Chapter 2 — The Patient I Saved Twice

Signed by his wife. Has my signature. Also signed by the witnessing nurse. I took out my phone and opened the photo album. Up to now, after every pre-operative discussion, I have taken a photo of the commitment form. It's a habit. In the photo, Chu Chi Minh's signature is clearly visible. The date is equally clear. But the date listed on the complaint was one day earlier. That means... Before signing the consent form for surgery, he had already prepared a complaint. Right from the start. He never intended to deal with it properly. If the surgery is successful, he will make an excuse to ask for money. If the surgery fails, he has even more reason to demand money. I clenched the phone in my hand. Nails dug deep into the palms of his hands until they were painful. Eight hours. I stood for eight hours on the operating table. At one point, his heart rate dropped to just over thirty. I thought I was about to lose the patient. I used all my strength to pull him back. His life is mine to reclaim little by little. Yet before entering the surgery room... He had already sharpened the knife. Just waiting for the opportunity to crash back into the person who saved my life. Nine o'clock the next morning. I sat in the meeting room of the Medical Affairs Department. Opposite me is Chu Chi Minh's wife. Her last name is Tran, her name is Tran Phuong. Next to him was a man wearing a neat suit, shiny leather shoes, and a law office badge on his chest. Tran Phuong's eyes were red and she crumpled up a stack of tissues in her hand.

"Doctor To, we don't want things to come to this."

Her voice trembled, as if she was the one who suffered the greatest injustice.

"But after the surgery, my husband's right arm still cannot be lifted."

I calmly looked at her.

"The surgery just ended yesterday. He is still in the recovery phase. Temporary limitation of arm movement is a normal phenomenon. Before the surgery, I explained it very clearly to you two."

The lawyer next to him immediately continued.

"Doctor To, my name is Phuong, I am Mr. Chu's legal advisor."

He opened the folder, took out a few papers and pushed them towards me.

"Our client's request is very simple. Mr. Chu believes that the hospital has not fully fulfilled its obligation to notify risks before surgery, so he requests compensation for economic losses in the amount of 200,000 yuan."

I didn't even bother looking at those papers.

"The consent form for surgery has his signature. The minutes of pre-operative communication are also kept by the nurse."

Lawyer Phuong smiled slightly.

"Doctor To, signing does not mean a full explanation has been given. Surely you understand this better than me."

I turned to look at Chief Vuong of the Medical Affairs Department. He coughed loudly.

"Everyone calm down first. Let's review the whole incident."

Suddenly, Tran Phuong slammed his hand on the table.

“Consider what else?”

Her voice immediately rose in pitch.

"My husband is still lying in the hospital bed! He can't even lift his arms!"

Saying this, she burst into tears.

"Our family only depends on him. If he becomes disabled, how will my mother and I live?"

Head of Department Vuong quickly poured water and brought it over. And I just sat still, not saying a word. I know absolutely now can't continue talking. Because she's acting. Last night when I went to check the hospital room, I saw with my own eyes Chu Chi Minh raising his right arm up to the head of the bed to get the phone. Tran Phuong was sitting right next to him at that time. She saw it. But it didn't stop it. Didn't say a single word. Unfortunately... I don't have any video evidence. Seeing my silence, lawyer Phuong spoke again:

"Doctor To, we don't want to make a big deal out of it. If the hospital can quickly come up with a solution, it will save everyone trouble."

Having said that, he glanced at Chief Vuong.

“200,000 yuan is not a big number, right?”

Head of Department Vuong rubbed his hands awkwardly.

"Lawyer Phuong, I have no right to decide on this amount of money. I need to report it to my superiors."

“Then report as soon as possible.”

Lawyer Phuong closed the file and stood up.

"Mr. Chu's mood is very unstable right now. We don't expect him to do anything extreme."

The sentence sounds gentle. But everyone present clearly understood the inner meaning. That was a threat. After they left, Chief Vuong closed the door and looked at me.

“Tieu To, is your consent form for surgery still available?”

"Still. I kept the photo. The original is in the medical file."

“That's good.”

He lowered his voice.

"But I'll tell you the truth. The Deputy Director's intention is to resolve this case as quickly as possible, without prolonging it."

I immediately stood up.

“Based on what?”

“My process did not fail even one step.”

"I know."

Head of Department Vuong took off his glasses and slowly wiped them clean.

"But the Deputy Director has already said that. Recently, superiors have been checking the effectiveness of handling medical disputes. We cannot let complaints stay unresolved forever."

“So you want me to plead guilty instead?”

“Not guilty.”

He sighed.

“It's about coordinated handling.”

I looked straight into his eyes.

"The date on the complaint is three days before the surgery. You saw it too, right?"

"I see."

“So you think this is normal?”

Head of Department Vuong put his glasses back on. He looked at me for a long time. Then just say one sentence:

"Tieu To... whether things are normal or not, it's not for me to decide."

I left the Medical Affairs Department. The smell of disinfectant in the hallway was so strong that it was unpleasant. At that moment the phone vibrated. It's a message from Ms. Trieu in the department.