chsdbacks Chapter 1 The First Signs of a Quack Doctor
Chapter 1 The First Signs of a Quack Doctor
At the main entrance of Nanjing Army Hospital, Li Ranmo stood there carrying an old leather suitcase.
He wore a faded gray long gown, and his glasses were as thick as the bottom of a wine bottle. He looked absolutely ordinary.
Too ordinary.
The guard standing at the gate glanced at him and continued standing guard.
Li Ranmo pushed up his glasses and stepped inside.
The hospital is more chaotic inside than outside.
The corridor was packed with people. Wounded soldiers in military uniforms sat crookedly against the wall, some with their arms in slings, others with their legs bandaged. The smell of blood mixed with disinfectant filled the air. Several nurses were so busy they barely touched the ground, their white coats stained with blood.
Li Ran glanced at it and sighed inwardly.
These conditions, back in his previous life, were not even as good as a township health clinic.
"You're Li Ranmo?"
A voice came from the side.
Li Ranmo turned his head and saw a man in his forties walking over, wearing a crisp military uniform with a badge that read "Vice Dean" pinned to his chest.
"Vice Dean Chen." Li Ranmo nodded and handed over the letter of introduction.
Chen Qitai took the letter, glanced at it, and then looked up at him.
"Back from England?" Chen Qitai asked.
"Yes."
"Studied surgery?"
"Yes."
"What made you decide to return to China?" Chen Qitai stared into his eyes. "Given the current situation, isn't it better to stay abroad?"
Li Ranmo pushed up his glasses and smiled in a simple and honest way.
"I want to do something for my fellow countrymen."
Chen Qitai didn't say anything, but folded the letter and put it away.
"Come with me, let's get the paperwork done."
The two walked towards the office, one after the other.
On the way, Chen Qitai asked a few more questions, mostly about his resume. Li Ran answered flawlessly, being vague where necessary and detailed where required.
But Chen Qitai always felt that something was wrong.
This person is too steady.
He's so composed, it's hard for a 25-year-old.
After entering the office, Chen Qitai sat down and pointed to the chair opposite him.
"sit."
Li Ran sat down silently, placing his hands on his knees, his posture as upright as a primary school student.
"You've seen the situation at the hospital," Chen Qitai said. "We're short of staff, medicine, and equipment. We're lucky if we can save half of the wounded who are brought in every day."
"clear."
"Since you're new, start with a regular ward." Chen Qitai paused. "If you encounter any difficulties, feel free to contact me."
"Thank you, Vice Dean."
Just then, a scream suddenly came from outside.
Then came the sound of hurried footsteps, and someone shouted, "Stop him! Stop him!"
Chen Qitai suddenly stood up and pushed the door open to go out.
Li Ranmo followed him out.
At the other end of the corridor, a man in a hospital gown was rushing towards them, clutching a scalpel, his eyes bloodshot. Two guards chased after him, but the corridor was too crowded, and they couldn't catch up.
"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!" the man roared, swinging his knife wildly in the air.
The crowd was so frightened that they scattered to both sides.
Chen Qitai's face darkened, and he was about to speak when a nurse suddenly rushed over.
She was a young woman wearing a clean white lab coat, her hair pinned up at the back of her head, revealing a section of her fair neck.
"Comrade, put the knife down." Her voice was soft but steady.
The man froze, his knife hanging in mid-air.
In that brief moment of hesitation, Li Ranmo made a move.
He looked startled, took a step back, tripped, and fell backward.
When she fell, her elbow "accidentally" hit the cart next to her.
The cart slid forward and bumped right into the man's leg.
The man stumbled and dropped the knife.
Two guards pounced on him and pinned him to the ground.
The whole process took less than three seconds.
Chen Qitai saw it clearly.
The nurse could see it clearly too.
She turned to look at Li Ranmo, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes.
Li Ranmo got up from the ground, dusted himself off, and noticed his glasses were askew.
"Are you alright?" The nurse came over and reached out to help him up.
"It's nothing, it's nothing." Li Ranmo adjusted his glasses, smiling sheepishly, "My foot slipped."
"My name is Shen Qiushui," the nurse said. "Surgical nurse."
"Li Ranmo, the new doctor."
The two shook hands.
Shen Qiushui's hands were cold, but very strong.
"Thank you for earlier," Shen Qiushui said. "If you hadn't tripped him, he might have hurt someone."
"It's a coincidence, purely a coincidence," Li Ranmo waved his hand.
Chen Qitai walked over, glanced at the man pinned to the ground, and then at Li Ranmo.
"Send him to solitary confinement," he said to the guard, then turned to Li Ranmo, "You, come with me."
Back in his office, Chen Qitai closed the door.
"sit."
Li Ran sat down silently.
"Was that just a coincidence?" Chen Qitai stared at him.
Li Ranmo pushed up his glasses.
"Vice Dean, I really slipped."
Chen Qitai didn't say anything, but lit a cigarette.
