Chapter 580: A Storm in the Emergency Department

“No problem! I can confirm the list of evaluators right here and now!” Dr. Xu was more anxious than anyone.

Ever since the incident, he’d thrown himself into work in the Emergency Department Operating Room.

He had a deep attachment to that place and had poured an incredible amount of effort into it.

After taking Zhou Can as his apprentice and watching the operating room slowly grow, he wasn’t about to let anything jeopardize everything they’d built.

He still remembered how strong the Cardiothoracic Surgery Department used to be. One collapse, and it was gone. That left him with a deep impression.

So he always felt a strong sense of crisis.

After hearing Zhou Can’s report today, he’d already broken into a cold sweat.

He was taking this matter extremely seriously.

“Haha, Lao Xu, you always get things done so decisively!”

Director Lou clearly appreciated Dr. Xu’s attitude.

“I can’t help but worry! The Emergency Department Operating Room feels like my own child. Watching it grow bit by bit has brought me more joy than anyone else. But now, it’s sick, and I just want to fix the problem right away! For evaluators, we’ll choose three: me, Xiao Zhou, and Cui Min. Xiao Zhou and Cui Min both have strong surgical skills, are fair, and have upright character. I trust both of them.”

Dr. Xu immediately drafted the list of three evaluators.

This time, experience didn’t matter—only professional ability and integrity.

“Not considering any of the older colleagues? For example, Dr. Fu Chachun.”

Director Lou asked.

“It’s not about disrespecting senior staff. If we want to change the culture in the operating room, we need capable and proactive people like Xiao Zhou. Otherwise, if we choose someone like Fu Chachun as an evaluator, all you’ll get is compromise and empty talk. That would defeat the purpose of this scoring system. In the end, it would just be a formality, which not only achieves nothing but could even encourage bad practices.”

Dr. Xu’s years of patience and careful observation hadn’t gone to waste.

He had a sharp sense for what could go wrong in management.

If someone like Fu Chachun became an evaluator, even if a doctor performed poorly, all it would take was a small gift behind the scenes and the right relationship to pass—maybe even with a high score.

So Dr. Xu was firmly opposed to the idea.

“Lao Xu, I’m leaving this matter to you. Draft a complete plan and submit it to me, and I’ll back you up. Our surgical business is the core that the Emergency Department has worked hard to build. It’s our reputation and the root of our development. Anyone who messes with the reputation for personal gain is done here. Finding a two-legged toad is tough, but two-legged surgeons? We can hire plenty.”

With that, Director Lou made his final stance clear.

As the top leader of the Emergency Department, his job was to support the ones getting real work done and give them the power—and legitimacy—to do it.

A hospital is both an institution and its own small kingdom.

The Emergency Department is like a state, and the operating room is half its territory—the most important foundation.

Ruin the reputation, and that foundation crumbles.

No wonder Director Lou made such a harsh statement—anyone who wouldn’t follow orders was out.

……

After leaving Director Lou’s office, Dr. Xu still had his brows furrowed, clearly preoccupied with how to fix things in the operating room.

With him in charge, a problem of this scale meant intense pressure.

“Teacher, you finalized the evaluator list on the spot. Are you planning to implement the surgery scoring system right away?”

“Exactly! And you caught the issue just in time. Waiting any longer and this would have become a chronic disease—then it would really be over. Those patient follow-up forms you provided made it clear: improving surgery quality can’t wait any longer. Xiao Zhou, stay sharp. If you spot any more problems, report to me or Director Lou immediately. We can’t let the Emergency Department Operating Room go under!”

Dr. Xu was in his fifties, and facing a crisis like this, he showed his age for the first time.

For the first time, he thought about gradually handing the responsibility over to Zhou Can.

“Today’s the first day of the scoring system. I’ll handle the scores myself. After this, you and Dr. Cui will take turns. At the end of each day, send me the surgery score reports.”

There were three evaluators, but not all would score every surgery.

Zhou Can and Dr. Cui would take turns scoring each surgery, then report to Dr. Xu for review, ensuring fairness and accuracy.

“By the way, have you figured out the cause of patient in bed 1’s toe numbness yet?”

