owlsbooks Chapter 11 The First Patient After Rebirth
Chapter 11 The First Patient After Rebirth
The next morning, Chen Yisen did not give Joey breakfast.
There was really no other way; every penny had to be spent carefully.
Of course, he wasn't going to let the person go hungry. Instead, he dropped the person off at a food distribution point so that he could get some food first and then walk to the shelter.
That's right, these two places are not together.
The reason for this is that the law only requires state governments to provide a sufficient number of beds, without mentioning the issue of food.
Therefore, although the shelter also has a restaurant, it is mainly for staff. The principle for detainees is that you can come and eat, but there is no guarantee that there will be enough food.
Food relief distribution points are set up by charitable organizations and have relatively ample supplies, but there is a queue.
Fortunately, not many homeless people are able to get up before 8 a.m. to line up, so Joey should be able to get food soon.
If you calculate the time, you can arrive just before the clinic opens, and then pretend to be a patient and blend in.
Chen Yisen went directly to the Franklin Avenue shelter, which was two blocks away.
From a distance, you can see a medical vehicle parked on the edge of the plaza at the entrance, with a row of long tables next to it and several staff members sitting behind them.
It's not for serving patients, but for serving doctors.
Chen Yisen parked the car, then walked over and took out his ID and placed it on the table.
"Hello, I am Dr. Chen Yisen from Gotham Health Morrisania Community Centre Clinic. This is my identification."
A staff member swiped the ID card on the card reader and then had Chen Yisen verify his face in front of the camera. After confirming that it was the same person, he nodded to his colleague next to him to indicate that there was no problem.
Chen Yisen did not go in immediately, but instead made a request: "I need to see the health inspection certificate, medical waste disposal agreement, and medical facility permit here."
As we all know, doctors must protect themselves before practicing medicine.
What he just mentioned are all necessary conditions for using shelters as "medical facilities".
The staff member was clearly not unfamiliar with this request, and skillfully brought out several folders and lined them up in front of them.
"Here are the three documents you requested..."
"Also, a formal cooperation agreement was signed between the Franklin Avenue Shelter and the New York City Medical Association Volunteer Program..."
"Shelter centers are considered an extension of hospitals, and medical practitioner insurance is covered by both the federal Volunteer Protection Act and the New York State Charity Exemption Act..."
"All service records for today can be synchronized through the EMR (Electronic Health Record) system..."
"..."
With all the necessary procedures in place and the comprehensive support policies in place, Chen Yisen felt somewhat at ease.
"Can anyone go in for medical treatment? Or is it only open to registered residents of this shelter?"
He could vaguely see two policemen standing at the entrance of the shelter in the distance, and he was a little worried that Joey would be stopped outside later.
"No restrictions, but identity verification is required," another person not wearing a white coat added. "Driver's license, Medicaid card, Social Security number, medical record number, NYPD ID card—you need at least one of these five."
Then it's not a big problem.
Joey may have a case involving a failed court appearance after being released on bail, but different police departments are relatively isolated from each other, and such a minor matter wouldn't escalate to the point of being wanted by the entire police force.
After thanking the staff, he was led to an empty room in the shelter, where several cubicles had been temporarily set up with medical screens.
Aside from being a bit dim, the environment was surprisingly quite nice.
"Is this the examination room we'll be using later?"
Chen Yisen is even preparing to reflect on his previous stereotypes.
"Of course not." The staff member in front shook his head: "This is the doctors' rest area and temporary observation area. The examination room... well, there isn't really an examination room. Anyway, the work area is in the restaurant across the street, and I bet quite a few people have already squeezed in there."
"..."
"Is the restaurant really okay?"
Just as Chen Yisen was about to speak, he heard someone outside the door ask the question for him.
It was accompanied by a series of chaotic footsteps.
It appears that the media is conducting an interview.
As the sound drew closer, the conversation that reached their ears gradually became clearer.
"What I mean is, HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) requires medical conversations to take place in a private setting, but your 'clinic' is located in a shelter cafeteria, almost shoulder to shoulder... If someone has HIV or is using fentanyl, would they dare to tell you directly in this environment?"
The questioner had a rather sharp female voice, and immediately addressed a very sensitive point of contention.
Even through the curtain, it's not hard to conjure up a classic professional image of someone decisive and tough.
Although patient privacy wasn't Chen Yisen's primary concern, he still listened intently to how his colleague outside the door was prepared to respond.
"You've hit the nail on the head. There's a closed cubicle behind that medical vehicle outside where you can do physical exams, but for screening, consultations, and medical history collection—yes, many times we can only rely on that curtain and a noise-generating device."
She was a woman, but her voice carried a deliberately crafted weariness, and... it sounded somewhat familiar.
Before Chen Yisen could search his memory, he heard the person outside continue:
"For some patients, we provide paper and pen to write things down. For those with sensitive immigration status or complex legal situations, we have social workers present... Of course, if we have to nitpick, we can only say that complete privacy is indeed a luxury in this environment. But we now have two options: either shut down the service because we cannot meet perfect privacy standards, or try our best to reduce the risks under the existing conditions... Ms. Reporter, which one would you choose?"
A brilliant counterattack.
Chen Yisen couldn't help but mentally give a thumbs up to the person outside.
The staff member who brought him in also praised, "Well said!"
"really."
Chen Yisen nodded.
If given a choice, doctors would certainly prefer to sit in their consultation room calling out numbers and waiting for patients to arrive, rather than running out to a crowded lobby to actively seek out patients.
