DSMIS CH43

Chapter 43: An Ambiguous Embrace

The space inside the car wasn’t large. Jiang Lin had heard the entire phone conversation and immediately set down his chopsticks to pack up and drive Shen Xing to the hospital. Only then did Shen Xing realize he hadn’t finished his meal. He quickly grabbed Jiang Lin’s arm:

“It’s fine, it’s not far. I can drive myself. Finish your food. I put a lot of effort into making it.”

Jiang Lin, however, was insistent:

“I’ll drive you. With all these people outside, it’ll take you a while just to walk out and get the car. A police car will be much faster.”

True. Shen Xing didn’t argue further. The fireworks were starting in half an hour; the area was packed with people, and traffic was going to be a nightmare.

Soon, the ambulance called Shen Xing back. He answered immediately:

“Is the bleeding still heavy? How long until you arrive?”

“Yes, the arm was severed by a gear mechanism, so the wound isn’t very clean. A police car is clearing the way for us, so we should be there in about two and a half hours.”

“How long has the limb been severed?”

“Three and a half hours. We’ve been driving for an hour and a half. It took two hours to transport the child from the village to the town and apply bandages.”

Shen Xing calculated in his head. If they arrived at the county hospital on time, they would be barely scraping the tail end of the viable replantation window. But if they were sent to Baoshan, it would take an additional four hours. Coupled with the fact that the severed cross-section sounded unoptimistic, the success rate for replantation would be extremely low by the time they arrived. The likely outcome would be amputation to save his life—but the boy was only nine years old.

“The family is in the ambulance, right? Talk to them now. The golden window for severed limb replantation is six hours. Beyond this timeframe, the success rate drops significantly. If they choose to go to Baoshan for surgery, I can re-bandage and stop the bleeding when they pass through the county hospital. If they choose to have the surgery at the county hospital, I will be the lead surgeon. Let them decide in advance; this surgery cannot be delayed. Call me back immediately once they’ve made a decision.”

If this replantation surgery were taking place at Yuetan Hospital, it wouldn’t be an issue at all. But this wasn’t Yuetan Hospital. The county hospital had no prior experience with this procedure. He wouldn’t gamble with a patient’s life just to show off. If this child could reach Baoshan within the golden window, he absolutely wouldn’t interfere. But as it stood, he might be this nine-year-old’s only sliver of hope. If the family chose him, he would go all out.

Shen Xing had just finished speaking and was about to hang up, but the reply came surprisingly fast:

“Director Shen, the family has decided to have the surgery at the county hospital. It takes too long to get to Baoshan. Baoshan Hospital also said the success rate is low if the severance exceeds ten hours. They want to do it at the county hospital.”

This decisive answer made Shen Xing’s heart leap into his throat, exactly like the first time he was the primary surgeon facing a patient. He felt a mix of anxiety and an overwhelming surge of energy. He took a deep breath.

“Alright. What’s the patient’s blood type?”

“Type A.”

“Understood. Ensure the injured limb is elevated above the heart during transport, and keep the severed limb cool, but be careful of frostbite.”

After giving clear instructions, Shen Xing hung up and immediately called the hospital:

“Prepare Type A blood and check right now if the hospital has Papaverine.”

“We have enough Type A blood in the county blood bank, but our hospital doesn’t stock Papaverine.”

Shen Xing pinched the bridge of his nose. Papaverine was a controlled substance, and he had guessed the county hospital might not keep it on hand:

“Call Baoshan Hospital and nearby county hospitals. Initiate emergency drug transfer protocols. Immediately.”

After hanging up, Jiang Lin looked over:

“What do you need Papaverine for?”

“We need Papaverine during and after the surgery to relieve vascular spasms.”

Once they cleared the congested area, the car picked up speed. The festive neon lights flickered across Shen Xing’s profile. Even without turning his head, Jiang Lin could sense Shen Xing’s anxiety:

“Is this surgery very difficult?”

“It’s alright, not extremely difficult. Severed limb replantation is a relatively mature microsurgical procedure. It’s just that the county hospital has no experience doing it.”

Jiang Lin understood. The county hospital lacked the conditions to perform this surgery, and right now, Shen Xing was that condition.

The car stopped at the outpatient entrance of the hospital. Shen Xing patted the lunchbox:

“It’s still warm. Eat some more later. I was planning to bring you dumplings after the fireworks at midnight, but it looks like I won’t be able to make it. I’ve already wrapped them and put them in the freezer—shrimp and three-delicacy filling. Just pick them up from my place and boil them when you get off work. I probably won’t be able to go home tomorrow, so Qianjin will have to stay with you.”

