Life is Like a Journey – Chapter 82
by Little PandaVolume 2: Inheritance
Explosion
Always ready to sacrifice oneself for the interests of the motherland and the people
“Chest retractor,” the nurse handed her the instrument.
Under the crude lighting equipment, several heads huddled together. Xu Qiankun used forceps to hold open the skin, blood immediately gushed out, and Qin Xuan connected the drainage tube.
Yu Gui took a deep breath: “Hemostatic forceps”
“Director Xu, help me open this area,” Yu Gui spoke while beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, as she gritted her teeth working on the left coronary artery.
“Alright,” Xu Qiankun began handling the right coronary artery, but when they carefully separated the complex blood vessels, both of them froze for a moment.
The thrombolytic therapy that had started earlier wasn’t working well, and the patient’s circumflex branch had severe stenosis at both proximal and distal ends. Even if they removed the blood clot through aspiration, secondary embolism could occur, endangering the patient’s life.
Qin Xuan frowned: “Did we bring any cardiac stents with us this time?”
The nurse shook her head glumly.
Who could have anticipated performing such a complex surgery in the wilderness?
No temporary cardiac pacemaker, no cardiopulmonary bypass, no cardiac stentsβ¦
The risk was too great.
Xu Qiankun put down the scalpel; he couldn’t accompany Yu Gui in this reckless gamble that could risk his career.
“Although it’s regrettable, we’ve done our best. Let’s close up.”
Yu Gui slightly closed her eyes, and Lu Qingshi’s face and written words flashed in her mind.
“How do you perform cardiac bypass without cardiac stents?”
It was during a post-ward round conference, with the patient’s CT scan results enlarged on the PowerPoint presentation.
Lu Qingshi held the remote, speaking confidently eloquently and at length.
The images and words formed a massive flow of information flooding into her mind as Yu Gui frowned, trying to sort through them.
Qin Xuan glanced at her: “Yu Gui⦔
“It can be done by replacing the stenotic coronary artery with artificial blood vessels, but I personally don’t recommend you do this because it demands extremely high hand speed from the surgeon. As we all know, coronary arteries carry 50% of the blood flow to the heart. If bleeding occurs, it would be like thisβ”
Lu Qingshi clicked the PowerPoint, and geyser-like bleeding splashed across the screen. Just sitting there watching it made Yu Gui break out in a cold sweat.
Someone raised their hand to ask: “Director Lu, how much time do we have to complete the artificial vessel replacement for the patient to have a chance of survival?”
“Three minutes.”
“What’s the success rate of this surgery?” Yu Gui swallowed.
“For me, it’s one hundred percent, but for you all⦔ the doctor leaned on the podium, a slight curve of contempt on her lips, her gaze drifting towards Yu Gui.
That was during her first month of standardized training at Renji Medical University.
“Better not do it, it would be harming people.”
Yu Gui buried her head in the desk, shrinking like an ostrich.
Blood-stained hands grabbed the scalpel from the tray, those eyes opened with the same unwavering determination, the kind of look she had seen in Lu Qingshi before.
“Bring the artificial blood vessel.”
The young nurse hesitated, and Yu Gui suddenly raised her head and shouted: “Hurry up, or the patient will die on the table!”
Xu Qiankun grabbed her hand, his eyes blazing with anger: “What are you trying to do?!”
“Replace the narrowed coronary artery with an artificial blood vessel,” Yu Gui brushed him off: “If you won’t do it, you can leave. This has nothing to do with you, you won’t bear any responsibility.”
“How bold!” Xu Qiankun was furious, yanking off his surgical cap and throwing it into the medical waste bin, storming out through the curtain.
“But don’t forget, you’re not Lu Qingshi. If you don’t have the skills, don’t take on tasks beyond your ability. Patients aren’t your practice tools!”
The artificial blood vessel was quickly brought over. Yu Gui held it up to measure the length, cut an appropriate section with surgical scissors, and looked at Qin Xuan: “You should leave too, this is my⦔
Without another word, Qin Xuan took the first assistant’s position: “Didn’t your Teacher Lu tell you that the operating table is never a battlefield for just one person?”
