That afternoon, the Traditional Medicine wing was quiet. He Su Ye crouched in the pharmacy, helping the herbalist brew medicine.
As an attending physician, he didn’t need to handle the brewing himself, but being a Chinese medicine doctor often meant plenty of downtime. He had a fondness for the myriad herbs, enjoying the sight of them simmering in the clay pot, their aroma wafting through the room—bittersweet and comforting. The pharmacy had recently hired a novice, who struggled to manage the heat intensity between a strong boil and a gentle simmer, so someone experienced needed to supervise.
He picked up a prescription—one he had written himself. Shen Xi Fan, he thought. A lovely name, though it does sound suspiciously like “congee.” Her family must be practical people.
The formula included Huang Lian (Coptis), which was very bitter, but the other herbs were milder and slightly sweet, so the medicine shouldn’t be too hard to drink. After a month’s dosage, he planned to recommend bai zi ren porridge or some ground suan zao ren (sour jujube seed) as supplements to aid her insomnia.
Still, he couldn’t predict what other ailments this girl might surprise him with. Seeing her three times in two weeks was an unusually high frequency for a patient in traditional medicine. Yet, Shen Xi Fan seemed to embody the unexpected.
A nurse from the outpatient department interrupted. “Dr. He, Director Liao from the inpatient ward is calling for you.”
He Su Ye set the prescription aside, instructed the herbalist on maintaining the heat, and headed to the inpatient department.
Director Liao greeted him in the office. “Xiao He, come with me to the ward. The sudden drop in temperature has caused several patients to develop coughs. Phenylpropanolamine isn’t working, and I’m hesitant to prescribe anything like codeine. Can you try some Chinese medicine? You’re good at integrated treatments.”
He Su Ye smiled modestly. “I’ll do my best.”
He carefully checked pulses and prescribed treatments. Since these were gastrointestinal patients, he avoided strong herbs, opting for milder prescriptions that soothed the liver, regulated qi, and warmed the stomach.
One patient asked, “Doctor, every time I take Chinese medicine, I end up vomiting yellow-green stomach fluid. What’s wrong?”
Reviewing the patient’s chart, He Su Ye explained, “It’s likely the Tian Qi powder causing slight irritation. It’s nothing serious, but if it’s too uncomfortable, consult your attending physician about reducing your doses from three to two times daily.”
Director Liao leaned in. “Oh, this is Xiao Xu’s patient. Funny, he never mentioned it.”
Suddenly, the lights in the ward went out. The winter afternoon was already dim, and the blackout startled the patients. A nurse rushed in to reassure everyone, “It’s just a power outage; electricity will be restored shortly.”
The hospital’s backup generator soon kicked in, powering only the emergency and inpatient departments. Director Liao turned to He Su Ye. “Xiao He, have the nurses collect the medicine tomorrow. Your Traditional Medicine wing doesn’t have power; it’d be too dim to work now.”
He Su Ye nodded. “I’ll take the prescriptions over for now. If power returns, I’ll have them brewed and delivered immediately.”
Director Liao patted his shoulder. “Good plan. And say hello to your father for me!”
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