Thank You Doctor Episode 13 Recap
> Thank You Doctor Recap
Zhou Wen Lu, still recovering in the hospital, apologizes to her parents for making them worry. Her mother, in turn, expresses regret for constantly pressuring her to get married and promises to respect Zhou Wen Lu’s decisions moving forward. She acknowledges the unique challenges of living in a big city, where many choose to marry later in life, but admits her own anxiety often led her to push the issue.
Zhou Wen Lu confides that during the car accident, her primary regret was not yet having experienced marriage or worn a wedding dress. She clarifies that while she desires to marry, she hasn't found the right person and refuses to compromise, even admitting to playfully rejecting some of her mother's blind date suggestions out of rebellion. They share a lighthearted moment recalling their family's shared trait of being particular in love.
Zhou Wen Lu concludes by expressing her wish for a "quarrelsome yet ordinary" marriage, similar to her parents', and reiterates her commitment to marriage, though she cannot specify when, as it depends on finding the right person. Her mother, now more understanding, assures her she will no longer interfere and trusts her to handle her own life. Soon after, Pan Dong visits Zhou Wen Lu, introducing himself as the man admitted alongside her.
Upon learning he saved her life, Zhou Wen Lu expresses deep gratitude and invites him to sit. They quickly discover a shared passion for Henry David Thoreau's "Walden," with Pan Dong quoting a poignant passage about time, heart, and actions in relationships. Observing their blossoming connection, Bai Shu and Xiao Yan exchange satisfied glances. Chen Zhi attends to an elderly female patient who sustained a wrist injury from a fall. Her son voices concern about her habit of overexertion.
Chen Zhi, after reviewing the X-ray, initially diagnoses a ligament or muscle strain, assuring the family there are no significant issues and that medication will alleviate the pain. However, the patient’s pain intensifies after receiving an IV, prompting her son, Xiao Gang, to furiously confront Chen Zhi, suspecting a misdiagnosis. Xiao Yan intervenes, examining the X-ray, and identifies a bone fracture, explaining that hairline fractures can be difficult to detect in older patients with osteoporosis.
She assures the family that an orthopedist will be consulted, and a cast will be applied. Overwhelmed by his diagnostic error, Chen Zhi becomes visibly despondent. Tang Hua finds him later, appearing disheartened, and reminds him that all doctors make mistakes. She praises his foundational medical knowledge, diligence, and patient-centered approach, confidently predicting he will become an excellent doctor in the Emergency Intensive Care Unit.
Tang Hua encourages Chen Zhi to overcome his self-doubt, be resilient, and promises to help him regain his confidence and rediscover himself. Tang Hua then begins to mentor Chen Zhi, reviewing various medical cases together, including ultrasound and chest X-ray images. Chen Zhi accurately identifies conditions such as thickening of the gallbladder wall, a bi-layer change, poor sound transmission, and uneven echo, suggesting cholecystitis, as well as thick bilateral hilar shadows and exudation, indicative of possible pulmonary edema.
Tang Hua commends his precise assessments, reinforcing her belief in his capabilities. Xu Yiran playfully teases them about their close proximity while studying, jokingly warning of "cross-infection," and then directly asks Tang Hua if she has romantic feelings for Chen Zhi. Tang Hua dismisses his comments, while Xu Yiran romanticizes young love. Chen Zhi, visibly smitten with Tang Hua, later attempts to confide in Xu Yiran about his burgeoning feelings.
However, Xu Yiran misinterprets Chen Zhi's inquiry, dismissing his earlier teasing as a joke and assuring him it would not affect their professional relationship, before abruptly departing to see a patient, leaving Chen Zhi bewildered. Meanwhile, Zhang Jian Min visits Su Lian, the patient with the fractured wrist, carrying a birthday cake. Her son, Xiao Gang, confronts Zhang Jian Min, expressing his displeasure.
Xiao Yan intervenes, subtly informing Xiao Gang that the cake is a birthday gift from Zhang Jian Min for him. Later, Zhang Jian Min and Xiao Gang meet at a roadside stall to talk. Zhang Jian Min recounts his long-lost love story with Su Lian, starting from their high school days in Heze.
He shares how he was instantly captivated by her beauty, spirit, and haughtiness, and how they, initially academic rivals, eventually fell in love and planned to attend the same university. A tragic incident saw him save Su Lian from drowning, resulting in him contracting pneumonia and missing his university entrance exams. During his recovery, Su Lian disappeared, and he later discovered their parents had conspired to separate them.
