《The Little Prince》


 CH 1

    When Chen Bai met Zhou Yuan for the first time, it was the most embarrassing day in Zhou Yuan¡¯s career.


    A few days ago, there was a case of a failed heart bypass operation and the surgeon in charge was from the same department as Zhou Yuan. The patient died two hours after the surgery so the family became very agitated, demanding the hospital to return the entire cost of the surgery and asking for a high moral compensation from the hospital. The two sides failed to negotiate, resulting in the family beginning to come to the hospital every day to make trouble.


    The doctors in the same department had heard it earlier that day. During that time of the day, only Zhou Yuan was left in the entire first-floor ward. The family members who hadn''t found anyone were so desperate that they caught Zhou Yuan, who was doing a ward round, and started to curse.


    Zhou Yuan explained for a long time and asked them to move to the outside of the ward as there was another patient in the ward. The family member refused to obey and when she was extremely agitated, she blurted out: "If you want to die, die together!"


    As she said that, she picked up the glass water bottle on the table, wanting to smash it at Zhou Yuan. Unfortunately, she accidentally hit a pot of hot porridge on the table when she reached out for the water bottle.


    Zhou Yuan was standing very close to the patient''s bed. Without thinking, he stretched out his arms, wanting to stop it. A pot of porridge covered the back of his hand.


    At the same time, the glass bottle in the family''s hand also fell down and hit him on the shoulder. The bottle that was as thick as a cup broke into several pieces with a bang.


    Zhou Yuan thought at that time that his shoulder joint should be injured. He was so angry that he gritted his teeth while protecting the frightened patient behind him.


    With one hand hanging down, he said to the family member who was stunned: "Sister, go out and talk, I have patients here."


    The family member looked at him angrily. Afraid of compensation, she disappeared in a flash without saying a word.


    Zhou Yuan smiled bitterly. His hands were not able to move well, he couldn''t even hold the phone. He comforted the patient in the hospital bed for a while, making sure her emotions were stable before leaving with his hand down.


    As soon as he left the ward, he saw Chen Bai who had been standing there for a long time.


    Seeing the cold and indifferent in Cheng Bai¡¯s eyes and even his empty expression, he didn''t know how much he saw.


    At that time, Zhou Yuan was in a mess. One hand was burnt red, with the back of his hand covered with scattered rice grains, while the other hand was temporarily unable to move. Not to mention, half of his white coat was wet and stuck with glass slag.


    Even so, the wretched Zhou Yuan still patiently asked: "Are you looking for someone?"


    Chen Bai nodded: "I''m looking for a doctor."


    Then he looked at him and added: "Do you need help?"


    Zhou Yuan wanted to tell him that he was the only doctor here, but instead he said: "Thank you, please make a call for me, ba."


    Chen Bai stepped forward and fished out a cell phone from his coat. After Zhou Yuan told him the password, he pressed his hand and called a colleague from the surgery department to pick him up.


    After he thanked Chen Bai, he took a look at him and saw Chen Bai''s pair of lips turning into a vivid purple color.


    Zhou Yuan thought about it and asked: "Are you seeing a doctor?"


    Chen Bai said: "En, my heart is not feeling well."


    Zhou Yuan¡¯s farce before was seen by him so he was embarrassed to say that he was a doctor in the cardiovascular department. He nodded and after his colleague came, he left with him.


    Chen Bai looked at his back and remembered his name on his coat, Zhou Yuan.


    Zhou Yuan. Good tempered enough, would try to lie when things went wrong, still very young.


    Chen Bai took a look at the doctors¡¯ resume hanging on the wall, and there was Zhou Yuan on it. In the photo, he looked bright and radiant. He walked around the hospital again but the smell of disinfectant was too strong to bear, so he walked out of the hospital.


    As soon as he walked to the door of the hospital, he felt tired, so he sat on the stone bench beside the flower bed and lit a cigarette.


    He started coughing even before taking two puffs. He coughed so badly that the saliva he spit out was scarlet, attracting the attention of passers-by but they didn¡¯t stop.


    It was really a nuisance. After calming down for a while, Chen Bai thought as he pressed his cigarette butt.


    Is it going to be cured? Chen Bai''s thoughts were uncertain. After a while, he reached into his pocket for a cigarette but found none.


    He suddenly remembered Zhou Yuan''s appearance when he confronted the family before; his arms were wide open, his face was red with anger and helplessness and the patient hid behind him, not daring to move.


    What a fucking savior.


    There was a residual smell of tobacco in the air. Chen Bai took a deep breath, and the thing in his left chest jumped a few times, causing the chest to feel painful.

