"Come anytime. I'll be home all day tomorrow."
On regular days off, he would make plans to play badminton or go swimming with colleagues.
Just now, Jiang Yang had invited him to play ball tomorrow afternoon, saying he had already reserved a court, but he declined.
When she wanted to go out and didn't want to stay home, he would take her to play with them.
Xu Qinghe's phone vibrated. A message from the family group.
Dad: [Qinghe, your mother and I have to go on a sudden business trip to Shenzhen. It might take seven or eight days. Take care of yourself.]
Xu Qinghe: [Don't worry about me. You and Mom rest more.]
Shi Wenli's phone also received a message. When he opened it, it was an official cold wave alert.
It would get cold again at night. The lowest temperature over the next few days would drop to minus eleven degrees Celsius.
He exited the SMS. "Your anesthesia department is going to be busy next week."
It didn't even wait until next Monday. On Sunday evening, Xu Qinghe received an emergency call: a patient with a Stanford type A aortic dissection was being rushed in.
"This is the fourth dissection emergency tonight. The night shift is overwhelmed. Dr. Xu, you need to come."
Hearing it was an aortic dissection, Xu Qinghe said, "Okay, on my way."
When she arrived at the operating room, the patient had already been brought in, with only faint blood pressure and heart rate. Ultrasound indicated a large amount of pericardial effusion. Jiang Yang was performing a pericardiocentesis to buy time for thoracotomy.
The assistant anesthesiologist had already drawn up the drugs. "Dr. Xu, everything is ready."
"Good." Xu Qinghe quickly reviewed the medical records to understand the patient's condition and history.
The aortic dissection surgery lasted until 3:30 AM.
After eight hours of surgery, the patient was finally temporarily out of danger.
Xu Qinghe transferred the patient to the post-anesthesia care unit. It was almost 4 AM. She didn't have time to go home, so she grabbed a couple of hours of sleep in the on-call room.
After waking up, she received a message from Shi Wenli: [I made scallion pancakes. I'm waiting in the car.]
Xu Qinghe had just washed her face. She grabbed a few tissues to dry her hands and replied: [I'm at the hospital.]
Without needing to ask, he knew she had been called in for surgery during the night.
Shi Wenli: [Get some rest. I'll bring them to you in a bit.]
Xu Qinghe: [Message me when you're downstairs. I'll come down to get them.]
She put down her phone and went to make coffee.
After drinking half a cup of instant coffee, she felt a bit more alert.
Her colleague Fang Yu walked in with a sugar-oil cake and a cup of soy milk, yawning.
Seeing Xu Qinghe's desk empty and no food in hand, Fang Yu assumed, "Finished so quickly?"
Xu Qinghe sipped her coffee. "No." She had to say, "Someone is bringing it, but it hasn't arrived yet."
"Why are you drinking coffee so early? You're usually quite health-conscious."
"Less than three hours of sleep. Can't function without it."
"You were on backup last night? That shouldn't be."
"Several dissections came in. Not enough hands."
As they chatted, Xu Qinghe's phone rang. It was the emergency department.
She put down her coffee cup and quickly answered.
The emergency department informed her that a patient was being sent to her operating room.
"Okay. What's the patient's condition?"
Xu Qinghe immediately stood up and strode toward the door.
"Orthopedics patient, femoral neck fracture. Says the pain is unbearable and needs surgery today. Orthopedics agreed and wants immediate arrangement." The ER staff didn't sound very confident.
Xu Qinghe said, "Send me the medical records."
The ER quickly sent the records.
Xu Qinghe pulled up the patient's information and scanned it quickly. The patient had all pre-operative tests done at their hospital two days ago and met the surgical indications.
Femoral neck fracture, but without significant displacement, could definitely be done as an elective surgery.
However, orthopedics had too many patients and a saturated surgical schedule. Normal waiting time was at least three to four days.
Unable to fit it in themselves, orthopedics had used the ER's name to force this surgery into Xu Qinghe's fifth operating room today.
If she took this surgery, the originally scheduled hepatobiliary surgery patient would have to be postponed.
After reviewing the records, Xu Qinghe said to the ER, "This doesn't fully meet the indications for emergency surgery. I can accept the anesthesia, but only after all the surgeries in Operating Room 5 today are done."
She had already stepped out of the office but turned back and sat down at her desk.
The ER was at a loss. "Dr. Xu... the patient has already been sent to OR 5."
Not only had the patient been sent, but the attending surgeon was also on his way to the OR.