《Sense》
Chapter 0: Prologue
The day I learned to ride a bicycle.
After almost falling over numerous times, I finally advanced 10m. The sense of aplishment I felt could not be put into words.
Afterwards, I had this thought that worried me.
What if I forget how to ride a bike when I wake up tomorrow?
But the next day, and the day after that, I didn¡¯t have any trouble riding my bike around. That was because my body remembered what to do.
A kind schr defined it in this way¡
Procedural Memory.
But the thing is¡.
No matter where I searched on the Inte, there was no exnation about the phenomenon I am currently experiencing.
I can do tricks I haven¡¯t learned on a skateboard, y the piano expertly without having touched one before, and even swing a tennis racket naturally when I had never even trained¡
What do you call it when you can make use of the procedural memory of others as if it was yours?
Chapter 1: Doctor Park Dowook(1)
2:00 PM Saturday
The Millenium Hotel cafe lounge was full of men and women dressed to the nines.
These people, who were here on blind dates or meetings with prospective marriage partners, were busy trying to judge each other awkwardly.
¡®This hotel was the meeting point.¡¯
Dowook felt the weird atmosphere in the cafe and looked around until his eyesnded on his blind date.
The woman in herte-twenties looked at his face carefully and asked.
¡°They said you¡¯re a neurologist?¡±
¡°I¡¯m a surgeon. A neurosurgeon to be more specific.¡±
¡°Anyway. Your job sounds okay, you''re good-looking enough at that level, and diligent enough that you¡¯ve almost paid off your student loan¡¡±
A blind date he¡¯d attended after being pushed into it by an acquaintance felt more like an interview about his standing in society.
¡°You¡¯re very honest, aren¡¯t you?¡±
¡°It¡¯s part of my personality. If it¡¯s not much of a problem, I¡¯ll continue to be frank.¡±
¡°Whatever makes youfortable.¡±
His blind date seemed like a man-made beauty though you could hardly infer that she had surgery, but her first impression left much to be desired. Furthermore, she was far from Dowook¡¯s ideal type.
¡°I was just wondering. Why do you keep lifting your cup of coffee and put it back down without drinking it?¡±
For the first time, she showed interest in something that wouldn¡¯t be considered as an interview. Dowook put down the cup of coffee he had been appreciating the scent of and answered.
¡°I don¡¯t have a sense of taste. It¡¯s a type of neurological dystrophy. So I enjoy food with its scent.¡±
Usually when people would first hear about this, they would pity him. Then they would ask if that was the reason he became a doctor and the conversation would proceed in that direction.
¡°Wow, you even have an appropriate weakness. You seem pretty good.¡±
¡°¡.What?¡±
¡°Good, Mr. Park Dowook. You have piqued my interest.¡±
Dowook swallowed wrong and started coughing. Five minutes after meeting, he¡¯d just been answering questions and putting on an air of not wanting to be here. So what interest was she talking about?
¡°We both have pretty good conditions. We can talk about love as we keep meeting. Let¡¯s quickly decide and start dating.¡±
Since it was his first blind date in 10 years, he wasn¡¯t sure how things were dely. But this was way too fast.
¡°Right. Where do you want to live? I personally prefer the suburbs. What about you, Dowook? Gangnam? The New Town District?¡±
¡°If I really had to choose, somewhere close to the hospital ¡.¡±
Just why was he replying to her questions? Dowook¡¯s mind stopped for a moment due to his blind date¡¯s fast paced mindset.
¡°Myeong Sae University Hospital is in Sinchon, right? There would probably exist only 99©O apartments in that area. Well, I guess we can sell itter and get a bigger ce.¡±
¡°Just a second. What are we selling?¡±
¡°The house. The ce we¡¯ll live after we get married.¡±
Dowook thought he¡¯d misheard and asked again.
¡°Ms. You Jihae, I heard your father is a real estate agent¡.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right. Real-estate. He has about 100 apartments. Didn¡¯t youe here knowing that? I figured you knew since you didn¡¯t ask any questions about me.¡±
That was when Dowook realized why everyone he knew had so forcefully said that he should go on this blind date.
¡°What would you like to buy for the wedding? Men like to buy cars, right? Ferrari? Lamborghini? If you want a limited edition, I can ask a favor from one of my dad¡¯s friends.¡±
Dowook didn¡¯t even notice how he¡¯d sat back down from his half-standing position.
Her identity as a daughter of a real-estate chaebol family was enough to change the bad first impression he had of her.
¡°It¡¯s a bit overdue, but before we talk about marriage expenses, I¡¯d like to know more about you Ms. Ji Hae ¡¡¡±
¡°Oh my. Isn¡¯t it that woman?¡±
¡°What?¡±
Just a moment had passed but the conversation topic had changed once again.
¡°Who is it that you mean?¡±
¡°The one who stole my VIP parking spot.¡±
His blind date raised her hand and pointed at the entrance.
¡°Look, look. She isn¡¯t even all that pretty. She probably got stood up by her blind date.¡±
Dowook turned his head to look. But he couldn¡¯t find a woman who wasn¡¯t that pretty and was rejected.
That was because the woman standing at the entrance suddenly dropped into a faint.
¡°Please let me through! I¡¯m a doctor!¡±
Dowook made it through the murmuring crowd and stood in front of the unconscious VIP before he knew it.
¡®Oh my God¡¯
Maybe it was because of the remarkable skyview but an exmation slipped out without his notice when he saw the VIP¡¯s face which sparkled due to the sunlight.
Dowook was certain.
If his blind date had been this woman, he would have confessed to her within 5 seconds. She was the very definition of his ideal type.
A woman in formal attire standing beside the patient asked Dowook.
¡°Are you a doctor?¡±
Dowook remembered why he ran over so quickly.
¡°Yes, are you the patient¡¯s family?¡±
¡°I¡¯m her secretary.¡±
¡°Pleasey her down with her head straight. I¡¯m a neurosurgeon from Myeong Sae hospital.¡±
The secretary disyed relief at the fact that there was a doctor nearby at this moment.
Dowook ced the back of his hand under the patient¡¯s nose. She was breathing evenly. He checked the pulse under her chin. Her pulse rate was a bit high.
¡°Did she say she was in pain before she fainted? Or did she point at somewhere in particr?¡±
¡°She said she had a bit of a headache since this morning.¡±
Dowook habitually looked for the penlight he used to check patients¡¯ pupils in his right chest pocket and realized he wasn¡¯t at the hospital so he took out his phone from his inner pocket.
¡°Miss. Can you hear what I¡¯m saying?¡±
He turned on the shlight and shined the light on the patient¡¯s eyes. He then saw that her pupil was dted and not moving.
¡°Hmmmm¡..¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
This was a sign that things were very bad.
¡°I presume it is nerve damage. Please tell me if the patient has any history of illness or medicine she is taking right away.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not so sure about her medical history¡. But she doesn¡¯t take any medicine. I was also not informed of any.¡±
Dowook asked while dialing on his phone.
¡°Have you already called an ambnce?¡±
¡°Yes. the hall manager did.¡±
Click
The signal stopped, and he heard a familiar voice.
-Why are you calling at this time? Didn¡¯t you say you were going on a blind date?
¡°I went, but there¡¯s an emergency patient at the hotel.¡±
-There? You really bring your patients everywhere, don¡¯t you?
¡°Prepare to meet us. And make sure there¡¯s some Setriaxon, Empotericin, and Acyclovir avable.¡±
-Why do you need such a variety of antibiotics? Do you know the patient? Is it your blind date?
¡°It¡¯s not my blind date.¡±
This guy who was currently working at the emergency center was someone who knew him pretty well. That was why he said something like this:
-She¡¯s pretty, isn¡¯t she?
¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡±
-Your answer¡¯s pretty insincere. Try to get her personal information.
¡°It¡¯s just ¡.¡±
Dowook looked at her pale face for a second time. She was really very beautiful.
¡°The patient is a woman in her mid-twenties. There are abnormalities in her trigeminal nerve, and she¡¯s lost all consciousness.¡±
-Not info like that!
¡°Make sure to inform people so we can take a CT scan right away.¡±
-It¡¯s more suspicious since you keep speaking so seriously. Hey, Myeong Deok! Make sure to clean a bed properly! And put a flower beside it.
-Huh? A flower?
-Apparently a flower-like person will be arriving.
Dowook clicked his tongue at his colleague¡¯s chatty behavior and turned to the secretary.
¡°The preparations over at the hospital are finished. Her life doesn¡¯t seem to be in any danger, so I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a lot to worry about ¡¡±
¡°Dowook! Here, here!¡±
Dowook turned his head at the sudden call. His blind date shoved a fork and steak knife in his direction.
¡°What¡¯s this for?¡±
¡°I saw it in a movie. They performed emergency surgery with something like this. Oh, I have a ballpen. To make a hole for breathing.¡±
Dowook couldn¡¯t say a single word.
-What nonsense is that? Does she want you to wake an unconscious patient by stabbing them with a pen?
¡°She gave me something else to stab with.¡±
-Wow. That¡¯s legit.
¡°Please prepare everything. I¡¯m hanging up.¡±
Some of the people watching started to chuckle so Dowook first helped his blind date stand up.
¡°The hotel has a properly stocked first-aid kit. It isn¡¯t needed.¡±
¡°Oh, really?¡±
Mid-conversation, the unconscious patient suddenly rolled once.
Stiff neck muscles
The surprised Dowook stretched out his hand and pressed behind the patient¡¯s neck.
¡®Neck stiffness?¡¯
Following that, her breathing became uneven. She started bing feverish and her condition suddenly took a turn for the worse.
Chapter 2: Doctor Park Dowook (2)
¡°Mmm¡Mmm..¡±
Although she was already unconscious, the patient still cried out in pain. Dowook was startled as he was removing his hand from the patient¡¯s neck. A bumpy feeling.
This is a scar.
He opened his phone¡¯s camera and pointed it behind the patient¡¯s neck. Snap. He took pictures continuously. Then he checked them.
¡°Ms. Secretary, this patient has signs that disy she had cervical spine surgery in the past.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°It might be due to her past medical history. You must ask about it once, can you contact her family right now?¡±
¡°O¡ok.¡±
The patient¡¯s body rolled once again. Anyone in the buzzing crowd could tell there was a big problem by looking at her shaking limbs.
Fainting, convulsion, neural abnormality, headache.
Dowook recalled the training for diagnosis and treatment he¡¯d undertaken in the past 4 years as a neurosurgeon.
¡®She¡¯s experiencing pain due to an increase in the intracranial pressure. Let¡¯s try to fix that first.¡¯
Dowook looked around and gave an order to the person wearing a manager¡¯s uniform.
¡°Please bring as much ice as you can. The first-aid kit as well.¡±
¡°The first-aid kit is here!¡±
The nurse stationed at the hotel who had quickly run over when she¡¯d heard of the patient¡¯s situation ced a box marked with a red cross beside him. It was a relief that 5-star hotels were so thoroughly prepared.
¡°Does that box contain mannitol by any chance?¡±
¡°There¡¯s only anesthetics ¡.¡±
¡°Then please hang up a saline solution.¡±
Dowook took out the respirator and put the mask over the patient¡¯s mouth. He then squeezed the ambu bag and forced air into her lungs. The kitchen staff who¡¯d heard the news came out and handed bags of ice over to Dowook.
¡°Here¡¯s the ice.¡±
¡°I need some help. We need to lower the patient¡¯s temperature. Please slowly rub the ice on her arms and legs so we don¡¯t stress her heart.¡±
About a minute passed in that manner. Once the increased intracranial pressure that suddenly appeared was relieved, the signs the patient was in pain also slowly went away.
¡°Phew¡±
Dowook, who finally felt reassured, looked around and realized that his blind date had disappeared.
¡®I guess that¡¯s how it is.¡¯
He had been so focused on giving emergency treatment, he had forgotten to ask her to wait. But even so, he had no thoughts on going after her. While he¡¯d been interested in getting a supercar, he had no interest in her at all.
¡°¡..Hmmmm.¡±
The unconscious woman slowly returned to consciousness.
Although his blind date was finished, his work as a doctor was still ongoing. Dowook tried to calm the patient down in a low voice.
¡°The ambnce will be here soon. Even though the ice is cold, please try not to move around too much.¡±
¡°¡¡The ¡..¡±
¡°You have to keep calm.¡±
She suddenly focused her sight on Dowook.
Clear dark pupils that one wouldn¡¯t believe in belonged to the person who¡¯d just lost consciousness as she scanned Dowook. He felt a chill for some reason.
¡°¡..Jisi¡..¡±
Seeing as she kept trying to say something, Dowook had no choice but to remove the respirator and ce his ear near her.
¡°What is it? Are you in pain anywhere?¡±
Word by word, whenever she said something, Dowook¡¯s eyes became bigger. When the secretary saw this, she came closer.
¡°What is the director saying?¡±
¡°That¡¯s ¡.¡±
In front of the many eyes locked on him, Dowook scratched his chin and said.
¡°Is there a beverage section chief here?¡±
The cafe¡¯s general manager who had been watching fretfully was surprised at being called and stepped forward.
¡°Me?¡±
¡°She said you¡¯re fired. On the charges of corruption.¡±
The general manager was startled.
¡°She said you should also return the ?40,000,000 that you¡¯ve embezzled.¡±
¡°Th-that¡¯s ridiculous! There must have been a mistake!¡±
Tap tap.
Dowook turned to listen to the patient once more when he felt her weakly tapping his hand. Then, he conveyed the next message.
¡°If you were going to manipte the ounts, you should have done so not only of the hotel¡¯s but also of the five beveragepanies you¡¯ve received rebate from and the 12 subcontractors as well. Numbers don¡¯t make mistakes like humans. That¡¯s the advice she gives.¡±
Once he realized that there was clear evidence, the general manager¡¯s face changed color.
Tap, tap.
¡°And from the day you started embezzling to today, the interest rate of ?5,000,000 will be retroactively¡. Oh, tell him the exact number? You have to pay ?5,479,330 more if you don¡¯t want her to sue you.¡±
The general manager¡¯s jaw dropped at how urately she had estimated the figure. The cafe workers who suddenly heard of their manager¡¯s corruption could only look at the situation in confusion.
¡®Can something like this happen in this kind of situation? She probably has a terrible migraine right now.¡¯
To faint due to increased intracranial pressure, her migraine must be putting her through unimaginable pain. How could she keep such a clear consciousness when she wasn¡¯t even able to move her arms properly? Somehow you could feel how dignified the patient was.
Dowook ced the back of his hand to the patient¡¯s forehead.
¡°It¡¯s finished now right? Your fever is back so you need to rx.¡±
Dowook ced the respirator back on when she nodded.
Looking at the general manager who was about to cry and Dowook who was lost in thought, she closed her eyes infort.
Wee woo wee woo
The ambnce stopped in front of the emergency center.
Dowook, who had been continuously squeezing the ambu bag, was shocked to see the person waiting when the doors of the ambnce opened.
¡°Mr. Vice Dean?¡±
The hospital¡¯s second-inmand whose face you might only see maybe once a year unexpectedly showed his dignified personage.
¡°Are you the one who performed the rescue? Your name is¡?¡±
¡°It¡¯s Park Dowook.¡±
¡°Right, Dr. Park. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±
There was someone who ran over like lightning to stand beside the vice dean''s side and move the cart.
¡°Chief?¡±
The grey-haired and sleek person was the neurosurgery department¡¯s Ha Sang Joong. He was also the person with the highest authority in Dowook¡¯s department.
¡®¡¡ What on earth?¡¯
¡°What are you doing? Aren¡¯t you getting off?¡±
¡°We are!¡±
Behind the ambnce, he could also see the professor and nurses who were responsible for the VIP ward.
¡®What a grand wee party!¡¯
Although knowing there would be people waiting, he still couldn¡¯t help himself from being shocked.
¡°Wee, Director. We will take utmost care of you.¡±
The patient was quickly moved to the VIP ward with the help of skillful medical personnel.
After making sure that the cart was gone, the vice dean turned his sight to Dowook.
¡°How did you do the first-aid treatment, Dr. Park?¡±
The question made his back stiff. Even Chief Ha was showing interest and turned to look at him. Dowook calmed his beating heart and recalled everything that happened at the hotel.
¡°¡. and so I focused on reducing the pain from the increased intracranial pressure.¡±
The vice dean who had heard of the response process slowly nodded his head.
¡°Hmm. Right. Even I, probably couldn¡¯t have done more in that situation. You did a great job of trying to lower her temperature.¡±
Hearing the positive reaction, Dowook secretly sighed in relief.
¡°Chief Ha.¡±
¡°Yes, Mr. Vice Dean.¡±
¡°You have a good student. I¡¯m looking forward to the future of the neurosurgery department.¡±
¡°You praise me too much.¡±
The vice dean patted Chief Ha on the shoulder and disappeared into the hospital.
Chief Ha, who had been staring at the vice dean while bowing, suddenly stood up straight. Then he smiled with his eyes.
¡°Did you hear? He said I have a good student.¡±
Chief Ha showed his pleasure by elbowing Dowook¡¯s side. Dowook rxed and smiled like Chief Ha.
¡°Who do you think I learned it from? Do you think it would be too arrogant to say that doing this much is basic if you work with chief Ha?¡±
¡°This guy. You¡¯re amazing for being able to learn all of that.¡±
¡°It¡¯s because you taught me well.¡±
¡°You¡¯re the one who learned well.¡±
The two kept praising each other happily for another 3 seconds.
Dowook stared at the direction the vice dean had disappeared into and asked.
¡°I called the emergency department directly, so howe the vice dean arrived in person?¡±
¡°The VIP¡¯s diagnosis chart was probably processed. I was also pretty surprised since they suddenly told me to head out.¡±
While loosening his tight necktie, Chief Ha suddenly tilted his head.
¡°Just a sec. Weren¡¯t you in the middle of a blind date? Right? What happened?¡±
Since Chief Ha was the one who¡¯d introduced his blind date, Dowook spoke carefully.
¡°The thing is. I don¡¯t think we have anything inmon¡..¡±
¡°Hey, you!¡±
The angry scolding came right away.
¡°I found you a woman who could bring light to your weary life and what?!¡±
Dowook bowed his head at the loud scolding.
¡°The situation also wasn¡¯t all that great.¡±
¡°This b*stard. I forcefully created that position for you by mentioning that you were the best in the neurosurgery department and you return holding another woman¡¯s hand?¡±
¡°At least I was holding something.¡±
¡°Joking? This b*stard!¡±
Chief Ha made Dowook cower by acting as if he would hit him and sent Dowook aplicated look.
¡°That¡¯s right. Never mind the blind date, just focus on meeting patients. I don¡¯t care anymore.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll try to find a nice youngdy.¡±
¡°It¡¯s yourst year of residency. Where would you get the time?¡±
¡°How can you ask me that? Chief, you¡¯re the one responsible for making the schedule.¡±
¡°This guy, aren¡¯t you asking for too much?¡±
Chief Ha¡¯s phone rang. After checking the name, he made a gesture telling Dowook to keep quiet.
¡°Yes, Mr. Vice Dean.¡±
-Come to my office once the CT results are out. This patient is very important so you take care of her personally. Think of it as doing me a favor.
After ending the call, Chief Ha stood still.
¡°Take care of the patient personally?¡±
Chief Ha who had suddenly received a call from the vice dean and had toe to work on a precious Saturday now realized that he couldn¡¯t even leave work early and his expression became dark.
Dowook saw the dark expression and instinctively took a few steps back.
¡°Chief, you don¡¯t have to care about me anymore today. I¡¯m not on shift so I¡¯ll ¡.¡±
¡°Stop right there.¡±
A bleak cry. Chief Ha turned his head with a tight expression.
¡°If I can¡¯t leave, you can¡¯t leave either. We¡¯re all part of the neurosurgery department.¡±
¡°Sir, you also know that I was on duty for three continuous days so I could get time off for my blind date.¡±
¡°Hey! I can¡¯t even remember what my daughter looks like! Run over right now and check the result of the CT scan!¡±
The day he¡¯d refused a shiny new Ferrari.
He only gained an angry scolding and more work.
Whatever. He¡¯d chosen this path a long time ago.
Dowook looked up at the hospital.
The sign saying ¡®Myeong Sae University Affiliated Hospital¡¯ looked particrly high up today.
==============================================================================================
Chapter 3: Doctor Park Dowook (3)
Inside a dark room.
A haggard looking man was holding a cellphone in his hand.
He tapped the call button and listened to the dial tone. No one answered the call so he quickly opened a message app.
[Chief, we¡¯re almost there.
Once we figure out how to deal with the effect of paralysis that urs during processing the signal from the nervous system, the thought transmitting technology will beplete.
The chance to take the lead in the development of the neural technique to understand the mindset of geniuses is almost within our grasp!]
Beep.
The hand that had just finished typing the message stopped at the new message notification. The notification window on top showed ¡®Chief¡¯ so he scrambled to check the message.
[You called again. How many more people need to be carried out before you stop? Stop sending useless messages while you¡¯re at it. Your research funds are canceled.]
¡°I said it¡¯s almostplete!¡±
Unable to stop his rage, the man threw his phone which hit a transparent wall with the sign saying ¡®Cranial Nerve Research Center¡¯ before it fell to the floor.
Breathing raggedly, he turned his gaze to the equipment with foreclosure tickets stuck to them around the center.
¡°I¡¯ll personally show you.¡±
The man stood in front of a table with an electric cable attached to a needle on it. The hand holding a thin and long needle shook slightly.
¡°By myself¡..¡±
The mirror reflected the hidden madness within the man¡¯s expression.
The man slowly stuck the needle into his temple.
Bzzzt
A blue sh of electricity traveled from the machine down the cable right into his brain.
* * *
Tirrriing!
At the loud ring, Dowook who had been lounging in a staff chair reflexively stretched out his hand and answered the phone.
¡°Yes¡.. Park Dowook from Neurosurgery ¡¡¡±
-So slow. Why are you so slow in answering the call?
The person who¡¯d called was his colleague, Seong Chang Soo. Dowook shook his head sleepily.
¡°It¡¯s not our department¡¯s patient.¡±
-You haven¡¯t even heard what I want to say.
¡°Don¡¯t be so hard on me today. I¡¯ve been on duty for 4 days straight.¡±
-What can you do about it? Okay, take a rest.
Just before ending the call, Seong Chang Soo said enticingly.
-A patient with a 20cm needle stuck in his head, but you don¡¯t want it so what can you do about it? We¡¯ll just have to transfer the patient.
¡°Wait. A needle?¡±
-Hey, Myeong Deok. What¡¯s the name of a hospital with a famous neurosurgery department around here?
-It¡¯s AN. Why do you even have to ask?
-You have friends working there, right? Try to contact anyone you know.
¡°Just a sec!¡±
Opening the electronic file, he checked the CT result and saw a needle stuck deep in the brain from the side of the skull.
Seeing the piece of metal sticking out from the temple following the fracture line gave him chills like in a horror movie.
¡°When did this patiente in?¡±
-The person who called in the case found him an hour ago, but we don¡¯t know when he became unconscious. It was also the only injury he had.
The patient¡¯s bizarre circumstance woke Dowook up. Special cases in the neurosurgery department were enough to wake even the dead.
-What are you going to do?
¡°I¡¯m going. I¡¯m going.¡±
-He¡¯sing. Myeong Seok, get off the phone.
-I haven¡¯t called yet though?
-Then, call and hang up.
¡°I said I¡¯m going!¡±
Walking toward the door while flinging on a white coat, Dowook woke the intern who¡¯d been dozing in a corner.
¡°Dr. Park. Is it a call from the patient¡¯s ward?¡±
¡°Emergency¡±
¡°Phew. Keep up the good work~~¡±
¡°Keep a clear head. Chief might let other things slide, but he hates it when others sleep when he can¡¯t.¡±
The intern looked like he was about to cry.
¡°I mean, at Chief¡¯s level, does it make sense to work the night shift on a weekend? Just why!?¡±
¡°What happened was ¡..¡±
Since he was 99% the reason for it, Dowook shut his mouth and darted off.
The automatic doors leading to the emergency center opened.
As Dowook was swiftly walking toward the area with urgent patients, he found Seong Chang Soo, who¡¯d called him.
¡®Huh?¡¯
Although their eyes met, he couldn¡¯t call out. Another patient hade in during that interval.
¡°Prepare for intubation!¡±
The medical staff surrounded the patient suffering a heart attack and did their best to perform CPR. Even the patient¡¯s family sobbing at the back while covering their mouth. There was a solemn atmosphere in the room.
¡°Keep up the pressure! You still haven¡¯t caught the central venous pressure! Myeong Deok!¡±
When Dowook took a step back in case he got in the way, Seong Chang Soo pointed at Room 10 while he was busily yelling out instructions. Dowook sent an OK signal with his hand.
¡®Hopefully, things go well.¡¯
Entering the room, he saw a person lying on it.
It was a man in his 50s with a messy beard and pale face.
If it weren¡¯t for the stab wound on his temple, the patient simply looked like he was in a deep sleep.
Dowook put on thetex gloves from the cart, pushed back the hair on the patient¡¯s head, and looked closely at the needle.
The bleeding had stopped a long time ago. Chang Soo had already ced a dressing to stop infection.
He started trying to talk to the patient while checking his pupiry light reflex.
¡°Sir, can you hear my voice? Sir.¡±
While patting the patient to check for a motor response, he turned towards the monitor.
The patient¡¯s awareness was strangely quiet.
He had expected an emergency surgery beforeing, but he might have to look at the recuperation more closely as well.
¡®Can a patient¡¯s vitals be this stable after a brain prating injury? Amazing.¡¯
After checking on the patient, he realized the need to call on his superior. A case this rare would interest the chief as well.
Dowook took out his phone.
The moment he did so, a hand came out to grab Dowook¡¯s wrist. Since it was from an unconscious patient, Dowook was frightened.
¡°S, sir?¡±
The man with his eyes still closed had stretched out his left hand like a robot. There was still no answer.
At that moment.
Dowook saw a sh of blue light like electricity from the needle sticking out of the patient¡¯s head.
¡®What is that¡.¡¯
Bzzzt-!
A twinge of something gave Dowook¡¯s fingertips a strong shock.
¡°Ack!¡±
He tried to get out of the patient¡¯s grip but it was like a manacle stopping him from moving.
¡°Hey!¡±
The prating current flowed through his whole body at 0.1 intervals and made everything numb. At the impact, Dowook couldn¡¯t even make a sound and fell to his knees beside the patient.
Does electric shock torture feel like this?
The current traveling through his body traveled up his spine and mmed into his head.
Thump.
Dowook lost his strength and fell unconscious on the spot.
¡°Hey, Dowook. Park Dowook?¡±
Dowook, who¡¯d lost consciousness, suddenly opened his eyes. As soon as his sight returned to focus, Seong Chang Soo¡¯s greasy hairstyle was the first thing he saw.
¡°You alright?¡±
¡°Ow, my head. Huh, what happened?¡±
¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask. Where¡¯s the patient?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Dowook stood up from the floor and was bewildered to see the bed where there was no sign of the patient.
¡°Where is he?¡±
¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask.¡±
¡°Hey, you. At least you were awake.¡±
¡°I was also very busy so¡¡±
That was when he saw the blood sttered on Seong Chang Soo¡¯s coat.
Chapter 4: Doctor Park Dowook(4)
¡°Oh¡¡ Is the CPR patient okay?¡±
¡°I managed to save him.¡±
Although this ce saw many dying patients, it wasn¡¯t always that they were able to save them so Dowook gave him a thumbs up.
Dowook shook his head to clear it and then touched the disappearing patient¡¯s bed.
¡°He woke up with that kind of wound?¡±
¡°Did you get hit by the patient?¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t a hit¡.¡±
Remembering the shock he¡¯d received, he looked at his wrist. That much pain should have left some sign, but it was just clear skin. The numbness disappeared without a trace as well.
¡°The patient suddenly grabbed my wrist. Then I got electrocuted. It was like being hit with a defibritor charged at 300 Joules.¡±
¡°He was in aa. How did you wake him?¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t me. Maybe he really needed to go to the bathroom?¡±
¡°Are you crazy? Give a diagnosis worth your degree.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know what to say. Let¡¯s find him, then talk.¡±
Dowook and Seong Chang Soo left Room 10 together.
They looked everywhere on the 1st floor medical center and asked passing nurses and doctors on duty but due to how busy the hospital was, no one had seen the patient.
Seong Chang Soo clicked his tongue.
¡°I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯s been since a patient escaped without paying. We weren¡¯t able to figure out his identity from his possession either.¡±
¡°Managing to escape in his condition shouldn¡¯t have been possible.¡±
Leaning on the reception desk in the middle of the emergency center, Seong Chang Soo gave Dowook a can of coffee from who knew where.
¡°Here. It¡¯s my turn to pay, right?¡±
¡°What¡¯s this? You should have at least gotten a Dolce Latte.¡±
¡°What? This guy! You really don¡¯t know the good stuff.¡±
Seong Chang Soo opened the can of coffee and gulped it down disying a happy expression.
¡°How can you not like something this sweet?¡±
¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡±
¡°Yup.¡±
They had known each other for so long that Seong Chang Soo didn¡¯t pay much attention to Dowook¡¯s ageusia. [T/N: ageusia is aplete loss of the sense of taste.]
It didn¡¯t smell very good but Dowook took a sip to replenish his blood sugar.
¡®Hmm?¡¯
He should have only felt the lukewarm temperature, but he could feel a sensation different from usual on the tip of his tongue. He couldn¡¯t confirm if it was ¡®taste.¡¯ It was more like the feeling you¡¯d get if you licked a battery.
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±
¡°Nothing.¡±
Thinking he¡¯d imagined it, Dowook took another gulp and turned his gaze to the front. He saw Noh Myeong Deok, a 1st-year resident, sewing a man¡¯s arm.
Seong Chang Soo, who¡¯d been resting while checking over his junior¡¯s work, started talking.
¡°I haven¡¯t checked how beautiful the patient is.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°The emergency patient who came from the hotel with you.¡±
¡°You¡¯re still talking about that?¡±
As a patient from the VIP ward, not everyone could go check on her. She was a person whose cart was pushed by the vice president no less.
¡°How does shepare to Seo Eun Ha?¡±
¡°Seo Eun Ha?¡±
At the mention of the retired actress who¡¯d once been every man¡¯s dream, Dowook recalled the VIP¡¯s face.
¡°I¡¯m not sure if it can bepared.¡±
¡°She¡¯s not that pretty?¡±
¡°Not that. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve never seen Seo Eun Ha in person.¡±
¡°So she¡¯s at least that pretty? Wow! Did you get her phone number? You¡¯re like her destined life savior after all.¡±
¡°Hey! Would you say the people you save here are your destined ones?¡±
When Noh Myeong Deok, who¡¯d finished suturing the wound, stood up, the patient spoke with a satisfied expression.
¡°You''re very skilled, doctor. Your stitches are very clean.¡±
At the patient¡¯s praise, Noh Myeong Deok scratched his head with an embarrassed expression. Dowook and Seong Chang Soo gave a thumbs up to the green newbie to boost his confidence.
Vrrrrrrr.
The moment the phone rang, they both instinctively reached into their pockets. Dowook read the message and turned to Chang Soo.
"I win. Chief''s in the on-call room."
"Then, I''ll check the CCTV in the security office."
"Ok. Oh, by the way, that patient hadn''t been transferred to our department, yet. If you can''t find him, take care of the unpaid hospital fee from your department."
"You''re joking, right?"
"Right. You should try harder."
Seong Chang Soo threw a roll of bandage at Dowook, who''d already run away.
¡°Doctors! You''re making dust fly everywhere!"
The two doctors often yed such tricks so the emergency center''s head nurse shook her head automatically.
Dowook quickly scanned the room after entering the neurosurgery department''s on-call room.
He saw a person walking around the room looking like he had absolutely no worries in the world.
"Chief, you''re here.¡±
¡°Hey, Park Dowook!"
Puffing his cheeks petntly due tock of sleep, Chief Ha approached Dowook while pointing at him.
"As the doctor on duty, how can you leave your post, huh!"
It felt a bit like he was acting overly angry. Not telling him about the disappearance of the patient with a needle stuck in his head seemed like the best choice.
¡°I was a bit upset over suddenly being pulled on duty. I was thinking about whether I should apply for a fellowship in another hospital."
"What nonsense. Is that a threat?"
" I was just telling the truth. What did I do wrong yesterday to today? Is it a crime to put the patient first?"
Chief Ha gently red at Dowook. When Dowook stared back at him without looking away, he rxed his expression.
¡°That threat is ve~ry effective. Fine. You''re released from duty. Wook is off-duty from now on."
"At 2 am?"
"Usually clubs are most active from 2 am. You wanted free time, right? I''ll give you some right now."
Feeling a bit ufortable at pushing things, he asked one more time.
"Can I really go?"
"Yeah, go."
¡°Not changing your mind?"
He slowly put his hand on the doorknob. The moment he was about to run away like crazy.
Zing.
[Assisted input. D- rosette Room 1. 2:45]
Seeing the call of a surgery room out of nowhere, Dowook met the gaze of Chief Ha, who''d slyly sent the message.
"Luckily there''s an off-duty doctor right here~~"
Of course, he had a n. Who knew he''d have such a deep grudge over the forced night shift!
"I''ll get back on duty."
"I already called a recement. Oh, here hees."
The third-year resident opened the door and bowed with a barely awake expression.
"Must you do this?"
"What''s wrong with it? A surgeon should enjoy surgery. You need to work on your attitude."
¡°There are others on call, though."
"Dr. Park has 40 minutes before surgery but isn''t reading the chart? You must be overflowing with confidence. The chief must learn from you.¡±
Sighing, Dowook moved to theputer and looked over the surgery details.
A stroke patient from the ICU. The aneurysm which had been in a perilous state finally burst and was in need of emergency surgery.
[TN: An aneurysm is an outward bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall.]
"Who''s the operating surgeon? The surgery was scheduled in a hurry so it isn''t listed. Is it you, Chief?"
"You''ll know when you get there."
6 years as a teacher, 5 years as a superior. They had known each other for so long that he knew instinctively what the chief wanted to do. The reason why he''d call him back on duty and push him into surgery.
¡®Oh¡''
"Is this surgery going to be performed by Professor Choi?"
"This guy. You''re really quick on the uptake."
¡°What about Dr. Hong? Those two always cooperate very well. Is he on vacation?"
¡°He resigned. He said he couldn''t take it anymore."
The angel-like doctor who neverined even when he was being scheduled with back-to-back surgeries, Hong Jin Gu, quit in the end.
There was one reason.
The sin of cooperating with neurosurgery''s clinical professor, Choi Hoo, alias ¡®Last Choi.''
¡°Dowook. It''s also driving me crazy. I have to be careful about never disrespecting that Choi Hoo while taking care of our department''s new staff members. If a person''s character was equal to their skill, the world would be a perfect ce, wouldn''t it?"
"You won''t take care of me?"
"I am. Weeds need to be left alone for them to grow well."
"They get weeded out before growing!"
Professor Choi, who could perfect brain surgery techniques after seeing them once, had started from the bottom and was considered a legend not just at this hospital but also in the academic circle.
However, as skilled as he was, he had a bad reputation due to his temper.
¡°Since you got the call, go and prepare quickly. Choi Hoo is probably already there."
"Already? Urgh."
Dowook kicked open the door to the on-call room and walked down the hall.
How must he cope with Professor Choi Hoo when he''d probably be more quick-tempered than usual over the fact that he was performing a surgery at night with a new assistant. He really didn''t know what to do.
Coming out of the security office, Seong Chang Soo tilted his head in curiosity.
-He left this in the bathroom before leaving.
What the runaway patient had left behind was the needle. He had pulled it out and moved.
"It''s a really weird patient. Wasn''t it painful?"
The blood-covered needle. The more he looked at it, the more he felt uneasy. For what reason would he stick this in his head?
And Dowook, why did he pass out?
Chapter 5: Doctor Park Dowook(5)
Drrrk.
The door of Rosette, a facility where 8 operating rooms were attached in a circr format, opened.
Dowook saw that the yawning anesthesiologist An Hosan was still washing his hands and ran over to his side.
¡°You¡¯re still working so hard thiste at night, doctor.¡±
¡°Huh? Dr. Dowook, you¡¯re also taking part in this operation?¡±
¡°Yeah. As the assistant.¡±
¡°What about Dr. Jin Gu?¡±
The assistant for Prof. Choi Hoo¡¯s surgeries was always fixed so the expected question arrived. Dowook answered in a low voice.
¡°They said he quit.¡±
¡°Oh no. It seemed they had a lot of arguments during surgeries, and finally.¡±
An Hosan clicked his tongue.
¡°Prof. Choi isn¡¯t here yet, is he?¡±
¡°That man will get here at exactly 2:45. Rx.¡±
After washing his hands, An Hosan kept his hands in the air and stood in front of operating room 1.
¡°Dr. Dowook, you¡¯ll start your fellowship starting next year, right?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Make sure to survive. In your department, only the persistent ones seed.¡±
¡°If I don¡¯t get kicked out today.¡±
An Hosan gave him a small smile of encouragement.
There were 10 minutes until the surgery. Dowook also sterilized his hands and went into the operating room.
The ce where people wearing blue masks and surgical caps rushed about.
Dowook looked around to find someone to help him put on a surgical gown.
¡°Over here, Dr. Park.¡±
The intern from the on-call room who¡¯d been on-duty with Dowook helped him put on a gown instead of a nurse.
¡°You¡¯re here, too.¡±
¡°I helped bring over the patient from the ward. The patient suddenly experienced cardiac arrest and the sirens rang. Hoooo¡.. If the chief hadn¡¯te over quickly things would have been really bad.¡±
¡°You get to experience what it¡¯s like in an OP as a result. It¡¯s a good thing. I only shaved the patients until my first year as a resident.¡±
Dowook asked after he had put ontex gloves.
¡°Seok Gyu, which department are you going to apply for after you¡¯re done with your internship?¡±
¡°Otorhinryngology.¡±
[TN: Otorhinryngology- Ear, Nose and Throat specialist.]
¡°Why? You don¡¯t like neurosurgery?¡±
¡°Yes. It looks too difficult.¡±
At the answer, the anesthesiologist, who¡¯d finished putting the patient under general anesthesia, and the nurses started chuckling.
¡°Hey, you could have at least said you¡¯d choose our department as a courtesy.¡±
¡°That¡¯s because Dr. Park¡¯s disappointment is only a moment, but my life is long. I¡¯m sorry.¡±
Looking at the intern having trouble meeting his gaze, Dowook shook his head.
He should have had the same decision-making skills 4 years ago. Tricked by Chief Ha, he¡¯d thrown himself into the department known for its difficulty.
¡®To think the result of holding on for so long is Last Choi¡¯s operating room¡..¡¯
Dowook turned his gaze to the monitor showing the patient¡¯s MRI.
The veins in the brain had burst and blood had pooled here and there. If this had happened outside, the patient could have died before reaching the hospital.
¡°Dr. Park. How long do these surgeries take?¡±
¡°About 5 hours?¡±
¡°Huuh? We¡¯ll be here until morning?¡±
¡°You¡¯ve been an intern for 10 months and you¡¯re still surprised?¡±
When operating on the brain where the blood vessels were tangled, it might even take 10 hours.
A momentter.
A huge microscope was ced above the patient¡¯s head and the disinfected surgical tools were ced in their proper ces.
Looking at the operating room¡¯s clock, it was 2:44.
Dowook took a deep breath and prepared to meet the Grim Reaper called Last Choi.
Counting down to thest second, the moment the clock changed from 59s to 00s, the door to the operating room opened.
¡®It¡¯s probably a coincidence that he kept the time down to thest second, right?¡¯
When he turned to An Hosan, he smiled with an expression saying, ¡®It¡¯s exactly what I said, right?¡¯
¡°Gown.¡±
Prof. Choi slowly looked around the room as he put on the gown and gloves.
A piece of consumable¡¯s wrapper.
A drop of bodily fluid left from a previous surgery.
A strand of hair from the nurse¡¯s bangs as she helped him wear gloves.
¡°This ce is full of contaminated objects. It¡¯s a great ce to kill a person.¡±
Thefortable atmosphere turned frigid due to Prof. Choi¡¯s words.
¡°Is there someone who¡¯s not yet fully awake? I hope the only life that¡¯s in any danger today is the patient¡¯s.¡±
A nurse taking part in Prof. Choi¡¯s surgery for the first time flinched back. A senior nurse who saw it shook her head seemingly saying, ¡®don¡¯t do that, that¡¯s also dangerous,¡¯ so Dowook also quickly straightened his posture.
¡®The pressure is entirely different from when I observed from above.¡¯
Although you could only see his eyes, his 185cm robust physique and sharp gaze emitted an overwhelming pressure like the rumors stated.
Dowook could say with confidence that staying in the same room as Last Choi would allow one to be fully clear-headed for a week.
Prof. Choi approached the operating table. He fixed his gaze on Dowook¡¯s bowed head.
¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen you before.¡±
Dowook swallowed in nervousness.
¡°Yes. My name is Park Dowook.¡±
¡°Seeing as you haven¡¯t even started the simple act of scalp incision, you¡¯re not part of the staff.¡±
Dowook felt crestfallen over the cold criticism from the very start. However, it was something he¡¯d expected to a certain degree. As soon as Prof. Choi reached his position, he cleared his throat and shouted.
¡°We will now start the patient Kim Hyeong Jin¡¯s aneurysm clipping procedure.¡±
With a nce at Dowook, Prof. Choi stretched his hand at the scrub nurse.
¡°No. 20.¡±
The scalpel held lightly between the thumb and pointer finger moved.
Blood gushed out from the patient¡¯s clean head wrapped in antiseptic cloth and Dowook¡¯s hand which was holding the suction machine became busy.
¡°Clip.¡±
A clip securing the cut scalp was ced between the skin.
¡°Clip.¡±
Click
¡°Clip.¡±
¡®Fast¡¡¡¯
When the nurse responsible for passing the clips couldn¡¯t keep up with the speed and moved clumsily, Prof. Choi sighed once without saying a word.
It was a silence that seemed to state the 1st warning.
¡°Drill.¡±
Whiiiing.
Following the sound of the cranial drill, the bleeding section¡¯s skull opened easily. As the bone was being removed, ¡®Plop!¡¯ blood spurted out and hit Prof. Choi directly on the face.
Prof. Choi didn¡¯t even turn his head and asked An Hosan.
¡°How are the vitals?¡±
¡°Pulse frequency is severe, it¡¯s at a minimum of 60 and in a state of cardiac agitation. The patient will soon experience cardiac arrest.¡±
It indicated that the blood pooled in the patient¡¯s brain was inflicting great pressure on his body.
¡°Lower the microscope. Catheter.¡±
Prof. Choi looked through the microscope and pushed a long and thin tube into the patient¡¯s brain.
Dowook looked through the microscope¡¯s supplementary station and watched the catheter go in.
The tube went in without a single error to the spot the monitor¡¯s navigation pointed. When the end of the catheter was suctioned with a syringe, the pooled blood started to flow into the tube.
¡°Vital?¡±
¡°It became stable.¡±
After taking care of the bleeding in one try, the actual surgery to repair the blood vessel started.
The area around the ruptured aneurysm was clipped in ce, the suture thinner than hair and forceps as thin as needles started to dance together.
Looking through the microscope, Dowook was fascinated by Prof. Choi¡¯s skills and couldn¡¯t help but exim in surprise.
Even the slightest movement of the hand looked awkward in the microscope. However, Prof. Choi didn¡¯t make the slightest movement.
¡®How can a person be that precise?¡¯
Other than acting scary at the beginning, Prof. Choi who only concentrated on the surgery did not show a hysterical side like the rumors said.
While it was a bit frightening how robot-like he acted when faced with a patient in a dangerous state, standing as an assistant for such a person seemed fine.
Although he had to be extra careful when spraying water to keep the blood vessels from drying out so that he didn¡¯t identally hit Prof. Choi¡¯s hands.
An hour into the surgery as the operation was about to wrap up.
The moment the clip holding the blood vessels temporarily closed was removed, they let out a ¡®whoosh¡¯ sound along with a good feeling.
¡°Haah. Thank you for the ¡..¡±
Dowook, who¡¯d disyed his appreciation for Prof. Choi¡¯s work without realizing what he was doing, suddenly felt as if his fingertips received an electric shock and tried to stop himself from yelling.
¡®Eugh¡¯
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Professor.¡±
He apologized right away.
However, Prof. Choi, as if he didn¡¯t hear anything, didn¡¯t look away from the patient even though the ligation was finished.
Then, he touched a blood vessel and closed his eyes.
Soon afterward
Tap
At the tiny tremor, Prof. Choi reacted.
Chapter 6: Doctor Park Dowook(6)
¡°Damn it! Squeeze the pack!¡±
An Hosan, who¡¯d been dozing due to thete night surgery and perfect harmony in the surgery, flinched in surprise and checked the patient¡¯s vital signs.
Blood pressure, pulse, oxygen levels, respiratory rate, and temperature were all within the normal range. An Hosan tilted his head in confusion.
¡°If we increase the blood volume too much right now, the surgery sight will burst.¡±
Prof. Choi suddenly turned his head.
¡°I said squeeze, you b*stard!¡±
The atmosphere in the operating room turned cold in a second.
Dowook also couldn¡¯t understand the reasoning behind Prof. Choi¡¯s instruction. Feeling the tap, tap of the patient¡¯s pulse, he subconsciously bowed his head and his body froze in that position.
¡®What am I doing right now?¡¯
The blue light wrapped around his hand was something that sensibly and scientifically was not something he should be seeing. It didn¡¯t make sense to call it a retinal disease since everything else was clear.
¡®Ack¡¯
The shing light climbed up his right arm. Anywhere the light touched felt as if it had been electrocuted and stimted.
In the instance his nervous system felt attacked, the light passed his shoulder and reached his head.
¡®What¡¯s happening!¡±
With a bang, it felt like something prated his brain.
The feeling from when he passed out in the emergency room.
¡®What?¡¯
Thankfully, he didn¡¯t pass out.
