Surgeons Episode 30 Recap
> Surgeons Recap
Zhuang Shu tirelessly worked to resuscitate Lin Hao, who had coded twice due to abnormal electrolytes causing arrhythmia. After performing CPR and defibrillation when he coded the first time, Lin Hao coded again. His heartbeat eventually returned, and Zhuang Shu immediately ordered the insertion of a transjugular artificial pacemaker. Lin Huan and her foster mother rushed to the hospital to check on Lin Hao.
Zhuang Shu explained to Lin Huan that her father’s condition had temporarily stabilized but that the continuous fever and infection, along with the various antibiotics used, had led to abnormal electrolytes. He revealed that Lin Hao had contracted a drug-resistant organism, meaning conventional antibiotics were ineffective.
The hospital was conducting cultures and drug sensitivity tests, which would take about ten days, and Zhuang Shu cautioned Lin Huan that her father might not endure that long, advising her to prepare for the worst. Overwhelmed, Zhuang Shu went to the hospital rooftop. He called Director Zhong, who immediately asked if he had told Nan Nan (Lin Huan) about their true relationship. Director Zhong urged him to reveal the truth, believing it would make Lin Huan mentally stronger.
Zhuang Shu confided that Lin Hao’s post-operative condition was critical due to a drug-resistant infection, and he was afraid he couldn’t let Lin Huan know the truth yet. He expressed immense guilt, stating he had failed his sister twice: first, when he didn't pick her up from school, leading to her kidnapping, and now, by possibly failing to save her foster father.
He recounted how Lin Hao and his wife saved Nan Nan from traffickers and gave her a loving home. Director Zhong urged him to hold on, but Zhuang Shu felt he couldn't much longer. After hanging up, Zhuang Shu leaned on the balcony, feeling helpless. In Lin Hao’s ward, Lin Huan wept, unable to comprehend her father’s sudden decline after a successful surgery, despite her mother's attempts to console her.
She noticed that the patient in the adjacent bed, Cai Wei, was isolated behind thick curtains, and doctors and nurses always wore isolation gowns when examining him. She also observed that Cai Wei’s family tended to avoid interaction with others. This led her to suspect Cai Wei had an infectious disease and that his presence might be linked to her father's infection. When she questioned a nurse, she was told it was patient privacy.
Determined, Lin Huan found Cai Wei's lab results herself. Meanwhile, Old Tang, a medical equipment provider, grew increasingly worried about the hospital’s infection investigation. He called Yang Fan, expressing concern that while his company's equipment was fine, any deep investigation could expose their "direct relationship" and jeopardize their partnership with Renhe Hospital. Yang Fan, also worried, stated that the situation would become troublesome if anyone died from the drug-resistant infection.
Lin Huan confronted Zhuang Shu with Cai Wei's lab results, agitatedly asserting that her father’s condition worsened only after Cai Wei was moved into their room. Zhuang Shu patiently explained that she shouldn't look at other patients’ private medical information, emphasizing that during this special period of disaster relief with limited hospital space, protective isolation was strictly followed to prevent cross-infection. Lin Huan pressed him, asking directly if Cai Wei had AIDS.
Citing patient privacy, Zhuang Shu refused to answer and reiterated that Cai Wei would not be moved. Furious, Lin Huan declared she would complain to the dean. Just as she stormed off, Zhuang Shu received an urgent phone call from a nurse, informing him that Lin Hao's oxygen saturation was plummeting, and he immediately rushed back to the ward. Elsewhere, Director Zhong and the medical relief team, including Lu Chenxi, prepared to return to Jialin.
Director Zhong offered to make up for Lu Chenxi’s birthday, but she explained that her family did not celebrate birthdays because her father died on the day she was born. They discussed the drug-resistant infection crisis at Renhe, noting that over ten cases had already been discovered. Director Zhong revealed Zhuang Shu's deep concern for Lin Hao, expressing worry about the psychological impact on him if Lin Hao didn't survive.
