Not Your Doormat Anymore

"The condition of this elderly man..."

"You're the attending physician, so the decision is yours to make."

Dr. Grey didn't even look up.

"The other patients I'm handling..."

"I've already made it clear-you're the attending physician. Don't you know how to handle this? Or are you saying you're not up to the task?"noveldrama

At last, Dr. Grey looked up, his impatient gaze cutting right through me. A chill ran

down my spine.

This didn't feel right.

Whether it was the patients assigned by him or Dr. Crowell, each one felt like a challenge. It seemed like they were convinced I couldn't handle them and were deliberately setting me up to fail. They just wanted to get rid of me.

Fury surged within me as I stood up and walked out of Dr. Grey's office without a second glance. If they wanted me gone, I'd make sure to stay.

I devoted more time to studying the cases, and gradually, I saw my patients recover one after another. Even the elderly man's condition was steadily getting better. If things continued this way, he could be discharged in three days.

I closed my eyes, finally able to get some rest.

But before midnight, a panicked nurse shook me awake.

"Dr. Ranford, you need to get here quickly! The elderly man... He has stopped breathing!"

My sleepiness disappeared in an instant. I rushed over, but by the time I arrived, the elderly man had already passed. Despite my attempts at CPR, I couldn't revive him.

When I announced the patient's time of death, the family rushed toward me, their eyes red with grief. They grabbed my collar.

"You told us he'd be discharged soon! He was fine this morning! Why did he die so suddenly? Was it you? Did you kill my dad? Huh?" The son's eyes were bloodshot with rage.

"Please calm down. We'll investigate the cause of death thoroughly. I assure you the medication I prescribed-"

The man punched me in the chest.

This was my first encounter with a medical dispute, and it was also the first time realized doctors weren't as respected as I had always thought. I tried to defend myself, and I didn't notice that Samuel had arrived. He stood in the doorway with his arms crossed.

"Dr. Ranford, you can't hit a patient's family members! You caused the patient's death! This man isn't trying to kill you; he's just letting off some steam. A few punches won't do much harm, so just take them!"

I withdrew my fist, silently enduring the family member's rage. When they finally

pulled him away, I could barely stand.

"Dr. Ranford, why didn't you press

the call button when there was a medical dispute? We would've come right away to help and wouldn't have let you endure the beating for so long."

Hearing Nora's anxious voice, I touched the corner of my split lip. I did press it.

But for some reason, there was no response on the other end.

Samuel stood at the door, accusing me of killing the patient. No one dared to enter.

It wasn't until Nora charged in and forcibly pulled the family member away that the situation finally came to an end.

"I demand an investigation into the cause of death and a review of the surveillance footage."

I went to find Dr. Grey in my bruised and battered state. Given his years of experience as a doctor, I believed he would understand the situation and wouldn't refuse my request.

But he merely glanced up and said, "Didn't you hear? The family has already taken the body. They're preparing for the burial."

"But the cause of death hasn't been determined yet. I was very careful with the medication dosage. There's no way it could have "

"He's already dead. What's the point of discussing it now?"

Dr. Grey fixed his gaze on me, and a chill ran down my spine.

"The cause of death can only be confirmed through an autopsy, but the family refuses to consent. As a doctor, do you plan to forcibly take the body from them?"