***** Vol.2 Chap.1 Unexpected fiasco at the clinic *****
Early spring, near future at the Tsai-Chen Clinic in Xilon, China
“Doctor Chen, a new patient just came in and is waiting for you in Room 10.”
“Thank you, Nurse Nung-Ye.”
“I would like to remind you that Mr. Cao and Mr. Lee are still waiting for you outside your office.”
“Okay. I will get to them as soon as I finish with Miss Lau here.”
Indeed, today began with a very hectic morning. It seemed the whole town came to the clinic today and everyone wanted to be treated with something.
As an open clinic, no appointment was necessary. The policy had always been “first come first serve”. Doctor May-Ling Chen was moving as fast as she could. But patients kept coming in. She glanced back at her husband, Doctor Haw-Ting Tsai, who was also running around as best as he could manage. They exchanged a passing smile in the hallway in between patients only for a second before both dashing off to see other waiting patients in the examination rooms. There were still plenty more sitting in the waiting room outside.
“Code Red in Room 205. Code Red in Room 205.”
Nurse Nung-Ye yelled from the back of the clinic.
May-Ling was on her way to see another patient when she heard the shout at the back of the hallway. As usual, patients packed the hallway, waiting for treatment. She recognized most of the people there. In fact, many of them were her patients waiting to see her. Notwithstanding, she pushed her way down the corridor while trying to nod to a few of them. They smiled back and continued to wait for her. But right now, she had no time to lose. She pushed through the crowd and ran to the back of the clinic.
“Code Red in Room 205.”
The nurse repeated the cry.
She understood the code that was designed by her. Turning to Room 205, the acupuncture room where many onlookers were gathered outside the door, she pushed through the crowd into the room. It was not a big room by any means, but it was one of the largest rooms in the clinic. The room usually held six beds, but for lack of space, there were ten sets of bunk beds lining both sides of the wall. Near the door, there were two orderlies looking very frenzied and panic-stricken. At the far end of the room, a patient was holding a set of acupuncture needles, threatening to use them as darts to throw at anyone who approached.
“Doctor Chen, I didn’t know what to do…” one orderly said, half hidden behind the door.
“Don’t you dare come near me; I will needle your eyeballs out,” shouted the patient. He was husky and strong.
She looked at the two orderlies. There was no way that the two orderlies would be strong enough to wrestle this muscular hulk to the ground.
“We were trying to clean the room when he suddenly jumped up and shouted at us,” said the other orderly.
“It’s OK,” she said to the orderlies.
She could tell that this was going to be a long morning.
“I hate this clinic. I hate everybody. Let me out.” The patient was wielding the needles.
“Mr. Chung, I am Doctor Chen. Your name is Jar-Li, right? May I call you Jar-Li?”
“Get me out of this place. I want no more of that poison you are feeding me.”
“The medicine is nasty tasting, Jar-Li, but it is good for you.”
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“I know what is good for me.”
“The medicine will make you well.”
“I am well.”
“I hope you are right.”
“I am perfectly normal.”
“You will be if you take the medicine.”
“I don’t want the medicine any more.”
“It will make you feel better.”
“I hate it.”
“You were doing so well yesterday. Remember we were singing songs together yesterday right after you took the medicine?”
“I don’t remember.”
“Let us sing a little song together right now? Let me see, you always like the song about the sunshine. Would you like to sing that song with me?”
“Nope.”
“Come on, Jar-Li, you love that song.”
“Nope.”
“Here, I will start the song and you sing along with me. OK?”
“Nope.”
Sunshine, sunshine, how I love the sunshine,
Come and shine on me today.
Come and shine on me tomorrow…
May-Ling started to sing the song.
“Come on, Jar-Li, let’s sing together.”
Sunshine, sunshine, how I love the sunshine,
Come and shine on me today.
Come and shine on me tomorrow…
“Let’s all sing together.” May-Ling motioned to the orderlies and the patients.
Sunshine, sunshine, how I love the sunshine,
Come and shine on me today.
Come and shine on me tomorrow…
“Stop, I want to get out. Let me go.”
Everyone stopped abruptly.
“Jar-Li, we all want you to get well as much as you do too. And your parole officer said you must come here every morning for treatment.”
“Forget the parole officer.”
“Jar-Li, I want you to get well.” May-Ling pleaded with him in the softest tone possible.
“I don’t want this nasty medicine.”
“What would you like?”
“I want a nice bowl of steaming rice. I want a plate of pork meat. I want lots of vegetables. I want steamed fish.”
“Yes, Jar-Li, those are nice, but this is a hospital. I am afraid we don’t have any steamed fish. Hmm…How about this? You can have my porridge that I brought in for my lunch today. Here, it is right here. You can have my lunch.”
She took a few steps forward.
“Is this a trick?”
“No, I brought this porridge from home this morning. I made it yesterday myself. It has pickled eggs and salted eggs in the porridge. Here, I am coming to pour some for you on the table here. Please don’t ruin those needles. I need them to treat many patients today. Please put the needles down and come have a bowl of porridge. It is still steaming hot.”
“Are you sure this is not a trick? Is there medicine in the porridge?”
“Of course not.”
She took a chair and set it next to the table. She unscrewed the cap of the thermos. Using the cap of the thermos as a cup, she poured the porridge out and motioned him to come.
“No one is going to hurt you, Jar-Li. Come and have some porridge.” She motioned for the orderlies to stay back.
At the smell of the porridge, he edged himself forward, still wielding the needles in his hand.
“It is OK; we are all here for you. Please give me the needles and sit down and have a nice bowl of porridge.”
He sidled to her, keeping a wary eye on the two orderlies. His huge stature completely dwarfed her tiny frame. But she stood her ground and would not move. As he moved closer, she held out her hand.
“Please give me the needles gently. They are very delicate and extremely expensive. I don’t have money to replace them. If you break them, I cannot be a doctor any more.” While her insides were all tied up in knots, she spoke calmly, gently, and motherly.
With unsteady hands, Jar-Li handed the needles to her. She did not grab the needles from him, but waited for him to hand over the needles. There was a sigh of relief from the orderlies and the patients who were still standing outside the room watching.
“Thank you, Jar-Li. Now, please sit down and have a bowl of my home made porridge.”
He sat down and gulped down the porridge in no time while everyone watched.
“Would you like some more? I have a little more in the thermos.”
“Yes, yes. This is good porridge.”
“OK, here is the last.” She emptied the thermos into the bowl. He again down the rest in one gulp.
“Have you not eaten anything today? Jar-Li?”
“I haven’t eaten for three days.” A hush came over the watching crowd.
“No wonder.”
“OK, no more nasty medicine today, but I want you to have an acupuncture treatment today. OK, Jar-Li?”
“Thank you, doctor.”
She motioned for the orderlies to take him to the bed for the acupuncture treatment.
“My assistant will come to administer the acupuncture treatment, Jar-Li. Make sure you are nice to her, OK?”
“I am fine now. Thank you, doctor.”
Applause spontaneously broke out from the watching crowd. She turned and nodded to the crowd and motioned the crowd to disperse and get back to their individual treatments. With a long line of patients to attend to before the morning was over, she also rushed back to her office.
Just then, her husband, Haw-Ting, came running in with a puzzled look.
“What is happening? Why is there such a crowd here? May-Ling, there is a long line outside your office. Why are you all standing here? Can someone please tell me what is going on?”
“Oh, everything is fine now. Yes, let’s get back to the patients. I will tell you tonight.”
She glanced at Jar-Li. He was lying on the bed docilely, without any motions.