The injuries this child sustained were extraordinarily severe. Zhang Yang took a careful look, and his brow twitched again. The boy was covered in cold sweat across his forehead, chest, and other areas. Normally, severe pain might elicit some sweating, but to perspire so heavily while unconscious—where pain perception is greatly reduced—indicated far more than mere external trauma.

This child's condition was likely much graver than it appeared on the surface.

"Help! Someone help!"

The man carrying the child didn't pause his frantic pace, rushing past Zhang Yang and his companions straight into the Emergency Room, shouting hysterically.

A doctor and two nurses had just stepped out and immediately guided him toward the resuscitation room. Everyone understood the child's critical state; there was no time to waste.

Shi Yan frowned deeply, letting out a soft sigh. "How pitiful. Such a young child, how could he be so badly hurt? A car accident?"

Zhang Yang's expression grew slightly grave. He shook his head. "Not a car accident. This child must have fallen from a height!"

The child's appearance was certainly reminiscent of collision trauma, which explained Shi Yan’s assumption. Even Zhang Yang had initially thought it was a traffic incident before examining the injuries more closely and noting the differences.

They were hardly unfamiliar with car accident cases; they had just treated two victims from such incidents earlier.

However, those two only had minor external injuries, nothing close to the severity displayed by this boy. This child's injuries were catastrophic.

"I wonder if they can save him..."

Shi Yan turned her head, watching the activity inside the Emergency Room, and sighed again, mournfully.

Her family owned a hospital, so she had witnessed life-and-death situations countless times. Still, seeing it inflicted upon a child was rare, and girls tended to possess greater empathy. She felt deeply unsettled.

No one wanted to watch a vibrant, innocent life simply slip away.

As a physician with clinical experience, she could assess the gravity of injuries with a single glance.

"What rescue?"

A voice sounded beside her. Wang Lu and Yin Yong had arrived without her noticing. They were off duty too.

Many other students were gathering by the main entrance, waiting to be shuttled back to the hotel for rest.

Shi Yan's expression was troubled. She spoke quietly, "It's nothing. A severely injured child just arrived; I was worried about him!"

"Severely injured?"

Wang Lu's eyes widened slightly. She peered toward the Emergency Room entrance, but the child had already been taken inside.

"Shall we go?" Shi Yan suggested, glancing back at Zhang Yang. Their shift was over; everything happening inside was technically beyond their jurisdiction.

Besides, even if they were involved, it was futile. They were interns. While this situation served as a practical test, their status meant they certainly wouldn't be entrusted with managing a patient this critical.

"You all go ahead. I need to take a look," Zhang Yang suddenly shook his head. He then turned and strode back toward the entrance. The child clearly suffered internal issues alongside the external wounds, and Zhang Yang feared an irreversible tragedy if things were mishandled. He didn't distrust the doctors inside, but such complex cases were challenging. By staying, even if he couldn't take the lead, he could at least serve as a consultant.

Zhang Yang returned to the Emergency Room without changing out of his scrubs and headed straight for the resuscitation bay.

The child was already hooked up to an IV drip. Two nurses were tending to his surface wounds while two doctors quietly discussed the situation. Such critically injured patients were seldom seen here, as this was a Children's Hospital; severe cases were usually directed elsewhere. This child had only been sent here because he was nearby, not specifically because he was a minor.

"Dr. Wang. Dr. Qu!"

Zhang Yang greeted the two physicians upon entering before turning to examine the unconscious boy on the gurney.

"Zhang Yang, why are you back?" one of the doctors asked in surprise. Zhang Yang was only there for a brief rotation, having arrived that very day. However, since the ER wasn't crowded, and they needed to supervise the interns, they had become somewhat acquainted. Furthermore, Zhang Yang's evident experience while treating patients earlier had left a deep impression on them.

"I know it's a quiet night, but I came back to see if I could lend a hand," Zhang Yang said, his gaze fixed on the comatose child.

"It's fine, we can manage. You should go get some rest," the doctor replied with a faint smile. Indeed, the night was slow, and Zhang Yang’s thoughtfulness was rare. It was a shame he was only there temporarily; they would have gladly used his help, as an extra pair of hands was always valuable.

Zhang Yang chuckled softly. "Dr. Wang, since I’m already here, please don't send me away. May I examine the child?"

The doctor, who held a good impression of him, conceded, nodding slightly after Zhang Yang insisted.

Zhang Yang approached and once again closely studied the boy, gently grasping his arm. He was feeling the child’s pulse points. Thanks to his powerful inner Neijin, he could sense the internal condition without needing direct finger contact. After a brief moment, his brow twitched again.