The anesthesiologist nodded: “Dr. Yu, hurry, we’re losing control of the blood pressure.”
Genuine gratitude welled up in Yu Gui’s eyes: “Thank you all.”
Her skills might not be as outstanding as Lu Qingshi’s, but she had a heart that always remembered the Hippocratic Oath.
I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures that are required, according to my ability and judgment, and wherever I go, whether man or woman, nobleman or slave, my sole purpose will be to use all my learning to save lives and aid the injured.
“Vascular clamp,” the nurse pushed the cleaned clamp into her hand.
Yu Gui clamped the upper aorta: “Another one.”
The gear teeth precisely gripped the blood vessel.
Yu Gui took a deep breath: “Tissue scissors.”
Her hand holding the scissors trembled slightly. Qin Xuan glanced at her: “Don’t be afraid. Although my specialty isn’t cardiovascular surgery, I did rotate through general surgery during my training. I remember the basic surgical techniques. If there’s bleeding, I’ll help you.”
“Okay.” Yu Gui felt grateful to her. At this moment, in this isolated situation, Qin Xuan’s presence gave her immense comfort, support, and courage.
As she made the cut, everyone held their breath, time seeming to freeze in that instant.
The anesthesiologist quietly exhaled: “Vital signs stable, blood pressure holding.”
Yu Gui briefly closed her eyes: “Wipe sweat.”
Without realizing it, she was drenched in sweat, her surgical gown weighing dozens of pounds with a large wet patch on the back.
As the nurse’s hand moved away, a hint of blood caught her eye, and Yu Gui’s pupils suddenly dilated: “Not good!”
Qin Xuan had already lunged forward as blood sprayed out like a geyser, covering her face, body, shoesβ¦
The monitor began shrieking sharply, and the anesthesiologist’s legs went weak, nearly collapsing to the floor.
The young nurse, never having seen such a scene, bent over the trash can retching.
“Blood pressure dropping! 60-80! 40-60! 40-20!⦔ Within thirty seconds, blood loss had reached 800ml, the bedside blood collection container was full, and the anesthesiologist’s voice sounded terrified and shrill.
“6mg adrenaline through the tracheal tube.”
“Don’t panic! Keep the blood pressure up!”
“As long as the heart doesn’t stop⦔ Before Qin Xuan could finish speaking, both wavelines flatlined, and the anesthesiologist collapsed to the floor.
The hemostatic forceps in Yu Gui’s hand clattered into the tray, and the young doctor’s eyes slowly welled with tears.
“Come on, pull harder, one-two-three! Pull!” Sturdy ropes wrapped around the rocks as firefighters pulled together with all their might.
They had reached the rescue site, facing a culvert in a tunnel. During the landslide, fallen rocks had blocked the entrance, and signs of life were coming from inside.
Liu Qingyun and others joined the firefighters in breaking up the blocking rocks with iron shovels.
“Hey, is anyone in there?” Hao Renjie pressed his eye against the palm-sized opening they had dug, and the echo traveled far, sending chills down everyone’s spine in the dark tunnel.
Liu Qingyun patted him: “That’s enough, stop shouting, or you’ll summon ghosts.”
Just as he finished speaking, small footsteps and the sound of rough sand grinding came from the tunnel, getting faster and closer. Hao Renjie, curious, pressed his eye to the hole again, when something warm and slightly fuzzy licked his eye.
Hao Renjie screamed and fell on his buttocks, causing small rocks to roll down from above. Trembling, he held up his “orchid fingers” (“θθ±ζ” – a feminine hand gesture) and squeaked: “W-what was that?”
An earth-yellow head poked out, and when Lu Qingshi’s flashlight beam hit it, the little yellow dog let out excited and joyful “woof woof” barks.
“Damn, it’s just a dog.” He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his legs weak as he used the wall to stand up.
