The Enhanced Doctor

Even though Liu Banxia's tone had been a bit harsh when he scolded the patient earlier, he didn't think he'd done anything wrong. Having been a doctor for a long time, it truly infuriated him to see patients carelessly dress their own wounds. If they were going to treat it, couldn't they do it thoroughly? Did they really have to wait for the wound to worsen before seeking proper treatment? All of this could have been avoided.

They discussed this again at lunchtime in the canteen. Liang Xiaolin thought he was overreacting. There was no need for such a fuss; if everyone possessed that kind of medical knowledge, they'd all be doctors. Liu Banxia didn't dwell on it. Once it was said, it was over.

When he returned to the lounge for a short break, he fought to suppress a particular craving. He really wanted to spend 100 Glory Points for a +8 enhancement stone. Even a 'cursed' one would have its uses. However, a glance at his 'balance' made him abandon the idea. He couldn't afford to spend recklessly yet.

"Dr. Liu, their X-rays are ready. Can you look at them?" Liang Xiaolin slipped in.

"Any abnormalities? If not, I'm not looking. You need to start forming your own judgments; it's time you grew up a bit," Liu Banxia said, then turned over.

Liang Xiaolin fumed. She was still just an intern; what authority did she possibly have? She marched over to Liu Banxia's bed and smacked the X-ray films down, huffing.

Liu Banxia sighed inwardly, took out his phone, switched on the flashlight, and held it behind the films. "Alright, they can go. Everything's fine."

Liang Xiaolin desperately wanted to chew out Liu Banxia for his irresponsibility, but there was nothing she could do. Rank was everything. Someone one rank higher could crush her, let alone Liu Banxia, who was two ranks above her.

Before Liang Xiaolin could leave, Liu Banxia's phone rang.

"Brother Qiu, what's up?" Liu Banxia answered.

"I have a comrade whose child isn't doing well. She's on her way to you now. Could you take a look at her?" Qiu Huaili said.

"Sure, I'll go wait outside," Liu Banxia said, springing up at once.

He wasn't a blockhead; he understood the ways of the world. Qiu Huaili's curt tone clearly implied there was a reason. Besides, Qiu Huaili hadn't mentioned bringing anyone in for treatment during the dressing change earlier that day, so this had to be unexpected.

Just as he reached the entrance, Qiu Huaili's large van pulled up.

"What are you doing out here to greet me? Aren't you busy?" Qiu Huaili asked with a laugh as he got out of the van.

"Not busy, I just finished lunch. What's the situation?" Liu Banxia asked.

"This is my comrade's child; I'll let them tell you the details," Qiu Huaili said, then turned to the man beside him. "Old He, this is my younger brother, Liu Banxia. Don't let his age fool you; he's very skilled."

"Dr. Liu, I apologize for bothering you during your lunch break," the middle-aged man who alighted with Qiu Huaili said apologetically. "He's just too impulsive, same as when he was in the army. The moment he heard, he insisted on coming over."

"It's no problem at all," Liu Banxia said with a smile. "Any comrade of Brother Qiu is like family. Let's get the child registered first, and then you can tell me what's happening."

As they walked in, Qiu Huaili clapped Liu Banxia firmly on the shoulder. He had certainly given him enough face today.

"What's the exact situation?" Liu Banxia asked once they were in the treatment room.

"My daughter has a bit of an embarrassing problem," Old He said. "She loves to drink water, which means she has to go to the bathroom constantly."

"It didn't seem like a big deal before. People always say drinking water is good, that it helps detoxify the body. But now, the more she drinks, the more frequently she needs to use the restroom."

"We're worried she's developed a habit. She's starting ninth grade when school begins. If she keeps needing to use the bathroom so often, it won't just affect her studies; her classmates might make fun of her."

Liu Banxia glanced at Old He's daughter; the young girl kept her head bowed.

"How much water does she drink each day, approximately? And how long has this been going on?" Liu Banxia asked.

"More than ten bottles a day," Old He said after a moment's thought. "This has been going on for over three years now, I think."

"She didn't used to drink this much. During the summer vacation of her fifth-grade year, she had a fever, and after that, she started loving water. We didn't pay much attention at the time. But now she's drinking more and more, and it's even damaged her teeth."

"Come on, little one, let me see your teeth," Liu Banxia said, trying his best to sound gentle.

The girl opened her mouth. After a quick look, Liu Banxia felt a sense of unease. A girl her age should have strong, solid teeth. But hers? Even a light touch showed that some were loose. He worried she might lose a tooth just by gnawing on a bone.

"I noticed when she got out of the car that her gait seemed a bit unsteady," Liu Banxia continued. "Is that a temporary thing, or is she like that at home too?"

"It's been happening for about half a year now," Old He replied. "Is it because she goes to the bathroom too often? And now, it's like she has to go to the bathroom barely ten minutes or so after drinking anything."

"We'll need to do a thorough examination for that. Little girl, could you turn around for me? You're not sitting up quite straight; let me check your spine," Liu Banxia said.