The child’s trauma was extensive: broken bones in his arm, multiple fractures throughout his body, and signs of poisoning. He hadn't been poisoned long—likely from accidentally ingesting something toxic. If so, gastric lavage was immediately necessary to reduce absorption. However, the massive external injuries meant he could not withstand the ordeal of stomach pumping.

"Who is the child's guardian?" Zhang Yang suddenly asked. The man who had been kneeling on the ground, clutching his head in tears, immediately stood up, staring blankly at Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang glanced at him; the man seemed vaguely familiar, like someone he'd seen before. Familiarity suggested a high probability of prior encounter, yet Zhang Yang was certain he didn't know him, or the feeling would be more than just vague recognition.

"I am," the man choked out.

"Before the accident, what did the child eat?" Zhang Yang inquired.

The man paused for a moment, then quickly replied, "Before the accident, I was tidying up at home. Xiaohui was playing on the balcony. I saw a bottle of cold medicine on the table and realized it was empty, so I rushed to find Xiaohui. I didn't expect he’d climbed onto the balcony. I panicked, shouted his name once, and he fell!"

"This is a second-hand house we just bought. It's close to school, hoping it would be convenient for Xiaohui later. The balcony had no enclosed railing; I planned to install glass next week, but I never imagined my son would have an accident today!" the man cried, his grief intensifying, laced with deep remorse.

They lived on the third floor—not excessively high, but a fall from that height was rarely survivable. His son was usually well-behaved; he never imagined he would climb the balcony and tumble off. After the fall, the father had forgotten about the cold medicine and immediately rushed his son to the nearby Children's Hospital.

"What? This child might have eaten an entire bottle of cold medicine?"

Dr. Wang and Dr. Qu, who had been discussing the case, simultaneously turned their heads, astonishment etching their faces. They had previously confirmed the fall from the third floor and were treating it as primary trauma, planning surgery once the nurses finished surface cleaning—setting the fractured arm first and clearing potential internal bruising. They had arranged the operating room. No one anticipated Zhang Yang introducing this new complication.

After hearing the man’s account, both doctors rushed to the child’s side. The man looked dazed, then added, "The medicine was just gone; I don't know for sure if he ate it!"

The two doctors ignored him for a moment, focusing intently on the child. After a short observation, shared looks of horror crossed their faces, followed by a bitter, shared smile of defeat.

They both came to the same conclusion: they were in deep trouble. This child was far more complicated than they anticipated. Previously, assuming only external trauma—and provided there was no brain injury—they had confidence in saving him. Now, with the added complication of poisoning, their entire treatment plan likely needed scrapping.

Zhang Yang nodded lightly. Poisoning. Even adults can overdose on cold medicine; a child consuming a large amount would suffer intense reactions.

"How much cold medicine is missing from your house?" Dr. Qu asked softly while monitoring the child's eyes.

"A whole bottle—about a hundred pills, all gone!" The man had stopped crying, speaking in a low voice, but the worry in his eyes grew deeper as he sensed the gravity of the situation.

"Over a hundred?"

Dr. Wang and Dr. Qu sucked in a sharp breath simultaneously. With medication poisoning already present, whether he ate all of it or even just half, it would be lethal.

This was genuine, massive trouble. The child suffered severe injuries compounded by acute drug intoxication, leaving the doctors paralyzed in their treatment options. With that quantity of medicine, ingested recently, gastric lavage was mandatory to prevent further absorption. Yet, his injuries meant he could not tolerate the stress of pumping; it involved severe bodily distress. He couldn't be moved roughly, let alone agitated. If the lavage was botched due to movement, the child would die, a liability the hospital could never bear.

Conversely, treating the external trauma first was equally impossible. The toxins were continuously being absorbed. The longer they delayed, the worse the prognosis, potentially leading to tragedy even after successful surgery.

In essence, the two necessary actions were completely contradictory, leaving the physicians completely at a loss.

"Xiaohui! Where is my Xiaohui?"

A woman’s voice suddenly called from outside. The man who brought the child immediately stood up and rushed out to meet her—the child's mother had arrived.

The man returned less than a minute later, bringing a middle-aged woman with him. The moment she glanced at the child on the gurney, her legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the floor.

…………

This is the guaranteed first update for today. I was exhausted yesterday and fell asleep immediately, sleeping past my alarm until after four in the morning. But I'm finally done; Xiao Yu pointed out that I've accumulated a four-chapter deficit over two days. I won't say anything more—I’ll dedicate the entire day today to making up these chapters and aim to clear the debt completely today! To be continued. RT