Dr. Maxim Sergeyevich was summoned by the head of the medical institution. The secretary had already informed him that the boss was extremely irritated and had been waiting for him for forty minutes.
After examining the last patient, Maxim sighed heavily and followed Nurse Anna. She hurriedly walked beside him, animatedly saying:
“Just imagine how angry he is today! He even banged his fist on the table. Honestly, I’ve gotten used to it — as soon as you appear, he immediately loses his composure.”
Anna looked at the doctor worriedly: “Maxim Sergeyevich, you do realize how he feels about you, and you still provoke him?” “Sometimes on purpose,” he smirked.
At the office door, he stopped and said softly, “Don’t worry, Anna. Everything will be sorted out. It can’t get any worse…”
Maxim had been working at this clinic for five years. But if Yuri Antonovich, its director, had known who was being hired, he would most likely have refused. After all, they were not just acquaintances — they were connected by a family history.
Five years ago, Maxim married Yuri Antonovich’s daughter. However, it soon turned out he had been deceived, and he filed for divorce. Then, his father-in-law tried to influence him in various ways, but Maxim’s character didn’t allow him to give in.
Yuri Antonovich then warned him to ensure their paths would not cross again. Maxim was surprised when he found out who was the chief doctor of the clinic he had joined. He understood — he wouldn’t last long here.
“Come in,” barked the secretary.
Yuri Antonovich met him with an angry look: “How dare you behave like this, Maxim Sergeyevich? Have you forgotten that this is a private clinic where everything is paid?”
“I am well aware of that, but I also remember the Hippocratic oath. We must help all those in need.”
“Oh really? Then explain who will pay for the treatment of the vagrant you operated on last night?” “We should have funds for such cases. Or was I supposed to leave her to die on the doorstep?”
The chief doctor smirked: “Fine, then you’ll pay out of your own pocket. It’s time to pay for everything. I will find a way to destroy you.”
The conversation ended quickly. Yuri Antonovich planned to seize Maxim’s apartment to cover the treatment costs. When the topic of the doctor’s mother, who lived there, came up, the chief doctor coldly replied, “She’ll have to move. And don’t hope I’ll change my mind. But I can offer an alternative…”
Maxim frowned. “What’s the way out?”
Yuri Antonovich snorted contemptuously: “In my view, you belong next to a barn. For instance…”
He gestured toward a map hanging on the wall. “Starting tomorrow, you’ll go work in the neighboring village.”
Everything unfolded like a nightmare after that. His car mysteriously caught fire. Strangers frightened his mother when she was out shopping. After a week of such pressure, Maxim packed his things and headed to the address given, reassuring his mother with a story about doctor rotations.
What was especially irritating — the girl he had saved that night disappeared after two days. He even planned to order an independent examination confirming the necessity of the operation. But soon Anna called: “Maxim Sergeyevich, what about the patient you operated on?”
It turned out Yuri Antonovich had explained the “situation” to her along with the bill. A couple of hours after his departure, her bed was empty. The search led nowhere.
“How could she have managed? She was so weak…” “This was my last chance to prove I was right, Anna,” Maxim sighed.
In the village, he was met with clear distrust. A tall bearded man appraised him: “I think you won’t last long and will run away.”
“Why should I run?” “Because our men are rough,” he shrugged. “We’re all fishermen here: we drink a lot, fight, often to the point of bleeding.”
In reality, it turned out to be more interesting. In the evenings, the locals indeed behaved quite aggressively, but at home, they were ordinary family men.
The old medical post looked more like a set from old movies. And the house next to it as well. Gradually, Maxim got to know the residents and their customs. Every day it became more evident — there was nothing for him to do here. There was no one to operate on and nowhere to do it. The tools were ancient, even inappropriate for training at an institute.
The locals looked down on him, although Yefim, the foreman and the first person he met, said, “Don’t worry too much. We’re fierce, but we won’t harm a good person. And you’re a good person, Maxim Sergeyevich.”
Whether it was said as a compliment or a warning remained a mystery to Maxim.
Every night Maxim called his mother, only worried about one thing: had Yuri Antonovich stopped his pursuits? Fortunately, she assured him that all was calm. She asked about the duration of the assignment, but he didn’t know the answer himself.
Weeks passed. Gradually, Maxim found positive aspects in his new life. Of course, the salary was significantly lower, but there were practically no expenses. At Yefim’s order, he was delivered food three times a day from the collective dining hall. When the doctor tried to refuse, stating he could buy his own groceries, it caused Yefim to burst into laughter.
“Remember one rule,” he said seriously when he calmed down. “If they give — take it; if they beat you — fight back or run away.”
Maxim didn’t quite understand this life principle but decided to observe what was happening for now.
A critical situation arose a month after his arrival. By that time, he had already managed to fix several jaws, stitch up minor wounds, and help with minor issues.
