Arrogant "Goodwill"
The next day, the morning sunlight failed to dispel the gloom that shrouded the Monkey family's hearts. In the ward of the provincial top-tier hospital, the smell of disinfectant was still there, but even more pungent was the oppressive feeling of surviving a disaster yet having nowhere to seek justice.
Under professional care, Xiaoya, the Monkey's younger sister, is showing signs of stabilization, but her weakened body, ravaged by excessive medical treatment, still requires a long recovery period.
The Monkey's parents sat by her bedside, their hearts heavy as they looked at their daughter's pale, sleeping face. Just then, there was a gentle knock on the ward door.
The Monkey's father got up and opened the door with some doubt. Standing outside was a middle-aged man, about forty years old, wearing a sharp dark suit and with his hair neatly combed. He had a formulaic, just-right smile on his face and was carrying a fruit basket, looking like he had come to visit the sick.
"Hello, are you a family member of Hou Xiaoya?" The man's voice was gentle and his tone was steady.
"I am, and you are?" The Monkey father looked at the other party warily, without moving aside from the doorway.
"My surname is Zhang, Zhang Hongyuan, and I'm from the administration department of Ankang Hospital." The man bowed slightly, handed over his business card, and his attitude was impeccable. "Having heard that your daughter has been transferred to this hospital, I've come on behalf of the hospital to visit her and express my sincere regards."
Upon hearing the words "Ankang Hospital," the Monkey father's face instantly darkened, his eyes filled with wariness and suppressed anger. The Monkey mother also abruptly raised her head, her gaze piercing like knives at the uninvited guests at the door.
"You are not welcome here! Please leave!" The Monkey father's voice trembled with anger as he reached out to close the door.
"Mr. Hou, please calm down." Zhang Hongyuan did not back down, maintaining his professional smile, but subtly stepped forward to block the door. "I know your family may have some misunderstandings and negative feelings about our facility. We are here with no ill intentions, simply to communicate, clarify some facts, and express our concerns."
His words were polite, yet carried an air of undeniable authority. Monkey's father, being an honest man, was momentarily at a loss as to how to forcefully drive him away in the face of this seemingly polite but assertive manner. While he hesitated, Zhang Hongyuan had already squeezed into the ward and placed the fruit basket on the cabinet by the door.
His gaze swept quickly over Xiaoya, who was sleeping soundly on the hospital bed, and a hint of "sympathy" appeared on his face at the opportune moment. "Seeing the child like this, we at the hospital are also deeply saddened. We don't want to see any patient suffering from illness."
The Monkey mother could no longer hold back. Her eyes reddened, and she interrupted him sharply, "Heartbroken? You feel heartbroken? My daughter wasn't sick at all! You've made her like this! You executioners!"
Faced with the accusations, Zhang Hongyuan's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, but he quickly regained his composure. He adjusted his Glasses, his tone remaining "calm" and "rational":
"Mrs. Hou, I completely understand your feelings. But regarding the diagnosis and treatment, I think we need to look at it more objectively."
He avoided the sensitive term "misdiagnosis" and began skillfully shifting blame. "Medicine is an extremely complex science, and there are many uncertainties in the diagnostic process. Based on our examination and judgment at the time, your daughter's case did indeed present some... indicators that warranted high vigilance. Of course, in retrospect, these may differ from the judgment of the provincial hospital experts."
He abruptly changed the subject, completely shirking responsibility:
"The reasons for this difference in judgment may be multifaceted."
For example, different hospitals may use testing equipment and reagents that have slight differences in sensitivity, or certain rare physiological fluctuations may interfere with the test results. It is even possible that the equipment experienced a temporary, undetected malfunction or error at a specific time.
These are all technical factors that may be encountered in modern medical practice and are difficult to completely avoid.
He spoke eloquently, using a bunch of technical terms and possibilities to casually attribute a potentially malicious incident to "technical differences" and "equipment malfunctions," completely avoiding the two core accusations of "over-treatment" and "prevention of transfer," and even cleverly shifting the responsibility for "misdiagnosis" to the cold machine.
The Monkey father trembled with rage, pointing at Zhang Hongyuan: "You... you're just making excuses! What about the anesthesia in my daughter's body? What about putting her in the ICU?!"
"Sedatives are routinely used in intensive care to ensure patient safety and the smooth progress of treatment," Zhang Hongyuan said without changing his expression. "As for transferring to the ICU, it was naturally based on our doctors' professional assessment of the patient's vital signs at the time, which determined there were potential risks. This is a responsible approach to the patient."
He paused, looking at the couple trembling with anger and helplessness, a faint, condescending indifference flashing in the depths of his eyes. He straightened the cuffs of his already impeccably tailored suit, as if brushing away some non-existent dust.
"As for compensation..." he finally mentioned the word, but his tone carried a condescending arrogance, "It's too early to talk about compensation before liability is clearly defined. Our Ankang Hospital is a responsible institution, and everything will be handled strictly in accordance with legal procedures."
He knew perfectly well that if he agreed to compensation at this moment, it would be tantamount to admitting that the hospital had committed a serious error, which would trigger an immeasurable chain reaction. Therefore, compensation was the bottom line, and it could not be crossed.
Not only that, he also exerts pressure.
Zhang Hongyuan leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice, but with an even more obvious threatening tone:
"Also, we would like to remind Mr. Hou. and Mrs. Hou. Hou that, as far as we know, Mr. Hou Jun previously prepaid a considerable amount of medical expenses at our hospital for his sister's treatment."
If you insist on resolving this matter in some... unfriendly way, such as resorting to legal action, then according to procedure, the settlement and refund of this prepayment may have to wait until all legal disputes are completely resolved.
This process may be quite lengthy, potentially taking a year, two years, or even longer. We hope you understand; this is to ensure the rigor and fairness of the process.
He is using the medical expenses that the Monkey family has paid in advance, which may be all their savings, as leverage to force them to compromise.
"You... you are shameless!" The Monkey mother could no longer control herself; tears welled up in her eyes, and she was so angry that she almost fainted.
The Monkey father's eyes were bloodshot, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, yet he felt an unprecedented powerlessness. Faced with such a vast and well-organized institution, proficient in law and skilled in its methods, the power of ordinary people like them seemed so insignificant.
Zhang Hongyuan watched their pained and angry expressions without a flicker of emotion on his face, as if he were watching a drama unfold that had nothing to do with him. He straightened his tie again, resuming his professional, cold expression, and looked down at the despairing couple as if issuing an ultimatum:
"Mr. Hou, Mrs. Hou, I suggest you calm down and think about this carefully."
"Our Ankang Hospital has a mature and professional legal team that has handled various complex medical disputes."
"If you ultimately decide to take legal action," a cruel smile curled at the corner of his lips, "Whether the process takes a year, two years, or ten years, we will—fight to the end."
After saying that, without waiting for any reaction from the other person, he turned around and walked out of the ward with calm and firm steps, gently closing the door behind him.
Inside the ward, only the Monkey's parents' heavy breathing, suppressed sobs, and Xiaoya's faint breathing from the bedside could be heard. Sunlight streamed through the window, but it brought no warmth, only a chilling despair. The brightly colored fruit basket on the cabinet seemed incredibly jarring and ironic at that moment.