Yao Changying gave Li Xiuying a knowing look: "So my dearest Deaths escape, do you have any idea why there were security guards conveniently waiting outside theaters today?"

Li Xiuying looked into Yao Changying's eyes and remind silent. She had a small smile on her face 'I knew Changying would definitely connect everything to me.'

A minute later Li Xiuying broke eyes contact and resumed eating.

Yao Changying fanned herself: "Woah, your hypnosis technique is strong. I felt like I became lost in those eyes of yours. You can't do that again, I'm a happily married woman."

Li Xiuying quirked a brow: "To who?"

The people who were also sharing a table with them also perked up their ears.

Yao Changying: "Well I don't know where to begin really." She tapped her index finger on her lips as she thought about what she was going to say.

Li Xiuying: "The beginning."

A person on the table started coughing on hearing Li Xiuying's response. Yao Changying and Li Xiuying looked to their right.

The man spoke through his cough: "I'm okay the soup just went the wrong way." He was patting his chest and his eyes were watering.

Yao Changying turned back to face Li Xiuying: "Well, I fell into him during my medical training and when we were introduced I just knew he was the one for me. Don't get me wrong, we've had our ups and downs, the late nights were hard and I've experienced my fair share of suffering. But with him I know I'm in my element. He allows me to feel like I belong. He allows me to work not only my mind but also my hands." She sighed in dreamy fas.h.i.+on.

Li Xiuying threw a clean napkin at Yao Changying's face.

Yao Changing started giggling: "YingYing you can't resort to violence. Don't worry just because you occasionally have a rendezvous with my husband I won't hold it against you. There's plenty of room for the both of us."

The person on the table started coughing again as he choked and spluttered some water.

Everyone at the table turned to look at him.

The man patted his chest: "I'm okay, I'm okay." Everyone turned away and resumed their conversations.

Yao Changying sighed: "Oh my dear, sweet, wonderful anesthetics." Li Xiuying rolled her eyes at Yao Changying.

Li Xiuying finished her meal and went to return the tray: "You and your husband can reunite in 10 minutes."

Yao Changying had a huge smile on her face as she followed behind Li Xiuying.

As they disappeared from view the people at the table started talking among themselves.

"She actually spoke in such a long winded way just to say that she was married to her job."

"I almost died twice due to their conversation. My eyes nearly flew out of their sockets when I thought that they were sharing a man between them."

"I've always heard that Yao Changying is a little quirky and eccentric, I wouldn't have paired her with someone as serious as Li Xiuying."

"Anesthetics sounds so dreamy. Ow! Why did you hit me? I was just saying that Dr Yao made it seem like a great career."

...

Theater 6 - late afternoon

Patient 6 and 7 were already in the post-op recovery area and Patient 8 was currently being anesthetized.

Li Xiuying: "D what is the next procedure?"

Wu Quon: "Drainage of a peria.n.a.l abscess and fistula repair."

Li Xiuying: "How will I repair the fistula?"

Wu Quon voice became a little high as he apprehensively said: "A Fistulotomy? "

Li Xiuying frowned.

Wu Quon immediately corrected himself: "Fistulotomy."

Li Xiuying: "Why?"

Wu Quon: "It's the most common type of procedure performed for fistulas."

Li Xiuying frown deepened: "Is that the most important indication to do a particular surgery?"

Wu Quon: "Well erm, if it's a common surgery that means it's a tried and tested method and the safety of the procedure has been a.s.sessed." He knew he was digging himself a grave, when he saw the deepest frown on Li Xiuying's face that he had seen for the day.

Yao Changying: "YingYing all ready."

Meng Eu-Meh stood to the side holding the drapes.

Li Xiuying walked to the chair, she took the straight forceps which held gauze and dipped it into the chlorhexidine solution. She then began sterilizing the patient's peria.n.a.l area.

Li Xiuying: "Patient checks please."

