Once the patient enters a state of shock, it’s life-threatening if veins can’t be found for injections.

The obstetrician is responsible for the delivery, and Li Chengyuan, as a cardiologist, follows Fu Xinheng’s instructions to monitor the mother’s cardiac condition. With the stethoscope earbuds in his ears, just as he was about to place the head to listen to the patient’s chest, he noticed the patient trembling all over.

"This needle is hard to insert," the nurse said worriedly, as the patient’s hands were constantly trembling, afraid that the needle would puncture through the blood vessel as it went in.

"Doctor Li, can you hear me?" Li Chengyuan called, trying to draw Li Xiaobing’s attention to ease the tension, but he observed that his words seemed to turn into air without reaching Li Xiaobing’s ears.

The hardest part of treating a fellow colleague is this. Colleagues know each other’s capabilities very well. Moreover, they work in the same hospital, making them well-acquainted with each other’s skills. Li Xiaobing knows exactly what Li Chengyuan’s technical level is. Li Chengyuan, a recently promoted attending physician, is technically a far cry from her husband and Fu Xinheng.

In the hearts of lay patients, Li Chengyuan may be a reliable doctor, but not in Li Xiaobing’s mind. Li Chengyuan’s words couldn’t reach the patient’s heart for now.

Li Chengyuan thought, Fu Xinheng surely didn’t anticipate this situation.

For now, the only option is to ask other bosses present to help calm the patient’s mind.

Du Haiwei is busy handling the delivery.

Cao Yong came in and stood beside Du Haiwei, anxiously checking the condition of the fetus. If the baby gets stuck and can’t come out, not only would the baby be in trouble, but so would the mother. This is why obstetrics involve the risk of both lives.

His old classmate’s wife was having a difficult delivery in his room, leaving him at a loss for words.

"Cao Yong. Cao Yong," Doctor Tang called him twice to remind him.

Receiving a hint from Doctor Tang’s gaze, Cao Yong turned his head to see the expression on the mother’s face.

Li Xiaobing’s arm and hand skin had turned the color of sweet potatoes, not due to a lack of oxygen, but because her grip was so intense it was causing her muscles to almost cramp. The nurse kept calling out that the needle couldn’t go in.

The mother’s condition could be due to severe labor pains causing her to tense up too much, trembling from excessive exertion while resisting. Alternatively, for some mothers, giving birth feels like passing a stool—it’s stuck and can’t come out, blocked in the middle, causing a situation where they can’t live or die. It’s worse than dying, as it makes the mother suffer even more. With the pain from contractions perfectly sweeping over the whole body, the mother can feel as if she’s falling into hell, placed upon the rack.

If it weren’t for the baby, truth be told, who would want to endure possibly the most difficult and painful moment of their life?

Scientifically speaking, there are ways to alleviate the situation. First, the mother must relax and follow the medical staff’s instructions, without letting the pain cloud judgment and act recklessly. Illness loves to trick patients this way, so patients must abide by science and be resilient, or they’ll fall into illness’ trap.

The mother’s strength relies on personal willpower. Some mothers truly lack personal willpower, similar to the first-time mother Xie Wanying encountered in the delivery room who couldn’t muster strength and almost faced a dangerous delivery. Therefore, if doctors find the mother’s situation irreparable, the only option might be anesthesia and a C-section. A prolonged second stage of labor could result in fetal death.