However¨C
This time from his head to his fingertips, he could feel the existence of the tangledwork of nerves due to the unknown feeling that wasn¡¯t a tickle nor pain that traveled in it.
In a spiral of confusion, he felt the tap, tap, tapping of the patient¡¯s pulse.
At the weirdly unnatural flow, Dowook mumbled without meaning to.
¡°The blood vessel is getting blocked.¡±
¡°What?¡±
Prof. Choi, who¡¯d been ring daggers at An Hosan, turned and looked at Dowook.
¡°How did you know that?¡±
¡°It¡¯s just the blood vessel felt¡.¡±
It was unbelievable. A newbie, who¡¯d just taken part in his 3rd aneurysm surgery, stated he could sense the condition of the patient¡¯s blood vessel and distinguish what it meant.
Beep beep beep!
At that moment, rms rang from the machine checking on the patient¡¯s condition. As the stable vitals of the patient suddenly took a turn for the worse, An Hosan became flustered.
¡°Phew-¡±
Breathing in while giving a silent warning, Prof. Choi looked at everyone in a gaze which was a degree colder than before.
¡°Everyone listen well from now on. Because you didn¡¯t listen to my instructions just now, the patient¡¯s treatment was dyed by 30s. Exining took another 30s. If you¡¯re not going to follow instructions right away, get the hell out of the room!¡±
Although Prof. Choi¡¯s hysterical behavior had started, Dowook didn¡¯t have the idleness to watch.
The thing that had reached his brain started to spread down his left arm. He didn¡¯t know why but Dowook moved his left hand and ced it on the patient¡¯s neck.
His hand stopped at a point where it felt the most blocked.
¡°I found the part with the carotid stenosis.¡±
¡°What?¡±
Prof. Choi turned to Dowook. Although he had broken the rule of touching the patient somewhere other than the operation site, Prof. Choi didn¡¯t say anything about it and asked.
¡°Exin. Why is it the area of carotid stenosis?¡±
[TN: carotid stenosis- blockage of the Carotid arteries.]
¡°Ah¡. there¡¯s a 0.5s interval between the taps of the pulse. It should feel like a beat against the walls of the blood vessel, but like a blocked intersection, there¡¯s a mix of different beats.¡±
It wasn¡¯t an exnation a doctor should give, however, Prof. Choi nodded in understanding.
¡°You said your name is Park Dowook?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°You have better instincts than I expected.¡±
Dowook thought he¡¯d misheard by mistake. After throwing praise out of the blue, Prof. Choi turned his gaze and spoke.
¡°Everyone heard, right? The carotid artery stenosis has be severe. If we don¡¯t take care of it, this patient will die of cerebral apoplexy before we even close his head. We will now start the carotid endarterectomy.¡±
[TN: cerebral apoplexy-monly known as stroke involving cerebral blood vessels.]
[TN: carotid endarterectomy- a surgical procedure to open or clean the carotid artery with the goal of stroke prevention.]
Due to problems that arose during the operation, another surgery began.
Prof. Choi shed his eyes at Dowook who still stood beside the patient.
¡°What are you doing?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°You¡¯re contaminated. Quickly change your gloves and change position!¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
Dowook quickly moved and changed into a new pair of gloves and watched the patient whose position had changed. It seemed he was holding on only due to forcefully increasing his blood pressure by squeezing in more blood.
Thinking about the illusion and his body moving by itself would all have to wait until after that patient had been saved.
The antiseptic cloth was stuck to the patient¡¯s jaw after his head was drawn back.
Prof. Choi stretched out his hand to begin the surgery. The nurse, surprised by the sudden 2nd surgery, became flustered at the action.
¡°Scalpel¡..¡±
Even before he had finished speaking, Dowook, holding the suction tube, subconsciously handed the no. 10 scalpel to Prof. Choi.
The nurse became embarrassed when she saw it.
When cutting open the skin, the preferred scalpel was different depending on the surgeon. It was no. 20 a while ago so it should be the same now.
She waited for the roar of rage, but Prof. Choi, who¡¯d received the scalpel, bowed to look closer at the patient without a word.
¡°Oh my.¡±
The surprised nurse looked at Dowook, but he was also focused on the patient.
The scalpel moved, following the line of the neck muscles.
¡°Suction¡..¡±
Schlop.
Dowook was once more a step faster.
¡°Retractor¡.¡±
p.
¡°mp¡¡¡±
p.
After three consecutive quick actions, this time, Prof. Choi only stretched out his hand without saying anything.
Dowook grabbed the artery forceps used to mp the blood vessels around the surgery area and ced it on Prof. Choi¡¯s hand.
Holding the suction tube, he didn¡¯t even look at the surgery tool tray or Prof. Choi.
After staring at the situation, Prof. Choi asked.
¡°Can you continue on like this?¡±
At the question, Dowook asked, ¡°Huh? What do you mean, Professor?¡± and continued with the suction. At the same time, he had already finished preparing to hand another pair of artery forceps when asked.
Prof. Choi looked at Dowook¡¯s action as an answer and turned back to the patient without another word.
Simultaneously, the surgery¡¯s tempo increased.
Blocked the blood flow in the internal,mon, and external carotid arteries.
Sliced the jugr vein.
Until the clump of adipose tissue disturbing the patient¡¯s blood cirction was finely cut out.
[TN: adipose tissue- a loose connective tissue or simply body fat.]
No one said a word in the operating room.
Beep!
When a warning came to indicate the danger the patient was in, Prof. Choi took the tube passed over by Dowook and made a temporary blood flow bypass in a minute and fixed the problem. Without any conversation.
At first nce, it was frightening teamwork.
An hour since Dowook started cing instruments on Prof. Choi¡¯s outstretched hand.
The sliced jugr vein was perfectly sutured and all the artery forceps were removed.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The strong pulse turned everything in a positive direction.
¡°It¡¯s done.¡±
Prof. Choi¡¯s words after a long silence allowed everyone in the room to rx.
Fortunately, no one died.
Everyone¡¯s gaze turned to the assistant who managed to stop Prof. Choi¡¯s hysterics when he usually wouldn¡¯t stop until the end of the surgery.
An Hosan especially gave Dowook a look saying, ¡®Did I really see what I just saw?¡¯
¡°Closing at the same time would be best. Which would you prefer, Dr. Park?¡±
¡°It would be better time-wise to do so without having to move positions.¡±
¡°I agree. You can start.¡±
An Hosan became more surprised due to this conversation.
cing a piece of skull that had been taken out back in was much more stressful andplicatedpared to suturing simple flesh.
The peerless Choi Hoo had just now assigned that task to a resident in his 4th year, who hadn¡¯t even started his fellowship.
After suturing the neck as quick as lightning, Prof. Choi stood from his seat. He checked on Dowook who was frantically finishing up and left the room without a word.
¡°Please hand me the suture thread.¡±
A nurse handed Dowook a thin needle and thread which he used to start sewing the scalp together. The intern, Jo Seok Gyu, came out from where he¡¯d been hiding from Prof. Choi and went closer to Dowook.
¡°Dr. Park. you suture really well.¡±
¡°I know. I wonder why it¡¯s so neat.¡±
To sense the needle piercing the dermalyer of the skin this well.
¡°You said it would take 5 hours, but it only took 3 hours. Two back-to-back surgeries at that. As expected of Last Choi.¡±
¡°If others didn¡¯t make any mistakes, at least 10 minutes could be saved ¡..¡±
Mid-conversation, Dowook quickly turned his eyes away.
Chapter 7: Doctor Park Dowook(7)
¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dr. An. I didn¡¯t mean to disregard your words.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. We all survived thanks to you, Dr. Park. You¡¯re a life-savior.¡±
¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t he say that to make everyone return to their senses? He wouldn¡¯t have killed someone due to a mistake in the operating room, right?¡±
¡°Oh my. Dr. Park didn¡¯t write a will before entering the surgery, huh?¡±
¡°Whaaat?¡±
The atmosphere in the room rxed once more with the nursesughing at An Hosan¡¯s joke.
The nerves which had been standing on end as he fixed the skull te back in and sutured the scalp slowly disappeared. The lights and what-not also couldn¡¯t be seen.
¡®What¡¯s wrong with me? It felt like my hands were Last Choi¡¯s.¡¯
Dowook let out a forcedugh. It was certainly because he was so sleepy. That was the only reasonable exnation. Or else he¡¯d have to be hospitalized in a mental institution.
Shhhhhhh.
There was someone who slowly approached Prof. Choi who was washing his hands at the entrance of D-rosette.
¡°Prof. Choiii~~¡±
At the gossipy call, Prof. Choi turned his head slightly.
¡°Chief, why are you still here at this hour?¡±
¡°The vice-president¡¯s orders. I guess you could say it¡¯s hospital politics.¡±
¡°I heard Hong Jin Gu tried to embarrass me and left.¡±
¡°Why is that ¡®yeot¡¯? Is a patient food?¡±
[T/N: It doesn¡¯t trante very well in English, but in Korean, ¡®yeot meog ida,¡¯ which means to humiliate/irritate someone, literally means ¡°to feed someone yeot¡± but yeot is also a type of traditional snack. So they¡¯re talking about different yeot.)
Ha Sang Joong came and stood close to Choi Hoo.
¡°Anyway, how was the assistant today? He might be a little clumsy, but he¡¯s a promising kid. He¡¯s going to be a fellow next year so I had him ¡®debut¡¯ a bit extravagantly so don¡¯t be too hard on him.¡±
¡°During the surgery, there wereplications and that resulted in blocked coronary arteries. We had to perform a second surgery.¡±
¡°What? But you already came out? Did the patient die?¡±
Choi Hoo gave the wide-eyed Ha Sang Joong a short reply.
¡°He is alive.¡±
¡°Whew, and I was worried. As expected of the hospital¡¯s best surgeon. Wait. That means you sutured the cerebral artery, then you sutured the carotid artery, right? But, all that in 3 hours?¡±
¡°It¡¯s not because of me."
¡°I¡¯m not ming anyone, Prof. Choi.¡±
Choi Hoo stood at the entrance of D-rosette after shaking off the water from his hands.
¡°Hong Jin Gu¡¯s substitute. Please don¡¯t send anyone other than Park Dowook.¡±
¡°I got it. I¡¯ll find a way to quickly ¡.. Huh? Our Dowook?¡±
¡°Is there another Park Dowook in our hospital? I¡¯m leaving first.¡±
Drrrk.
Ha Sang Joong couldn¡¯t close his open mouth until Choi Hoo disappeared from his sight.
Dowook,ing out from the operating room, stopped in ce after meeting the snooping Ha Sang Joong.
¡°What are you doing here, sir?¡±
¡°Are you finished? How¡¯s the patient?¡±
¡°Finishing up inside and about toe out.¡±
When the intern and circting nurse pushed the cart out, Chief Ha stuck beside Dowook.
¡°Dowook, we have a big problem.¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t say the specifics in front of so many people. Come to my office right after you finish transferring the patient.¡±
The passing An Hosan bowed to Chief Ha.
¡°Oh, you¡¯ve worked hard, too, Dr. An. Dowook, you heard me, right?¡±
Chief Ha reminded him one more time before leaving the operating ward.
¡®I wonder what that¡¯s all about.¡¯
A few momentster, Dowook spoke in front of the patient who had safely arrived at the ICU.
¡°Check the patient¡¯s vitals every 10 minutes until he wakes up. After that, check every hour. I¡¯ll call and inform the patient¡¯s legal guardian.¡±
¡°Yes. Thank you for the hard work, doctor.¡±
Dowook waved at the intern and went to the locker room to change his clothes. Looking at the clock, it was 6:30 in the morning. He had spent the night with a very full schedule.
Dowook turned on his phone and checked the messages he¡¯d received from Seong Chang Soo during the surgery.
[The runaway patient seemed to have removed the needle in the bathroom. It seemed it didn¡¯t hurt. The police called and said they still don¡¯t know where he went. We know who he is though.]
Dowook called right away.
¡°Chang Soo.¡±
-Yeah. You were in surgery?
¡°Just finished. Who is it, the patient?¡±
-They said it¡¯s someone who¡¯s managing a neuroscience center in Gangnam. The person who reported the incident seemed to have left the patient¡¯s wallet with the police. Name¡¯s Ji Gang Cheol. Some kind of professor.
¡°Ji Gang Cheol? Do you know anything else about him?¡±
After hearing a sound from the other line, Seong Chang Soo replied.
-I don¡¯t know either. They just called back. The police sergeant said if the amount owed isn¡¯t that big, we should just leave it be.
¡°I can¡¯t just leave it alone. Transfer the patient¡¯s file to our department. We¡¯ll take care of it.¡±
-Why all of a sudden?
¡°Something came up so I think I really need to find this patient."
Dowook clenched and unclenched his fists as he thought of the strange experience of being able to feel the workings of his nervous system.
Who would believe him?
-Your voice sounds really serious. There¡¯s nothing truly wrong, right?
¡°I¡¯m trying to find out. I¡¯m hanging up first.¡±
Dowook swiped his phone¡¯s screen and opened the Inte browser. Then he searched for ¡®Professor Ji Gang Cheol.¡¯
There were a few articles and a video.
[Bankrupt Center. The Fall of the Doctor who Dreamed of Bing the Second Han Jungwoo]
[Famous Doctor, Known as the Leader in Brain Neurological Research, Charged with Fraud]
Somehow, the situation didn¡¯t look good.
Dowook clicked on the video.
In it, he saw the man in a clean suit looking very different from how he looked in the emergency room.
¡°Humans are jealous animals.¡±
Ji Gang Cheol standing on the podium started talking.
¡°If you see someone who is better at sports or studying or someone who is good at making things or better-witted, how do you feel?¡±
He looked at the audience while walking leisurely around the podium.
¡°You wonder what on earth they ate to grow so well. In front of someone you can¡¯t win against even if you tried, one even feels despair.¡±
Once he took a deep breath, he spoke with shining eyes.
¡°What if, just what if. Although you aren¡¯t born special, you end up being especially tall, how would you feel, everyone?¡±
¡®This. He¡¯s speaking in a roundabout way, but it''s simr to the phenomena I experienced in the operating room.¡¯
Matching Choi Hoo¡¯s pace and making use of his sense was exactly what the ¡®special height¡¯ mentioned in the video was.
But how?
Dowook looked at his hands carefully.
¡°Come out, yap.¡±
Although he did something embarrassing, he didn¡¯t feel anything weird from his outstretched hands.
Vrrrr.
[You¡¯re noting? It''s urgent.]
Chief Ha¡¯s message appeared on his phone.
Dowook put on a white coat and quickly headed for the neurosurgery department¡¯s chief¡¯s office on the 5th floor.
Knock, knock.
¡°It¡¯s Park Dowook.¡±
¡°Come in quickly. Quickly.¡±
Opening the door, he could see Chief Ha seated while leaning on the sofa. As soon as Dowook sat on the opposite sofa, Chief Ha asked him with wide eyes.
¡°Did you make a big mistake in the surgery room?¡±
¡°Uhhh¡¡ nothing special happened.¡±
¡°Then why did Choi Hoo want you to be his assistant?¡±
¡°Me?¡±
Dowook also became dumbfounded.
¡°Listen carefully, Dowook. Get dispatched to a rural hospital for about a week. I¡¯ll pacify him well and find a recement for Hong Jin Gu. This time I¡¯ll arrange for a saint-like one who canst a year.¡±
¡°Do we have to do so much?¡±
¡°This guy. Anyone who got picked like this by Choi Hoo couldn¡¯tst a month before running away.¡±
¡°The thing is, chief.¡±
Dowook asked with a serious expression.
¡°Don¡¯t you think he asked for me because I did well?¡±
¡°¡¡.¡±
There was silence for a while in the chief¡¯s office. Chief Ha asked as if he hadn¡¯t heard.
¡°Listen well, Dowook. For about a week¡..¡±
¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±
¡°Wook?¡±
¡°Prof. Chois¡¯ skills that I saw in the operating room were too much like a work of art for me to escape in fear.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll do it?¡±
Dowook thought about what he earned and what he lost. It might not be good for his mental health but to lose the chance to learn from such a talented doctor seemed more like a waste.
¡°I¡¯ll do it. Don¡¯t ask me a third time. I¡¯ll just get worried.¡±
Chief Ha stared at Dowook in surprise.
¡°This guy. You really want to grow as a surgeon. Wook!¡±
¡°There¡¯s no need to be so grand¡. Why are you about to cry?¡±
¡°The guy, who shaved patients with shaking hands, is all grown up and willing to enter hell and learn from Choi Hoo¡. I did a great job teaching a student.¡±
It had been a while since his teacher had looked at him with so much pride. Dowook scratched his chin.
¡°Then it¡¯s all finished, right? I¡¯ll wrap up and go home.¡±
¡°¡¡¡ That¡¯s not gonna work, you brat.¡±
¡°Why the sudden change in attitude?
Chief Ha, who changed from about to cry to disdain, pushed a document in Dowook¡¯s direction.
¡°The sin you have created, you must fix before you can leave.¡±
¡°What sin?¡±
Dowook looked at the document and paused. It was the chart of the VIP who was brought from the hotel yesterday.
¡°Do a thorough physical examination.¡±
¡°We can make the others do it in the morning.¡±
¡°How can we do that? That seems too thoughtless. A rted party must be there. The vice-dean said he¡¯ll be here by 1 PM. Make sure it¡¯s all done before then. Make detailed notes. I¡¯m gonna pass out until then.¡±
Chief Hay down on the sofa and covered himself with a nket. Dowook grabbed the back of his head.
¡°You said I¡¯m all grown up? You said you took good care of me?¡±
¡°Ahem.¡±
¡°Chief!¡±
¡ª¨C
sync : ¡®Choi Hoo¡¯s¡¯ surgery skills
action : senses sharpen as to allow one to suture capiries
Chapter 8: What day, what time (1)
Very different from the noisy and busy wards below, the VIP ward at 8 in the morning was quiet.
Leaning on the reception desk, Dowook watched as carts more suited for hotel room service went into each room.
Patients whoined that the intravenous injection was painful or those who wanted to be looked after first could not be seen and everything was peaceful.
Moreover¨C
¡®Did they collect all the good-looking people in the hospital here?¡¯
He shouldn¡¯t have tried to find a blind date from outside the hospital.
The VIP ward was a ce only for the famous doctors so everyone there was someone he¡¯d seen for the first time.
The nurse sitting at the desk lifted her head.
¡°The patient in Room 2007 is ready now.¡±
¡°Can I just go right in?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Dowook checked the chart he¡¯d brought with him one more time as he walked to Rm. 2007.
Lim So Yool. Age 27.
She had surgery to remove a benign neurocal cyst at the age of 17 and was diagnosed withplete recovery.
The primary diagnosis given yesterday by the vice-president and a neurosurgeon was the recurrence of cysts.
The area where the cyst might ur couldn¡¯t be seen through the CT scan so today, they nned to perform a full physical exam.
Knock. Knock.
The door to Rm. 2007 opened and a woman in herte-20s could be seen.
¡°Pleasee i¡.. Huh?¡±
The secretary from the hotel recognized Dowook and lowered her head slightly.
Following the secretary into the room, Dowook discovered a pile of documents in the parlor area.
There were signs of someone who¡¯d worked overtime and there were bundles of paper heaped up here and there.
¡°Miss Secretary, you seem to have had a lot of work to dost night.¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Tap.
While they were talking, there was a sound of another bundle of paper falling onto the floor.
The secretary smiled awkwardly.
¡°As you can see.¡±
¡°Did she not sleep at all?¡±
Dowook quickly moved into the inner room.
Leaning on pillows, Lim So Yool was intently writing. She seemed to be dissatisfied with something as she ripped the sheet and scrunched it with one hand.
Swish-
The ball of paper she had thrown without thought hit Dowook right in the middle of his forehead. It made Dowook, who¡¯d been approaching, forget what he wanted to say.
Realizing the situation after the act, Lim So Yool¡¯s eyes were full of embarrassment.
¡°Are you alright?¡±
¡°I¡¯m fi¡. Ah. That was what I was about to ask you.¡±
Dowook scratched his itchy forehead and stood beside Lim So Yool.
¡°Did you stay up all night when you¡¯ve shown signs of migraine? You probably haven¡¯t fully recovered yet.¡±
¡°I¡¯m quite used to migraines since I have to think about a lot of things.¡±
As Dowook was looking over the patient who looked less pale than yesterday, his sight went toward her ears.
¡°I guess that¡¯s why you experience glucose deficiency as well?¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
Lim So Yool didn¡¯t seem to have understood the question. Dowook pointed at the chupa chups she had hooked behind her ear.
¡°I didn¡¯t think that was prescribed by your doctor.¡±
¡°Oh dear.¡±
Surprised, Lim So Yool hid the lollipop under her nket.
Thinking that a love of sweets wasn¡¯t something to be embarrassed about, Dowook received a confirmation of the fact from the secretary.
¡°Director, the water has been boiled. How much honey would you like in your tea? Three spoons as usual?¡±
Looking back and forth between the parlor and Dowook, Lim So Yool seemed to have given up and bit her lips.
¡°Put in plenty.¡±
She seemed to really love sweets.
¡°What about you, doctor?¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±
A momentter.
Holding a mug giving off a sweet scent, Lim So Yool disyed gratitude over the events of yesterday.
¡°The hotel visit didn¡¯t be useless due to you, doctor. I didn¡¯t want to repeat the trip.¡±
He¡¯d felt the same at the hospital, but Dowook thought that she was very different from his normal patients.
Instead of being thankful for reducing the pain she was in or taking care of her in a dangerous situation, she was grateful for his help in firing the manager.
¡°If you don¡¯t listen to your doctor¡¯s advice, a dangerous ident like yesterday may happen again.¡±
¡°This is safe for me. Though you might not agree.¡±
A profound answer.
As if under a spell, Dowook couldn¡¯t look away from her, who was prettier than any of the nurses in the VIP ward.
¡®She is certainly not someone living a normal life.¡¯
Taking a sip of her tea, Lim So Yool turned to look at the chart Dowook had brought.
¡°Were you able to find the reason why I fainted? This isn¡¯t something one can find out exactly, is it?¡±
At the question full of hidden meaning, Dowook coughed forcefully.
¡°Since it¡¯s a case where you¡¯ve had a neurenteric cyst removed with full recovery and there hasn¡¯t been a situation of recurrence normally, we are still trying to find the reason.¡±
¡°Normally?¡±
Putting down the mug, Lim So Yool looked at Dowook coldly.
¡°You are saying the same things as the doctor who performed the surgery on me 10 years ago. Normally. Without even knowing what that means.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t say it with any special meaning.¡±
Grabbing the notepad, she started writing something.
¡°No. ¡®Normally¡¯ means the medium of the usual. You don¡¯t want to admit it but it is within the possibilities. Doctor, you have just told me that the chance of being cured is very low.¡±
Riiiiip.
Ripping out a sheet of paper, this time Lim So Yool didn¡¯t throw it but handed it to him and asked.
¡°So. Why did youe here without an answer?¡±
Bang-bang-bang.
Dowook watched Lim So Yool slowly entering the MRI machine and opened the note he¡¯d received from her.
¡®What was the name of this graph again?¡¯
Although he had been focused in the sciences for a long time, science and math were slightly different fields.
¡°Oh right. Gaussian distribution!¡±
¡°What are you talking about, Dr. Park?¡±
¡°It¡¯s nothing, sir.¡±
The radiologist, Jeong Siho, pointed at the monitor showing the patient¡¯s brain scan.
¡°The forebrain looks clean. You said it was a rare cyst?¡±
¡°It¡¯s still a presumptive evaluation.¡±
Dowook stared at the graph for a long time before asking Jeong Siho for help.
¡°Doctor. What if. There is an article that precisely calcted the probability of the urrence and treatment of a disease. Whether a person dies or lives. Do you think we would be able to tell from that?¡±
¡°What nonsense are you talking about? We absolutely don¡¯t tell even a terminal patient how long they can survive. There¡¯s no way to tell that for certain.¡±
¡°Right?¡±
However, what was written on the paper was exactly that.
An analysis of all the reported cases of neuro-oncology from around the world. Recurrence rate. Its median value. This Gaussian distribution stated that the perfect cure rate in the world was normally 5.11%.
¡®This is a situation of just predicting a negative outlook.¡¯
A while after the MRI scan had started, Jeong Siho turned his head with a big yawn.
¡°The brain of such a famous patient seems to be the same as everyone else¡¯s.¡±
¡°Is she famous?¡±
¡°Oh? You don¡¯t know? She was on the first page of the business news. She¡¯s the Chief Financial Adviser of Europe¡¯s ZQ investment group.¡±
The investment section was not something of interest to a 4th-year resident who was busy keeping afloat.
¡°No matter thepany, she can predict exactly what day and time it will go bankrupt after scanning its financial data. Genius ountant, I think is what they call her.¡±
¡°She wasn¡¯t an executive of the Millenium Hotel?¡±
¡°That ce was recently taken over by ZQ. She¡¯s probably higher up than the executive of the hotel.¡±
She was a patient in an amazing position.
Chapter 9: What day, what time(2)
2 hourster.
All scans were finished after and even the cerebral vascrization was checked.
[TN: cerebral vascrization- Blood flow to the brain.]
¡°The location of the cyst is really awkward. I¡¯ll upload it to the VIP chart as well.¡±
¡°Thank you for the hard work, doctor.¡±
Dowook pressed on the mic connected to the MRI room and spoke.
¡°The scans are finished. It was hard, wasn¡¯t it?¡±
-Being in an enclosed area was a bit stuffy, is there anywhere I can get some air?
At Lim So Yool¡¯s request for a break, Dowook steered her wheelchair to the indoor garden on the 3rd floor.
¡°We¡¯re here.¡±
¡°Wow.¡±
Lim So Yool tilted her head to the sky as she entered the garden with natural light.
While she was stretching her arms with a smile on her face, Dowook kept thinking about the note.
¡®That means she spent the whole night looking for each rted case of tumor.¡¯
All the documents piled on the table were about neurenteric cysts. Dowook thought it was her way of showing her unease.
¡°Doc!¡±
At the petnt voice, Dowook turned his head. He saw a boy about 10 years old riding a skateboard on the smooth pavement of the garden.
The boy had recently had a nerve resection and was currently undergoing rehabilitation training.
¡°Did you get permission to ride that?¡±
¡°Of course. There¡¯s a nurse over there, too.¡±
Checking to see a nurse watching, Dowook paid attention to the kid who¡¯d gotten a nerve resection for the wrist. His movement was quite good.
¡°Ride slowly. Don¡¯t remove your helmet just because it¡¯s hot. Just because the pain¡¯s gone, doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re all better.¡±
¡°Ahum, nagger. I¡¯ve wonpetitions before.¡±
¡°Na-what? Use nice words, brat.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t even know how to ride, Doc!¡±
The boy stuck his tongue out and disappeared with a light twist of his body.
Having been soaking in the sunlight, Lim So Yool kept her eyes closed and asked.
¡°What tests do we still need to do?¡±
¡°Cerebral artery ultrasound and one more blood test. We can do them all in your ward so it should be morefortable than now.¡±
¡°After we finish with them, can we determine the cause, usually?¡±
She was talking about the average mean. Taking the note and looking at it once more, Dowook answered slowly.
¡°Since we¡¯ve found the location of the cyst, skilled professors will analyze it urately.¡±
At this moment, that was all he could tell her. She seemed to know this and stopped asking difficult questions.
¡®As long as we smoothly pass over things¡.¡±
It was at that moment he organized his thoughts.
Euk.
There was a sudden tingle, and his fingertips turned numb.
A mysterious light undted in his sight and down his nerves, the same phenomenon he experienced in the operating room happened again.
Dowook wondered if Choi Hoo suddenly appeared and looked around to check.
In that moment, the light passed through his brain and the weird sensation focused on the hand holding the note.
¡®Why is this happening?¡¯
Dowook¡¯s eyes stopped on Lim So Yool who had her eyes closed.
This sensation. Somehow felt as if he had a connection with her.
Different from just a moment ago, the graph and numbers felt very familiar. His fingertips prompted him with the idea that he could add something to the paper.
¡®Let¡¯s check, shall we?¡¯
Putting the note on the chart file, he took out the pen from his coat pocket. As if it had been waiting for it, his hand automatically drew a line.
¡®¡¡!¡¯
This was just the start.
The real time data he¡¯d seen in the examination room was reced by forms Dowook didn¡¯t know and were recorded on the paper without rest.
¡®I don¡¯t understand it, but I have a sense for it. What am I doing?¡¯
He recalled the voice of the lecturer from the video talking about this ¡®special sense.¡¯
Scribble. Scribble.
His hand moved faster than his eyes could follow and continued to fill the paper with numbers.
¡°Doc! Skate!¡±
¡°What?¡±
The skateboard the boy had been riding slowly came closer to where Dowook was standing.
As soon as he saw it, his left leg started cramping.
Tapping the end of the approaching skateboard with his foot, he deftly turned the direction the board was facing with a touch to the lifted head.
Stepping on the board going in the opposite direction as if it were a habit, Dowook slid beside the child without meaning to.
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°Woah~ Doc, you know how to skate?¡±
¡°Did I? Not really¡. This too?¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Just a sec.¡±
Dowook sped up one more time. For some reason, he had confidence that allowed his legs to bnce without tripping.
As he was skating, he felt as if he could do more and a tingle gathered at the tip of his feet. Just like a while ago, Dowook gave over control of his body to the sensation.
A jump bnced on his left foot.
The board rotated 360 degrees in the air as he twisted his right foot lightly.
Whirl, tap.
He stepped off the board that seemed to be stuck to his body like a ma and came to a stop. The boy who¡¯d been following him stared with his mouth open.
¡°Kickflip! Wow, Doc. You have some skills, huh?¡±
Having managed to perform a more difficult trick than he¡¯d expected, Dowook was also a bit surprised.
¡°I can ¡¡. No, you can ride quite well.¡±
¡°I can ride well like I said. Doc, can you do a tre-flip, too?¡±
¡°If you can do it.¡±
¡°What are you talking about?¡±
Dowook looked at his hands and feet with a nk expression on his face. He couldn¡¯t consider it a delusion anymore.
The professor in the video was telling the truth, and he was currently making use of Lim So Yool¡¯s and the boy¡¯s sensations. This was a pretty rational decision.
¡®¡¡.or I¡¯ve really lost my mind.¡¯
While Dowook was doing tricks on the skateboard, the piece of paper from the file chart was swept away by a breeze.
The paper attempted to fly low and smoothly settled on Lim So Yool¡¯s cheek.
¡°Huh?¡±
She opened her eyes and as she looked in the direction the paper came from, she realized that it was her note.
¡°Poisson?¡±
A probability distribution dealing with rare events.
Including the results of the tests taken today, the existing graph was delicately expanded. If one followed this Poisson distribution, the median value of the treatment¡¯s sess increased by 5.59%.
¡°Even so, it''s just 10.7%¡.¡±
This much was not enough to mention sess. However, the median value had changed.
A normal person changed that number by themself.
¡°¡¡.how interesting.¡±
Lim So Yool smiled slightly.
¡°Doc, if you keep learning, you might be an athlete.¡±
¡°I have no interest. The nurse is calling you. Is it time for your shots?¡±
¡°Eugh~ don''t wanna.¡±
After sending the child away, Dowook turned his head. Then he stopped.
Seeing the paper that should have been in the chart being held in Lim So Yool¡¯s hand, he made an excuse.
¡°I didn¡¯t mean to scribble on your note.¡±
¡°Thank you for the answer.¡±
¡°What?¡±
2:00 PM, Room 2007
¡°The size of the neurenteric cyst existing in the patient¡¯s brain is quite small. Radiation and chemotherapy seem ineffective, and we do not rmend surgery until the cyst grows to a bigger size.¡±
When Chief Ha Sang Joong¡¯s exnation finished, Lim So Yool who was sitting on the bed asked.
¡°Is there a way to cut it out?¡±
¡°The damage to the normal tissue would be greater than to the tumor. Since the tumor is benign, the best we can do is to watch its progress.¡±
Lim So Yool turned her gaze to the documents about the brain tumor she had spent the night looking through.
¡°That¡¯s a ratherplicated way of informing me that there is nothing the hospital can do.¡±
As soon as the VIP patient showed signs of disappointment, the vice dean cut in.
¡°It only recurred after 10 years. The cause is cerebral meningitis. As long as the immune system and overall health are kept an eye on, the chance of problems urring is very low. Lower than getting a cold.¡±
¡°Probability?¡±
Lim So Yool¡¯s thin eyebrows furrowed into a slight frown.
Standing in a corner of the room full of professors and the vice dean, Dowook could not advise him that talking about numbers in front of that woman would not go well.
She asked the vice dean another question.
¡°Which sample group was used to draw that conclusion?¡±
¡°There¡¯s no need for a sample group. A case like this is rather rare. However, all the hospital¡¯s oncologists¡¯ opinions do not differ from mine.¡±
¡°Is that the only diagnosis? That I need to know.¡±
¡°As of the moment.¡±
¡°All right.¡±
Nodding her head, Lim So Yool calmly chose the option that made everyone flinch.
¡°I cannot continue living with the cause of an ident like yesterday remaining in my head. Secretary Ok, look for another hospital that can perform the surgery.¡±
The secretary asked back in surprise.
¡°Ri-right now?¡±
¡°Now.¡±
At her choice, the vice dean became flustered.
¡°You haven¡¯t fully recovered from the infection in your brain. If you could at least wait until that is taken care of¡..¡±
Dowook realized that there was only onenguage that could be used to convince her who had made up her mind.
Leaving things as it was didn¡¯t seem like a good idea so he held a pen in his hand. Then he took a piece of paper from the parlor¡¯s table.
¡®Hope this works!¡¯
The thought probably didn¡¯t have anything to do with it, but a tingling sensation passed through his right hand.
Having the origin of the sensation nearby seemed to make it work more easily.
¡°How dangerous is brain infection? Is the probability of this also quite low? Why do you keep trying to keep me here with such ambiguous answers?¡±
The moment everyone in the room fell into silence.
¡°¡¡ if you leave in your current state, there is a 37.5% chance of experiencing at least dizziness and at most fainting. There is no error range.¡±
At the sudden noise, everyone turned to look at the parlor.
Chapter 10: What day, what time(3)
Dowook looked at the forms he didn¡¯t know the name of and numbers written on the paper.
Although he hadn¡¯t figured out everything about the ¡®special sense,¡¯ he was sure of this one thing.
The other person¡¯s unique sense was naturally reproduced as if it were his own. Professor Choi¡¯s surgery skill and the boy¡¯s skateboarding skill were the same.
However, unlike the previous two senses, the reasoning behind Lim So Yool¡¯s sense that could perform such things on paper was something he had no idea how to exin.
Having acted as if she would have left right the moment, Lim So Yool suddenly became quiet and looked at Dowook.
¡°Is there any proof?¡±
There was. Right in this hand.
Dowook squeezed in between the professors and went into the room to pass the paper to her.
¡°First, please look at this.¡±
While she was looking at the content of the paper, the vice dean asked in a low voice.
¡°What did you just say a while ago?¡±
¡°I calcted the standard deviation. There were 22 cases simr to Director Lim¡¯s where a slight shock, cough, sneeze worsened the patient¡¯s condition. It ounts for 37.5% of the total sample.¡±
Dowook merely exined what he understood from the many numbers. Recalling the blurry memories of high school, he tortured his brain cells to understand even that much.
After quickly checking things over, Lim So Yool turned her head. Everyone held their breath while waiting for her answer.
¡°It¡¯s a neat Bartlett variance. Thank you for showing it to me.¡±
¡®Bart ¡..what?¡¯
Dowook hid his fluster and nodded his head. What did it matter as long as she understood? Since he¡¯d already borrowed her senses, he mentioned one more thing he understood from what he wrote on the paper.
¡°The vice dean''s words were also not wrong. Director Lim¡¯s cyst itself is a rare congenital lesion and none of them recur like this. If we are talking about a sample group with simr nerve tumors, your chance of seizures will drop to 1%.¡±
¡°It¡¯s 1.13%¡±
¡°Ah, 1.13%¡±
He¡¯d felt it at the hotel as well, but rounding up numbers did not work with this woman.
Unable to follow the conversation, the vice-dean stealthily took a step back. Then he sent Dowook a sign to keep going with his eyes.
Under the eyes of the ufortable professors in charge of the VIP ward, Dowook expressed the conclusion he came up with thanks to the numbers.
¡°The decision to stay with the medical staff until Director Lim¡¯s condition has a recurrence rate of 1.13% or to proceed with a fatality of 37.5%. That is the choice the current Myeong Sae Hospital can give you.¡±
The eyes that glistened with frost turned to Dowook. In those eyes, the disappointment from before could no longer be seen.
¡°I understand. Secretary Ok, postpone looking for a hospital to perform the surgery. I apologize to the other professors for the confusion. I¡¯m sorry.¡±
The vice-dean sighed in relief and patted Dowook in the back for the good work. Meanwhile, Lim So Yool pointed out the piece of paper.
¡°You didn¡¯t try to find out the chance of sess of trying the surgery with Bartlett''s. Is the probability of sess so low?¡±
There was no doctor in the room who knew what Bartlett was. That was why everyone¡¯s sight turned to Dowook.
¡®Damn it.¡¯
Dowook sighed quietly.
¡°That is¡¡¡±
He tried to make use of her number ability one more time.
A tickling sensation like it was something he might know flinched all over his nerves.
¡®Ah.¡¯
Fortunately, he understood one thing.
¡°Reliability. The amount of damage to the brain tissue after surgery, how many aftereffects the surgery would have. These are not something that can be shown with numbers since it is all up to the neurosurgeon¡¯s skills. So I couldn''t verify it.¡±
¡°If the neurosurgeon¡¯s performance deviation is the number one factor in verification, then the most skilled doctor should perform the surgery to reduce the aftereffects.¡±
Although he seeded in answering, her reaction weighed on his mind. Dowook asked with a serious expression.
¡°You are not considering the doctor¡¯s rmendation to watch how things go?¡±
¡°If there is even a 1.13% chance of recurrence, then yes. I cannot consider it.¡±
Dowook was not sure of the correct answer as he had never been in the position of a patient who had to live with a congenital condition.
Lim So Yool, who was looking at the doctors with a more satisfied look than at the beginning, suddenly spoke as if she just remembered.
¡°While I was searching for articles yesterday, I found some mention that Myeong Sae Hospital has the best neurosurgeon in the country.¡±
The vice-dean answered this right away.
¡°If you are talking about Prof. Choi, you are correct.¡±
¡°Then please see if I can have my surgery performed by him. Then we will talk again.¡±
Leaving the VIP room, the vice president clicked his tongue.
¡°Chief Ha. Did you have to speak so coldly from the start? You could have said it a bit more gently.¡±
¡°It¡¯s the truth so what can we do about it? If we talk about the size, it isn¡¯t dangerous. Rmending surgery to a patient who doesn¡¯t need it simply puts them in more danger.¡±
The vice dean entered the elevator first. Other than Chief Ha, the professors who followed all kept their heads bowed.
¡°Schedule it as soon as you can.¡±
The doors closed.
Sighing, Chief Ha turned to look at a professor from the brain tumor center.
¡°What do you think about this, Prof. Kim?¡±
¡°I also think surgery would cause more damage, but the patient¡¯s opinion is also important. Having surgery wouldn¡¯t cause a huge amount of damage either.¡±
¡°If performing brain surgery isn¡¯t a huge deal, what is?¡±
¡°I¡¯m just saying.¡±
¡°You¡¯re just trying to find a way out of this. What about you, Prof. Lee?¡±
The head of the oncology department, Lee Kang San turned to look at the VIP room and answered.
¡°The patient says she finds it moreforting. We should listen to her. And someone like Choi Hoo can do it with barely any damage as well.¡±
¡°You guys probably don¡¯t know. But Choi Hoo doesn¡¯t perform surgery unless the patient is in a life or death situation!¡±
¡°Even when Chief Ha tells him to?¡±
¡°No matter who tells him to!¡±
The vice-dean wanted to keep the VIP patient, however, if they couldn¡¯t perform the surgery, the patient would leave.
Ruffling his hair at the ironic situation, Chief Ha saw his dozing student, Park Dowook, standing far away. First, he should finish the things he could do.
¡°Dowook, you did good today. Hurry and go home.¡±
¡°Hoooo¡Chief. I¡¯m about to pass out¡.¡±
¡°Before you go, ask Prof. Choi if he can perform Lim So Yool¡¯s surgery.¡±
¡°Ok. After that I can¡.¡±
Dowook, who¡¯d been blinking his sleepily, suddenly opened his eyes wide.
¡°I have to ask?¡±
¡°Then who should ask? Choi Hoo¡¯s surgery schedule, you who will now be his assistant should take care of it.¡±
Hearing that Dowook was Choi Hoo¡¯s assistant, the professors simultaneously moved.
Chapter 11: What day, what time(4)
¡°He¡¯s Prof. Choi¡¯s assistant? What about Dr. Hong? Did he quit or was he fired?¡±
¡°Is it someone skilled or nice this time?¡±
The interest from those at least 15 years his senior became deeper. Chief Ha made them back off by waving his hands.
¡°Hey. Stop showing so much interest in the neurosurgery department. Dowook, go ahead and call. Call.¡±
Suddenly wide awake, Dowook stopped his shaking and pressed the number.
Click.
¡°¡¡.. Professor?¡±
After a short while, Dowook put down his phone.
¡°Why? What did he say?¡±
¡°He said he¡¯s in his office. He said he can¡¯t answer the phone for long so he said I should go and talk to him. I¡¯ll go over first and call youter.¡±
When Dowook pressed the elevator button, Chief Ha made a request.
¡°When you inform him about the patient, don¡¯t even mention the special rtions with the vice dean and the VIP patient. It doesn¡¯t work. If he gets angry about taking such a case to him, tell him I sent you. I¡¯ll back you up.¡±
At the reassuring but ominous advice, he smiled bitterly. While the elevator wasing up, he could hear the conversation of the professors behind him.
¡°Does hein to you too, Chief Ha?¡±
¡°Choi Hooins to everyone in a fair manner.¡±
Dowook stood in front of the office with a namete, ¡®Professor Choi Hoo¡¯, and tried to gather his nerves.
What he¡¯d heard from Chief Ha a moment ago were things Dowook had already overheard before. A tendency to only perform surgery on patients in danger. The problem with this case was that it was not detrimental to one¡¯s life.
¡®How can I say this so he gets less mad?¡¯
Knock knock.
¡°Professor. It¡¯s Park Dowook.¡±
¡°It¡¯s open.¡±
As soon as he opened the door, the unique smell of disinfection from operating rooms that came from the room stung the tip of his nose.
It was totally different from the offices of other professors. The walls were lined with all kinds of dummies and the table in the middle was surprisingly the operating table itself.
Surgery training room.
If it weren¡¯t for the name on the door, that was what Dowook would have called this ce.
Prof. Choi asked Dowook, who¡¯d wanted to inform him about the case right away.
¡°You said your fellowship starts from next year?¡±
¡°Yes, Professor.¡±
¡°Two months. Hong Jin Gu¡¯s desk was over there. You can make use of it before then.¡±
Dowook¡¯s eyes turned to a dreary corner with two desks. One was probably Prof. Choi¡¯s.
Somehow it seemed more inferior than the ones shared by the hospital staff.
¡®What is he still working on?¡¯
Looking at Prof. Choi¡¯s hands, Dowook¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.
Underneath OP drapes, a model simr to a person¡¯s head was now undergoing suture surgery.
¡°It¡¯s very sophisticated.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a prototype from a team at the University of Rochester. Aside from the blood vessels being stronger than real ones, it¡¯s better than practicing with animal tissue.¡±
Tying the thread, Prof. Choi stopped moving his hands. Seeing him wait a bit for the suction then resume moving, Dowook realized he was training.
¡®He does this even on weekends? Doesn¡¯t he go home?¡¯
Dowook was already afraid of what his life would be like after he started working as the professor¡¯s assistant.
The beautiful hand movements of Choi Hoo practicing with a 6mm needle without a microscope continued. Dowook was sucked in by it and focused his sight.
Zaaaap.
The special height that he¡¯d gotten used to after a few times started to work.
A surgery to repair a burst cerebral artery.
The process of fine sutures spiraling through the blood vessel was something he felt with his fingertips before he saw it.
At this part, one should hold onto the outer membrane tissue and pull the thread tight. At that part, one should push the nerve plexus gently and pull the thread lightly.
Simply being able to understand the reasoning behind Choi Hoo¡¯s actions while he was fixing the broken blood vessel was something that brought Dowook joy.
What was the reason why?
Dowook subconsciously lifted the scissors used to cut suture threads at the end of the surgery.
¡°Should I cut?¡±
Choi Hoo nodded slightly.
Clip. clip.
In the midst of the simtion with an assistant joining in, the timing for virtual suction came. Using that gap, Prof. Choi asked.
¡°Why were you looking for me?¡±
¡°Oh. That.¡±
He¡¯d been so focused on Prof. Choi¡¯s ability that Lim So Yool¡¯s case was quickly dismantled and organized in his mind so he managed to speak about it more calmly than he expected.
¡°There¡¯s a patient who wants a 5mm diameter neurocal cyst to be resected without loss.¡±
¡°The location?¡±
¡°In the craniocervical junction.¡±
Hearing that it was at the back of the head, close to the neck vertebrae, Prof. Choi¡¯s answer was expected.
¡°It¡¯s the wrong department. Ask at the stic surgery department.¡±
If one had the technique not to mess with nerve tissue, this was at the level of a double eyelid surgery.
Understanding the sensation, Dowook nodded along to his words before he realized his mistake. He didn¡¯t have to see to know how angry Chief Ha would be if he told him to ¡®look for the stic surgery department.¡¯
He contemted whether to stress the patient¡¯s desperation. Dowook reacted to Professor Choi¡¯s eyes that were focused on the new vessel.
When Dowook threaded a 0.07mm suture thread through a taper cut needle, Prof. Choi watched with interest.