Deep in the culvert, a small red dot was flickering. A firefighter hesitated: “It’s not another dog, is it?”
If so, the rescue operation would be meaningless.
“No, look,” Lu Qingshi reached out to pat the dog’s head. Surprisingly, the little fellow seemed to understand their purpose, its eyes becoming wet as it made whimpering sounds.
It obediently lifted its chin following Lu Qingshi’s movement, revealing a collar with its dog license and some worn numbers that were barely visible.
Lu Qingshi counted about eleven digits, probably a phone number.
“This is someone’s pet dog.”
The dog suddenly licked her hand and grabbed her sleeve with its teeth, as if asking her to follow.
Lu Qingshi patted its head: “Is your owner inside?”
“Woof! Woof!” The dog wagged its tail frantically in the darkness.
The firefighters came with their equipment: “Dr. Lu, please step aside.”
The dog also obediently backed away a few steps.
After a series of clanking operations, rocks and dust came crashing down. Lu Qingshi crouched down protecting her head, and after the particles settled, she followed the firefighters into the culvert.
The dog led the way, and Lu Qingshi noticed its back leg was severely injured, with the lower leg barely hanging on the bone by a strip of skin. Its fur was dirty, and its belly had a large gash from sharp rocks. Blood dripped with each step, yet it continued limping along, leading the rescue team toward its owner.
Water in the culvert reached their ankles, and they stepped on unknown objects below. Rats occasionally screeched as they ran across their feet. People could only move forward bent over and with bent knees, struggling through about two hundred meters this way.
Lu Qingshi breathed heavily: “We need to hurry, I feel we’re running out of oxygen here.”
The tunnel was too deep, and most of it was blocked by fallen rocks, leaving no air circulation. They had left in a hurry without oxygen tanks, with only a few reserved for rescue purposes.
The others following her were also panting heavily, especially Hao Renjie, whose breathing sounded like a bellows (heavy, labored breathing).
“Woof woof!” Seeing their exhaustion, the dog barked twice, waded through the dirty water, and grabbed Lu Qingshi’s trouser leg, pulling her stumbling forward.
“What are you standing there for! Get the gauze quickly!”
“Hand me the hemostatic forceps!”
“Drainage, drainage, increase the drainage speed!”
“Anesthesiologist, set the fluid infusion to maximum!”
“Hang the mannitol!”
“Another shot of adrenaline!”
As expected of an experienced Emergency Department director, even if his surgical speed couldn’t match the younger doctors, his instinct to save lives remained intact.
No one expected him to return. Yu Gui, with reddened eyes, pressed firmly on the bleeding area, afraid to let go.
Xu Qiankun inserted the hemostatic forceps into the patient’s chest cavity: “If we’re doing this, we’re doing it properly. Not letting a patient die on the operating table – that’s a doctor’s basic professional ethics!”
Steel cables were stretched between the two banks. Gu Yanzhi put on her tactical vest, life jacket, and tactical gloves, adjusted the anti-slip chain on her body, then attached the lock to the steel cable.
Across from her, Cheng Du’s movements mirrored hers exactly. They both began climbing, planning to descend from above to place explosives in the center of the barrier dam.
Easier said than done – the steel cable was slippery after the rain, and even with safety ropes, below them churned murky river water, visibly rising to nearly submerge the barrier dam.
The flood discharge channel was ready; the demolition couldn’t wait.
Yu Gui’s first suture was somewhat stiff.
But by the second stitch, the thirdβ¦
As less blood flowed into the collection container, her lost touch seemed to return.
Yet something was different. Compared to her previous somewhat reckless surgical speed, this short month’s break hadn’t degraded her skills. During idle times, she would practice suturing on pig skin, insert needles into quail eggs, cut open egg membranes and sew them back up.
Lu Qingshi once said that the mysterious thing called “surgical touch” (“ζζ” – literally “hand feeling”) is a sensation that can only be honed through monotonous daily practice.
Watching her operate up close again, Xu Qiankun’s first impression was: fast.
