen's confession. Zhuang Shu offered her comfort and support. He proactively discussed upcoming surgeries for Teacher Zhu Hongying and Lin Sen, inviting Lu Chenxi to be a part of both. He noted Teacher Zhu's critical condition and his plan for an endoscopic evaluation next week, for which he needed Lu Chenxi's expertise.
He also informed her that Lin Sen's father had requested Lu Chenxi, known for her skill in thoracoscopic surgery, be involved in his son's procedure to minimize post-operative pain, a request Zhuang Shu had approved. Lu Chenxi questioned if these arrangements were predetermined, and Zhuang Shu acknowledged her crucial role in previous surgeries.
Lu Chenxi admitted she had misunderstood Zhuang Shu previously, acknowledging that Professor Fu had confessed to having chest pains during Xue Fang Yin's surgery, unable to continue, and that Zhuang Shu's intervention had prevented an irreparable mistake. She shared that Professor Fu had advised her to seek Zhuang Shu's guidance for all future matters, academic or otherwise. Zhuang Shu then asked if she still intended to leave Renhe.
Lu Chenxi confessed to feeling like a "presumptuous and reckless person" outside of surgery, and she thanked him for consistently "putting out fires" that she started. Zhuang Shu, understanding her emotional turmoil, advised her not to dwell on things she couldn't comprehend, to rest, recover, and remember that both Lin Sen and Teacher Zhu still needed her. Later that evening, Zhuang Shu returned home with groceries, intending to make dumplings.
He invited Lu Chenxi to help, who was initially reluctant but eventually agreed to assist by preparing the vegetables. As they worked, Zhuang Shu shared that he learned household chores, including making dumplings, at a young age because his parents were busy, and honed his skills while living abroad. Lu Chenxi, feeling contemplative, expressed her childhood ambition to "retire proudly" with a pension and joked about her more recent ambition to open a popsicle shop.
Zhuang Shu gently challenged her, pointing out that even a small business required managing relationships and was not without its difficulties. He noted her serious consideration of quitting medicine, which she admitted only started "yesterday." When Lu Chenxi lamented over a torn dumpling wrapper, Zhuang Shu used it as a metaphor, asking if she would abandon a surgery simply because a patient might die.
He admonished her for contemplating giving up her entire career due to recent setbacks, warning that if she continued to flee from challenges, she might end up needing relief funds before she ever collected a pension. Their conversation was cut short when Zhuang Shu received an urgent call from Zhi Wei on his phone. A lung cyst patient in Bed 15 was experiencing respiratory cycle failure.
As the on-call doctor, Zhuang Shu had to rush to the hospital immediately, as surgery might be required. Before leaving, he gently took off his apron and tied it around Lu Chenxi, instructing her to add a little salt when cooking the dumplings so they wouldn't break, and to save some for him. Lu Chenxi stayed at home, dutifully boiling the dumplings, her gaze lost in thought as she watched them tumble in the pot.
Meanwhile, Zhuang Shu, with precision and calm, performed the necessary surgery. Late that night, he returned home to find the cooked dumplings on the table and Lu Chenxi sound asleep, her head resting on the table. He softly asked if she had slept and playfully wondered if she had eaten all the dumplings, noting the untouched food.