“We’ve only done a physical exam so far, but it’s pretty clear the nerve is either severed or compressed. Near the base of the third toe, about a third of the way in, the patient has noticeably reduced sensation and lost flexion function.”

Zhou Can’s skills weren’t quite at the peak yet.

He could only make an educated guess about the source of the problem.

Almost every doctor had the habit of starting with simple exams—checking by touch or sight, then making a preliminary judgment, also called the initial diagnosis.

A skilled doctor can get this right at least sixty percent of the time.

“Try to get to the root of the problem first, and you’re in charge of this. Two things you need to keep in mind: First, prevent the patient and family from blaming it all on a medical mistake. Give them as much information about surgical risks as possible, help them understand that some risks can’t be avoided. Second, make sure to protect the involved doctor and the hospital. Even if it was Dr. Fu Chachun who made a mistake during surgery, you must not throw him under the bus.”

Dr. Xu was very clear about his stance on matters like this.

He had to protect both sides.

That was the bottom line.

“Understood!”

Zhou Can nodded emphatically.

No matter if it was a hospital doctor or a patient who’d had surgery elsewhere, even if the previous surgery had clearly gone wrong, he never trashed another doctor. If the patient or family asked if the previous doctor had messed up, Zhou Can’s answers were always vague.

That was the bare minimum for being a doctor.

Any doctor who openly bad-mouthed colleagues in front of patients or their families was likely a double failure.

Bad character, bad skills.

Zhou Can certainly wasn’t that kind of person.

If the nerve had been cut, even the most advanced MRI couldn’t find it. Electromyography works only if there’s still a functioning nerve. It can show if the nerve signal drops or disappears in a muscle, but it can’t tell if the nerve itself is cut.

The best option is anatomy—using experience, eyes, and touch to find the nerve and confirm the diagnosis.

To be thorough, Zhou Can still ordered an electromyography for the patient.

Results were consistent with his own examination.

The nerve signal nearly stopped at that point.

He was basically certain the third toe nerve was severed.

With a diagnosis in hand, Zhou Can didn’t rush into a second surgery. Instead, he went to speak with Dr. Fu Chachun, who was in clinic, to better understand what happened during the operation.

Dr. Fu, having done the surgery, knew the case best.

“Dr. Fu, busy as always!”

Zhou Can greeted him with a pleasant smile.

“Mm.”

Dr. Fu just grunted through his nose. Having had his deputy team leader position taken by Zhou Can, he was already unhappy.

Now that Zhou Can wouldn’t let go of the patient in bed 1—and had even been to Director Lou’s office with Dr. Xu that morning—Dr. Fu was fuming.

It was a miracle he even acknowledged Zhou Can at all.

“Would you have a minute to chat in the back later?”

“There’s a line of patients waiting! No time!”

Dr. Fu turned him down cold.

“Then I’ll just talk here. During the surgery for bed 1, did you see the nerve to the third toe on the left foot?”

Zhou Can held back his temper and asked patiently.

Every workplace struggles with stubborn, narrow-minded veterans. Some are pragmatic and supportive of younger leaders, while others hold onto old habits and look down on anyone younger.

They act like there’s no way a kid should be in charge above them.

“Didn’t I already tell you? Stop asking me. If you’re not happy with me, just tell Director Lou or Dr. Xu and report me.” Dr. Fu watched Zhou Can bring Dr. Xu into Director Lou’s office and assumed he’d already been accused.

Now Zhou Can was back, acting all humble as if trying to fish for details about the surgery.

He figured he’d gotten off easy, so his confidence only grew.

Dr. Fu felt even more emboldened.

“We’re all colleagues in the same department. I believe we both want what’s best for the patient. That patient’s third toe isn’t just numb—the problem is serious. It’s not a small matter. Leadership gave me full authority to resolve this. My goal is to fix it without harming anyone’s interests, so please cooperate.”

Zhou Can stayed patient, calmly trying to reason with Dr. Fu.

“Xiao Ding, call the next patient.”

Dr. Fu ignored Zhou Can, his face glacial.

Seeing that reasoning was pointless, Zhou Can didn’t bother to be polite anymore. He dialed Director Lou right then and there.

At this moment, Dr. Xu was busy in surgery, so it was more appropriate to go directly to Director Lou.

After all, Dr. Xu was only an attending physician.