He pulled his house keys out of his pocket and handed them to Jiang Lin.

Jiang Lin looked at him, his gaze incredibly focused under the night sky, unmarred by intense light pollution:

“Don’t pressure yourself too much. Look at it from another angle: that child is lucky to have encountered you here. Giving it your best is enough.”

Shen Xing looked at him, suddenly tilted his head, and smiled:

“Are all anti-narcotics cops this perceptive? You figured it out again. Don’t worry, it’s not my first time at the operating table. The fireworks are about to start; hurry back, and watch my share for me too.”

“I will.”

Shen Xing waved at him and hurried into the hospital. Jiang Lin watched his figure disappear around the corner before getting back into the car.

“Director Shen, a neighboring county hospital has Papaverine. The emergency protocol is in motion, and it’s been reported to the traffic police. The medicine will be here in an hour at the earliest.”

Shen Xing’s heart finally settled.

Two and a half hours later, the ambulance, escorted by traffic police, stopped at the county hospital’s ER entrance. Shen Xing quickly brought a team out to examine the child and then turned to the family, speaking rapidly:

“I need to confirm something with you. I am a doctor sent to support the county hospital. While I have performed severed limb replantation surgeries before, this county hospital has never performed one. This means yours will be the first replantation surgery done here. Are you certain you want to proceed here?”

The child’s parents and older brother had accompanied him. The parents’ eyes were red and swollen from crying, and the mother could barely speak. The older brother was the most composed of the family. He had researched a lot of information and asked many questions during the trip, including the fact that the doctor before him was a Deputy Director of Orthopedics from a top-tier hospital in a big city. He just hadn’t expected the Deputy Director to be so young.

“Director Shen, we’ve made our decision. We’ll do it here with you. Please, we beg you, you must save him.”

“Alright. I will do my absolute best.”

Once the family signed the surgical disclosure and consent forms, the child was wheeled into the prepared operating room. Shen Xing had personally double-checked all the equipment moments before.

The first assistant for this surgery was Xu Fulai, a Deputy Director of Orthopedics, and the anesthesiologist was Li Xing, Director of Anesthesiology. They had participated in or received training for replantation surgeries during their fellowships. However, none of the other medical staff had ever participated in such a procedure. After donning his surgical gown, Shen Xing fixed his gaze on everyone involved in the surgery:

“Everyone, do not be overly nervous. Just follow the steps and do what you need to do. I will give detailed instructions throughout the procedure.”

Truthfully, the medical staff participating for the first time were inwardly terrified. But Shen Xing possessed a calming presence; just by standing there, he instantly gave everyone in the room a pillar of support.

Back at his post, Jiang Lin opened the lunchboxes one by one and tasted every single dish, reluctant to waste even a bite. After all, making these six dishes had probably exhausted Director Shen more than performing a surgery. At 8 PM sharp, fireworks lit up the sky over People’s Square. Jiang Lin packed up the lunchboxes, stepped out of the car, and recorded a video on his phone. Yet, his mind was entirely occupied by Director Shen at the hospital. He knew Shen Xing must be under immense pressure during this surgery.

As fireworks blossomed in the sky, a tense surgery was underway in the county hospital’s operating room. Shen Xing’s scalpel moved steadily, systematically removing devitalized and contaminated tissue before beginning to suture the deep muscles and tendons. Every movement was excruciatingly precise, as each stitch directly impacted the future mobility of the reattached arm.

Outside, the fireworks show ended, and the crowd at People’s Square began to disperse in all directions, heading home to keep vigil for the New Year and eat reunion dinners. The roads became jammed with traffic. Jiang Lin stepped out of his vehicle to help the traffic police direct the flow.

None of this reached the people inside the operating room. Everyone’s attention was hyper-focused on the surgery—or rather, on the scalpel and sutures in Shen Xing’s hands.

“Heparin sodium, 5000 units.”

Shen Xing glanced at the ACT (Activated Clotting Time) on the dynamic monitor:

“Wipe sweat.”

“Papaverine 30mg, intramuscular injection.”

“Anesthesia, keep a close eye on the patient’s blood pressure.”

Following his commands, the surgery proceeded methodically.

Finally, after repairing the tendons and muscles, the surgery reached its most crucial stage: vascular anastomosis (connecting the blood vessels) under a microscope. This step would almost entirely determine whether the reattached limb would have blood flow post-surgery. Shen Xing straightened his back, stretched slightly, and then poured his absolute focus into the highly intricate procedure that followed.