¡°Why are you preparing a cut needle instead of a point needle?¡±
Dowook pointed to the situation on the operating table for Prof. Choi who was referring to the microscopic needle used for vascr anastomosis
¡°Because you were performing the anastomosis assuming he had sclerosis. It¡¯s easier to stitch a calcified aorta with an edged needle.¡±
[TN: anastomosis- connection of two things that are normally diverging.]
[TN: sclerosis- a disease in which the insting covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged.]
Looking at Dowook who¡¯d figured out the target of the sham operation by simply looking at the knots tied, Prof. Choi pointed at a clock on the table.
¡°The patient can only live if we finish the operation in 20 minutes. The blood loss is alreadyrge.¡±
¡°Time¡¯s a bit tight.¡±
¡°It¡¯s usually impossible.¡±
Prof. Choi quickly epted the needle Dowook held out and began a full-fledged anastomosis of blood vessels.
Dowook forgot the real reason he came and started to match the pace of surgery by setting the tools and passing them over.
10 minutester, the scope of the surgery expanded, making it easier to set up the instruments.
¡°Dr. Park should finish up on that side.¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
The removal of the calcified tissue from the hardened vessel led to Choi¡¯s borate sutures. After repeating the same actions 3 more times, Prof. Choi exhaled a long breath.
¡°Surgery is over. The current time is¡.¡±
The two people turned their sights to the clock on the table.
The time they started was 4:05. It was currently 4:24.
¡°19 minutes? Nice!¡±
Dowook clenched his fist in joy.
Then he looked at his hands which were still tingling. When he used Prof. Choi¡¯s surgery skill, he seemed to have lost his mind and focused solely on the patient. Even if it was just a mannequin.
Looking over the perfectly done stitches on the blood vessel, Prof. Choi¡¯s eyes turned to look at the portion in the middle where Dowook started to help him. The reason the impossible became possible was that.
Prof. Choi, who¡¯d been deep in thought, spoke.
¡°About that patient with a neurenteric cyst.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Schedule their operation right away.¡±
¡°Really, sir?¡±
¡°But the surgery will be performed by Dr. Park.¡±
¡°Underst¡. whaat?¡±
Chapter 12: What day, what time(5)
Having not been able to go home in two days and eaten only old jjajangmyeon, Chief Ha dropped his chopsticks at the news Dowook brought over.
¡°Say that again?¡±
¡°He¡¯ll agree, on the condition that I perform the actual surgery¡¡¡±
¡°What will Choi Hoo be doing?¡±
¡°That! He¡¯ll just be the assistant.¡±
Dowook was also flustered as he had no idea why Prof. Choi was doing this.
¡°But why? If he¡¯s not going to do it, then just don¡¯t, just why?¡±
¡°It might be a rash decision, but I think he wants to test my ability.¡±
Chief Ha was more shocked.
¡°Did you get on his bad side already? Isn¡¯t this him trying to find fault in you to kill you? It wasn¡¯t that long ago that he asked you to be his assistant. That Choi Hoo, I¡¯m gonna ¡..!¡±
Chief Ha, who¡¯d just clenched his fist, released it as if he had never done so.
¡°¡¡ he¡¯s too crazy to catch and torture. Since it¡¯s not yet official, let¡¯s go with n B, let¡¯s go to a rural hospital. I¡¯ll use training as an excuse and go for about a month.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think we need to do something so drastic.¡±
¡°What do you mean there¡¯s no need! How can we let a resident open the head of a VIP patient? Is that something a professor should say?¡±
Chief Ha raised his voice and continued to exin since he thought Dowook wasn¡¯t paying attention.
¡°I¡¯m not saying your skills are bad, but the situation is what it is. Having someone who can keep the aftereffects at a minimum is the department¡¯s face. That¡¯s also what the patient wants.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t know that. Oh, that surgery technique without aftereffects¡..¡±
If there was one more thing he figured out about the special height, it was the fact that he could infer the principle in reverse through what he sensed.
It wasn¡¯t easy to understand the calcting ability of a math genius, however, Choi Hoo was different. That¡¯s because he was from the same surgical department.
¡°What Prof. Choi wants is not the area below the nape but the back of the neck. I think he wants to cut the joint and perform the craniotomy himself.¡±
¡°My god, the confidence. If it¡¯s Choi Hoo, he probably won¡¯t even touch the spinal nerve. He is capable of that. But why does he want you to do it, is the question.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡.¡±
Dowook said something that he¡¯d wanted to say since the beginning but didn¡¯t.
¡°I think he recognizes my skills a little.¡±
As expected, a feeling of distrust filled the room.
¡°If you say rubbish in this kind of situation, you¡¯re also crazy. What did you do, you Choi Hoo?¡±
¡°I kept up with his pace pretty well. So he didn¡¯t go ment- ah¡..didn¡¯t scold me too much.¡±
¡°That crazy guy didn¡¯t go mental on you? Why not?¡±
Chief Ha fell into a state of confusion.
¡°So what you¡¯re saying is, Choi Hoo, who recognizes your skill, wants to check how good you are by having you perform the surgery on a VIP patient?¡±
¡°I guess that¡¯s how the conclusion goes?¡±
¡°Brat. What do you think would happen if I conveyed the situation as is to the vice president? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s more convincing to say Choi Hoo went mad?¡±
Dowook scratched his cheek. Prof. Choi¡¯s reputation was certainly the opposite of his skills.
¡°Ok. Let¡¯s say that you¡¯re correct. So what about you? Do you want to do it since Choi Hoo is telling you to?¡±
Of course Dowook wanted to do it.
The boss¡¯s ability to act as if one was simply performing stic surgery where other neurosurgeons would deeply agonize over the aftereffects.
The chance to be the main surgeon with that skill was notmon.
But this was not something a resident like him could decide.
¡°I am simply ying messenger. The choice is up to you, Chief.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not saying you can¡¯t.¡±
Chief Ha asked again with a serious expression.
¡°You really want to do it? If you make a mistake with a VIP patient the vice dean cares so much about, you might even lose your chance for a fellowship. Can you do it with that kind of pressure?¡±
¡°It¡¯s just the prelude. Instead of feeling pressured by the patient¡¯s identity, I should feel it when I¡¯m in front of the operating room.¡±
¡°This brat, saying something so cool suddenly. That¡¯s something only I can do.¡±
Chief Ha became more sure of his decision and looked at Dowook.
The student he¡¯d spent 10 years lovingly teaching was telling him that he wanted to spread his wings and fly. With Choi Hoo on his back. If he didn¡¯t support him at this time, when would he have the opportunity to?
¡°Ok. Let¡¯s do it. Go ask Lim So Yool what she intends to do. If she agrees, I¡¯ll take care of asking the vice dean. No problem, the neurosurgery department is one body.¡±
Not expecting the chief to allow it, Dowook¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.
¡°Are we really trying? Why does it feel like, even you are being audacious, Chief.¡±
¡°Hey! We¡¯re ¡¡¡±
Clearing his throat, Chief Ha spoke in a serious tone.
¡°We¡¯re surgeons, not hard-core office workers ¡¡. Damn it. You did it first, so it¡¯s not working.¡±
¡°Is that really so important right now?¡±
¡°Very. We¡¯re surgeons not some peddler selling this and that ¡¡ hmmm. Peddler gives off an inferior feeling. Then awyer? Reporter? Are analogies really based on timing?¡±
Dowook sighed and went to stand in front of the office door.
¡°Keep thinking about it. I¡¯ll go to the VIP ward ande back.¡±
Myeong Sae Hospital Skylounge.
Lim So Yool¡¯s line of sight was fixed on the window.
Looking down at the city¡¯s nightscape was a good way of passing one¡¯s free time.
¡°Um.¡±
However, it wasn¡¯t easy to do today. Lim So Yool looked down at her left arm which was tingling with pain.
It was hard toin that the long tube dripping fluid into her arm was hurting, but ignoring it as if it didn¡¯t hurt was difficult to do as well.
To think she had to keep it on for 3 more hours. She really wanted something sweet right now.
¡°If you move that, it would hurt more.¡±
Maybe it was because her eyebrows were furrowed, a girl from a nearby table advised her with worry in her voice.
Lim So Yool turned to look at the girl and became solemn.
She hadn¡¯t realized since she wasn¡¯t paying attention to her surroundings. The girl had a portable oxygen tank beside her and a respirator connected to her nose.
¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll stay still.¡±
¡°Where are you sick, unni?¡±
¡°My head. You?¡±
¡°My chest. I''m always out of breath.¡±
She was a cute kid with pretty exotic eyes. Seemingly familiar with diseases, she gave the tip nonchntly and returned to her work without a care.
Lim So Yool looked at the colored pencil the girl was holding. She thought the girl was drawing something, but she wasn¡¯t.
¡°If there are 7 bears and 4 moree¡.¡±
While she was counting, she put down her colored pencil and used all of her tiny fingers. However, before she reached 11, she was met with the reality of having only 10 fingers.
Looking at the child diligently counting, Lim So Yool¡¯s eyes sparkled brightly.
¡°Do you like math?¡±
¡°What¡¯s math?¡±
¡°The one in your book.¡±
¡°But this is Kumon Learning?¡±
This child could not tell the difference between the brand of the workbook and math. Lim So Yool gently looked through the book¡¯s content. It seemed to be a beginner guidebook that taught numeric concepts through pictures.
How to exin so it¡¯s easy to understand? The concept of quantity is probably first?
¡°Math is a way to increase the number of those bears by a lot more.¡±
¡°Many? Then I like it.¡±
A child smiling without any pretense. Lim So Yool smiled as if she had met a friend from her hometown.
Chapter 13: What day, what time(6)
Dowook went to the Skylounge looking for Lim So Yool. Finding her by the window, he walked towards her direction and realized she was sharing a table with someone.
¡®What is she doing?¡¯
At first, he thought she was drawing something. She was talking to the child with rapt attention.
But the numerous pages which covered the table reminded him of her unique propensity that he¡¯d witnessed in her VIP room.
¡°Wow! There¡¯s another one.¡±
The child¡¯s admiration was toward a paper held in Lim So Yool¡¯s hand.
Drawn only with circles, the bear had a very consistent shape, as if it had been drawn using apass.
Once every 5 seconds, bears that looked like they were printed by a photocopier descended on the paper.
¡°There. If they pass this door, how many bears would there be?¡±
¡°Veee~rry many.¡±
¡°Right. You don¡¯t have to pay attention to how many there are. Very many, so think about how there are so many bears that you can¡¯t count them. That¡¯s what ¡®infinite¡¯ means.¡±
¡°Infinite?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a magic spell that makes any mathematical condition worthwhile.¡±
¡°I like infinite, too. The bears are infinite.¡±
Come to think of it, there was an infinity symbol ¡®¡Þ¡¯ in the drawing of the bear. Lim So Yool¡¯s method of teaching a child that was just starting to learn what 1,2,3 meant, about higher math concepts made him think if it was alright to leave them be but it seemed to work.
¡°Unni, will there be more bunnies if they pass this door, too?¡±
¡°Bunnies?¡±
Lim So Yool¡¯s pen stopped at the gesture of the child who found a picture of a rabbit in the book buried under the papers.
¡°This one has a lot of curves.¡±
Lim So Yool drew a y- and x-axis on the rabbit¡¯s ears and turned it into a graph. Then she started calcting the functions. Dowook became suddenly shocked.
¡®Is she calcting the lines and curves so she can draw?¡¯
The ears, eyes, nose, and mouth were dismantled by mathematical calculus then were reced with sine and cosine functions. With this, it gave birth to a rabbit.
Then identical rabbits, without even a 1mm difference, started to infinitely cover the page. It was only possible because it was created via calction from start to finish.
¡°Wow! There¡¯s a lot of bunnies, too.¡±
¡°How much?¡±
¡°It¡¯s infinite.¡±
The mindset of the child trapped by 11 bears disappeared and a new world of infinity expanded before her.
Watching the amazing photocopy of the animal drawings, Dowook remembered the reason he came and coughed to get their attention.
¡°Doctor.¡±
Turning to look, Lim So Yool saw Dowook and stopped her pen.
¡°Is there something you want?¡±
¡°There¡¯s something I need to ask you in rtion to the operation.¡±
Lim So Yool checked the clock on the lounge wall and answered.
¡°The child¡¯s mother will be here in 30 minutes. Is it something we can talk about here?¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±
Dowook sat at the table.
The child who happily looked at the hundreds of bears and tens of rabbits saw an elephant in the book and pointed at it.
¡°Unni, can the elephant be infinite, too?¡±
¡°Elephant?¡±
Seeing the new animal in the book, Lim So Yool disyed a puzzled expression.
¡°Straight and curved lines are pretty mixed up.¡±
¡°He can¡¯t be infinite?¡±
¡°It¡¯s not that he can¡¯t.¡±
Answering with confidence, Lim So Yool started analyzing the drawing with a helpless expression. It seemed she couldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to an innocent child feeling sad about the situation.
Lim So Yool started talking while her eyes were fixed on the paper.
¡°What did you want to ask about?¡±
Maybe it was because he was sitting beside a concentrating Lim So Yool, but Dowook felt the special senses tingling at his fingertips.
¡°Prof. Choi said surgery was possible. However, the operation will be performed by me.¡±
¡°By you? Didn¡¯t you say the operation must be performed by a skilled surgeon to reduce the aftereffects?¡±
At the direct question, Dowook couldn¡¯t say a word.
He thought about it a lot on the way here. But the reason why instead of the best skilled surgeon, a resident in his 4th year should perform the operation didn¡¯te to mind.
¡®As expected. This is the only thing I can do.¡¯
Dowook grabbed a pen and took a sheet of paper from the table.
¡°I came to exin about that part.¡±
He turned to look at the child.
¡°Can I have one of these papers?¡±
¡°Yup.¡±
¡°Thanks.¡±
He took a deep breath and held the paper.
His hand moved by itself as it started to calcte the estimated aftereffects of surgery after adding Prof. Choi¡¯s skill that he¡¯d just witnessed. Of course, it was all calction methods he¡¯d never seen or heard of in his life.
The child, who¡¯d been looking at Dowook nkly, asked.
¡°Unni, is that doctor also drawing infinite?¡±
¡°It seems like he¡¯s doing unbiased estimation since he¡¯s defining something¡¯s true value.¡±
Dowook¡¯s hand moving the pen flinched. She said this is an ufortable number.
[T/N: unbiased estimation literally trantes to ¡®ufortable estimation.¡¯ So Dowook misunderstood.]
¡®I can¡¯t show her a poor appearance.¡¯
Fortunately, Lim So Yool was looking at the child.
¡°What¡¯s that, unni?¡±
¡°Unbiased estimation is an annoying concept so let¡¯s go to differentiation. What do you think about this elephant¡¯s nose?¡±
Lim So Yool pushed her paper towards the child.
¡°The wrinkles on the nose were ced based on differential topology. To be safe.¡±
¡°Wow. Unni, you¡¯re so good at drawing.¡±
¡°If you learn for about a year, you¡¯ll also be great.¡±
¡°Elephant drawing?¡±
¡°No, topology.¡±
Dowook thought, ¡®so that¡¯s it.¡¯ He looked at the nodding child and Lim So Yool with surprise. Although he wondered if that was something to be taught to such a young child, he couldn¡¯t criticize her when it came to numbers.
When the number of elephants created with topology reached 10, Dowook¡¯s calctions were also finished.
¡°Here. I tried to put together the information.¡±
Lim So Yool looked at the paper Dowook gave her without a word.
Having not understood everything even though he wrote it, Dowook only spoke about what he could understand.
¡°In this operation, I can extract the cyst as urately as Prof. Choi. However, since I¡¯m not him, I tried to calcte an estima¡¡¡±
¡°I¡¯ll do it, the surgery.¡±
Dowook wondered if he had misheard. He didn¡¯t even think that permission would be granted so easily.
¡°Did you think about it seriously?¡±
¡°The doctor who understands me the most in this hospital will perform the surgery. So do you think my answer wasn¡¯t thought through?¡±
Her decision-making speed was pretty quick. Although the reason she agreed was probably the urate calctions, dowook didn¡¯t have the ability to understand those forms. He only had the sense of it at his fingertips.
Still, that sense was a huge help to him one more time.
¡°Then I¡¯ll inform our chief that I have received consent.¡±
¡°When will the operation take ce?¡±
¡°It will be scheduled as soon as possible.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good.¡±
Vrrrr.Vrrrr.
The phone in his pocket vibrated twice.
Upon checking, Chief Ha contacted him in worry because he was taking so long.
¡°I will go downstairs first.¡±
Lim So Yool looked at Dowook who was rising to his feet.
¡°By any chance¡..¡±
Having been looking at his phone, Dowook reflexively turned to look and met the deep bright eyes that were looking at him searchingly.
¡°¡¡¡..do you like math?¡±
A question out of nowhere.
In Lim So Yool¡¯s world, the dynamic between Prof. Choi and the neurosurgery department, the vice president and VIP¡¯s uniqueness, did not matter as much as the calctions Dowook did to convince her today.
That was because she only cared about the truth behind the numbers.
This was something that had never been tried in Dowook¡¯s world, but was a strange yet attractive logic.
¡°I didn¡¯t really like them before, but I think I will like them from now on.¡±
Unexpectedly, his true thoughts came out.
There was a tiny smile on Lim So Yool¡¯s face. It was a smile that made her sparkle and seem like another person.
The child looked back and forth between the two adults with an expression saying, ¡®what is this?¡¯ on her face.
Chapter 14: What day, what time(7)
¡°Understood. Then I will schedule the surgery at the most convenient time.¡±
cing down his cellphone, Chief Ha sent Dowook an ¡®OK¡¯ gesture. Since Prof. Choi, the VIP patient, and Chief Ha all consented, the vice dean had no choice but to agree.
¡°I guess this is how things will go. Dowook, we can still back out now. Should we cancel everything?¡±
¡°Huh? Can we cancel? Then I¡¯ll think a bit¡..¡±
¡°Brat, do you really think we can! You should at least act like you¡¯re a bit nervous. You¡¯re the one performing the surgery but it¡¯s my heart that¡¯s about to jump out of my chest.¡±
¡°Nervousnesses only when one is energetic.¡±
After several days of being on-duty and being so tired he couldn¡¯t think straight, Dowook was only able to yawn.
At the sight of his student who disyed exactly how tired he was, Chief Ha sent him a pitiful look.
¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. Go rest and take care of yourself. Remember toe back on time tomorrow.¡±
¡°Yep.¡±
Leaving the room, Dowook went to the on-duty room to pack his things and got ready to leave for home. Simply moving made him tired, however, if he spent another night in the cramped night duty room, his body would not be able to take it.
Going out to the main street and walking for 10 minutes, he soon saw the familiar appearance of the sharehouse.
Scanning his ess card and opening the door, he saw Seong Chang Soo who¡¯d been lying on the sofa in the public room lift his head.
¡°You just got off?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t ask. I¡¯m dying.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s have chicken and beer before you die. Go wash quickly ande back down.¡±
¡°I¡¯m just gonna sleep today.¡±
He trudged up the stairs to the second floor and threw his bag beside his room door. He went straight into the bathroom and rxed under the shower, allowing the hot water to wash away his exhaustion.
He entered the room wrapped in a towel. Then heid on his own bed for the first time in 4 days.
¡®¡¡..¡¯
Although he needed to sleep soon so he could follow tomorrow¡¯s schedule, sleep didn¡¯te to him easily.
The main reason was probably the strange phenomenon he experienced yesterday and today.
Dowook recalled the unbelievable things that had happened in the operating room.
His extreme sensitivity had almost faded away. But he still hoped it remained so he could gain more experience and improve. Although it was something that he had to experience again to be sure.
¡®Oh, right.¡¯
He grabbed his phone from the side table and looked for the number of the police officer he asked for beforeing home.
[Sergeant, if you find the runaway patient, please contact me at this number. I¡¯m the one responsible for the case at the hospital.]
After sending the message, he still couldn¡¯t fall asleep so he opened the MRI film of the patient about to go into surgery. Then he stared a hole into the cyst he had to resect tomorrow.
Click. Thud.
His door suddenly opened and Seong Chang Soo peeked in.
¡°The chicken¡¯s here. Are you really not gonna have any?¡±
¡°I¡¯m gonna sleep.¡±
¡°What are you looking at so carefully?¡±
¡°The VIP¡¯s picture.¡± [T/N: In Korea, X-ray, CT, and MRI films are all called pictures.]
¡°Really? Can I see it too?¡±
Seong Chang Soo ran over to his side.
¡°You jerk! Careful of the dust!¡±
¡°I can finally see her flower-like appeara ¡¡¡±
Seeing the brain scan on the phone, Seong Chang Soo looked dumbfounded.
¡°Why are you looking at something like this with a nk face?¡±
¡°Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m seriously examining the case?¡±
¡°Whatever. How pretty is she?¡±
Maybe it was because Seong Chang Soo kept asking about her, but her smiling face that he saw at the Skylounge shed through his mind.
¡°That part really looked like a flower.¡±
¡°What part?¡±
Yawning, Dowook pointed outside.
¡°My eyelids are bing heavier. Get lost before I can¡¯t fall asleep.¡±
¡°Ah! Answer my question first!¡±
* * *
Seeing as all 10 residents of Sinchon Sharehouse were doctors working at Myeong Sae Hospital, every morning was a warzone. But there was one rule everyone followed.
The order of using the bathroom was based on how much duty one had that day.
¡°I have to take care of 40 patients on my round. Please save me.¡±
¡°I have 40, plus 20 more. I also have to prepare for a conference.¡±
¡°A fellow in our department had indigestion so all work is double. Please show some consideration.¡±
Finally, the thoracic department¡¯s Jeong Inseok, who had to cover for a colleague, was decided to be first. The moment the first person to use the bathroom was decided.
Waking at the sound of his rm, Dowook mmed opened his door and shouted.
¡°I have a surgery today! The assistant will be Choi Hoo!¡±
At the words ¡®Choi Hoo,¡¯ everyone stopped moving.
Drinking a ss of water in the 2nd floor waiting room, Seong Chang Soo thought he had misheard and asked again.
¡°Dowook. Who¡¯s going to be the assistant?¡±
¡°Last Choi.¡±
¡°Woah. Rest in peace, my friend.¡±
In front of the name Choi Hoo, no one tried to get in Dowook¡¯s way. After he entered the bathroom, Dr. Jeong, who was supposed to be first, turned his head.
¡°Why would Prof. Choi stand as Dowook¡¯s assistant? Chang Soo, do you know why?¡±
¡°Maybe it¡¯s part of his hysterics. A baptism in fire.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know how the doctors in the neurosurgery department can survive by that person without trembling. Oh. they have nerves of steel so they¡¯re in the neurosurgery department?¡±
¡°Augh, I think you need the same training as Dowook, senior.¡±
15 minutester, everyone lowered their voice when Dowook opened the door after he finished even shaving. A solemn atmosphere filled the hall as everyone looked at Dowook as if they were looking at a terminal patient.
Not yet fully recovered from his exhaustion, Dowook staggered to his room. Having a lot of time before he had to get to work, Seong Chang Soo followed after him and leaned on the door.
¡°The surgery you said you¡¯re doing, it¡¯s the case you were looking atst night, right?¡±
¡°Yup.¡±
¡°The VIP? What, doesn¡¯t that mean Last Choi can really write a death certificate this time?¡±
Dowook, who¡¯d been buttoning up his shirt sleepily, turned to face the serious Seong Chang Soo.
¡°Aren¡¯t you talking a bit too roughly to the person in question?¡±
¡°What kind of mistake did you make?¡±
¡°It¡¯s because I made a good impression.¡±
Feeling toozy to exin everything that had happened, Dowook continued his preparation for work.
¡°Wait. No, no. If you think about it, isn¡¯t this a case of fatefully saving her life then fatefully performing surgery on her? There¡¯s even a dramatic barrier like Last Choi.¡±
Dowook couldn¡¯t help but respond to such spection.
¡°If you want to watch a drama, turn on the TV. That VIP, she isn¡¯t someone like you¡¯re thinking about.¡±
¡°You said she¡¯s pretty. Do you need a bigger reason for destined love?¡±
¡°It¡¯s not a question to be asked by someone without any dating experience.¡±
¡°This guy!¡±
Vrrrr.
While Seong Chang Soo was clenching his fist, his phone rang. After checking the message, Seong Chang Soo¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°What? Why couldn¡¯t I send the payment? Why does it say retrieval failure?¡±
¡°Maybe you didn¡¯t have any money in your ount.¡±
¡°What are you saying? Our sry just got deposited. I don¡¯t use more than my sry.¡±
Checking his ount on his bank app, Seong Chang Soo furrowed his eyebrows.
¡°See, see. The bonus for this month didn¡¯te in. As expected. Do I talk to the department¡¯s general affairs office about this? How can they not give me the money I earned by skimping on sleep?¡±
Now that he thought about it, the juniors in the hospital staff wereining about a simr case.
¡°There seems to be some mistakes after some personnel changes in the ounting office.¡±
¡°Did you get yours?¡±
¡°Just a sec.¡±
After he finished putting on his clothes, Dowook held his charging phone and froze after looking at the screen.
¡°Huh? There was a call from Prof. Choi.¡±
A chill went down his back. Seong Chang Soo was also surprised.
¡°At what time? Did you just ignore it?¡±
¡°Hey, don¡¯t even think such a scary thing.¡±
Dowook gulped and dialed Prof. Choi¡¯s number.
Click.
¡°Yes, Prof. Yes, understood.¡±
Putting down his phone, Dowook sighed in relief.
¡°He called while I was in the shower. He told me to prepare to begin with the surgery after he has finished his current rounds.¡±
¡°No biggie. Did you reserve an operating ward?¡±
¡°Chief Ha and I prepared everything perfectly yesterday. Why do you think I was sote?¡±
Shrugging his shoulders, Dowook suddenly flinched.
Chapter 15: What day, what time(8)
¡°Chang Soo. Did I just say ¡®now¡¯?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°Is he going on rounds by himself to check on his patients at 6 in the morning?¡±
¡°A senior in my department said that you shouldn¡¯t applymon sense to Last Choi. The best way is to avoid him totally. But is it ok for you to be here? His rounds should be over soon¡..¡±
Realizing the situation, Dowook flew with lightning speed to the hospital.
Thump. Thud, thud, bang!
The members of the sharehouse who were getting ready for work looked at Dowook running in a hurry with surprise.
Seong Chang Soo shouted at his leaving friend.
¡°Dowook! Stay alive! Get a girlfriend while you¡¯re at it!¡±
After 30 minutes.
Opening the door to Room 2007, Dowook and a nurse entered the room with a cart. The secretary met Dowook in the parlor right away.
¡°There¡¯s a guest inside.¡±
¡°At this time?¡±
Seeing that a person was already there, Dowook stopped his steps abruptly.
¡®The vice dean got here pretty early.¡¯
Waiting in the parlor for the people inside to finish their business, Dowook discovered the piled up documents on the table.
¡°The director didn¡¯t stay up all night to work, did she?¡±
¡°Yes, she slept very well.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±
Dowook saw the vice dean greeting Lim So Yool goodbye in the interim.
-Thank you for your understanding, Director.
-Is the doctor on the hospital side certain?
-That is what I was told by the dean.
-I understand.
Exiting from the inner room, the vice dean stood in front of Dowook. Dowook bowed his head in greeting.
¡°Right, Dr. Park. Can I trust you with the surgery today?¡±
¡°I willplete it without any mistakes.¡±
¡°It is certain that Prof. Choi will stand as your assistant, right?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Tell Choi Hoo to take c¡..never mind. I¡¯ll tell him.¡±
Showing slight signs of nervousness, the vice dean passed by Dowook.
It was a morning wherein Dowook broke out in cold sweat for many reasons.
Pushing the cart and going into the inner room, Dowook was surprised to see more piles of paper surrounding Lim So Yool.
Looking at one of those pages, Lim So Yool looked at Dowook sideways.
¡°I¡¯m just looking at it for a while. I just received it.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡±
Lim So Yool peeked out from the side of the paper she was holding.
¡°Your expression was saying something.¡±
She seemed to have mistaken the pressure he got from suddenly meeting the vice dean. Dowook rxed the frozen expression on his face and calmly answered.
¡°It¡¯s fine as long as you don¡¯t push it like you did at the hotel. Do whatever you want.¡±
¡°Thank you for understanding.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t say I understood. I still don¡¯t know how such actions are safe.¡±
Lim So Yool gave him a stinging look when he criticized her past actions. However, she put away the paper in her hand on the side. Seeing the spectacle, the secretary covered her mouth and chuckled.
Putting on sterile gloves, Dowook approached Lim So Yool¡¯s side.
¡°We have to shave the hair around the area the scalpel will touch. We won¡¯t make a big incision so we just have to get rid of the short hair.¡±
The nurse gently gathered Lim So Yool¡¯s shoulder-length hair and held it up. Tying the hair in a simple ponytail with a rubber band, a pale neck was exposed.
¡®Even from the back, she is a beauty.¡¯
Chang Soo¡¯s words about destiny and what-not shed through his mind. Dowook shook his head slightly.
He used a nebulizer to dampen the back of her neck, and holding a single-de razor he had used hundreds of times before, his calm returned to him.
¡°I will start now.¡±
Snip, snip.
The hair around the neck fell into the stic bag held up by the nurse.
The room became quiet for some time.
¡°Umm, doctor.¡±
Lim So Yool, who¡¯d been sitting still with a proper posture, carefully started up a conversation.
¡°What advice does a doctor give to a patient who has a disease without a cure?¡±
¡°Why are you suddenly asking that?¡±
¡°That child apparently has cystic fibrosis. The gic disease that develops in only 0.0025% of the poption.¡±
[TN: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited disorder that causes severe damage to the lungs, digestive system, and other organs in the body. ]
She was talking about the little girl she had talked to in the Sky Lounge yesterday.
Recalling the sight of her diligently drawing hundreds of bears for the girl, Dowook gave serious consideration to her question.
¡°Hmmm. Will you give up after you¡¯ve tried to cure your illness until now? Please keep on being brave. There are people who approach the matter in that manner. Once the condition of the lungs bes worse, organ transnt is rmended. Please be ready to make the decision at any time. There are some who say it like that.¡±
The doctors Dowook admired were almost all doctors who gave one of these answers. Warm or cold.
¡°I also can¡¯t say which one is the correct one.¡±
¡°What about how long they can live? Do you not tell them that?¡±
¡°We tell them the estimated average but we don¡¯t predict the specific patient¡¯s future.¡±
¡°You did it though.¡±
¡°Because it was a special situation.¡±
Created by the special sense and the existence of Lim So Yool. Dowook didn¡¯t mention this as well though.
She asked again.
¡°Dr. Park, can you calcte that child¡¯s case like you did with mine?¡±
¡°Probably.¡±
Lim So Yool turned her head.
¡°Really?¡±
¡°I¡¯m holding a de close to your neck, Director.¡±
¡°Ah, sorry.¡±
She turned back to the front and Dowook exined his belief.
¡°I think it¡¯s a pretty cruel thing to do. One can die at any day or time based on the average percentage. Such a thing can be informed too.¡±
¡°In return, at least until that day one can live without fear.¡±
While the rambling discussion about incurable diseases continued, Dowook finished shaving the short hair off.
¡°Once you enter the operating room, you will be put under general anesthesia right away.¡±
7:28 AM
A Gatch Bed was pushed out of Room 2007.
Pushing the bed out together with the members of the VIP department, Dowook¡¯s sight remained fixed on Lim So Yool who had her eyes closed.
¡°ording to the echogram, the infection has gone down. Getting a good night¡¯s sleep seems to have helped a lot.¡±
Nod.
¡°The incision will be made close to the previous surgery scar so there should be almost no new scarring.¡±
Nod. nod.
¡®I guess this is not helping her rx.¡¯
There weren¡¯t really any solutions to get rid of pre-surgery jitters. How could anyone befortable with the idea of someone cutting them open with a knife?
Looking for something to help, Dowook took out a pen from his coat pocket. Then he used Lim So Yool¡¯s sense. While scribbling on the bottom of the operation chart, they reached the entrance of the D-rosette.
¡°Senior.¡±
Nam Hana, a 3rd year resident who¡¯d been waiting in front of the operating room, ran over to Dowook. She had been assigned as the second assistant by Chief Ha for the surgery.
¡°Chief suddenly told me to take over your duties, what did you do over the weekend?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s discuss thatter. Check the cleanliness of the operating room one more time. Prof. Choi is very sensitive about it. Be really strict with the prep staff. Getting scolded in advance will probably be better for them.¡±
¡°I will.¡±
Dowook ced the scribbled chart close to Lim So Yool¡¯s head as she was about to enter the operating room.
¡°It¡¯s harder to draw a topological graph than I thought. Doctor Nam Hana will take care of you from here on.¡±
Lim So Yool opened her eyes.
¡°What did you just ¡¡.¡±
Dowook had already left. Her eyes moved to the chart Dowook had left behind.
Drrrk.
As soon as the gatch bed entered the operating room, the medical staff and nurses attached various electrodes on Lim So Yool.
¡°Ms. Lim. Can you tell me your full name and birthday?¡±
¡°Lim So Yool. 1994 October ¡¡.¡±
Before the breathing tube was attached, Lim So Yool ced her hand on top of Nam Hana¡¯s arm since she was holding the surgery chart.
¡°That. Can you put it beside me until the anesthesia kicks in?¡±
¡°This chart?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
The mask was covering half of her face so Lim So Yool only opened her eyes wide and looked at what Dowook had drawn.
¨CThe wrinkles on the nose were ced based on differential topology. To be safe.
An elephant doodle, apparently drawn with a hyperbolic paraboloid.
It contained the form she had used, and there was one more function. A simple straight line that converged to 100% probability no matter what number was used.
It was aposition that somehow made her feel good.
¡°We will start the anesthesia. 10, 9¡¡..¡±
He said that there were two types of doctors. Those who were subjective and those who exined objectively. However, heforted her in a way that was neither.
¡°¡¡.3, 2, 1.¡±
Dr. Park Dowook was probably a new type of doctor.
Lim So Yool had the thought as she slowly fell asleep.
Chapter 16: What day, what time(9)
The observation room in the middle of the D-rosette was filled with people since the morning.
Around 10 professors from the VIP ward as well as the chiefs from different departments had arrived out of curiosity when they heard Choi Hoo was going to stand as the assistant. Since they were all gathered together, there was a hubbub in the room.
¡°How many minutes do you think it will be before Choi Hoo starts swearing up a storm?¡±
¡°They said the surgery will be performed by a 4th year. I think it will take less than 7 minutes.¡±
¡°Doesn¡¯t he want to be a professor? Why is he going at full throttle? I think 5 minutes.¡±
Chief Ha sat in the front of the room and frowned when he heard everyone tease his beloved student and the most-skilled professor of the neurosurgery department.
¡°He still has some manners. Don¡¯t you think he¡¯ll at least stay silent for 10 minutes?¡±
¡°Do you think the guy crazy about surgery will leave someone with 4-year experience alone? I think 3 minutes.¡±
Grind.
Grinding his teeth and unable to keep his calm, Chief Ha suddenly stood up.
¡°?100,000 that Choi Hoo will praise him.¡±
¡°Woah, Chief Ha. Isn¡¯t that too much? Have you ever seen Prof. Choi praise anyone?¡±
¡°If you can¡¯t take it, keep your mouth shut.¡±
¡°You¡¯re giving money away so of course, I agree.¡±
¡°Me, too.¡±
¡°Me as well.¡±
The bets came in an instant.
Chief Ha was a bit sad about losing the ?100,000, but heforted himself by thinking that he was doing it for the face of the neurosurgery department.
Drrrk.
Entering the surgery room with both his hands in the air, Dowook looked toward the observation room, then his breath got caught in his throat.
Arge group of professors known for their surgical skills in the hospital were gathered there. Seated between the chief of the thoracic department and the chief of the neuro-oncology center, Ha Sang Joong sent him a gesture that he shouldn¡¯t be too surprised.
¡°How can I keep calm in this situation? Phew.¡±
¡°Senior. What about Prof. Choi?¡±
At the query from the 2nd assistant, Dowook turned to look at the clock in the surgery room. 7:58. He had the feeling the professor would be there soon.
¡°Keep your position.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
After putting on a gown with a nurse¡¯s help, Dowook carefully checked the surgery position of the patient lying on her stomach.
That moment, the surgery room¡¯s door opened.
Prof. Choi¡¯s entrance could be sensed right away by how the observation room suddenly became quiet.
Wearing a gown, he stood beside Dowook. He was standing to the right, but the pressure seemed to surge in from all directions.
¡°Let¡¯s start.¡±
¡°Yes, professor.¡±
The suddenly silent room.
Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Dowook.
¡°The resection of the patient Lim So Yool¡¯s neurenteric cyst will now begin!¡±
After calling out in confidence, Dowook used Choi Hoo¡¯s sense.
Tingle.
Following the nerves on his fingers, both his hands received stimulus.
¡°Scalpel.¡±
Instead of the scrub nurse, Choi Hoo passed the scalpel himself. Witnessing the unexpected kindness, most of the observers disyed a look of surprise.
-I thought he would just stand there with his arms crossed.
-I know. It wasn¡¯t that bad I guess.
Dowook gently ced his left hand on the affected area.
The minimum diameter of the incision which the surgical tools could travel was approximately 2.3cm. He could measure that size with just a touch.
Ssssk.
The de drew a red line on the skin. 1mm more than the 2.3.
-It¡¯s small. If the incision has no room for extra movement, he might touch the nerve cluster.
-Does he have a good foundation? Who taught him?
The murmurs from the observation room were grating on his nerves. But just because he had a simr sense to Choi Hoo, his personality became the same.
¡°Attention-!¡±
As he was thinking, Choi Hoo¡¯s order rang in the operating room. Of course everyone flinched together.
¡°Although it¡¯s not a surgery where someone can die, anyone who wants to see it happen can keep on talking. Thoughtlessly.¡±
When the 185cm-tall muscr man threatened with a rough voice, a few professors avoided eye contact.
Standing across from Choi Hoo, Nam Hana huped in surprise at the shock and held her breath.
Beep. Beep.
Ha Sang Joong frowned severely and pressed the button on the observation room¡¯s mic.
-Hey, Prof. Choi!
Choi Hoo looked sharply at the ss door of the observation room. When they made eye contact, Ha Sang Joong rxed his expression.
-Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure they keep their mouths shut. Let¡¯s start the surgery. Our Choi Hoo isn¡¯t one to say empty words. Everyone knows he doesn¡¯t care about the position.
-My god. How savage is that¡.
As expected, Choi Hoo was hysterical from the start, but Dowook¡¯s eyes continued to stay on Lim So Yool¡¯s neck. When using this sense he tended to be bolder.
¡°I will continue.¡±
After speaking calmly, he stretched out his hand.
¡°Clip.¡±
Tap.
Choi Hoo passed it over this time as well.
He fixed the skin tissue in ce using 4 more in session. Choi Hoo chose an appropriate suction and retractor to assist without a pause in order to keep the operation going.
The 2nd assistant Nam Hana didn¡¯t have any way to squeeze in for help.
-Just look at Choi Hoo. He keeps handing over the tools so quickly. What kind of assistant is that?
-But it¡¯s being received pretty well. Their rhythm seems well-matched, right?
The professors¡¯ conversation in low voices didn¡¯t reach the inside of the operating room.
The lights brightly illuminating the incision were turned off and the microscope on top was turned on instead.
At the same time the microscope zoomed into focus, the screen in the observation room showed the blood vessels thinner than a strand of hair.
¡°I will skip the endoscopy.¡±
Choi Hoo, who was about to pass the endoscopy tools, fixed his gaze on Dowook.
¡°The basis of the omission?¡±
¡°I have checked the video several times and my hands know the location. The normal nerve bundles are strong but the area the cyst is located in is soft.¡±
There was a stir in the viewing room.
-What did he say? I mean, how can he just go in when there are so many nerve bundles to check?
However, the negativements in the viewing room halted before it could be discussed. Because Choi Hoo passed Dowook the tools as he¡¯d asked.
¡°Then proceed.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Dowook pushed the muscle fiber slightly with forceps as thin as thread. The hard and thin steel slid into the tissue like a mollusk.
A shocking entry.
The observing Choi Hoo¡¯s eyebrow slightly wobbled.
There between the lymph node and spinal artery, the cyst found in the MRI was subsequently exposed.
-Huh, he secured visibility.
-Already? He must have prepared a lot.
¡°Micro¡..¡±
Before he finished speaking, microscissors were ced on his hand. Once he experienced it, this was a veryfortable assist.
Carefully passing the muscle fiber, the microscissors moved. Checking every 0.5mm to see if he¡¯d touched the cyst, he moved. While assisting, Choi Hoo¡¯s hand movement also became more borate to match him.
-What harmony they have here!
-Keep quiet, Prof. Kim. Let me watch the surgery.
Dowook checked the end of the scissors through the magnified view of the microscope.
Even if it didn¡¯t seem to be shaking to the naked eye, it was different through the microscope. It looked like it was shaking terribly.
¡®Come on, keep still. Please.¡¯
In that area filled with nerves that shouldn¡¯t be touched, the slightest mistake could present an unpredictable aftereffect to the patient.
As it became more and more difficult, Dowook¡¯s forehead was covered in sweat.
¡°Nurse. My forehead.¡±
The assistant nurse quickly wiped Dowook¡¯s forehead.
At that point, Dowook realized the fundamental difference between him and Choi Hoo. Even though the sense was simr, the experience trained into one¡¯s muscles could not be the same.
¡°Please secure a clear view.¡±
At Dowook¡¯s request, Choi Hoo sprayed some water around the affected area.
¡®Just a bit more.¡¯
After struggling to move the scissors to the part where the suction was finished, he finally reached the cyst. The moment he cut it out with extreme concentration, he forcefully stopped the trembling.
Snip. Snip.
Locking the scissors in ce with his left hand, a new forceps was ced on the hand he¡¯d stretched out without saying a word. Grabbing the separated cyst, he slowly pulled it out from between the nerves and blood vessels.
That was how the problematic tumor parted from the patient¡¯s body.
Illuminated under the lights, he checked and saw that it was exactly 5mm cyst as diagnosed by the MRI.
-He managed to remove that in one try?
-He barely even looked through the navigator.
Having watched it from the side, Nam Hana let out an exmation of admiration and startled at Dowook and Prof. Choi¡¯s pace as they were already suturing the incision.
Surgical tools came and went from the area the cyst was resected. Within the limited space and countless risk factors, the needle danced delicately while avoiding blood vessels.
Soon after, Dowook finished the inner sutures and removed his hands.
Chapter 17: What day, what time(10)
¡°The surgery is finished.¡±
After Choi Hoo used the suction onest time, the operated area appeared in the microscope¡¯s screen.
-Kyaaa. The sutures are really neat.
-Wasn¡¯t it like seeing Choi Hoo¡¯s surgery when he was young? Is he Choi Hoo¡¯s student?
-He¡¯s my student!
Dowook turned to look at Choi Hoo.
¡°Professor.¡±
¡°Yeah?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t have any strength left in my hands anymore. Can I ask you to close?¡±
The faces of everyone in the viewing room changed at the sudden request. How dare he ask a professor, not any professor but Choi Hoo, to finish up a surgery.
¡°Okay.¡±
However, the terse response from Choi Hoo sent many of them into a state of panic.
They found out for the first time in the 10 years he¡¯d worked at the hospital that Choi Hoo¡¯s vocabry contained the word ¡°thoughtfulness.¡±
Dowook left the operating room without an ounce of energy in his body.
When he was about to step on the button at the bottom of the door to open it, Choi Hoo, who¡¯d looked over the results of the surgery, called out to Dowook.
¡°Dr. Park.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°It was a good surgery.¡±
¡°Thank you for giving me the opportunity, professor.¡±
When Dowook disappeared, there was a greatmotion in the viewing room.
The one who made the most noise was the bet winner who won ?1,200,000, Chief Ha¡¯s shout of joy.
-Yahoo! I don¡¯t have to worry about the staff dinner¡¯s payment! Hahahaha!
Frowning while suturing the incision, Choi Hoo looked at the viewing room through the corner of his eyes. Then he yelled at Nam Hana, who stood beside him with a nk expression on her face.
¡°Are you here to sight-see? Cut!¡±
¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡±
His voice was so fierce that Chief Ha, who¡¯d been dancing in joy, reflexively ducked his head. Holding the mic connected to the operating room, Chief Ha asked.
-Choi Hoo. You¡¯re not telling us that, right?
Choi Hoo didn¡¯t answer and this time turned to the nurses.
¡°If you want to keep gossiping, get lost to a cafe!¡±
Two nurses bowed their heads right away.
The viewing room became quiet at the same time. Choi Hoo disyed afortable expression and continued to suture.
Dowook came out and looked at his hands which were still intermittently shaking.
¡®I seeded, but why do I feel so hollow?¡¯
He had to pour everything into the surgery ¨C so much so that he didn¡¯t have enough energy to finish up the surgery.
Even using Choi Hoo¡¯s sense, it was a surgery that keenly showed his inadequacies. If he had been a bit more daring, a bit more precise, he could have reduced the surgery time by at least 10 minutes.
That was how much more stable the surgical results could have been.
Because of his frustration, he kept looking back at the direction of the surgery room.
¡°Dowook!¡±
Coming out of the rosette and heading towards the locker room, Chief Ha followed with a grin on his face.
¡°Brat. You scared the life out of me at the end.¡±
¡°It couldn¡¯t be helped.¡±
¡°Why do you look like that when you just finished a sessful surgery?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t help but regret not being able to finish.¡±
¡°Eugh, I¡¯m getting goosebumps. This brat keeps saying surgeon-like things.¡±
The delight shown by Chief Ha helped Dowook regain some energy. Anyway, the surgery ended sessfully. Without errors as expected.
Once he arrived at the locker room, Dowook asked about something he¡¯d been curious about since the operating room.
