Xiao Lou didn't dare to stop for a moment.
Yu Hanjiang's heart hadn't started beating again. If he couldn't be saved, Yu Hanjiang would die right in front of him—this was the first challenge issued by Plum Blossom A, and Xiao Lou simply couldn't bear the consequences of failure!
The critical four minutes are crucial for resuscitation in patients experiencing cardiac arrest. If a heartbeat cannot be restored within this timeframe, the patient's brain may suffer irreversible damage.
As soon as Xiao Lou entered the operating room, he saw that Yu Hanjiang had suffered cardiac arrest and was still in the golden period for rescue. Every second had to be seized.
After a round of CPR, seeing that Yu Hanjiang's heartbeat had not yet returned to normal, Xiao Lou immediately turned around and shouted to Nurse, "Administer 0.5mg of adrenaline intravenously, quick!"
The ambulance was right next to us. Adrenaline is a commonly used drug for emergency treatment, and every ambulance is equipped with it.
Upon hearing Xiao Lou's words, Nurse quickly unpacked a brand-new syringe, took out the needle, diluted the adrenaline with saline solution according to the prescribed ratio, and decisively injected it into the IV line on Yu Hanjiang's arm.
Once adrenaline is injected into a vein, it can quickly reach the heart through blood circulation, stimulating cardiac receptors and increasing cardiac output. Although Xiao Lou is not a professional Emergency Department doctor, he had repeatedly memorized this first aid knowledge when he took the exam, so he wouldn't forget it.
After administering adrenaline, continue CPR while monitoring the data on the cardiac monitor...
At this critical moment, Xiao Lou dared not relax for even a second.
He felt no fatigue at all; his mind was filled with only one thought: "to save Yu Hanjiang."
Time seemed to drag on endlessly, each second an agony.
...
After an unknown amount of time, the heart rate curve on the electrocardiogram monitor suddenly flickered. Xiao Lou's eyes lit up, and he continued pressing on Yu Hanjiang's firm chest. With his movements, the heart rate curve gradually changed from a typical ventricular fibrillation waveform to a normal waveform.
One green electrocardiogram waveform after another glides across the monitor like flowing water.
The blood pressure data gradually stabilized from the previous alarm threshold.
Xiao Lou's eyes welled up with tears, and she withdrew her numb and aching hands.
Yu Hanjiang survived. He brought the man back from the brink of death!
At that moment, he even had an urge to cry.
Professor Zhu's delighted voice rang in my ears: "The heartbeat has returned. Prepare for emergency surgery. Dr. Xiao, can you help me?"
Xiao Lou stepped aside, gently closed her eyes, forced back the stinging sensation in them, and quickly calmed herself down.
When he opened his eyes, he had regained his calm expression.
He didn't look at Yu Hanjiang's pale face again, turned around and walked to Professor Zhu's side, putting on sterile gloves.
Two nurses quickly covered Yu Hanjiang's body with a green sheet, leaving only the wound on his abdomen exposed. Anesthesiologists then assessed the patient's vital signs and administered general anesthesia.
Inside the operating room, everyone busied themselves. An instrument nurse wheeled in a cart, its clean, sterile drapes piled high with silver surgical instruments. Xiao Lou stood beside the operating table, carefully examining the exposed wound on Yu Hanjiang's lower right abdomen.
The wound was a bloody mess, a horrifying sight; the bullet had struck that spot.
The bleeding was quite severe; Yu Hanjiang's shirt was stained red with blood and stuck to his body, having already been cut open with scissors. Therefore, Yu Hanjiang received a bag of blood from the nurse as soon as he entered the operating room. His cardiac arrest was likely caused by hypovolemic shock.
The blood bag was almost empty, so the nurse replaced it with a new one.
Xiao Lou asked anxiously, "Is there enough blood available?"
Nurse said, "That's enough. This officer is blood type B, and I've already gotten enough blood type B from the blood bank."
Professor Zhu put on his gloves and looked at the anesthesiologist, asking, "How is the situation?"
"The situation is relatively stable. Remove the bullet as soon as possible," said the anesthesiologist.
The bullet struck the lower right abdomen. If it ruptures the abdominal cavity and perforates the intestines, it could cause a large-scale abdominal infection, making the condition very difficult to treat. Since the heartbeat has been restored and blood transfusions are ongoing, the immediate priority is to remove the bullet, explore the abdomen for any potential bleeding points, quickly stop the bleeding, and prevent infection.
Professor Zhu's voice rang in my ears: "Dr. Xiao, prepare for disinfection."
Xiao Lou nodded and took the iodine and cotton swabs to disinfect the wound.
After disinfecting, Professor Zhu picked up a scalpel and decisively cut open the lower right abdomen.
