Chapter 98

Subconsciously, John quickened his pace and walked over.

From a distance, he only needed to take a glance, and he didn’t even need to ask to guess what had just happened. This was evident from the woman’s appearance: her skin was flushed red, her hands were in a V-shape, tightly gripping her neck as if trying to strangle herself. Her face was filled with inexplicable panic and fear, her mouth was wide open, and her body was oscillating with exaggerated force, clearly trying to cough something out but unable to do so, not even making a sound!

As a physician, John could certainly guess what had happened to the woman, as it was a very obvious sign of airway obstruction.

Hmm, in layman's terms, she had choked...

In fact, choking on food is a very common occurrence in any era. Almost everyone has had a similar experience, especially when drinking water. Being too hasty, too quick, or not paying enough attention can all lead to this consequence.

However, the consequences of choking can vary greatly.

Choking on water or small pieces of food, like grains of rice, can be very uncomfortable but less dangerous. One might cough out the object quickly or after some time. However, if a larger object blocks the throat or the bronchial bifurcation, it becomes very dangerous!

The human body is an incredibly precise machine, with countless cells forming various organs of different sizes, each playing its own role. Below our nose and mouth are two parallel "pipes": one is the trachea, which connects to the lungs and provides oxygen to the body; the other is the esophagus, which connects to the stomach and provides nutrients to the body. Anatomically, both tubes open into the pharynx, which is connected to the nose and mouth, allowing us to breathe through our mouths. Some people can even drink through their noses.

Physiologically, the trachea is a passage that only allows air to pass through. If a foreign object enters, it can cause severe discomfort or danger. Therefore, during evolution, the human body developed a small structure called the epiglottis. When eating or drinking, the epiglottis covers the opening of the trachea to prevent food and water from entering, and it opens at other times to allow breathing and speaking.

Sometimes you can't help but admire the ingenuity of the Creator. What a marvelously intricate design!

However, it's important to note that if people talk or laugh while eating... especially laughing, the epiglottis will open under neural control to provide air, making it very easy for food to enter the trachea... in other words, to choke.

Therefore, mothers in later generations generally understand a principle: children should be taught not to talk while eating. If they must speak, they should swallow first, and laughing while eating should be strictly forbidden!

That burst of laughter was probably the culprit.

Sure enough, as people around turned to see what was happening, the man shouted, "She's choking on food... Is there a doctor here? Please help her! Save my wife!"

Although people in this era didn't understand the principles, they were well aware of the danger. Even in later times, newspapers often reported deaths from such trivial incidents. In this era, even physicians were mostly clueless, let alone ordinary people.

Every year, countless people die from choking on the most common foods, a fact known to many.

"I'll do it! I'm a doctor!"

Almost as soon as the husband's words faded, a middle-aged gentleman in his forties rushed to the front. He quickly walked behind the lady, made her bend over, and began to pat her back forcefully, shouting, "Try harder! Lady, try to cough it out!"

Seeing someone step in, John's pace slowed down.

Often, foreign objects can be easily dislodged, so if someone could solve the problem, John naturally didn't want to intervene. Spectating is a universal human trait, and after a brief commotion, many people had gathered to watch the situation unfold. If it wasn't necessary, John didn't want to be the center of attention.

But...

When the gentleman patted for a while with no effect, and the lady's face turned even redder, clearly indicating severe oxygen deprivation, the previously calm and composed man became flustered. He straightened up and shouted, "Quick, lady, open your mouth wide!"

He was about to manually remove the object from her throat!

"I can't wait any longer!"

John's brows furrowed, realizing he couldn't stand by any longer.

The lady's condition was clearly worsening.

As the middle-aged physician's fingers began to dig into her mouth, the lady's once elegant and beautiful eyes became vacant, and large beads of sweat appeared on her face, clearly indicating she was about to give out!

John forcefully pushed through the crowd and stepped forward, calling out in a deep voice, "Sir, please step aside and let me try!"

"John? What are you going to do?!"

Seeing John step in, Joshua, who had been watching from the side, immediately called out in surprise, stepping forward and grabbing John's arm with his right hand. If it had been earlier, he wouldn't have stopped John, but the situation was now clearly dire. The lady was almost gone, and no one could save her. John stepping in would only cause trouble!

Didn't he see that the middle-aged physician was already sweating profusely?

However, in response to Joshua's concern, John pushed his hand away without hesitation, shook his head, and said urgently, "Joshua, I know how to handle this. Let me try."

By the time Joshua released his right hand in shock, the middle-aged physician had already stepped aside.

At first, he thought the lady's condition wasn't severe and naturally tried to solve it with the common methods of back patting and throat probing. If successful, he could gain some attention at this gathering of the elite. But he never expected the situation to be so serious, with the woman on the verge of death.

As a physician, he was well aware of the lady's condition.

In this era, no one would use methods like tracheotomy to save lives, and as an internist, he certainly wouldn't think of it. Though he wouldn't be held responsible if he couldn't save her, he knew his performance would invite criticism, and watching someone die in front of him was not a pleasant experience.

Now that a young man wanted to take over, why hesitate?

It was best to step aside!

Under the curious gazes of the crowd, John quickly walked behind the lady, who was already rolling her eyes, and said firmly, "Don't move," before suddenly extending his arms and hugging her from behind!

"What are you doing?!"

Almost as soon as John hugged the woman, the husband, who was already on the verge of losing it, shouted, his clenched fists indicating he wanted to punch John!

The crowd was also in an uproar.

This was a conservative era, and although men and women didn't adhere to the strict boundaries of the East, such a bold act of hugging a lady was still considered extremely impolite. The husband was furious, and his already agitated emotions were barely under control.

"I'm a doctor!"

Hearing the husband's shout, John also shouted, "If you don't want her to die, stand back and watch!"

"Hum..."

Upon hearing this, the crowd stirred again, and the husband's raised fist froze!

He's a doctor?

Looking at John's youthful face, many people were surprised. The husband was also taken aback. When he heard the word "doctor," he instinctively stopped his fist, but upon seeing John's face clearly, he doubted again.

However, John had no time to care about others. He focused all his attention on the woman in his arms.

John first slightly bent his left leg, then firmly hugged the woman, placing her on his knee and tilting her body slightly forward...

Beside him, the husband's eyes widened again, clearly furious at John's current act of impropriety, but he didn't dare to pull the young man who claimed to be a doctor. A thought flashed through his mind: "If he can't save her, I'll beat him up..."

In the blink of an eye, John had taken his position.

He tightly wrapped his arms around the woman's chest and abdomen, then took a deep breath and suddenly tightened his arms with force!

"Thud!"

The crowd even heard a loud impact!

What is he doing?!

Everyone's eyes widened, and their mouths gaped open, staring in shock.

John stood behind the woman, placing her on his knee, and now he seemed to be hugging her forcefully, making her collide with him...

What is he doing?!

"Thud!"

"Thud!"

"Thud!"

Ignoring the crowd's skeptical gazes, John continued to use his fists to impact the woman's abdomen, squeezing it forcefully. After each impact, he immediately relaxed his arms and repeated the same action.

Then...

On the fourth impact, there was a light "pop," like a fine champagne bottle being uncorked, and a black object shot out of the lady's mouth, landing with a thud on the ground!

"Ah..."

Almost simultaneously with the "pop," the woman in John's arms suddenly tensed, letting out a long, indescribable breath!

With a "boom," the ballroom finally erupted... (To be continued)