¡°Why didn¡¯t the vice dean observe the surgery? He seemed to care enough about this case toe at dawn.¡±
¡°Dunno. He said he had something important to do so I should just let him know. Anyway.¡±
Chief Ha ced his hand on Dowook¡¯s shoulder.
¡°You were really impressive, Park Dowook. If you keep going like this, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems if I send you to work under Choi Hoo.¡±
¡°n B is no more, right?¡±
¡°Of course. But should we still keep it as insurance?¡±
Dowook looked at his hands. The slight trembling had just stopped.
¡°No. Let¡¯s just forget it.¡±
Not having something to fall back on gave him the feeling he would be more invested. Right now it was time for him to train under Choi Hoo who had the most stable surgery skills.
You were just the hospital¡¯sst resort until you were skilled enough to be a specialist.
While changing his clothes in the locker room, Dowook¡¯s eyes turned to the big poster of the hospital¡¯s president and the front of the hospital.
The seemingly dark sign of Myeong Sae Hospital that he couldn¡¯t see yesterday didn¡¯t look so unreachable today.
If he continued in this way, his hope of bing a fellow, clinical professor, and full professor step by step could be achieved.
* * *
A few dayster.
Moving around the hospital ward without even eating breakfast, Dowook stopped in front of the medical staff¡¯s calendar.
¡®Today was Thursday?¡¯
Half a week disappeared in an instant due to the sudden preparations to be a fellow from a chief resident.
¡°Senior, you¡¯re eating, right?¡±
Turning his head, he saw Nam Hana¡¯s face.
Wearing thick sses and looking up at him with a face that seemed to say she would work really hard, this junior was going to be the chief of staff responsible for the neurosurgery department¡¯s medical staff in theing year. Unfortunately.
¡°Let¡¯s go. We need to eat if we want to keep living.¡±
Dowook put the documents in his hands down on the desk. He had almost forgotten to eat lunch while continuing with work.
While walking towards the cafeteria, Nam Hana spoke with a sad face.
¡°It must be hard to prepare for the specialist test right now to be Dr. Hong¡¯s substitute.¡±
¡°Have we ever not been able to study because we didn¡¯t have enough time? Whether it¡¯s me or you.¡±
¡°Eugh.¡±
Being busy was okay since they were used to it. He just regretted not having the time to slowly test and answer the many questions he had about his special sense.
Dowook got off the 3rd floor of the main building¡¯s elevator and lined up at the food court¡¯s cash register.
¡°Oh, my friend~ huh? Dowook. What are you doing?¡±
Having been absorbed in his thoughts, he turned his head and saw Seong Chang Soo.
¡°Did you get scolded a lot today? You¡¯re not quite yourself today.¡±
¡°Whatever.¡±
Seong Chang Soo looked behind at the juniors who¡¯d followed him and came closer to Dowook.
¡°I still haven¡¯t received my bonus. Save me just this once.¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t you just yell it out?¡±
Sighing, Dowook paid for 2 meals at the register.
The neurosurgery department¡¯s chief of staff, Dowook, and the emergency department¡¯s chief of staff Seong Chang Soo sat face to face with the juniors sitting around them.
Eating the food with gusto, Seong Chang Soo talked to Nam Hana who sat beside him.
¡°Dr. Nam. The VIP our Dowook operated on. Is she really as pretty as the rumors say?¡±
¡°Yes, she¡¯s really beautiful.¡±
¡°As I thought.¡±
Nodding his head, Seong Chang Soo finally looked at Dowook.
¡°That¡¯s why he became crazy. Even if he¡¯s a bit of a workaholic, he isn¡¯t this bad. But these past few days, he¡¯s been a bit weird.¡±
There had been a few times he stood nkly recently. They were usually the times his special sense was working so there wasn''t a way for him to exin the situation. He was also toozy to do so.
¡®He¡¯s pretty sharp.¡¯
Seong Chang Soo himself seemed to not think much of it as he suddenly changed the subject.
¡°By the way. Dr. Nam, you¡¯re going to be the next chief of staff, right?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°You¡¯re stepping on a road of misery. Dowook kept moaning that he wanted to quit many times throughout the year. You don¡¯t know how hard it was for me to convince him otherwise¡..¡±
¡°Pot, kettle.¡±
Seong Chang Soo tapped on Noh Myeong Deok''s shoulder, who was sitting beside him.
¡°Myeong Deok. Did I say I wanted to quit?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°See. see.¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t moaning, but whining.¡±
Nam Hana chuckled inughter.
¡°Are you thinking about who you would spend most of your time with before you speak?¡±
Dowook let Seong Chang Soo¡¯s motormouth noise enter one ear and out the other as he focused on his food.
Seong Chand Soo, who¡¯d been eating quickly for a while, suddenly turned his head.
¡°Right. Is there anyone who hasn''t received their bonus in the neurosurgery department?¡±
A few residents raised their hands.
¡°The ounting manager is not doing things well. How can something like this happen in a big hospital like Myeong Sae? Are they looking down on us because we¡¯re just residents?¡±
Seong Chang Soo, who¡¯d been moaning about the situation, turned to look at the TV mounted on the cafeteria wall. Then, thinking he¡¯d seen wrong, he blinked several times.
¡°Do-Dowook.¡±
¡°Can you talk after we finish eating? This is my first meal today.¡±
¡°Look at that.¡±
¡°Ah, what?¡±
Turning his head, [Myeong Sae Hospital Dean, Who Was Pressured to Resign due to Operating a Record Deficit, Fled Overseas After Raising a Slush Fund] was the title of the news that he saw.
Chapter 18: What day, what time(11)
A/N: I decided to change the term for the director of the hospital to ¡®dean'' and vice president to ¡®vice dean'' as they seem more appropriate. I''m going over the s to change them but if I missed any, please let me know.
¡¶JBN 12 Headline¡·
¡°¡¡Dean Shin Yae Seung has received criticism over how he has operated the hospital without taking any measures and ignoring loss. And today, using his position as the hospital dean, he took care of his own interests and disappeared, revealing his true intentions. This was Reporter Lee Byung-ho.¡±
-Myeong Sae University Hospital, a major hospital visited by 2 million people a year, has a chronic deficit and is the only one among the Big 5 to receive a financial risk advisory from the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
This was Hospital Dean Shin who had argued that one should not be obsessed with profits in the name of public health care although there was a whooping ?46.7 billion in the third quarter.
He who had said such a thing was discovered by financial authorities to have taken a public security loan of ?3 billion and so the prosecution hadunched an investigation.
For more details, the prosecutor in charge of the Seoul Central District Prosecutor¡¯s Office¡.
Everyone who had been eating in the cafeteria stopped eating and fixed their gazes on the news shown on the TV.
Seong Chang Soo, who had his mouth open for a long time, asked Dowook.
¡°What does that mean? The hospital dean took ? 3 billion and ran? What about my bonus?¡±
¡°If we¡¯re being specific, he took a loan so it¡¯s the bank¡¯s money, not your bonus.¡±
¡°Is that important right now!¡±
Vrrrr. Vrrrrr.
At the same time, those who were sitting in shock received a message.
[Medical School Auditorium. 2 PM. All employees except for essential medical personnel.]
It was a pretty rming message.
Dowook shoved the tonkatsu left on his te into his mouth and stood up.
Through the wide-open doors of the auditorium, numerous people could be seen.
The auditorium, which could hold 300 people, was filled with twice that number.
¡®Finding a seat will be difficult.¡¯
Dowook gave up on reaching the front. As he simply leaned on the wall of the auditorium, the key faculty members of the hospital entered and sat in the front seats one after the other. Chief Ha Sang Joong was one of them.
He stretched out his neck to see if Choi Hoo was there, but the vice-dean Bae Ji-man, who¡¯d sent the message to everyone, climbed onto the podium.
Approaching the mic, he started to talk about the circumstance that everyone was wondering about right away.
¡°It is true that the director took a personal loan from the bank. It is also true that he is currently abroad.¡±
When the vice-dean acknowledged the news report, gasps could be heard like a wave inside the auditorium.
Some of the center directors, who were known to be close to the dean, looked at each other as if they had been struck by lightning.
A loud voice rang out from among the professors.
-How could such a thing happen? How can someone use the hospital¡¯s finances like it¡¯s their own?
-Unbelievable. What has the school foundation been doing? How would others look at our hospital?
As Dowook was waiting for the vice dean¡¯s answer, he looked at his phone to check the message he¡¯d just received.
[The patient in Rm. 2007 says she has to move, is there anything we should be careful about?]
It was from the VIP ward. The attending physician for Lim So Yool after her surgery unintentionally became the one who had operated on her.
¡®Is she feeling stifled?¡¯
Unable to make a call, he sent a message to the attending nurse.
[Only 30 minutes with a nurse¡¯s help. Not more than that. Don¡¯t remove the intravenous line. Please also take care of the guard.]
¡°Why is everyone acting so restlessly? I haven¡¯t finished speaking yet.¡±
The vice-dean gestured to the professors to keep their calm.
¡°I didn¡¯t call everyone here toin about the dean. Everyone, please read the contents of this first.¡±
At the vice dean¡¯s signal, the screen in the auditorium lit up.
[Agenda for the 7th Board of Directors: Emergency Management System]
[30% reduction in elective treatment allowance. 15% reduction in departmental expenses. 5% reduction in totalbor costs.]
Then Dowook¡¯s eyes widened at the information revealed.
¡°Last week, the board of directors tried to dere an emergency management system using the deficit problem as an excuse. The gist of it was to cut down on everyone¡¯s wages. The dean vetoed the n. The reason he went abroad was to forcefully postpone the next board meeting.¡±
Everyone fell into confusion as they heard facts that were totally different from the news.
¡°The dean sought various ways to solve the irrational financial structure of the hospital. ?3 billion was the minimum cost predicted to be spent for this. Because his policy differed from the board of directors, he used his personal funds. He did it even if people would misunderstand it as an illegal slush fund.¡±
The angry professors forgot what they were about to say, and the center directors close to the dean nodded their heads in understanding.
¡°I also support the director¡¯s thoughts. We can¡¯t simply ignore the fiscal deficit or the low number of treatments forever. We are doctors. Not businessmen.¡±
-That¡¯s right!
Chief Ha held up his hand and agreed with the vice president¡¯s opinion.
Dowook looked around the auditorium surprised at the turn of events when his phone rang again. He looked down to check the new message.
It was from Seong Chang Soo who stayed at the emergency department as essential medical personnel.
[How are things going? What about my bonus?]
[It¡¯s a bitplicated. The director vetoed the board of directors¡¯ n to cut everyone¡¯s wages. Then he borrowed the ?3 billion to ¡¡]
-Then how is he nning to use the ?3 billion?
¡°The use of the money will be left to the newly hired special consultant. We have brought them here so let¡¯s listen to them for a moment.¡±
Trying to summarize these events into a message, Dowook saw a person appear from the back of the podium and froze.
Sitting in a wheelchair, Lim So Yool came up to the podium with her secretary and a nurse. As instructed she had a neck guard wrapped around her neck and an intravenous pole beside her.
[¡¡.they gave it to my patient.]
[?????]
Inside the suddenly silent auditorium.
The audience¡¯s eyes all gathered on the youngdy wearing a patient¡¯s gown with a pale face.
Lim So Yool looked at the curious people with clear eyes.
¡°I am ZQ investment group¡¯s financial consultant, Lim So Yool. This time, at the request of the vice president, I looked through the ounting data of Myeong Sae Hospital.¡±
The calm and confident voice rang through the auditorium. It was a voice that made the people whisper, ¡®Why is a patient there?¡¯ automatically stop their conversations and focus.
¡°The board of directors took profits by exaggerating numbers under the pretext of business expansion. The medical staff was desperate to raise their respective wages. The numbers were quite selfish, on all sides.¡±
Seeing her criticize the management and staff from the beginning, the vice-dean who put her in position was slightly embarrassed.
¡°Just like how a doctor diagnoses a patient, I have analyzed numerous financial groups. Myeong Sae Hospital¡¯s finances are currently extremely unhealthy. If the situation continues, restructuring is inevitable.¡±
Confusion ran through the 600+ people in the room. A professor in front of the room asked in a fit of rage.
-Restructuring? Does that mean doctors should be med for the mismanagement of the hospital?
Some professors nearby agreed to the statement and spoke in a loud voice.
-We¡¯re selfish? What did we do wrong?
-What¡¯s the difference between restructuring and the emergency management system? No, isn¡¯t it worse?
Lim So Yool silently watched the protesting professors and turned to the vice-dean. As her next words would be sensitive and direct, the consent of the client was required.
The vice-dean, who met her eyes, looked troubled as he nodded his head. Letting her do as she wanted.
Pulling the mic gently so it was closer to her, Lim So Yool gazed straight at the professors sharply.
¡°Excuse me, but what is your name and department in the hospital?¡±
-I¡¯m Song Chil-sung, the chief of the nephrology department.
The papers she had scannedst night passed through her mind like a panorama. Then it stopped at one part of the memory.
The total deficit in the nephrology department. Among them,bor costs ounted for thergest share. Song Chil-sung, with an annual sry of ?203,531,878, ranked first in personnel expenses.
¡°Yes, Chief Song Chil-sung. You are contributing to the profits of the hospital through outpatient activities called consultations 4 times a week, but the average daily ie is only ?430,000. The average wage paid to personnel in a managerial position at the hospital is ?565,000. You are incurring a loss of ? 49,275,000 per year.¡±
Chief Song, whose face felt hot at the straightforward talk of numbers, refuted her words.
-That is a typical armchair argument from someone who doesn¡¯t know the inner workings of a hospital. Do you think the chief of a department has only one thing they do? There are so many things we have to take care of. For example¡..
¡°For example, an activity that earned you ?13.85 million in incentives by recing a diuretic supplier with Seongmun Pharmaceutical?¡±
[TN: Diuretics are medicines and pills that increase the amount of urine produced.]
Numbers that were suddenly thrown out. Chief Song was taken aback.
-That¡¯s¡¡
¡°You have received an incentive of ?100,932,304 for giving permission to use Amaril, Kelcord, and Relepac from the samepany. The hospital has only received a profit of ?9,893,060 so far with a slightly lowered supply price. Who do you think is more selfish here?¡±
Chief Song wasn¡¯t able to reply as he paled visibly. The internal section chiefs around him gazed at him with a look saying, ¡®that¡¯s a bit too much,¡¯ and he was unable to find a ce to look at so he kept his head bowed.
¡°Restructuring is not the same as gettingid off. Normalizing this irrational financial flow is one of the adjustments. Is there anyone else unable to understand this idea?¡±
Lim So Yool¡¯s gaze headed toward Chief Song¡¯s colleagues who had also raised their voices. All of them kept their mouths shut for fear their dirtyundry might be aired.
¡°Are there no more?¡±
At the repetition, the professors were busy avoiding eye contact.
¡°Then I¡¯ll start talking about the conclusion. If no further actions are taken, there will be no justification for rejecting the emergency management system brought up by the board of directors. 5% of you will experience forced retirement and 95% of you will experience pay cuts. There are exactly 183 days and 20 hours left until the audit of the Ministry of Health and Welfare begins.¡±
When she dered Myeong Sae Hospital¡¯s death sentence, the auditorium became so quiet that not a single breath could be heard.
Dowook, who was busy simply going back and forth from the medical office, patient¡¯s wards, and operating room, had no interest in how things were being run in the hospital.
However, if only for today, he had to seriously consider things. This was also a problem for him who was nning to be a full fellow at the hospital starting from next year.
-I have a question for the director.
Chief Ha Sang Joong raised his hand. Lim So Yool nodded her head.
¡°Please ask.¡±
-What kind of suggestions will you be making while consulting?
¡°While I am still trying to understand the situation, I am certain about this. The hospital¡¯s biggest assets must be increased.¡±
-Assets?
¡°Everyone here. That¡¯s the reason patientse here after all. Thepetitiveness of these tangible assets will soon be beneficial.¡±
In Lim So Yool¡¯s world, doctors could also be turned into numbers.
¡°A system in which hard work and sacrifice can be recognized and rewarded will be put in ce. Wherein the doctor himself will be motivated to increase their own worth. Values irrelevant topetitiveness such as academic background and personal connections will be excluded and only one¡¯s ability and character will be considered¡..¡±
There was confidence in Lim So Yool¡¯s voice, who spoke of an unconventionalpensation system that sounded impossible to implement in a university hospital.
Inside the auditorium, there were those who expressed doubts saying, ¡®will that work?¡¯ and those who seemed interested, ¡®Our efforts will be rewarded?¡¯
Dowook was of course part of thetter. In her world of numbers, negative values such as errors and deception did not exist.
¡°The 30 minutes permitted by my attending physician is almost over. I will gradually notify everyone of the full n.¡±
Lim So Yool followed Dowook¡¯s advice to the letter and left.
The internal section chiefs who were full of questions to ask her had expressions asking, ¡®Who on earth is her attending physician?¡¯ Dowook reflexively stuck his whole body to the auditorium wall.
¡®What. It¡¯s not like Imitted a sin¡¡ huh?¡¯
At that moment, the special sense¡¯s tingling sensation stimted Dowook. Dowook looked around his surroundings.
Since it was not in an operating room, he could not know for certain whose senses were passed to him. However, the peculiar confidence in his fingertips was simr to Choi Hoo¡¯s.
Was it from Dr.Bang Jaehyuk who was called the ace of the organ transnt center? Or was it from the rumored talented Min Bo-hoon of the cancer center?
¡°With this, I would like to conclude this meeting. Departments thatck the required personnel should return to the front line as soon as possible.¡±
After rying everything, the vice president left the auditorium.
Leaving the room with the crowd, Dowook¡¯s gaze stayed on his colleagues.
A crisis that had fallen on a general hospital that looked after 2 million patients a year.
The medical staff working at that ce.
The sense of someone twinkling like a star at his fingertips seemed to be saying:
Park Dowook. This was a stage made just for you.
¡ª¨C
sync: genius mathematician¡¯s note-taking skill
action: solve all the problems in the world with numbers. Can¡¯t understand, but that¡¯s what they say.
Chapter 19: Battlefield(1)
10:00 PM, Mokdong Learning Institute
Students came pouring out of the building. As they flowed out onto the road filled with cars, the police became very busy guiding the traffic.
-The white 3997 over there! Move back, back!
Honk! Hooonk!
A portion of the flowing popce got on a minibus with a paper saying, ¡®Mokdong Topss Cram School ¨C ss A¡¯ stuck on the front window.
¡°Quickly sit down. Put on your seat belts.¡±
The minibus driver checked that all passengers were on board and drove away.
The minibus got away from the busy street and passed Seongsan Bridge. A male student seated in front spoke with a sullen expression.
¡°Guksutam 287 points. The director said that¡¯s the cut-off for Seoul University this year. The best mock test result I¡¯ve had stillcks 4 points.¡±
[T/N: Guksutam ¡°???¡± is a way to say the entrance exam for college. It stands for the first characters for ??-Korean, ??-Math, and ??-studies]
¡°If it¡¯s just 4 points, you¡¯re within the shooting range. I¡¯m missing 20 points.¡±
Upon hearing the words ¡®Seoul University,¡¯ the driver looked from the back mirror.
Students hoping to enter a famous university.
All students from ss A in this minibus were like that.
The minibus passed the bridge and entered the overpass. After passing this ce, it was the apartmentplex where parents were waiting.
¡°I¡¯m only sleeping 3 hours from today onward.¡±
¡°Are you stupid, your scores will fall more if you just sleep 3 hours. From now on, it¡¯s a mental battle. In that line of thought, do you want to skip tomorrow with this noona? As a method of mental-care.¡±
¡°Who¡¯s the noona?¡±
¡°Then you can be oppa. Are you going or not?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll go if it¡¯s an amusement park. Lotte or Evend.¡±
¡°You¡¯re so childish.¡±
A smile bloomed on the driver¡¯s face despite the fact the students were nning to skip the cram school. That was because there were no other kids who were more stressed and sensitive than high school 3rd years inte October.
He pretended not to hear the conversation and let it pass through one ear and out another. Then he stepped on the elerator to climb the incline of the overpass.
At that moment.
Screeeeaaach!!
A dump trucking down from the other side of the road slipped out of the blue.
¡°Oh, oh!¡±
The truck crossed the centerline as it overturned and upied the road dangerously.
If the minibus collided head-on with a truck that size, it would be crushed into a t pancake. The driver instinctively turned the handle.
¡®Screeeech-crash!¡¯
The minibus hit the railing of the overpass as it stopped. It barely escaped the fall.
The shocked children inside the vehicle continued to scream and yell.
Holding his forehead that was bleeding from hitting the handle, the driver turned to look at the children.
¡°Are you kids okay?¡±
¡°Ah¡..¡±
¡°Huhu¡.¡±
Looking around, the students all had their seatbelts on and thankfully did not seem very hurt.
¡°Ajhussi¡¡ it hurts.¡±
Then he saw a male student in the front seat lying on his back. He had banged his head on the back of the driver¡¯s seat. He hadn¡¯t put on his seatbelt properly.
Quickly standing up, he headed towards the male student. He grabbed the boy¡¯s hand, which he was waving in the air, and helped him sit down on a seat.
¡°Just hold on for a second. I¡¯ll call 119 right ¡.¡±
The driver couldn¡¯t finish his words.
Outside the window, he saw an SUV that suddenly turned to avoid the overturned truck rushing toward the rear of the minibus.
¡°¡¡oh dear.¡±
Was it an instinct? He pulled the seatbelt on the male student¡¯s seat and clicked it in ce.
Click.
Crash bang ¡ª-!
* * *
Myeong Sae Hospital, at the same time.
Dowook, who was on hisst watch as the chief of staff, was looking down at his neatly organized desk with an expression of renewed emotion.
¡°I didn¡¯t think this position would make me feel this bittersweet.¡±
¡°You said you would be working right beside Last Choi from next week?¡±
Dowook nodded to answer Seong Chang Soo, who was sitting on the rest table.
¡°Starting from Monday. Hana will be the official chief of staff from then on.¡±
¡°It¡¯s my first time nning a funeral for a friend so I¡¯m not sure what to prepare.¡±
¡°What nonsense are you saying when I haven¡¯t started yet.¡±
¡°Even the soft Dr. Hong quit after being cursed so much. You even argue with Chief Ha, how do you n tost?¡±
At the question, Dowook looked down at his hands.
Prof. Choi wasn¡¯t someone who could be matched with as long as they had a flexible personality. Instead, meeting him head on using his special sense was better. The past week had indeed been that way.
¡°I have a n.¡±
¡°What is it? Do you n to cooperate with me? If it¡¯s good, let''s do it together.¡±
Dowook furrowed his eyebrows.
¡°Aren¡¯t you going home?¡±
¡°The change of shift is at dawn so I n to just stay.¡±
Seong Chang Soo put 3 chairs in a row andid down before he knew it. Dowook saw him and shouted.
¡°Go sleep in your own department, b*stard!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t wanna. It¡¯s a Fire-Friday so the emergency center is a mess. And, when else can I lie down like this at the neurosurgery department after your term as chief of staff? Let me enjoy thisst time, too.¡±
¡°Why should you enjoy thest moments that even I don¡¯t? Argh, Really. I hope you have a ton of patientse in and receive calls all night.¡±
At Dowook¡¯s curse, Seong Chang Soo flinched.
¡°Hey. Sleeping on some leftover chairs isn¡¯t some big crime¡.. I already ordered a midnight snack.¡±
The interns who were organizing their daily records and the 2nd or 3rd year residents who were looking at charts also looked at Dowook as if he had done too much.
Dowook cleared his throat at Seong Chang Soo¡¯s sadly bowed head.
¡°You ordered a midnight snack? Then, sorry. I spoke too harshly.¡±
¡°Okay. Don¡¯t take back your apology.¡±
¡°What is that positive reaction?¡±
¡°What do you mean what, it means I ordered the food and you pay for it of course. I haven¡¯t received my bonus ye¨C¡±
¡°This b*stard!¡±
Seong Chang Soo twisted his body to avoid the folder thrown by Dowook. It was a lightning-fast movement that seemed to have expected the action. Seong Chang Soo raised both hands as Dowook grabbed another folder from a box.
¡°Stop! Listen to me first. The sundae gopchang from this shop is something you can¡¯t order even if you want to. Regrs only get yeom-tang as an addition.¡±
¡°D*mn. Get out.¡±
A phone vibrated while he was fighting with Seong Chang Soo. At the same time, without caring whose it was, they both reached in to get their phones. This time, the medical staff¡¯s phone rang loudly.
An ominous feeling suddenly descended on them.
¡°Park Dowook. It¡¯s your fault, d*mn it.¡±
¡°Why? What kind of call is it?¡±
¡°A minibus crashed down an overpass. 13 passengers. 6 serious cases wille over here. ¡®Commander G¡¯ said to call everyone off-duty over.¡±
¡°Your chief said that himself?¡±
¡°They all have multiple severe injuries.¡±
There were 6 critical patients when even one would make them lose their minds. This was a regr situation. If this happened not just the emergency center but all the other departments would be in a state of emergency.
Dowook couldn¡¯t help but sigh.
¡°I¡¯m screwed. I¡¯m on duty today.¡±
¡°It¡¯s because you said such an unlucky thing. No one says something like that in my department even as a joke.¡±
¡°Why is it my fault? Don¡¯t exaggerate.¡±
¡°The mechanism of misfortune is like that!¡±
Seong Chang Soo yelled in anger and ran out of the medical staff room. The intern who answered the phone rushed to Dowook.
¡°The chief of the emergency center asked all on-duty staff of the neurosurgery department toe down. If youin, he said he¡¯ll send twice the amount of patients for a month¡..¡±
As expected, the time hade.
Doctors from each department flocked to the Myeong Sae University¡¯s Emergency Treatment Center.
The usual patients who had been getting treatment saw the procession of people in white coats moving around and raised their heads.
Chapter 20: Battlefield(2)
Dowook inhaled deeply to catch his breath and bowed his head to give a simple greeting to the doctors from other departments who had arrived before him.
¡®It seems some doctors who weren¡¯t on duty were also called over.¡¯
Six from Thoracic surgery, five from orthopedics. He could also see staff members with a lot of experience. Compared to that, the neurosurgery department had only two, including himself.
As he was contemting whether he should call a supervisor, he heard a familiar voice.
¡°You¡¯re working hard on a Friday, Dr. Dowook.¡±
¡°Huh? Dr. An.¡±
An Hosan from the anesthesiology department came and stood beside Dowook.
¡°They even called the anesthesiology department?¡±
¡°They said there might be an emergency surgery patient so we shoulde down first. You know how the emergency center¡¯s chief is like. If you make him unhappy, he¡¯ll never forget.¡±
¡°Is he like that?¡±
At Dowook¡¯s expression which disyed as if it was the first time he¡¯d heard it, An Hosan chuckled.
¡°He¡¯s not as bad as Prof. Choi, at least. Don¡¯t worry.¡±
Maybe it was because they had performed surgery under Last Choi together, but there was a feeling of camaraderie between them.
¡°About the patients. This much preparation means it¡¯s pretty serious.¡±
¡°Since it¡¯s an overpass collision. You should hope they¡¯re still breathing when theye in.¡±
While they were chatting, a man in his early forties quickly walked to the middle of the center. Seong Chang Soo was chasing after him so Dowook knew who it was at once.
The Head of the Emergency Center Ji Hwi-gwan, aka Commander G.
He was an elite among the elites who became the head of the department at a young age, but in the hospital, he was more famous for his name which was hard to forget once you heard it.
¡®I wonder how good his skills are.¡¯
Dowook fiddled with his fingers trying to judge if the other person induced his special sense. But there was no response yet.
¡°Everyone¡¯s here? Pay attention.¡±
Chief Ji scanned through the crowd of doctors in front of him.
¡°It¡¯s 6 patients who are on the verge of dying or almost dead. When they arrive, I don¡¯t want to hear something like it not being your department¡¯s business. If you kill a patient over something like that, I¡¯m going to call you over and over all night every time you¡¯re on duty. And put your name here on this wall with huge font.¡±
It was a terrifying thought that everyone couldn¡¯t help but flinch listening. There was no doctor in the hospital who could ignore the emergency center chief¡¯s call.
¡°If you have a question about the diagnosis, speak in a loud voice. Understood?¡±
It was an instruction with a sense of pressure that people had no choice but to answer ¡°yes.¡±
Turning his back, Chief Ji looked at Seong Chang Soo and the other personnel of the emergency center who were forcibly called over.
¡°We are heading to war. If you guys don¡¯t control things quickly from the sides, we can¡¯t save anyone. It¡¯s a race against time. Remember that.¡±
¡°Understood!¡±
The appearance of the emergency center¡¯s doctors who answered confidently was simr to well-trained soldiers. It might seem childish to outsiders, but the doctors¡¯ faces were grim.
¡®Woah, his charisma is no joke.¡¯
It looked cool somehow, so Dowook turned to his junior standing beside him.
¡°Hana. Soon, the war will star¨C.¡±
¡°Yes, I know what to do, senior.¡±
¡°¡¡.you do?¡±
Hana had be very feisty after bing the next chief resident.
A few momentster.
Weewoo Weewoo¡ª!
The siren sound made by several ambnces at the same time could be heard inside.
Dowoo clenched his fists without him knowing. The patients¡¯ situation was so urgent that many doctors were gathered for a quick response. Treating them would not be easy.
Paramedics rushed through the doors of the emergency center along with the rattling sound of the mobile stretchers being pushed.
-Male 19! Rib fracture, twisted pelvis! He keeps going in and out of consciousness!
-Female 19! Complexceration of the back! Severe blood loss!
The medical staff, who noticed the people being brought in were wearing school uniforms, swallowed a gasp.
¡°What, it was a cram school bus?¡±
¡°It seems so.¡±
-This patient experienced a cardiac arrest a minute ago!
The eyes of the rushing medical staff focused on the mobile stretcher when they heard the words ¡®cardiac arrest.¡¯ Paramedics were already on the bed, applying chestpressions.
¡°Chang Soo! Take over!¡±
At Chief Ji¡¯s instruction, Seong Chang Soo reflexively got on the bed instead of the paramedic.
Students who were transferred to 6 beds.
Dozens of doctors and nurses clung to them all at once.
¡°I need a chest X-ray! Bring in the C-arm! The ribs went through the lungs!
¡°The pelvis is just about to split. Give me a pelvic binder!¡±
¡°Tachycardia! Secure the airway! Faster!¡±
Three diagnoses and measures were made at once on one hospital bed. It confused even the experienced nurses and added to the overall confusion in the room.
¡®How can we treat it if there¡¯s a head wound in this situation?¡¯
This wasn¡¯t the time to just be thinking. First, he had to enter the fray. Dowook tapped Nam Hana on the shoulder as she had been standing in confusion like him.
¡°Hana. I¡¯m going right. You go opposite.¡±
¡°Yes, senior.¡±
Approaching bed no.1, Dowook first checked the male student¡¯s vital monitor. The patient¡¯s pulse was slowing down and his oxygen levels were also falling.
¡®Oh dear. Just bringing him to a condition for surgery will be difficult.¡¯
He slipped through the 3 doctors already attached and lowered his gaze to the back of the patient¡¯s head.
There was aceration but it wasn¡¯t bleeding fatally. There were no signs of the neck being broken either. The patient had no need for a neurosurgeon.
¡®Okay. no. 1 passes. Be sure to live.¡¯
When he was about to go to patient no. 2 after giving the diagnosis.
¡°The problem is the blood pulled in the thoracic cavity.¡±
¡°We can¡¯t ignore the pelvis, either. He was crushed by a heavy object.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t you guys see that the vena profunda was cut?¡±
Conflicts arose over the order of treatment between the thoracic, orthopedic, and emergency center doctors. Even the nurses were confused over what should be done more quickly. The patient¡¯s vitals only got worse in the interim.
¡°It¡¯s amazing. How long has it been since you were warned? Do I have to write your names down already?¡±
An annoyed voice rang through the area. The chief nced at everyone as he walked over.
¡°Can¡¯t you who call yourselves doctors decide what to do first to wake the patient up?¡±
Slipping through the doctors who suddenly became mute, Chief Ji put on sterile gloves.
¡°Listen well. There¡¯s no time to go through the procedures or judge the side effects after treatment. If you have time to argue about your diagnosis, then just do it! Whatever you do, it can¡¯t get worse than this! Give me a scalpel.¡±
A nurse passed Chief Ji a scalpel.
Chief Ji put his hand on the patient¡¯s bruised chest and seemed to wait for something.
Beep be-be-beep.
An rm sounded indicating that oxygen levels had dropped.
At the same time, Chief Ji¡¯s de stabbed between the 5th and 6th ribs.
¡°Chest tube.¡±
The nurse picked up the tube with forceps and handed it over. After epting it, the chief pushed it into the hole he¡¯s just made without dy.
Blood gushed out and sshed on the clothes and faces of the doctors around him.
¡°Why are you just staring? There are just 5 minutes before this patient dies. Move!¡±
The doctors sobered up and reacted quickly.
The thoracic surgeon who confirmed it was cardiac tamponade, performed a pericardial puncture, the orthopedic surgeon who finished binding the pelvis assisted him, and the emergency surgeon injected hemostatic agents and sma to give them more time to operate.
¡®Just now, he found the vital area without an x-ray.¡¯
Dowook couldn¡¯t help but be amazed.
If that patient survives, the initial response led by Chief Ji would y an important role in it.
After giving instructions and moving away, Chief Ji bumped into Dowook.
¡°What are you daydreaming about here? Are you here to cheer?¡±
¡°I¡¯m going!¡±
As he was running to bed no. 2, Dowook felt a tingle stimting his fingertips.
¡°Huh?¡±
Dowook stared down at his hands.
Except that the target must be nearby, the conditions to activate the special sense were not difficult.
Naturally, this tingling that raced through his head and arms via the neural circuit belonged to the most outstanding surgeon in this room.
The ability of Chief Ji Hwi-gwan to cope with severe trauma.
In such an urgent time, his hands reacted to effectively save the patient before he did.
Chapter 21: Battlefield(3)
¡°Push down on the abdomen! Pressure! Pressure!¡±
The male student lying on bed no. 2 was on the verge of death before being taken to the ambnce.
¡°Emergency! Aren¡¯t you going to secure the central vein?!¡±
At the thoracic surgeon, Hwang In-gang¡¯s urging, the emergency surgeon, Yoon Jin Cheol, answered in bewilderment.
¡°The vein¡¯s diameter is too small. The needle isn¡¯t going in.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t you see that the blood pressure is all over the ce? Dr. Seo! Youe over here as well!¡±
Seo Dae Jun, an orthopedic surgeon who was trying to stop the abdominal bleeding as well, pulled out a thick syringe with a frown. Then he walked to the side of the neck to secure a different vein from that of Yoon Jin Cheol.
The moment he was about to daringly stab the needle.
¡°Stop.¡±
Seo Dae Jun¡¯s head turned in the direction of the quiet voice that halted his action.
¡°If you stab there, the neck vein will burst. It¡¯s very swollen.¡±
¡°What the hell? Emergency isining that the blood vessels have shrunk.¡±
Dowook illuminated the patient¡¯s neck with the penlight he¡¯d been examining the patient¡¯s pupil reaction with. A line of bulging blood vessels was revealed through the scratches caused by something heavy.
¡°This patient¡¯s veins and arteries aren¡¯t in a good condition.¡±
Seo Dae Jun swallowed his embarrassment.
¡°D*mn. This ce was and mine.¡±
¡°Hey, Dr. Seo! Didn¡¯t I say to get the central vein!¡±
At Hwang In-gang¡¯s shout, Seo Dae Jun showed a troubled expression.
¡°We can¡¯t do it on the neck. The abdomen is that bad so the legs won¡¯t work either. In conclusion, there¡¯s only the corbone. Emergency! Can¡¯t you secure one central vein?¡±
¡°I¡¯m trying to!¡±
Regardless of the confusion, Dowook calmly finished the head examination. Then, he turned to gaze at the blood flowing from the stomach wound.
There were 4 minutes until cardiac arrest shock, no 3 minutes.
That was what Chief Ji¡¯s experienced sense informed him.
Be-be-be-beep!
When the bleeding became unbearable, the vital monitor started to beep.
¡°What are you all doing?! Hurry up with the blood transfusion! Am I the only one being serious here?!¡±
Despite Hwang In-gang¡¯s scream, the situation showed no sign of improvement.
Meanwhile, Dowook put on sterile gloves and stood beside Yoon Jin Cheol. He looked below the patient¡¯s corbone where there were several marks from the unsessful injections.
¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±
¡°You?¡±
Having already lost his confidence, Yoon Jin Cheol, took a step back. Dowook looked at the nurse.
¡°Scalpel.¡±
¡°What?¡±
When he asked for a scalpel in a situation that required a needle, the nurse gave him an incredulous look. But, she habitually grabbed the most used no.10 scalpel and passed it to him.
Holding the scalpel, Dowook ced it on the patient¡¯s corbone and followed it with the de.
Hwang In-gang¡¯s eyes widened as he turned away from the stomach wound for a moment.
¡°Hey, nerve! What the h*ll are you doing!¡±
¡°I¡¯m securing a central vein. Forceps.¡±
Among the shocked people, Dowook calmly inserted the forceps into the incision.
¡°I have the vein. Syringe.¡±
Receiving the syringe with his other hand, Dowook gently stabbed it into the vein he had secured with the forceps.
¡°Done.¡±
Blood flowed into the syringe, indicating sess.
Dowook¡¯s drastic response of making an incision to secure a vein directly was a skill that even emergency specialist Yoon Jin Cheol could not help but be disconcerted by.
It was a method of literally not thinking about procedures and aftermath. However, it was very effective.
Dowook quickly scanned the people who were currently not holding anything around the bed.
¡°Emergency doctor, please insert a catheter. Orthopedic doctor, the staple. Ms. Nurse. Tape, quickly.¡±
The instructions were precise and appropriate so everyone reflexively followed them.
After stapling the incised skin with surgical staples and attaching tape to it, a perfect central venous tube was mounted on the patient¡¯s right vicle.
The falling blood pressure was barely restored by the fluid and blood administered through the tube.
Seeing the monitor, Hwang In-gang finally rxed.
¡°Hoo, we almost sent the patient to the next world. We passed through a hurdle thanks to you, neurosurgery doctor.¡±
Dowook shook his head at the signal from his hands.
¡°Not yet. There¡¯s less than a minute before this patient goes into cardiac arrest. We have to aggressively treat the wounds in the abdominal cavity.¡±
¡°The vitals have stabilized though. We have to continue stabilizing him in order to get him ready for surgery.¡±
¡°As long as there is a strain on the heart, that¡¯s not possible. Even if we send him up now, he¡¯ll go into arrest before the anesthesia works.¡±
Hwang In-gang quickly turned his head as he was pressing on the abdomen.
¡°What nonsense do you keep spitting out? Is a neurosurgeon trying to tackle a heart problem in front of a thoracic surgeon?¡±
Finding the question funny, Seo Dae Jun hid augh.
¡°That¡¯s true. Just because you stabbed a needle properly once doesn¡¯t make you an expert in thoracic surgery.¡±
As Dowook¡¯s opinion was being insulted.
Be-be-beep!
The ECG readings fluctuated rapidly. In a hurry, Dowook went over to the stomach and shouted.
¡°Keep increasing the blood transfusion levels!¡±
Dowook scanned the dented wounds caused by sharp mechanical parts on the patient¡¯s abdomen.
¡®Here!¡¯
He put his fingers straight into a wound.
¡°The nerve! This b*stard is!¡±
Dowook responded calmly to Hwang In-gang¡¯s raised voice.
¡°I¡¯ve grabbed the cut artery.¡±
¡°What?¡±
Hwang In-gang, who had just picked up a trauma ultrasound device to check for internal bleeding, had an expression of disbelief.
¡°You found it?¡±
¡°I¡¯m holding it.¡±
Coldly answering him, Dowook looked at the nurse.
¡°Give me a forceps. It¡¯s slippery, so it might slip out soon.¡±
Dowook inserted the forceps between the fingers he put in the patient¡¯s abdomen and grabbed the artery urately.
¡°One more.¡±
Grabbing the opposite side neatly, the blood flowing out decreased visibly.
¡°How¡.¡±
In Hwang In-gang¡¯s knowledge, it was not possible to pick out a wound among several without the sophisticated tools in the operating room.
Dowook once again repeated his previous opinion to Hwang In-gang who was at a loss for words.
¡°The patient is still young. His heart pumps faster than an adult¡¯s. That¡¯s the only reason blood pressure didn¡¯t drop. If we don¡¯t deal with it here, we have to send him on to the next world.¡±
¡°Umm¡¡¡±
While the thoracic surgeon who should be leading the first aid operation was lost in thought, Yoon Jin Cheol, who had watched the process of Dowook exquisitely grasp the blood vessel, started to ask.
¡°Dr. Park Dowook. What should we do now?¡±
Yoon Jin Cheol looked utterly trusting. Seo Dae Jun also stepped away from Hwang In-gang and waited for Dowook¡¯s next instruction.
¡°That¡¯s¡.¡±
Dowook couldn¡¯t say anything.
With Chief Ji¡¯s sense, he was able to deal with the fatal situation actively. However, afterward, his fingers only twitched as his knowledge of chest surgery wascking.
Just like with Lim So Yool¡¯s calctions, he knew the feeling but didn¡¯t know what to say.
¡®It¡¯s not like I can look through papers on serious trauma here.¡¯
The feeling pulsing from his fingertips implied it was only a matter of time before the bomb exploded.
Chapter 22: Battlefield(4)
1 minute from now. That was it.
Hwang In-gang who¡¯d been lost in thought clicked his tongue.
¡°Blocking the aorta with a balloon catheter would save time. But, that¡¯s an emergency technique even our chief hasn¡¯t tried before. I also only watched the video posted by the thoracic department at the Shunguk University website.¡±
Dowook¡¯s fingertips twitched at the specific surgery n Hwang In-gang revealed, and he recognized that the process was something he could do.
That was it, the patient could be saved with that.
¡°If there¡¯s a way, we should try it.¡±
¡°Who¡¯s going to do it? Even now, we can send him up to surgery¡.¡±
Beee¡ª
The electrocardiogram showed that the heart had stopped.
¡°Arrest! CPR!¡±
Yoon Jin Cheol immediately went to the chest and startedpressing. Hwang In-gang¡¯s expression froze when the patient went into cardiac arrest as Dowook said.
Be-beep.
Cardiovascr drugs were injected and the heart, which had stopped, started beating again due to the continuous CPR. However, the rhythm was more unstable than before.
The pulse transmitted through Chief Ji¡¯s sense could not be felt any longer. It meant there was no difference with death.
Dowook became more sure of his decision.
¡°I will do the procedure. Dr. Hwang, please assist.¡±
It was a nonsensical proposal from a neurosurgery resident to perform an abdominal procedure in front of a thoracic surgeon. Hwang In-gang was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t even get angry.
¡°Then, there will be punishment. It crosses the line.¡±
¡°Rather than killing the patient at the next arrest, I will cross the line.¡±
Everyone was astonished by the deration and looked at Dowook.
Dowook gave the order at the thought that it was a battle of time in seconds.
¡°Nurse, please look for a balloon catheter. Since it has to go into the femoral artery, tube size no. 7. Dr. Yoon, Dr. Seo, what do you want to do?¡±
Yoon Jin Cheol had already stepped up to assist Dowook, Seo Dae Jun also looked at him and just stuck next to him.
The nurse rummaged through the emergency kit and found an envelope containing a silicone balloon tube. Even while the envelope was opened and the tools inside were sterilized, Hwang In-gang was looking at the situation sourly.
¡°Everyone¡¯s just gone crazy.¡±
Hwang In-gang let out a deep sigh.
¡°Hey, neurosurgeon. Let me ask you one thing. Does your department also train for severe trauma? Holding the arteries as well for the matter. What kind of response is this?¡±
¡°I was taught that this is how it should be in the emergency center.¡±
¡°Who? Your teacher?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
To be more specific, the owner of the sensation at his fingertips, Commander G, said so.
¡°I¡¯ll get punished for not stopping this anyway, so I¡¯ll help. The emergency doctor should prepare for CPR and Dr. Seo take care of that artery the neurosurgeon is holding.¡±
Hwang In-gang¡¯s deration of participation.
The creaking bed no. 2 started to work as if manned by a well-coordinated trauma team.
Dowook touched the thigh with the femoral artery and lightly made an incision with a scalpel.
¡°The catheter, please. I will start the procedure.¡±
Chief Ji was standing in the middle of the severe treatment area.
¡°Don¡¯t miss a single wound! Focus!¡±
He was screaming in annoyance at the heartbreaking situation.
He exerted power to call over doctors who were not on duty, but the condition of some patients whose life signs were fading could not be improved by effort alone.
Be-be-be-beep!
At the sound of the vital warning for bed no. 4, Chief Ji¡¯s eyes turned without a break.
-Shock! CPR!
Just as he was about to focus on that, the same sound rang out from bed no. 6 when he thought the patient¡¯s condition had improved.
-I have cardiac arrest! Bring the cart! Defibritor ready!
It was a situation where he wished he had one more body, no, even 10 would not be enough.
He ran to bed no. 4 and pushed in the patient¡¯s crushed shoulder de. He barely managed to catch the blood vessel broken by the bone and handed it over to the orthopedic surgeon. Then he immediately jumped over to bed no. 6.
He instructed the doctors to insert a drainage tube for a stomach injury that was bing peritonitis, and once again scolded the doctors who were tired from the continuous CPR.
[TN: Peritonitis-Peritonitis that develops without an abdominal rupture (spontaneous bacterial peritonitis) is usually aplication of liver disease, such as cirrhosis.]
¡°D*mn it. Not a single one is getting better. You b*stards, hold on to life! We will save you!¡±
He even burst into anger towards the unconscious patients.
¡°D*mn it.¡±
The anesthesiologist, An Hosan, approached Chief Ji who was in despair.
¡°The nearest operating room is ready. Who should we send up first?¡±
¡°The one who can be sent up.¡±
¡°Then we can¡¯t send anyone up. None of these patients here are in a condition to be operated on.¡±
¡°Just wait.¡±
After scanning the six beds, the chief¡¯s gaze stopped on bed no. 2.