Xiao Lou couldn't bear to look at the bloody and mangled scene, but she had to stay focused.
Professor Zhu quickly located the bullet, removed it with tweezers, and placed it in a sterile dish.
He then located the bleeding point inside the abdominal cavity and quickly ligated a blood vessel that was oozing blood.
While skillfully performing the surgery, the middle-aged doctor said, "The bullet got stuck in a bend in the intestine, which is fortunate as it didn't cause intestinal perforation. The risk of widespread infection is not high. With close postoperative observation, there shouldn't be any major problems."
Hearing this, Xiao Lou breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Professor Zhu is a professional Emergency Department doctor, and he trusts the expert's judgment.
The subsequent surgery went smoothly. Yu Hanjiang was shot in a location without any vital internal organs, and the bullet did not damage his intestines.
The surgery is completed after the ruptured blood vessel is located and the bleeding is stopped.
After finishing the surgery, Professor Zhu handed the patient to Xiao Lou and said, "I need to prepare for the next surgery. Dr. Xiao, could you please suture it?"
He took off his surgical gown and turned to leave. Suturing in surgical procedures is usually done by interns or resident physicians; it's common for the surgeon to leave immediately after the operation.
Xiao Lou had no choice but to bite the bullet and sew it up layer by layer.
For the final skin layer, Xiao Lou used the surgically common "interrupted suture method," which is suitable for incisions that may become infected. Each stitch is tied individually, making suture removal easier.
After the stitches were finished, the instrument nurse next to him smiled and said, "Dr. Xiao, the wound you stitched looks so nice. Every stitch is so neat, it looks like it was stapled on."
Xiao Lou: "..."
After all, he was a forensic doctor, and he often sewed up corpses after dissecting them, so his technique was naturally skilled. But he couldn't very well tell the nurse directly, "I've sewn up a lot of corpses," because it sounded rather frightening.
He, a forensic doctor, rushed over to save a patient and even stitched up Yu Hanjiang's wound... This escape room adventure started off so thrillingly; who knows what will happen next?
Xiao Lou smiled politely at the nurse, then turned to the anesthesiologist and asked, "Is the patient alright?"
"His vital signs are stable, and he should wake up tomorrow," the anesthesiologist said.
At this moment, a nurse with two stripes on her hat walked in, holding a notebook for the anesthesiologist to sign. She said, "After the surgery, send the patient to the ward. The operating room needs to be cleared as soon as possible; there are other patients waiting."
Xiao Lou asked, " Head Nurse, which ward should this patient be sent to?"
The nurse said, "This is a police officer with a special status. He was injured on the job while on duty. The hospital director specifically arranged for him to be sent to the VIP Ward of general surgery. His condition needs to be kept confidential. Dr. Xiao, could you please take care of him?"
General surgery is the ward where Xiao Lou is currently located.
Xiao Lou nodded and said, "Okay, then I'll take him back."
Sending Yu Hanjiang to the VIP Ward, right under his nose, was ideal, allowing Xiao Lou to monitor Yu Hanjiang's condition at any time. After changing out of his surgical gown, he and the anesthesiologist took Yu Hanjiang to the General Surgery Department on the 7th floor of the inpatient building. VIP Ward.
The on-call nurse immediately came over to administer an IV drip and gave Yu Hanjiang anti-infective medication as prescribed by Professor Zhu.
Xiao Lou checked Yu Hanjiang's cardiac monitor; his heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration were all normal, but the anesthesia hadn't worn off yet, and he hadn't woken up. This night after the surgery was crucial; if an infection suddenly occurred in the middle of the night, immediate action would be necessary. Therefore, Xiao Lou decided to stay by Yu Hanjiang's side throughout the night.
It was already 3 a.m., and most of the hospital's wards were dark.
Xiao Lou sat down next to Yu Hanjiang, gently took Yu Hanjiang's hand, and let out a long breath.
—A close call, but no real danger.
This was definitely the most stressful night he had ever experienced since he started studying medicine.
Watching Yu Hanjiang lie unconscious on the operating table, his heart stopped beating, Xiao Lou felt his own heart was about to stop as well. He couldn't imagine the consequences if he hadn't been saved during those incredibly dangerous few minutes.
Xiao Lou gripped Yu Hanjiang's hand tightly and murmured, "Thank goodness you're alright...it's good that you're alright."
Unable to hear anything as he was unconscious, Yu Hanjiang remained silent, quietly staying by his side.
***
When Yu Hanjiang woke up, he saw Xiao Lou sitting on the edge of the bed, dozing off.
My hand was gently held, and the warmth of the other person's body was felt through my fingertips.
