Chapter 161 Safe Haven
"Mom! Wake up! Take your medicine... take your medicine..." Ji Wanqing's voice trembled uncontrollably.
Ji's mother was pale, breathing weakly, her forehead covered in cold sweat, her hands hanging limply at her sides, and she did not respond to her daughter's calls.
In that moment of despair and helplessness, she suddenly remembered something.
Pei Yu, who lives next door, is a doctor!
She didn't even have time to wipe her tears before she practically tumbled out of her mother's room and pounded on the door of the next room.
"Brother Pei! Doctor Pei! Help! Save my mother!"
Within ten seconds, the door was suddenly pulled open. Pei Yu had clearly just returned home, looking exhausted, and hadn't even had time to change out of his outdoor clothes.
He saw Ji Wanqing at the door, her face streaked with tears and filled with panic. His brows furrowed instantly, all his weariness vanished, and his eyes sharpened and became calm.
"What happened?"
"My mother...she collapsed on the ground...we can't wake her up...we can't find her medicine..." Ji Wanqing stammered, grabbing his sleeve as if she had grasped a lifeline.
Without saying a word, Pei Yu immediately followed her into the room.
He quickly knelt down beside Ji's mother and professionally checked her pupils, breathing, and pulse, speaking rapidly and clearly.
"The jugular vein seems a bit engorged... It can't be moved around easily."
As he spoke, he calmly took out his phone and dialed the emergency number.
"...The address is...a middle-aged woman, experiencing sudden confusion and shortness of breath, with a history of primary cardiac lymphoma, requiring emergency treatment. Please prepare for echocardiography and possible pericardiocentesis..."
After hanging up the phone, he looked at Ji Wanqing, who was trembling all over and had pale lips, and gave her instructions in a deep voice.
"Sunny, listen to me! Find the recent medical reports; the emergency personnel need them! Stay calm, you can do it!"
His words temporarily pulled Ji Wanqing out of the vortex of panic, and she didn't notice anything wrong with the way he addressed her.
She forced herself to take a deep breath and shakily searched through drawers and folders, thankfully these things were usually kept neatly organized.
Pei Yu continuously monitored Ji's mother's vital signs, adjusted her head position to keep her airway as clear as possible, and was prepared to provide emergency treatment at any time.
His professionalism and composure contrasted sharply with Ji Wanqing's panic, and in this critical moment, his very presence was a powerful support.
Just then, the piercing siren of an ambulance came from afar, clearly breaking the silence of the night.
The medical staff rushed into the room with practiced ease, and Pei Yu immediately stepped forward, explaining the situation in a fast but clear voice.
"The patient is a 48-year-old female with a previous diagnosis of primary cardiac lymphoma. She suddenly lost consciousness and experienced respiratory distress. Physical examination revealed jugular venous distension, which strongly suggests that tumor progression or complications may have led to acute cardiac tamponade. These are the most recent examination results."
The emergency physician quickly reviewed Ji's mother's condition and reports, and made a decisive decision.
"Return to the hospital immediately."
They swiftly secured Ji's mother to the stretcher, established an intravenous line, and administered oxygen; every step was imbued with a sense of urgency, as if every second counted.
Ji Wanqing watched her mother being carried away lifelessly, her steps unsteady as she tried to follow.
“I’ll drive, you go with the ambulance. We might need you to sign anything or provide information along the way,” Pei Yu’s voice rang in her ears, carrying a reassuring strength.
He locked both doors and practically helped Ji Wanqing, whose legs were trembling, downstairs.
The ambulance sped along, its flashing blue lights reflecting off Ji Wanqing's pale face.
She stared intently at the busy figures of the medical staff inside the carriage, listening to the regular beeping of the monitor. Every second felt like an eternity, while Pei Yu's car followed closely behind.
Upon arrival at the hospital's emergency center, Ji's mother was immediately rushed into the resuscitation room.
Ji Wanqing was blocked outside the door; the automatically closing door seemed to separate two worlds.
She slumped helplessly on the bench in the corridor, her hand clutching the medical record bag so tightly it was deformed, tears streaming silently down her face, fear and guilt threatening to overwhelm her.
Was she wearing headphones and didn't hear her mother calling her? Would everything have been fine if she had ended the broadcast earlier?
When Pei Yu parked his car and rushed over, he saw her looking so fragile, as if she could break at any moment.
Without saying much, he quickly completed the necessary procedures at the emergency triage desk, then quietly sat down next to her, maintaining a just-right distance—offering support without making her feel pressured.
Time crawled slowly through the corridor filled with the smell of disinfectant and the sound of hurried footsteps.
After an unknown amount of time, the door to the emergency room opened again, and a doctor came out.
"He Caiwei's family?"
"I am! Doctor, how is my mother?" Ji Wanqing suddenly stood up, her vision went black, but fortunately Pei Yu reached out and supported her arm in time.
"Consciousness has returned somewhat." The doctor spoke quickly. "Bedside ultrasound confirmed that the space-occupying lesion in the right atrium has significantly increased in size compared to the previous examination, and the compression symptoms are severe. This acute cardiac tamponade was caused by it. Currently, the vital signs are temporarily stable, but the cause must be addressed as soon as possible, and immediate arrangements are needed..."
The doctor's words were incredibly informative, each word striking Ji Wanqing's heart like a hammer blow.
Pei Yu felt her body trembling, and tightened his grip on her arm slightly while calmly asking the doctor a question.
When will the enhanced CT scan be performed? How long does it typically take to organize an MDT (Multidisciplinary Team)? Is cardiac surgery involved?
"The CT scan is already scheduled and will be done in an hour. We'll do the MDT as soon as possible, at the latest tomorrow morning. The cardiac surgery department will definitely be involved in the evaluation." After answering, the doctor hurriedly returned to the emergency room.
Ji Wanqing looked at Pei Yu blankly, her voice trembling with tears, "Dr. Pei... has it... gotten worse?"
Pei Yu looked at her red eyes, paused for a moment, and chose a relatively gentle but still objective statement.
"Cancer diseases themselves have the potential to progress and require more aggressive intervention, but it was discovered relatively early and the cardiac tamponade has been relieved, so there is an opportunity for treatment. Don't scare yourself, wait until the examination is completed before changing to a new treatment plan."
Hearing Pei Yu say this, Ji Wanqing felt a little relieved and nodded with red eyes.
"Thank you so much for tonight... I'm so grateful to have troubled you so late..."
Pei Yu stayed with her for the rest of the time.
When Ji's mother was transferred from the emergency room to the cardiac care ward, he helped coordinate the ward arrangements and communicate with the nurses.
Before undergoing an enhanced CT scan, family members need to sign an informed consent form. The various risks listed on it made Ji Wanqing's hands tremble so much that she could barely hold the pen. Pei Yu was beside her and explained the key parts to her in simple and easy-to-understand language, allowing her to sign her name after fully understanding the risks.
Throughout the process, he demonstrated not only the professionalism of a doctor, but also a reliability and patience that surpassed that of an ordinary neighbor.
As Ji Wanqing watched him calmly navigate the hospital corridors and communicate efficiently with the medical staff, creating a temporary haven for herself and her mother, her gratitude was beyond measure.
When Ji's mother finally fell into a deep sleep under the influence of the medication, with various monitoring wires connected to her body, and lay on the bed in the intensive care unit, it was already dawn outside the window.
Ji Wanqing sat exhausted on a chair by the bed, as if she had fought a tough battle.
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