He asked Lu Chenxi to speak with Zhuang Shu and help him not bear too heavy a burden. Lu Chenxi wondered why Zhuang Shu hadn't confided in her, to which Director Zhong remarked on Zhuang Shu’s reserved nature and "specialist appearance," noting he often spoke only half of what he meant. Back in the hospital, Zhuang Shu reviewed Lin Hao’s latest lab results, which indicated multi-organ failure, including Heart Failure Class III, acute kidney failure, and abnormal liver function.
Lin Hao briefly woke and, sensing his impending death, asked for Lin Huan to be brought to him, stating he had something important to tell her. Zhuang Shu sent the nurse away and pleaded with Lin Hao not to reveal Lin Huan's true identity. He then revealed that he was Lin Huan’s biological older brother. He knew Lin Huan's childhood nickname, Nan Nan, and that she had a red birthmark on her back.
Zhuang Shu recounted how their mother had been unjustly expelled from this very hospital thirty years ago, and Nan Nan had been kidnapped by human traffickers. He explained that he had returned from the States to clear their mother’s name but had not yet found sufficient proof. He admitted he had known for a long time that Nan Nan was living with Lin Hao and his wife.
Seeing how much they loved her and how happy she was, he couldn't bring himself to destroy her wonderful life by revealing the truth or burden her with their mother’s injustice. Zhuang Shu thanked Lin Hao for raising his sister and, tearfully, begged him again not to tell Lin Huan her true identity. Lin Hao, shocked but understanding, clasped Zhuang Shu’s hand, implicitly agreeing. Moments later, Lin Huan rushed into the ward.
Zhuang Shu informed her of her father's very bad condition, advising her to prepare for the worst, but assured her he would do everything possible to save him. Lin Huan comforted her father, and Lin Hao, despite his critical state, asked her to play her cello, reminiscing about her childhood reluctance to practice. She picked up her cello and began to play.
In his office, Zhuang Shu looked at his mother Zhang Shumei's old work license, recalling a childhood memory of his little sister Nan Nan asking for more candies. News of Cai Wei's infection quickly spread, causing a commotion among other patients' families who gathered and loudly confronted Cai Wei’s wife, demanding to know his illness and insisting he be moved. They claimed Lin Hao’s worsening condition was linked to Cai Wei's presence.
Fu Bowen intervened, trying to calm the agitated crowd. He explained that wearing isolation suits was a measure against cross-infection and urged them not to make random guesses. He defended patient privacy, stating that according to national laws, every patient's illness is private, and as the medical team, they must uphold this. He argued that a hospital treats all illnesses, and doctors cannot choose patients based on morals or perceived past actions.
Fu Bowen firmly declared that if any of their family members became infected due to Cai Wei, he would take full responsibility. He threatened to call the police if they continued to disrupt hospital activities. Gradually, the crowd dispersed. Lin Huan approached Zhuang Shu, clarifying that she did not incite the commotion and disapproved of the patients’ actions.
However, she also expressed her disagreement with the hospital's handling and explanation of the situation, stating that if her father's post-surgery infection was linked to the hospital's handling of Cai Wei, she would pursue legal action against Renhe Hospital. In a separate discussion, hospital staff, including Yang Fan, deliberated on the challenges of managing public opinion regarding HIV patients in China, where perceptions often differed from Western countries and moral judgments were common.
Zhuang Shu passionately argued against doctors choosing patients based on morals, stating that their professional duty was to save lives regardless of perceived past actions. Yang Fan confirmed he had already sent someone to contact the Infectious Diseases Hospital to transfer Cai Wei as soon as possible, prioritizing public sentiment. On a more positive note, the first batch of combined antibiotics was proving effective across various departments, with patients in orthopedics and general surgery showing signs of improvement. The treatment was being distributed throughout the hospital, with hopes of soon controlling the overall infection. Despite this progress, Lin Hao's condition remained "very pessimistic."
