A Man with Nerves of Steel (Joseph Hart) novel Chapter 125

Chapter 125

That afternoon, Dave visited Joseph’s office.

“Dr. Hart, give it to me straight. What’s the real situation with Mr. Ernest Ashmore?”

“I won’t comment on what other specialists are capable of, but at my end, all I can do is keep him alive through conservative treatment.

“If you want a more optimistic outcome or a chance at recovery, he needs to be transferred to Croma Hospital. They have the best resources and at least a chance worth gambling on.

“So, who’s pressuring you? The family? The hospital administration, or your superior?” Joseph asked.

“All of them, though most of it is coming from the state authorities…”

“An administrative order? That’s basically throwing us at the deep end! If they’re really making those demands, Walt and the others can handle it. It shouldn’t be on us.”

*Joseph, it’s just the two of us here right now. You need to level with me. Stop dodging the question.”

Feeling anxious, Dave quickly humbled himself to get on Joseph’s good side.

“I can keep him breathing, but I can’t do the surgery. If you insist on surgery, all of you will have to take full responsibility for the risks and consequences.

“Dave, if you sign off on it, you’ll be his executioner if he dies on the table. That is the patient’s reality, and that’s the honest answer you wanted.”

“What are the odds of success?”

“Three percent. If the odds were any good, Walt would’ve already gone ahead with it. They’re specialists with decades of experience. They know exactly what kind of condition the patient is in. Dave, you’re not medically trained, so trust me on this and you won’t go wrong.”

“Joseph, when it comes to medicine, I trust your judgment completely since you’re the expert here. But I’ve heard rumors that you have a beef with the Ashmore family.”

“My eldest daughter’s trip to Meridian Group to look for his biological father isn’t exactly a secret. I don’t mind talking about it. And I’ll let you in on something else. Frank used that matter to mock and threaten

“Just the other day, he explicitly forbade me from treating the patient, so I didn’t. That’s why Walt is the attending physician now, and the one actually performing the clinical procedures is the postgraduate trainee under Walt.

“Dave, this patient is a hot potato. I strongly suggest the family transfer him.”

After examining her, Joseph discovered that her situation was highly unusual. Not only was her heart located on the wrong side, but her blood vessels and other anatomical structures were abnormal as well. To put it simply, her entire internal anatomy was like a mirror image of a normal person’s.

The surgeons had assumed that she just had dextrocardia, but they had not realized that her internal blood vessels were mirrored as well, leading to a series of complications.

She had undergone surgery the previous day, but she kept bleeding internally. As her condition became increasingly critical, the surgeons began to panic. Out of options and unsure of what to do, they transferred her to the ICU, effectively passing the problem over to Joseph.

After identifying the root of the problem, Joseph administered targeted treatment and ultimately succeeded in stabilizing the patient.

Joseph walked out of the resuscitation room to explain the situation to the family and put their minds at ease.

Suddenly, he saw the back of a woman ahead who looked familiar. But since the adrenaline from the intense resuscitation hadn’t worn off yet, he still hadn’t completely switched gears when he saw her.

It was only after returning to his office and a couple of drags from a cigarette that it finally hit him. That woman’s silhouette looked remarkably similar to the woman who had entered his dormitory that night.

“It has to be her! What is she doing at the hospital? Is Cora trying to stir up trouble again?”