Death Certificate
Given to others
In the Oncology Department, each patient in every bed can write a story of joy and sorrow.
Some people are very lucky, with partners and children who stick with them through thick and thin, finding joy even in hardship. Even if the outcome is not ideal, they can live their last moments without regrets, staying together till the end.
Some people are unfortunate, struggling alone in the sea of suffering, leaving behind a mess when they depart from this world.
The two of them got off the car, not even having the time to put their luggage back home. They hurriedly took a taxi to the hospital and went straight to the oncology ward.
Before they even entered the office, they could hear a loud thumping on the table and a man’s booming voice from afar: “My mother and I are registered under the same household, so who is she to deny me? Does it make sense to give it to her but not to me?! Can you explain that?”
A group of curious patients and their family members gathered at the entrance of the office, craning their necks to see what was going on inside.
The head nurse stood with her hands on her hips and shouted, “Don’t crowd around here just to watch the excitement! There are others who need to come in for medication, treatment, and consultations!”
She went inside and tried to persuade them, saying, “Let’s talk calmly. No need to slam the table. We still have work to do, and other patients need to receive treatment.”
The man lowered his voice slightly and said, “Then give me my mother’s death certificate. Once I have it, I’ll leave. I don’t want to cause trouble, I need to go back to work and earn money. I’m not idle.”
Zhang Yue continued typing the medical records on the computer, ignoring him. With an impatient tone, he said, “According to the regulations, only one death certificate can be issued. I have already given it to Teacher Zhou. It’s useless for you to argue with me. Even if you complain to the Medical Affairs Department, I will only have this one statement!”
Jian Qing returned to the ward, and the patients and their family members who were crowding at the entrance automatically made way for her.
Jian Qing dismissively dispersed the onlookers, saying, “Don’t gather here, go back to your own rooms.”
Her serious and stern demeanor was quite intimidating.
Although everyone loved to watch the excitement, they were somewhat afraid of Dr. Jian. Reluctantly, they took a few glances inside and then cautiously looked at her cold expression. They slowly dispersed, pulling the people around them.
In the office, Zhang Yue sat behind a middle-aged man in his forties. He had a yellow complexion, a thin figure, and half of his head was bald. With his arms crossed and his legs crossed, he watched Zhang Yue writing the medical records. “If you don’t give it to me, I will come to the hospital whenever I have free time, sit behind you, and watch you work. I have also studied, consider myself a semi-intellectual. I won’t cause trouble, I just want a certificate. It’s that simple.”
Jian Qing didn’t have time to change into a white coat. She went in directly and first dispersed the few medical staff who were trying to persuade the onlookers, telling them to go about their own business. Then she pulled out a chair and sat down, confronting the middle-aged man personally: “Two years ago, I called you and asked you to come to the hospital. I didn’t hear you calling ‘mom’ so affectionately.”
Her indifferent tone was as mocking as ever.
When Lu Yinxi and she were not familiar with each other, she would occasionally mock her like this, which made her itch with hatred.
The middle-aged man was Teacher Zhao’s stepson, unrelated by blood. His surname was Wang and his given name was Enyi.
Two years ago, when Old Zhao fell ill and was admitted to the hospital, diagnosed with cancer, Jian Qing asked for the contact information of her relatives and called him, asking him to come to the hospital to complete the admission procedures.
To prevent disputes between doctors and patients, the hospital treats some “anonymous” individuals with no relatives, friends, or acquaintances, such as homeless people. In such cases, they must first report to the medical department and receive approval before they can be treated. If there are immediate family members, the hospital generally contacts them first, urging them to come and complete the necessary procedures and sign the consent form.
Two years ago, when Wang Enyi heard that Old Zhao had cancer, he didn’t hesitate and hung up the phone.
That year, Old Zhao held the report sheet, sitting alone on a blue chair in the outpatient waiting area, her small figure appearing more and more stooped.
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After finishing her outpatient work, Jian Qing saw her sitting there alone and said, “You can call a neighbor, and I will admit you.”
Old Zhao then found her neighbor, Old Zhou, to accompany her, and only then did Jian Qing dare to officially admit her to the hospital for treatment.
