Chapter 1182 - 1182: 766 There is always a narrow escape after nine deaths_2

Cao Binghe walked over and spoke to Director Wu, then went to check on the patient's condition.

As soon as he laid eyes on Gu, his heart lurched with fear.

Then, he frowned.

During the time he had been following Du Heng, he had consciously been learning Du Heng's systematized knowledge, with stroke treatment being an excellent subject for this. So, at a glance, he could tell the girl in front of him had facial paralysis. But he had a strange feeling. Her condition seemed different from the pictures of facial paralysis he had recently seen in his research. He couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was for a moment.

After the nurse finished her work, he went forward and started the examination and registration.

Once he put his hands on her and recalled the materials he had previously seen, he understood that this was not facial paralysis.

So-called facial paralysis is nerve paralysis, meaning the nerve is temporarily non-functional, but it is fundamentally sound. But this girl's face, the touch of his hand alone clearly told him that her facial muscle fibers had lost their elasticity and vitality. In an instant, he thought of something that could be directly compared to it – the skin-on pork sold in supermarkets. This girl's face was like that pork: sagging and exuding a lifeless rigidity. In such a situation, the next step is facial muscle necrosis, and once necrosis occurs...

Cao Binghe's heart lurched; he suddenly had a very bad feeling.

However, he didn't reveal anything. After completing the examination and registration, he left the ward and went straight to the nurse station. "Nurse Hu," he asked, "was that patient just now admitted by Deputy Director Du?"

The nurse at the station didn't even lift her head, busy with her work. "Of course Deputy Director Du admitted her," she replied. "If it were Dr. Qin, do you think he would assign the patient to you? You wish!"

Upon receiving confirmation, Cao Binghe's first thought was not that Du Heng was trying to set him up, but rather that Du Heng might have made a mistake this time.

Nerve necrosis and nerve paralysis are entirely different concepts, with completely different consequences.

He wanted to call Du Heng right away, but he knew Du Heng's phone would be on silent during his outpatient service hours. Moreover, Du Heng currently had a heavy caseload and wouldn't have time to check his phone.

Left with no choice, Cao Binghe had to find Director Wu first for confirmation, fearing he himself might have made a mistake.

After waiting for Director Wu to finish his rounds, Cao Binghe seized an opportunity and hastily explained the situation. Director Wu didn't delay either and went to check on Gu's condition.

Gu and her father, seeing both the attending physician and the director visit them, assumed Du Heng had specially arranged it. So, they didn't overthink it and cooperated fully with the examination.

After leaving the ward, Director Wu was no longer confident.

He did think that this girl's problem was not as simple as facial nerve paralysis.

Yet, Du Heng gave him the strong impression that he was incapable of making such a mistake.

This left Director Wu quite perplexed, and for a moment, he was truly unsure what to do.

But this issue was critical and had to be clarified.

Nerve paralysis can be treated with medication and massage, gradually stimulating recovery. However, muscle and nerve necrosis, according to current medical understanding, is irreversible. If the patient's life is to be saved, surgical removal is often the only choice.

Although the girl's face hadn't yet reached the point of necrosis, the loss of vitality was undeniable. Necrosis was only a matter of time.

If this wasn't clearly understood, major problems could arise.

Director Wu rubbed his jaw thoughtfully for a long moment, then looked at Cao Binghe and said, "In this case, you should go to the outpatient service and ask Deputy Director Du about this in person. If he knows what's going on, then don't disturb him; he must have his own considerations. If he doesn't know and made a mistake in his rush, then... I'll step in and talk to the family."

Cao Binghe agreed, though he felt a pang of resentment.

Logically speaking, he and Director Wu were fellow disciples from the same master. It would be normal for his senior fellow apprentice to care for and protect him. But now, listening to Director Wu, he was actually offering to clean up a mess for Du Heng—someone with whom he had no real connection. How could Cao Binghe, his actual junior fellow apprentice, not feel jealous?

But what good would jealousy do? Getting the work done was paramount.

When Cao Binghe arrived at the consultation room, he waited for the previous patient to leave, then hurried in and closed the door.

Du Heng took this chance to drink some water, but was a little puzzled by Cao Binghe's behavior. "Why close the door?"

Cao Binghe hurried forward. "The department just admitted a patient with facial paralysis," he said. "You're aware of her, aren't you?"

Du Heng smiled and looked at Cao Binghe. "I know. I sent her over."

"Could you have misdiagnosed her?" Cao Binghe chose his words carefully. "That patient's facial condition might not be nerve paralysis."

Du Heng finally understood and chuckled. "I know. Her facial nerves have almost completely lost their activity."

Cao Binghe was shocked. "If you know, why did you admit her? She's already beyond saving!"

"Who says she's beyond saving?" Du Heng put down his water cup. "The patient's facial nerves have only lost their activity; they haven't yet reached the point of necrosis. Even in the direst situations, there's a sliver of hope for life. As long as we can activate and amplify that spark of vitality, this girl can still be saved."

Cao Binghe slapped his palm. "That's true in principle, but where can we find this spark of life? Forget a one-in-ten chance of survival; even if the odds of death were 'only' sixty or seventy percent, it would still be considered a hopeless situation!"

Du Heng, however, remained unperturbed. "Life must be sought from within the jaws of death," he said calmly. "Wherever the problem lies, as long as vitality hasn't been completely extinguished, a flicker of it must still exist there."

With that, Du Heng gave Cao Binghe a rather strange look. "You're afraid of trouble, right? How about this: we put the patient under my name?"

Cao Binghe pursed his lips hard. "I don't mean that. I'm just a little worried."

"It's up to you," Du Heng continued. "I've already exceeded my patient quota, so I referred her directly to you. If you have reservations, don't hesitate to transfer her back to me."

"Forget it," Cao Binghe said. "I was just worried that with so many patients, you might have overlooked something in your haste. That's why I came to ask. Since you're confident you have a plan, I have nothing more to worry about."

Cao Binghe still had faith in Du Heng. Seeing his confident demeanor, he said no more, turned, and left the consultation room, no longer disturbing Du Heng's work.

「After a busy morning, Du Heng quickly ate lunch and then took a short nap. Once he felt re-energized, he headed towards the hospital room.」

The afternoon's treatment carried a significant risk, so he had to ensure he was fully alert and his energy levels were high. Any mistake could be fatal for Gu, extinguishing her only hope of survival.

"Director Du, you've arrived."

As soon as Du Heng reached the ward, Mr. Gu was the first to greet him, showing none of the airs one might expect from a high-ranking official.

After a brief chat, Du Heng asked, "Have you found the item I asked for?"

The woman who had arrived that morning quickly replied, "We found it. It's that old-fashioned iron you mentioned. It wasn't easy; we managed to find one in an old alley. You really can't find these in modern apartment buildings anymore."

With that, she took out a plastic bag from under the bed.

From it, she produced an iron: pointed at the front, broad and flat at the back, with a curved handle in the middle. It appeared before Du Heng's eyes.

Du Heng's eyes lit up. This was exactly what he had in mind.

He reached out and took it, feeling its considerable weight in his hand.

It was surprisingly heavy, weighing at least five or six pounds.

Holding it, Du Heng knew that today's procedure would not only be risky but also physically demanding. Before officially beginning the treatment, he needed to get a proper feel for the iron, to become thoroughly accustomed to its weight. Only then would he dare use it.