Chapter 1 — Farewell Nam Thanh

After being in a long-distance relationship for four years, I bought a ring and went to find my boyfriend to propose. Before the plane landed, he sent me a text message.

“There's an emergency surgery tonight, I might not be able to reply to your message.”

I didn't tell you I was coming, I wanted to give you a surprise at the hospital. But I had acute gastroenteritis, and my friend took me to the emergency department first. While I was getting an infusion, across the curtain, I heard my boyfriend, Tham Viet Trinh, say:

“Giao Giao, don't be afraid, the pregnancy test index only fluctuates a little.”

I hesitated, gently lifting a slit in the curtain. Tham Viet Trinh was holding a girl with a slightly protruding belly, seriously looking at her examination form. The nurse laughed teasingly:

"Doctor Tham is truly a good husband. Every time his wife goes for a prenatal check-up, he personally comes to see the data."

Tham Viet Trinh smiled and pulled back the girl's shawl.

“She has severe morning sickness, I don't feel secure.”

I lay back on the hospital bed, my whole body couldn't help but tremble. The ring I was about to give him is still in my pocket. As tears continued to fall, I suddenly remembered. In a long-distance relationship for four years, every time he video calls with me, Tham Viet Trinh mentions the girl he has a relationship with in the department.

"Lam Nhuoc Giao wrote the wrong medical record again."

“She can cry even if she's on night duty.”

“I hate the type of weak people who act like that the most.”

But the girl is now protected in his heart. His name is Giao Giao. … I sat on the hospital bed, the IV bandage on the back of my hand was wrinkled with sweat. My friend, Chu Nhien, returned with warm water, saw my eyes were red, and immediately tensed up and asked:

"How's it going, is it still painful?"

I shook my head, a wave of nausea rising in my stomach. Separated by a thin layer of curtain, Tham Viet Trinh's voice still echoed outside.

“Let's check first, don't scare yourself.”

Lam Nhuoc Giao gently asked him:

“Brother, don't you have surgery tonight?”

Tham Viet Trinh chuckled.

“I've given it to Mr. Tan, your side is more important.”

I tightened my grip on the bed sheet, my knuckles gradually tensing up. The phone next to the pillow lit up a bit. Tham Viet Trinh sent a photo in front of the operating room door. 【I just entered the surgery area, wait until I come out before speaking.】 In the photo, the light is cold white, the sign in front of the door is lit with a red light. Maybe you forgot, when I came to Nam Thanh to look for you, I waited in front of that door all night. That day I had a fever, so feverish that I couldn't even swipe my hotel room card. Still, the receptionist helped me sit down on the sofa. I called Tham Viet Trinh and wanted him to come pick me up. He said the emergency room was too busy, his voice full of fatigue.

“Ninh Ninh, I really can't go.”

“Be good, go back to the hotel first.”

I was afraid he would worry, but instead comforted him.

"It's okay, I can take care of myself."

That night, Nam Thanh rained, I vomited alone in the hotel bathroom until morning. The next day he came to see me, holding only a cup of hot soy milk from a convenience store.

“Yesterday was so busy.”

I received the cup of soy milk, still saddened by the dark circles under his eyes. Now that I think about it, it's obvious why he was busy that day. Outside the curtain, the nurse chased after her with papers.

"Lam Nhuoc Giao's family member, this side signed an additional consent form for re-inspection."

Tham Viet Trinh responded very quickly.

“Give me.”

The tip of the pen glided across the paper, rustling twice. I heard it clearly again. Lam Nhuoc Giao's family members. These words are more tormenting than the pain in my stomach. Chu Nhien followed my gaze out the curtain, her face gradually changed.

“Doctor Tham just now is your boyfriend?”

I did not answer. Tham Viet Trinh quickly helped Lam Nhuoc Giao go away. She walked slowly, he put his hand behind her waist, protecting her along the way. Even when the automatic door at the entrance to the emergency department closed, he used his shoulder to block it a bit. I looked at their backs and suddenly felt that my trip was ridiculous. The ring box in my pocket pressed against my palm. Initially, I planned to wait for him to get off work and take him to the riverbank where we had our first date. I even thought of the first sentence. Tham Viet Trinh, we've been in a long-distance relationship for too long, let's get married. But now, I don't even have the chance to speak anymore. The emergency doctor prescribed me medicine and told me to stay and observe for two hours. Chu Nhien sat with me at the end of the hallway, wanted to speak a few times, then stubbornly swallowed it. I lowered my head to look at the phone. Tham Viet Trinh's operating room photo is still in the chat box. I scrolled up, scrolled to last December. That day there was a big snowstorm at the Bac Thanh base. Because the project experiments were constantly rotating, I had a high fever in the laboratory. I sent a message to Tham Viet Trinh. 【Can I talk to you for a moment?】 Two hours later he replied. 【I just got off the operating table, I'm so tired that I don't want to move.】 【Ninh Ninh, don't always distract me.】 I remember that sentence for a long time. From now on, every time I miss you, I will look at the time in advance, estimate shift change times, patient visits, and emergency schedules at Nam Thanh No. 1 Hospital. I hid my nostalgia, afraid of missing out on his work. Now, at the other end of the hallway, two nurses passed by pushing a portable infusion stand. One person laughed and said:

“Doctor Tham really cares about Dr. Lam, almost everyone in the prenatal clinic recognizes him.”

The other person lowered his voice.

"What's more, last time Dr. Lam had severe morning sickness, Dr. Tham even had lunch there."

“But I heard that normally he just says Dr. Lam is very annoying.”

"Oh well, the mouth complains, but the hands don't worry any less."

My fingertips stopped on the screen. Last December, at that time Tham Viet Trinh used to video call me every day, the camera only showed half of his face, the setting was usually the hospital hallway. He said Lam Nhuoc Giao was so annoying that she would cry if she moved a little, and no one in the department wanted to lead her.

“Her father is close to the dean, so I can't really ignore it.”

At that time, I still advised him.

“It's normal if you're new to the department and don't know how to do it, she's still a little girl, don't be too aggressive.”

After listening, he smiled and sighed.

“I still understand.”

I was happy for a long time because of that "understanding" statement. I thought it was because he knew I sympathized with his hardship. But now I understand that sometimes, understanding makes cheating easier. When the observation time ended, Chu Nhien helped me pay the hospital fees. While passing by the obstetric paperwork printing area, a report got stuck in the paper output slot. The machine kept beeping non-stop. Chu Nhien originally wanted to call a nurse to help, but I stopped walking when he saw the name on it. Lam Nhuoc Giao. Twenty-one weeks pregnant. The column of accompanying people reads: Tham Viet Trinh. There are also a few lines of re-examination notes on the back. November third. December twenty. January sixteenth. These days, I remember them all. November 3rd is my birthday. Tham Viet Trinh said the hospital suddenly had an emergency and just gave me a red envelope. December 20th was the day I had a high fever.