Later on, she asked Wang Enyi multiple times to complete the necessary procedures, but Wang Enyi simply blocked the hospital’s phone number.
Jian Qing, under the immense medical risk, proceeded with the treatment for Old Zhao.
Wang Enyi saw Jian Qing wearing regular clothes and spoke in a displeased tone, asking, “Who are you? Do you know me?”
Zhang Yue stood up and said, “Senior sister, why did you come back early?”
Upon hearing this, Wang Enyi asked, “Are you in charge of him? Do you take responsibility for his actions?”
Jian Qing didn’t answer, but coldly said, “We only issue one death certificate. If you come every day, we can only invite the security department personnel every day.”
When a patient dies in the hospital, the doctor will issue a “Resident Death Medical Certificate,” which consists of two pages. One page is kept in the hospital’s archives, while the other page is a three-part document, kept by the family, the police station, and the funeral home.
“I am her supposed son. If you give the death certificate to someone else, what am I supposed to do? How can I cancel her account at the police station? No matter how bad our relationship was when she was alive, she is still a member of my family. Even if we didn’t get along, I should still take care of her affairs after her death.”
In the office, the experienced doctors and nurses laughed inwardly, finding the situation more amusing than singing.
What account cancellation? He must be afraid of transferring ownership of some property or inheritance, that’s why he eagerly come to claim the death certificate.
A doctor from the neighboring medical team said, “Dr. Xiao Zhang gave it to someone, so you should go find that person. You haven’t come to the hospital to take care of and accompany her before, so of course the hospital chooses someone who knows her well.”
Wang Enyi: “If I could find her, would she still need to come to the hospital to see your faces?”
He hadn’t been in contact with his stepmother for over ten years. He had no idea where she lived, nor did he know the names of her colleagues or neighbors. It was only this morning, when he saw the death announcement sent by her neighbor on a family group chat with dozens of people, that he found out she had passed away. He quickly took leave from work and came to the hospital from another city to obtain the death certificate.
His stepmother’s name was on the property certificate of their house. In order to transfer the ownership of the house to him, he needed to obtain her death certificate.
Jian Qing’s expression was indifferent. “Whoever pays and takes care of the patient here will receive the death certificate in the end.”
Zhang Yue followed up, “In the past two years, Teacher Zhao has spent over a hundred thousand yuan for treatment at our hospital, all paid by her neighbor. Otherwise, would you like to help her neighbor cover the medical expenses?”
Other doctors chimed in, “Yes, if you contribute, we can persuade her to give you the death certificate.”
When money was mentioned, Wang Enyi became agitated and raised his voice, “Where did she pay? That money is in my mother’s bank account! The remaining money in my mother’s bank account might have been taken by her!”
Jian Qing shook her head and coldly said, “She used more than half of her monthly pension to treat your ‘mother’.”
In the past two years, this so-called “filial son” who constantly referred to her as “my mother” had never once visited the hospital.
Knowing that he was at a disadvantage, Wang Enyi put down his crossed legs, rubbed his bald head, and forcefully argued, “Fine, I won’t argue with you about this. According to the law, I am her legally recognized son, so don’t I have the right to obtain her death certificate? If you don’t give it to me, aren’t you breaking the law?”
Jian Qing took a firm stance and didn’t back down, “I study medicine, not law. I don’t understand those things, but I do know that the law states that children have the obligation to support and assist their parents. If you want to talk about the law, go to the Medical Affairs Department. They have legal experts there. We have work to do here. If you don’t leave, I’ll call the police and have your unit leader come and discuss this.”
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When the topic turned to his workplace, Wang Enyi stood up and pointed at Jian Qing, making threats, “Just wait. I’ll go find the leader of your Medical Affairs Department. Don’t regret it. I’ll make sure you end up in court!”
He came to the hospital alone to snatch the death certificate, and without anyone brave enough to accompany him, he didn’t dare to cause a scene in the ward. After making his threats, he directly left the ward and went to the Medical Affairs Department to complain.
Seeing him leave, Jian Qing opened Old Zhao’s medical records and checked all the medical orders, reports, informed consent forms, and signatures to ensure they were complete. She also retrieved the previous hospitalization records to check if there was a note about “preventing s*icide” and confirmed that there were no omissions in the medical records.
