Chapter 297: First Solo Clinic, First Emergency

The elderly always used to say it takes a hundred days to heal an injured muscle or broken bone.

But in reality, bone healing goes through several stages. To fully regain its original strength and movement, it usually takes at least half a year.

However, the initial healing—growing a callus—takes only about two weeks.

In fact, the bone starts growing from the very moment it’s broken.

Clinically, some patients can even form a callus in as little as ten days, especially with children, whose bones heal at an astonishing rate.

This pregnant woman isn’t very old—she’s young, healthy, and in good physical condition. That means she’ll recover even faster than most.

It’s been four days now, and the fracture ends are already healing and growing.

The sooner her fracture is set and fixed in place, the better for her recovery.

If the bone-setting is delayed, even if the ends only grow 0.1 millimeters apart, it’s impossible to get a perfect fit when rejoining the fracture.

This leaves a gap at the broken bone once it’s set, and that’s really bad for healing.

Zhou Can got the green light from Director Zhang for his request, finally putting his mind at ease.

If nothing goes wrong, the pregnant woman’s bone-setting and external fixation should be done by tomorrow.

“Dr. Zhou, Dr. Pang is watching over things in the resuscitation room, so there shouldn’t be any problems there. The reason we called you to the clinic is because your diagnostic skills are outstanding. We want to set up a desk just for you and let you try consulting on your own.”

Director Zhang Bihua smiled as she spoke to him.

This was quite a vote of confidence.

Setting up a specialist clinic and giving him his own desk—none of the attending physicians got that treatment.

“Uh… is that really okay? I’m just a trainee, after all!”

Zhou Can did want the experience, but he also had some doubts.

He worried mostly about embarrassing Tuyu Hospital.

He’s always been practical, never letting a little success go to his head.

Sure, he’s cracked some tough diagnoses, but that’s just one part of the picture. Taking clinic patients solo means facing all sorts of cases. When helping specialists, he’s only asked for advice where he excels.

If he doesn’t know the case well, he usually keeps quiet.

That gives the illusion that he can solve any tough case.

But honestly, there are plenty he can’t handle.

He knows himself better than anyone—he still has a lot to learn.

Right now, he doesn’t have a particular specialty or the all-around skills of a generalist. There’s no room to bluff in medicine.

Your ability depends on how much you know, what techniques and pathology, pharmacology, and experience you’ve built. In surgery, he’s rotated through almost every department, so at least there aren’t any glaring weaknesses.

But for internal medicine, he’s spent less than three months in gastroenterology, and hasn’t stepped foot in the other departments at all.

Clinic consultations really test a doctor’s foundation in internal medicine.

No wonder he wants this opportunity but fears making a fool of himself. His feelings are complicated.

“What’s wrong with being a trainee? Director Tan and Director Yin in internal medicine both started clinic consultations as trainees. You’ve got your physician’s license, right? Consulting patients and writing prescriptions is perfectly legal! The first time is always the hardest. Be bold—grow a thicker skin and give it a try. If a tricky case comes up, all of us specialists here will help you out.”

Zhang Bihua encouraged him to be braver.

Zhou Can understood—this was a great opportunity.

Director Zhang Bihua was probably looking to train his ability to stand on his own.

Every top doctor has to face this challenge eventually.

“Well, since you put it that way, what do I have to be afraid of? Alright, I’ll give it a try! But I’ll say this up front—if I embarrass Tuyu Hospital or the experts here, nobody can blame me for it.”

Zhou Can agreed with a smile.

Truth be told, he’s never lacked courage.

With Director Zhang and the others backing him, he decided to just go all out.

“Relax, Dr. Zhou—we’ve all been in your shoes. You’re way better than we were at your age.” Director Jiang from Neurology was the first to offer support.

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He urged Zhou Can not to overthink it.

“A sapling doesn’t grow tall without wind and rain. A doctor who never gets knocked around will always be stuck doing backup work behind the scenes. Give it your best, Dr. Zhou!”

Dr. Luo from Obstetrics also cheered him on.

“Go for it, Zhou! I know you can do it!” Deputy Director Shi looked at him with high hopes.

Du Leng’s face didn’t show much, but his eyes flashed with worry.

Zhou Can was already overtaking him in every way.

Once Zhou Can learns how to consult solo, the only edge Du Leng will have left is his education.