-Ultrasound! Quickly!
-I know, I know. Dr. Park, you¡¯re a pretty fretful person.
A hospital bed with a young doctor at the center providing first aid to stop abdominal bleeding. That surgery where a balloon was pushed into a blood vessel in the thigh was by no means a usual response.
-Please check the amount of blood loss.
-I¡¯m looking.
Those who checked the ultrasound together, let out a cheer at the same time.
-It¡¯s done! We stopped the bleeding, Dr. Park!
-Insane. We really did it.
Upon achieving stable hemodynamic status, the monitor on bed no.2 also showed positive vital signs. Aortic block resuscitation performed by a young doctor. That was the reason.
[TN: Hemodynamic-Dynamic of blood flow]
¡°A patient we can send up appeared. Who is that thoracic surgeon? Do you know, Dr. An?¡±
At Chief Ji¡¯s question, Dr. An also looked at bed no. 2.
¡°Who¡..huh? Dr. Dowook? Dr. Park Dowook is from neurosurgery though?¡±
¡°What?¡±
Chief Ji¡¯s eyes got bigger. An Hosan didn¡¯t know why he reacted like that so he continued.
¡°He¡¯s quite skilled. There are rumors that he is the next ace in neurosurgery. He¡¯s in hisst year of residency but he¡¯s at the same level as the staff.¡±
Wearing new sterile gloves, Dowook looked around and jumped to bed no. 4.
He waved his hand at the doctor, who was bewildered by the patient¡¯s condition as he spat out blood, and said.
-The lungs are just a bit injured. You just need to insert the tube from the opposite direction. Doctor, you just focus on the popliteal artery. And¡ uh! There! Control the blood transfusion! There¡¯s an inmmatory reaction!
Chief Ji listened to these words carefully and burst outughing.
Proposing to throw away the lungs within a second of approaching the patient to save them.
It was the emergency sense disregarding means and methods and was the virtue needed to save multiple critical patients.
He¡¯d just wished for two bodies, and just in time, someone simr was roaming around.
He wasn¡¯t one to ask things from God, but Chief Ji looked at the ceiling brightly lit by LED lights.
¡°I guess this is His way of telling us to save all these kids.¡±
Continuing to run around the severe treatment area, Chief Ji wiped his sweat with a towel and shouted.
¡°Chang Soo! Did you be a doctor just to do that kind of CPR! Beat the heart even if you break the ribs! Seongjun! How can you squeeze the EMBU like that! Match it to your breathing! Orthopedic over there! Aren¡¯t you going to fix that wobbly ankle?! It¡¯s on the verge of sepsis!¡±
[TN: Emergency Medicine bedside ultrasound (EMBU)]
Let his throat give out, let his feet break. He continued to lead the entire hospital ward.
Be-be-be-beep!
The emergency room was like a battlefield where life and death changed every moment.
Patients, doctors, nurses. There was no one who was not covered in blood.
And
No one had died yet.
Chapter 23: Battlefield(5)
¡°You want to reduce the amount of blood transfusions?¡±
In response to the nurse¡¯s question, Dowook pointed to the gauze near his side, which covered a wound treated for hemostasis.
¡°It¡¯s fresh blood, but the color is subtly different.¡±
Same blood, different density. A change in hemoglobin due to excessive blood supply.
¡°In this patient¡¯s condition, he can¡¯t withstand the inmmation caused by over-transfusion.¡±
The nurse who checked the gauze clicked her tongue.
¡°My god. It¡¯s so crazy in here but were you checking over here as well?¡±
¡°Because it¡¯s crazy urgent.¡±
As he experienced the rhythm of life and death that he had never had before, he had no choice but to focus on simply maintaining the patient¡¯s breathing alive.
To learn a way to increase their chance of survival.
¡°Anyway, please take more care, Ms. Nurse.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
The crisis that wrapped around bed no. 4 was over.
Dowook, who was looking for a patient who was worse off, turned his attention to Nam Hana, who was making a small hole in the back of the patient on bed 5.
Lumbar puncture. There seemed to be a problem with the brain pressure.
¡°Hana is doing well over there. No. 6 is¡.¡±
Chief Ji was working on it himself.
Thinking he could take a breather since there was nowhere he could lend a hand, he sensed a noisy atmosphere outside the medical area.
-Taejun! Jeong Taejun! Mom¡¯s here!
-Please help out Minji. How is her situation?
It seemed the parents of these students had arrived.
Since only one of the six patients was stabilized and moved to the operating room, his heart was heavy.
Still, the students were thankfully being stabilized step by step.
¡®All of them will live. Probably.¡¯
Turning his head one more time, this time, he heard the siren of an ambnce.
Dowook didn¡¯t care.
When there was a big ident, the 119 rescue center consulted and divided the patients with nearby hospitals. Six people were assigned to the nearest Myeong Sae Hospital for this crash. That was it.
As he was turning away at the thought that it was obviously not their patient.
Drrrk.
¡°Age 43! Male! He is the driver who bounced out of the bus! He was foundte on-site!¡±
When Dowook saw the patient on the mobile bed, he hesitated.
His head was soaked with dark red blood. The clear liquid visible through the gap was cerebrospinal fluid.
A single skull fracture alone required major surgery, but the patient¡¯s head was caved in and his chest waspletely crushed in the ident.
Zaap!
Chief Ji¡¯s sense stimted Dowook more seriously than any other patient he¡¯d seen.
The best way to save the patient¡¯s life. That was what it wanted.
Dowook ran like a man possessed to the mobile bed pushed by the paramedics. Then, he subconsciously picked up his phone.
He quickly dialed an emergency number and put the phone to his ear.
Click.
-Dr. Park?
The voice from the other side. It was Prof. Choi.
¡®¡¡.¡¯
Dowook returned to his senses a bitte.
-Why aren¡¯t you speaking?
¡°Pro-professor.¡±
This wasn¡¯t Dowook¡¯s intention, but he was made to do so by the emergency center chief¡¯s sense.
To save this patient, they needed the best neurosurgeon in the hospital.
The best professor Dowook knew was of course Professor Choi Hoo. Because he threw his all into his senses, hemitted an irreversible act.
¡®D****mn it!¡¯
It was already spilled milk. Taking a look at the patient on the mobile bed, Dowook attempted a desperate notice.
¡°It¡¯s a patient that was just brought to the emergency room. The condition is ruptured temporal bone with leaking cerebrospinal fluid. The chest and abdomen were also severelypressed, suggesting organ damage. Could youe in for surgery?¡±
-Is he conscious?
¡°He is in aa.¡±
-If we don¡¯t operate right away, he¡¯ll die.
¡°If you are too far away, we¡¯ll try something with the people here¡.¡±
-I¡¯ll be there in 2 minutes.
Click.
After he hung up, Dowook was very bewildered.
He just called Choi Hoo toe for emergency night duty. Compared to this, the surgery he performed instead of the thoracic surgeon a while ago didn''t even cross the line.
"Dr. Dowook."
Having been waiting at the side for a patient like this, An Hosan realized the seriousness of the situation and ran over.
"How is the patient?"
"I think I need to write a death certificate."
"Huh? Is this patient that hopeless?"
"No, mine."
With an expression stating he couldn''t understand what he was talking about, An Hosan helped Dowook push the mobile stretcher to the treatment area.
"Lifting in 1, 2, 3."
A bed with #7 was newly established.
Dowook quickly told An Hosan.
"Nevermind the patient''s condition. We have to send him to an operating room as soon as we stop the bleeding. "
"I understand, I''ll arrange it right away."
Due to theck of medical staff to treat the critical patients, Dowook personally picked up a tube for airway intubation. Emergency doctors and nurses from the general area came over after a while.
¡°What the h*ll is this?¡±
As soon as he approached, Chief Ji nced at the patient and frowned. Then he yelled at the paramedic who helped transfer the patient to a hospital bed and took a step back.
¡°Paramedic. How can you just bring over a patient because he was close by?! This level of injury should be taken to a hospital with a severe trauma center. Don¡¯t you know that?¡±
¡°At the scene of the ident, the possibility of treatment is the highest here since it¡¯s the closest¡.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t you see that the ce is a mess because of the first six?!¡±
Chief Ji eximed in anger. Then his gaze turned to Dowook who was calmly proceeding with the best first aid treatment for the patient without saying anything.
He had already ced gauze on the head and was dressing the wound on the side to stop the bleeding. It had a very good reaction rate.
¡°If you don¡¯t have teeth, you should chew with your gums. Dr. Park Dowook.¡±
Finishing with the dressing, Dowook turned his head. He was surprised to hear that Chief Ji knew his name.
¡°If this patient is to survive, the chest must be operated on immediately. I saw earlier that you are quite good at dealing with things,e in as my assistant.¡±
¡°Huuh?¡±
Dowook paused. He was about to reply to the bewildering request to assist in chest surgery when a voice came and interrupted him.
¡°How do you n to deal with the cracked open head that you want to open the chest first?¡±
A man of overbearing stature approached and stood by the patient¡¯s head. There was a slight shade over the bed.
Chief Ji¡¯s gaze turned to look at the man who created that shade.
¡°Prof. Choi?¡±
Choi Hoo bowed his head slightly toward Chief Ji. Chief Ji made a gesture with his head to answer the greeting and answered the question.
¡°The heart needs to work for the patient to live. The headester.¡±
¡°Just say that you¡¯d rather turn him into a vegetable. Is it a person just because they are breathing?¡±
¡°What?¡±
Dowook didn¡¯t think that Prof. Choi and Chief Ji would argue as soon as Prof. Choi arrived. Looking at the situation, he became as quiet as a mouse.
¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m saying we should have major surgery. We should restore smooth blood flow and then proceed with the more specific surgery from there.¡±
¡°The one who will do that specific surgery is me. If we don¡¯t close this kind of head injury right away, the patient will surely be brain dead.¡±
¡°Are you fighting with me over the order of surgery?¡±
¡°If required.¡±
A scary conversation. As Dowook watched, cold sweat ran down his back.
Be-beep!
The vital monitor a nurse had attached showed dangerous numbers.
If this patient went into arrest, he would die on the stop.
He understood the importance of the chest as he had a good sense of emergency treatments. However, if the head surgery became the 2nd priority, he hadn¡¯t seen a case where a patient with that much brain swelling was able to get up after.
¡®Hmm?¡¯
As his special sense was giving him mixed signals, Dowook unwittingly blurted out.
¡°We can do both at the same time.¡±
Ji Hwi-gwan and Choi Hoo both turned to look at him at the same time.
Choi Hoo asked.
¡°It requires surgeries from entirely different fields and a high degree of concentration. Do you mean to say that this is possible, Dr. Park?¡±
After scanning the wound on the patient¡¯s head, Dowook immediately understood the outline of the operation.
Professor Choi would open up the broken skull and cut out as little of the damaged areas as possible and neatly suture close the remaining areas. What was important here was only the patient¡¯s vitality.
Tingle.
Receiving Chief Ji¡¯s sense once again, he looked at the outline for the chest surgery.
Chapter 24: Battlefield(6)
Chief Ji would open the chest and suture the organs only to a level that they could be passed over to each department. Cardiac surgery, hepatobiliary pancreas, thoracic, wherever it was needed. The only thing important here was time.
¡°It is possible. Because it is Prof. Choi and Chief Ji. If I assist both of you at the same time, I can coordinate it well enough.¡±
As soon as he realized it was possible to switch between the senses, he threw out the possibility.
Prof. Choi crossed his arms with one hand on his chin and looked at the patient and Dowook in turn.
It was as if he was judging who was closer to death, and it made Dowook shrink back internally.
Prof. Choi asked Chief Ji.
¡°What do you think?¡±
¡°I think if we want to avoid brain death and save the patient, simultaneous surgery is the right way to go about this. The problem is that there is not enough medical staff to do it. They¡¯re all waiting for surgery over there as well. If we could have at least one more experienced assistant¡¡±
¡°Dr. Park should be enough for the role of the main assistant.¡±
¡°There will be two people performing surgeries and you¡¯re saying only one first is enough?¡±
First Assistant surgeon. Chief Ji also acknowledged Dowook¡¯s skills to some extent.
Prof. Choi stared at Dowook.
¡°Dr. Park has an exceptional ability to understand the surgeon¡¯s intention. That assistance is the reason why I¡¯m saying it would be possible.¡±
¡°That much? This is the first time I¡¯m hearing Prof. Choi speak well of someone.¡±
¡°There was no one worthy of praise.¡±
¡°And there were tons of people to scold?¡±
¡°Well¡.¡±
Prof. Choi didn¡¯t deny the statement. Chief Ji also didn¡¯t continue to ask and looked at Dowook.
¡°I guess it¡¯s true since Myeong Sae University expert surgeon is saying it. Let¡¯s move, Dr. Park. this patient needs to be saved.¡±
Thus, an unexpected emergency cooperative operation was decided.
Drrrk.
When the door of the operating room opened, Dowook, who had finished disinfecting his hands, entered as An Hosan turned to look at him while he was anesthetizing the patient.
¡°You¡¯re opening both at the same time?¡±
¡°Things happened.¡±
¡°Will the vitalsst? Since it¡¯s Prof. Choi, he¡¯ll start cursing up a storm the moment the vitals fall.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry about that part. You have hard work ahead of you, Dr. An.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not something you should apologize for, Dr. Dowook. Let¡¯s work hard.¡±
With his gown and gloves on, Dowook checked the readiness of the operating room with the lingering impressions of the two people¡¯s senses.
Drrrk.
¡°Senior.¡±
¡°Dr. Park.¡±
2nd-year resident Kim Seong Tae and intern Woo* Seok Gyu rushed in. There were not enough scrub nurses to participate in the surgery, so they were called in at thest minute.
[*T/N: The author seems to have changed thest name of this intern. Or there''s two with the same first name but differentst name.]
¡°Seong Tae, you shave the patient first, Seok Gyu, you stand beside the nurse and help her with the surgical set-up.¡±
Holding the razor, Kim Seong Tae¡¯s eyes gazed at the state of the patient¡¯s head.
¡°Eugh. It¡¯s totally cracked open. Senior, what should I do about the hair tangled in the wound?¡±
¡°Irrigate as much as possible, and cut as short as you can.¡±
At Kim Seong Tae¡¯s amazement as he washed the head wound, Dowook asked.
¡°Is this your first time seeing this kind of patient?¡±
¡°These days, everyone¡¯s pretty good about wearing their seatbelts so this kind of skull fracture patient is pretty rare. Their hearts give out first.¡±
¡°His heart was crushed, too. His guts, too.¡±
¡°Whaat?¡±
A sterile cloth was applied over both the head and chest.
Kim Seong Tae, who came down only because Dowook called, immediately realized that the operation was serious.
Drrrk.
Chief Ji Hwi-gwan and Prof. Choi entered the operating room one after the other.
Kim Seong Tar blinked his eyes in bewilderment at seeing both Commander G and Last Choi put on sterile gloves.
¡°Senior, this surgery will be performed by Prof¡.¡±
¡°Keep your head on straight. Or you might be taken to the mortuary instead of this patient.¡±
After putting on a gown, Prof. Choi passed by with a terrifying aura that caused Kim Seong Tae to flinch and swallow. Then he turned to Dowook and asked.
¡°That thing about the mortuary, it was a joke, right? I¡¯m wide awake now.¡±
¡°I also wish it was a joke.¡±
It was nice to borrow Chief Ji¡¯s sense in the emergency center, but he didn¡¯t expect to also receive the Nobel Peace Prize mindset of wanting to save everyone.
Professor Choi scanned the room and looked displeased.
¡°What kind of cleanliness is this? Do you n to detonate a germ bomb? You over there! Where are you rubbing your contaminated gown?!¡±
At Last Choi¡¯s gaze that seemed to shootsers, Woo Seok Gyu flinched and dropped the mp he was holding in his hand.
Clink.
Steel tongs from the tool cart. Woo Seok Gyu, startled and immediately shouted.
¡°I apologize.¡±
¡®¡.I really hope it was a joke.¡¯
* * *
The space was illuminated by circr LED lights in the operating room.
Prof. Choi at the head, Chief Ji by the left of the chest, Dowook at the right of the chest. After checking everyone else¡¯s positions, he yelled.
¡°Starting surgery to preserve open skull fracture, dura mater and cerebrospinal fluid leakage, and multiple organ damage in the thoracic cavity!¡±
[TN: Dura mater is a thick membrane made of dense irregr connective tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord]
And so began the surgery on the patient whose state was hard to describe.
Prof. Choi and Chief Ji both stretched out their hands.
¡°Scalpel.¡±
¡°Scalpel.¡±
With a chin gesture, Dowook signaled Kim Seong Tae and Woo Seok Gyu to help out. Currently, those two were valuable resources no different from his arms and legs.
The two scalpels with their des already secured in advance were ced in their hands.
A piece of crushed scalp was exposed, and a red line was drawn in the middle of the chest.
Be-be-beep.
When the two areas were opened, the vital monitor showed signs of a significant drop in blood pressure. Not a good sign as expected. Now, he needed the sense of Chief Ji who was an expert in resuscitation medicine.
Tingle.
When he epted someone¡¯s sense, the other person¡¯s sense dimmed at that moment. At the instant of intersection, a strange collision urred in his neural circuits.
Like the two people¡¯s senses bing one.
Thanks to that, he could clearly see the outline of the surgeries Prof. Choi and Chief Ji would perform.
Dowook¡¯s gaze turned to An Hosan.
¡°Please put in both Norphin and Dopa.¡±
¡°Boosters already?¡±
¡°We need to increase blood pressure as much as possible and give up on hypothermia, acidosis, and blood coagtion for the time being.¡±
¡°That¡¯s just a vicious cycle.¡±
¡°Not in the brain.¡±
Chief Ji, who was putting a lot ofrge gauze in the chest to control the bleeding, looked at Dowook in surprise.
¡°You know that we opened the chest to control that vicious cycle Dr. Park just mentioned, right?¡±
¡°I know. Just a sec¡.¡±
Confirming that the vasopressor was administered, Dowook suggested the first adjustment.
¡°If we double the judgment and act, we can return to normal before then. I¡¯ll check the abdomen.¡±
¡°You, Dr. Park?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°If you miss even a little necrotic tissue, this patient will eventually die. Will you still do it?¡±
In a patient who skipped the CT and entered the operating room, the naked eye and sense of fingertips were the only search devices.
One needed the experience of having put their hands into a patient numerous times for it to work.
Dowook just said that he could do this himself. Chief Ji¡¯s distrust was unavoidable.
¡®Let¡¯s just treat it rather than argue about diagnoses.¡¯
Chapter 25: Battlefield(7)
Once Choi Hoo opened up the head and started slicing the brain, there would be no time to stay here.
¡°I will do it.¡±
Taking out the gauze ced in the abdominal area, he quickly looked inside.
Blood spurted out like a fountain.
¡°Perforation! In therge intestine!¡±
Dowook held new gauze and tamped it above therge intestine.
¡°This can¡¯t be stopped with just gauze packing. I will suture it with GIA.¡±
By picking up the perforatedrge intestine with an automatic anastomosis machine, the amount of blood filling the abdominal cavity was reduced.
Chief Ji¡¯s expression softened after seeing the quick judgment and action.
¡°I really didn¡¯t see anything wrong a while ago. Cut out the necrotic part and just cover the fragmented intestine. Do you know what that means?¡±
Chief Ji asked a question about the serious emergency response. Dowook answered while scraping out the necrotic tissue.
¡°It¡¯s just first aid to keep the patient breathing. Difficult surgery aimed at restoring function is the responsibility of the secondary surgery team.
Seemingly liking the answer, Chief Ji¡¯s eyes shed with satisfaction.
Dowook looked at the tissue of therge intestine and let go as soon as he saw that he got everything.
This was because Prof. Choi, who had finished removing part of the skull, began examining the damaged brain dura mater.
Tingle.
It was time to change to another sense.
The brain, which was neatly exposed by Prof. Choi, had swelled up as if it was about to pop out of the skull, showing the seriousness of the case.
¡°I will remove the hematoma.¡±
As soon as Dowook approached Prof. Choi, he grabbed the primer for the puncture in his hand. It was difficult to find the location of the pooled blood in the swollen brain.
¡°What about the microscope? We can¡¯t see both ces at the same time.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t touch Prof. Choi¡¯s hands even with it. Shall we proceed?¡±
¡°Proceed.¡±
The surgery to remove the torn tissue from the neck and the surgery to remove the umted blood from the brain that was causing brain edema were performed together.
As if a person had 4 hands, a surgery with 0% mistake continued without another word.
The patient was in danger, but the operating room had a veryfortable and strange atmosphere.
The one who broke the silence was Chief Ji who was blocking the hole in the lungs.
¡°The crushed ribs are tearing the arteries. We have to connect the blood vessels.¡±
Dowook nced at the video that appeared on the endoscope equipment and asked Prof. Choi.
¡°Can I leave here for a while?¡±
Prof. Choi, who looked at the screen as well, answered.
¡°Go. If it gets more torn, the blood won¡¯t reach the brain, either.¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
Threading a custom suture to a needle, Dowook passed it to Chief Ji and stopped. He thought that with Prof. Choi¡¯s sharp sense, he could sew it better than Chief Ji could.
¡°Can I do it?¡±
¡°Have you sutured a cardiovascr artery before?¡±
¡°No. But I think it should be easier than the soft tissue of the blood vessels in the brain.¡±
¡°Ha. That¡¯s crazy reasoning, but true. Then I¡¯ll keep working on the holes in the lungs. I¡¯ll buy you some time.¡±
Dowook inserted a pair of tweezers and grabbed the artery Chief Ji had found. He picked up a needle with a tweezer in his other hand.
¡°I¡¯ll start the anastomosis.¡±
[TN: Anastomosis-An anastomosis is a surgical connection between two structures]
The endoscopic image showed the tweezers and needle move around the artery as if they were dancing.
Kim Seong Tae, who was spraying water next to Prof. Choi, looked at the screen and was shocked. The senior who was only two years ahead of him showed incredible skill.
Finishing the suture easily, Dowook returned to Prof. Choi¡¯s side.
¡°I¡¯ve returned.¡±
Prof. Choi didn¡¯t say anything and simply stretched out his hand. The movement seemed to show that he would obviously return at this time. Dowook quickly grabbed a pair of thin scissors and passed it to him.
Again, one person gained 4 hands.
A portion of the severely damaged brain tissue was removed, followed by borate sutures. In line with the professor¡¯s work, Dowook continued to provide machine-like assistance to minimize the aftereffects of surgery.
As they were thinking the surgery was going smoothly.
Chief Ji frowned as he continued conservative treatment from the lungs to the heart.
¡°I haven¡¯t stopped all the bleeding, but the heartbeat is too strong. Something is strange.¡±
The moment he finished speaking, the vital monitor turned red and rang in warning.
An Hosan hurriedly yelled.
¡°High blood pressure!¡±
The weakened cerebrovascr tissue tore. It was a painful sudden variable that would surely lead to brain death.
Dowook instinctively epted Chief Ji¡¯s sense.
He fumbled over the cart, held a blood vessel clip in his hand, and picked up two torn blood vessels at once to prevent massive cerebral hemorrhage. It was really a lightning-fast movement.
Prof. Choi looked at Dowook¡¯s fingers with interest and said.
¡°Go. I¡¯ll take care of that blood vessel.¡±
In a critical situation, Prof. Choi¡¯s hands became bolder.
Standing by Chief Ji¡¯s side, Dowook looked in the chest cavity.
While examining the liver, spleen, and pancreas, his eyes stopped on the crushed left kidney. An organ that was already unable to properly function. The blood flow waspletely messed up as the heart continued to pump blood to it.
Chief Ji also found the problem¡¯s cause and traded a look with Dowook.
¡°Conservative treatment seems impossible here.¡±
¡°Are you suggesting nephrectomy?¡± [T/N: nephrectomy=kidney removal.]
¡°We should try to save him even like that.¡±
¡°I agree. Let¡¯s do it.¡±
An Hosan, who had been focusing on the vital monitor, had a glint of fear in his eyes as he listened to their conversation. They even had to do a nephrectomy with so few people, this was quite a frightening situation.
Dowook brought out Prof. Choi¡¯s sense again to help with the extraction.
¡°Starting the nephrectomy.¡±
A continuous situation where one couldn¡¯t lose vignce even for a second. This was more like a warzone than any operation Dowook had participated in.
After finishing the renal extraction in 10 minutes, Dowook helped graft the abdominal fat in the area where the cerebral fluid had been spilled right away.
Even during the break where the titanium te to rece the broken skull was being prepared, he helped in the conservative treatment of stopping the bleeding in the ruptured organs.
¡®Next? What¡¯s next?¡¯
Dowook couldn¡¯t remember whose sense he was using anymore.
How much time has passed?
Prof. Choi closed the head and Chief Ji closed the chest.
¡°The patient is in good condition. I will put him in the ICU like this.¡±
An Hosan¡¯s confident voice rang through the operating room.
¡°Dr. Dowook. Stop. it¡¯s over.¡±
¡°What?¡±
Dropping his hands which were soaked in the patient¡¯s blood, Dowook looked around the operating room.
Start: 11:30, End: 12:28
It was a miraculous emergency surgery performed in just under an hour.
Dowook exhaustedly sat on the floor.
Because he kept exchanging senses, his body felt like he was being electrified.
Removing his hands from the patient and taking a step back, Prof. Choi turned to look at Chief Ji.
¡°I think we¡¯ve prevented brain death. What about on your side?¡±
¡°He¡¯s still breathing. You¡¯ve worked hard, Prof. Choi.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not something that should be said to me.¡±
At Prof. Choi¡¯s reply, Chief Ji turned his gaze to the cart which Dowook, who was almost passed out, was leaning on.
¡°About that guy. If he grows well, he can probably save numerous people. I¡¯m looking forward to his future. Can I call him over every once in a while?¡±
¡°As long as it doesn¡¯t mess with my schedule.¡±
¡°You always mess with the other professors, so why can¡¯t I mess with you?¡±
¡°Being messed with doesn¡¯t feel good.¡±
Chief Ji left the operating room after sending him a look saying, ¡®So you act like that when you know that?¡¯ Prof. Choi quietly watched Chief Ji leave and walked over to Dowook.
¡°Dr. Park.¡±
¡°Yes, profe¡.ack.¡±
Dowook wanted to stand up but was surprised to find he couldn¡¯t move.
¡°Just stay seated.¡±
¡°Yes, professor.¡±
¡°When you schedule my surgery starting next week, make it so that you and I take turns as the main surgeon. You can do moreplicated surgeries if you think you can.¡±
¡°Yes, I understand.¡±
He answered reflexively as he looked at Prof. Choi¡¯s leave. Then he recalled the instruction he had just received.
¡®Did he just tell me to do half of the surgeries assigned to him?¡¯
Crash!
The patient¡¯s body jumped up and down from the bed as 300 Joules of electricity shocked them. Seong Chang Soo¡¯s CPR continued as everyone¡¯s eyes remained on the electrocardiogram.
¡°Beat, please!¡±
The red liquid pooled like a puddle on the surrounding floor was blood this patient had been transfused with for the fifth time. The same amount of liquid was being poured back into the patient.
Oxygenation, chestpressions, blood transfusions.
Again and again.
This life-and-death cycle could no longer be broken by a doctor¡¯s treatment.
Seong Chang Soo¡¯s eyes turned to the pale face of the male student lying on the bed.
There was no more movement on the electrocardiogram. Another doctor grabbed Seong Chang Soo¡¯s shoulder.
¡°Dr. Seong. That¡¯s enough.¡±
¡°Yeah. We¡¯ve tried everything we could.¡±
The faces of the other doctors who also worked to save the patient showed aplicated expression.
¡°D*mn it.¡±
Letting out a short sigh, Seong Chang Soo put more force in his hands in dissatisfaction.
¡°Live, you brat!¡±
Beep.
The graph on the ECG monitor jumped.
¡°What?¡±
The heart of the patient who experienced four cardiac arrests resumed activity. The patient was also persistently holding onto life.
¡°It¡¯s back! It came back!¡±
Seong Chang Soo yelled in happiness.
After a long CPR, Seong Chang Soo retreated from the bed, kneeling down and rubbing his arms. Blood soaked his pants, but it wasn¡¯t something he was worried about.
He tried to catch his breath from a position he could resume CPR at any time should an arreste.
¡°Chang Soo.¡±
When he turned his head to the familiar voice, Dowook was there. Wearing an operating gown with still wet blood. His friend¡¯s struggle could be seen at a nce.
¡°You were in surgery?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
Dowook sat beside him. Seong Chang Soo spoke in a weak voice.
¡°You should rest if you¡¯re done with your surgery.¡±
¡°They said this patient is thest one. When I heard that, somehow I couldn¡¯t rest.¡±
¡°How sentimental.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just me.¡±
Dozens of medical staff were voluntarily waiting to protect the only patient who was unable to enter the stable zone.
A reliable number of doctors that most omens of death would not be able to scoff at. That patient would live. For certain.
Seong Chang Soo smiled slightly.
¡°Dowook, was this job this great?¡±
¡°What great? You¡¯ll be on duty after a while. Change at dawn, good luck.¡±
¡°F*ck.¡±
The emergency center that had resembled a battlefield slowly calmed down as the night turned to dawn.
¡ª¨C
sync : ¡®Ji Hwi-gwan¡¯s¡¯ surgery skill
action : be a master of severe trauma treatment. Your hands and eyes will try their best to deal with the situation. The desire to save everyone is a bonus.
Chapter 26: Transcendental Diagnosis(1)
Sunday, Sinchon Sharehouse.
The long-awaited first day of work was approaching. Dowook, who was up early in preparation for tomorrow, went into the break room and met Jeong In-seok, who was sitting with a frown on his face.
It was the face one would make after a day of too much drinking.
¡°Did you have too much yesterday?¡±
¡°I¡¯m dying. But I can¡¯t not drink if I want to relieve some stress in a short time.¡±
Jeong In-seok who tried to hold back his nausea suddenly turned his head.
¡°Dr. Park. The rumors say you¡¯re the attending physician for that VIP patient?¡±
¡°Director Lim So Yool?¡±
¡°Yeah. It¡¯s because I saw my department chief trembling when he saw Chief Song being called out in the auditorium. Do you think Lim So Yool will sweep out all those who were managing their departments¡¯ finances poorly?¡±
¡°I¡¯m also not sure¡¡ the thoracic department is the pir of all surgery departments, so she probably won¡¯t touch it.¡±
Dowook had no idea how she was going to handle Myeong Sae Hospital¡¯s financial problems as he hardly met her during her recovery period.
¡°Argh, I¡¯m worried. My department is already very exhausted as we don¡¯t have enough residents. If people get fired, who will still apply? If you know anything, let me know.¡±
¡°If I learn anything.¡±
Coming out of the bathroom after a shower, he quickly finished getting ready and headed for the hospital.
He entered the hospital frantically thinking about how to organize the surgery schedule ording to Prof. Choi¡¯s instructions fromst Friday, but a senior from the Department of Internal Medicine, who he rarely interacted with after graduation, blocked his way.
¡°Dowook, it¡¯s been a while.¡±
¡°Senior Yoo?¡±
¡°I was about to call you. You have a VIP patient under your care recently, right?¡±
¡°Director Lim So Yool?¡±
Dowook recalled a simr conversation he had a while ago.
¡°My section chief keeps asking me to ask you what Director Lim has been doing when he found out you are my junior. I¡¯m going insane.¡±
¡°I also don¡¯t know. I¡¯m just the attending physician, the one really responsible for her care is the vice-president.¡±
¡°That¡..what does Director Lim So Yool like?¡±
¡°Bribery probably won¡¯t work with her.¡±
He gave an answer simr to the one he gave Jeong In-seok and got on the elevator. This time, he got a message from a junior from the Otryngology Department.
[Senior. Could you tell me a time when someone can meet privately with Director Lim So Yool? Chief¡¯s orders.]
As expected, it was rted to Lim So Yool.
¡®Why is everyone acting like this so early in the morning?¡¯
Arriving at the staff room, Dowook was making a schedule n when the door mmed open.
¡°Park Dowook!¡±
¡°Chief Ha? Why are you here on a weekend?¡±
¡°My office!¡±
Holding the printed schedule, he entered the chief¡¯s office. The first thing he saw was Chief Ha Seong Joong¡¯s face which showed that he hadn¡¯t gone home but had stayed at the hospital overnight.
¡°Sit, sit.¡±
¡°What have you been doing, sir?¡±
Dowook asked as he scanned the piles of documents on the chief¡¯s desk, and Chief Ha gave out a deep sigh.
¡°Of course I was checking our department¡¯s ledger.¡±
¡°Our ledger? Why?¡±
Chief Ha ced a sheet of paper on the coffee table in front of the sofa.
[Official Correspondence: There will be a preliminary visit rted to financial revisions, so all department heads are requested to cooperate actively from Monday, November 4th. -Lim So Yool Temporary Financial Manager]
¡°Look. How can I sit still when something like thises?¡±
¡°Oh? Did you also take a lot of kickbacks, chief?¡±
¡°What do you mean take kickbacks!¡±
Chief Ha screamed, then as if it hadn¡¯t been enough, he shouted.
¡°All I did was use the corporate card to buy you guys delicious food!¡±
Seeing Chief Ha¡¯s haggard appearance, Dowook realized the unusual atmosphere this morning. Director Lim So Yool was slowly making her move.
¡°You can¡¯t avoid it by fixing the ledgers now. I saw her fire the cafe manager at the Millenium Hotel. In a single strike. If you have something to report, just do it. That¡¯s the only way to avoid being taken to court.¡±
¡°Court? I¡¯m a transparent person. Seeing what happened to Chief Song just made me nervous, that¡¯s all.¡±
¡°She was hired by the dean to help us. Is there a reason to be so afraid?¡±
¡°It¡¯s because the Neurosurgery Department is short on hands, brat! To put it bluntly. If I get a warning and things happen, am I the only one in trouble? Neurosurgery is one body!¡±
Deficit department. Hearing these ominous words made him feel that the problem was not just Chief Ha¡¯s concern. Myeong Sae Hospital had been in chronic deficit for several years.
¡°There¡¯s not enough time. When are you going to check on Director Lim?¡±
¡°Tomorrow.¡±
¡°Then could you¡¡¡±
Chief Ha nced at Dowook and spoke in a low tone.
¡°Go back to the clinic and buy some time. So she can¡¯t go anywhere. The section chiefs are nning to gather and talk about a countermeasure tomorrow morning. Informally.¡±
¡°I want to help but I¡¯m going to be Prof. Choi¡¯s assistant starting tomorrow. I have surgery right away.¡±
¡°Ah, just push it back a day!¡±
Dowook pointed at the surgery schedule on the table that listed 4 surgeries on Monday.
¡°You want me to tell Prof. Choi to just push this back? Why are you doing this to me?¡±
¡°Umm¡¡ I will talk to Choi Hoo about that. Don¡¯t worry.¡±
¡°That¡¯s very believable. Right?¡±
Dowook had almost given up.
After examining the difficult position of his student, Chief Ha sighed.
¡°You went to work under the most demonic professor in the hospital, and you became the most burdensome patient¡¯s doctor. Dowook, how will you survive?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t enumerate them one by one. I also just realized and am shivering.¡±
Dowook looked at the printed schedule and spoke frankly.
¡°I¡¯ll do it because it¡¯s a neurosurgery crisis, it¡¯s not for free. On-call duty this November. Don¡¯t schedule me for it.¡±
Chief Ha¡¯s eyes widened at this request.
¡°You brat, one month¡¯s too much. I¡¯m also on duty every two weeks. Plus there¡¯s a lot of ces to cover since Dr. Hong quit.¡±
¡°If you don¡¯t want to, I''ll only perform a cognitive test ande out.¡±
¡°Hey!¡±
Chief Ha raised his index finger and carefully suggested apromise.
¡°Exactly half a month. What do you think?¡±
¡°4 weeks.¡±
¡°3 weeks. It¡¯s just right.¡±
¡°3 weeks and 10 premium meal tickets.¡±
¡°Are you ying Seossda with me?¡±
[T/N: Seossda is a kind of Korean game.]
¡°I should get some benefits, too.¡±
¡°3 weeks, 10 meal tickets and you tell me how Director Lim is doing every 20 minutes.¡±
¡°I¡¯m a surgeon, not a spy. If you want to do it, give me the meal tickets or just don¡¯t do it.¡±
¡°What the heck.¡±
After winning the negotiation, Dowook stood up.
Before leaving the chief¡¯s office, he asked Chief Ha, who was once again looking over the ledgers.
¡°Do you think Director Lim can solve the hospital¡¯s financial deficit problems, chief?¡±
¡°How should I know? I¡¯m just following along silently since the dean thinks so.¡±
¡°Then I will also follow the chief silently.¡±
¡°Brat.¡±
¡°Of course after I see you make apromise with Prof. Choi.¡±
¡°Punk!¡±
* * *
Scribble. Scribble.
Inside the room filled only with the sound of a pencil gliding on paper.
After looking at the written notes for a long time, Lim So Yool smiled in satisfaction and carefully tore it out of the notebook.
She put down the paper titled [Myeong Sae Hospital¡¯s Future Financial Expected Profit Test] on the table and looked at the wall clock thinking she could now go to sleep.
6:50 AM.
¡..she probably couldn¡¯t sleep.
Letting out a short yawn, she turned her head to look at the trash can full of crumpled paper.
¡°Um.¡±
Almost time for the nurse to burst into the VIP room. She didn¡¯t care about the nurse¡¯s nagging, but she didn¡¯t want the man who got hit by that crumpled paper to hear about it for some reason.
Lim So Yool stood up and headed to the trash can.
She crammed in all the paper, even the ones that fell out of it. Then she put the lid back on.
She patted the dust off her hands and returned to the bed. Thinking, ¡®it was a perfect crime,¡¯ she smiled as she covered herself with the nket.
She hadn¡¯t slept, but pretending she had. She closed her eyes to greet the morning.
¡°What are you doing?¡±
Then, Lim So Yool¡¯s eyes moved to the sound ofughter. Lim So-Hee, her sister who had been sleeping on a spare bed, was looking at her.
¡°You didn¡¯t sleep?¡±
¡°I woke up. Because someone did something so cute.¡±
cing down the nket covering her, Lim So-Hee gave a huge yawn as she approached the bed.
¡°Did you get so focused on calcting and didn¡¯t get any sleep again?¡±
¡°The multivariate vector values kept going wrong. It¡¯s solved now.¡±
It was hard to pretend to be sleeping, so Lim So Yool lowered the nket and leaned back on the pillow as she quietly watched Lim So-hee stretch her arms.
Lim So-hee leaned her upper body forward as much as possible to show off her stretched waist. There was arge age gap between the sisters but one would know it just by looking at them.
¡°Do you want to do it with me?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t wanna.¡±
¡°It¡¯s good for maintaining your body.¡±
Lifting her upper body again, Lim So-hee looked up and down Lim So Yool¡¯s body.
Her sister¡¯s gaze felt like it went through her clothes, making Lim So Yool cover her body with her hands.
¡°I don¡¯t need it, ok?¡±
¡°What? A handsome guy? Dating?¡±
¡°Both.¡±
The hospital rounds would begin soon. Since their personalities were so different, Lim So Yool wished her sister would leave soon.
¡°If you¡¯re done maintaining, go to work. It¡¯s Monday.¡±
¡°I can stay until Secretary Okes. We can eat breakfast together.¡±
After stretching, Lim So-Hee sat on the chair beside the bed. Then she looked at her younger sister¡¯s pouting face with a gaze filled with affection.
¡°Should we eat lunch together as well?¡±
¡°What about work?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a position with free working hours. Ha.¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you bored staying here with me?¡±
¡°Our Semdeok is so pretty even when she grumbles, how can I get bored?¡±
[T/N: Semdeok from what I could find is a nickname for someone who likes to calcte and do math.]
Lim So Yool pursed her lips.
¡°I told you not to call me that.¡±
¡°Why, it¡¯s sweet and nice.¡±
¡°Whatever. Do whatever you want.¡±
When Lim So Yool turned her head to the other side, Lim So-Hee chuckled.
Turning to the table, Lim So-Hee grabbed the paper full of numbers with her fingers.
¡°Is this the result of staying up all night? Let¡¯s see~ Wow, you¡¯re probably the only one who applies logistic functions to this extent.¡±
¡°There¡¯s one person.¡±
¡°Really? That person is a Semdeok like you?¡±
Lim So Yool gave the impression of refusing to answer by keeping her mouth closed.
Letting go of the paper, Lim So-Hee asked with a serious expression.
¡°Why did you agree to do the financial nning for Myeong Sae Hospital? Is ZQ group coveting this hospital?¡±
¡°I guess you don¡¯t know, unni. The dean of this hospital is Dad¡¯s friend.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t say anything to that woman. I don¡¯t even want to talk to her on the phone.¡±
Lim So-Hee couldn¡¯t say anything about what the younger had experienced by herself when she followed their father abroad after their parents¡¯ divorce.
Lim So-Hee looked at her sister, who had grown bravely, with pity for a while, then quickly asked a question while hiding her expression.
¡°What are your ns? This hospital¡¯s business evaluation doesn¡¯t seem very good.¡±
¡°This and that.¡±
¡°If you need anything, just say it. You unni has quite a bit of power here in Korea.¡±
¡°It was enough that you took care of me this weekend.¡±
¡°This unni hasn¡¯t given you enough love though.¡±
¡°Gross. Don¡¯t keep saying things like that.¡±
Lim So-Hee flipped the jacket, which had been hanging on the sofa, over her shoulder and looked at Lim So Yool.
"I''m leaving."
"You''re going?"
"The employees will look down on thepany if the CEO doesn''te in on time. Let''s have lunch together next time."
Lim So Yool nced at her sister leaving and picked up the paper once again. Then her eyesnded on the printed documents piled up on the bedside.
Closing the door to the VIP room, Lim So-Hee took her phone out as she walked.
[Secretary Ok. I¡¯m going to work now. When are you getting here?]
After sending the message, Lim So-Hee leaned on the reception desk as she waited for a reply.
She had thought that her heart would leap out of her chest when she received the news that the little sister who had returned to Korea after many years was hospitalized.
Thankfully, what she saw as she stayed in the hospital during the weekend was her sister¡¯s normal self.
¡°Wait. she wasn¡¯t like herself this morning. She even cleaned when she usually doesn¡¯t care what other people say about her. She wouldn¡¯t have done it if not for Secretary Ok¡.¡±
While reasonable doubts went through her mind, a young man with a robust physique walked to the front of the reception desk.
It was a doctor with a name tag stating ¡®Park Dowook¡¯ on his chest.
¡°Please check if I can go in RM 2007.¡±
¡°Just a moment.¡±
The nurse picked up the phone.
¡°¡..no one is answering the phone from the room.¡±
¡°Would she still be sleeping?¡±
Lim So-Hee couldn¡¯t help but pay attention when she heard, RM 2007. Since the room she had just left was RM. 2007.
Then, her phone notified her of a message. It was Secretary Ok.
[Thank you for your hard work over the weekend, ma¡¯am. The doctor¡¯s round should begin soon. Could you tell the doctor I will be there soon if it has already started? I¡¯m almost there.]
Attending physician. She must be referring to that young man exuding a manly aura. Lim So-Hee found it strange that her sister had been doing cute things over and over again today, but this gave her a sweet hunch.
Lim So-Hee¡¯s mind went into overdrive.
There was a man, So Yool, who always put up a wall when meeting others, cared about? It was clear that he was not an ordinary man. In this case, there should be a suitable amount of seasoning.
[Secretary Ok. You don¡¯t need toe in a hurry. Let¡¯s have a cup of tea at the 1st-floor cafe.]
¡°Hoohoo.¡±
Lim So-Hee sent her reply, then she approached Dowook at the reception desk.
¡°Excuse me, but are you the attending physician for RM 2007?¡±
¡°Huh? Yes.¡±
¡°I¡¯m the patient¡¯s legal guardian, Lim So-Hee. So Yool¡¯s older sister.¡±
Dowook was surprised to see someone other than the secretary for the first time.
¡°Our Semdeok is awake so you can go do what you have to. Secretary Ok will be veryte today.¡±
¡°Is that so? I understand. But what does Semdeok mean?¡±
¡°A fan of counting. You know what So Yool is like. Whatever she does, calction, proof. She doesn¡¯t admit she¡¯s a kind of number idiot.¡±
Lim So-Hee became sure when heughed as if he understood something. There was a possibility of young love between the two.
Checking the name on the coat, Lim So-Hee asked.
¡°Dr. Park Dowook. Do you have a business card? I have something to ask about So Yool¡¯s condition some other time.¡±
¡°Nothing like a business card¡.¡±
Lim So-hee took out a tinum case from her coat. Then she took out a luxurious gold paper and stuck it out at him.
¡°Then please contact me here. It¡¯s my private number so you can call whenever.¡±
On the business card, it was written, ¡®KG Entertainment CEO Lim So-hee.¡¯
Chapter 27: Transcendental Diagnosis(2)
Knock knock.
¡°It¡¯s Park Dowook.¡±
Dowook opened the door and entered RM 2007, but he stopped after taking a step into the room. It was because Lim So Yool looked very embarrassed and had her eyes wide open.
¡°Howe¡.?¡±
With a lollipop in her mouth and a pile of documents in her arms, she went stiff in surprise and didn¡¯t move at all.
¡°I met your legal guardian. She said I could just go in.¡±
¡°You met my sister?¡±
¡°Yes, outside.¡±
Dowook peeked out into the corridor and found that the woman who had a simr career-oriented aura as Lim So Yool had disappeared so he turned back to the room.
¡°She was just there, but I can¡¯t see her anymore.¡±
Lim So Yool furrowed her brows.
Feeling like he had just made a mistake, Dowook asked.
¡°Should Ie backter?¡±
¡°No, there¡¯s no need for ¡..¡±
The papers Lim So Yool was holding onto with difficulty fell from her arms. Hundreds of documents covered the parlor¡¯s floor.
