The brain is the most complex organ in the human body.
Understanding the brain was the weakest link in Yan Feifan’s current dical expertise.
This was primarily because neurology is a relatively independent and niche field in dicine. The deeper one’s research, the more one is exposed to.
Yan Feifan’s previous rotation in the neurosurgery departnt had only exposed him to the basics.
Even in the world of consciousness he had experienced while in a coma, Yan Feifan had already gone over this neurological knowledge again and again.
But his lack of advanced neurological knowledge, compounded by a severe shortage of practical experience, ant there was a significant gap between his expertise and that of a top-tier dostic neurosurgeon like Dr. Qiu Ge.
Of course, the neurological knowledge Yan Feifan now possessed was still good enough to get by in any first-rate hospital.
Yan Feifan carefully examined several sets of cranial MRI scans and then exchanged a long, silent look with Yiyi, who was beside him.
He finally ca to a conclusion.
"Director, I don’t see anything abnormal in the scans."
"Perhaps you should just wait a little longer?"
"After all, it’s only the third day post-op."
Hearing this, Wang Chuan felt a pang of disappointnt, but also a sense of reassurance.
Unconsciously, Yan Feifan, who had repeatedly delivered astonishing results, had beco a source of reassurance and confidence.
If he said it was fine, then nine tis out of ten, it really was.
"Feifan, take a look at this!"
Wang Chuan handed him a tablet.
Yan Feifan took the tablet and saw that the screen displayed Jio Xin’s EEG monitoring data from the past twelve hours.
He quickly scrolled through it and blurted out, "Stable comatose alpha waves!"
Wang Chuan humd in agreent, his voice tinged with worry. "More than stable. It’s *too* stable."
"Over the past twelve hours, there have been almost no significant fluctuations—just these alpha waves."
"Dr. Qiu said Jio Xin has entered a deeper state of coma."
"He says that once the injury to her brain from the surgery has healed to a certain point, she will wake up naturally."
"It’s just..."
Wang Chuan stared into Yan Feifan’s eyes. "I think that even in a coma, Jio Xin should be showing so more intense brainwave activity from dreaming."
"But since she fell into a coma, I haven’t seen any of those fluctuation patterns in her EEG."
"Feifan, this doesn’t feel normal."
"It’s just one step from these comatose alpha waves to the scattered brainwave patterns of a vegetative state."
"Feifan, I want to wake Jio Xin up as soon as possible."
"You have a way, don’t you?"
Seeing the hopeful look in the Director’s eyes, Yan Feifan knew. ’The Director’s judgnt is being clouded by his concern.’
’Still, it would be good if Jio Xin could wake up a day sooner.’
Yan Feifan agreed that the consistently stable alpha waves were indeed unsettling.
Yan Feifan thought for a mont, then suddenly asked, "Director, have you ever had an experience like this?"
"You’re bursting to go, you finally find a restroom, and just as you’re about to let go, you suddenly realize sothing is wrong."
"You’re dreaming."
"So you stop yourself just in ti, jolting awake from the dream, only to find that your bladder is indeed uncomfortably full."
Wang Chuan shot Yan Feifan a glare, but then it dawned on him. "Feifan, you’re not one to make idle jokes."
"You must have a reason for bringing this up."
"Don’t keep in suspense. Out with it."
Yan Feifan said seriously, "Director, that kind of dream is one of the few that allows us to beco lucid—to realize we are dreaming while we’re in the dream."
"Once we beco aware in the dream, we can still exercise a degree of self-awareness and control."
"For example, ’turning off the tap’ and forcing ourselves to wake up."
Yan Feifan explained, "Jio Xin’s alpha waves indicate her consciousness is in a deep comatose state."
"My idea is to induce a dream like that to awaken her own self-awareness."
"We can make her realize her own physical state within the dream, prompting her to wake herself up."
Yan Feifan stressed, "Waking up this way, on her own, is much less traumatic for the brain than if we were to wake her with strong external stimuli."
He added, "We can induce this dream by changing so external conditions."
"For instance, we can remove Jio Xin’s catheter and increase her IV drip of saline and glucose."
"Even if the dream doesn’t occur, I suspect the internal physical changes will still cause a change in her brainwave patterns."
"As an adult woman, she would probably find the idea of wetting the bed more humiliating than we n would, right?"
Yan Feifan suddenly noticed the Director giving him an odd look and asked, puzzled, "Director, what is it?"
Wang Chuan said slowly, "If dical technology permitted, I’d open up your skull to see if your brain is built differently from ours."
"To think you could co up with an idea that seems so absurd at first, but is actually quite plausible on second thought."
He nodded. "I’ll go talk to Jio Xin’s parents in a mont and we’ll give your thod a try."
"Even if it doesn’t work, the worst that can happen is the nurses have to change the bedding."
Wang Chuan rembered sothing else. "Tonight, Yu Suye is the lead surgeon for the right leg deformity correction surgery. You and Mr. Qin will be in the OR to assist. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?"
Yan Feifan answered, "No problem. With Yu Suye’s skill, she can handle being lead surgeon on a procedure like this."
"Director, you just focus on staying with Jio Xin."
Wang Chuan humd in acknowledgnt, then explained a bit sheepishly, "Feifan, don’t get the wrong idea."
"Jio Xin and I have worked together for many years. She was involved in Yanyan’s surgeries and stayed with her through the difficult post-op recovery."
"I’ve long since co to see her as family."
Yan Feifan humd. "Director, I’m not."
"It’s just, Director..."
He said with a straight face, "In my view, isn’t a familial relationship just the next step up from a romantic one?"
Without waiting to see Wang Chuan’s reaction, Yan Feifan spoke quickly and reluctantly, "Director, as per my agreent with Su Ye, I need to inform you..."
"...Su Ye and I are a couple now."
"You and Su Ye? A couple?" Wang Chuan was taken aback.
In his mind, Yan Feifan wasn’t the type to easily develop feelings for a girl.
He and Yu Suye had only known each other for a month or two.
Wang Chuan noticed sothing and couldn’t help but chuckle. "Feifan, from the look on your face, you seem to be nursing a deep grievance, not falling in love."
"What happened? You lost control and are being forced to take responsibility?"
Yan Feifan said sullenly, "Director, don’t even ask."
"I was forced into being her boyfriend. My sister not only refused to help , she aided and abetted the enemy."
"Oh? What happened exactly?" Wang Chuan was intrigued.
As soon as he asked, it was as if a dam had broken. Yan Feifan quickly recounted the story of how Yu Suye had confessed to him and forced him to beco her boyfriend.
"If I didn’t agree, Yu Suye said she’d beat up."
"My sister also said that Yu Suye is a great girl, and if I didn’t treasure the opportunity, she’d beat up too."
Yan Feifan asked hopefully, "Director, can you do sothing about this?"
Wang Chuan suppressed a laugh and said with a serious face, "This is your personal problem. It’s not my place to get involved, and I can’t anyway."
"However, I suggest you give it a try. Date her as her boyfriend for a while."
"If you’re truly not compatible, I don’t think Yu Suye and your sister will force you to stay with her forever."
This response left Yan Feifan sowhat disappointed.
’He had almost co to see Wang Chuan as a father figure.’
’It seed this surrogate father figure wasn’t so reliable after all.’
’Rely on a mountain, and it will collapse. Rely on the sea, and it will run dry.’
’The only one he could rely on was himself.’
"I’ll try... to date Su Ye as her boyfriend..."
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