 CH 2

    Zhou Yuan never thought that he would see Chen Bai again so soon.


    When Chen Bai pulled out a chair and sat in front of him, handing him his medical record, he felt a slight throbbing pain in his right shoulder again.


    He looked at the medical records. Chen Bai, 19 years old.


    After flipping through the medical records, he could barely recognize a few lines of big words: rheumatic heart disease[1], mitral valve coaptation lesions


    [1]: Rheumatic heart disease is a condition in which the heart valves have been permanently damaged by rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that can affect many connective tissues, especially in the heart. Untreated or under-treated strep infections put a person at increased risk.


    Zhou Yuan said to Chen Bai: "Have you brought the echocardiography report taken before?"


    Chen Bai sat on the chair and said carelessly: "Echocardiography, did I take it? I forgot to bring it."


    Zhou Yuan raised his eyes and looked at him, as if he was a master who was not so easy to get along with.


    So he said: "You go to take a Doppler ultrasound first."


    Chen Bai propped up his jaw and didn''t even look at him, looking a little indifferent. He said: "I probably didn¡¯t bring enough money for it, so I''ll come back tomorrow.¡±


    He got up to leave, but Zhou Yuan was a little impatient with him, saying: "Wait."


    He put on a stethoscope to measure Chen Bai''s heart rate. Then he asked him to lie down, lifting his shirt to probe his heart.


    He put a little bit of force on his heart, making Chen Bai frown a little.


    Following his line of sight when he looked over, Zhou Yuan saw Cheng Bai¡¯s long eyelashes twitching slightly. Zhou Yuan thought inexplicably, hey, this guy''s eyes are really beautiful.


    He asked, "Does it hurt?"


    After Chen Bai nodded, Zhou Yuan put down his hand.


    Chen Bai did not ask him what the result was, but Zhou Yuan said: "Come and take a heart color Doppler ultrasound tomorrow."


    Chen Bai, who sat on the medical bed behind him without moving, suddenly said: "Doctor Zhou, am I dying?"


    Zhou Yuan had heard this question many times and it was the same every time; so calm without crying. But he still turned his head back and replied: "Don''t deny yourself so quickly before the diagnosis results come out. Even if the results come out, with the treatment, it is not impossible to recover."


    Chen Bai rubbed his chin and looked at him with sarcasm in his eyes, "My former doctor said I have a heart disease. It is very serious, I¡¯ll die without surgery."


    Zhou Yuan was stunned for a moment: "Which hospital did you go to before?"


    Chen Bai reported the name of a township hospital before saying: "They said they don''t do this kind of surgery so they told me to come here to take a look. I don''t need to take the ultrasound, it''s just a heart disease. See if you can move a knife here to make it less painful."


    He pointed to his heart and thought about it: "If you think you can operate, I will bring my bank passbook tomorrow, there is a password on it, I will give the password to you. I have all my money in it. If you think you¡¯re able to operate, then operate. If not, then forget it, ba.¡±[2]


    [2] I think here, looking at the context, what he meant is if he can afford the surgery, then operate.


    Zhou Yuan was slightly angry when he heard him being so casual: "Heart surgery is not such a rash thing."


    But Cheng Bai just glanced at him without saying anything. He lowered his head, sitting on the edge of the bed in a daze with his legs folded.


    Zhou Yuan sighed in his heart, turning around to pack up his medical records. However, a short while later he smelled a puff of smoke coming from behind him.


    Zhou Yuan turned around and was startled. He rushed forward and snatched the cigarette from Chen Bai''s mouth. A small cluster of flames fell to the ground and was crushed by his foot.


    Zhou Yuan had not been so angry for a long time, he didn¡¯t even know where this anger came from: "Do you not know that you have a heart disease and can¡¯t smoke? You do not want to live?!"


    ¡°Damn it.¡± Chen Bai''s face was separated by a layer of smoke, foggy and unreal, as he said faintly: "If I don¡¯t want to live, I won''t come to you for a surgery."


    Zhou Yuan was rarely choked. After a while, he said seriously to Chen Bai: "When the results of your consultation come out, if it is determined that you really need a surgery, I hope you can think it over."


    After a moment of silence, he said, "I''m the youngest doctor here."


    "I know, be young when you are young, ba. I think you are very kind to patients." Chen Bai jumped off the bed: "Do you have no confidence in yourself or in me?"


    Zhou Yuan frowned: "Think it over and bring your family over next time."


    "I have no one at home." Seeing Zhou Yuan open his mouth to ask, Chen Bai naturally continued: "All dead."


