Village Doctor's Women-Chapter 168 - 163 ’dystocia

"Honey?"

Xu Liang was startled. Seeing the change in Hu Tiantian’s expression, he had a bad feeling.

After he spoke, Hu Tiantian said nothing. She just frowned, clutching her belly as if something had happened.

His shout made Wang Jian and the other two look over, and they too realized something was amiss.

"Wait." Wang Jian walked straight over to the couple and immediately saw that her water had broken on the seat. He hurriedly called out, "Her water’s broken! We need to get her to a hospital!"

No sooner had Wang Jian finished speaking than Ren Yu took out his phone to call for an ambulance. Xu Liang finally snapped out of it, hurriedly getting up and grabbing his keys. "I drove here; the car is parked downstairs. Help me get her down."

"Deep breaths," Wang Jian said, seeing Xu Liang spring into action. He was no longer in a rush and began to calm the patient. "Don’t panic. Control your breathing. Take deep, slow breaths... inhale for longer..."

Watching Hu Tiantian follow his instructions and adjust her breathing, Wang Jian breathed a sigh of relief.

Taking advantage of the moment, Wang Jian and the others helped Hu Tiantian to her feet. They acted in perfect, careful unison, afraid she might get bumped or hurt.

The amount of amniotic fluid was substantial. Once a woman’s water breaks, it’s a dangerous sign that signals impending birth, and the situation can become very risky if not handled properly.

Luckily, there was a hospital nearby. If they moved quickly, they could still make it in time.

The group followed Xu Liang to the car. No one split off. They all squeezed in together and rushed towards the hospital.

"Kyoto Hospital is the closest. Should we head there?"

Hearing Wang Jian’s voice, Xu Liang nodded and slammed his foot on the accelerator.

"Don’t rush," Wang Jian said, noticing the sweat forming on Xu Liang’s forehead. Though the man was silent, Wang Jian knew the burly man was panicking inside. "I used to work at Kyoto Hospital before I left the Capital. Their gynecology department is quite good. I’ll make a call right now and have them prepare, so she can go straight into the operating room when we arrive."

"Thank you."

Xu Liang drove steadily. At this rate, they would arrive in less than ten minutes.

Kyoto Medical University was one of the top-ranked hospitals in the capital. Its Chinese Hospital, in particular, was considered the best in the country.

When Wang Jian had first come here to work as a doctor, he had been full of ambition. He never anticipated that he would eventually be pushed out of the Capital.

But all that was in the past. Returning to this place today because of Xu Liang’s situation, his mindset was completely different.

He dialed the number of a former classmate he knew.

His classmates weren’t all like him; some were doing quite well for themselves.

The call connected quickly. Luck was on their side.

"Hello, Wang Jian?"

The call had barely gone through when a voice on the other end spoke before Wang Jian could. "What do you need?"

"Lao Zhang," Wang Jian was happy to hear the familiar voice, but the situation was urgent, so there was no time for pleasantries. He spoke quickly, "I’m with a pregnant woman whose water has broken. We’ll be at the hospital in ten minutes. Can you arrange for a..."

Zhang Jifeng was Wang Jian’s college classmate. Their relationship wasn’t exceptionally good, but it wasn’t bad either. They were classmates, after all, and had even worked at the same hospital. Their bond was much closer than that of ordinary friends.

They hadn’t been in touch much recently, so Zhang Jifeng was surprised by Wang Jian’s call. However, he clearly knew Wang Jian would only call if something important was up, so he was very direct.

Hearing Wang Jian mention a pregnant woman, Zhang Jifeng paused.

He pulled the phone away from his ear to check the caller ID, confirming it was indeed Wang Jian.

When did Wang Jian get married? Don’t tell me the guy had a secret wedding?

It had been a few months since he had last heard from Wang Jian. If he had married in secret, it was entirely possible he wouldn’t know.

Though his thoughts raced, he recovered quickly and replied, "Alright, I’ll make the arrangements now. First, tell me her condition."

As they were both doctors, their communication was swift.

Wang Jian described Hu Tiantian’s situation clearly. Aside from not having checked the baby’s position, he detailed everything he could see, including her blood pressure.

With such thorough information, Zhang Jifeng’s pre-operative preparations were excellent. To avoid any perception of impropriety, he even specifically found an experienced female doctor to assist.

When Zhang Jifeng used the patient’s information to file the paperwork, he discovered that Hu Tiantian had just completed a prenatal check-up at their hospital. This was another piece of good news.

When they arrived at the hospital entrance, someone was already waiting for them—it was Zhang Jifeng.

Zhang Jifeng, a year older than Wang Jian, immediately came forward to greet him as he got out of the car.

"Where’s the patient?"

Neither man wasted time on courtesies and got straight to the point.

Seeing that the pregnant woman was conscious and in good condition, Zhang Jifeng breathed a sigh of relief. "The operating room is ready. Let’s go, quickly."

The group wasted no time on idle conversation and hurried to the operating room. Only after seeing the doctors and Hu Tiantian enter did they finally feel a sense of relief.

Xu Liang didn’t wait outside; at the attending physician’s instruction, he followed them in as well.