Zhang Yue said, “Don’t worry, Senior Sister, I’ve checked everything. Even if we end up in the defendant’s seat, we’re not at fault. Let him cause a scene.”
Lu Yinxi interjected, “Don’t worry, he wouldn’t dare to sue.”
Zhang Yue asked, “How do you know, Xiaolu?”
Lu Yinxi replied, “I heard from Teacher Zhao that he works at X Bureau. He’s part of the system and wouldn’t dare to make a big fuss. He can only create trouble at our hospital.”
The stepmother had cancer, and the supposed son failed to fulfill his duty of support and assistance. As soon as she passed away, he rushed to the hospital to obtain the death certificate. If it becomes a big issue and reaches his workplace, and if someone reports him, it’s hard to say if he will be able to inherit the estate. His future prospects would be ruined.
Jian Qing is equally clear about this.
She never chats casually with patients, but she will collect the patient’s family information clearly from the beginning and remember it firmly.
There is a fixed process for handling medical disputes. First, involve the Medical Affairs Department for internal negotiation and resolution. If it cannot be resolved, apply for the intervention of a third-party arbitration organization for mediation. If mediation is unsuccessful, then file a lawsuit with the court for a ruling.
Most people follow the process, but sometimes, when encountering certain individuals within the system, they don’t like to follow the process.
Instead, they choose to rely on relationships, seek favors, approach leaders, and exert their power to suppress.
Therefore, it is even more important to handle it cautiously.
Jian Qing rubbed her forehead and said, “Zhang Yue, make a phone call first and inform the Medical Affairs Department about this situation. I will go talk to the director.”
The director of the Oncology Department Two is Hu Jianjun, who is also Jian Qing’s mentor.
Hu Jianjun holds multiple positions, including Doctoral Supervisor, Discipline Leader, Head of the Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Deputy Director of the hospital. Most of the time, he travels across the country to attend various conferences. In recent years, his reputation has been growing, and he has a faint hope of competing for the position of the next hospital director.
Usually, he is not in the director’s office in the ward at this time, but in the deputy director’s office in the administrative building.
Jian Qing briefly reported the situation, and Hu Jianjun sat upright in his office chair, lowered his head to sign documents, and said sternly, “Handle it as you see fit.”
In his early years, he was an elegant doctor. Now that he has been in a high position for a long time, he has a commanding presence and keeps his emotions hidden.
He used to be her mentor, and now he is her superior. He has guided her step by step in her clinical growth, and a large part of her clinical style is learned from him.
Jian Qing responded, “Okay.”
Hu Jianjun lifted his head, looked at her, and asked, “Still not married?”
Jian Qing replied, “Not married.”
“That’s good, then focus on your work.” Hu Jianjun lowered his head and continued to review the documents. “A girl doesn’t necessarily have to get married and have children. Engage in research, clinical work, and mentor students to achieve something. When you have free time, go home and spend time with your family. Your father even asked me about you last time.”
Hu Jianjun had high expectations for his proud student and the people in the department were speculating that he was training her as his successor.
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When he said these words, it was from a teacher’s standpoint, not as the head of the department. Jian Qing changed her address and said, “Hmm, thank you, teacher.”
Back in the office, Zhang Yue and Jian Qing discussed, “The opinion of Director Jiang from the Medical Affairs Department is to see if we can persuade Teacher Zhou to retrieve the death certificate for Wang Enyi.”
The director of the Medical Affairs Department was skilled at coordinating relationships both inside and outside the hospital, always avoiding disputes whenever possible.
Jian Qing didn’t express her opinion, she glanced at the time and said, “Understood, I’ll look into it when I start work in the afternoon.”
After finishing work, Jian Qing and Lu Yinxi first dropped off their luggage at the apartment, and then went out together to find something to eat.
On the way, they passed by an old residential building, and Jian Qing stopped Lu Yinxi in her tracks.
“Should we go up and take a look? Teacher Zhou lives here.”
The author has something to say:
This chapter is dedicated purely to the plot. Today, we can say good morning _(:з」∠)_