He emphasizes how Su Lian devoted herself to raising Xiao Gang after his father's early passing, choosing not to remarry for his sake, which led her to become the "nagging old lady" Xiao Gang knows. Their paths diverged for decades, with both marrying and having their own families, until their unexpected reunion just last year.
Moved by the story, Xiao Gang apologizes for his previous misunderstandings and resentment, admitting he would have supported their relationship had he known the truth, acknowledging his mother's need for companionship. The following day, as Su Lian is discharged, Xiao Gang, now fully accepting, invites Zhang Jian Min to join them on their way home.
Still agitated by his earlier interaction with Xu Yiran, Chen Zhi seeks advice from nurse Lin Zhi, posing a hypothetical scenario about a girl asking a boy about his ideal love, hoping to confirm his belief that Tang Hua likes him. Lin Zhi's non-committal yet teasing response further emboldens Chen Zhi. Soon after, Chen Zhi nervously pulls Tang Hua aside, declaring his decision to "accept her love," convinced she has been subtly expressing her affection and testing him.
Tang Hua is utterly shocked and attempts to correct him, but Chen Zhi remains resolute, even accusing her of playfully denying her feelings. Exasperated, Tang Hua unequivocally states that she does not like him, has no interest in dating or marriage, and explicitly says she is not interested in "a man like you." Chen Zhi, still in denial, repeatedly asks if she is testing him.
Tang Hua firmly explains that their joint case studies were professional assistance, not romance, and her question about his ideal love was merely a casual remark inspired by the touching scene of Su Lian and Zhang Jian Min, not a declaration of affection. She criticizes his self-righteousness, comparing him to Bai Shu, for presuming every woman likes him. At that moment, Xu Yiran appears and clarifies to Chen Zhi that his earlier teasing about them was indeed just a joke.
He then straightforwardly tells Chen Zhi that, based on his observations, Tang Hua "indeed doesn't like you" and they are "not compatible at all," advising him to move on. Receiving a call about a new patient, Xu Yiran urges a dejected Chen Zhi to compose himself for work. A 58-year-old man named Dong Cheng collapses at home while drinking tea but manages to call 120 himself, leading to his admission to Tongshan Hospital's Emergency Department.
Bai Shu and Xu Yiran quickly suspect acute myocardial infarction. When Dong Cheng's wife and daughter, Xiao Man, arrive, Bai Shu explains the gravity of the situation: acute myocardial infarction carries a high mortality rate, and Dong Cheng's heart has a significant blockage, possibly in a major artery. He urges immediate cardiac stent surgery within the critical three-hour window, detailing risks like cardiac rupture, malignant arrhythmia, and the need for lifelong anticoagulant medication.
Dong Cheng, regaining consciousness, refuses the stent, believing it's a ploy for profit, and instructs Xiao Man to call his relative, Older Sister Ling Ling, a doctor at a prominent hospital in Beijing, for a second opinion. Recognizing the severe and immediate threat of ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation, Bai Shu decisively takes the phone from Xiao Man. He directly explains Dong Cheng's critical state, including a suspected blockage in the anterior descending artery, to Ling Ling.
He presses her, as both a relative and a medical professional, to consider Dong Cheng's life or death. Ling Ling, convinced by Bai Shu's assessment, advises the family to proceed with the surgery. Dong Cheng's wife, persuaded, signs the surgical consent form.
During the cardiac stent surgery, led by Bai Shu and a senior doctor, an initial coronary angiography reveals a dire situation: both the anterior descending artery and the right coronary artery are over 90% narrowed, and the left circumflex artery is 65% blocked, far worse than anticipated. The team proceeds, but Dong Cheng suddenly experiences ventricular fibrillation. The medical team swiftly initiates defibrillation.
Dong Cheng's screams are heard by his wife and daughter outside, who become distressed and accuse the doctors of causing him pain, threatening to file a complaint. Bai Shu, while continuing to manage the emergency, calmly explains that stent surgery is minimally invasive and performed under local anesthesia, meaning the patient is conscious. He clarifies that the electric shock is a life-saving measure for ventricular fibrillation, for which there's no time to administer full anesthesia.
He reiterates the critical nature of Dong Cheng's condition, with two of his three major coronary arteries severely blocked and the third also narrowing. He stresses that without immediate stent implantation, another massive myocardial infarction would be irreversible. As Xiao Man tries to calm her mother, Dong Cheng suffers another episode of ventricular fibrillation. Despite the family's emotional outcry, the surgical team remains focused, successfully defibrillating him again and continuing the complex operation.
