Chapter 3: A Patient Intoxicated, a Doctor Allergic to Alcohol
Night fell quickly. Since it was New Year's Eve, the emergency hall was not crowded. As long as the patients were not too ill to walk, most had already gone home to celebrate the New Year.
Lin Nan sat in the office, diligently organizing the medical records before him. These were the patients under his care, so he needed to be thoroughly familiar with each one's condition.
The office was large, with several workstations for the resident doctors to use during their shifts.
Li Qin was tidying up medical files without looking up as he said, “It’s New Year’s Eve; there probably won’t be any patients brought in tonight.”
“We should be able to take it easy this evening.”
Lin Nan smiled, “Let’s hope so.”
Just as he finished speaking, a nurse hurried in.
“Dr. Lin, Dr. Li, the 120 emergency center just received a call requesting an emergency doctor to accompany the ambulance to ensure the patient’s safety,” Xiao Li said urgently, looking at them.
Lin Nan was momentarily stunned, then glanced at Li Qin with a hint of disbelief.
Did this guy have a magic mouth? He said no patients would come, yet here they were.
Li Qin was also a bit taken aback.
No way, is it really happening?
“I’ll go,” he said quickly, standing up.
Feeling like a jinx, he didn’t want Lin Nan to go instead.
“Any doubt?” Lin Nan teased.
Li Qin smiled awkwardly and hurried out of the office.
About half an hour later, Lin Nan arrived early at the emergency building’s entrance, accompanied by nurse Xiao Li.
Thirty seconds later, an ambulance stopped at the entrance.
“With Dr. Li attending, I suppose the patient’s condition has stabilized,” Xiao Li said with a faint smile.
Lin Nan nodded in agreement.
The ambulance doors opened, and Lin Nan looked inside to see a man lying down, with a weak-looking middle-aged man sitting beside him. A doctor and a nurse were attending to the patient.
Additionally, a well-dressed middle-aged woman, likely a family member, stood nearby.
Lin Nan looked at the doctor and realized it wasn’t Li Qin, which puzzled him slightly.
The doctor got out and, with the nurse, pushed the stretcher down.
Only then did Lin Nan notice that the person lying on the stretcher was Li Qin himself!
Li Qin’s condition was not good. His face was dotted with red rashes, and he lay uncomfortably on the stretcher, struggling to breathe, dazed and confused.
“Is he the patient?” Lin Nan asked in shock, eyes on the weak man.
“Yes,” the middle-aged woman nodded quickly.
“My husband drank too much at the New Year’s Eve dinner and suffered alcohol poisoning.”
Lin Nan promptly examined the patient and found the alcohol poisoning symptoms mild, which eased his mind.
He then checked Li Qin’s condition and realized that Li Qin was showing signs of alcohol allergy—and quite severe at that.
“The patient suffered alcohol poisoning, and Dr. Li developed an allergic reaction during treatment, resulting in this condition,” the accompanying doctor explained helplessly.
Lin Nan glanced at Li Qin on the stretcher and then at the patient sitting on the floor, looking rather aggrieved.
Li Qin really was something—he went out with the ambulance and ended up lying on the stretcher himself.
Only now did Lin Nan learn that Li Qin was allergic to alcohol.
Patient with alcohol poisoning, doctor with alcohol allergy—truly ironic.
No wonder Li Qin never used medical alcohol for disinfection.
Xiao Li couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the situation.
She hadn’t expected that Li Qin, a doctor, would return to the hospital in such a state.
The alcohol-poisoned man looked at Li Qin on the stretcher with a complicated expression and said, “I think I can still hold on. Save him first; he seems worse off.”
Lin Nan agreed wholeheartedly.
Indeed, Li Qin’s condition appeared more serious.
“Quick, bring Li Qin inside,” Lin Nan ordered.
The accompanying doctor and nurse hurriedly pushed the stretcher into the emergency building, with Lin Nan following.
Xiao Li quickly brought another stretcher and helped the alcohol-poisoned man lie down, then pushed him inside.
The man sighed deeply in relief.
Finally, he could lie down—what a relief.
He had been sitting on the ambulance floor the whole way, feeling quite frustrated.
After lifting Li Qin onto a hospital bed, Lin Nan promptly administered an appropriate dose of loratadine.
This was an anti-allergy medicine, effective in alleviating alcohol allergy symptoms.
Alcohol allergy must be treated promptly—any delay could worsen the condition or even endanger life.
About half an hour later, the previously dazed Li Qin gradually regained consciousness, his eyes clearing, and the rash on his body began to fade.
“You’re finally back to normal,” Lin Nan said with a faint smile.
“I remember... I think I’m allergic to alcohol,” Li Qin slowly recalled the events.
“Be confident and drop the ‘think,’” Lin Nan shrugged.
Li Qin smiled awkwardly and quickly asked, “Is the alcohol-poisoned patient okay?”
“He’s much better than you. If someone didn’t know, they’d think you were the patient. You even took over his stretcher,” Lin Nan said, checking his symptoms again and smirking. “You’re almost fine now, just a bit weak and need to rest well.”
Li Qin covered his face with his hand. “I’ve really embarrassed myself this time. Jiang Yuan would laugh himself silly if he found out.”
“I’ll laugh at you too, ha ha ha,” Lin Nan chuckled heartily.
“You—” Li Qin gritted his teeth.
“Alright, just rest properly tonight. I’m on duty,” Lin Nan waved his hand and prepared to leave the ward.
“Old Lin, Happy New Year!” Li Qin called out loudly just as Lin Nan was about to step out.
Lin Nan turned back, seeing Li Qin smiling warmly, and returned the smile. “Happy New Year.”
Then he left the ward.
Lin Nan worked almost the entire night on duty, only finishing and heading home at five in the morning.
His home was in an old residential area downtown—a typical dilapidated apartment.
His salary was modest, and with his parents deceased and only an old house left behind, he had little savings. He hadn’t bought a car and took the bus to work every day.
But at this hour, no buses ran, so he had no choice but to walk home in the dark. Fortunately, the hospital was only two or three kilometers away.
Entering the complex, he smelled the strong scent of sulfur dioxide lingering in the air, with many firecracker fragments scattered on the ground—evidence that many firecrackers had been set off earlier.
Ten years ago, restrictions on firecrackers weren’t as strict, so every household would light some to enhance the festive New Year atmosphere.
He believed that only with firecrackers could the New Year truly feel like the New Year.
Before his parents passed away, his family would always set off firecrackers, enjoying a joyful and festive time together.
But since their tragic death in a car accident, he hadn’t set off firecrackers during the New Year again.
Reaching his door, Lin Nan took out his keys, opened it, and turned on the light.
His two-bedroom apartment was modest, about seventy square meters, simply furnished like most ordinary homes but kept impeccably clean—evidence of the previous occupant’s love for tidiness.
Lin Nan looked around silently, nodding to himself. This was to be his home now.
Sleepiness overcame him. After a quick wash, he changed into pajamas and went to bed.
At half past eleven the next morning, Lin Nan arrived at the Xu family’s home, carrying a box of tea and two bottles of Maotai liquor.
It was time to settle things with the Xu family.