He had to push up his glasses to keep up with her movements.
The second impression was: steady.
Solid and reliable, unlike before when one area would start bleeding just as another was sutured.
Looking at her features, she was actually quite cute, with an innocent purity that seemed unworldly (“δΈθ°δΈδΊ” – literally “unfamiliar with worldly matters”).
That’s why he had been attracted to her.
But what chilled his heart was:
Those eyes, tempered by blood and surgical blades, had developed the same sharp resilience as Lu Qingshi’s.
While he was still internally startled (“εΏι©θθ·³” – literally “heart frightened and flesh jumping”), Yu Gui had already put down her scalpel.
“Artificial blood vessel replacement complete.”
“Release the hemostatic clamps, restore blood circulation.”
She carefully released the first hemostatic clamp, blood flowed through the artificial vessel into the pale heart, and everyone held their breath waiting for a miracle.
Xu Qiankun released the second clamp, and the heart’s color began to return.
He briefly closed his eyes as the nurse wiped his sweat.
The monitor beeped, and cheers erupted in the tent.
“Wonderful! Blood pressure and oxygen levels are rising, and we have a heartbeat!”
It really was⦠wonderful.
Yu Gui lowered her head slightly, gripping the edge of the operating table, forcing back her tears.
“Thank you everyone, let’s begin closing the chest cavity.”
Moving on the barrier dam carried constant risk of collapse. Gu Yanzhi leaped, the safety rope around her waist rapidly descending.
She landed steadily on a rock and pressed her radio: “Send the explosives.”
A waterproof backpack was thrown from above, landing on branches in front of her.
Gu Yanzhi stretched out her arm to pull it back.
At the same time, a camouflage green figure also jumped down.
Landing not far from her, but instantly disappeared.
Gu Yanzhi lunged forward with lightning speed: “Grab on!”
The black tactical glove wrapped around her wrist as Cheng Du gritted his teeth, bracing his foot against the rock. Falling stones crashed into the river, instantly swallowed by the whirlpool.
“Hey Yu Gui, actually I could have done it, I just⦔
After the surgery, Yu Gui crouched by a small muddy pool washing her hands. She remained noncommittal to Xu Qiankun’s attempt at conversation.
“Just what?”
Xu Qiankun was at a doctor’s prime age (“ι»ι年齑” – literally “golden age”), over forty but under fifty, but it was also when a man’s burdens were heaviest, with elderly parents above and young children below.
“Just couldn’t do it. When you reach my age, you’ll understand. We have too many things beyond our control⦔
Rough sand flowed through her fingers, her palms stinging slightly.
Yu Gui washed the blood off her hands in the dirty water: “I understand, but I don’t agree. However, what matters is that we saved the person.”
Xu Qiankun’s mask drooped as he drank mineral water like it was beer: “No, you don’t understand. When I first started my hospital internship, I was just like you⦔
Compared to Yu Gui’s heart-stopping but happily concluded process, Lu Qingshi encountered a small problem.
The injured person had been hit on the head by falling rocks, unconscious in dirty water, arms still in an embracing position.
Hao Renjie couldn’t help but sigh: “Such deep bonds between human and dog”.
The little dog that led them here lay motionless nearby, refusing to bark, its eyes dim, occasionally licking its owner’s face.
He was a very young boy, fifteen or sixteen, who had somehow ended up here. After spending 48 hours in the cold, damp darkness, man and dog finally waited for the rescue team.
The firefighter was talking on the radio, and soon ran back: “Dr. Lu, how much longer do you need here?”
Lu Qingshi had just finished disinfecting his scalp: “About half an hour.”
They had spent too much time getting in.
“Command center requires us to evacuate immediately.”
“I understand,” Lu Qingshi’s hands remained steady, her rhythm unaffected by his words.
Gu Yanzhi finished placing the explosives, her arm slightly scraped. She roughly wiped it with gauze and pressed her private channel.
After some static, the communication connected.
“Qingshi?”