Studying for a doctorate usually takes over eight years. Du Leng studied overseas, spending a fortune to get into a top university and fighting through all kinds of challenges just to get his offer.

Now that he’s being outpaced by a local undergrad, you can imagine how that feels.

“Dr. Zhou, I really envy you!” Gao Jian gave him a fist pump, rooting for him even while feeling envious.

Yang Chan looked at him with mixed emotions.

She felt both happy and admiring, but there was also a trace of stubborn pride and competitiveness.

Watching Zhou Can soar like the midday sun, shining on everyone, this class monitor—who once far outperformed Zhou Can—felt a bit unwilling in her heart.

But Zhou Can had become a true prodigy—so far ahead she could only look up.

Their gap had grown enormous.

The only place where she might still beat Zhou Can was in obstetrics.

“Good luck, old classmate!”

Still, she handled herself with the poise of a class monitor.

With so much support, Zhou Can felt his confidence surge and accepted the clinic consultation job.

Everything after that was easy.

He provided his license and trainee documents, picked his specialties, and Xinxiang Maternity and Child Hospital set up a special temporary clinic appointment for him.

By the time all the paperwork was done, it was nearly ten in the morning.

With his clinic slot open, a new desk had been added in the outpatient hall, topped with his nameplate. Zhou Can listed his specialties as miscellaneous diseases and emergencies.

Miscellaneous diseases are straightforward—he can handle nearly all common issues across surgical fields.

As for emergencies, those two words mean he might see patients in critical condition. Without solid experience, you wouldn’t dare write that down.

His rotations in critical care, neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and emergency departments, along with rich experience handling emergencies and surgeries, gave him the confidence he needed.

He sat at his desk without a resident physician, just one nurse as an assistant—Ji You.

Tuyu Hospital sent twenty-eight staff, but one was out sick, so only twenty-seven medical professionals actually attended the specialist clinic event. Zhou Can’s crisis team alone accounted for four people, not even counting team leader Deputy Director Shi.

Being assigned a nurse assistant was already pretty good.

It was day three of the specialist clinic event, and the number of patients had clearly increased.

Seeing a specialist for free—especially with an expert like Zhang Bihua in obstetrics available—brought plenty of patients.

It was the busiest hour. In contrast, Deputy Director Shi and Du Leng’s desks were still quiet, with only two or three patients each.

Compared to the embarrassing emptiness of previous days, this was an improvement for Deputy Director Shi.

Du Leng, on the other hand, had started strong but was now faltering.

On day one, a flood of patients crowded the desk of this overseas-educated medical PhD. But since his reputation took a hit and with limited skills, he grew timid around patients and families, second-guessing himself during diagnosis.

Naturally, fewer people wanted to see him.

He seemed to be learning from experience, gradually adapting to a more down-to-earth approach. No more lofty talk—now he diagnoses patiently and carefully.

But every tall tree starts as a sapling. His training period was just a year.

Throughout, he kept his ambitions high but hands-on skills low, lacking basic clinical experience. Even with a better attitude now, he still struggled to make real progress.

He only handled straightforward cases where the cause and pathology were obvious.

With more complex cases, he passed them along to other specialists.

Zhou Can had neither a glamorous degree nor a white-bearded reputation—he looked so young it was ridiculous. Sitting there, he braced himself for a slow start.

But soon after he sat down, a man ran into the clinic holding a three-year-old boy, with a young mom right behind.

The man cradled his son in his arms. The little boy was screaming and sobbing.

“Doctor, doctor! My son was playing at home and fell off a chair. His right arm won’t move now!”

He anxiously told the triage nurse what happened.

“No worries. Register for emergency and get him an X-ray first.”

The triage nurse was calm—clearly used to all sorts of situations.

“But you’re having a specialist clinic right now, aren’t you? Can we register to see a Tuyu Hospital expert for my son?”

The man clearly preferred not to go with just the Xinxiang Maternity and Child Hospital’s emergency department.

And who could blame him.

Given the choice, everyone wants a specialist.

For regular folks, words like specialist, professor, renowned doctor, or medical PhD inspire confidence and trust.

“So you’d like a Tuyu Hospital expert for your child, right?”

“Yes!”

“You can choose between Director Dai from pediatrics and Dr. Zhou Can—he specializes in miscellaneous diseases and emergencies. Which one would you like?”

The triage nurse helped the patient register by himself.