However, the door was pushed open the next second.
He immediately regretted it.
Because the person facing the camera at the door was indeed an acquaintance.
Natalia Lynch.
His former doctor during his residency in Bellevue was also one of the key figures who facilitated his transfer to the Morissania community clinic.
It's true that enemies meet on a narrow road.
The interview had just ended, and Natalia tidied her hair and put on a floral hat.
Turning my head, I saw Chen Yisen.
He then revealed a playful look that was neither a smile nor a frown.
"Dr. Chen, it's been a long time." Natalia deliberately slowed her pace as she walked to his side. "How's community work going?"
His posture and expression practically screamed, "Come and apologize to me now, or I might let you go back if I'm in a good mood."
Having inherited all his past memories, it was impossible for Chen Yisen to remain completely unmoved upon seeing the other party's smug and arrogant demeanor.
But he knew that it was precisely in times like these that he should not show it.
One's own impotent rage will only become a source of amusement for the enemy.
Besides, NYC H+H isn't owned by Natalia's family.
The original owner was ostracized from the community because he challenged the unspoken rules of the entire system, rather than because he offended a specific person.
If Natalia truly believes that she was the one who kicked Chen Yisen out of Bellevue Hospital, and therefore can bring him back with just a few words, then she's probably not far from a disaster.
"It's alright... not much of a challenge, but the working hours are a bit longer," Chen Yisen replied calmly. "There are fewer patients than when I was in the hospital, and the main difficulty is managing the patients' conditions..."
To the uninitiated, it would seem as if the master and apprentice, who had parted ways amicably, were discussing their work.
Sure enough, seeing Chen Yisen's nonchalant attitude, Natalia blushed slightly.
She tried to discern any hidden anger or embarrassment on the man's face.
But none of them were there.
The feeling was like throwing a heavy punch, only to miss completely.
I almost strained my back.
Natalia raised her eyebrows slightly, as if she wanted to say something more, but by then more staff members had arrived at the door, making it inappropriate to continue the conversation.
He could only snort and turn away.
Chen Yisen wasn't exactly a magnanimous person; he had long wanted to find out that she had evaded taxes.
He had only held back for the sake of acting, but now, looking at the other person's back, he gritted his teeth inwardly.
Until someone else recognized him.
"Ethan?"
Chen Yisen was almost certain that the medical director had deliberately switched him here today, otherwise how could he have run into acquaintances so coincidentally?
He turned around and saw a black man with an afro dressed as a nurse.
Then I finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Zuma Diallo.
This person didn't have any grudges against the original owner; in fact, they had a pretty good relationship.
"Yes, the doctor we originally booked unfortunately got injured yesterday, so I had to step in," Chen Yisen explained.
Regardless of the actual situation, this is an official explanation with written records, so it can't be wrong.
Unexpectedly, Zuma suddenly leaned over and mysteriously pulled him to a corner away from the crowd, whispering, "Ethan, I've seen Marin Takanashi hooking up with a new resident doctor a lot these past few days. You two..."
Whether it's a well-intentioned reminder or just gossip, it's already quite remarkable that they didn't kick someone when they're down in this situation.
Chen Yisen didn't want to get too involved in the original owner's past anymore, so he waved his hand and said, "They've already broken up. Who she's with is her own business."
Actually, if you think about it carefully, what Zuma said should have happened before that breakup text message.
But Chen Yisen never thought that the original owner and Takanashi Marin were any kind of serious couple.
It's best to break it off.
But Zuma clearly knew just how much of a sycophant the original owner had been, and was greatly shocked upon hearing this.
"what?"
Chen Yisen: "What's the big deal? We're so far apart now, we might not even see each other once a week."
"What I mean is... you've only been gone for less than two months, and..." Zuma paused, "My dad ran away after I was one year old."
"..."
Although he knew that the African American community didn't really care about this kind of thing, Chen Yisen still almost couldn't keep his composure when he heard the black guy tell a hellish joke.
Fortunately, I didn't laugh out loud.
"Forget it, it's all in the past." Chen Yisen was afraid that the other party would say something inappropriate again, so he quickly changed the subject. "Let's get ready, we're about to start working."
Soon, the on-site supervisor in charge of the Franklin shelter divided the medical staff into several working groups, similar to a hospital.
每组包括1名负总责的主治、1-2名住院医、2名护士、3-5个打下手（或者帮倒忙）的医学生，还有几个负责引路、选号和使用翻译设备的助理。
Of course, although it's called grouping, the actual working mode is that doctors find patients according to the number cards they are drawn or assigned, so it's definitely not as clearly divided as the fixed teams during the rotation period.
At least resident physicians must see patients independently; it's impossible for everyone to revolve around one patient.
As the 8:30 announcement came over the loudspeaker, the group entered the restaurant under the guidance of social workers from the shelter.
It can only be said that while stereotypes are often rigid, they are mostly true...
Although several spray disinfection machines were constantly spraying medical alcohol into the air, the smell, mixed with sourness and sweat, could still assault the olfactory cells through the mask.
A hundred or so sickly patients were crammed together, a significant portion of whom were clearly not residents of the shelter.
This included Joey, who had just arrived.
Several fully armed police officers and more DHS security guards with only batons were scattered around, keeping a close eye on the crowd of people sitting or lying in the middle.
The medical assistant whispered in Chen Yisen's ear:
"Dr. Chen, our first patient is number 17, Amber Zheng."