Episode Summary
Paramedic Qi Ji faces a personal crisis when her long-term boyfriend breaks up with her due to her demanding job. Meanwhile, her partner, Zhang Chi, struggles with the limitations of his role in pre-hospital care, yearning for more complex cases. They deal with a series of emergencies, including a critically injured child, which leads Zhang Chi to make a controversial request to the child's grieving parents. Zhang Chi also forms a bond with a terminally ill patient, Lin Guangwen, fulfilling his last wish before he passes away after surgery. The episode highlights the emotional toll of emergency medicine and the conflicts between personal life and professional duty.
Spoiler Alert
The episode opens with the weekly meeting at the Emergency Medical Center, led by Director Lu. After a group oath, she reviews the past week's performance and emphasizes the importance of thoroughly checking equipment and medications. Qi Ji, a dedicated paramedic, receives a call from the dispatch center and immediately heads out with her team.
Qi Ji's personal life is strained by her demanding job. Her boyfriend of seven years visits the station, frustrated by their lack of time together. When an emergency call comes in, Qi Ji prioritizes her duty, leaving her boyfriend behind and rushing to the scene. The patient, Lin Guangwen, is found unconscious at home. Qi Ji and her partner, Zhang Chi, suspect Raynaud's phenomenon and rush him to the nearest hospital.
At the hospital, Zhang Chi briefs the receiving physician, Dr. Wu, about Lin Guangwen's complex condition. Dr. Wu is dismissive, causing Zhang Chi concern. However, Qi Ji reminds Zhang Chi of their primary responsibility to the next waiting patient, and they return to their ambulance.
Later, Zhang Chi's mentor provides him with some emergency medical materials. Zhang Chi expresses his frustration, that in the emergency center he can only do the most basic trauma treatment and first aid, he is not willing. His mentor advised him to work at ease, do not underestimate the pre-hospital emergency work.
Zhang Chi wants to handle more cardiac cases and asks Qi Ji, she agrees. He offers to buy her coffee, but she declines, reminding him that coffee breaks can disrupt their work. Zhang Chi cancels a takeout order in frustration. He later visits Lin Guangwen in the hospital, learning that the patient hasn't informed his son to avoid disrupting his work. Zhang Chi promises to spend time with him.
The head of Cardiac Surgery invites Zhang Chi to a consultation on Lin Guangwen's case, despite Dr. Wu's resistance. Zhang Chi shares his honest assessment. Another emergency call comes in, and it turns out to be Qi Ji's boyfriend, suffering from an irregular heartbeat. He confronts Qi Ji and breaks up with her, leaving her heartbroken. Back at the station, Qi Ji is visibly upset, and Zhang Chi witnesses her quiet tears, understanding the sacrifice she's made for her career.
The next morning, Qi Ji is back at work, seemingly composed. Before her colleagues can suggest a meal to cheer her up, another emergency call comes in. A young boy, Yang Yang, is severely injured. Despite their efforts, Yang Yang's condition is critical, with severe brain and organ damage. His parents are devastated.
Witnessing this tragedy, Zhang Chi approaches Yang Yang's parents about donating his heart to Dan Dan, a child with a congenital heart defect. The parents are outraged, and Qi Ji pulls Zhang Chi away, warning him that he's overstepping his boundaries. Organ donation is the responsibility of the organ coordinator, and his timing is insensitive. Zhang Chi is driven by a desire to save Dan Dan, remembering the desperate pleas of Dan Dan's mother, who has been waiting for a transplant for three years. Qi Ji sympathizes but knows there's little they can do.
Zhang Chi suffers from back pain due to overwork. Zheng Bo gives him a plaster and explains that this is necessary for emergency doctors. Lin Guangwen calls Zhang Chi, asking him to buy him stewed food. He is going to have surgery in these two days. Zhang Chi is driving home and has to turn back halfway to buy the stewed food. Zhang Chi pushes Lin Guangwen to the yard and lets him eat a couple of bites to satisfy his cravings. Lin Guangwen is very satisfied. He also has a wish to take a photo with Zhang Chi on the Luoyang Bridge. Zhang Chi asks a passerby to help take the photo.
Lin Guangwen's surgery is today. Zhang Chi waits outside. Despite the medical team's best efforts, Lin Guangwen's condition is too severe, and he doesn't survive. Before the surgery, Lin Guangwen had given a letter to Zhang Chi, entrusting the nurse to hand it over. Lin Guangwen was worried that he would not be able to get off the operating table alive. He and his son took photos on the Luoyang Bridge every year. Fortunately, Zhang Chi accompanied him to complete his last wish. Lin Guangwen died due to ineffective treatment, and Zhang Chi felt very bad.
The episode concludes with a reflection on Zhang Chi's strained relationship with his father, Zhang Beihai, who prioritized his work at the Emergency Center over his family, even missing his wife's final moments. Zhang Chi visits his father's apartment, seeing him busy in the kitchen, and is filled with mixed emotions. It's revealed that Secretary Liu recommended Zhang Chi for the Emergency Center position, aware of his resentment towards his father and the job, hoping it would be a learning experience.
The final scene shows the relentless pace of the Emergency Dispatch Center, with operators tirelessly answering calls and providing life-saving instructions. The 24-hour non-stop ringing of the emergency command center's phone, the operators are busy every day, they listen carefully to the patient's help, patiently teach them first aid knowledge.