Yu Hanjiang tried to move his body slightly. The anesthesia on his wound had worn off, and a sharp pain shot through his lower right abdomen, causing him to gasp. However, seeing Xiao Lou's handsome face and having his right hand held by Xiao Lou warmed his heart, and the pain in his body seemed to lessen imperceptibly.
Yu Hanjiang gently grasped Xiao Lou's slender fingers in return.
Xiao Lou hadn't actually fallen asleep; he'd just dozed off from exhaustion. Yu Hanjiang's slight movement immediately woke him up.
Meeting the man's deep eyes, Xiao Lou couldn't help but smile: "You're awake?"
"Did you stay up all night for me?" Yu Hanjiang's voice was slightly hoarse.
"I'm on the night shift." Xiao Lou looked down and saw their hands clasped together. Her ears burned, and she quickly and discreetly pulled her hand back, asking, "How does it feel?"
"It's alright." Yu Hanjiang frowned and tried to sit up, but Xiao Lou quickly stopped him: "Don't move around. You just had surgery last night. Be careful not to pull on your wound."
"Mmm." Yu Hanjiang then obediently stopped moving.
After a few seconds of silence, Yu Hanjiang asked in a low voice, "What happened last night?"
Xiao Lou also asked, "What happened last night?"
The two people, connected by Telepathic Connection, said the same thing and were stunned.
Xiao Lou touched his nose: "You go first."
Yu Hanjiang raised the corners of his mouth: "Yeah. The moment I opened my eyes, before I could even figure out what was going on, I was shot and lost consciousness."
Xiao Lou: "..."
He had a really tough time; he was shot as soon as he entered the secret room and almost lost his life.
Xiao Lou asked in confusion, "I heard from Nurse that you were injured during a mission. What kind of mission was so dangerous?"
Yu Hanjiang frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "I'm investigating a murder case. I've come across some clues, but when I entered the villa, I was ambushed. The person had a gun and was hiding in the shadows. I didn't see who it was." He paused, his brows furrowing even more deeply. "They don't know what I'm investigating..."
Whether the case is related to the locked-room mystery, I'll have a colleague bring over the case files later for a closer look.
Xiao Lou glanced at his watch: "It's only 7:30 now. The hospital will allow visits after the doctors finish their rounds at 8:00. Your colleagues will definitely come to see you. You can ask them for the documents then."
Yu Hanjiang glanced at Xiao Lou's white coat: "Are you... a forensic doctor? Or a clinical doctor?"
"I'm the chief resident physician of the General Surgery Department this time." Xiao Lou rubbed his temples helplessly. "As soon as I entered this world, I received a call saying that I needed to rescue the wounded. When I got to the Emergency Department operating room, I found that the person lying on the operating table was you."
Yu Hanjiang raised an eyebrow in surprise: "So, you saved me last night?"
"Not entirely," Xiao Lou explained. "I only performed CPR on you. Professor Zhu performed the surgery and removed the bullet."
"CPR...cardiopulmonary resuscitation?"
"Yes, you suffered cardiac arrest and needed immediate resuscitation."
Yu Hanjiang didn't ask any more questions.
Xiao Lou, however, suddenly seemed to remember something and looked away sheepishly.
He was too nervous during the resuscitation last night. In addition, he is a forensic doctor, not a real emergency department doctor, and does not have much clinical experience in resuscitation. He just followed the knowledge in his mind and performed artificial respiration on Yu Hanjiang's mouth.
In fact, the Emergency Department also had airbags available, and he could have simply put an airbag in Yu Hanjiang's mouth and blow air into it.
A compression bag is a commonly used emergency resuscitation tool in clinical practice. The principle is the same as artificial respiration. Usually, during an emergency, one doctor presses the bag to blow air into the patient's mouth while another doctor performs chest compressions. The two doctors working together make it less strenuous.
Xiao Lou, after all, was not a clinician and had never experienced hospital resuscitation. He subconsciously followed the methods in the textbook to perform artificial respiration...
No wonder Nurse was giving him a strange look. She was probably wondering why he was using mouth-to-mouth contact instead of the airbag.
Xiao Lou felt her ears burning the more she thought about it.
In the heat of the moment last night, I don't know how many times I fed air to Yu Hanjiang's mouth. During artificial respiration, our lips would press together without any gap. At this moment, it seems that the distinct touch of this man still lingers on my lips.
Seeing that Xiao Lou's ears were red, Yu Hanjiang asked with concern, "What's wrong? Your ears are so red."
"...It's probably too hot."
"?" Yu Hanjiang felt the air conditioning was a bit cold, but he didn't say anything.
There was a knock on the door, and Xiao Lou quickly got up to open it as if she had been rescued.