    Zhou Yuan was stunned for a moment.


    "All right, Doctor Zhou, I''ve thought it over," Chen Bai said, "I''ll bring my bankbook tomorrow."


    Zhou Yuan was still hesitant: "I hope you can search for more information on this when you go home..."


    Chen Bai walked to the door and turned back, "I don''t want to think about it, it''s exhausting to think so much, it hurts too much here."


    "Obviously I don''t even know how many days I have left to live," he said about his own heart. "Wouldn''t it be good to think less and make it hurt less here."


    At that time, he was leaning against the door frame, looking at Zhou Yuan lazily, with a sickly face, looking pitifully thin.

 CH 3

    The next day, Chen Bai really took the bankbook and went to Zhou Yuan, but Zhou Yuan refused to  accept it.


    Chen Bai on the side quietly watched his consultation for a while before walking out to take a breath. Zhou Yuan had a lot of things to do early in the morning. While he was busy doing his work, he looked up only to find that there was no one. He ran out to take a look and then grabbed Chen Bai by his coat¡¯s collar to bring him back.


    "I''m afraid you will go out and smoke," Zhou Yuan thought, adding: "The hospital doesn''t allow smoking."


    Chen Bai lowered his eyes and said nothing.


    Zhou Yuan flipped his medical records and said: "You go for a full examination and then come back to me."


    Chen Bai turned around and went away, leaving his bankbook on the table. After hesitating for a while, Zhou Yuan picked it up and glanced at it. The numbers on the top were too little.


    Zhou Yuan felt that this was a bit cruel, he didn¡¯t even know if this figure would be enough to pay for a few days of medical expenses.


    He closed the bankbook. After a moment of hesitating, he pressed it back into the distance.


    Unknowingly, he was so busy all morning. When it was Chen Bai''s turn, it was almost lunch time. Chen Bai said: "I couldn¡¯t squeeze them, so I waited beside them. I''ve asked for leave today."


    Zhou Yuan took all his test results and turned them page by page.


    He adjusted his expression and asked Chen Bai about his usual condition. Chen Bai said that he just felt that his heart was always hurt.


    Zhou Yuan asked a few more questions, one after another: "Do you have difficulty in breathing, coughing and fatigue? Do you have chest tightness and a heavy feeling in the chest when you wake up in the morning?"


    Chen Bai thought about it and answered yes. Zhou Yuan was silent for a while before taking his heart rate again and started to write the prescription with his head down.


    "I''ll prescribe three days of medication and come over for a follow-up examination in three days." Zhou Yuan took off his stethoscope.


    Chen Bai said: "You''re not going to prescribe it for a month, ba?"


    Zhou Yuan raised his eyebrows, as if he was playing a child''s game.


    Chen Bai woke up very early in the morning and was feeling very tired so he lied on the table: "When I ask for leave, they deducted a lot of money."


    Zhou Yuan originally wanted to say, your current body had been completely unable to work but he held back: "Your body is more important than work, your situation is no longer suitable for substantial work. You should pay attention to it."


    Chen Bai buried his head in his elbow and said sleepily, "Then you prescribe for seven days."


    Zhou Yuan changed the prescription and handed it to him. Chen Bai didn''t quite understand the long list of medicine names on the top so he asked, "Which one is the most expensive?"


    Zhou Yuan pointed him to the top one. In fact, the price of this medicine was relatively realistic.


    "You cross it out, ba." Chen Bai said, "Can you prescribe me some pain relief, my heart is always aching, I can''t stand up at work."


    Zhou Yuan didn''t hold back: "Do you know you should be hospitalized in this condition now? Knowing your heart is bad, why can''t you pay more attention to rest and reduce your labor force? Heart disease is not a child''s play and painkillers are not prescribed just because you say so."


    "You prescribe painkillers," Chen Bai raised his eyelids and looked at him, "I''m afraid of pain."


    Seeing him like this, Zhou Yuan couldn''t bear it anymore: "Painkillers cure the symptoms but not the root cause. Once you become dependent, the dosage will become larger and larger. It will do no good to your body."


    Chen Bai said, "It''s fine if it doesn''t hurt."


    Zhou Yuan was a little annoyed: "Painkillers can''t cure your disease, your body can only continue to deteriorate. What on earth do you want to see a doctor for?"


    "In order not to hurt so much." Chen Bai straightened his head to look at him. He was very tired, with his eyes half-squinted as he said: "I heard that the person with this disease died miserably; their face was blue and blood was even spitting out of their mouths. It hurts to death."