“Hmm?” Lu Qingshi continued working, holding the earpiece between her jaw and cheek: “What is it?”
“Are you still in the tunnel?” Wind could be heard in the background.
“Mm,” she responded indistinctly.
Gu Yanzhi’s heart immediately tensed: “Get out quickly, we’re about toβ”
Before she could finish, a tremendous boom echoed as the side barrier dam finally collapsed under the immense force of the water.
The platform where they had just placed the explosives was instantly swallowed by the flood, and the ground beneath her feet began to crumble.
Cheng Du lunged desperately to grab the explosive pack, his six-foot-three frame bobbing in the whirlpool, disappearing after several waves crashed over him.
“Cheng Du!” The steel cable wrapped several times around her wrist as communication cut off. Gu Yanzhi swung down with all her strength, grabbing his collar in the rushing flood.
Cheng Du raised the explosive pack with all his might, his nose and mouth full of sand: “Missβ¦missionβ¦completedβ¦Guβ¦Yanzhi⦔
The steel cable swayed precariously in mid-air, overwhelmed by the weight of two people, cutting deep into her wrist, tearing her wheat-colored skin to shreds.
Gu Yanzhi clenched her teeth, roaring from deep in her throat: “Ahβ¦you bastardβ¦get up here⦔
Half his body pulled into the whirlpool was already numb. Cheng Du took a deep breath, gripped her wrist, and stuffed the explosive pack into her arms, forcing her to free one hand to hold it.
“What is the Falcon Unit’s mission?”
“Loyalty to countryβ¦loyalty to people⦔ She would never forget the moment she took her oath under the national flag on her first day of enlistment.
It was one of the few times in her life when her blood boiled with passion. After that, her blood ran cold.
“I swearβ¦I am a Chinese Army Special Forces soldierβ¦the most elite soldier of the People’s Liberation Army!”
“I will be calm and decisive, fight the enemy bravelyβ¦loyal to the countryβ¦loyal to the peopleβ¦complete the mission under any circumstances⦔
Cheng Du’s grip on her palm was slowly slipping, Gu Yanzhi could barely hold on, falling with him.
The steel cable was stretched to its limit.
At this moment, he became completely calm.
“Do you remember the last two lines?”
Gu Yanzhi roared: “Damn it all, hold on tight!”
The flood had surpassed the warning line, submerging some tents. Trees along both banks fell into the river due to soil erosion, carried forward with sand and mud.
People on the shore scattered in panic, some were swept into the river unable to dodge in time, others taken by the flood after just two steps.
Some firefighters’ rescue boats capsized in the murky water while trying to save those who had fallen in.
More firefighters, police officers, and armed police stepped forward, giving their life jackets to civilians.
“Gu Yanzhi,” he suddenly called her name.
“Shut your damn mouth!” Gu Yanzhi shouted with reddened eyes.
Cheng Du smiled slightly, the muddy water had washed the camouflage paint from his face, revealing a bright, spirited young man.
“I wasn’t deliberately going against you, I just⦔
He suddenly stopped speaking, releasing his grip on her hand, letting the whirlpool take him.
“Looks like I won’t get to drink your wedding wine” (meaning to attend someone’s wedding)
“Do you remember the last two lines?”
“I do.”
On their first day of enlistment, they had to memorize the oath. On a starry summer night, the young men and women sat side by side on the horizontal bar, Cheng Du holding a little red book testing her, with crickets chirping in the grass nearby.
“Ready to sacrifice oneself for the interests of the country and the people at any time.”
“Did you remember it?”
“I did.”
Gu Yanzhi’s palm felt empty, a long-forgotten pain gripped her heart. She bit her lip to hold back tears, then watched the surging river as she swung up with one hand, holding the explosive pack and aiming for her target before lunging forward.
Cheng Du wasn’t the Falcon Unit’s first sacrifice, nor would he be the last.
As long as the country and people needed them, even without military uniforms, generations of “Falcons” would continue to step forward.
She firmly believed this.
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