November 6, 2007. En route to the pediatric inpatient ward at the Sixth Military Medical University Affiliated Hospital. Good audio file 04420071106(1).wav.
Tap, tap, tap, tap...
Rustle...
"Um, it's on the seventh floor."
"Okay."
"Huff..."
Rustle...
Tap-tap-tap-tap...
Rumble...
"How many surgeries do you have today?"
"Four so far. We just admitted another patient."
"You're really busy over there..."
Ding—
"Seventh floor."
Tap, tap, tap...
"The ward at the very end."
"Mm."
Tap, tap, tap...
"Has Bed 21 been discharged yet?"
"Not yet..."
"Nurse, we..."
Tap, tap, tap...
"Right here... Honey."
"Ah, oh... So these are the people..."
Tap, tap, tap...
"Um..."
Tap, tap, tap...
"Is this chair yours?"
"Huh? It belongs to the ward. This is the companion bed. You pull it out, and someone can sleep on it."
"Is there a problem?"
"Don't touch that thing."
"Huh?"
Tap, tap, tap...
"This must be the problem. We'll talk to the hospital. You don't need to..."
"Hey, hey, visiting hours are almost over. Family members need to leave."
"Miss Nurse, um..."
"What is it?"
"Hello. Here's our business card."
"What? What are you people doing here?"
"We're here to deal with the problem with Bed 37."
"What problem with Bed 37..."
"This chair for family members staying overnight doesn't belong to your department, does it? I saw your department's new mark on it, but there are some other marks too."
"Could you please leave? I won't allow this in our hospital..."
"Three, four... nine. Exactly nine. Nine people have died already."
"What are you talking about..."
"How many family members staying with the patient in Bed 37 have died?"
"Is that true?"
"It probably is..."
"I saw the head nurse looking pale that day. It must be true."
"So many people died."
"...Gulp..."
"If you can't make the decision, could