Surgeons Episode 3 Recap
> Surgeons Recap
A heated emergency meeting was convened, not for discussion but for confrontation. Director Yang announced that Zhuang Shu, a professor from the University of California Medical Center, would now lead Ward 1 as its supervisor, replacing Lu Chenxi. Lu Chenxi, interpreting this as a calculated move by Director Yang, sarcastically congratulated him for finding a specialist like Zhuang Shu, who would help him promote medical equipment and avoid trouble.
Zhuang Shu, maintaining his composure, advised Lu Chenxi against such impulsive behavior. He noted that he had not seen the patients' medical records or understood the full story, suggesting that if there were issues with Lu Chenxi's duties, adjustments could be made temporarily. Director Fu, also present, chose to withhold his opinion for the moment.
Lu Chenxi then accused Director Yang of using a patient's financial worries to increase their anxiety, specifically mentioning a patient with severe hemoptysis, all to avoid trouble. Zhuang Shu calmly revealed that he had successfully performed surgery on that patient 20 minutes earlier, and the patient was now in good condition. Lu Chenxi was outraged, questioning if her right to perform necessary treatments was being stripped or if only "experts" hired by Director Yang were permitted to operate.
Zhuang Shu advised her against using speculation for moral judgments. He further explained that the patient's family's hesitation stemmed from reimbursement fears, and he had clarified a two-month-old insurance policy amendment allowing reimbursement for such emergency cases, which convinced the family to proceed with the surgery. Director Yang then added insult to injury, bringing up the young couple's father-in-law, Zhao Wei Gang, an elderly man who suffered post-operative discomfort after esophageal cancer surgery.
The family mistakenly believed Lu Chenxi chose manual suturing over a stapler for personal gain. Lu Chenxi was speechless and felt unjustly accused, arguing that a 70-year-old patient who had undergone two major surgeries would naturally recover slower than a 30-year-old. Director Yang countered that Lu Chenxi had failed to offer the stapler option, leading the family to suspect her motives.
Realizing Director Yang was determined to find fault, Lu Chenxi threw her badge onto the table, declaring she would leave as per Director Yang's wishes. Lu Chenxi then approached Director Fu, saying with a hint of defiance that she, a surgeon, did not possess the eloquence of Director Yang and Dr. Zhuang. She fiercely shouted at Director Yang that she would absolutely never use his medical equipment. Director Fu slammed the table and reprimanded Lu Chenxi to correct her attitude.
Lu Chenxi composed herself and, with a sorrowful tone, stated that Renhe Hospital, where she had worked for eleven years, was no longer the same. She departed, trying to appear unburdened. Lu Chenxi returned to her office, visibly upset as she packed her belongings. Her team of intern students, though often the target of her strictness, stood silently behind her, expressing their admiration and reluctance to see her go.
Lu Chenxi encouraged them to continue working hard, even as she herself needed comfort. She then left the hospital, a place to which she had dedicated eleven years, leaving behind her sacred white coat. Meanwhile, at the meeting, Director Fu reflected on Lu Chenxi's departure, acknowledging that it was a collective responsibility to lose such an outstanding surgeon. Just then, an emergency alert blared through the hospital, announcing a major car accident outside with over ten casualties.
Chief Zhong Xibei of the ER frantically organized the rescue, urging Director Yang to call Lu Chenxi to assist, as she was always central to previous mass casualty events. Director Yang tried to send Zhuang Shu instead, citing his expertise, but Chief Zhong dismissed the idea, arguing that a new specialist unfamiliar with the hospital's equipment and staff would be unsuitable for such a chaotic situation.
Zhuang Shu then suggested a public announcement to call Lu Chenxi to the ER, unaware that she was already on her way. Having heard the car accident alert while leaving, Lu Chenxi, with a shake of her head thinking, "What terrible timing," and driven by years of medical instinct, immediately put down her luggage and rushed to the ER. She donned a fresh white coat and gloves, stepping into the chaotic scene to assist with the overwhelming number of injured.
Two severely injured patients were brought in, one of whom was Cheng Hiu Ying, the women's division chief Lu Chenxi had clashed with earlier. Cheng Hiu Ying had glass deeply embedded in her chest. Putting personal feelings aside, Lu Chenxi directed Chen Shaocong to perform internal cardiac compressions. As Lu Chenxi and Chief Zhong assessed the complex cases, Zhuang Shu arrived, calmly suggesting that Lu Chenxi entrust the most challenging surgery to him.
Lu Chenxi, acknowledging his expertise, trusted him and agreed with a nod. In the surgical preparation room, Lu Chenxi expressed confidence in performing Cheng Hiu Ying's surgery but admitted she was daunted by the other patient's complex injuries, which Zhuang Shu was about to operate on. While washing his hands, Zhuang Shu questioned the straightforward and simple woman, asking if she wasn't worried about potential complications in Cheng Hiu Ying's surgery, given their recent public altercation.
Lu Chenxi responded simply that she would never abandon a patient, regardless of their past interactions. In Zhuang Shu's operating room, he calmly guided Chu Jun, instructing her to stabilize the piece of glass protruding from the patient's chest while he worked on a tumor. Despite Chu Jun's struggle, she managed to comply. Zhuang Shu praised her, but a sudden tremor in her hand caused blood to spray onto his face.
Zhuang Shu swiftly stabilized the patient, then reassuringly told Chu Jun she had done well and encouraged her to practice with dumbbells to improve her strength. Meanwhile, Lu Chenxi successfully completed Cheng Hiu Ying's surgery, despite the patient's serious condition. Stepping out of the operating room, Lu Chenxi observed Zhuang Shu intently performing his complex surgery through the viewing window, expressing her admiration to her students and sadly stating that she would no longer be their teacher.
After finishing his own surgery, Director Fu, visibly in unbearable pain and sweating profusely, rushed into the changing room to take medication, leaning against the ground. Just then, Director Yang pulled back the curtain, his voice laced with suspicion as he asked, "Were you eating medicine a while ago, Director Fu?" The suspicious voice made Director Fu's heart tighten. Zhuang Shu's complex surgery concluded perfectly. He emerged to find Lu Chenxi waiting nearby. He smiled as he walked over.
Lu Chenxi's tone was gentle, completely without the arrogance she displayed earlier, and she sincerely requested to watch the video recording of his surgery. Zhuang Shu looked at Lu Chenxi, a woman solely devoted to medical skill, unswayed by authority but deeply respectful of expertise, his expression somewhat moved.
