Chapter 697: [697] Unprecedented urgency Chapter 697: [697] Unprecedented urgency “I still hold the same opinion, no matter what, even if the liver source is gone, the two of you better not have any mishaps on the road,” Tao Zhijie said to them both in a tone that, unlike his usual gentleness, carried the seriousness of a command.
He Guangyou came with the plane tickets and handed them to Qiu Ruiyun, explaining carefully, “These are return and departure tickets for the two of you. The flight is at 1:30 a.m. tonight. The ambulance will leave the emergency department at 11 o’clock and take you to Capital Airport. You should take your suitcases, as it’s a five-and-a-half-hour flight to your destination; afterward, you must rush to the other hospital as quickly as possible.”
“Does the hospital on the other end have an ambulance ready to pick us up at the airport?” Qiu Ruiyun asked.
“Probably not. You know, there’s more than one organ. We’re taking the liver, other hospitals will take kidneys, lungs, corneas. They don’t have that many ambulances to transport people back and forth. You’ll need to take a taxi.”
Qiu Ruiyun secured the plane tickets first but felt some tension at the start of the journey. The travel time was longer than any mission he’d ever undertaken before, unprecedented. With so few available donor organs each year, missing out was like failing his own patients, a violation of medical ethics.
“You’re taking her with you; you need to be extra careful on the road,” He Guangyou patted his shoulder, his voice deepening like Tao Zhijie’s.
Qiu Ruiyun nodded. If possible, he would have preferred a different companion.
A girl, a student at that, surely couldn’t run as fast as him. If anything happened to her on the road, it would be very difficult for him to explain to everyone.
Ultimately, Qiu Ruiyun did not change his plans for who to take with him, mainly because he saw the eagerness in Xie Wanying’s eyes.
For her, it was an invaluable learning opportunity, one that she might never get again if missed. This was a chance not given to ordinary interns and trainees, deliberately provided by Tao Zhijie for two newbies with strong potential.
The transportation costs for newbies who accompanied on such trips were reimbursed by the hospital as part of teaching expenses. In essence, training a young doctor required the hospital to expend considerable effort, resources, and finances, and accept many risks; it was certainly no small feat.
“We’ve arranged time off for you two. You get the afternoon off today to go home and sleep, rest up so you can set off tonight with ample energy,” He Guangyou ultimately sent them off to rest up first.
Hence, Xie Wanying went back to the dormitory to sleep in the afternoon. Qiu Ruiyun told her to meet him at the emergency room at 10:30 p.m.
She was somewhat restless, tossing and turning in bed. It was her first time escorting an organ for transplant, and she felt both excited and anticipative.
Around five in the evening, she got her meal from the school’s cafeteria. While eating, she browsed through the texts from Senior Brother Huang.
Huang Zhilei: What do you want to eat this weekend at Senior Cao’s place? Tell me, and I’ll go buy it.
Xie Wanying: I’m easy, I’ll eat anything.
Huang Zhilei: How about beef? I’ll buy some and we can cook beef hot pot together at Senior Cao’s home.
Xie Wanying: Do I need to bring anything? Can I buy some drinks? Which kind do Senior Cao and Senior Brother Huang like? Is it Jianlibao or Wang Laoji?
Huang Zhilei: No need, no need. Senior Cao’s house is stocked with boxes of beverages; we don’t need to buy any.
It seemed Senior Brother Huang was a regular at Senior Cao’s home and knew exactly what was available there.
Xie Wanying thought: I’ll bring some fruit, I’ll see if watermelons are in the market yet.
Huang Zhilei: Senior Cao mentioned he wasn’t sure whether you eat ice cream or not. What flavor of ice cream do you like?
As always, Senior Cao had a good understanding of a girl’s fondness for desserts.