Several people came in to visit Yu Hanjiang. Xiao Lou glanced at the name tags on their chests—Dean, Vice Dean, and Head of Surgery. Three big shots came to check on him personally; Yu Hanjiang certainly had a lot of influence.
The gray-haired dean walked up to Xiao Lou and asked, " How is Officer Yu doing?"
Xiao Lou said, "The surgery went smoothly. He woke up around 7 a.m. this morning and his vital signs are currently stable."
The dean patted Xiao Lou on the shoulder with a smile: "That's good. I heard from Professor Zhu that you were the one who saved Officer Yu last night. Thank you for your hard work, Dr. Xiao."
Xiao Lou quickly replied, "Of course."
The two hospital directors gave him a series of words of concern, such as "get some rest," which Yu Hanjiang politely acknowledged. The group then turned and left. A moment later, several police officers entered, presumably Yu Hanjiang's colleagues and superiors. Xiao Lou, to avoid suspicion, left the ward to let them talk.
It was almost eight o'clock when the General Surgery Department called in doctors for rounds.
Xiao Lou followed the professors in the ward to check on other wards, while keeping an eye out for her teammates.
After searching around, I didn't see any of my teammates.
The General Surgery Department had a lot of patients, and rounds took almost an hour. By the time he finished, it was already past nine o'clock. Xiao Lou had just reached the nurse station when a young nurse stopped him and said, "Dr. Xiao, the patient in VIP Ward number 1 needs to see you."
Xiao Lou turned around and went to VIP Ward.
Yu Hanjiang's police colleagues have all left, and the ward is filled with flowers and fruit.
The man leaned against the bed, his brow furrowed. He had just crawled back from the brink of death last night; though his face was pale, his gaze was calm and deep. Seeing Xiao Lou push the door open and enter, he looked up and said in a low voice, "My colleague has brought the documents over."
Xiao Lou asked curiously, "What case?"
Yu Hanjiang handed the folder to Xiao Lou: "It's a dismemberment case. The body was cut into countless pieces, and only a small part has been found. The deceased was a 30-year-old young man, a rich second-generation. The current suspect is the deceased's younger brother. The two have been fighting over the inheritance. But when I went to investigate at his brother's villa, I was shot in the dark."
Xiao Lou felt a chill run down his spine: "It seems the killer this time will be difficult to deal with."
Yu Hanjiang nodded: "I was shot as soon as I entered the secret room and was rushed to the hospital for treatment. Others may also have encountered danger."
He frowned, trying to get out of bed, but the sharp pain from his abdominal wound made him pause abruptly, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Xiao Lou noticed his thoughts, gently grabbed his shoulders, pressed him back onto the bed, and said softly, "Don't move around. You can't get out of bed right after the surgery. Leave the task of finding your teammates to me."
Yu Hanjiang looked at him worriedly: "Are you sure you can manage on your own?"
Xiao Lou said, "I'm a doctor, so I can come and go freely in the hospital. I have a feeling that this locked-room mystery might happen in the hospital, and my teammates might be there too. I'll go check it out first."
Yu Hanjiang
He said, "Try enabling ' Telepathic Connection '."
Xiao Lou remembered that there was no "forbidden card" warning in the secret room, and no one was inside. He quickly summoned Qin Guan to activate " Telepathic Connection " and established a communication channel with Yu Hanjiang. In this way, the two could stay in touch at any time, even without making phone calls.
Yu Hanjiang sensed Xiao Lou's presence in the spiritual realm and felt much relieved. He said, "Go ahead. Get back to me once you find your teammates, and we'll discuss the next steps."
Xiao Lou turned and left.
After he left, Yu Hanjiang gently touched his lips, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.
After his colleagues left, Professor Zhu from the Emergency Department came to see him and told him that Dr. Xiao had personally performed CPR on him last night. Dr. Xiao's arm was almost broken, and he performed artificial respiration many times, which saved his life without any major accidents. Dr. Xiao was his savior.
Professor Zhu was just joking, but Yu Hanjiang keenly grasped the key phrase "artificial respiration".
Did Xiao Lou really put the air to his lips and feed him air many times?
Yu Hanjiang was completely unaware at the time. However, the thought of Xiao Lou's lips, which had once been so intimately and seamlessly pressed against his lips, made his heart race, almost causing the heart rate curve on the electrocardiogram monitor to go haywire again.
Xiao Lou was genuinely trying to save lives; she shouldn't have misunderstood.
But his lips still couldn't help feeling hot.
In the future, when I am fully conscious, I must experience the true taste of kissing Xiao Lou again.
Yu Hanjiang touched his burning lips again, a smile involuntarily appearing on his face. Then, he coughed, adopting a serious expression, suppressing his wandering thoughts, and focusing his attention on the case files.