Hospital 444
Chapter 59 - 31 Gao Heyan’s Past

Chapter 59: Chapter 31 Gao Heyan’s Past

"Later, I found out. Both of Luo Ren’s parents were doctors. So, he wanted to inherit his parents’ mantle and become a surgeon. He took my essay seriously, and that’s why he approached me, wanting to be friends. I also wanted to know his secret to always scoring so well, always ranking above me, so I became friends with him. I never once considered being a doctor, never even thought about it, yet he firmly believed otherwise and even shared with me a lot of the medical knowledge he had learned from his parents. He told me he wanted to apply to his parents’ alma mater, Yanqing Medical College."

"I was only with him to learn his study secrets. But in the end, I found he was a true genius. Even without revising, he could effortlessly secure the top rank. His family background, his scores, were all better than mine. With him present, though I stood above thousands, I was always one step behind him alone. And only the top student could qualify for a scholarship and be recommended to a higher educational institution."

"Later, our parents met at a PTA meeting. Dr. Luo Zheng, Luo Ren’s father, was the head of the infectious diseases department at the city’s largest infectious diseases hospital. Although I didn’t meet Dr. Luo often, he expressed gratitude toward me because, thanks to me, Luo Ren talked more about me, his friend, and laughed more than before."

At this point, Dai Lin’s voice choked up.

"The year we were facing our college entrance exams, an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza erupted. Unexpectedly, my parents were infected during a suburban outing... and along with most other infected individuals, they were sent to the infectious disease hospital where Luo Ren’s father worked. Dr. Luo Zheng contracted the disease while treating patients... In the end, my parents recovered, but Dr. Luo Zheng’s condition worsened. The mortality rate for the highly pathogenic avian flu was much higher than that of regular avian influenza, and coupled with Dr. Luo’s constant exertion and weakened immunity, he didn’t make it..."

When Dai Lin reached this part of the story, he looked up at the night sky.

"Ironically, because of his father’s death, I beat Luo Ren for the first time in scores, claiming the top spot in the last monthly test before the college entrance exam. Yet, I couldn’t be happy. My parents had survived, but Dr. Luo passed away like that. Our family was extremely grateful to Dr. Luo, but I found Luo Ren had completely lost his spirits, even saying he no longer wanted to study medicine. He told me that studying medicine had lost all meaning for him. Everyone said his father was a great doctor, an ’Angel’ clad in white, saving lives and healing the wounded, but for him, he would rather have his father back. He couldn’t view his father’s death as noble. If his father wasn’t a doctor, he wouldn’t have lost him. So he was determined not to apply to medical college."

"When leaving, Luo Ren’s mother told me not to mind what Luo Ren said, and expressed that she was a doctor too. As a doctor, she should do her utmost to treat patients. She wouldn’t resent anyone and wished me the best in my college entrance exams... I will never forget the dim look in Luo Ren’s eyes at that time, as well as the words Luo Ren’s mother said to me. That’s why I made up my mind, changed the major I had initially applied for from finance to Yanqing Medical College! I swore to become a good doctor like Dr. Luo, placing the treatment and saving of lives first!"

Hearing this, Gao Heyann was greatly moved. She leaned back slightly and said, "My sister was a doctor just like Luo Ren’s parents."

"Dr. Gao..."

"At Hospital 444, the emergency department is one of the most dangerous places. If you’ve been there once, you’d know, it’s barely any different from a haunted house. The various malevolent entities present there to potentially save lives can harm even doctors. But my sister resolutely decided to work in the emergency department, saying she wanted to save as many lives as possible, even if just one more."

With that, Gao Heyann was reminded of herself as a child.

"Meng Hua, He Yan..."

In her memories, the images of her parents began to blur.

"We’ll be right back. You two stay inside the room, and don’t go out. Don’t open the door for strangers, okay?"

"Okay," her sister Gao Menghua said at the time. "Mom, Dad, I’ll take good care of my little sister!"

And then...

Her parents never returned.

He Yan was tired at the time and fell asleep. When she woke up, she found herself in the emergency ward. The one who brought her and her sister there was their young mentor at the time, Jiang Licheng. Back then, the teacher was just an intern in the emergency department.

"You’re awake?" the teacher said to Gao Heyann. "Child, listen to me, don’t be afraid. Uncle is a doctor who helps treat people, this is a hospital."

"Uncle, where are my parents, my sister?"

At the time, Gao Heyann felt something was amiss.

Because no matter how she looked at it, it didn’t seem like a normal ward.

She only learned later that the emergency ward was completely different from the inpatient department.

"Your father and mother..." the teacher had difficulty starting, "can’t come to pick you up for now. Your sister is also hospitalized with us."

"Dad and Mom said they would be back soon, so why haven’t they come back? Why?"

At that time, Gao Heyann felt nothing but fear in her heart...

When Lin Yan told Gao Heyann that her parents had been killed by ghosts, especially that her mother died when she was seven, Gao Heyann felt a deep empathy.

Curses are always so cruel, and even after so many years as a Paranormal Doctor, she still found it hard to get used to the life and death of her patients.

This child might end up like her all those years ago.

Zhao Lin’s curse recurrence was more severe than expected, and it seemed that, even with continued anti-curse treatment, he wouldn’t live more than two months.

It was at this time that a landline phone call came through.

"I’ll take the call."

"Okay, I’ll hang up then."

Gao Heyann picked up the handset and said, "Hello, Lin He?"

"He Yan," said Lin He on the other end, "Patient Su Ming has awoken, and the follow-up treatment has all been scheduled. The residual curse in his body can now be completely treated through oral consumption of a cursed object, and he can eat normally without any issues. The kind of evil technique used on him requires a huge sacrifice from the caster, so it’s impossible for them to use it a second time."

"That’s good," Gao Heyann’s somewhat dimmed heart felt a bit of comfort, "That’s good..."

"I’m right beside the patient, I’ll let him speak to you. He can talk without any problems now and insists on thanking you himself."

Then, she heard the patient’s voice.

"Dr. Gao..." came the voice of the patient from the other end, "Dr. Gao... Thank you for the surgery you performed, you are my life-saving... benefactor..."

That voice clearly choked up a bit.

"I... I really thought... I was dead for sure... I, I can’t believe I’m still alive, that I can still live... Thank you, doctor, thank you so much... I can still watch my children grow up..."

Listening to that voice, Gao Heyann’s persistently furrowed brows finally eased.

She just wanted to do her utmost like her sister, even if... it meant saving just one more person.

Even if... it meant reducing the number of children who lost their parents like she did!