Mei let Qinghe observe the public waiting room while Han completed intake. She asked him first whether he wanted the visiting physician to stay. Han agreed, so Qinghe stood by the wall, away from the desk and the other patients.
The ward was clean. Three narrow beds had fresh sheets, and a lung mirror hung in a fitted case beside the breathing room. Shelves held sealed bundles of inhalation herbs. The nurses checked the seals before opening each packet. Nothing about the place looked makeshift or false.
Mei pointed to the schedule board. “We see exposure patients in groups. The basic checks happen at intake, then workers go back to their shifts unless a severe marker appears.”
“How long is the basic examination?” Qinghe asked.
“About ten minutes. Longer if the physician finds a warning sign.”
“Who decides the warning signs?”
“The medical office sets them. We use the same list every shift.” Mei showed her the lower corner of the board, where the current thresholds were posted. “If the breathing measure is below this line, we request a specialist.”
Han sat with his hands on his knees. He had finished the inhalation check and was waiting for the reading. Ning sat near him, holding the list of symptoms she had written down. She did not offer it until Han looked at her.