“Heparin, normal saline. Flush the lumen.”

During this step, almost no one dared to make a sound. The only noises in the silent operating room were the whirring of machines and the subtle sounds of Shen Xing’s delicate maneuvers. Time seemed to lose its meaning in that room.

An unknown amount of time later, Shen Xing’s voice rang out again:

“Release the tourniquet.”

He took a breath and pressed down on the fleshy pad of the boy’s tender finger, releasing it two or three seconds later. All eyes were fixed on the child’s finger, silently counting the seconds. Finally, in less than two seconds, the finger pad, pale from being pressed, regained its color:

“We have it. We have blood flow.”

A CTR (Capillary Refill Time) of less than two seconds meant that blood was circulating to the extremities of the severed limb. The vascular reconstruction was a success.

Shen Xing closed his eyes for a moment before proceeding to repair the nerves and finally closing the skin.

The sky outside gradually brightened, signaling the end of Jiang Lin’s night shift. He arrived at the hospital; the operating room light was still on. The young nurse on ER duty recognized him:

“Captain Jiang, are you looking for Doctor Shen?”

“Yes. How long has the surgery been going on?”

“Eight hours.”

He saw people sitting in the corridor looking exhausted and tense—likely the patient’s family. He turned around, stepped outside for a bit, and returned, sitting in a chair not far from the family.

At 9:45 AM, the operating room doors finally opened. The family practically leaped from their chairs. Jiang Lin stumbled slightly as he stood up, his eyes instantly locking onto Director Shen, who hadn’t even taken off his surgical scrubs yet:

“The surgery went smoothly. However, the limb’s recovery requires a 7-day observation period. The child needs to be sent to the ICU for observation first.”

The corridor was filled with the family’s incoherent words of gratitude. Shen Xing waved his hand, gave some post-operative instructions, and squeezed his way out of the crowd. He had been standing for over ten hours. He hadn’t felt it during the tense surgery, but now that he relaxed, and upon seeing Jiang Lin, a wave of weakness washed over him for some reason. He was tired—truly, utterly exhausted.

Jiang Lin saw the deep indentations left on Shen Xing’s nose bridge and forehead by the surgical cap and mask. The moment he met Director Shen’s eyes, his heart ached. He walked over and supported Shen Xing’s arm:

“I’ll walk you back to your office.”

Shen Xing practically hung off his arm on the way back to the office, too tired to even speak.

Only after entering the office did Shen Xing completely relax. Sensing the increased weight on his arm, Jiang Lin reflexively reached around Shen Xing’s waist and pulled him into an embrace, driven by some inexplicable impulse. The familiar yet strange scent instantly enveloped Shen Xing, causing his brain—which had stayed up all night and operated at high speed—to completely lose its ability to think. Instinctively feeling that this embrace was solid and grounding, the wave of weakness seeped out from every pore of his body, and he subconsciously rested his head on Jiang Lin’s shoulder.

The slight weight on his shoulder completely softened Jiang Lin’s heart. He raised his hand almost uncontrollably and gently stroked Shen Xing’s hair. Captain Jiang, who had been on duty for most of the night, spoke in a slightly hoarse voice:

“Director Shen is amazing.”

Jiang Lin could tell that Shen Xing wasn’t just physically exhausted. After all, New Year’s Day had been just as busy, if not more so, yet Director Shen hadn’t looked like this back then. Now, Jiang Lin sensed a deep fatigue in Shen Xing, as if his mind had finally unspooled. For the past ten hours of surgery, Shen Xing had been operating without a safety net. He was like the sole commanding general on a battlefield; he couldn’t afford a single mistake. He had to hyper-focus not only on his own duties but on the entire surgical team.

This ambiguous embrace made Jiang Lin feel as if time had stopped at this very second. Shen Xing was even more oblivious to the flow of time; he was so tired and sleepy he almost fell asleep leaning against Jiang Lin. When he finally snapped back to his senses in a daze, he awkwardly tried to stand up straight.

Jiang Lin let him go. The air was thick with an ambiguous atmosphere. Shen Xing vaguely felt that something wasn’t quite right, but his brain was currently incapable of supporting complex thought. Following basic instinct, he blurted out:

“I’m hungry. Captain Jiang, is there any food?”

That single sentence instantly threw Jiang Lin’s newly settled heart back into utter chaos.

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Author’s Note:

The exhausted, silly Shen Cat still doesn’t know what happened, but a qualitative change is already brewing.