Chapter 20 — After Doctor Diep Disappeared

When the door closed, her fingernails dug into the handle of the cooler. 4 p.m. Co Han Chau appeared in the hallway of the Cardiovascular Surgery Department of the City Central Hospital. Even he didn't understand why he came here. The office door at the end of the hallway is wide open, several young doctors wearing white blouses are packing things inside. Some people were putting away books, some were folding clothes, and there was a girl holding a water bottle absentmindedly, her eyes red. Co Han Chau recognized that water bottle. It's a vase on Diep Nam Sanh's desk, made of white ceramic, with an English line printed on it: "Save one life, save the world." That's the motto of medical school. He stepped forward. Several young doctors saw him and their movements suddenly stopped. One male doctor among them recognized him and his face immediately changed.

“What are you doing here?”

He slammed the book in his hand on the table, his voice extremely harsh.

"Miss Diep sponsored the ten of us, from tuition to living expenses, and even internship opportunities, for a full three years, without interruption."

He grabbed a thick stack of bills from the table and threw them in front of Co Han Chau.

“See for yourself, what is this?”

Co Han Chau lowered his head to look. The invoice is filled with transfer history, each amount is not large, from a few thousand to one or two thousand yuan, but the frequency is extremely regular, almost every week. Remitter: Diep Nam Sanh. The notes section lists different names, some are tuition fees, some are housing fees, and some are money to buy textbooks. The male doctor with bloodshot eyes flipped through the pages one by one for him to see. The girl holding a water bottle next to her burst into tears.

“Do you know what Ms. Diep did the day after the miscarriage?”

The male doctor clenched his fists until his joints turned white.

“She stood on the operating table for ten hours, performed two heart bypass surgeries, and when she got off the operating table, her pants were covered in blood. The nurse thought it was the patient's blood, but later realized it was her own blood.”

"She had a miscarriage and hadn't recovered yet. Her uterus was still bleeding. Before the bleeding could stop, she was on the operating table."

“Because the surgery was scheduled that day, if she didn't show up, no one would be able to accept that surgery.”

Co Han Chau's face turned white little by little. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. The girl stood up holding a water bottle, tears falling from her eyes.

"Why was Ms. Diep's right hand disabled? I know in my heart."

“She's a surgeon, and once her arm is disabled, it's like she has nothing left.”

"How else do you plan to treat her? Do you have to make her die in front of you to be satisfied?"

Co Han Chau's breathing became rapid. He wanted to say something, but his throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton. The male doctor took a step forward, almost pointing directly at his nose.

"Miss Diep once said something, she said the thing that made her regret the most in her life was knowing Co Han Chau."

"You don't deserve it."

Co Han Chau's knees were soft. He did not object. He grabbed the door frame, turned around and walked out. The fluorescent light in the hallway buzzed overhead, the white light was blinding. He leaned his back against the wall and stood for a long time, his fingers pressed tightly against the hospital bill charge in vest pocket. The piece of paper was heated by his palm until it became hot. His line is collapsing. Shattered piece by piece from the inside. Coastal town. The rain has stopped. Diep Nam Sanh sat on a short stool next to the stove. There was only one round light bulb in the house, emitting a dim yellow light. On the table in front of her was an old laptop, with a countdown program running on the screen. Red numbers. 24:00:00. 23:59:59. 23:59:58.