Chapter 5
After completing the consultation, Chief Physician Liu went home. I declined her invitation for dinner at her home, since I have a night shift today.
But I love working the night shift the most.
In a hospital, working the obstetrics night shift means straddling the line between hell and heaven. Sometimes it's frantically busy, sometimes bored to death.
Whether busy or idle, I like both.
But tonight, I hope it will be a little quieter.
I had just entered the doctor's lounge when someone knocked on the door as if on cue: "Don't hide in there without making a sound. I know you're in there. If you dare steal someone's man, how dare you not open the door? Open up."
It was Hu Li, whose drama queen personality was acting up again. Her voice always surprised people more than her looks - she was a typical Jiangnan beauty but spoke with a strong Northeastern accent, as if she was from the Northeast. Yet she had never been there at all, just completely influenced by her boyfriend.
Hu Li had come to invite me to her birthday party tomorrow. She said her boyfriend had been acting sneaky these past few days, and she guessed he might propose tomorrow. She hoped I could come and witness it.
When I didn't answer, she cozied up to me and pulled my arm, coaxing me: "No way, such an important day! Anyone else might not come, but you have to be there. We're so close."
"I'm working the night shift."
"You choose to work 20 nights a month, it's not mandatory. You have to be there tomorrow no matter what."
I don't like events like this. Actually, I don't like any occasion other than work and going home.
But I nodded to indicate I would go. Hu Li happily rested her head on my shoulder again: "I knew you weren't that petty."
What does this have to do with being petty? I just don't want to go.
"It's just a proposal, no big deal. Have you landed the hospital director's son yet? It doesn't count as a victory until you're married." Hu Li said.
I didn't understand: "You've fallen for the hospital director's son again?"
Hu Li immediately lifted her head and slapped me hard: "I'm standing up for you! Don't talk nonsense. If my boyfriend Cheng Peng heard that he'd be so jealous."
I had things to do that required privacy. So I pretended to pick up a book nearby and start reading: "Shouldn't you be getting back to work?"
"Our chief is so easygoing, he gave me time off to come up. Don't worry, it's fine if I stay a little longer. Besides, our chief also loves the night shift. Since he's here today, it doesn't matter if I hang around more." She leaned towards the blinds and opened a slit to look outside. "Not a soul out there, what's the rush? And between you and Qing Qing, what's the big deal? It doesn't count as a victory until you're married to the hospital director's son."
I had no choice but to put the book down and ruffle her hair. Her short, silky hair made her look crisp and energetic. "No way. You're my only friend."
Hu Li seemed stunned for a moment. She didn't often get a taste of her own medicine, so it was quite amusing to see her at a loss for words. She leaned her head on my shoulder again: "Oh wow, a rare sweet nothing from you, I'm so touched I could cry. Just don't smudge my mascara!"
"You should go, don't affect your end-of-month review." I said.
Hu Li hugged me: "Remember to come tomorrow!"
I nodded: "Mm-hmm."
Hu Li left briskly, her footsteps clip-clopping down the stairs, around the corner, past the corridor, down to the third floor, then straight ahead until I faintly heard the metal door of the Chinese Medicine Room clang as she entered her department.
After waiting another 300 beats, I turned off the light.
With the light source gone, the crystalline lens stopped reflecting, and people could no longer see. Ordinary people would begin to use their rod cells to start dark adaptation after about 3 minutes, and still be able to see in the dark.
For me, it only took 1 minute and 12 seconds.
I took out my bag that I keep with me at all times, and removed my tools, including a whole uncut pig leg weighing about 8 jin.
My best subject is dissection.
In my spare time, I have dissected an average-sized pig before.
Apart from the bones, pig organs are not only similar in shape to human organs, even their genes are similar. Pigs with the PERV gene site inactivated are even better animal donors for human organ transplantation.
Especially pig hearts.
I've cut open and taken apart a pig, dissecting out a pig heart with intact blood vessels and nerves from its body.
Now, I wanted to try a higher level of difficulty - dissect and break down a 160-jin pig weighing about 160 jin into 20,000 pieces in the dark, within 2.5 hours.
This was the plan I devised after many trial runs. Of course, this was just the most basic step.