    "I just thought, if you prescribe medicine, I can probably die a little easier in the future, not so ugly." Chen Bai said faintly, not as a joke, "if I take so many expensive drugs, I''ll lose money if I feel uncomfortable before I die."


    Zhou Yuan didn''t answer; he rubbed his forehead and changed the prescription for him again after a while.


    "You come here again in three days." Zhou Yuan said.


    Chen Bai took the prescription and glanced at it, seemingly not caring that much.


    "Thank you, Doctor Zhou." He said goodbye to him.

 CH 4

    Mondays were always particularly busy. After Chen Bai left, Zhou Yuan didn''t even have a few bites of lunch, he was burying his head in his work. There were many people who suffered from the disease, all kinds of people, but the purpose was simple: to survive.


    Zhou Yuan felt that the longer he came to this city, the more sick people there were.


    After a busy day, Zhou Yuan finally stretched his back and flipped through his phone when he finally got off work. At this time, he happened to receive a message from Jiang Nianru.


    "There''s a private restaurant in Minjing Garden that''s great. The seats are already booked, Dr. Zhou."


    Zhou Yuan smiled. As soon as he stood up, he felt a sore back.


    Recently, he hasn''t exercised much. Zhou Yuan complained to her as he replied: I was entangled by several interns when I was about to get off work.


    Soon the message was replied, with a photo attached.


    The girl in the photo had curved eyebrows, bright eyes and white teeth, and her smile was as bright as a flower.


    Jiang Nianru said: So angry oh, but I have to keep smiling.


    Zhou Yuan was amused. He pressed the ¡®love¡¯ button, but after thinking about it, he canceled it. Instead, he replied: See you tomorrow.


    Zhou Yuan passed a street intersection on his way home. When the red light came on, the fast-paced city slowed down for a short period of time.


    He looked through the car window, looking at the endless flow of people on that side of the street, lost in thought.


    When the green light came on, Zhou Yuan turned the steering wheel and the car drove in the other direction.


    Carrying a gift, Zhou Yuan visited his university mentor, whom he had not seen for a long time. The highly respected medical professor welcomed him happily.


    The two had not seen each other for a long time and were both in high spirits. After exchanging pleasantries for a while, they drank a little wine.


    Halfway through the drink, Zhou Yuan suddenly mentioned Chen Bai to his mentor.


    He briefly described Chen Bai''s condition, saying: "The test results came back in a very unfavorable condition. I prescribed some medicine and asked him to come over for a re-examination in three days. It should have been recommended to be hospitalized."


    "The heart valve lesions are all severe. Medication alone can no longer solve the problem." The mentor thought for a moment before saying: "Send me the test results tomorrow. I¡¯ll take a look."


    Zhou Yuan was grateful and toasted him with several glasses of wine.


    The mentor gladly accepted: "Zhou Yuan, you are the most outstanding student I have trained in these years. You should have some confidence in yourself. You just enter the society, it¡¯s okay to suffer a little bit. It¡¯s all life experience."


    "I understand." Zhou Yuan deeply lowered his eyes and humbly accepted the lesson.


    The mentor talked about Chen Bai again: "In his case, if his body can stand it, surgery is generally recommended. Of course, the company and encouragement of his family is also very important to support him spiritually."


    The mentor asked, "How is the condition of his family?"


    "There seems to be no one in his family." Zhou Yuan said, "It may be difficult to support the surgery."


    The mentor frowned: "I''ll look at the medical records tomorrow. If he''s very sick and his family is not well off, the outlook is not optimistic."


    "I know." Zhou Yuan took a sip of wine, the alcohol in his belly burned up the heat and emotions, his eyes were steamed red.


    He said vaguely, and as if to himself: "I''m just paranoid about whether he can rely on drugs alone to maintain and slowly get better."


    "Hang on." The mentor looked at him and asked, "Are you sympathizing with him?"


    Zhou Yuan nodded, the snowy chandelier reflected in the glass of wine in his hand, like holding a moon.


    The mentor poured a glass of wine and clinked it with him.


    A little bit of foam spilled. The mentor said to him: "You will be used to this kind of thing after seeing it a lot, and you will no longer be sympathetic when you get used to it."


    "It''s not hard-hearted, it''s the circumstances."


    Zhou Yuan looked at his mentor and felt that this was something Chen Bai would say.


    For some reason, he remembered that teenager again; thin and frightened, with sickly purple lips and eyes that always showed fatigue and disdain.


    It''s a pity. Getting drunk, Zhou Yuan thought while shaking his head, only nineteen.