Chapter 4 — After Doctor Diep Disappeared

The box hit the trash bag with a thud. She clapped her hands, turned and walked back to her office, slamming the door. Trieu Minh stood frozen in place, his hands still holding the box. At 2:40 p.m., the emergency department was in chaos. Diep Nam Sanh's phone rang three times, all from the Director's office. She picked up the phone for the third time, the Director's voice on the other end of the line was very low: "Nam Sanh, Tham Kien Quoc has just been admitted, acute heart failure, the situation is very unfavorable." Tham Kien Quoc, biological father of Tham Moc Ngung. Diep Nam Sanh's finger tapped twice on the table: "My health is not convenient today, let Deputy Director Truong do the surgery." The dean was silent for a few seconds: "After watching the movie, Deputy Director Truong said he wasn't sure, so he pointed to you by name." Diep Nam Sanh's voice did not waver: "I have a direct beneficial relationship with the patient's family, so according to regulations, I should avoid it." On the other end of the phone, another person's voice rang out, it was Deputy Director Mr. Chau in charge of the specialized area: "Nam Sanh, Mr. Co's side has personally informed the hospital, you are the number one expert in the Cardiovascular Surgery Department in the entire North Thanh area, this surgery cannot be done without you." Diep Nam Sanh hung up the phone. She re-buttoned her white blouse, bowed her head and flipped through a medical record page within her reach, without any intention of moving. The office door was pushed in from the outside. When Co Han Chau walked in, followed by two security guards wearing black vests. He glanced around the not-so-big office, walked to the window, pulled hard on the curtain cord, and with a snap, the curtain fell completely. Curious eyes wandering in the hallway were stopped outside.

“I have to have this surgery.”

Diep Nam Sanh didn't even lift his head: "Don't do it." Co Han Chau's thumb and index finger fiddled with the button on the cuff of his shirt, his eyes narrowed: "For the ten medical students I am sponsoring, the scholarship money is all taken from the Co Thi Group's charity fund." Diep Nam Sanh's hand that was flipping through the medical record paused.

"You just need to make one phone call, the scholarships of all ten people will immediately be frozen. Truong Kien Bang is still studying for a master's degree, his student loans have not been paid off. Liu Tieu Nguyet just won a residency position, if he doesn't pay the full exam fee..."

He didn't continue to speak, just stared at Diep Nam Sanh's face. Diep Nam Sanh slowly folded the medical record and looked up at him. She reached out and pulled down the collar of her white blouse, revealing the gauze stuck under her collarbone, the edge of the gauze oozing a bit of light pink.

"Have you seen it? This place."

Co Han Chau's eyes fell on the gauze, his throat rolling. Diep Nam Sanh closed his collar: "Yesterday I just had a miscarriage, yesterday you just cut me with a knife." Co Han Chau's eyes avoided and moved to the bookshelf next to him. But his tone still did not soften at all: "Don't use the miscarriage story to threaten me, will you do this surgery or not? Give me a decisive answer." Diep Nam Sanh looked straight at him, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, not a smile, but an uncontrollable muscle twitch. She was about to say something, but the door was pushed open again. The speed Tham Moc Ngung rushed in was faster than Co Han Chau. She made a "thud" sound and knelt down in front of Diep Nam Sanh, tears falling like rain.

“Sister-in-law! please! That's my father, he only has this one life left!”

She hit her head on the floor, once, twice, and by the third time her forehead was bleeding.

“I know I have wronged you, you can compensate me however you want, I will give you whatever you want, please save my father!”

Diep Nam Sanh sat on the chair, not moving. She lowered her head to look at Tham Moc Ngung kneeling on the ground, looked at the red blood on her forehead, looked at her trembling shoulders and her clenched hands.