¡°¡¡that.¡±
Dowook ran over and held onto Lim So Yool¡¯s shoulder when she reflexively tried to lean down.
¡°Don¡¯t force yourself and bow your head. The sutures will rip out.¡±
Lim So Yool had no choice but to look down the neck brace at Dowook who was already picking up the papers on the floor.
¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±
¡°Your sister should be the one apologizing. I should have followed procedures as an attending physician from the start.¡±
¡°Many people fall for my sister¡¯s schemes. She¡¯s very capable. I¡¯ll make sure to take revenge.¡±
¡°Revenge?¡±
Hearing the unexpected word, Dowook raised his head to look at Lim So Yool. As he did so, his eyes were attracted to the lollipop in her mouth. Awkward situations were situations, his work as the attending physician was work.
¡°If you eat sweets on an empty stomach, your blood sugar test will be messed up.¡±
¡°What sweet?¡±
Lim So Yool realized toote that she had a lollipop in her mouth. She quickly took it out of her mouth, and Dowook could smell its sweet scent.
¡°If you have eaten anything after 6 PM, we will postpone the blood collection.¡±
¡°I just unwrapped it. See, it¡¯s barely shrunk. Even when there were problems with the calctions all night, you don¡¯t know how hard I tried not to¡.¡±
Realizing she had just confessed to staying up all night, Lim So Yool shut her mouth tight.
To make things worse, the lid of the trash can she had pressed down earlier opened up, and dozens of paper wads inside rolled out.
Tidying up the documents, Dowook¡¯s gaze went to the trash can. He couldn¡¯t think of what to say in this kind of situation. Thankfully, Lim So Yool made a request first as a patient.
¡°Please pretend you didn¡¯t see that. As an attending physician.¡±
She quickly turned around and headed into the inner room. She promised to herself that she would get proper revenge on her sister who had caused this situation.
A momentter.
Dowook approached her, who was sitting on the bed.
¡°I¡¯m just curious. Why do you work on things at night when you can do it during the day? It¡¯s not good for your health.¡±
¡°Once I start thinking of the numbers, I can¡¯t stop. Until I finish solving it. It¡¯s a kind ofpulsion.¡±
¡°Do you mean you can¡¯t stop thinking?¡±
¡°Yes, no matter how tired I am.¡±
Tingle.
It was clear she was still thinking hard about something. Because her extraordinary sense flowed through his fingers like a river.
¡°This is a hospital. If you think it¡¯s too much, ask for an IV drip. Absorbing the glucose directly will be more effective than candy.¡±
¡°IV drips aren¡¯t sweet so I don¡¯t want to.¡±
Lim So Yool, who was looking at the results of the night ced on the table, asked.
¡°I have to go out today. How much time can you give me?¡±
The time hade. Dowook calmly revealed his ns.
¡°If youpletely pass the exercise response test, you can do whatever you want after.¡±
¡°That¡¯s somehow challenging.¡±
¡°We have to make sure whether there are aftereffects or not.¡±
¡°Ok. Let¡¯s try it.¡±
Dowook looked at the clock in the room.
7:35. He had to keep her with him through various tests for the next 4 hours.
¡°Would you like to go now?¡±
Pushing Lim So Yool¡¯s wheelchair to the front of the neurological clinic on the 5th floor, Dowook saw a doctor he knew rush through the hallway and called him over.
¡°Jae-geol.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
The one who stopped was Son Jae-geol, Doctor of Neurology.
He belonged to a sister department and was a close friend like Seong Chang Soo.
So a request like this was fine.
¡°We have to do a physical examination of this patient all at once. Could you assign a dedicated nurse and 3rd year resident¡¡±
¡°Hey, sorry, sorry. I¡¯m really busy. Let¡¯s talkter!¡±
Dowook was bewildered by his friend who didn¡¯t even hear a word and ran away.
¡®This guy, making me embarrassed.¡¯
He coughed briefly and looked down at Lim So Yool sitting on the wheelchair. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t seem too concerned.
He pushed the wheelchair into the clinic when the automatic doors opened.
In the hallway leading towards cranial nerve and motor system function test rooms, many medical personnel were bustling around.
Seeing the chaos, Dowook stretched out his head to look.
¡°What is this? Please wait here for a minute.¡±
He pushed the wheelchair into the rest area and approached the nurse at the reception desk.
¡°Patient Lim So Yool is here for tests.¡±
¡°Now?¡±
Seeing the surprised expression on the nurse¡¯s face, Dowook asked.
¡°Is there a problem if we do it now?¡±
¡°Because of a VIP¡¯s treatment, all the doctors in charge are busy. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible in the morning. I¡¯ll schedule you in for 1 PM in the afternoon.¡±
¡°My patient is also a VIP though.¡±
The nurse was startled and looked at Lim So Yool on the other side. However, she still shook her head resolutely.
¡°It was a special order, so I can¡¯t help you. I was told not to let any other patient except this one in.¡±
Afternoon was absurd. If there was even a 30-minute interval, the section chiefs¡¯ countermeasures couldn¡¯t work.
Dowook couldn¡¯t convince the nurse so he turned his head and found Son Jae-geol among the medical staff. He approached and spoke right away.
¡°Dr. Son. There¡¯s no patient getting examined, why are you acting so busy?¡±
¡°Sorry. I¡¯m in a hurry to set everything up.¡±
Dowook grabbed Son Jae-geol who was nning to disappear once again.
¡°If you just leave, you¡¯re going to regret it.¡±
¡°Why? What is it? Are you tossing over your patient?¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t say toss. Patient Lim So Yool needs a full examination. You know who is seated in that rest area, right?¡±
Since he came with the rumored VIP, he thought that he would definitely support him, but Son Jae-geol only shook his head.
¡°I can¡¯t.¡±
¡°We shouldn¡¯t be saying that right now.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a special order from the vice president. The survival of the neurology clinic depends on the patient that¡¯s about toe.¡±
¡°The vice president?¡±
It seemed important things were happening here and there today. Dowook lowered his voice and asked, as he needed to proceed with the examinations as smoothly as possible.
¡°Who is so important that you give precedence to them over the person responsible for taking care of our sry issues?¡±
¡°They¡¯reing.¡±
Son Jae-geol¡¯s eyes turned to the entrance of the clinic.
The first thing Dowook saw was the back of someone carrying cameras marked ¡®QBS¡¯.
Following the cameraman, who was walking backward, was a man with a cane.
It was difficult to guess his age as he was wearing sunsses, but seeing the half-white hair he was probably at least 50 years old.
¡°Is that him?¡±
¡°Dowook, do you listen to ssical music?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°His name is Jeong Woo-seok. He is as famous as Jo Sumi in the piano world. He is congenitally blind, but he now has hearing problems so he was rushed to the hospital.¡±
A blind pianist. Dowook remembered seeing something like that in a TV program that introduced modern-day heroes who had achieved national prestige.
¡°What are those cameras?¡±
¡°The emergency is because they said they were going to shoot a documentary or something. If we make a mistake, our neurology department is over. The reputation of Myeong Sae Hospital will also decline.¡±
Dowook grabbed the leaving Son Jae-geol one more time.
¡°I get it. You don¡¯t have to send anyone over. I¡¯ll just quietly do the tests and go. Just put me on the checklist.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t you do it in the afternoon?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m also just a gear in the hospital. If you ask your section chief, he would also tell you to do the checkup unconditionally.¡±
Returning to the rest area, Dowook spoke to Lim So Yool, who was looking curiously at the cameras.
¡°Apparently, someone named Jeong Woo-seok is scheduled for tests. A pianist.¡±
¡°Oh. He¡¯s the one who won Queen Elizabeth concur.¡±
It was the first time he heard of thispetition, but that wasn¡¯t what was important.
¡°The director¡¯s tests might be a bitfortable due to that person. We have to avoid the examination rooms used for shooting. I will try to make it asfortable as possible.¡±
¡°It¡¯s also for advertising the hospital so it¡¯s ok.¡±
At the matter-of-fact answer, Dowook unknowingly looked toward Lim So Yool.
She obviously didn¡¯t n to destroy the hospital. And if one didn¡¯t do anything bad, there was no need to feel guilty.
¡®Although it didn¡¯t feel good being told we were selfish numbers.¡¯
Lim So Yool looked up and met Dowook¡¯s gaze.
¡°Why are you like that?¡±
¡°It¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s go.¡±
10 minutester. Muscle conduction examination room.
Lim So Yool, who had a recording electrode attached to her right arm, looked at Dowook.
¡°Should I start?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Lim So Yool threw one of the three soft darts in her hand at the wall.
The dart got stuck outside of the target.
The following 2 darts also got stuck in areas totally unrted to scores.
¡°Augh¡.¡±
Dowook, who was looking at the recording monitor, looked at Lim So Yool when he heard the sigh.
¡°The score isn¡¯t important. What I need is the amplitude of the neural signal that goes back and forth between throwing and concentrating.¡±
Although it was exined to her, her gaze was only fixed on the target. Dowook took the darts from the wall and handed them back to her.
¡°You can try again. Please pay attention to the connected electrode.¡±
Lim So Yool didn¡¯t throw them immediately and took a deep breath carefully.
After 30 seconds, a dart flew through the air. It got stuck to the area with scores.
First score. Both the second and third darts were also embedded closer to the inner circle than before.
¡°You did a good job this time. Let¡¯s try it one more time and move on to the next test.¡±
Taking the dart off the target and passing the darts, Dowook turned back to the recording monitor. He waited for the sound of the darts hitting the target, but it was strangely quiet.
He turned his gaze and saw her paying close attention to the dart and target while muttering something. No matter how he saw it, she didn¡¯t seem to n on throwing the darts.
¡°What are you doing?¡±
¡°Calcting.¡±
Dowook made a puzzled expression wondering if she was calcting the score in the midst of all this.
Tap.
The dart hit closer to the centerpared to before. The second and third were also stuck nearby and formed a bullet group.
Dowook softly eximed in wonder.
¡°You¡¯re doing better and better. You seem to be quite coordinated. We can finish the darts here.¡±
¡°Just one more time.¡±
Lim So Yool said as such while only staring at the target.
¡®Is she having fun?¡¯
Dowook took the darts out and passed them to her.
¡°Then, just one more. We have much to do.¡±
Lim So Yool didn¡¯t throw them right away at the next try either. On the contrary, she needed more preparation timepared to before.
The first dart flew after a minute had passed by.
The first dart was stuck further outsidepared to before. The second one was within the scoring area. The third was unexpectedly near the center.
Lim So Yool spoke while biting her lips.
¡°Again.¡±
¡°This isn¡¯t a very important test.¡±
¡°It¡¯s because there¡¯s an error in the calction. I didn¡¯t realize that the air resistance of the sleeves would affect the uniformity variable so much.¡±
Dowook tilted his head.
¡°That calction, it wasn¡¯t the score of the darts?¡±
¡°No. Quickly give me the darts.¡±
¡°We don¡¯t have time to keep doing this. We have to go to the induced potential exam room before the special patient arrives. Didn¡¯t the director agree to go with the n?¡±
At that, Lim So Yool had a very unwilling expression on her face as she took her eyes off the target.
Seeing her with drooping shoulders like a child deprived of candy, Dowook scratched his chin.
He hade to waste time due to Chief Ha¡¯s request, but he hadn¡¯t expected the opposite to happen.
¡°Please sit on the chair. From now on, we will observe the electromyography that appears when the tactile sense is stimted.¡±
When he passed a tissue with a pointed tip over her right wrist, she twitched as if tickled.
¡°Please see if there is an area that feels duller than the others. If there is somewhere with no feeling, please tell me right away.¡±
Sitting with a sad face, Lim So Yool didn¡¯t say a word. As he was about to move thinking there was no part that felt dull, he heard her mutter.
¡°Ah. I didn¡¯t take into ount the modulus of sticity. Both the target and dart are repulsive objects.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
In the middle of another test, Lim So Yool¡¯s focus was only on the darts. Dowook suddenly remembered the conversation he had with her whileing here.
¡®She said finishing a calction is apulsion, didn¡¯t she?¡¯
The patient¡¯s cooperation was crucial if he wanted to continue to examine surface sensations such as pain and pressure. Thinking he couldn¡¯t move forward like this, Dowook spoke.
¡°Director. That calction you keep thinking about. What is the end? Hitting the center?¡±
The moment she heard the question, she looked at Dowook with sparkling eyes.
¡°I thought of a dart function that would allow one to hit the center wherever you throw it.¡±
¡°Dart¡. Function?¡±
It was true.
Disbelievingly, Dowook asked.
¡°Are you saying you can hit the center just by calcting?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Impossible¡.¡±
¡°It is. It¡¯s numbers.¡±
¡°Where are the numbers in dart-throwing¡.¡±
Outside the ss door, a resident pointed at his watch. The next filming location was really here. Dowook became impatient and told Lim So Yool.
¡°Ok. If your calctions are correct and you hit the center, then I won¡¯t say anything. If you can¡¯t get it right, please follow my ns.¡±
Once was luck, repeatedly was something even a dart champion would find difficult. That was why he made the deration but Lim So Yool simply nodded.
¡°Give me the dart.¡±
Standing up, she went in front of the target.
Dowook drew the darts from the target, handed them to Lim So Yool, and then watched her as she stood there without feeling any pressure.
Holding a dart in her hand, she took a deep breath and twisted her hand.
Whoosh.
The dart hit the center.
Chapter 28: Transcendental Diagnosis (3)
¡®Once is possible.¡¯
As soon as he thought so, a second dart also pierced the center. Surprisingly, thest dart hit the back of the first dart and fell to the floor.
Dowook had seen something simr in the Olympic archery contest. The skill to hit arrows that were already embedded in the target with the following arrow.
¡°Trial finished. I was right, wasn''t I?¡±
Lim So Yool patted her hands and took a step back from the target, but Dowook couldn''t take his eyes away from the target.
How could someone improve the uracy of darts just by calcting? At the very least, there was also the issue of constantly controlling the force in your hand consistently.
Dowook remembered in that instant Lim So Yool¡¯s hand which drew hundreds of drawings of the same picture for the little girl in the Skylounge.
¡®No way.¡¯
It was possible she wasn''t just a normal math genius.
"What are you doing over there, Dr. Park? Aren''t we starting the next test?
¡°That''s¡ What on earth is this¡¡±
¡°The dart function?¡±
Lim So Yool simply picked up a pen from the desk with a happy expression afterpleting a calction. Then, on a sheet of paper, sheid out a calction form.
¡°The most important thing is the parabolic equation. Self-quantification of air resistance is the second factor. Newton¡¯s threews of motion are so simple that they are omitted from the formting process.¡±
In an instant, a form listing numbers like ciphertext was written down on the paper.
¡°Here. With this, Dr. Park can also do it."
He couldn''t even read it, what could he do with it?
Dowook¡¯s mind went nk as he received the paper Lim So Yool handed to him. Of course, he had assumed it would fail, but how did it end up like this? He couldn¡¯t even decide what to do from here.
Tingle.
In the meantime, Lim So Yool¡¯s sense was actively traveling down his fingers. If the person whose sense he had already borrowed stood next to him, their sense started to work even when he wasn¡¯t trying to use it.
"Try it out. Let''s see if my calctions are right."
¡°Director, the thing is. Normal people, even if they can calcte it, can''t use the results to throw the darts.¡±
While talking, Dowook subconsciously picked up a dart from the floor. Then, he subconsciously threw it.
The dart flew straight through the air and hit the red bullseye.
¡°¡..huh?¡±
¡°See, it works. It''s easy as long as you understand it.¡±
¡°It''s not that it''s easy¡¡±
This dart function was denied by his head but understood by his hands. Since he himself had proved Lim So Yool¡¯s im, Dowook was unable to add any objections afterward.
¡®I''m going insane, really.¡¯
He shook his hand to get rid of the sense but it didn''t go away very easily.
Click.
At that moment, the test room¡¯s door opened and people from the broadcast studio entered. It was time for them to give way so Dowook pointed outside.
¡°Let''s first move for another test.¡±
¡°Ah. Then I can choose, right? Since I won.¡±
¡°That ¡..¡±
A bet was a bet. Dowook nodded his head.
Two hourster.
¡°We''ll start the interview. Cue!¡±
PD Lee Chang Yong of the QBS special documentary ¡®Sounds Heard Because You Can¡¯t See¡¯ focused his attention on the camera monitor that was filming the professor of neurology.
-Well, Jeong Woo Seok¡¯s problem is not that simple. The cerebral cortical developmental malformation itself is a very rare case. This deformity is also the cause of this hearing loss. Put simply, hearing, like sight, will suffer permanent damage.
PD Lee Chang Yong sighed in shock at the doctor¡¯s opinion.
If the blind pianist lost his hearing, he would lose the music he loved for the rest of his life.
It would be like he had lost everything.
¡°Nam Cheol. What is Mr. Jeong doing?¡±
¡°He is in the EEG examination room. The VJ was removed because the test required a quiet environment.¡±
¡°Has he heard that diagnosis?¡±
¡°Not yet.¡±
Documentaries, which should be based on inspirational stories, would flow in another direction.
Asst. Director Baek Nam Cheol sighed as he looked at where the interview was being conducted.
¡°What kind of bombshell is this right before the 40th anniversary of him winning the contest?¡±
Meanwhile Dowook was facing an unexpected situation.
He had no way to stop her from excitedlying up with various forms as she went here and there around the examination room.
Lim So Yool, who was trying to grasp the principle behind the sensory examination by looking at the tuning fork used in it, seemed unwilling to move once more.
¡®If we keep going like this,we won''t finish even if we continue until tomorrow.¡¯
His deration of ¡®not saying anything¡¯ during the dart function bet had rather created a problem ofcking time.
As he was doing so, he discovered a doctor surrounded by cameras.
Lee Won Seok, the most famous professor in the neurology clinic. He also had a reputation for being very skilled so he reached out to see if he could get his sense.
Tingle.
Fortunately, he could feel Prof. Lee¡¯s sense at his fingertips. The skills of a neurologist would help him through this difficult situation at an increased speed.
He closed the door and turned toward Lim So Yool once more.
¡°Director.¡±
¡°This machine even shows when the fork vibrates. In this case, we can simply define the reverberation function in linear algebra¡¡¡±
¡°Director.¡±
¡°¡¡Yes?¡±
¡°If you''re finished calcting, please sit over here.¡±
Dowook quietly waited. If this went on she woulde back.
After a while, she sat down on the chair, having finished her calctions satisfactorily.
¡°Have you finished?¡±
¡°I just have to keep a record. Do you want me to show you when I''m done?¡±
¡°Another time.¡±
From now on, he had to go all-out. Dowook spoke quickly.
¡°We can¡¯t stay in this room long enough to test all skeletal muscles. The people who are filming may arrive. May I check the important areas before we have to leave?¡±
Manual strength test. This was the suggestion from the neurologist¡¯s sense.
¡°Please proceed as you wish.¡±
As soon as he got permission, Dowook grabbed Lim So Yool¡¯s hand.
¡°All you have to do is resist in the opposite direction of my pull.¡±
When he gently pulled the forearm muscle connected to the radial nerve, he immediately felt that something was not quite right. He quickly flexed the wrist joint to check the median nerve and also checked on the ulnar nerve.
¡°The other hand, please.¡±
¡°Already?¡±
Feeling her wanting to focus on another calction, Dowook quickly knelt in front of her. At his action, Lim So Yool flinched.
¡°I''ll be touching your ankle. It¡¯s a lower limb test.¡±
The sense of having done hundreds of manual examinations delivered very useful results.
¡°Dr. Park¡..¡±
¡°Shh. I need to concentrate.¡±
Blocking the conversation in advance, he didn¡¯t even give a hint as to what the test was for. The moment she fell into her calction haze, 15 minutes would disappear.
¡®Just a bit more, just a bit¡.. Phew.¡¯
Dowook, who seeded inpleting the important test in a short time, sighed in relief.
Thanks to that, he managed to reduce it by at least an hour.
¡°It¡¯s done. Shall we go?¡±
¡°Your expression suddenly became serious.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not because your condition became worse. Physical tests usually consume a lot of energy.¡±
Lim So Yool, who had been looking up at Dowook, stood from the chair. As she took a step, she wobbled slightly due to the tingling from her ankle. Surprised by her loss of bnce, she threw her arms around Dowook¡¯s neck.
¡°Oh my.¡±
Dowook grabbed Lim So Yool, who was about to copse and naturally ced his hand on her shoulder to support her.
Both of their ufortable gazes shed in an awkward hugging posture.
Thump.
Whose heart was beating so hard?
Dowook spoke first.
¡°Was there a sudden pressure on your neck?¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±
Dowook released his hand after making sure the other had found her bnce. However, Lim So Yool could not easily release her arms.
¡°M-my ankle suddenly hurts.¡±
¡°Please sit back down. Slowly.¡±
Once he ced his hand on her ankle, Prof. Lee Won Seok¡¯s sense told him the answer right away.
¡°Since you have recently only been riding a wheelchair, your leg muscles have atrophied slightly. Your joints were just a bit surprised because you stood up too quickly. It should be fine after resting for a while.¡±
¡°So you mean Ick exercise.¡±
¡°Uh¡. roughly.¡±
The more urate reason would be going to and fro around the examination room for two hours.
¡°Ugh. This, I wasn¡¯t able to calcte.¡±
Dowook felt curious when he heard her muttering as she wiggled her feet and moved them around.
¡°Can you also calcte the feeling of pain in your ankle?¡±
Sparkle. Lim So Yool¡¯s eyes instantly lit up with vitality. Dowook thought, ¡®oops.¡¯
¡°The load on the joint is rted to the gravitational constant. A little application of functions on masses¡..¡±
He fell for it. One hug had made him careless. If that was what she was aiming for, she would really turn out to be a scary woman.
After that, Dowook had to listen to the joint load function value verification process without moving for 15 minutes.
The next ce they went to after going out of the room was the EEG examination room.
¡°You just have to keep your eyes closed for about 20-30 minutes. If you fall into a light sleep, the results would be better.¡±
Entering the room, Dowook stopped his steps when he saw a patient already lying on the bed.
It was the patient Son Jae-geol had told him not to disturb, Jeong Woo-seok.
Thinking he was asleep, Dowook whispered softly to Lim So Yool who came in after him.
¡°We can¡¯t stay here as the patient is here. Let¡¯s leave for a while ande back.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
As they were about to go out, a gentle voice echoed through the room.
-If it¡¯s because of me, then juste in.
Jeong Woo-seok was awake.
Dowook went further into the dark examination room and bowed his head to Jeong Woo-seok.
¡°Please excuse us.¡±
¡°We should be the one saying that. Since we stopped the hospital¡¯s regr operations with the recording and such. There¡¯s not much time left before this test is finished so please do your work as you wish, doctor.¡±
The old gentleman disyed a very polite attitude. Dowook, who secretly resented the filming for making him take charge of neurological tests he had never done before, began to feel sorry.
Dowook pointed at another bed behind a partition to Lim So Yool.
¡°Don¡¯t lie down but sit down first. I have to attach some electrodes.¡±
Lim So Yool flinched as he squeezed out some gel and spread it on her forehead.
¡°Is it cold? You don¡¯t feel like you need to calcte something or anything like that?¡±
Lim So Yool looked up at the question.
¡°I¡¯m not like that.¡±
¡°Sure.¡±
He attached the electrodes connected to the device to her forehead and fixed them in ce with medical tape. As he was doing so, the conversation in the room rapidly decreased, and the examination room became quiet.
Lim So Yool, who had been quietly letting Dowook work, spoke in a soft voice.
¡°Dr. Park.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°About a while ago. Dart. Thank you for understanding. There aren¡¯t that many people who do. Especially in Korea.¡±
¡°The fact that there aren¡¯t many, do you admit the average person can¡¯t throw darts with the form alone?¡±
Pretending she hadn¡¯t heard, she looked down as if feeling guilty. Needing to stick an electrode on her forehead, he grabbed her head and made her lift it up.
¡°There¡¯s no need to look away. I will treat this case as an attending physician as well.¡±
Because it meant pretending not to know, Lim So Yool¡¯s face heated up when she remembered what happened that morning.
¡°No. I admit it. I didn¡¯t expect you to be able to make use of the dart function without an error like that. You don¡¯t even know the value of your muscle function.¡±
¡°Is it a bit easier if you know that?¡±
¡°Very.¡±
She looked up with sparkling eyes. Her expression showing she was itching to talk about numbers was now clearly visible to him.
¡°You don¡¯t have to prove it to me.¡±
¡°Tsk.¡±
Dowook thought he had now figured it out why her sister had called her by such a casual nickname.
The proofs that Lim So Yool found were all genius, but that was all. In other situations, she was often silly. Perhaps in front of things that could not be confirmed by numbers, she was like that.
An idiot obsessed with numbers, Semdeok.
¡®It¡¯s pretty cute, this nickname.¡¯
Finished with his work, Dowook let her go.
¡°Please lie down. I will be in the recording area on the other side. If you need anything, please press the mic button like the one in the VIP room.¡±
Leaving the partition, Dowook opened another door and entered the recording area.
A silence fell in the examination room.
Be-beep. Be-beep.
Once the device started operating, a little shock of electricity went through her, causing Lim So Yool to flinch.
-It¡¯s only like that at the start. If there¡¯s no other difort, please try to sleep.
The voiceing from the speaker was Dowook¡¯s.
Lim So Yool stayed lying down for a while before she pressed the mic button.
¡°I can¡¯t sleep.¡±
-Whatplicated calctions are you doing?
At the question, Lim So Yool nced at the recording area where Dowook was and then turned to look at the ceiling.
She wondered when was thest time she had such a fun time going around talking about numbers.
-If you really can¡¯t sleep, try to keep your mind as nk as possible as you lie there. Spacing out. You know what it is, right?
¡°It¡¯s what I have the most trouble doing.¡±
-It¡¯s what I¡¯m best at. I never thought I would brag about it though.
Sleep still escaped her. Even though she wasn¡¯t trying to prove anything. As she was contemting, Lim So Yool realized she had been subconsciously attempting to calcte.
A person¡¯s feelings.
A very special collection of functions with so many variables, she had never spoken out loud.
If she had to simplify levels of affection to 100, Father was 100, Unni was 50, and that woman was 0.
What about Park Dowook?
It would be at least more than half.
Lim So Yoolpared him to her sister objectively and gave Park Dowook a score of 51. Then she put the back of her hand on her cheek. No one was looking but it still felt a bit hot.
She thought she had to give up on sleep as her head refused to clear up even after some time.
That was when.
She heard noise from the other side of the partition due to how silent the room was.
-Mr. Jeong, it¡¯s time to slowly get ready to get up. A nurse will soon be there to help.
-I understand.
She thought she heard the sound of a rustling cor, but it was the sound of someone tapping the table with their fingers.
A humming voice followed the sound of fingers gently caressing the table as if it were the keys of a piano.
A familiar sounding melody.
Lim So Yool immediately fell in love with this little piece of music performed without a single tool.
Thefortable tone rushed into her ears without any force.
The melody flowed slowly, seemingly paying attention to every detail of her breathing, heartbeat, and tossing and turning, and it erased the errant thoughts in her mind one by one.
Would lying beside a quietly flowing river feel like this?
Jeong Woo-seok quietly hummed ¡®Aria on G-note¡¯ and gradually reduced his volume.
¡°Three, two¡.. one.¡±
Quietly.
Realizing that the person on the other side of the partition had fallen asleep, he smiled gently.
The charm of Bach¡¯s music, which gave happiness to the joyful andfort to the restful, had helped another person in this manner.
Chapter 29: Transcendental Diagnosis(4)
- Transcendental Diagnosis(4)
Inside the recording area.
Sitting in front of a monitor disying a real-time brainwave graph, Son Jae-geol pushed his chair to see what Dowook was working so hard on.
¡°What are you writing so diligently?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t talk to me. I¡¯m busy.¡±
Rejected out of the blue, Son Jae-geolughed.
¡°Is this payback for ignoring you this morning? What are you going to do for your patient¡¯s stimtion test? Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s test is over, so I¡¯m going out now.¡±
Dowook turned his head then. Lim So Yool, who could be seen through the ss, was sleeping peacefully for a change.
¡°Pass on the stimtion test. I think it¡¯s better to let her sleep.¡±
Looking at the brainwave graph, Son Jae-geol pointed at one portion.
¡°I thought it was just a myth. If you look at the brain waves of geniuses, they say that their theta waves are more active. Look at your patient¡¯s. It means she¡¯s thinking a lot, right?¡±
¡°Just take care of your own patient.¡±
¡°Our patient is like paradise. Comfortable alfalfa heaven. Can¡¯t you feel his peace of mind?¡±
¡°Peace?¡±
Dowook¡¯s gaze turned to the monitor Son Jae-geol was monitoring.
¡°Doesn¡¯t he have some big problem? Isn¡¯t that why there¡¯s this big deal while doing his check-up?¡±
¡°He has a very mature outlook as he received the news. I would have cried my eyes out by now.¡±
¡°What¡¯s the diagnosis?¡±
¡°The cerebral cortex problem is onset in his sense of hearing, and in the MRI¡.¡±
As he listened to Son Jae-geol¡¯s diagnosis while looking at Leong Woo-seok¡¯s brain waves, the pen in Dowook¡¯s hand moved on its own.
Subconsciously writing, Dowook paused and looked down at the chart. Because he had been using Lim So Yool¡¯s sense, he even made useless calctions.
¡°Stop. Stop talking. I ruined everything I¡¯ve finished because of you.¡±
Son Jae-geol looked dumbfounded at Dowook, who had turned a page on his chart and started writing something new while grumbling.
¡°Why are you getting angry when you¡¯re the one who asked? Jeong Woo-seok is going to the neurological exam room so don¡¯t go there.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t you b*stard!¡±
After Son Jae-geol left, Dowook struggled with the form for half an hour, only stopping and raising his head when the brainwave monitor¡¯s timer beeped to show the test was finished.
¡®Please prove the aftereffects to be 0%.¡¯
The sensory system, motor system, and even cereber functional intensive examination.
The feast of numbers filled the paper even made him feel fortunate that he couldn¡¯t understand it properly.
¡°Oh, right. The secret meeting.¡±
Dowook took out his phone and dialed Chief Ha Sang Joong¡¯s number.
-Yeah, Dowook.
¡°How are things going?¡±
-It¡¯s getting long. The center managers want to cooperate with Director Lim So Yool quietly but the section chiefs have a different opinion. The departments with a surplus are particrly tenacious. I guess since there¡¯s nothing for them to lose.
As Chief Ha began toment, Dowook immediately blocked him.
¡°So when is the plotting going to finish?¡±
-What do you mean plotting? It¡¯s a legitimate conference for hospital development!
Dowook pulled his phone away from his ear at the loud piercing voice sounding from it.
-Just keep working hard for 3 more hours. Director Lim isn''t giving you a hard time, is she?
She was actually the one more excited to do the tests.
¡°Youpromised with Prof. Choi, right?¡±
-¡¡s-sure!
¡°Why do you suddenly sound embarrassed?¡±
-What do you mean? I¡¯ll take responsibility. You can go home after you¡¯re done with those tests. Just trust in this Ha Sang Joong.
It was a statement that made a shiver run down his spine.
Ending the call, Dowook put his phone back in his pocket and left the recording area.
As he approached the bed, he could see her chest heave up and down evenly.
¡®It seems she fell into a deep sleep. Well, she was probably tired.¡¯
Knowing what it was like to work with no sleep, Dowook was more surprised at how clear-minded and active she had been so far.
Wanting to let her sleep, he turned around, but Lim So Yool¡¯s phone, which was right beside her, rang.
The name ¡®Ok Sang-ah¡¯ showed up on the screen and the ringtone hadn¡¯t even finished one cycle when Lim So Yool opened her eyes.
Sitting up right away, she ced her phone to her ear.
¡°Yes. Secretary Ok. Lunch? The tests aren''t¡¡±
Lim So Yool turned to him as he stood next to her. Her eyes looked very clear considering she had just woken from a deep sleep.
Silently asking how long was left, Dowook raised three fingers in answer.
¡°¡¡I¡¯ll take care of my lunch. Please organize the data that I printed out yesterday. Yes, Mayo Clinic and John Hopkins first.¡±
Lim So Yool, who wiped away the remaining gel with a wet wipe after removing the electrodes, got up from the bed.
Dowook held out the chart he had worked hard on in the recording area in her direction.
¡°Could you please check this before we get started on the next test?¡±
¡°What is this?¡±
¡°Calctions about the after-effects. I used the information from the first round of tests.¡±
Lim So Yool¡¯s eyes were sparkling.
Clinic rest area
Dowook, who had been eating a sandwich he''d bought from the cafe, looked at Lim So Yool then took a sip of his coffee.
She had been staring at the paper for a while.
The results were almost all in the normal range.
Even when he borrowed the sense of a neurologist, he didn''t feel anything seriously wrong.
Dowook ced the ss of mocha shake in the hand she had been patting beside her as she didn''t take her eyes off the paper.
After spending the past 2 hours with her, he had an idea of how her secretary usually took care of her.
As soon as she got the ss, she took a long sip and made a happy expression then she cringed before she turned to him.
¡°Just now¡¡¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Nothing.¡±
Completely reading the whole paper, Lim So Yool finally put it down.
¡°It was a fantastic analysis.¡±
¡°Fortunately, you find it satisfactory.¡±
¡°Whenever I see Dr. Park''s diagnosis I keep getting surprised.¡±
It was only possible with Lim So Yool¡¯s sense. Feeling a stab of guilt at herpliment, Dowook confessed.
¡°I was only able to do it because you were beside me.¡±
¡°Me?¡±
¡°You give me a lot of inspiration, shall we say? I¡¯ve never tried to organize my medical opinions this way before. Actually, I don¡¯t know most of the forms written there exactly. Since I learned them so long ago. I guess you could say I go with my guts.¡±
Unexpectedly, Lim So Yool nodded as if she understood when he gave the exnation he¡¯d prepared just in case.
¡°I had a simr friend in Seville University. They didn¡¯t know algebra, but they interpreted vector space better than I did. I was very jealous. Dr. Park is close to numbers, too.¡±
¡°Pr¡..probably.¡±
He wasn¡¯t sure what concepts would pop out if he asked about her alma mater where math geniuses gathered.
Dowook carefully examined her appearance. Anyway, the evasion seemed sessful.
Lim So Yool was about to close the chart when she discovered a sheet of paper filled with calctions and stopped.
¡°What''s this?¡±
¡°Something I did by mistake a while ago. Because Jae-geol kept talking about the pianist patient.¡±
¡°He¡¯s got all the progressive indicators of the disease. He seemed like a good person.¡±
¡°Illnesses don¡¯t really discriminate when they arrive.¡±
Lim So Yool saw the end of the calctions and suddenly became reticent. She wasn¡¯t even looking in his direction.
¡®Is it starting again?¡¯
Grabbing a pen from the table, she started to continue the calctions at the bottom of the page.
Not knowing when it would finish, Dowook drank his coffee with peace of mind. If the schedule for the use of examination rooms got tangled again, he could just use the neurology professor¡¯s sense again.
Scribble, scribble
Whatever the calction was, the form was very fancy. He was about to turn a blind eye to the dizzying numbers when Lim So Yool raised her head and looked at him.
¡°Do you think there are other types of variables rted to this symptom?¡±
¡°If you¡¯re talking about a simr disease, there are quite a few simr cases on the brain tumor side.¡±
¡°Here, can you record the variables in this column?¡±
A request to calcte together.
Lim So Yool¡¯s expression was very serious and focused. While wondering what to say, he remembered earlier when she was grateful for understanding the dart function.
He wondered how many times she hit a wall whenmunicating that she was thankful for him merely understanding.
¡®This is gonna be a headache, but¡.¡¯
Dowook took out his pen from his pocket and fully epted Lim So Yool¡¯s sense.
¡°dly.¡±
Scribble, scribble
For a while, the rest area was filled with only the sound of writing.
Son Jae-geol, who was passing by with a lot of Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s medical documents in his arms, saw Dowook.
¡°Dowook.¡±
At his friend''s call, he turned to look over
¡°Huh? Why?¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to start filing the test results in theputer record chart, what do you want to do with yours? Are you going to do it yourself?¡±
Dowook looked at Lim So Yool, who was deeply focused on calctions he had no idea about. Even with the professor¡¯s sense, the time might not be enough if they continued like this.
¡°I¡¯ll leave after we¡¯re done, so can you do it?¡±
¡°Ok. I got a call from my chief earlier, and he said to help you no matter what. I don¡¯t know where he is when the clinic is this messy.¡±
Of course, he was at the secret conference but since the cause was right there, he didn¡¯t ask for more details.
¡°It''s fine.¡±
Putting down the pen, Lim So Yool raised her head. Then she spoke with a look of great satisfaction.
¡°The prediction model isplete.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
¡°Yes, haha.¡±
Dowook pointed to the next examination room to her as she let out augh of satisfaction.
¡°Now, I have to urge you a little so we can finish the tests today. You said you have to go out?¡±
¡°You don''t have to worry about that. I only n to go to one ce today.¡±
¡°One ce?¡±
¡°Neurosurgery department.¡±
¡°Wh-where?¡±
* * *
Lee Won Seok, a professor in charge of the neuro clinic, sat in his office with a serious look on his face.
Checking on celebrity patients and appearing on TV at the vice president¡¯s sudden request was okay.
However, he couldn¡¯t help getting worried at the worst possible diagnosis.
¡°He will soone in.¡±
At the voice of his student standing outside the door, Prof. Lee looked at his desk full of charts once more. By all appearances, there was no correct way of doing this.
It was just full of despair.
A momentter, a cameraman first came into the room.
Jeong Woo-seok, who was guided by a nurse, followed him in. to hear the final results, the people for the broadcasting station as well as the medical staff were seen hovering outside the hall.
¡°Um¡¡¡±
Perhaps because of the weight of what he was about to say, the short time before Jeong Woo-seok sat down felt a hundred times longer for Prof Lee.
That was how Jeong Woo-seok sat down.
¡°It''s nice to see you, professor.¡±
¡°Wee.¡±
Havingpleted the greeting first, Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s sunsses looked toward Prof. Lee.
Prof. Lee posted the MRI images on the monitor, then he swallowed a sigh as he spoke about the results.
¡°I¡¯ll be straightforward. In order to preserve your hearing, we would need to operate on the brain, but that would lead to numerous side effects. I think giving up on your hearing is better than ending up with secondary effects such as epileptic seizures and general paralysis.¡±
After receiving the shocking diagnosis, Jeong Woo-seok quietly put his hands on his knees. Everyone waited for his reply causing the whole room and hallway to be solemn.
¡°I¡¯ve been creating music all this time even though I didn¡¯t know what the color of the keys are. Don¡¯t you think I can press the keys without hearing it, doctor?¡±
¡°I apologize for not being able to give you anyforting news.¡±
Jeong Woo-seok smiled calmly at Prof. Lee who spoke as if he was sighing.
¡°I¡¯ve lived my whole life blind, so I can tell a person¡¯s feeling just by hearing their voice. The doctors I¡¯ve met moving from examination rooms, the producers as well all seemed to feel sorry for my situation. I have beenforted by the piano for 54 years, and that¡¯s enough for me. I¡¯m not sad, so what reason is there for everyone to be so sad? Rx, doctor, Mr. PD.¡±
The words of the pianist who consoled others instead of beingforted made some members of the broadcast staff watching outside the office teary.
Prof. Lee also couldn¡¯t look at Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s hidden eyes at this moment.
¡°Do you think my ears will be alright until my retirement concert?¡±
¡°That''s¡¡¡±
urately predicting the time limit of hearing loss due to brain abnormalities was a problem for Prof. Lee who had been a neurologist for a long time. He had never seen a clinical aspect like this before.
He looked through the charts on his desk to see if he could roughly calcte it when some writings caught his eyes.
[Corrtion coefficient of hearing loss R=2.17, ¡Æ4x(?-7?)?3.32¡¡.]
[¡¡approximate hearing loss 719.68h]
719.68 hours.
He didn¡¯t know who wrote it, but the results were almost the same as the one he¡¯d predicted.
¡°30 days at most. In the meantime, there might be hearing problems.¡±
¡°That¡¯s good news. I won¡¯t have to cancel the recital.¡±
[difficulty in hearing approximation 4.67h tinnitus approximation 10.04h¡¡.]
Prof. Lee tilted his head to the side as he continued to read the words written below.
Based on the neuro examination results, the content, which was written in detail until the period when hearing abnormalities might appear, was highly structured. Did this kind of analysis exist in the medical world?
Then Prof. Lee¡¯s eyes fixated on the English words at the bottom of the paper.
It was easy to trante for the professor as he routinely read foreign papers.
¡°¡¡expected surgery?¡±
Proof method of attempting to remove some abnormalities of the cerebral cortex assuming a benign tumor, the probability of the predictive surgery.
The diagnosis, which intersected surgeries frompletely different fields just because they were simr, was a shocking point of view for Prof. Lee.
Even though it seemed extreme, it was shocking because it was a surgical possibility.
¡°Jae-geol. Is Jae-geol outside?¡±
¡°Yes, professor.¡±
¡°Why''s the chart like this? Why is something like this in it?¡±
Son Jae-geol quickly ran over to the side of the desk and looked through the paper Prof. Lee had pushed out.
¡°Uh, this is Dowook¡¯s patient chart that I saw earlier¡.ugh, I¡¯m sorry. The results of the examination must have been mixed in here while I was organizing. I¡¯ll clean it up.¡±
¡°Don''t touch it!¡±
Son Jae-geol flinched at the sudden shout. Prof. Lee quickly asked.
¡°Dowook is Park Dowook? Neurosurgery?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Prof. Lee, who was about to give a dead-end diagnosis, felt as if he had found a map leading to a solution to treat the problem.
Hope to make a new suggestion to the old pianist who was about to lose his hearing. It may be difficult, but the analysis on the paper showed a chance of sess.
Prof. Lee simply couldn¡¯t sit still.
There was a map, but thepass was also needed to set the direction.
¡°Sir, please wait a moment. Jae-geol, you make a call to the neurosurgery department right now.¡±
Chapter 30: Transcendental Diagnosis(5)
Ha Sang Joong, who was headed to his office after an informal meeting full of irritation and quarrels, stopped at the door when he saw Choi Hoo waiting for him.
He wondered if Choi Hoo was upset because he suddenly cut off his schedule in the morning as Choi Hoo quickly approached him.
¡°Choi, Choi Hoo. Stop. You¡¯re not trying to hit me, are you?¡±
¡°If you need an effective injury, you should take hold of a scalpel. We¡¯re all skilled with knives here.¡±
It was something that made him automatically take a step back.
¡°Uh, that¡¯s right. Surgeon. That¡¯s a funny joke¡.you are kidding, right?¡±
¡°Chief.¡±
When Choi Hoo took another step forward, Ha Sang Joong flinched back.
¡°From now on. Half of the surgery assigned to me will be performed by Park Dowook.¡±
¡°Ok, I under¡.whaaat?¡±
Ha Sang Joong¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.
¡°Not just one or two, but half? How can a fellow perform the surgeries assigned to a professor? There¡¯s no such regtion in our hospital.¡±
¡°Why can¡¯t it be done? I have performed surgeries since I was an intern.¡±
¡°Hey you, that was just possible because it was you. The way you held a knife was different from others. The professors who coveted you rushed you to the OR.¡±
¡°Park Dowook is the same.¡±
Choi Hoo wasn¡¯t known for saying nonsense, but Ha Sang Joong looked at him in iprehension.
¡°You¡¯reparing Dowook to yourself? Huh. Ok, let¡¯s say you¡¯re right. Giving him half your surgeries means you¡¯re giving up that much clinical experience. Why? Do you want to step down and be a full-time professor?¡±
¡°If Park Dowook continues to grow, we can have a perfect surgery room. I won¡¯t say anything about you messing up my schedule so allow me to do as I mentioned.¡±
¡°This isn¡¯t something I can do just because I say¡.¡±
¡°If the chief can¡¯t do so, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±
Stating his point, Choi Hoo disappeared down the hall.
Ha Sang Joong looked at Choi Hoo¡¯s leaving back with an expression which disyed he couldn¡¯t understand what he wanted and shook his head.
¡°I really don¡¯t know what he wants to do. So stubborn.¡±
He turned a corner to continue walking to his office.
¡°You¡¯re here, sir.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
As soon as he saw Dowook waiting at the door, Ha Sang Joong was about to ask about hisst conversation with Choi Hoo when he saw a beautiful woman standing next to his student.
Lim So Yool, with a pale face and a neck brace, bowed her head slightly in greeting.
¡°Good afternoon.¡±
Seeing Chief Ha, who was so shocked he couldn¡¯t even say hello, Dowook quickly exined the situation.
¡°Director Lim is here to cooperate with the neurosurgery department for financial coordination. Director, this is the chief neurosurgeon¡¯s office. Chief, hurry up and take her inside. It¡¯s time for me to get off work, good-bye.¡±
Ha Sang Joong watched with a stunned look on his face as Dowook left a bomb behind and disappeared. Then he turned to look at the bomb in front of him.
¡°I-inside¡.¡±
Opening the door to his office, Ha Sang Joong ran in like lightning and stuffed the financial ounts spread on his coffee table and desk into a cab.
"Please sit down. Would you like a cup of tea?"
"That''s fine."
Sitting across from Lim So Yool, Ha Sang Joong had a nervous expression on his face as he didn''t know what she was going to say.
She stated her purpose in a calm voice.
"I''ve been giving some thought to the possibility of Myeong Sae Hospital''s improvement over the past week. And I''vepared it with hospitals that have high profits. There were many missing numbers."
Thinking it was time for the deficit to be mentioned, Ha Sang Joong swallowed his saliva.
"At first I thought of a financial model to fill in the gaps. But then past those numbers, I saw a method of increasing benefits. The neurosurgery department was one of them."
Thinking he''d misheard, HaSang Joong asked.
"Benefits? In our neurosurgery?"