Smoke filled the office.
"That man was a wounded soldier brought in three days ago," Chen Qitai said slowly. "The shrapnel has been removed, but he suffered a mental breakdown. He was fine this morning, but suddenly he went crazy."
Li Ranmo nodded.
"This kind of thing happens a lot in hospitals," Chen Qitai said, exhaling a puff of smoke. "Many of those sent down from the front lines are like this. Their physical wounds are healed, but their hearts aren't."
"clear."
"Your timing just now was perfect," Chen Qitai paused, "was spot-on."
Li Ran smiled silently, but did not reply.
"Go to work." Chen Qitai waved his hand. "Nurse Shen will show you around."
Li Ranmo stood up and walked to the door.
"Dr. Li," Chen Qitai suddenly called out to him.
Li Ran silently turned around.
"Have you learned how to handle this situation in the UK?"
"I've studied a little," Li Ranmo said, "but it's all theory."
Chen Qitai nodded and said nothing more.
Li Ranmo pushed open the door and went out.
In the corridor, Shen Qiushui was waiting for him.
"Did Vice Dean Chen ask you to show me around?" Li Ran asked silently.
"Hmm." Shen Qiushui nodded, speaking as she walked, "The surgical ward is on the second floor, and there are currently thirty-seven wounded. Twelve have minor injuries, and twenty-five have serious injuries. Eight of them need immediate surgery, but we can't accommodate them all."
She spoke fluently, as if she had recited it many times.
Li Ranmo followed her upstairs.
The second floor is more crowded than the first floor.
The hospital beds were packed tightly together, leaving only a narrow aisle in between. Some wounded soldiers were groaning, while others were staring blankly into space; a sense of despair permeated the air.
"This one," Shen Qiushui stopped in front of a hospital bed, "was shot in the abdomen, his intestines were sticking out, and it was just stitched up this morning."
A young man lay on the bed, his face pale and his eyes closed.
Li Ranmo leaned closer to examine the stitches.
The stitches are rough, and the thread used is incorrect.
If this were in his past life, he would have scolded his interns for a whole day if they had sewed like this.
"Well sewn," he said.
Shen Qiushui glanced at him.
"Really?" she asked.
Li Ranmo nodded.
The two continued walking forward.
When Li Ran reached the innermost hospital bed, he stopped.
An old soldier lay on the bed; his left leg was missing below the knee, and the gauze was soaked with blood.
But that wasn't what made Li Ranmo stop.
It is the veteran's right hand.
The fingers were curled at an odd angle, and the nails were purple.
"What happened to this hand?" Li Ran asked silently.
"I don't know," Shen Qiushui said. "It was delivered like this; they said it was smashed."
Li Ranmo squatted down and gently grasped the veteran's wrist.
The pulse is very weak.
He lifted the veteran's arm and looked under his armpit.
Then he stood up and said to Shen Qiushui, "We need to cut open and decompress the pressure immediately."
Shen Qiushui was taken aback.
"What?"
"Compartment syndrome," Li Ranmo said. "If we delay any longer, we won't be able to save this hand."
"But..." Shen Qiushui hesitated, "The operating rooms are fully booked, and Vice President Chen didn't say anything..."
"I'll do it," Li Ranmo said.
He took a small cloth bag from his suitcase, unfolded it, and inside was a set of surgical instruments.
It's old, but very clean.
Shen Qiushui looked at him.
"You can?"
"I studied in England," Li Ranmo said. "I can handle the basics."
Without waiting for Shen Qiushui's consent, he had already put on gloves and picked up a scalpel.
The blade sliced across the skin.
Blood gushed out.
Li Ranmo's hands were very steady, so steady that he didn't seem like a novice.
Shen Qiushui stood beside him, watching his actions.
Incision, decompression, and drainage.
Every step was terrifyingly precise.
Ten minutes later, Li Ranmo stitched up the last stitch.
The veteran's fingers began to return to their normal color.
"Okay." Li Ranmo took off his gloves and wiped his sweat.
Shen Qiushui remained silent.
She looked at Li Ranmo with a complicated expression.
The operation just now was definitely not "simple enough".
There's something wrong with this new Dr. Li.
"I'll go report to Vice Dean Chen," she said.
"No need," Li Ranmo waved his hand. "It's nothing."
"This is no small matter," Shen Qiushui said. "You saved his hand."
Li Ran smiled silently and said nothing.
He packed up the equipment and put it back in his suitcase.
Footsteps came from the other end of the corridor.
Chen Qitai walked over, glanced at the veteran's hand, and then at Li Ranmo.
"Did you do this?"
"Yes."
Chen Qitai remained silent for a while.
"Are you free tonight?" he asked.
"have."
"Come to my office," Chen Qitai said, then turned and left.
Shen Qiushui looked at Li Ranmo.
Li Ranmo pushed up his glasses, his face still bearing that same simple, honest smile.
But Shen Qiushui knew that this person was not simple.
It's definitely not simple.