Chapter 190
190 Under Pressure
AS PLATT
She instinctively adjusted her angle but didn’t notice the simulated blood pressure monitor’s numbers surging.
She had missed the presence of a tension pneumothorax.
All the students watching from the sidelines sucked in a sharp breath.
There were hidden complications?
Even frontline doctors might not catch that on the first go.
This was brutal!
A true battle of geniuses.
No talking was allowed here–otherwise, the whole room would have been buzzing with shocked commentary.
Furious, Dreame slammed her fist against the floor and stormed off the stage.
Laketown University’s Faye wasn’t rattled. His performance was steady–almost textbook–perfect.
But when he used the bag–valve mask, he kept his ventilation rate at a steady 12 breaths per minute, overlooking the key detail in the scenario: “the patient has spontaneous breathing.”
He paused for a moment.
Then let out a bitter laugh.
He didn’t say anything. Just shook his head and left the stage.
The students were stunned.
This exam was pure hell.
They hadn’t even fully processed the cases, and already contestants were failing?
When it was Jalindale University’s turn, every move Christian made was as precise as surgery.
Aurora was in charge of CPR. Her external chest compressions were exactly 5 centimeters deep, at a rate of 100 per minute.
Their coordination was flawless.
Everyone held their breath watching!
Especially the rest of their team–hearts pounding in their throats.
They were the standard to aspire to.
Every step was impeccable.
Just when it seemed like they were the obvious top pairing-
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190 Under Pressure
Something went wrong.
When the simulated patient went into ventricular fibrillation, Christian reached for the defibrillator – but hesitated.
Aurora’s expression shifted. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ ƒindNoᴠᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access s of novels early and in the highest quality.
Damn. During training, they were used to high–end imported equipment thanks to their privileged backgrounds, but the test site had provided a domestic machine.
Even a tiny pause like that could cost points.
Thankfully, the rest of their performance was flawless. They still stood out as top contenders.
Aurora and Christian exchanged a calm glance.
Neither seemed fazed by the small misstep.
The final team to perform was from Trenwyn University, the first–ranked school.
Scarlett and Sharon were paired again.
But they came from different labs and hadn’t had much chance to train together.
Even after spending the whole morning going over procedures, their coordination still couldn’t match teams with long–term practice.
The audience wasn’t watching with hope–more like waiting for them to crash and burn.
Sharon’s hand trembled as she held the oxygen mask. Scarlett gently patted her shoulder.
“Stick to our training.”
Sharon wanted to calm down. She wanted a good score too.
But…
When she saw the simulated patient’s open abdominal wound, her pupils contracted.
It was far more complex than anything they’d trained on. The exposed intestines hap, ed to be covering a femoral artery injury.
Her mind went blank.
“Apply pressure to stop the bleeding,” Scarlett’s voice came calmly in her ear. “Use a triangular bandage for abdominal compression. Avoid the exposed organs.”
“Establish two IV lines–one for fluids, one for blood work and clotting tests.”
As she slipped on gloves to treat the chest wound, Aurora sneered from the audience, “She’s even wearing sterile gloves inside out. What a joke.”
Her voice wasn’t loud.
But several contestants and nearby doctors noticed.
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190 Under Pressure
That would cost them points.
The only question was: how many?
Scarlett didn’t react. Her fingers moved swiftly across the simulated chest.
“Subcutaneous emphysema on the right side. Likely tension pneumothorax. Needs immediate needle decompression.”
She grabbed a 20ml syringe–only to find no needle attached.
She instantly realized it was an intentional obstacle set by the test organizers.
The audience gasped.
This round was clearly more difficult than any of the others.
Christian instinctively leaned forward, eyes locked on Scarlett.
She suddenly yanked the ginkgo brooch from her white coat, wiped it with an alcohol swab, and plunged it between the second and third ribs along the midclavicular line.
Transparent simulated gas hissed from the needle, and the monitor’s heart rate dropped by 20 bpm.
“Now that’s real clinical thinking,” one of the head examiners said with admiration. “Most contestants just follow procedure, forgetting that real emergency care is all about improvising.”
In the final scores, Scarlett’s team broke the record with a 99.
The one point deducted wasn’t for the gloves–it was because the brooch might not always be available. What if it hadn’t been there?
But within the context of this test, the judges agreed that her quick thinking outweighed the procedural
flaw.
As for the gloves-
The head examiner explained it had been a deliberate trap. The gloves were manufactured to appear reversible on purpose–to test whether students had a strong enough foundation to notice.
This time, no one had any objections.
The last stage was the interview.
Scarlett stood beneath the spotlight. Her white coat looked almost translucent in the light,
and straight.
she stood tall
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