"Yes. It''s a tremendously beneficial model that could grow to represent Myeong Sae Hospital."
Ha Sang Joong couldn¡¯t believe Lim So Yool¡¯s words, which painted a positive future for the neurosurgery department.
¡°There are other departments that are profitable. Our department has never been one of them.¡±
At that, Lim So Yool actually made a questioning expression.
¡°The best doctor in this hospital is in the neurosurgery department, though.¡±
¡°Well, it is Choi Hoo, but he¡¯s not easy to cooperate with because of his temper. He even rejects invitations to perform surgery at medical conferences regrly. If you¡¯re nning on pushing him to the forefront, I don¡¯t know what kind of troubles you would encounter¡¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s not Prof. Choi.¡±
¡°Then there¡¯s no other doctor in particr¡¡ what? You don¡¯t mean me, do you? You are correct in your assessment, but I¡¯m satisfied with my teaching role. Hahaha. Though when I was younger, every time I went into the OR¡¡¡±
Lim So Yool waited until Ha Sang Joong finished praising himself. Then, she smiled brightly.
¡°I¡¯m talking about my attending physician. Dr. Park.¡±
¡°Dowook? Park Dowook?¡±
¡°Yes, I believe Dr. Park is able to make patient-centered diagnoses that no other hospital is able to do. I¡¯m the only case that I know of so I can¡¯t provide objective evidence to prove this yet, however, I¡¯m sure other cases will be added in the future.¡±
Ha Sang Joonughed in disbelief. He was about to ask why exactly she thought so when his office door suddenly burst open.
"Chief Ha! Where¡¯s Park Dowook? Why isn''t he answering my call?"
It was Prof. Lee Won Seok of Neurology who suddenly barged inside.
¡°Why are you also asking for Dowook?¡±
¡°He needs toe with me to check a diagnosis. Everyone''s waiting right now.¡±
¡°You have to exin everything clearly for someone to understand. Do you think people can understand you if you just bang open the door?¡±
¡°No!¡±
Prof. Lee, who walked closer to Ha Sang Joong, briefly nced at Lim So Yool and said quickly.
¡°We have an important patient being filmed in the clinic right now, Park Dowook did this. He wrote this. Neither I nor Prof. Yoon from ENT even considered surgery. It was impossible in the first ce. But looking at this, I feel like someone bludgeoned me in the head. I need a surgical diagnosis.¡±
¡°Why are you asking Dowook about that? If it¡¯s an important patient, you should consult with the professors.¡±
¡°Do you know this method of analysis? It¡¯s my first time seeing this.¡±
A piece of paper was ced on the table. Ha Sang Joong saw the mix of numbers, forms, and medical terms and frowned.
¡°What is this?¡±
¡°It represents the predictive interval of a variable about hearing abnormality.¡±
The one who provided the exnation was surprisingly Lim So Yool. Prof. Lee turned to look at her.
¡°Do you know what this is?¡±
¡°The upper part is the probability variable for hearing loss, and the lower part is the continuous stress variable for hearing recovery. It¡¯s a logistic function, one for future predictions.¡±
¡°It seems you know it very well, however, I can¡¯t seem to understand.¡±
¡°That was the easiest exnation I can think of¡¡ um, Dr. Park Dowook can most probably exin it better.¡±
¡°Right.¡±
Recalling the reason he came here, Prof. Lee asked Ha Sang Joong.
¡°Where''s Dr. Park, Chief Ha?! I''m in a hurry! I had them pause the recording and ran out!¡±
¡°The recording, for our Dowook?¡±
¡°If you know, hurry up and bring him out!¡±
Ha Sang Joong gave a faint smile.
He wondered why there were so many people insisting Dowook was a great doctor today.
They were more convinced about his student, who he had been teaching for 10 years.
One said he was the perfect ORpanion.
One called him the savior of Myeong Sae Hospital.
One considered him able enough to diagnose a patient great enough to appear on TV.
¡°This is driving me crazy, really.¡±
Entering a dark office, Dowook turned on the lights.
¡®Is Prof. Choi not here? Wow. There¡¯s a day he leaves work early.¡¯
He had been prepared to hear a scolding about the unauthorized schedule change but guessed that would have to wait for tomorrow.
He walked to the surgical training table in the center of the room, and he skimmed its surface with his hands.
The cold touch of metal woke him up.
If he went back and forth between this room and the OR training his skills, he would be able to perform surgeries like Choi Hoo each time.
¡®2 years of Fellowship. Let¡¯s die trying, Dowook.¡¯
After deeply engraving his resolution, he arrived in front of a desk in the corner. He put the box he¡¯d brought yesterday to the side and brought up the surgery schedule on the connectedptop.
[06:00 D-rosette OR #2 -surgeon Choi Hoo, 1st asst. Park Dowook]
[10:30 D-rosette OR #2 -surgeon Park Dowook, 1st asst. Choi Hoo]
[13:20]¡¡[16:30]¡¡[20:50]¡¡.
¡°It¡¯s pretty packed. There probably won¡¯t be any time for a breather.¡±
Adding the ones scheduled today, it was a series of surgeries that forced him to live in the operating room from dawn to evening.
Nevertheless, his heart was pounding because he knew it was a great opportunity to gain clinical experience.
It was clear that Chief Ha would yell about the alternating main surgeons in the operations, but it would proceed anyway. The surgical thug in the area had made the order.
Lifting the office phone to his ear, Dowook called the patient ward of the first surgery¡¯s patient.
-Yes, this is ward nurse Shin Soo-jung.
¡°This Park Dowook. How is the patient, Yoon Bok-man, in Room 705?
-The prospective craniotomy patient? Uh, the 2 o¡¯clock vitals were blood pressure 90/120¡¡
While receiving the status of the surgery patient, a loud voice from the hallway rang in Dowook¡¯s ears.
-Park Dowook! Where¡¯s this punk hiding?!
Chief Ha¡¯s shout. Thanks to years of habit, Dowook flinched and shrank down. It seemed things got messed up as he expected due to the changes in the surgery schedule.
¡°Ms. Nurse. I¡¯ll call you againter.¡±
Dowook hung up and quickly stuck himself to the wall.
He held his breath and waited for Chief Ha to pass by, but the door burst open.
¡°Found you, brat.¡±
Chief Ha entered with ring eyes.
¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering your calls?¡±
¡°You told me to leave for the day and I wanted to follow that order properly. If I answered the call, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to.¡±
¡°Ha. Since when did you listen to my words that well?¡±
¡°Today?¡±
¡°Shut up!¡±
It didn¡¯t seem like he was here to discuss the change in surgery schedule, but he stepped back to theptop and changed the screen.
During that time, Neurology¡¯s Prof. Lee came in. It was the professor whose sense he had borrowed and made good use of throughout the morning.
¡®Why here¡¡¡¯
Before he could finish the question, Prof. Lee spoke.
¡°Dr. Park. I have some questions about this chart you wrote.¡±
¡°My chart?¡±
Dowook looked at the paper Prof. Lee handed to him in wonder.
It was theplex function that started with ¡®lo¡¯ Lim So Yool had been fixated on a while ago.
He was staring at it nkly, wondering why Prof. Lee was holding it, when the professor continued asking with urgency.
¡°As you know, Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s cerebral deformity is a congenital problem. Even if it is assumed to be pre-psychotic hypertrophy, there is a high risk ofplications if one removes more than 2cm. Do you think surgery is still possible?¡±
Dowook, who was looking at the paper, widened his eyes in surprise.
¡°Perform surgery? That¡¯s¡¡.¡±
The lower portion was not written by himself. It was just a mathematical solution drawn by Lim So Yool.
He didn¡¯t even think that he could make a diagnosis based on this since it was written without any practical consideration in mind.
¡®How the hell do I exin that this is a hypothetical diagnosis based on numbers only?¡¯
While he was at a loss on how to exin, one more person stepped into the room.
¡°Why is everyone here?¡±
It was the owner of the office, Choi Hoo.
Choi Hoo came in holding a bag containing some triangr kimbap and a bottle of water in his hand.
¡®So it was his meal time.¡¯
Prof. Lee nodded his head in greeting once his eyes met Choi Hoo¡¯s.
¡°It¡¯s been a while, Prof. Choi.¡±
¡°What brings you here?¡±
¡°Because of a patient. We were listening to Dr. Park¡¯s opinions about a diagnosis.¡±
¡°Dr. Park¡¯s opinions?¡±
Choi Hoo¡¯s gaze naturally turned to Dowook.
Chief Ha, who had been ring at Dowook, spoke.
¡°Dowook. Quickly say something. Prof. Lee, Director Lee, even Choi Hoo. They all want to do something with you. I¡¯m the only one who wants nothing to do with you. It wasn¡¯t like this yesterday. Why do I feel left out here? Neurosurgery is one body.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡¡¡±
Dowook, who was trying to figure out how this paper came out, paused as he recalled what Lim So Yool had said.
-The prediction model is finished.
Proof. Verification. Complete.
Since witnessing the dart function, Dowook had acknowledged her. Every phenomenon she calcted with numbers was true.
This number was hypothetical but it was not wrong.
This was why Prof. Lee was surprised enough toe here with just some information written at the bottom of the paper.
If a prominent professor at the neuro clinic admitted the diagnosis made by the mathematical predictive model, it would mean she made a diagnosis that a doctor was not able to.
¡®It¡¯s really amazing.¡¯
Dowook believed in the numbers of Lim So Yool so he wanted to prove that all of this was not just a daydream he¡¯d thought up.
He brought up Prof. Choi¡¯s sense as he thought it would best be able to judge.
Cerebral cortex deformities, alternative surgery identified by numbers.
Thinking about it, the answer was unexpectedly simple.
¡°Surgery is fully possible. Though priority would have to be given to identifying hearing-killing factors like tumors.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a deformed brain, so it¡¯s different from a normal brain. Is there any risk of brain stem damage? Even if you seed, you can lose a lot of sensory nerves.¡±
¡°All we have to do is pick out the brain tissue in question. Like some kind of brain stic surgery.¡±
Chief Ha started pulling out his hair when he heard something impossible like ¡®brain stic surgery.¡¯
¡°Prof. Lee! Are you going to suggest to a patient being filmed to do a surgery that has never been reported to the academicmunity? Does it make sense to have a brain job?¡±
¡°It¡¯s possible.¡±
The one who answered was Choi Hoo.
¡°Dr. Park has just proposed an operation that requires a great deal of control from the surgeon.¡±
¡°Choi Hoo. It¡¯s the cerebral cortex. If you mess with it, it¡¯splete paralysis of the connected nerves. How do you n to get rid of the problematic areas?¡±
¡°With one¡¯s eyes and hands.¡±
At Choi Hoo¡¯s matter-of-fact answer, Dowook nodded while Chief Ha sneered in disbelief.
¡°So, if the patient agrees, you lot will perform the surgery?¡±
¡°I won¡¯t do it.¡±
At Choi Hoo¡¯s quick denial, Chief Ha nodded in understanding. But Choi Hoo¡¯s reply was not yet finished.
¡°¡¡.but I would not disagree if Dr. Park ns to do it.¡±
¡°Hey, Choi Hoo! You¡¯re even going to hand over an unestablished operation to him?¡±
Choi Hoo didn¡¯t pay any attention to Chief Ha¡¯s yells and walked to his desk. Then he took a triangr kimbap out from the bag.
Prof. Lee, who¡¯d been looking back and forth with his chin propped on his hand, looked back at Dowook.
¡°I also think it¡¯s possible. Factors that cause hearing loss. I¡¯ll definitely find them. I¡¯ll tell the patient that you¡¯re going to be coordinating with us on this.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
Prof. Lee hurriedly left the room, and Chief Ha asked Dowook.
¡°Do you n to do the surgery if they agree? Really?¡±
¡°Of course. If the patient wants to.¡±
¡°Phew~ I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen to our neurosurgery department in the future.¡±
Chewing on a triangr kimbap, Choi Hoo turned his head.
¡°Dr. Park.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to do a brain aneurysm simtion. Will you join me?¡±
¡°I have to. Today is a day without surgery.¡±
Then, a triangr kimbap flew toward him.
¡°Eat that and then we¡¯ll start.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
While opening the wrapper, Dowook looked at Chief Ha who was standing with a half-conscious look.
¡°You must have been robbed a lot by Director Lim.¡±
Chief Ha opened his eyes wide.
¡°You¡¯re robbing me right now, brat! Shake, shake!¡±
[T/N: Doesn¡¯t make as much sense in English, but think of those scenes on TV where a kid is robbed during recess where a bigger kid holds him upside down and shakes him so all the money falls to the ground.]
¡ª¨C
sync : a neurologist¡¯s method of rapid examination
action : muscle resistance urately identifies nerve abnormalities.
Chapter 31: Blind Test(1)
One day at the beginning of November.
Dozens of reporters were waiting in the lobby of the first basement floor of Hansung Hospital, one of the Big 5 hospitals that boasted more than 2,000 beds.
The two middle-aged men, who wereing down on the esctor, looked pleased after checking the number of reporters.
¡°We made sure to spread the information about the press release so even the major broadcasting stations came. This is going to be quite a hot topic, sir.¡±
At the words of Jeon Dong Soo, the head of the public rtions office, Dean Kim Chun-man smiled in satisfaction.
¡°It¡¯s a topic that fits right during the CSAT season. I think it¡¯s about time, shall we have the main charactere out?¡±
When Dean Kim arrived at the lobby, cameras shed everywhere. The visitors who were passing by stopped to see what was going on.
Enjoying the feeling of being a sessful hospital dean, he smiled and brought the mic closer to himself.
¡°Wee, reporters. The weather is bing chilly nowadays, however, our Hansung Hospital has prepared a warm piece of news today.¡±
Holding the presentation he¡¯d prepared in his hand, Dean Kim spoke loudly with high expectations for the response that he would get.
¡°Not long ago, a school bus carrying high school seniors crashed on the overpass. 7 patients were brought to our emergency room. Two with lower limb trauma¡..¡±
Dean Kim, who recited the status of the seven students in detail, soon brought up the key reason for calling the reporters.
¡°Do you know what one of the patients, Kim Ki-chan, first said when he became conscious? It was, ¡°I have to take the exam.¡± This student, whose dream is to be a doctor, had been devastated by the situation which would ruin all the hard work he has poured into for a year.¡±
Hearing the main point of the speech, the reporters¡¯ concentration levels changed.
¡°In response, our medical staff at Hansung Hospital mobilized all their efforts to restore the students¡¯ physical condition to a level allowing them to take the test. That¡¯s right. Kim Ki-chan can take the college entrance exam this year as he wished. Although it is under the condition of a hospital room.¡±
One of the reporters who had been recording the contents of the representation raised their hand.
-What about the other students? Are they also able to take the exam?
¡°Yes, thanks to the emergency trauma team at Hansung Hospital, they are recovering quickly and will not have any disruptions in their lives. We have asked each of these students¡¯ opinions, and they all expressed their determination to take the test even if they fail. The hospital staff is getting ready to help ordingly. With the support of Jongno-gu¡¯s Office of Education, we will also set up a test site for patients in the special ward.¡±
Dean Kim looked around the lobby with a confident smile.
The unfortunate case of high school seniors being involved in an ident right before the CSAT. Hansung Hospital¡¯s careful consideration in their treatment and allowing them to take their test.
It was a story that would be talked about at a time when news about the CSAT came out every day. It was a great opportunity to increase Hansung Hospital¡¯s reputation.
A question was suddenly asked to Dean Kim, who had been suppressing his satisfiedughter since the press release started.
-Myeong Sae Hospital also received 6 patients from the car crash, will those students also be taking the test?
Myeong Sae Hospital. The ce was another one of the Big 5 and located quite close to Hansung Hospital, making them rivals.
At the question he had been waiting for, Dean Kim gave a contented smile.
¡°I don¡¯t know if Dean Shin Yae Seung is in a situation where he can care about these issues. I heard he went somewhere far? Haha. I¡¯m kidding. I am not sure what happened to the patients who were sent to Myeong Sae Hospital. It is up to the ability of the medical staff to take care of emergencies.
* * *
Myeong Sae Hospital, cafeteria.
-¡¡.It is up to the ability of the medical staff to take care of emergencies.
Seong Chang Soo, who¡¯d been watching TV, threw his spoon down on his tray.
¡°That man gets more annoying the more you see him. I mean, is the situation between the severe patients sent to us and the minor trauma patients sent to them the same? I can¡¯t believe he didn¡¯t even mention that. And the medical staff¡¯s level? If their patients can take the test and ours can¡¯t!? Won¡¯t people mistakenly think our emergency care is of a lower level than theirs?!¡±
Seong Chang Soo, who was swearing at the dean of Hansung Hospital, spoke passionately and looked at Dowook who was seated opposite himself.
¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡±
Dowook, who¡¯d been nkly lifting his spoon, raised his head.
¡°What?¡±
¡°That news. Aren¡¯t you annoyed?¡±
¡°What news?¡±
When Dowook turned to watch, the news had already changed to something about the fall baseball. It was about the Korean Series, which was in a tight race, tilting to one side.
¡°I don¡¯t really care much for baseball. You¡¯re a fan of the Hansung Lions?¡±
¡°Not that! There was news just now insulting our hospital!¡±
Seong Chang Soo, who began to exin the malicious distortion by the dean of Hansung Hospital, clicked his tongue at the state of Dowook, who had once again subconsciously started to eat as if he had fallen into another world.
¡°Why is this guy like this today? His soul has practically flown away after working with Last Choi for a few days. Dowook. Dowook?¡±
Seong Chang Soo, seeing Dowook¡¯s silent response, raised his chopsticks. Moving gently, he picked up a chunk of thick pork cutlet from Dowook¡¯s te.
¡°I heard everything.¡±
Flinching, Seong Chang Soo smiled widely and let go of the pork cutlet.
¡°Did you? Haha.¡±
¡°How are the students brought to our hospital?¡±
¡°They are doing a lot better. I¡¯m not so sure about the bus driver who was in the worst condition.¡±
¡°He¡¯s in our department¡¯s ICU.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°I¡¯m the attending physician.¡±
¡°You?¡±
When the bus driver, who was brought inst, entered the OR, the operating surgeons were Prof. Choi Hoo and Chief Ji Hwi-gwan. As both of them entrusted him with the subsequent actions, he had no choice but to take on the role of attending physician.
¡°That bus driver was practically resurrected from death, wasn¡¯t he?¡±
¡°We¡¯re preparing for the 2nd round of surgery, but the prognosis is positive.¡±
¡°Damn it. The media should talk about things like this. It¡¯s a miracle that the patient is still alive, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Where are the miracles in medicine? He¡¯s alive because he can be.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t know anything. Look at Hansung Hospital. They¡¯re putting on a show just before CSAT with a patient who has broken legs. I think it¡¯s great that the dying bus driver is still alive. Whew. It¡¯s not like I can have a press conference myself.¡±
After silently enduring Seong Chang Soo¡¯s chatter, which quickly increased, Dowook chewed thest of his food and put down his chopsticks.
¡°Phew. it¡¯s finished.¡±
¡°Huh? Why are you eating the most delicious food on the cafeteria¡¯s menu like it tastes horrible?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve had 8 surgeries until this morning. I just want to rest right now.¡±
¡°8? You¡¯re pretty blessed with surgeries from the first week. If this continues, you¡¯ll be a surgeon with bulging calves.¡±
Before bing a surgeon with bulging calves, his body might not be able tost.
Dowook was feeling despair at Professor Choi¡¯s terrifying stamina, which could easily endure all these surgeries and demanded more.
Dowook lifted his tray and stood up.
¡°Where¡¯s Chief Ji?¡±
¡°My chief? Why?¡±
¡°I wanted to meet him before going on my rounds.¡±
¡°He¡¯s probably in the video room. He dragged all the 1st year residents there for CT training.¡±
¡°Ok. See youter.¡±
¡°Hey, just a sec!¡±
Seong Chang Soo stuck to Dowook¡¯s side.
¡°What¡¯s happening with the beautifuldy?¡±
¡°What kind of question is that at this time?¡±
¡°It¡¯s because there are so many rumors flying around. The departments are being shaken up one by one by Director Lim. Did she visit yours?¡±
¡°She visited us first.¡±
He didn¡¯t know what was said, but seeing as Chief Ha didn¡¯t say anything, so things probably went smoothly. Although he might have forgotten due to the pianist coboration problem suddenly appearing.
¡°Give us a tip so we can prepare. You¡¯ve interacted with her plenty of times.¡±
¡°Um, Chang Soo.¡±
¡°That¡¯s it. Keep talking.¡±
¡°Do you like math?¡±
¡°I really hate it.¡±
¡°Then don¡¯t even appear anywhere near Director Lim. That¡¯s how you can save your department. I¡¯m leaving.¡±
Leaving a bewildered Seong Chang Soo, Dowook headed to the radiology department on the 4th floor.
As he came upon the hallway leading to the monitor room, he saw an open door. It was where Chief Ji Hwi-gwan was educating the emergency medicine specialists.
-Myeong Deok. Try to exin.
-L-looking at the upper shading, it seems to be tension in the pneumothorax.
-First aid treatment?
-That¡¯s¡..
Dowook watched from afar as Chief Ji was instructing the resident 1:1 with great pressure. Then he slowly stretched out his hand.
¡®Come on,e on.¡¯
When he told Chang Soo he wanted to see Chief Ji, he meant it literally. Because there was nothing better than Commander Ji¡¯s sense when looking after patients.
[T/N: In Korean, what Dowook says is ¡®see his face¡¯ which doesn¡¯t really sound nice in English.]
One of the things he figured out about his special sense was that the more he used a sense, the longer he could use it.
The more experience he gained, the more diverse the usage.
Chief Ji¡¯s sense cycled through his nervous system starting from his fingertips.
¡®I will make good use of it to treat patients.¡¯
He bowed his head once then headed for the neurosurgery department¡¯s patient ward on the 9th floor.
Holding a chart in hand, he went through the ward in an instant, looking at the conditions of the patients who had surgery yesterday and the day before.
He finished his rounds in just 10 minutes and listed down his order for the patients, which he then gave to the nurse.
¡°Oh, you finished it already?¡±
¡°Yes. The patient in No. 11 seems to be in a lot of pain so instead of Tramadol, please give him Buprenorphine. 2mg every 4 hours.¡±
He got on the elevator right after and went to the 8th floor.
Dowook saw a crowd of people gathered in front of the neurosurgery¡¯s ICU. They were reporters with various cameras and microphones in hand.
¡°Hmm?¡±
One of the interns in the ICU saw Dowook and pointed in his direction.
¡°There he is.¡±
At her signal, dozens of reporters gathered around Dowook.
In an instant, Dowook was surrounded by mics and cameras.
¡°I¡¯m Yoon Jinhyo from News Seoul! As the attending physician of Yoo Sang-Il, the hero from the overpass traffic ident, could you make a statement¡.!¡±
¡°Dr.! What is the probability of a victim of a car crash like this surviving?¡±
¡°They said the patient is still unconscious, when do you think he will regain consciousness?¡±
When the reporters¡¯ questions came flooding in at the same time, Dowook was lost in confusion. As the questions were being asked, camera shes went off, making Dowook close his eyes a few times.
¡°Uh, just a moment. Please make way.¡±
Dowook first went through the crowd and went through the doors leading to the area prohibiting civilians from entry. Then he asked the intern.
¡°What is this all about?¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t you see that video, Dr. Park?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t see it. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking with such a nk expression.¡±
¡°It¡¯s top 1 on the search list right now. You should check it.¡±
Dowook got out his phone and opened the Inte app.
[Cram School Bus ident ckbox]
As soon as he clicked the link, a video of the inside of the bus was yed.
The bus driver lifted a fallen student and fastened his seatbelt and was thrown out of the car. Watching the video, it was clear why he was so seriously injured.
¡®What¡¯s the view count?¡¯
It looked like it was pretty widespread on the Inte.
-Dr.! Please make a statement about the patient!
-Dr.!
The reporters called out to Dowook through the ss door.
Chapter 32: Blind Test(2)
-Doctor! Is there something wrong with the patient! Doctor!
A situation he had only seen on TV was happening in front of him and he found it hard to get used to the noisy atmosphere of the hall. Then, Dowook made eye contact with the nurse managing the ICU.
They were as bewildered as him.
¡®Let¡¯s take care of this noise first.¡¯
What the reporters were asking about was the situation of the patient the Inte considered a hero. He was also here to check on that patient.
Dowook pushed his head out of the ss door.
¡°I wille out after checking on the vitals of Yoo Sang-Il, so if you have any questions, please wait in the ICU¡¯s visiting room. Please be quiet. If you make noise here, we have no choice but to call on security.¡±
As soon as he made the threat, the voices of the reporters were drastically reduced.
Dowook quickly moved to the critical care area.
However, he had to stop after taking a few steps. Because the person waiting in front of the hospital room was very unexpected.
¡°Vice-dean?¡±
¡°Dr. Park Dowook. I was waiting for you.¡±
The Vice-dean Bae Ji-man weed Dowook.
Since the chart that should have been ced at the entrance of the aseptic treatment room was in the hands of the vice dean, Dowook stood beside him and braced himself.
¡°When I asked Chief Ji, he told me you were his attending physician.¡±
Since the vice dean had a solemn expression, even something unimportant seemed like a big deal. Dowook cleared his head and answered.
¡°I took part in the emergency surgery. Since I was there for the whole long-term conservation treatment process, I am only in charge temporarily. When the 2nd round of surgery is coordinated, it will be passed on to another senior.¡±
¡°Chief Ji said something different, though. He said he thought you would be best for the job so I shouldn¡¯t get involved.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Dowook was surprised but tried to stop it from showing on his face.
¡°As long as it is a patient the media is paying attention to, I can¡¯t not get involved. Please understand.¡±
The vice-dean opened the chart and read the information carefully.
¡°You took good care of the head. You don¡¯t have to touch it again. Choi Hoo operated on it, right?¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
¡°Hmm. The problem is the damage to the organs around the kidneys, which were exposed during the emergency treatment. It would be unreasonable to achieve aplete restoration even with the 2nd round of surgeries.¡±
The vice dean looked at Dowook and asked.
¡°Was he in such a bad condition that you had to have a kidney removed?¡±
¡°The kidney itself was maintaining minimal function. However, the problem was that the other organs were being overworked to prevent the deterioration of kidney function.¡±
Words could not express how dire the situation was at the time wherein you had to lose what you had to and give what should be given.
¡°It was a judgment on the spot. The blood vessel damage in the junior membrane must have been severe, how did you catch this?¡±
¡°Ummm¡¡¡±
He had thought he was safe when a question came right away.
¡°The cardiovascr vessels werepletely sutured, but the abdominal vessels were only temporarily sutured. What was the basis for this judgment?¡±
¡°As brain surgery was happening at the same time, we had to focus on the brain and heart. We relied on the active recovery for the abdomen.¡±
The level of questions posed by the vice dean was different from those Chief Ji was pressuring the residents to answer in the video room earlier.
Each one was rted to a judgment that could lead to a fatal condition for the patient.
Dowook was able to continue answering as the memory of the day he stood as an assistant came to his fingers before his head.
¡®Thank God I want to receive Chief Ji¡¯s sense.¡¯
As they continued to ask and answer questions, the vital monitor inside the aseptic room rang in a warning.
The vice dean and Dowook¡¯s eyes turned to the patient at the same time.
Contrary to the surprised vice-dean, Dowook calmly looked at the patient¡¯s breathing rate and partial pressure of carbon dioxide, then he spoke.
¡°It is temporary. He is unconscious, but he seems to have convulsed in pain.¡±
¡°His blood pressure fell that much, but you¡¯re telling me it¡¯s temporary?¡±
Seeing the nurse in charge of the ICU about to run over, Dowook signaled that it wasn¡¯t needed. Then he answered the vice dean.
¡°Yes, it¡¯s temporary. Right now, it would only make it worse if we opened that door and went in to provide treatment.¡±
Beep.
The moment Dowook finished his sentence, the low blood pressure went back to normal.
The vice dean stared at the patient returning to stability in slight surprise.
¡°Your opinion is correct. There was almost no change in the breathing rate.¡±
The vice dean¡¯s gaze became softer as he looked at Dowook and a slight smile appeared on his solemn face.
¡°I came down on a needless worry. There¡¯s nothing I can criticize. You have a great eye for taking care of patients.¡±
The vice dean handed Dowook the chart as if in recognition of his skills.
¡°Thank you.¡±
Because it was praise from a senior doctor who had built his reputation based on organ transnt, Dowook became embarrassed. He would have to make this up to Chief Ji somehow.
¡°I think it¡¯s only right for you to continue as the attending physician. Make sure to mention that to the reporters as well.¡±
¡°At Hansung Hospital, the dean was interviewed as a representative for the same group of patients. It would be better for the vice dean to talk to the reporters¡..¡±
¡°This is a matter of people dying or living. It¡¯s not important whose mouth the newses from. I believe you can do a good job. You have done great until now as well.¡±
When the vice dean patted him on the shoulder in encouragement, on the contrary, Dowook only felt pressured.
¡°Continue to work hard, Dr. Park.¡±
Dowook bowed at a 90¡ã angle toward the departing vice dean.
Nowadays, he seemed to see the vice dean a lot when it used to be hard to see him once a year.
Every time there was a problem, he seemed to take on a burdensome task. Establishing a spot for himself in the hospital as he began his fellowship was not an easy task.
¡®Talk to the reporters, me?¡¯
A matter of life and death.
It was something obvious. It should be fine to take care of things as a doctor.
In the visiting room, dozens of reporters gathered and talked as they waited for Dowook to bring news.
¡°About that attending physician from a while ago. Isn¡¯t he too young? Aren¡¯t ICU patients like this one usually taken care of by more experienced professors?¡±
¡°Myeong Sae Hospital¡¯s rating isn¡¯t very good nowadays. It¡¯s hard for a professor toe out so they sent him as a shield.¡±
¡°So he gets med if something goes wrong with the patient? That¡¯s a pretty reasonable doubt, Mr. Yoon.¡±
Soon, Dowook walked into the waiting room.
Standing in front of the reception desk, Dowook looked at the reporters in the room and spoke.
¡°It is not yet possible to say that Mr. Yoo Sang-Il¡¯s condition is definitely better at this time. Only the head fracture surgery waspleted, and in the case of multiple organ damage, at least 4 departments must coborate to proceed with the second round of surgeries.¡±
¡°Are you saying it is unsure if the patient will be able to wake up?¡±
¡°No, the patient is being kept unconscious on purpose as he is in too much pain. Bing conscious can only be said for certain after the second round of surgeries.¡±
The questions and answers about the patient¡¯s condition continued for a long time.
Reporter Yoon Jinhyo from News Seoul, who was sitting at the back, looked at Dowook being interviewed without problems, and then down at his phone.
[It¡¯s not as interesting as we thought. The interview¡¯s pretty dull, too. Even if we uploaded an article, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to spread that much.]
[Still, it¡¯s top 1 on the search list. You never know when it will be an issue, so if you want to make a hit, you have to do it clearly. What did the doctor say about the patient¡¯s condition?]
Reporter Yoon held up the notepad where he wrote down Dowook¡¯s words. Then he quickly sent a message.
Vrrrr.
[Tsk tsk. It wouldn¡¯t be unusual if the patient died right away. Try to ask him this. Exploratoryparotomy¡..]
Raising his hand, Reporter Yoon got the chance to ask a question.
¡°You said that you removed the hematoma on the small intestine by exploratoryparotomy, but the perforated area was left covered. Have you not consideredplications such as short bowel syndrome and sepsis? Wouldn¡¯t these problems cause a patient to die?¡±
When asked a detailed and professional question, Dowook¡¯s face seemed confused. It was a reaction that convinced the reporter that this was set up to save face.
Dowook asked Reporter Yoon who had a convincing smile on his face.
¡°Why are you asking that?¡±
¡°What do you mean? I was curious about the treatment mentioned by the doctor.¡±
At the moment the reporter felt confident that he had properly highlighted the clumsiness of a young doctor.
Dowook stared right at Reporter Yoon.
¡°Is this the first time you are covering hospital news?¡±
¡°What¡¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s because you asked a question to someone who doesn¡¯t know the concept of severe emergency treatment but has watched some emergency-rted drama and pretending to know things would ask.¡±
Some reporters covered their mouths andughed at the unexpected answer. Reporter Yoon¡¯s face felt hot as he shouted.
¡°What do you mean pretending? Don¡¯t change the subject and answer the question.¡±
¡°The thing is. There is one reason the car crash patient is still alive. It was because we took the necessary measures at the time, even at the risk of dangerousplications. Short bowel syndrome and sepsis? If it were you, would you choose to live even when you catch the flu? Or would you rather die doing nothing because you are afraid of the flu?¡±
Reporter Yoon¡¯s head disappeared among the reporters at Dowook¡¯s metaphor which caused everyone to be silent. He sent a message and got a reply right away.
[You said it¡¯s a young doctor from neurosurgery? How does he know how to deal with severe trauma so well?]
[I don¡¯t know.]
[He might have been prepared. Ask him this.]
Reporter Yoon looked at the message and raised his hand.
¡°Yes, ask please.¡±
¡°You said that the lower vena cava was closed without sutures, but haven¡¯t you been unable to have the second surgery because of massive bleeding that urred? Isn¡¯t this a radical excuse not to perform surgery, a misjudgment?¡±
¡°Oh, this is good criticism.¡±
At thepliment that came out of nowhere, Reporter Yoon made a ¡®what?¡¯ expression. And Dowook answered the question at that moment.
¡°If the patient hade in with only abdominal damage, you¡¯d be right. However, he also had a severe skull fracture. Chest and abdomen damage were controlled. The head ispletely restored. This was the answer of the hospital and the patient is still alive. That was a better question than before. Next.¡±
Dowook had avoided two criticisms sent by the dean of Hansung Hospital, who used to be a renowned surgeon. Reporter Yoon was a little shocked and reported the situation via text.
[Did they send him because he¡¯s skilled and not to cover up? He¡¯s making me want to win. Ask him this. When approaching the abdominal organs, horizontal intestines¡..]
Reporter Yoon raised his hand.
¡°Doctor. When you approach the abdominal organs, the perforation in the horizontal intestine¡.¡±
¡°Just a minute. It¡¯s not horizontal but the mesocolon. Like this, it¡¯s in a curved~ part of the intestine.¡±
¡°¡¡.¡±
¡°It seems you studied really hard. I can¡¯t keep teaching you. This is a hospital, not a school. Then, next person.¡±
The dean of Hansung Hospital seemed to be in a hurry that he made a typo. Reporter Yoon couldn¡¯t say a word at the moment.
[¡¡what?]
[I¡¯m sorry.]
[How many times have you covered hospital news? You can¡¯t even recognize this much?]
The dean of Hansung Hospital, who caused others to suspect his professionalism, got angry, but Reporter Yoon held back.
[That young doctor seems to be a master. This isn¡¯t how we should go about this. Turn the subject to something else. Turn the bus driver¡¯s news to the student¡¯s side. They won¡¯t be able to let everyone take the CSAT over there.]
After an appropriate amount of time, Reporter Yoon raised his hand.
¡°How are the 6 students sent to Myeong Sae Hospital due to the same ident? Is it possible for them to take the CSAT like those at Hansung Hospital?¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡.¡±
Sure that an answer would note, Reporter Yoon continued to ask more questions.
¡°They were on the same bus, but some can take the test while others can¡¯t. Wouldn¡¯t that be unfair to the students?¡±
¡°I was also in the emergency room at the time of the ident. All the students were suffering from terrible trauma. I¡¯m not sure whether they can take the CSAT is more important than the scars they would have to carry for the rest of their lives due to the ident.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right but isn¡¯t it still true that only the students sent to Myeong Sae Hospital won¡¯t be able to take the test?¡±
As they moved onto a more provocative issue, the eyes of the other reporters who had been quietly recording, changed.
¡°Doctor! What is the condition of the 6 students?¡±
¡°Are those students unconscious?¡±
¡°Doctor!¡±
Reporter Yoon said, ¡°Got it!¡± in a low voice.
After many attempts, he finally managed to baffle the young doctor.
Chapter 33: Blind Test(3)
When the interview he thought would end without a hitch suddenly took a turn for the worse, Dowook felt his head hurting.
Comparison to Hansung Hospital.
The reason was likely the reporter at the back who kept asking unreasonable questions.
At that moment, many thoughts passed through his mind.
From Seong Chang Soo, who burst out in anger at the cafeteria, to the vice dean, who told him to do his best.
One thing Dowook was sure about and agreed with was the single-minded focus he got from Chief Ji¡¯s sense to save the patient.
¡®I know what I want to say, so I guess it should be fine to just go with it.¡¯
Dowook looked at Reporter Yoon, who had muddied the atmosphere of the interview.
¡°The problem of the students being able to take the CSAT is irrelevant to the injuries they have suffered. So I have nothing more to say on the subject.¡±
¡°Are you saying Myeong Sae Hospital is unable to allow the students to take their test?¡±
¡°A doctor is a person who does their best to save their patients¡¯ lives. We don¡¯t get involved in their lives more than that. What the reporter is asking about is the role of the family.¡±
¡°You seem to be saying that Myeong Sae Hospital has no affection for its patients.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know about Myeong Sae Hospital; however, I do not.¡±
At those words, the other reporters also started to talk noisily.
Reporter Yoon, who kept twisting the question to cause a misunderstanding, smiled in triumph, thinking he had finally forced the young doctor to make a mistake.
¡°Those words, can I quote you on that? I¡¯ll give you a chance to make a correction.¡±
Dowook calmly looked at the reporter, who acted as if he was asking kind-heartedly.
¡°I am a surgeon. The moment I consider my patient a friend, I will have to put down my scalpel. A surgeon must be more cold-hearted than anyone else until the moment he leaves the OR and washes his hands. Then, if a dying patient survives, that¡¯s it. Make a correction? I will be cold toward all the patients I will operate on.¡±
Even after Dowook finished speaking, Reporter Yoon couldn¡¯t make a sarcastic remark. Because Dowook¡¯s words contained a young doctor¡¯s rationale and sincerity for saving lives. If he made a mistake here, he would be the one in trouble.
¡°If there are no more questions, I have other things to do.¡±
Dowook stood up neatly and walked out of the room, and a camera shed behind him.
After the interview, Reporter Yoon¡¯s phone rang as he sat in the room. The name on the screen was ¡®Hansung Hospital Dean.¡¯
As soon as he put it to his ear, a harsh sound could be heard.
-What are you saying? How could our image take a hit?
¡°This doctor, Park Dowook. He wasn¡¯t an easy guy. He turned a question about whether the students can take the CSAT or not into a discussion of the values and professionalism of a doctor. It was seen positively by the other reporters.¡±
-You should have stopped it! Isn¡¯t that why I take you to y golf and eat expensive sashimi!
¡°Didn¡¯t the dean say to shake things up?¡±
-Ugh, really. Write the article properly! Chase the CSAT issue correctly!
After ending the call, Reporter Yoon looked at the reporters around him.
¡°The second hero who rescued the heroic bus driver. Sounds good, doesn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°That doctor¡¯s words are pretty clear cut. He looks neat, too. Do you think they sent him out on purpose? To raise him into one of the hospital¡¯s representative doctors.¡±
¡°That¡¯s quite a logical guess, Reporter Song.¡±
Even if he was the only one to write a negative article about Myeong Sae Hospital, most of the people here looked like they would write an amicable one.
¡°D*mn¡.¡±
It looked like he was scr*wed.
* * *
The next day.
Dowook encountered Chief Ha Sang Joong the moment he got to work. Dowook was surprised by his swollen face and ufortable expression, so he asked.
¡°What¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s not because of me, is it?¡±
¡°Do you think my life revolves around one Park Dowook, you punk? My daughter ordered too much foodst night. I still feel pretty bloated.¡±
Chief Ha rubbed his stomach and red at Dowook, who was about to go inside Prof. Choi¡¯s office.
¡°Where are you going? You have to report the progress of the trouble you caused, so I can also get ready.¡±
¡°What do you mean trouble? There¡¯s not much to it. The vice-dean told me to continue being the attending physician for the bus driver who ranked 1st in the search list, so I nned to do so. As a result, I had to give an interview. Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s surgery will be confirmed today.¡±
¡°What? I was asking about the pianist, so why does the vice deane out of that?¡±
¡°¡..have a nice day!¡±
Dowook quickly opened the door and went in. Then, he closed the door right away.
-What did you do, you b*stard! Hey, Park Dowook!
Bang bang.
¡°It¡¯s not something you have to be concerned about. I did the interview like a surgeon. That¡¯s it.¡±
-You better keep that promise. And when Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s surgery is confirmed,e right away. I n to report it in the conference.
¡°Understood!¡±
After Chief Ha left, Dowook took off his jacket, put it over the back of his chair, and put on his white coat right away.
There were three surgeries scheduled for today.
It seemed like today would be a busy day.
¡°It seems you only gave benefits to Ilmoon Pharmaceuticals while reorganizing the pain clinic.¡±
The expression of Yoon Bok-man, head of the anesthesia department, turned dark at the criticism from the pale woman wearing a neck brace.
¡°The bidding process was transparent. The professors in charge wrote the selection scores after proper evaluation.¡±
¡°The operating expenses at Ilmoon Pharmaceuticals say something different. ? 7.35 million for entertainment. ? 10.53 million for personal support. These aren¡¯t things that should be reflected in the evaluation.¡±
¡°What. You can¡¯t just write that down on the budget, can you?¡±
¡°Of course not. That¡¯s why you have to watch out for this kind of investigation.¡±
Lim So Yool put down a document on the section chief¡¯s desk.
¡°This informationes from an internal audit conducted by the Chinese pharmaceuticalpany Byron to invest in Ilmoon Pharmaceuticals.¡±
Yoon Bok-man hesitated and lowered his eyes to the paper filled with numbers.
¡°The third line on page 17. Look at the flow of funds rted to corporate cards. It seems ? 7.35 million was spent on Chief Yoon¡¯s hotel room. This hotel¡¯s most expensive suite costs less than ? 2 million per night. What services did you receive?¡±
Wondering how on earth she found all this, nervousness could be seen in Yoon Bok-Man¡¯s eyes. However, he did his best to hide his fluster and replied.
¡°Is that so? Ilmoon Pharmaceuticals is at the top of this industry. I¡¯m sure it would have been chosen anyway. While you¡¯re at it, try to find a section chief who doesn¡¯t get entertained even this much and bring him out for me to see.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t bring this up for the entertainment cost. Since the expenses for that is the loss of Ilmoon and not Myeong Sae Hospital.¡±
¡°Then why are you interrogating me?¡±
¡°Because we have to stop future losses from happening. The ? 240 million business reserves given by the hospital to reorganize the pain clinic. I need you to return all of it.¡±
¡°Wh-what about the clinic?¡±
¡°You should talk to Ilmoon Pharmaceuticals. You¡¯re close, after all. If the clinic closes, their loss will increase so that they won¡¯t sit still. I¡¯m sure they have enough funds since Byron Pharmaceuticals have just invested.¡±
Yoon Bok-man became speechless at Lim So Yool¡¯s suggestion to have thepany that gave him preferential treatment pay more. Her financial adjustment n was ruthlessly logical based only on numbers.
The hall of the anesthesia department was filled with doctors.
¡°Wow, can you hear the chief¡¯s voice shaking?¡±
¡°This is my first time seeing that old man so flustered. That Director Lim really isn¡¯t joking around.¡±
Click.
When Lim So Yool, who had finished talking about the financial cooperation, came outside, the doctors all turned their backs in surprise. As they acted as if they had seen something they shouldn¡¯t have and tried to put some distance between them, the atmosphere in the corridor turned cold in an instant.
She passed by them without a change in her expression.
¡°You¡¯re moving around on your own.¡±
However, there was one person who approached her side when everyone else was trying their best not to make eye contact with her. It was a young doctor wearing a nametag stating he was from the neurosurgery department and not the anesthesia department.
¡°Dr. Park?¡±
Lim So Yool looked at Dowook in surprise.
¡°Why are you here¡..¡±
¡°To meet you, director.¡±
Greeting her with a gesture of his head, Dowook stood beside her.
¡°Where¡¯s your secretary? She wasn¡¯t in your hospital ward.¡±
¡°She went to the office for a while. There were some documents she needed to collect.¡±
¡°Aha.¡±
When Lim So Yool passed them, the doctors flinched. Seeing this, Dowook asked.
¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors you were getting hate from everywhere. What were you doing?¡±
¡°Talk about numbers.¡±
¡°If you did it as you do it with me¡. Well. Even though we¡¯re from the natural sciences, we aren¡¯t that close to math.¡±
Lim So Yool furrowed her eyebrows gently.
¡°It wasn¡¯t that much, ok? Did youe to find me to stop me from earning hatred from others?¡±
¡°How could I. What the director is doing is also a kind of financial therapy. When you¡¯re giving consulting in the outpatient office, there are times when you¡¯re med by the legal guardian because you suggested the need to open the patient¡¯s head. Even though the doctor isn¡¯t the one who created the disease. Those people are probably doing something simr to that.¡±
It had been a while since they saw each other, but Dowook came to sympathize with her situation. Lim So Yool¡¯s furrowed brows soon returned to normal.
¡°Then why were you looking for me?¡±
¡°About the surgery prediction model that the directorpletedst time, the examination results have added some details over the past few days and need to be revised. The patient has an important choice ahead of him.¡±
¡°You¡¯re talking about the pianist, right?¡±
¡°Yes, him. Could you help me?¡±
Lim So Yool suddenly stopped walking.
¡°You¡¯re requesting I calcte something with you right now, aren¡¯t you?¡±
Seeing her excitement, as if she had been asked out on a date, he immediately shook his head as he recalled what had happened before.
¡°It¡¯s just for the hospital. It¡¯s not the regr number talk. Think of it as donating your talent.¡±
¡°Tsk.¡±
When he drew the line, Lim So Yool looked disappointed.
The two people continued to walk down the corridor.
-What was that just now. That was neurosurgery Park Dowook. Was he that close to Director Lim So Yool?
