Cannon Fodder in an Era Drama — I Survive with Acting

Chapter 240: Don’t Blame Me for Being Merciless

Her gaze darted between Song Qingya and Yang Meiling. Her mind was a mess; she had no idea who to believe.

Just then, a thought seemed to strike Yang Meiling, and she abruptly steered the conversation toward Song Qingya.

"Mrs. Yuan, listen. Even Dean Song herself said there was a problem with the procedure! She was the one who changed the treatment plan this afternoon, and Old Yuan immediately took a turn for the worse. Doesn’t that prove everything? Who else can we blame?"

"Sigh, we can’t blame Dean Song entirely. She just started working here not long ago. She’s probably not very familiar with our hospital’s rules, medication types, and so on. It’s understandable if she made a mistake in the heat of the moment..."

She said this while putting on a magnanimous and forgiving expression.

In reality, however, her words were subtly shifting all the responsibility onto Song Qingya.

The message was clear: being new and unfamiliar with the hospital’s procedures was an understandable reason for an operational error, but the responsibility was still hers.

Mrs. Yuan was already distraught.

After hearing her explanation, her gaze toward Song Qingya immediately grew colder.

Initially, she had found Song Qingya’s words to be methodical and clear.

But now, after Yang Meiling’s reminder, she began to wonder if this sudden change in the treatment plan was the very thing that had caused the current crisis.

Yang Meiling held her breath, her mind racing as she tried to figure out how to counter Song Qingya’s rebuttal.

Song Qingya was no ordinary person.

She was the Vice Dean, a woman with a powerful background and exceptional skills.

If it had been anyone else, they would have jumped up to defend themselves long ago.

But the more silent she was, the more vigilant Yang Meiling became.

She secretly clenched her fists, running through her strategy in her head.

’No matter what she says, I have to cling to the point about the last-minute change and not let go.’

’Even if it’s proven that I was wrong in the end, I have to shift the blame first.’

Unexpectedly, Song Qingya actually nodded, her attitude surprisingly cooperative.

Everyone was stunned.

Mrs. Yuan’s eyes widened, and she unconsciously held her breath.

Even Yang Meiling hadn’t expected her to directly accept a portion of the blame.

"Mrs. Yuan, what Doctor Yang said... isn’t entirely without reason."

Song Qingya spoke slowly, her voice steady.

As she spoke, she didn’t avoid Mrs. Yuan’s gaze, but met it directly and openly.

When she said this, not only was Mrs. Yuan dumbfounded, but even the nurses standing nearby widened their eyes.

Yang Meiling’s heart gave a sudden, tight squeeze.

Her original plan was to apply pressure step by step, using the situation to force Song Qingya onto the defensive.

But now, the other woman had taken the initiative.

This, in turn, left her at a loss for how to press her attack.

Song Qingya, however, remained calm and continued, "Dean Yuan’s current critical condition did indeed coincide with the timing of my adjustments this afternoon."

"Regardless of whether it’s ultimately found to be a procedural error or some other cause, I cannot evade responsibility at this moment."

"How about this? From now on, I will no longer be here in my capacity as a dean. I will act as a regular attending physician, stay here, and personally care for Dean Yuan around the clock until he is completely out of danger and his condition has stabilized. I will personally record every change in his vitals, every medication adjustment. Do you think... that would be acceptable?"

At this, even Fei Jin couldn’t help but frown deeply.

"Qingya! What are you doing? We haven’t even figured out what happened, and it’s not clear which step in the process went wrong. How can you take all the burden on yourself? This isn’t a problem that can be solved just by admitting fault! You... how could you be so rash?"

Before he had even finished speaking, he had already subconsciously clenched his fists.

Seeing the two of them begin to argue, Yang Meiling stood to the side, the corners of her mouth quietly curling into a barely perceptible smile.

She was secretly hoping they would have a conflict.

This way, Song Qingya’s position would become even more precarious.

And she herself would have the opportunity to press her advantage.

But Song Qingya seemed completely oblivious to the reprimand in Fei Jin’s words.

She simply lowered her head slightly and turned her gaze back to Mrs. Yuan.

"I’m sorry, Mrs. Yuan. I know this situation must have you burning with anxiety; anyone in your shoes would be distraught. But right now, the most important thing isn’t to argue about who is right or wrong, nor is it to assign blame. It’s to ensure Dean Yuan’s safety. Everything else can wait until he wakes up."

Seeing her lower her head and admit fault, the fear in Yang Meiling’s heart instantly vanished.

She immediately seized the opportunity, pretending to be concerned about the patient’s condition.

"Doc...tor Song, since you’re willing to personally stay here and take responsibility, that’s just perfect! Dean Yuan’s condition can’t afford any delays, so I suggest you don’t even take a single step out of this room. Don’t get distracted with other patients, either. After all, a person only has two eyes and limited energy. If you were to step away and something went wrong, who could bear that responsibility?"

Fei Jin whipped his head around, his expression suddenly darkening.

"Yang Meiling!"

"You think I didn’t hear what you just said? Every word was dripping with sarcasm, pushing her step by step. Did you really think I couldn’t see what you’re plotting? Since when is it your place to boss Qingya around and tell her what to do? She’s the attending physician, not a criminal! What she needs to do and where she needs to go to prepare is not for an irrelevant bystander like you to interfere with! Restricting her freedom? Who do you think you are?"

He took a step forward, his presence overwhelming.

Startled by his sudden fury, Yang Meiling flinched and took an involuntary step back.

"I... I was just..."

"Shut up!"

Fei Jin cut her off coldly.

"I’ll say this one last time: watch your mouth! Say one more word out of line, make one more move that oversteps your bounds, and don’t blame me for being merciless! This is a hospital, not a place for you to play your little games!"

Yang Meiling bit her lower lip, fine beads of sweat breaking out on her forehead.

Song Qingya ignored her and bent down again, carefully checking that Dean Yuan’s IV line was clear.

She checked the various readings on the monitor. His heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and blood pressure were all fluctuating, but still within a controllable range.

"His condition is temporarily stable, but we absolutely cannot let our guard down. The patient has not fully regained consciousness and could go into respiratory arrest or suffer other serious complications at any moment. We need to keep a constant watch on him, record his vital signs every ten minutes, and notify me immediately of any abnormalities."

She paused, then added in an even more serious tone, "I’m going back to change into clean clothes and grab my usual emergency kit and personal acupuncture set, just in case we need to handle an emergency on the spot. While I’m gone, you must all remain at your posts. No one is to leave their position without authorization."

She reached the door, then suddenly paused as if she had remembered something important and slowly turned around.

"By the way, why isn’t Doctor Qi here yet? Wasn’t she notified earlier to take over the shift?"

"From now until I get back, you and Doctor Qi will be in charge of Dean Yuan together. You will both be responsible. I need both of you, not one or the other."

Her gaze swept over Yang Meiling’s slightly flustered face once more.

Then it settled on Dean Yuan, who was still unconscious on the bed.

"You saw what happened just now. It was extremely dangerous. His blood pressure plummeted, and his heart nearly stopped. It was only through emergency acupuncture that we managed to bring him back. There can be no more mistakes at any stage. A single oversight could lead to irreversible consequences."