Special Forces Medic

Xiao Yuan stuck out her tongue at Xiao Lin: "Got it, I'll go notify the head nurse right away."

"Brother Xiao is so handsome!" Niu Niu tugged on Xiao Lin's hand, swinging it eagerly: "If only you could stay here forever, then Mom wouldn't throw a tantrum with Niu Niu anymore." Her little face crumpled with grievance, looking endearingly adorable.

Xiao Lin picked up Niu Niu and placed her on his lap, holding her tiny hand as he turned on the TV.

"Now reporting on the latest news from Liger City, Western Suburb. According to the police investigation, there have been secret dealings uncovered at the Liger Gang headquarters with a local entrepreneur in this city. Further details of the case are still under review..."

Xiao Lin stared at the screen, surprised by how quickly the old man's actions had advanced, as evidence from the crime scene suggested involvement from a certain entrepreneurial family, with relevant evidence submitted to the General Prosecution Office for investigation.

"Brother Xiao, can we watch cartoons?" Niu Niu wasn't interested in the current affairs news, and it was just the right time for the children's channel which was airing her favorite, Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf.

"Niu Niu, be good and stay with Mom. I have other patients to see, and I'll come back to see you tonight, okay?" The news channel was switched to the children's channel, and Xiao Lin put Niu Niu down, then walked over to Dan Qing: "Additionally, I'm preparing herbal medicine for you. I'll come back every night to do acupuncture and check your pulse. The Western medicine may be a bit potent, but any side effects are simply pathological reactions. If you have any problems, ring the bell to find a nurse. This is my phone number, you can contact me directly anytime." Xiao Lin pondered for a moment before giving the number to Niu Niu: "You can contact me anytime."

As she watched Xiao Lin's departing figure, Dan Qing's tears, held back with difficulty, finally fell. She was a strong woman, but in the face of Xiao Lin, her vulnerabilities as a woman naturally showed. A small hand touched Niu Niu's face, and Niu Niu's upturned, concerned gaze made her feel foolish.

"While I wasn't here, has anyone visited Dan Qing and her daughter?" Passing by the nurse's station, Xiao Lin stopped, resting his hands on the counter. His eyes scanned the corridor, observing every exit.

"No one!" A younger nurse tilted her head, her round face puffy: "This entire floor is a special ward, so there aren't many visitors."

"Does the hospital not have any security cameras?"

"The new building does, but this is the old ward area, so none have been installed yet."

"Alright, thank you!"

Xiao Lin returned to the emergency room, unexpectedly finding Li Jingyi sitting in her spot, her appearance much more haggard than seen a few days ago.

She gazed out the window, lost in thought, the cup in her hand gripped tightly, her rigid fingers exerting unnatural force. The usually well-dressed woman now appeared in Xiao Lin's eyes as a slovenly and untidy middle-aged woman, an image that was incongruent with Li Jingyi's actual age.

"Sister Jing!" He called to her softly a few times from behind, but the woman remained unhearing, engrossed in her own world. In frustration, Xiao Lin put down the medical chart in his hand, intending to turn and head to the security office.

"Dr. Xiao, I think I might not be able to continue working with you." Li Jingyi's sorrowful words were filled with melancholy as Xiao Lin approached her side.

"What's happened? Is it because of the child?" He had already heard from the nurses about her son's illness: "What illness?"

"Bone cancer!" Li Jingyi was sobbing beyond control.

"Has it been confirmed?" If he remembered correctly, Li Jingyi's child was about the same age as Niu Niu, which was undeniably a blow for a mother.

"Yes!" Li Jingyi suddenly grabbed Xiao Lin's hand, a glimmer of hope in her eyes: "Can you help me save my child?"

"Sister Jing, please stand up." Xiao Lin quickly pulled Li Jingyi, who was about to kneel before him, accepting such a grand gesture was far beyond his ability.

"He's so young; heaven shouldn't treat him this way!"

Despite not kneeling, Li Jingyi was shocked by Xiao Lin's strength. She had no hope left; if this person before her couldn't help, she could only watch as her son slowly died in pain, day by day. If it came to that, she'd rather put him out of his misery herself.

"A bottle of sodium cyanide was missing from the drugs in our emergency room. Xiao Ning counts them every day but can't find it. I wonder if Sister Jing might have placed it somewhere as a precaution." Xiao Lin closed the door, initially not suspecting Li Jingyi, maybe because sodium cyanide had toxic properties and was stored separately. But if someone deliberately hid it, the nature of the situation would be completely different. "The Sister Jing I know isn't impetuous; you must be joking with yourself."

Li Jingyi's eyes widened in fear. She recalled that no one was present at the time, and losing medication wasn't uncommon; she only needed to fill out paperwork for approval and explanation. As the head of the emergency department, she'd sign and stamp it for submission to the drugs department, going through the process without anyone suspecting her actions.

"Dr. Xiao!"

"Sodium cyanide isn't ordinary medicine, as a chemical, it's highly toxic. Going through the normal loss of medicine procedure might be difficult." Xiao Lin didn't miss any of Li Jingyi's expressions, not even the subtle emotional shifts during her internal struggle. "Sodium cyanide is a potent poison, injecting just 0.1 grams can be fatal. It's sometimes used as a euthanasia drug, Sister Jing, is that correct?"

"Ah! Yes, yes it is." Li Jingyi put down the cup she'd been holding for so long, spilling the lukewarm tea on her hand; the now-cold liquid brought little calm to her anxious heart.

"Before things escalate, put it back!" Xiao Lin lowered his voice, leaning closer to Li Jingyi, one hand pressed on the table, the other resting on her shoulder: "I'll go over to the pharmacy department, admitting that I moved the toxic product aside, worried it might mix with other drugs, and forgot to inform Xiao Ning, causing the misunderstanding."

"Dr. Xiao, I... I can't." Li Jingyi, caught in her struggle, couldn't decide, her blank gaze settled on the photo frame on the table. Following her gaze, Xiao Lin noticed the details he usually overlooked.

In the photo, there was only a mother and child embracing.

"Your husband..."

"He ran away, ran off with someone." Li Jingyi picked up the photograph, wiping the dust off it, though the frame was already spotless: "He left when I gave birth to Xiaoxin, ran off with my predecessor, without even a divorce agreement."

"No further contact?"

"Xiaoxin is nearly ten now, and there's been no contact all this time."

"Sister Jing, hand the sodium cyanide over to me." Xiao Lin refrained from asking further about her husband.

Li Jingyi was filled with bitterness, having lost her husband and facing the prospect of losing her most cherished treasure alone.

"Bone cancer isn't untreatable, but once sodium cyanide is used, there's no going back." (To be continued. If you like this work, you're welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with recommendations and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)