Chapter 13: 13. Quite Personal

Everyone in the room heard the exchange between the two staff members of the state clinic. One could easily deduce from the short exchange between the two and know exactly what was happening.

Some whispered about it. Mama Chi turned to her family to voice out her deductions, "It seems someone dropped a patient here but left without paying for him.

How shameful could they be? And now the clinic wants to put him out on there street while he was still unconscious, how heartless is that!"

"Honey calm down. Try and see things from each one's perceptive. Whoever may have brought him could be just a poor good samaritan who might have found the injured person and instinctively brought him here.

He has done his part. He didn't need to stay around or pay for anyone's bill. What happens then if he himself was too poor to afford it? Would you suggest that he should have left him there to die instead?

At least now the patients has a chance to give out a name and then they can get the person to come and settle the bill.

The clinic on the other hand needs funds to run. There are limited resources and the state covers only some specified medical cases which I believe the patient's situation does not fall under.

So they will need to eject him and allocate their resources to one willing to pay for them or that their treatment costs will be covered by the state.

It is indeed heartless as you said but what do you think will happen if the clinic ends up with losses and is made to shut down?

Imagine the catastrophic incidents that will happen as opposed to they ejecting unpaying patients from the clinic.", Papa Chi explained to his wife and family.

By the nature of his position as a minister is very much aware of the many appeals that keep flooding the Royal Court about situations like this.

It is not possible for the state funds to cover everything hence certain measures have put in place to curb it. Unfortunately, not everyone will still receive any benefits from such arrangements.

"They're all doing what they can in this situation. Let's not point fingers at anyone here please. Chi Yuan, with his businessman mentality, added to what his dad has just said.

Though what they said made sense, it looks like Mama Chi and Chi Lan were still not convinced but ah well, it's not they can change anything.

Mama Chi turned to Chi Lan. She leaned in his ears and whispered something to him.

Chi Lan nodded as a response to whatever was whispered to him and left Chi Yuan's bedside with the other three men watching him in confusion as he walked out of the room.

"What are you two scheming?" Papa Chi asked Mama Chi the question that was on three men's mind.

"You'll see.", that was all that she said as an answer.

Chi Lan was scanning the hospital in search of that nurse with them earlier. He saw her come out from the room next to theirs. He approached her and said, "Excuse me please. My mother-in-law will like to have a word with you."

"What is the problem? Never mind, you lead me to her.", the nurse said as she followed Chi Lan to meet with Mama Chi.

The whole family turned to look at them as Chi Lan came in with the nurse behind him. "Mother, she's here.", Lan said.

"My daughter, come closer please. Mama Chi signaled the nurse to come over to her side of the bed and she obliged. "Can you tell me all you know about that patient that your supervisor was talking to you about?"

"Yes please. He was brought here yesterday with a deep wound on his right arm and seemed to have fainted from the loss of blood.

He was admitted here earlier on for about two weeks ago as an accident patient and only got discharged just yesterday.He was brought back here not even up to two hours after his discharge.

The reason I am worried for waking him up was because he already has no recollection of his past so it is futile to disturb his sleep if our reason is to get any information from him.", she sighed.

"I am trying to see if the clinic has any policy that could benefit him in anyway but time is not on my side.", she stated and evidently worried as she was almost about to cry from frustration.

Mama Chi observed the nurse quietly. She knows that one can be quite passionate about their work but she also thinks that this nurse has more reasons beyond just passion to be so involved in a total stranger's case.

"What is your name, my dear?", she asked the nurse.

"It's Yu Ran please.", the nurse answered.

"Yu Ran, what a lovely name. So tell me the truth Yu Ran, why have you taken on a stranger's issue as if it was your own, to the extent of actually seeking for help for them?

Is there any reason for you to go that far?", Mama Chi asked the nurse. The rest have been listening and watching the two in silence.

Sighed. Nurse Yu Ran looked up the ceiling. They could all see that she was trying to prevent the tears from falling as she wiped them before turning to answer Mama Chi.

"Oh,...erm. It's nothing really. I am just reminded of my brother who was also a may like him. He had been married for almost a year and had just found out that he was with child.

He...I'm sorry about that." She apologised as she tried to recompose herself.

Take your time. It is fine. You're doing well.", Mama Chi assured her and rubbed her back as she continued.

"He had left here very happy that morning and could not wait to inform his husband about the good news. I only escorted him to the exit and left since I was still left with an hour on my shift.

I went home after work because I lived with our parents while he lived with his husband and his husband's family. I later saw my brother as one of the patients that I had to attend to that morning.", she pause to wipe the snort on her face.