One of the nurses went through the patient's identification, consent form detailing procedure and also allergies etc

Li Xiuying finished sterilizing and draping the patient and sat down: "Tilt the table please, head down."

Yao Changying grabbed the controls and began tilting: "Enough?"

Li Xiuying: "Great, thanks."

Li Xiuying: "D describe what you see."

Wu Quon: "The patient has a peria.n.a.l abscess in the left lower quadrant; there is also evidence of an anterior and posterior a.n.a.l fissure in the upper left quadrant and lower right quadrant respectively."

Li Xiuying pointed to each of the areas Wu Quon had described in turn: "Abscess 8 O'clock position, anterior fissure 11 O'clock, posterior fissure 6 O'clock."

She reached for an instrument and started to drain the abscess.

Li Xiuying: "What feature is of particular importance to note about this patient?"

Wu Quon took a stab in the dark: "Erm, I, I. The patient is male?"

Wu Quon saw that his answer was met with complete silence, he decided to be honest: "Erm I don't know."

Li Xiuying: "Age. He is 23."

Wu Quon: "Erm Dr Li I don't understand how age is linked to his pathology."

Li Xiuying frowned: "Crohn's disease."

Wu Quon felt his face heating up in embarra.s.sment 'I actually knew that; Crohn's has its greatest onset between 15 to 26."

Li Xiuying focused on the operation and Wu Quon stood behind her.

15 minutes later Li Xiuying spoke again: "Rule to determine a fistula's internal opening?"

Wu Quon: "Goodsall's rule. So if I was to apply the rule to this patient. The external opening of the fistula is posterior to the a.n.a.l ca.n.a.l to the fistula tract follows a curved path and the internal opening should be in the posterior mid-line."

Li Xiuying: "Good."

Wu Quon stood to the side feeling elated 'Did you hear that? Good! Good! I don't even know what part of my brain I pulled that answer from.'

Li Xiuying: "Has this patient had any imaging?"

Wu Quon: "No and also I didn't see any conditions mentioned in his past medical history. I'll order an MRI of the peria.n.a.l area and pelvis to a.s.sess whether he has Crohn's and the extent of the disease."

Yao Changying teased: "D look at you using your initiative. I thought that Dr Li would have a permanent frown today but you seem to have upped your game in the final quarter."

Wu Quon smiled sheepishly as he thought to himself 'Because of today, we'll have to create a new category on the league table for longest frown received. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.'

Yao Changying: "Nurse Meng what do you think about D's performance?"

Wu Quon tried to maintain a straight face when he heard Yao Changying's words.

Meng Eu-Meh: "There's a library in the hospital and you can get 24 hour access by paying a small deposit."

Someone in the theater sucked in a breathe and said: "Ooooh."

Yao Changying started laughing and everyone else in the theater tried to hold in their laughter.

Even Li Xiuying was smiling widely under her surgical mask.

Wu Quon wanted to check his face for third degree burns 'Wu Quon 0, Nurse Meng 1'.

Li Xiuying finished the procedure: "Done." The health care a.s.sistants came over to clean the patient up and transfer him to a hospital bed. Yao Changying fixed the patients airways as she followed the patient to the post-op recovery area.

Li Xiuying took off her scrubs: "D I will not give you all the answers, something's you will have to go and read about. Other things you will have to learn through experience and common sense. I recommend in the future when you're in theater that you consider why a surgeon would opt to do a particular procedure."

Wu Quon: "Yes, Dr Li I will."

Li Xiuying walked to the sinks to scrub up again she had a small malicious smile on her face as she thought about the last patient. 'I wonder what petty tricks she'll try, whoever is pulling her strings is sure overestimating themselves. Oh that reminds me I'll have to contact Daiyu, I hope it's time for my next move.'

Wu Quon looked over to Li Xiuiyng before quickly looking away 'Dr Li looks so frightening, I feel sorry for what or whoever she's thinking about. G.o.d please don't let it be me.'