It had been raining heavily for three days, turning the roads into a complete mess. It was difficult for Maxim to even cover the short distance from his house to the medical post. Today, as expected, the first patients with colds appeared — everyone who went outside immediately got soaked through.
Closer to evening, a strange hum was heard outside the window. Maxim was surprised at what kind of machinery could move through such mud. Approaching the window, he whistled: in front of him was some hybrid of a tractor with huge wide wheels. Apparently, they were looking for him.
He went outside and saw men carefully lowering a stretcher. On it lay Yefim. The faces of those accompanying were grim.
“Even if you have to rub yourself into a pancake, help!” they addressed him.
“What happened?”
“The dam burst. Our boat was thrown out, and Yefim was sucked in. He’s badly injured. See?”
Under the blanket, a leg was literally lacerated. Maxim hesitated for a second:
“We need to get to the city hospital.”
“That won’t be possible. We won’t be able to get out of here for a week now.”
He understood this himself. The patient’s pulse was weak, and the blood loss significant.
“I have the right blood type for Yefim,” said one of the men.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Doctor, don’t be ironic. When they brought me in, Yefim gave me his blood. Before work, they check us; our blood types are listed there.”
The patient’s condition was becoming more critical. Maxim understood — the chances were slim, but inaction was not an option.
“Who can help?”
The men exchanged glances.
“Maybe call Valentina? She used to work as a nurse.”
A few minutes later, an elderly woman stood next to him.
“Hello. I don’t remember everything, but I’ll try to be useful.”
Working without modern equipment was extremely difficult. They had only an old spotlight and an ECG machine from Soviet times. Maxim conducted a direct blood transfusion, realizing that he could face serious problems in the city for such an action.
For five hours, he did not leave Yefim’s side. The robust man turned out to be a real fighter, stubbornly clinging to life. This gave hope. Valentina was there, closely monitoring his every move.
“Maybe send the men home? They’ve been puffing in the corridor for an hour.”
Maxim went out. Everyone stood up. He leaned tiredly against the door frame:
“Please go. You can’t help anyway, and I’ve done everything I can. Now we just have to wait.”
“And what are the chances, doctor?”
Maxim looked at the speaker:
“Honestly? Very small. But the fact that he’s held on this long gives a faint hope. Go.”
The men silently left the medical post. The last one turned around as if he wanted to say something, but just waved his hand and left.
Maxim apparently dozed off — he woke up from a stiff neck. He rushed to Yefim. He was sleeping. Valentina was right there:
“Calm down, the pressure is normal.”
Obviously, Valentina had told the whole village about his feat. To everyone’s surprise, Yefim got up on his feet.
The villagers began to regard Maxim as a miracle worker. And he became more and more attached to this place and the people. What a contradiction: these rough bearded men, capable of smashing everything around into pieces, turned out to be surprisingly gentle and interesting individuals.
The same Yefim, impressive in every respect, every paycheck went to the city orphanage, bought sweets, and brought them to the children.
And Savely became a real sage for the local children. They came to him with all their problems, and he patiently helped solve them.
Six months later, Maxim was seriously considering moving his mother here.
“Maxim Sergeyevich,” a stylish young woman entered the office accompanied by a stately man. “May I come in?”
“Of course, come in.”
The girl sat down, and her companion remained standing.
“Don’t you recognize me?”
Maxim looked closely:
“You look familiar, but…”
“I’m that very patient because of whom you were fired and sent here.”
He squinted in surprise:
“I would never have recognized you.”
“If it weren’t for you, I could have ended my life somewhere under a fence. But that’s not important. We came to thank you and tell you: Yuri Antonovich no longer works at the clinic. You can return.”
Maxim smiled:
“Why?”
They exchanged glances.
“You were fired unjustly…”
“Let’s go outside,” suggested Maxim.
When they stepped out, the sun was setting, coloring the water surface in golden tones.
“Have you ever seen anything like this? And the people here… Here, no one even knows the word ‘intrigue.'”
“And what if you had ended up in the forest?”
The man smiled:
“People like Yuri Antonovich really shouldn’t work in medicine. His daughter was too spoiled and fell into bad company. But in the hospital, she was scared for her life and for you. If you don’t want to return, maybe I can do something for you here?”
Three months later, they repaired the medical post. When the men heard about the plans, the whole crew came to help.
Anastasia, the man’s daughter, became a frequent visitor. She became very close to Maxim’s mother, which somewhat embarrassed her son. At each meeting, the girl repeated how much she liked the village and hinted that she would stay here… if she found her love here.
Her father approved of the idea:
“If my daughter gets married here, I’m ready to build an entire hospital to save others like her.”
A year later, Anastasia and Maxim’s wedding took place in the village. It was such a celebration that even the old-timers couldn’t remember anything like it.