PALPATE MY HEART: Dr. Wicked is My Wife - Chapter 32

Luo Jingyi rushed inside the hospital. She went to change her clothes first in the locker room and left her bag there instead of running to her office first.

“Trauma bay 5.” The ER nurse reported when Luo Jingyi walked past the nurses station.

Luo Jingyi made a beeline to the trauma room. Just a step away from the room, the metallic scent of blood assailed her nose, which she’d been used to. But she sensed something much worse. Inside the room, she found the patient lain on the trauma bed with blood gushing out from his throat.

The patient was in a state of shock and respiratory distress.

“Has the new attending been paged?”

“He’s currently in OR 5.” It was the head nurse who reported.

‘Well, I guess it’s going to be me who’s going to revive you.’

“Status?” Luo Jingyi asked Intern B.

“25-year-old, deep stab wound on the neck. He has a weak pulse and his heart rate is 150/min.”

Luo Jingyi made a quick assessment of the wound. He was stabbed in front and mid part of the neck. Adding to that were deep bruises all over his body. Knowing where to focus at, she ordered, “Let’s stabilize his cervical spine first.”

One moved to hold the patient’s head firmly with both hands. Followed by supporting the lower jaw and moving the patient’s head to eyes-forward position. While the position was maintained, Luo Jingyi inserted a tracheostomy tube in the trachea to secure the airway as she barked orders.

“Intern B, start him on intravenous crystalloids.”

“I need a junior resident to hold this and apply pressure.” One stepped forward and took her place.

“Inform the OR team that we are going up. Be quick!”

….

Luo Jingyi scrubbed her hands before walking in the OR. After all the preparations, she started the surgical neck exploration. Upon assessment, it was discovered that his internal jugular vein was partially transected. Albeit, she already had this conjecture earlier the minute she spotted his injuries. Hence she imagined it was going to be tedious.

The mortality rate of cut-throat injuries was very high. This was because of the presence of the jugular vein and carotid arteries in the neck. With his injury; vascular, tracheal and esophageal repairs had to be done.

“What happened to him?” She couldn’t help herself from asking.

“He was involved in a gang fight.” It was the junior resident who answered plainly. Dr. Lin wasn’t assisting this time because there was another patient who was rushed in. In Luo Jingyi’s opinion, Dr. Lin would manage on her own.

“Let’s save him then. Hopefully, he won’t be brought back to the ER in the future for the same reason.” People around her couldn’t ascertain if it was sarcasm or glee that was hinted in her voice. Nevertheless, there was a collective chorus of agreement from them.

The patient’s vitals were stabilized first before the esophageal reconstruction was started because his trachea was separated from his larynx. Following that was repairing the posterior layer of the transected trachea.

For the next two hours, Luo Jingyi repaired and sutured what need’s fixing before she was called to another injured patient. On top of that, she had scheduled surgery too.

Hence, that is how Luo Jingyi spent her last shift at GM General Hospital. Saving lives.

Twelve hours later, while she was washing her hands, she looked at herself in the mirror.

“You look beat.” She complained but there was a contented smile on her face. Only she knew the euphoric feeling of saving one’s life gave her.

…..

The first hint of dawn was already visible in the sky when Luo Jingyi stepped out of the hospital door and walked towards her car. Just when she inserted her key, someone suddenly appeared behind her.

“Shrek!” she cursed in fright. At the same time, her body automatically jerked away and was in a fighting stance to protect herself.

“What are you doing?” Luo Jingyi asked with a hiss when she saw who scared her out.

“Sorry.” Yun Jinghan picked her bag and keys on the ground.

Luo Jingyi eyed him angrily as she patted her chest.

“What are you doing here?” She snatched her things from him.

“I’ll take you home.”

“I have a driver’s li—license. I am perfectly ca—capable of driving myself.” She paused in between because she stifled the yawn that escaped her mouth.

“Are you sure about that? I am afraid that if you are going to drive in that condition, you’re going to be the next patient in the ER.” Yun Jinghan uttered with humor glinted in his eyes.

“Not that I am praying for it to happen.” He added quickly.

“No—” Another yawn stopped her. Admitting she was really in no condition to drive, she tossed the car key to him.

‘You want to be a driver? Alright then.’ She thought with a scoff. She opened the door and occupied the back to annoy him.

For most people, they would think of this situation as insulting because one would appear to be a hired driver in this case. Yet, Yun Jinghan wasn’t offended at all. He was whistling when he took the car’s control and drove away from the hospital. Obviously, her attempt failed and it gave her a very unhappy feeling.

“Stop pouting. It will make you uglier.”

‘Uglier my a**’ she snapped inside her head.

‘Jingyi, what are you doing?’ She reigned in her annoyance.

Seeing her quietness at the back, he teased her more. “But of course, you are not ugly. You are the most beautiful woman in my eyes.”

Luo Jingyi instantly grimaced upon hearing these. “Stop sputtering nonsense. One would think you are delusional.”

“So does that mean, me seeing you as a gorgeous woman is a delusion? Then, are you admitting that you are unattractive?” Humor was detected in his retort.

“Shut up!” Her voice reverberated in the car mixing with the peal of laughter from Yun Jinghan.

Ignoring him, Luo Jingyi stretched out her arms and shoulders and sank into the seat. There’s only one thought running in her head; soaking in a bathtub while enjoying a glass of red wine to loosen the stiff muscles and to relieve her weary bones.

She’s banned from touching alcohol as per Aunt Alice’s orders and yet she was thinking of indulging herself.

‘You need to relax. You are not alcoholic, Jingyi.’

‘Don’t worry. No one’s going to tell her anyway. It’s just a secret between you and me.’ She thought with a determined smile.

Because the road was empty except for a few motorists, the 30 minute trip from the hospital to her apartment building took only half. Yun Jinghan entered the underground parking lot. Perhaps she was really tired so she never noticed that he parked exactly on her designated spot without asking her.

“I’ll accompany you up.”

“No. Give me the keys.”

Even if she refused, Yun Jinghan walked her to the bank of elevators and pressed her floor number.

When an empty carriage opened, Luo Jingyi entered and pushed the close button repeatedly to stop the man from following her.

“Good night. See you later.” Aware of her resistance, he waved.

Luo Jingyi was surprised that he didn’t insist.

“Thank you.” she blurted out as the doors closed. It was barely audible but it reached his ears.

His mouth curved up in amusement while he watched the numbers changed on the screen. He waited for another five minutes before he walked to another black car that was waiting for him.

“Let’s go.”

As the car sped away, K5 noticed his young master’s eyes were fixated to a certain spot in the building. Like K3 reported earlier, their young master indeed was having a hard time chasing a woman. He had things to do yet he had returned to the hospital in the evening to personally bring her dinner which eventually ended up in the bin. Then, he waited for her for more than 6 hours inside the car. When he finally met her, he had to chauffeur her home.

‘Ah. Falling in love is hard. It’s exhausting.’ K5 concluded.

‘Maybe I should dissuade Young Master.’

“Don’t sputter any nonsense.” Yun Jinghan warned him before K5 uttered what he meant to say.

As ordered, K5 zipped his mouth and drove in silence.

On the other hand, Luo Jingyi who had a plan in mind got inside her apartment and wearily dragged herself to the bedroom. For the first time in 8 years, she crashed onto the bed without changing her clothes. In less than a minute, her uniformed breathing echoed inside the bedroom.