A plucked phoenix is no match for a chicken.

Dr. Xu’s current plight had him largely underestimated by others.

“Xiao Zhou, what’s up?”

“Director Lou, I have something to report…”

Zhou Can explained Dr. Fu Chachun’s refusal to cooperate.

Director Lou’s breathing audibly grew heavier—he was clearly furious.

“Tell Fu Chachun I said to cooperate with you.”

Director Lou tried to contain his anger over the phone.

“Dr. Fu, you heard the call. Director Lou expects you to help me resolve the patient’s issue.”

Zhou Can was nearly exasperated.

He was trying to clean up Dr. Fu’s mess, yet had to beg and plead for help.

Where did Dr. Fu get all this confidence?

Did he really think the Emergency Department couldn’t function without him?

Director Lou had just made it clear—anyone who wasn’t up to par would be out.

It might take work to deal with a senior doctor, but handling an ordinary attending like Dr. Fu? That’s just one word.

“And what’s your solution? Tell the patient it was a surgical mistake? Xiao Zhou, you’d better not be too heartless, or one day your own son will be born with an extra butthole.”

Dr. Fu snapped at Zhou Can, neck bulging with anger.

Every nurse, doctor, patient, and family member nearby heard him.

For the first time, Zhou Can seriously considered putting Dr. Fu in his place.

How could this old man be so clueless?

Last time in the conference room, he’d tried to throw his weight around against Zhou Can, but it took nothing more than three nurses to almost make him call for his mother.

It had only been six months, and already Dr. Fu had forgotten his lesson.

Here he was, acting up again.

Zhou Can could feel the strange looks around him. If he didn’t fight back hard this time, rumors about Dr. Fu’s public scolding would spread through the department like wildfire.

It wasn’t just his authority that was at stake.

Just as Zhou Can was about to lose his temper, a short, stocky figure charged over like a rolling blade.

The air was thick with hostility.

A closer look—it was Director Lou, stomping over with a stormy face.

“Fu Chachun, you’re done in clinic. I’ll assign someone else to take over. Come with me to my office now.”

Director Lou’s face was as dark as ever—never had he looked so intimidating.

“Xiao Zhou, you come to my office too.”

He spoke to Zhou Can in a much gentler tone.

Anyone could tell—Dr. Fu was about to get disciplined.

He might have been furious, but Director Lou was still in control. He didn’t say much in front of patients or families.

This was the rational, correct approach.

There are just some things you cannot say in front of patients or their loved ones, or risk disastrous rumors.

Both men followed Director Lou to his office.

Dr. Fu looked defiant, while Zhou Can’s face was calm.

With Director Lou stepping in, there was no need for Zhou Can to confront Dr. Fu anymore.

“Sit. Both of you, sit!”

Director Lou poured tea for both personally after inviting them to sit.

“Lao Fu, you’ve been in the Emergency Department for some years now, haven’t you?”

He didn’t lose his temper—he started chatting with Dr. Fu in a calm voice.

If anything, this only made Dr. Fu more nervous.

Because he knew Director Lou all too well.

Director Lou was quick to anger and always honest. If you made a mistake and he blew up at you, you’d usually be fine after the scolding.

Once he was done yelling, things were basically back to normal.

But if he was clearly furious yet still spoke softly, you were in for real consequences.

And at the very least, that meant pay cuts, loss of authority—real penalties.

“I remember when you joined, I was still the deputy director of the Emergency Department. The very next year, I became department head.”

Dr. Fu unconsciously pressed his knees together.

His hands fidgeted on his knees too, clearly uneasy.

“Yeah, time flies. In the blink of an eye, it’s been eleven years. When I’d just become department head, Dr. Xu Chen hadn’t even joined yet. I remember you being swamped—working clinic and running to the OR. It really was tough. It was thanks to veteran staff like you that the department survived its hardest days.”

Director Lou had a temper, but he valued old ties.

When Dr. Lu made mistakes, Director Lou gave him another chance, just like this.

Bringing up Dr. Fu’s contributions now was intentional.

He also wanted Zhou Can to hear it.

After all, Dr. Fu had just publicly berated Zhou Can in an appalling way. He wanted Zhou Can to understand why he wouldn’t just fire Dr. Fu outright.