After these arrangements were in place, not just Wang Jian and the other two, but even Zhang Jifeng sighed in relief. "I can’t believe the patient just had her prenatal checkup at our hospital. And the doctor I called for help happens to be her attending physician. This is truly a stroke of luck in a terrible situation..."

"PHEW!"

Only then did Zhang Jifeng really look at Wang Jian. "For a second there, I thought you had secretly gotten married."

"Hahaha, don’t be ridiculous. If I got married, I’d definitely invite you all for a wedding banquet," Wang Jian laughed. "The wedding gift I gave you wasn’t for nothing."

The two old classmates laughed heartily, in high spirits after not having seen each other for some time.

Wang Jian took the opportunity to introduce Ren Yu and Cai Jun. All four had gone to the same university, and once they started talking, the initial awkwardness quickly faded.

Zhang Jifeng suddenly asked, "When that woman was brought in, her mental state was the best I’ve ever seen in a patient brought to the hospital after her water has broken. What did you guys do?"

Only Wang Jian knew the real reason. With my luck boosting her, it’s no wonder she’s holding up so well.

Ren Yu and Cai Jun just shook their heads, looking puzzled. "We just brought her here. We didn’t do anything."

"That’s strange," Zhang Jifeng marveled. "But it’s a good thing. It will be a great help for a smooth delivery. Maybe the mother just has a strong constitution. That’s also possible."

"If you two have things to do, you don’t have to wait here," Wang Jian said, turning to Ren Yu and Cai Jun. "This will probably take a while. I can wait by myself."

"Nah, our classes don’t start for a few more days," Ren Yu said immediately.

"Yeah, we have nothing else to do. We’ll wait here, too," Cai Jun chimed in.

"Alright!"

Wang Jian nodded, then turned to Zhang Jifeng. "What about you? You’re the chief resident now, right? Aren’t you busy?"

Wang Jian had been curious when Zhang Jifeng had answered his call directly. Now that they were all sitting outside the operating room, he decided to ask.

No sooner had he asked than Zhang Jifeng patted him on the shoulder. "Busy with what? In a few days, I’m transferring to another hospital."

"What?"

Wang Jian was genuinely shocked. "What happened?"

"Tch," Zhang Jifeng waved his hand dismissively. "The hospital couldn’t offer me a permanent staff position, and it’s been years... You know I’m almost thirty. I can’t keep waiting."

Before Wang Jian could ask more, Zhang Jifeng continued, "You of all people know what it’s like for us undergraduates in these big hospitals."

"Sigh."

He let out a heavy sigh, clearly resentful of the situation.

But thirty was a major turning point for a man, and Wang Jian understood completely.

The issue of securing a permanent position was also why he had been forced out.

If his mentor had been willing to help, getting a position would have been simple. But besides that, Wang Jian had a bitter enemy at this hospital.

Just as Wang Jian thought of this, Zhang Jifeng abruptly changed the subject. "By the way, Wang Jian, did you hear about Chen Jin? He got into trouble and was suspended by the hospital a while back."

"Chen Jin?"

That man was Wang Jian’s nemesis at this hospital. Hearing that his old acquaintance was in trouble immediately piqued his interest. "What happened?"

"Hahaha, it was a truly satisfying turn of events," Zhang Jifeng said. "It was about a month after you left. Some big shots came for an inspection, and he walked right into the line of fire. His medical records looked flawless, but the patient had complications. When the big shots investigated, they uncovered a huge problem."

"Big shots?"

"Yeah, Niu Deyuan and Deng Xianhua. Both are titans in the world of Chinese medicine. They pointed out that he had prescribed the wrong medicine with the wrong dosage, and not just for one patient, but for several."

Zhang Jifeng shook his head as he spoke, lamenting, "If you had just left a few days later, you might not have had to go. With your skill, you might have even taken his position."

"Hahaha, now you’re just exaggerating," Wang Jian laughed. "I’m not some overseas-educated doctor, nor have I published any important papers. It’s incredibly difficult to make a name for yourself in the Chinese Hospital."

"Besides, I’m quite happy being a village doctor now. I’m my own boss, and it’s comfortable."

Zhang Jifeng didn’t take him seriously. After all, what doctor didn’t dream of making it big? He’d heard that Wang Jian had gone back to his hometown to be a village doctor, and though he hadn’t believed it at first, Wang Jian had just confirmed it himself.

It wasn’t exactly a glorious career path, so he didn’t dwell on the topic.

Zhang Jifeng said bluntly, "I guess we’re in the same boat. I’ve accepted it. From now on, I’ll just focus on making a career in a private hospital."

True to form, Zhang Jifeng had revealed his plans without being asked.

Doctors like them, skilled but lacking the right academic credentials, either returned to their hometowns or were poached by private hospitals.

Just as the two were commiserating, an emergency erupted in the operating room.

"The fetus’s condition isn’t right."

"There might have been fetal movement before they arrived, affecting the position. It’s shifted—the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby’s neck!"

"And the patient is at risk of hemorrhaging! We have to correct the position immediately!"

"Call Director Zhao!"

"But he isn’t on duty today! Will he make it in time?"

"..."

As chaos erupted in the operating room, Xu Liang suddenly said, "I’m stepping out for a moment."