“My son’s injury is an emergency. Let’s go with Dr. Zhou.” The man thought about it for a moment before deciding.

Zhou Can, who’d been waiting idly, was happy to finally have his first patient.

Business at last.

The couple finished registering and, guided by the triage nurse, made a beeline for his desk.

“Excuse me—who is Dr. Zhou Can?”

The man stared at Zhou Can behind the desk and at nurse Ji You, confused.

Because Zhou Can looked shockingly young.

For patients and their families, a young doctor makes people feel uncertain.

“That’s me! Just from looking at him, I’d say your son’s right arm is dislocated. Hold him carefully—don’t let his arm dangle or swing, or it’ll hurt even more.”

Zhou Can stood up and helped adjust the little boy’s arm.

Amazingly, once adjusted, the boy stopped crying soon after.

Turns out it wasn’t that painful anymore.

A simple gesture, but it won the family’s trust instantly.

The parents exchanged glances, their eyes full of surprise.

They looked at Zhou Can with less doubt and more respect.

For patients and their families, this kind of obvious result is exactly what they want.

“Dr. Zhou, can you please check my son? Around nine this morning, he was playing by himself in the dining area and somehow climbed onto the back of a chair. The chair tipped over, and when my wife ran over, his right arm wouldn’t go up. I was at work when I got the call, rushed home, and brought him in.”

Kids are naturally curious—they want to try everything.

Boys especially are adventurous and gutsy. Little rascals climbing too high and falling is something hospitals see every day.

“Let me check first. Don’t move—good boy!” Zhou Can began a quick physical exam.

He first checked for signs of obvious head injuries.

Sometimes, a kid falls and hits his head, which can cause internal bleeding—a truly dangerous situation.

If a doctor misses that, the best window for saving the child could be lost.

After an examination, Zhou Can didn’t see any clear head injuries, lumps, or bleeding, only a small scrape on the nose.

“Let’s start with an X-ray. Take him over for a scan, and be careful not to twist his arm—it’s lost bone support after a dislocation.”

With the test ordered, Zhou Can gave a few reminders.

X-rays are quick.

Especially since things at Xinxiang Maternity and Child Hospital had slowed down—patients rarely needed to wait in line for tests.

Only ultrasound exams saw much demand; other departments had no lines.

OB-GYN patients are common here, so ultrasounds are always in demand.

At busier hospitals, waiting hours for an ultrasound is normal.

Soon enough, the parents returned with their son.

The boy had been fine before, but now he was bawling in pain again.

It’s no surprise. Getting a clear X-ray means scanning from at least two angles.

Moving the arm during imaging can definitely cause pain.

“Dr. Zhou, after the X-ray they had to move my son’s arm and it really hurt. The imaging tech tried to help, but nothing worked. Can you help him again?”

Parents’ love knows no bounds.

Seeing their son cry in pain must have pulled at their hearts.

They’d do anything to make it better.

Since Zhou Can had helped before, they trusted his skills.

So they turned to him again.

“Just hold him flat—yeah, that’s it.” Zhou Can adjusted the boy’s right arm. Almost immediately, the crying stopped. “Such a brave boy!”

He made sure to praise the child.

The little guy looked up, big dewy eyes fixed on Zhou Can.

His gaze was full of curiosity and warmth.

He knew the man in white had magic—whenever he adjusted his arm, the pain faded away.

“Dr. Zhou, you really are an expert. Amazing!”

The father’s praise was truly heartfelt.

The imaging staff had tried everything, but only Dr. Zhou could stop the pain.

This is where skill truly shows itself.

“You flatter me!”

Dr. Zhou was modest outwardly, but inside he was thrilled.

What doctor doesn’t love to be praised by patients and families?

His real skill came from over a month working in the fracture clinic, learning about joint and bone structure and gaining hands-on experience.

Just by looking, he could often guess the nature of a fracture or dislocation and exactly how to position the limb for minimal pain—it was second nature by now.

Just then, Mu Qing, the reporter, flitted over like a bee drawn by honey.

She hung back and didn’t disturb him, but her cameraman trained the lens on Zhou Can.

As long as she wasn’t a nuisance, Zhou Can ignored her.

He grabbed the boy’s X-ray film for a closer look.

“Dr. Zhou, is my son’s arm badly hurt? Will he need surgery?”

The boy’s mother asked, her face full of worry.