Chapter Twenty-Four: Discharge from the Hospital

Doctor Xiao’s words took Ning Shuyi by surprise.

This doctor was in his forties, with years of experience since first entering the profession. For him to still express such sentiments after seven or eight years clearly indicated something significant.

“Given your experience and background, you must have had some unusual encounters with this patient, Chang Rong, back then?” she asked Doctor Xiao.

He nodded. “As doctors, no matter the department, we inevitably witness scenes of life and death. Usually, when faced with such situations, the most common plea we hear is, ‘Doctor, please save my family member at any cost—we’ll find a way to pay.’ But Chang Rong’s case taught me a very different lesson.

“At the time, his injuries were severe. After leaving the ICU, his vital signs stabilized, but he still needed rest and treatment. Then, when our nurses notified his family that the pre-paid medical funds were nearly exhausted and additional payments were needed, his family immediately insisted on discharging him.

“We were genuinely stunned—never before had we encountered such a situation, especially since the major surgery was already done and the biggest expenses had passed.”

Ning Shuyi and Huo Yan listened carefully to Doctor Xiao’s recollection, which aligned with what the workshop director, Sun Wan, had described.

“I performed that surgery with our department’s then-senior director, who hadn’t retired yet. He wondered if the family was worried about costs, thinking they couldn’t bear them. In such cases, how could we just let the patient be discharged?

“He asked me to talk to the family, to try to dissuade them, to stress that the patient’s safety was paramount. I explained that the subsequent medications weren’t expensive and urged them not to rush into discharge.”

Doctor Xiao continued, “I found Chang Rong’s son upstairs, handling paperwork. He told me he couldn’t make the decision; his mother was the one insisting on discharge.

“So, I went to speak with Chang Rong’s wife, who was caring for him in the ward. I explained everything in detail, hoping to clear up any misunderstandings and encourage continued treatment.

“But she refused and caused quite a scene, accusing us of having dark intentions, exaggerating the illness to bleed them dry and drain their savings through hospital fees.”

Recalling this after so many years, Doctor Xiao rubbed his temples in frustration. “I told her not to assume that leaving the ICU meant all was well. Chang Rong’s condition was still unstable; discharging him then could lead to unpredictable consequences.

“In response, she pulled out her phone, turned on the video recorder right in front of us, and declared to the camera that she was the one demanding the discharge. She said their family would bear all consequences and would never hold the hospital responsible—even if Chang Rong died at home, they wouldn’t extort a single cent from us.”

“So, did you agree to discharge him?” Ning Shuyi asked.

Doctor Xiao spread his hands helplessly. “What choice did we have? The law prohibits hospitals from forcing a patient to leave, but it doesn’t forbid patients from requesting discharge before recovery.

“Normally, for patients not yet cured, if they or their families insist on discharge, we must conduct another physical exam, document the condition carefully, and get the family’s signature.

“Even that routine check caused a fuss. Chang Rong’s wife accused us of squeezing their last penny, refusing to cooperate.

“Finally, our head nurse, experienced in handling such matters, told her that if she wasted any more time and refused the doctor’s examination, the discharge paperwork wouldn’t be processed, and they’d be charged for an extra day’s stay.

“She immediately stopped causing trouble, agreed to the exam, and we completed the discharge.”

Doctor Xiao shook his head with a wry smile. “You can’t imagine the scene. Chang Rong’s husband was still unconscious during discharge, barely awake.

“His son wanted to carry him out, but the surgical wound was barely healed—a few days old—and couldn’t be compressed or it might burst open.

“We borrowed a stretcher to help. His wife kept insisting that the hospital promise no extra fees for the stretcher.

“After all that, our department was quite shaken by the whole family’s behavior. Then, a few days later, some people came to the hospital wanting to visit Chang Rong. When they heard he had been discharged, they started cursing loudly in the corridor.

“That outburst revealed some information we hadn’t known. It turned out Chang Rong’s injury was work-related; the factory had initially covered the hospital fees and later negotiated a lump-sum compensation with the family.

“I don’t know the exact amount, but from what I overheard during their angry shouting, it was substantial.”

Ning Shuyi and Huo Yan exchanged a glance. They had suspected the hospital wouldn’t advise early discharge for such severe injuries and would naturally try to persuade the family. But they hadn’t expected Deng Qingrong to make such a scene just to save a little money.

“I’m no utopian,” Doctor Xiao said. “Everyone has to live, and money is crucial. Without it, no one can get by. But I never imagined that some people would value money over the life of their closest kin.

“The family wasn’t even short of funds—they had a large compensation sum—but still refused to pay for ongoing hospital treatment.”

As he recalled the episode, Doctor Xiao sighed countless times, revealing how deeply it had affected him.

“That was about eight years ago, I think,” he said, adjusting his posture. “Honestly, if this happened now, I probably wouldn’t have the patience. After witnessing so much coldness in the world, people become numb.

“Back then, I still had some passion and a sense of responsibility. About six months after Chang Rong’s discharge, I kept thinking about him.

“Knowing how badly injured he was when discharged, I couldn’t let it go. One day after work, using the contact information the family had provided during hospitalization, I tried calling them.”