Everyone fell silent, turning to leave.
Sophia saw that Professor Michael was about to go and, in disbelief, asked, “Professor, are you really just leaving? Don’t you think this child is still worth trying to save?”
At these words, the noisy room suddenly grew silent.
Dr. Cooper frowned, his face dark and displeased, staring at Sophia with clear disapproval.
To be frank, the likelihood of saving this child was slim to none!
To put it bluntly, the child was beyond saving.
Doctors may treat patients, but they’re not gods, and there are always patients they can’t cure. They can only do their best.
They had already informed the family to prepare for the worst, but the parents didn’t want to give up, so they kept calling for consultations with specialists as a psychological comfort—to ease their guilt, which was only human. Modern medicine had shown no improvement for so long, so they turned to traditional medicine for another possible path. When even Professor Michael said it wasn’t curable, what was this intern talking about?
Dr. Cooper immediately reprimanded her: “Saying something like that is highly irresponsible! If the family were to develop unrealistic expectations because of you and we fail to cure the child, it would only make things harder for them! That would be even crueler!”
Sophia listened calmly, looking directly at Dr. Cooper. She knew that hospitals were places where rules were paramount and that even in this seemingly small hospital, there were many unwritten conventions. But Sophia also knew that nothing was more important than life itself, especially when faced with such a delicate and innocent infant. This tiny baby in front of her inspired a deep respect and compassion for life within her.
The child had endured so much without giving up—how could she so easily say to give up?
“Dr. Cooper, I understand what you’re saying. From a modern medical perspective, the child has jaundiced hepatitis. But from a traditional medicine perspective, the infant’s whole body is yellow, including the urine, which indicates jaundice. The skin tone is dark yellow, almost smoky, suggesting yin jaundice, a condition associated with cold and heat imbalance. This means that there’s a severe cold dampness issue in the baby’s body. Treatment is certainly difficult, but it’s not entirely hopeless!”
At these words, everyone stared at Sophia in disbelief.
They couldn’t believe that an intern dared to challenge the senior doctor!
Dr. Cooper hadn’t expected such a young girl to stand up to him with such a confident and professional explanation.
Professor Michael hadn’t expected Sophia to diagnose so accurately, considering she hadn’t even taken the child’s pulse—just a quick observation. But she’d spoken without error.
Her classmates, meanwhile, were both stunned and shocked. They thought about how Sophia, who was known as a struggling student, was now boldly participating in a diagnosis and speaking so knowledgeably, even saying things they, the top students, didn’t know.
“Ridiculous!” Dr. Cooper frowned. “Your professor has already said there’s no way to help. What abilities do you think you have as an intern? You don’t even have the authority to prescribe treatments! And you think you can treat patients?”
Professor Michael quickly pulled Sophia back, apologizing:
“Dr. Cooper, I apologize for my lack of discipline over my students. My abilities are limited, but I’ve heard that the family has invited a national physician. Perhaps they could provide a better solution. Please don’t mind what Sophia said; I’ll take her away now.”
With that, he pulled Sophia along, ready to leave.
Sophia couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Being treated like a struggling student was not easy. Why didn’t they believe her when she was genuinely trying to help the child?
“Professor! I really have a solution! I want to try! Since the child has been ill for nearly three months without recovery, why not let me try? I believe I can not only heal the child but also prevent any developmental issues, preserving his life with minimal risk!”
Professor Michael’s expression turned stern, his voice unwavering:
“No way! Sophia, I know your skills well. You struggled even with your coursework, and you’re still an intern. How could you prescribe treatment for a patient? Besides, this is an infant—if anything goes wrong, you won’t be able to bear the consequences!”
The group had moved to the doorway, and Sophia felt blocked by their words, leaving her almost speechless.
“Professor Michael, I really want to try!”
—
Just then, an elderly man with a white beard arrived, followed by an assistant carrying a medical kit.
Dr. Cooper immediately greeted him respectfully, saying:
“Dr. Aaron Mateo! You’re here? The family is waiting in the ward.”
Seeing this, Sophia pleaded one last time, “Dr. Cooper, I’m confident I can heal the child. Give me three days, and you’ll see an improvement. I’m confident I can not only cure the child but also ensure no cognitive impairment, preserving the child’s life with minimal harm!”
“Ridiculous!” Dr. Cooper, infuriated, pointed at her and shouted, “Do you think you’re a miracle doctor? This hospital isn’t a place for you to show off! What gives you the right to treat people here? You think you can cure the child in three days? We have many doctors who’ve worked on this case for three months without progress, and you think you can do it? Besides, a national physician is here now! How could an intern who hasn’t even graduated be the one to treat the patient? Are you suggesting the national physician’s skills aren’t as good as yours?”
To everyone’s surprise, the national physician stroked his beard, turned to Sophia, and smiled kindly, saying:
“Dr. Cooper, after all these years, your temper still hasn’t changed! But you’re right about one thing: this young lady’s medical skills aren’t far behind mine!”
At these words, everyone was left rubbing their ears, wondering if they’d misheard.
A national physician was saying an intern’s skills were nearly equal to his? This was…
Incredibly absurd!
Dr. Cooper, especially, was stunned into silence.
“Dr… Dr. Aaron Mateo! Do you… do you know this young lady?”
Dr. Aaron Mateo looked at Sophia with a gentle smile, saying:
“Ah, young lady, we meet again! Come, tell this old man what you think is going on.”
Sophia wasn’t intimidated; she supported Dr. Aaron Mateo by the arm and explained gently:
“The child’s entire body is yellow with a smoky hue, indicating jaundice. Combined with…”
Behind them, everyone wore expressions of utter disbelief!
Wasn’t this Dr. Aaron Mateo, the renowned national physician who frequently appeared on local television, being interviewed with high regard? How could someone of his status possibly know Sophia, an orphaned intern? And he even claimed her medical skills were on par with his! Was this some kind of joke?