Once the girl turned around, Liu Banxia examined her spine carefully. It was slightly protruding to the right. Although the curvature wasn't severe, it needed to be noted.

Liu Banxia went out, fetched a cup of water, and placed it on the table near himself. He then noticed the girl eyeing the water with an almost greedy expression, like a food lover spotting a delicacy.

"Go ahead and drink it," Liu Banxia said. "If that's not enough, I can get you more."

The girl, less timid now, snatched the cup and gulped down the water in one go. Clearly, the water in that one disposable cup wasn't nearly enough. Liu Banxia got her two more.

"Brother, any idea what it might be?" Qiu Huaili asked.

"Let's wait a bit. We still need to do some more tests," Liu Banxia replied.

"Sigh... she's even becoming afraid to go to school now," Old He lamented.

The young girl lowered her head again.

Liu Banxia started chatting casually with Qiu Huaili and Old He, which made Old He a bit anxious. Weren't they here to see a doctor? Old Qiu had praised this Liu Banxia to the skies, so why wasn't he diagnosing her? Why was he just making small talk?

"Dad... I need to use the bathroom," the little girl said, interrupting their conversation.

"Doctor Liang, please take the child to the restroom. We'll need another urine sample for testing," Liu Banxia instructed.

As Liang Xiaolin led the girl out, Liu Banxia watched them carefully.

"I timed it just now," Liu Banxia said after the child had left. "About eight minutes after drinking that water, she needed to use the bathroom."

"There's definitely something wrong with her gait. It's been a while since you arrived, yet her walk is still somewhat uncoordinated."

"Given how quickly she needs to use the bathroom after drinking, it could be diabetes insipidus," Liu Banxia elaborated. "There are many potential causes, broadly classified as primary or secondary. Primary means it's due to congenital factors, while secondary means it's an acquired condition resulting from other issues."

"This condition is more prevalent in young adult males and quite rare in girls. To confirm the diagnosis, we'll need to run a series of tests. These include a brain MRI, a CT scan of the jawbone, a complete blood count, a blood electrolyte panel, and a urinalysis. Only when all these results are in can we make a comprehensive diagnosis."

"Dr. Liu, is diabetes insipidus curable?" Old He asked anxiously.

"I can't say for sure at the moment, and it's not because I want to evade responsibility," Liu Banxia replied after a moment of thought.

"Since Brother Qiu brought you here, I'll be upfront with you. We first need to determine the exact underlying cause of this diabetes insipidus. Once we know that, we can explore whether alternative therapies are available."

"It's often a neurological issue. Once we have the MRI results, I'll consult with the director of the Neurology Department. For now, let's wait patiently for the results. Otherwise, anything I say is just speculation."

Qiu Huaili looked at Old He. "Don't be anxious. Since we're already here, let's just wait."

"Sigh... If it were one of us men, it wouldn't matter so much," Old He said, his voice heavy with worry. "But she's still so young. What are we going to do if it can't be cured?"

"Old He, have you noticed anything unusual about her eyes in recent years? For instance, have her eyeballs seemed to bulge at all?" Liu Banxia asked next.

Old He frowned, thinking. "I haven't really paid attention to that. We run a restaurant, you see, and I'm usually busy at the shop. I haven't focused much on the kids. Let me call and ask my wife."

With that, Old He took out his phone and stepped aside to make the call.

"Old He's eldest daughter is away at university," Qiu Huaili explained quietly. "He and his wife have been busy with their restaurant all these years, just trying to make a living, so they only noticed this recently."

"It would have been better if it had been caught earlier," Liu Banxia said in a low voice. "But don't say that to him."

Qiu Huaili frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I suspect the child's excessive thirst might have been going on for longer than you think," Liu Banxia said. "These kinds of chronic conditions often develop gradually."

Qiu Huaili nodded thoughtfully. It was like his own precious Doudou. If Liu Banxia hadn't discovered her otitis media, it could have become much more severe, possibly even damaging her eardrum.

"Dr. Liu, I just asked my wife," Old He said, returning after his call. "She hasn't noticed anything like that either."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Liu Banxia reassured him. "We'll proceed with the planned tests first. Once those results are in, we can do more targeted follow-up tests if necessary."

"Dr. Liu, just tell me, is this disease very dangerous?" Old He pressed.

This was the downside of treating acquaintances, Liu Banxia thought, feeling a bit troubled. They always tended to get anxious.

"Old He, don't make things difficult for him. Let's just wait for the test results," Qiu Huaiyuan interjected. "I'll call Ming Yuan. He's volunteering here today; he can take your daughter for the tests."

"Brother He, it's not that I'm unwilling to tell you," Liu Banxia said. "It's just that I can't make a definitive diagnosis at this stage. There are too many potential factors, and we don't yet know the primary cause."

Old He nodded, acknowledging he had been a bit too hasty. But he hadn't anticipated that his child's condition might be so serious and complex, a feeling he gleaned from Liu Banxia's expression and tone.