-I know, right? I heard he was her attending physician. I guess that¡¯s why they can talk without a pause in the conversation.
It was a strange sight for the doctors here to see himmunicatingfortably with the woman who drove the chief of anesthesia to hell and terrorized the entire department.
Entering the neural clinic, Dowook found his friend within the chaotic atmosphere of the broadcasting team.
¡°Jae-geol.¡±
Turning his head at the call, Son Jae-geol saw Dowook and Lim So Yool, who was standing beside him and flinched.
¡°Why¡..¡±
¡°She¡¯s not here for financial cooperation, so shut up. When is Jeong Woo-seoking?¡±
¡°Around 10?¡±
Even as he answered the question, Son Jae-geol¡¯s eyes were fixed on Lim So Yool. The doctors who came in also seemed surprised to see her.
¡°Got it. Do what you have to.¡±
Sending Son Jae-geol away, Dowook turned to Lim So Yool¡¯s direction. He managed to ask her here to help, but this was how the doctors were reacting.
Dowook forced a cough and tried to fix the situation.
¡°People fear what they don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s because Director Lim¡¯s math is quite a novel thing.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t have to care that much. Being hated is a familiar experience.¡±
It was a calm answer, but Dowook couldn¡¯t look away from her.
¡°Huh? It¡¯s the doctor from the news.¡±
Hearing the lively voice, Dowook turned to look. He saw a girl sitting on a wheelchair who had a protector around her neck like Lim So Yool.
He tried to remember where he had seen her as she seemed familiar, but the girl identified herself first.
¡°Doctor. The driver of the bus we were riding. Did he wake up? Can I see him?¡±
¡°He¡¯s not well enough for visits yet. But you got a lot better, huh?¡±
¡°They said I am recovering the fastest among my friends. Right?¡±
The female student turned her head and asked, and the attending physician from orthopedics who brought her nodded their head.
Dowook looked closely at the female student¡¯s condition. Her vital signs certainly seemed pretty good.
¡°The one who made a small hole in your back to lower your brain pressure was our department¡¯s Nam Hana.¡±
¡°I know. The doctor came by yesterday.¡±
¡°Are you here for a nerve exam?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Hope it goes well. It¡¯s just a small hole in the spine with a needle or something, so there won¡¯t be a lot of aftereffects.¡±
¡°Thank you, doctor.¡±
The bright face of a recovering patient always made him happy. You could say it allowed him to feel the worth of a surgeon.
Seeing the pleased smile on Dowook¡¯s face, Lim So Yool asked.
¡°Didn¡¯t you say in the interview that you would be cold towards your patients?¡±
¡°Ah. I guess the director also saw the news?¡±
¡°My sister is very close to the media, so she tells me this and that.¡±
¡°I just mean that before the surgery, we can¡¯t help but be cold. Afterwards, well. You can be friends. Forming rapo is important in the long-term care phase as well.¡±
¡°Rapo?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a term for mutual trust. It¡¯s often used by doctors.¡±
Lim So Yool looked as if she was deep in thought as she asked.
¡°Dr. Park and I seem to fully satisfy the terms of mutual trust as well. So are we friends now?¡±
At the unexpected question, Dowook hesitated and wasn¡¯t able to answer immediately.
¡°Um¡.. if it¡¯s alright with the director.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±
The other¡¯s answer came right away. What kind of certainly did she have to be so sure?
¡®Friends, huh.¡¯
Dowook looked straight at Lim So Yool.
The high status of someone from arge investmentpany. The unique value that mademunicating at ordinary times difficult.
Above all, in the life he had lived up to this point, they did not have a single thing that ovepped. She was someone he had nothing inmon with.
But was it still possible for them to be friends?
-Being hated is a familiar experience.
Lim So Yool¡¯s expression as she was saying such a thing as if it was insignificant seemed somewhat lonely.
¡®There¡¯s nothing saying it can¡¯t happen.¡¯
Dowook stretched out his hand.
¡°Let¡¯s do that, be friends. Let¡¯s get along well, Ms. Semdeok.¡±
¡°How did you¡. Lim So-hee, really. Phew. Let¡¯s get along, Mr. Normal.¡±
Chapter 34: Blind Test(4)
Inside a room with cameras installed everywhere.
Prof. Lee Won Seok was waiting for Jeong Won-seok with a more rxed moodpared to a few days ago.
The news he nned to ry to the patient was positive, and Park Dowook, who had participated in the diagnosis, was waiting right next to him, giving him strength.
¡°This is the hearing test result, this is the active area signal value captured by the functional MRI.¡±
¡°Can the neurotransmission process also be converted into figures?¡±
¡°The intervals should be possible. I¡¯ll try.¡±
But the person who arrived with Dowook was someone Prof. Lee had not expected at all.
When he was informed this morning someone would be tagging along, he¡¯d thought it would be another expert from the neurosurgery department. But the one he brought was Director Lim So Yool, who was the most-talked-about among the section chiefs these days.
Prof. Lee watched the two people diligently writing and asked.
"Dr. Park, what is it that you''re doing?"
¡°We are making additions to the prediction model you sawst time. I organized the medical data, but she was the one who developed it.¡±
Prof. Lee¡¯s eyes turned towards Lim So Yool, who kept writing something down in her notebook without stopping. Then, he asked in a low voice.
¡°What happens after additions are made in the prediction model?¡±
Lim So Yool didn¡¯t look up from her notebook and answered in an absent-minded manner.
¡°I can more urately deduce the spot that is causing the hearing problems.¡±
Scribble scribble.
Lim So Yool drew a line on the page to indicate she was finished and ripped the page out. She then ced it on Prof. Lee¡¯s table.
¡°I turned everything into a graph so it would be easy to understand.¡±
Prof. Lee checked the paper and let out a groan.
A picture ofplex connections filled with lines and dots. There were many unknown forms. Prof. Lee coughed and asked again.
¡°This is easy to understand?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
At Prof. Lee¡¯s reaction of staring nkly at the paper, at a loss of how to understand, Dowook looked at Lim So Yool.
¡°Normally, people find it difficult to understand something like this.¡±
¡°I based it on the level I drew for Gabby.¡±
¡°By Gabby, you mean the little girl you drew bears for in the VIP lounge?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Dowook turned to Prof. Lee.
¡°Since it¡¯s just a picture, you can look at the overallposition. Please give it to me for a second.¡±
Dowook held the paper up against the monitor disying the MRI film. Clicking the mouse, he turned the image this way and that. Then he stopped at a point that was the same as the one on the paper.
¡°She¡¯s someone who even calctes before sketching. I think it represents this ce.¡±
Seeing it over the image like that, it felt like the graph was part of the cerebrum. Lim So Yool exined to Prof. Lee, who was amazed at the sketch now that he knew what it was about.
¡°That is the first expected point. It has a 78.713% consistency rate, and the verification uses the fixed-point theorem.¡±
Dowook lifted a pen and circled the area starting with the numbers ¡®78.713¡¯ on the paper held up against the monitor.
¡°The probability was already written, huh.¡±
Prof. Lee thought he figured out why Dowook had brought Lim So Yool to this ce.
¡°This is quite surprising. To think that the exact probability of the cerebellum tissue affecting hearing loss can be defined.¡±
¡°I also get surprised every time I see it.¡±
Dowook converted the examination data into numbers, and Lim So Yool found the probability based on it. The pictures that were modified due to this gradually piled up.
By the time the fifth one waspleted, Prof. Lee had found and marked the location of the first paper on the MRI film.
As Dowook handed over the data, he asked Lim So Yool.
¡°How were you able to draw exactly like the MRI when you haven¡¯t seen it before?¡±
¡°MRI is also a video trantion of radioactivity measurements. Sinogram integration. The principle is the same.¡±
¡°Aha.¡±
¡°Would you like to try? It''s not that hard.¡±
¡°No. It''s almost 10¡..¡±
¡°Five minutes is more than enough.¡±
¡°Normal people can''t draw something like this in 5 minutes.¡±
Lim So Yool¡¯s gaze, which had been focused on the notebook, red at Dowook.
¡°Normal normal. You just keep saying it now, aren¡¯t you? Do you want me to redefine it more precisely?¡±
¡°I¡¯m simply recognizing our differences. To make aparison, you¡¯re like the Michael Jordon of math. Someone who can shoot with their eyes closed.¡±
¡°Even I can¡¯t draw with my eyes closed, ok?¡±
¡°I guess there¡¯s no such thing as calcting function blindfolded?¡±
¡°Oh? That might be possible¡..¡±
¡°No. I made a mistake. Sinogram or whatever, I¡¯ll learn it after we¡¯re finished here. Don¡¯t start calcting something else.¡±
Prof. Lee tilted his head at the appearance of Lim So Yool, which waspletely different from what he had heard. Unlike someone who no one would associate with as the professors said, she seemed like a smart and charming youngdy in reality.
Her personality also didn¡¯t seem as fussy like the rumors said. Was it because she was interacting with Dr. Park Dowook? Whatever it was, it was good news for the neural clinic.
A momentter, the scriptwriter of the broadcasting team entered and told them Jeong Woo-seok had arrived.
-Lighting team, adjust the brightness on Prof. Lee Won Seok¡¯s side. It¡¯s a little dark. Sound team, check the microphones one more time.
-Mr. Jeong Woo-seok is about to enter!
-Ok. Start filming!
The sound of the staff¡¯s conversation flooded into the ears of Jeong Woo-seok as he stood in front of the door. As he moved slowly into the room, he could hear the breathing of the people inside.
After groping the chair and taking his seat, he turned to Prof. Lee.
"It seems like there are more people."
¡°These are the two people who have offered a new solution to Mr. Jeong¡¯s illness. Say hello, Dr. Park.¡±
"I''m Park Dowook from Neurosurgery. We ran into each other in the brainwave examination room.¡±
"Ah, that time."
He remembered the voice and breathing. Jeong Woo-seok turned to the woman.
"The youngdy who has the hardest time spacing out?"
"Oh my. How¡¡"
¡°There is a difference in people¡¯s breathing as there are in their appearances.¡±
"My name is Lim So Yool. I am a mathematician helping out at this hospital."
After everyone had greeted each other, Prof. Lee started talking in a cheerful voice.
¡°We¡¯ve confirmed through several routes that surgery can stop hearing loss. Professors at the Neurology Society also supported the diagnosis and gave a vote of public confidence.
At the news that he could continue to listen to music, Jeong Woo-seok became speechless for a moment.
¡°Ha. That¡¯s what happened. Thank you, Prof. Lee.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Dr. Park Dowook here will give you more information to help you decide on the surgery.¡±
All the documentary staff members who were listening to Prof. Lee¡¯s diagnosis through the screen while filming, brightened up at the same time.
Producer Lee Chang Yong sighed in relief.
"Wow, it feels like I went through heaven and hell in these few days."
¡°Even we feel like this, I wonder how Mr. Jeong feels.¡±
Lee Chang Yong nodded as if he agreed with what writer Kwon Hee Rin said.
¡°Mr. Jeong¡¯s smile right now is really nice. Director. Please get a close-up of that face.¡±
¡°Ok.¡±
At that moment, the young doctor started exining about the surgery.
-It¡¯s not a tumor, but there are some things you need to consider as we will be performing the surgery assuming it is one. After the surgery, there will be someplications simr to those of tumor surgery.
-Complications?
-Yes. First of all, facial nerve paralysis. The deformed area I think is the most likely cause is closely rted to this facial motor nerve.
-Is it aplication that willst forever?
-No, it¡¯s not. The expectations were written down.
-Possibility of paralysis 63.37%, recovery at least 2,375 hours.
-Ah, thank you, director. I think you will recover after about 100 days. Of course, this is if theplication urs.
-So it means, I canugh naturally in three months even in the worst-case scenario.
It was a scene where they were discussing symptoms of facial paralysis, but the viewer feltfortable instead of sad.
Lee Chang Yong obviously thought it was because of Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s words, who calmly epted tragedy each time.
However, as time passed, he started thinking it wasn¡¯t the only reason.
-We also predict a sense of vertigo and dizziness. Director?
-A probability of 73.56% and recovery will take 315 hours.
-You¡¯ve heard, right? 315 hours is about 13 days. It happens to two out of three people, so I don¡¯t think you can avoid it. It means you must have a close rtionship with your bed for at least two weeks.
Whichplication woulde and how it would move on, an exnation that listed everything clearly. It relieved a lot of the universal anxiety anyone would harbor when going in for surgery.
-It¡¯s a surgery that touches a wide range of areas, so you¡¯ll have a lot of headaches.
-91%. 57 hours until recovery.
-Symptoms of vocal paralysis and swallowing difficulties won¡¯tst long.
-100%. 24 hours.
Was there a hospital that exined things like this?
¡°Writer Kwon. How do you feel about what that young doctor is saying?¡±
¡°He has a nice voice.¡±
¡°I mean. What kind of feeling is being conveyed by that kind of talk that tells you exactly how long you would be in pain?
¡°Do you want to put in narration for this part? Just a minute.¡±
After staring at the young doctor for a long moment, Kwon Hee Rin spoke.
¡°The doctor¡¯s exnation for Jeong Woo-seok was meticulous and warm. As if he was cutting out the anxiety with his scalpel and covering his anxiety with a bandage. What was his name again?¡±
¡°Park Dowook.¡±
¡°¡¡..his name is Park Dowook. A talented surgeon from Myeong Sae Hospital.¡±
* * *
¡¶Value of Life vs. Patient¡¯s Future, Today Column¡·
Controversy over the college entrance exam is brewing due to the cram school bus ident.
The start of the matter was Dean Kim, who held a press conference that all seven students taken to Hansung Hospital after the ident could take the CSAT.
¡¡.
ording to officials, the students taken to Myeong Sae Hospital were all severely injured and the treatment required waspletely different from the ones carried to Hansung Hospital with minor injuries.
This is adding strength to the argument presented by Dr. Park nk.
A doctor is dedicated only to a patient¡¯s recovery, and the choice is up to the individual¡¡
Bang!
Kim Chun-man, who was looking at the articles on the Inte, hit his desk. All the articles looking favorably on Hansung Hospital went down in just one day, and those still left were like this.
¡°That punk likes to run his mouth, doesn¡¯t he?¡±
It made him more furious the more he thought about it.
When the controversy died down and the CSAT season came, the heart-warming story of the students in Hansung Hospital could be re-examined. It must be done that way.
¡°D*mn!¡±
As he was trying to calm his anger, the inte in the dean¡¯s office rang.
-Dean, it¡¯s the chief of neurosurgery.
¡°Ah, Chief Han. What is it?¡±
-It¡¯s simply because there¡¯s an operation that was announced at the conference, and I thought I¡¯d have to ask for the dean¡¯s opinion for a business trip.
¡°Why are you asking me about the conference? You just have to make a decision amongst the section chiefs.¡±
A shocking word came flying at the tsking Kim Chun-man.
-That¡¯s¡¡it¡¯s a surgery happening at Myeong Sae Hospital.
¡°¡¡where?¡±
-The attention given to the event is no joke. The patient for this unique case that has never been tried is also famous. Do you know the pianist Jeong Woo-seok?
¡°Jeong Woo-seok? I know him pretty well. I¡¯ve even been to one of his concerts.¡±
Kim Chun-man¡¯s gaze turned to the ssical albums that filled the shelves on one side of the wall.
-I know you aren¡¯t on good terms with Myeong Sae Hospital¡¯s dean, but a field trip for this case is very important. I can¡¯t give up as a surgeon.
¡°What is the case about?¡±
A technique to operate by looking at brain deformities as tumors. Just the thought of the ideaing from the surgeon¡¯s mouth gave him goosebumps.
¡°Dear Lord. Brain stic surgery?¡±
-That¡¯s right.
¡°Even if we¡¯re not on good terms, we still have to go. I¡¯m sure this kind of surgery will be done by Choi Hoo. Ugh, I really want to poach him. What¡¯s the reason he keeps sticking to Myeong Sae Hospital even though he¡¯s offered a lot of money?¡±
-It won¡¯t be done by Choi Hoo.
¡°It¡¯s not? Even though members of the conference are going? That doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±
-Prof. Choi will be the assistant and Park Dowook? He will perform the surgery.
¡°Wh-who did you say?¡±
Kim Chun-man¡¯s eyes headed to an article title shown on his monitor.
¡¾Park Dowook, a Neurosurgeon at Myeong Sae Hospital, the Second Hero Who Saved the Heroic Bus Driver¡¿
It was the guy who ruined his media pitch.
-Why are you so surprised?
¡°How can I not be surprised right now! A guy still wet behind his ears who¡¯s pretending to only care for patients, he¡¯s just!¡±
-Huh? Do you know this doctor? This is the first time I¡¯ve heard of him. Anyway, since the dean said it doesn¡¯t matter, we¡¯ll go on the trip.
¡°No. We¡¯ll ¡¡.¡±
Click.
He hung up the phone before he could finish.
Kim Chun-man grabbed the back of his neck as he felt his blood pressure surge.
Chapter 35: Blind Test (5)
As he was leaving the locker room in his surgical scrubs, Dowook saw the people on the other side of the hallway and paused.
Faculty Members of the Korean Neurosurgery Society.
Those doctors in their 40s and 50s were people who could spend two nights and three days simply talking about opening their patients¡¯ heads and were able to maintain their preference for neurosurgery.
¡®So many of them came.¡¯
It seemed Chief Ha Sang Joong¡¯s words at the conference a few days ago, stating the ns for the surgery, seemed to have worked pretty well.
Among them, a professor with a pleasant expression made eye contact, and Dowook bowed down reflexively.
Kim Leung, head of the brain tumor center at AN Hospital.
Dowook remembered him as a very eloquent speaker who had profound knowledge of tumor morphology as he had started his speech duringst year¡¯s seminar lecture with a joke that beauty existed within the brain.
¡°Why aren¡¯t you moving?¡±
Kim Seung Tae, a second-year resident who was also going to participate as thest assistant, stood next to Dowook. Then, his jaw dropped as he saw the people lining up and moving towards the operating room.
¡°Woah. The head of AN Hospital center and the head of the Korea National University Hospital are also here? The Big 5 neurosurgeons are all here.¡±
¡°I know, right?¡±
¡°If you make a big mistake in front of such prominent people, won¡¯t you be expelled from society? Do you want me to switch with a 3rd-year?¡±
At the nervous Kim Seung Tae¡¯s reaction, Dowook smiled.
¡°I won¡¯t even give you a task that you can make a mistake with. More than that, are you prepared to stand beside Prof. Choi for a few hours? He¡¯d be a danger to you even if you don¡¯t make a mistake.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
Dowook patted Kim Seung Tae¡¯s shoulder as he drowned in fear and pointed in the direction of the operating ward.
¡°Go quickly and carefully finish the setting. I¡¯m going to see Chief Ha for a sec before I go in.¡±
¡°Yes, but why are you like that Dr. Park?¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you nervous?¡±
¡°Of course I am. It¡¯s a tough case.¡±
¡°Woah. Worry about the surgery in this situation. You¡¯re different from when you were the chief resident.¡±
¡°Be quiet. Move quickly.¡±
¡°Yep.¡±
After sending his junior away, Dowook realized.
He was more worried about the surgery¡¯s results than the gaze of the conference members. It was a mindset that would have been unimaginable when he first became Last Choi¡¯s assistant.
¡®Pressure can train people.¡¯
No matter how difficult the many surgeries he did daily were, there was no better way to grow as a surgeon than this.
Once again firming his resolve, Dowook walked to Chief Ha, who was in the midst of weing guests at the entrance of the viewing room.
When he got closer, the first thing he saw was Chief Ha¡¯s grinning face.
¡°How many outsiders are there today?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know. Oh! Wee, Prof. Shin. Was there any traffic? You have to go this way.¡±
Chief Ha guided another member of the association into the viewing room and looked at Dowook.
¡°About 30?¡±
¡°My god.¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who invited them. They came of their own free will out of curiosity. And¡..¡±
Chief Ha covered his mouth with one hand and answered in a softer voice.
¡°Hansung Hospital¡¯s Chief Joo also brought his student. He was even a visiting professor at UCLA. You know, right? Make sure to show your skills. So they know we¡¯re two levels above them.¡±
¡°What kind of kid¡¯s argument is this? Before that, please help make sure it isn¡¯t noisy in the observation room.¡±
¡°It would be better if Choi Hoo yells than for me to do it. These guys are the type not to let their mouths rest.¡±
¡°Why is it always like that?¡±
¡°Ok. I¡¯ll try.¡±
¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±
Chief Ha¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°Leaving? You didn¡¯te to greet the association professors?¡±
¡°Where would I have the time for that?¡±
Chief Ha watched with pride in his eyes for a moment as Dowook headed straight for the operating room after stating what he needed to say.
He didn¡¯t know when his student had be so reliable.
Inside a room where all the LED lights brightly lit the patient¡¯s head.
Dowook double-checked Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s 3D brain navigation video as he waited for Prof. Choi toe in exactly at the scheduled time.
Drrrk.
At 10 o¡¯clock, Prof. Choi, who exuded his presence with just hisrge body, entered the room.
¡°Gown.¡±
Prof. Choi, dressed in a sterile gown, stood at Dowook¡¯s right. At the same time, Choi Hoo¡¯s sense sharply dominated both of Dowook¡¯s hands.
An unusual patient losing his auditory nerves from birth due to a brain structure that was different from normal people. Surgery to sticize his brain.
As soon as the n was reported, it was a new operation with the highest level of difficulty that caused academic professors to rush over.
Aside from Choi Hoo, everyone in the surgical team waited for Dowook¡¯s instruction with nervous eyes.
¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±
The scalpel moved to the back of the patient¡¯s head, which had been shaved clean.
¡°Clip.¡±
Based on the hair boundary line on the ipital side, the scalp was incised, the clip was fixed, and the flowing blood was suctioned, revealing the back of the skull.
Dowook made a hole in the back of the patient¡¯s head with a high-speed drill.
10 minutester, a portion of the patient¡¯s skull was carefully ced in a storage container.
¡°Irrigation.¡±
As soon as the water was sprayed, the brain was clearly seen.
And¡.
Dowook could not continue any follow-up work.
¡°This¡¡.¡±
No matter how advanced the video equipment looking into the body was, there was a difference whenpared to the real thing. However, the amount of abnormal tissue tangled in Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s brain was much more serious.
Unlike in the MRI images, which showed a difference between normal and abnormal tissue, the real thing had no point of distinction in the brain folds because of arbitrary distortion.
It was impossible to judge which of them was pressuring the nerves.
At Dowook¡¯s groan, the one who was most nervous about this surgery and the patient¡¯s attending physician, Lee Won Seok turned on the mic in the viewing room.
-Why are you acting like that?
Dowook turned to look at the viewing room.
¡°Would you like to see for yourself?¡±
When the microscope was removed and a regr surgical camera shone on the patient¡¯s head, sighs erupted throughout the viewing room.
Lee Won Seok also let out a groan like Dowook.
-Oh my God¡¡.
The chief of neurosurgery at the Korea National University Hospital clicked his tongue as he expressed his opinion.
-I told you there was a chance of this. Tumor surgery has a definite goal of eliminating a tumor. This is just a deformed structure. You need to properly specify a hypothetical tumor to attempt an incision.
-Agreed. If you just cut without knowing for certain, it¡¯s the same as simply cutting off all of the patient¡¯s nerves.
The person who agreed to this opinion was a famous professor at the National Center for Tumors.
Professor Lee Won Seok, who had been looking at the confusing reactions of the observers, asked Dowook.
-How would you like to proceed? Should we close first and make a more precise examination?
Dowook fell deep into contemtion.
As long as the first n was wrong, it was correct to stop the procedure at this. You couldn¡¯t afford to lose other nerves just to save the auditory ones.
However, his tingling fingers were telling him there was a possibility of sess. This feeling had not been wrong until now.
¡®Calm down. There is a way. I just can¡¯t exin it.¡¯
The logic to exin the stability of this surgery that would be recognized by the many experts who came to visit. He had to find it.
As he was thinking, Dowook turned to look at the viewing room. Thinking about it, all the experts in the country were gathered there.
¡®Would it work?¡¯
He slightly stretched out his hands in the direction of the viewing room.
Authorities in brain tumor, cerebrovascr system, cerebellum, cerebrum, and spinal structure. He didn¡¯t know who the senses belonged to, but all kinds of them kept stimting his head.
Tingle.
¡®Ah.¡¯
After repeatedly receiving senses, he got an idea. A doctor¡¯s sense was definitely easier to use than ones from other fields.
Deciding on the most obvious way to proceed, Dowook turned to the anesthesiologist.
¡°Please prepare to wake the patient.¡±
¡°Did you decide to end the surgery? If you close the head I will¡..¡±
¡°No, get ready to wake the patient after this discussion. We¡¯ll proceed with an awake surgery.¡±
¡°Whaat?¡±
Awake surgery.
It was a technique that was frequently used in brain tumor surgeries to repair tissues and check the aftereffects on patients.
At Dowook¡¯s instruction, the association members in the viewing room fell into a panic. Chief Ha, who had been quietly standing in a corner, jumped to the microphone.
-Hey, Park Dowook. What the hell are you saying? What about the psychological burden on the patient who suddenly wakes up with their head open? Did you at least exin properly?
¡°If it¡¯s Jeong Woo-seok, he won¡¯t have any problems with it. His calmness can¡¯tpare to anyone.¡±
-Wow. Choi Hoo! Why are you keeping your mouth shut! You¡¯re also responsible for that, man!
Choi Hoo, who¡¯d been looking with interest at the patient¡¯s brain, turned to the room full of people exchanging their opinions at the choice.
¡°First¡¡¡±
-Yes?
¡°If everyone except the main surgeon doesn¡¯t keep their mouths shut, we¡¯ll keep this surgery private.¡±
All the professors became dumbfounded at the deration from Choi Hoo, who could say such a thing as he had lived without caring for the reputation of the academic society.
Seeing everyone be so quiet in shock when nothing he¡¯d said before the surgery had worked to stop them, Chief Ha scoffed.
Taking care of the noise, Choi Hoo turned to Dowook.
¡°If the patient moves even a little during tissue separation, his nerves will be torn. What do you n to do about it?¡±
Dowook raised both his hands, which had epted Choi Hoo¡¯s sense once again. Fortunately, countermeasures existed. This sense from the fingertips of a genius surgeon¡¯s epiphany, quick and urate.
¡°We have to do it so he doesn¡¯t even feel it. With eyes and hands.¡±
Choi Hoo looked directly into Dowook¡¯s eyes and nodded slowly.
¡°Agreed. Let¡¯s continue.¡±
Since Choi Hoo was also pushing for it, Chief Ha lost his words.
Lee Won Seok went straight into the operating room to check the response of the patient in an awakening state. And all the members of the association watched in interest.
While the surgery, which he thought would raise the reputation of Myeong Sae Hospital¡¯s neurosurgery department, turned into chaos itself, Chief Ha watched Dowook despondently.
He didn¡¯t know when Dowook started just pushing his way forward.
Waking up from the anesthesia, the first thing Jeong Woo-seok realized was that it was too cold.
He wondered if it was the first time he¡¯d shaved his head, but he couldn¡¯t feel anything from his neck up.
¡°Are you awake?¡±
It was the voice of his attending physician, Lee Won Seok.
¡°Is the surgery finished? It¡¯s very cold.¡±
¡°It¡¯s because the operating room¡¯s temperature is set lower than usual to lower the metabolic rate.¡±
¡°Operating¡..room?¡±
¡°There were some variables in the middle, so we had to wake you up without prior consent.¡±
Lee Won Seok calmly exined what an awake surgery was.
It was then Jeong woo-seok realized that he was in the middle of the operating room and he had a hole in his head.
It was exined to him that there were no pain nerves in the head, but there was even less pain than he thought.
A state which was both terrible and bizarre. He felt rather relieved he couldn¡¯t see it.
¡°We can continue the surgery in this manner or we can simply stop here. I know it must be ufortable even now, but please think about it carefully.¡±
¡°Is it possible to seed if we continue with the surgery like this?¡±
¡°That¡ Dr. Park. Can you answer?¡±
At Lee Won Seok¡¯s call, a young doctor¡¯s voice came.
¡°If we proceed with an awake surgery, we can minimize the aftereffects more than originally nned. If the patient cooperates with me on this.¡±
Since he had lived for so long by listening to people¡¯s voices, he could distinguish between voices filled with pride and those with confidence.
This young doctor was filled with confidence. But could he trust it?
¡°Dr. Park Dowook. Let me ask one thing.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°When I was told I couldn¡¯t keep my hearing, I was ready to give up on music. However, you gave me hope. Is that hope still valid?¡±
¡°It is. All the top experts in the country are gathered here. I¡¯m certain this is a better chance than at any other time.¡±
There was not much confidence in this answer. But there was a peculiar belief. It was so sure and clear that Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s anxiety disappeared.
¡°Let¡¯s try it. What do I need to do to cooperate?
Chapter 36: Blind Test (6)
A/N: From now on, I''ll upload any donated chapter on the Friday of that week (unless I don''t have any chapters stocked, then I''ll upload it the next Monday with the regr chapter).
The main and 2nd surgeon. Three assistants. The anesthesiology team and nurse team all surrounded the patient and went into full surgery mode for two hours.
Sitting in the observation room, Shin Beom, the head of neurosurgery at Hansung Hospital, watched the surgical video from the monitor disying microscopic images.
When the surgeon, Park Dowook, cut off the abnormal tissue, blood spurted out as the entangled blood vessels were unraveled.
At that moment, the 2nd surgeon, Choi Hoo¡¯s clip arrived as if he¡¯d been waiting for it and a needle danced as it sutured the torn vessel.
-Prof. Lee. situation check.
-Just wait a sec. Dr. Jeong. Would you count down from 10?
-10, 9¡..
In a very short period of time, tumor removal and aneurysm conjugation werepleted. He had never seen such a high-level surgery performed so easily in his 20-year professional experience.
The skill required was one thing, but the rhythm of the two surgeons was crazily in sync. Goosebumps went up his arms.
The chief of neurosurgery at the Korea National University Hospital, who had been looking at the monitor in awe, dropped his jaw in admiration.
¡°Chief Ha. Choi Hoo is one thing, but what is that main surgeon? Did you scout him recently? Isn¡¯t your hospital not doing well right now?¡±
¡°He¡¯s my student.¡±
¡°Wow, Eff. You raised such a guy?¡±
¡°Not sure if I raised him or he grew by himself. I¡¯m not sure anymore myself.¡±
Even though professors from the association were all amazed by his student¡¯s skills, Ha Sang Joong, the main character, was somewhat disinterested.
Joo Seok Beom looked at his student who had returned after two years of learning advanced culture from one of the top 10 universities in the U.S.
¡°Prof. Shim, there are surgeries at this level daily at UCLA, right?¡±
Joo Seok Beom¡¯s student, Shim Moon-ho, could not hear his question. Because he was fully focused on watching the monitor with his mouth open.
¡°Hey, brat. Prof. Shim.¡±
¡°Ah, don¡¯t talk to me. The next sution is about to start.¡±
Hurt by the criticism from his favorite student, Joo Seok Beom crouched down with his head bowed down.
¡°Please wipe my sweat.¡±
At Dowook¡¯s words, the nurse held a towel to his forehead and then stepped down.
4 hours of continuous surgery.
He couldn¡¯t remember how many times the sweat pouring down his forehead had stung his eyes.
There was still a long way to go because the time was significantly increased by the process of checking and molding the previously measured abnormalities via touching each tissue.
Dowook adjusted the microscope to the next area and paused.
¡°Prof. Choi, here. This seems like our target area, doesn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°The blood vessels aren¡¯t consistent. There¡¯s a good chance of that.¡±
A deformity in the temporal lobe directly connected to the auditory nerve.
The most difficult part to operate was revealed when fatigue was causing him to lose feeling below his calves.
He took his eyes off the microscope and looked up at the ceiling because he thought his neck muscles would get strained.
¡®Eugh, it¡¯s stiff.¡¯
Even Last Choi¡¯s amazing surgical sense was bound to be dull in the face of hard times. Dowook was worried he wouldn¡¯t recover easily even with a bit of stretching.
As it was an important area, he turned to ask Prof Choi to take over. The nurse was wiping off his sweat. Prof. Choi was also having a hard time.
Additionally, if they changed positions here, the bnce of the surgery where he kept suting and Prof. Choi kept anastomizing would be broken. He had to ovee this by himself.
¡°I¡¯m starting.¡±
Through the microscope, the des of the ultra-small scissors and auxiliary forceps were directed toward the deformed tissue.
The moment he was about to try ating.
¡°Ah.¡±
Dowook was startled and couldn¡¯t proceed. He¡¯d almost resected the tissue connected to the auditory nerve. If one was to cut even 1mm of such brain nerve, it could cause a disability.
Following that, he could see the surgical instruments in the microscope shaking. It was evident that the strength in his fingertips was also at a limit.
¡°Whew, let¡¯s rest for 2 minutes.¡±
He dered a field-break time and clenched his fists several times. However, the tension only increased and he merely got more nervous, no longer able to calm down once it started.
As he was about to sigh.
A low humming sound rang out in the operating room.
A calm ssical melody that he seemed to have heard somewhere flowed into Dowook¡¯s ears. It was not grand music, but the gentle humming seemed tofort the medical staff who performed the surgery without a break.
Tingle.
A new sense that formed on his fingertips. This did not belong to a doctor. His fingers moved in the air without his conscious control, following the melody. Like he was ying the piano.
Dowook¡¯s eyes naturally turned to Jeong Woo-seok.
He had not lost his will even though he suddenly experienced something that was not easy to ept like an awake surgery. There were many things that could be learned from him. That was probably why he could be a great pianist even when he couldn¡¯t see anything.
After he finished humming for a minute, Jeong Woo-seok spoke.
¡°The surgery seems to be going well. I can sing at the same beat as usual.¡±
¡°What song is this? It¡¯s a ssical one, right?¡±
¡°Try to guess. It¡¯s pretty famous. If you be interested enough in ssical music to search for it, I¡¯ll y it on a piano for youter.¡±
Dowook smiled internally at the irony that his fingers knew when he didn¡¯t know the title because of Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s sense.
¡®Oh?¡¯
Amazingly, the trembling in his fingers stopped.
Even when he epted Prof. Choi¡¯s sense and grabbed the tools, he couldn¡¯t feel the trembling.
Maybe because of the power of music or because he took a break. It was not important. Due to this, they could ovee the crisis. He gained confidence that he couldplete this surgery perfectly till the end.
¡°It¡¯s been 2 minutes. Let¡¯s begin. Everyone hold on until the end.¡±
The operation, whichsted for 8 hours, ended, and the patient who was once again put under anesthesia had his head closed.
When he pulled his hands away after finishing the scalp suture, Dowook looked at the time. It was 7:30 PM. They¡¯d started in the morning and now it was evening.
¡°Eughh¡..¡±
His joints were shouting at him.
¡°Good job, Dr. Park.¡±
Prof. Lee Won Seok ced his hand on Dowook¡¯s limp shoulder and gave him a massage.
¡°Eugh. Thank you. But you didn¡¯t leave?¡±
¡°When the patient wakes up, we have to go through a check-up anyway, so I¡¯ll take it from here. You go and rest.¡±
¡°Whew. Then I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±
He walked out of the OR and put the mask, gown, and gloves in the waste bin. After wiping his hands and face with water, he walked out of the D-rosette and felt like he could breathe again.
The moment he passed the corridor of neurosurgery, thinking about lying on the sofa in the staff resting area.
He ran into the professors from the association as they left Chief Ha¡¯s office.
¡°Wait, that¡¯s Dr. Park, isn¡¯t it? The main surgeon.¡±
¡°I think so?¡±
The professors gathered around Dowook in an instant.
¡°Back when you were operating on the posterior semicircr duct. Did you set the operation range while assuming the tumor growth to be within the internal acoustic canal? The resection route was so neat there was no need for hemostasis. It can even be used in regr tumor surgery.¡±
¡°I¡¯m still wondering how you got around the part where you can¡¯t see anything because of the chutzal vein.¡±
¡°Dr. Park, I¡¯m¡..¡±
Dowook, who was dazed in exhaustion, became dumbfounded and unable to say anything when the professors¡¯ questions flew at him.
¡°Tek! What are you doing to someone exhausted from surgery?¡±
Chief Ha quickly walked over and pushed away some of the professors who were persistently asking questions about the surgery.
¡°Dowook. Did you finish up?¡±
¡°Yes, neatly.¡±
¡°Good job. Go rest. I¡¯ll take care of these people.¡±
¡°Is that ok? I¡¯ll leave it to you, chief. Everyone, thank you for your visit.¡±
Questions continued to fly toward Dowook¡¯s back as he left after greeting everyone.
¡°Dr. Park, when you filter out a bunch of jugr nerves¡.¡±
¡°Dr. Park!¡±
A few hourster, in the VIP ward.
Jeong Woo-seok, who awoke from the anesthesia, opened his mouth to speak.
¡°My head is prickling.¡±
¡°It¡¯s due to the pain in the scalp. If you could differentiate it from headaches, it would help in determining the oue.¡±
¡°Ah. I think I remember hearing about it. The pain willst for 3 weeks, wasn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°You just need to suffer through it for 2 weeks.¡±
At the doctor¡¯s air of excitement, Jeong Woo-seok made an observation.
¡°It seems everything went as expected.¡±
¡°It exceeds the expectation. The skills of the two surgeons were better than I expected. I think you can expect the hearing loss after surgery to be about 10%. What do you think? Do you think the sound has changed?¡±
¡°Hmm¡¡¡±
Jeong Woo-seok, who was still listening to the surrounding sounds, realized that all the buzzing noise that he heard regrly before the surgery had disappeared.
Excluding the heaviness of his body due to the anesthesia, it was simr to when he applied himself to music.
That was how he judged it when
¡°Prof. Lee.¡±
Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s left eyelid shook slightly as it opened. Then, he urately turned to look at Prof. Lee Won Seok, who came to stand next to his bed.
¡°I keep feeling indistinct in front of me. Is this also an aftereffect?¡±
¡°What? There¡¯s no reason¡..¡±
Dowook, who passed out and woke up in the middle of the night, went down to the lobby¡¯s 24-hour cafe and ordered a dark espresso, which he held in his hands.
Although there were many people who couldn¡¯t drink it due to its bitterness, Dowook, who couldn¡¯t taste anything, had no problem with it. Though it sometimes did hurt his stomach.
Holding his coffee in one hand, he went outside to get some fresh air.
A small garden where interns and residents came to sneakily smoke. Since he didn¡¯t smoke, he stayed far away as he recalled today¡¯s surgery.
The process of resolving the patient¡¯s symptoms in a full day of surgery and reflecting on it. The fragrant coffee added to the fresh air as he felt satisfaction build in his heart that he did something worthy of a doctor today.
Even before, he felt this was the way to bing a surgeon. However, there weren¡¯t as many times that he felt as satisfied as today.
¡°You did good, Park Dowook.¡±
After lifting his mood, he returned to the hospital lobby and found a group of people blocking the entrance.
Vrrr.
His phone rang, and when he checked, it was Prof. Lee Won Seok.
[Dr. Park, can youe with me on rounds tomorrow at 9 AM? I¡¯ll talk to Chief Ha about it. Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s¡¡.]
Before he could finish reading it, one of the people gathered at the entrance saw him.
¡°There! Park Dowook is over there!¡±
¡°¡¡me?¡±
The dozens of eyes that were looking into the lobby turned to the back at once. Even though there was no signal, the voices poured out like rapid-fire cannons at the same time.
¡°This is Medi Seoul Correspondent Hong Si-an! Is it true that pianist Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s eyesight has returned?! Please say a word about it!¡±
¡°This is Kukil Newspaper! It is said that you performed this surgery as a student of Prof. Choi, who has a reputation for being the best in Korea. Whose idea was this method that has not been reported to the academia yet?¡±
¡°Doctor!¡±
¡°Dr. Park Dowook!¡±
Reporters. They were all reporters.
Dowook took a step back without knowing it because the expression on their faces when asking questions was full of recklessness at the face of a life-and-death situation.
Dowook, who was barricaded by the reporters in an instant, was bewildered as he finished reading the message.
[¡¡Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s eyesight has recovered.]
* * *
The next day.
Entering the hospital at 8 o¡¯clock, Dowook proceeded straight to the neural clinic.
The automatic door opened, and while he was looking around thinking that it would be chaotic because of yesterday¡¯s matter, his friend Son Jae-geol appeared and grabbed his arm.
¡°Hey, why are you sote?¡±
¡°I came early though? The rounds are scheduled for 9 AM.¡±
¡°A lot of visitors came because of you.¡±
¡°Visitors?¡±
Son Jae-geol pointed to the rest area to Dowook, who became nervous at the thought it might be the reporters fromst night who made a fuss over things he didn¡¯t know.
Dowook looked over and stopped moving.
The professors of the Korean Neurosurgery Society sat together and waved at Dowook.
¡°You¡¯re here, Dr. Park.¡±
¡°Would you like a cup of coffee?¡±
¡°We came to hear the things we couldn¡¯t yesterday. We won¡¯t disturb you from your work so don¡¯t worry.¡±
They had the unique taste of enjoying talking about opening patients¡¯ heads for 3 days and 2 nights.
Dowook had a strong suspicion today would be hectic again.
Chapter 37: Blind Test (7)
A/N: From now on, I''ll upload any donated chapter on the Friday of that week (unless I don''t have any chapters stocked, then I''ll upload it the next Monday with the regr chapter).
Inside the resting area where he was forced to stay since it was still a long time before 9 AM.
¡°It¡¯s the most memorable surgery I¡¯ve seen this year. I wanted to ask for a copy of the surgical video for my students to study but that Chief Ha told me to pay for the lecture fee. He was probably joking, right?¡±
When asked by the professor who served as the deputy head of the oncology center at Gyecheon University Hospital, Dowook avoided eye contact and shook his head.
¡°My department has been making definite deals when ites to money these days¡.¡±
¡°It¡¯s worth it even if we have to pay for it. It was textbook skills for a high-level surgery. If our hospital was a training hospital, I would definitely buy it.¡±
A neurosurgery professor from a medical center pushed a te with morning bread on it toward Dowook.
¡°You skipped breakfast, didn¡¯t you? Eat this and we¡¯ll talk slowly. Senior Nam Goong! Will the americano take longer?¡±
¡°It¡¯ll be ready soon. Dr. Park, would you like sugar?¡±
¡°N-no need!¡±
Dowook jumped up and answered the professor who stood in front of the simple cafe and swallowed a sigh that was about toe out.
There were five professors who came to go over Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s surgery.
They were all those who had stepped back from fieldwork to train and manage surgeons. They were also older and more experienced than Chief Ha.
Almost at the level of the vice dean. That was probably why they couldfortablye over so early on a weekday morning.
¡®D*mn. These people have to suffer from curiosity anyway.¡¯
Dowook took a sip of the coffee given to him by a senior with at least 30 years more experience than him and asked a question instead.
¡°Senior, you¡¯ve observed the surgery yesterday. What do you think is the reason behind the patient¡¯s optic nerve recovering?¡±
When the hot topic was thrown out, all five became locked in deep thought. The professor from Gyecheon University Hospital, who was stroking his beard with his arms crossed, expressed his opinion first.
¡°There are many factors to consider, but it may be a symptom from someone suffering from diffuse astrocytoma.¡±
[TN: Diffuse Astrocytoma-Diffuse astrocytomas, also referred to as low-grade infiltrative astrocytomas , are designated as WHO II tumors of the brain. The term diffuse infiltrating means there is no identifiable border between the tumor and normal brain tissue, even though the borders may appear well-marginated on imaging.]
¡°It¡¯s limited to the left eye, isn¡¯t it? The nerves are the same, but the eye cells may have been stimted. There are simr cases in patients who underwent surgery for crystalline saddle meningioma.¡±
¡°There are also cases where meningioma deteriorates the optic nerves. I think we should start with auditory schwannoma¡..¡±
[TN: Auditory Schwannoma-a benign tumor that develops on the bnce (vestibr) and hearing, or auditory (cochlear) nerves leading from your inner ear to the brain.]
Since they were all professors with abundant clinical experience, Dowook could hear about case studies he didn¡¯t even know existed.
Dowook meticulously memorized them as he carefully listened. If he put this together with the sense he¡¯d borrowed from Lim So Yool, he would be able to find the probability of which one was the most likely cause.
As he kept listening for about 30 minutes, it was now 9 o¡¯clock.
¡°I have to go see Mr. Jeong Woo-seok now. Will the professors continue to remain here?¡±
¡°Chief Ha said if we go to your office, Choi Hoo¡¯s going to have something to say about it so it¡¯s better for us to stay here.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
It seemed they already talked about this. Unless they had given up on academic activities like Choi Hoo, they could not neglect these people with great experience.
A surgeon should not be just skilled in surgery but also study numerous cases regarding the correct application of techniques.
¡°If there¡¯s anything you need, please inform our chief resident, Nam Hana. She became the chief recently so she¡¯s stationed at the desk.¡±
¡°This rest area is clean and spacious so it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s like a hotel we have seminars at. You don¡¯t have to worry about us and do what you need to do.¡±
Dowook said goodbye to them and headed to Prof. Lee Won Seok¡¯s office in the clinic.
Knock knock.
¡°It¡¯s Park Dowook, professor.¡±
Opening the door, Prof. Lee came out.
¡°You¡¯re here. I¡¯m sorry to unexpectedly take time out of your schedule. You must be busy.¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s ok. I wanted to see how the patient was doing and would have preferred to be called.¡±
Moving to the VIP ward to check on Jeong Woo-seok, Prof. Lee talked about his thoughts yesterday.
¡°Since the neural clinic was opened, I¡¯ve seen many patients but this is the first time I have to keep thinking about a new diagnosis each time. How fortunate is it that they are all positive? It¡¯s all thanks to you. If it weren¡¯t for you, we wouldn¡¯t havee to this stage. Have I thanked you?¡±
Compliments filled with real feelings always made one puff their chest out with confidence.
¡°It was nothing, I also received a lot of help from everyone.¡±
Although those who helped him weren¡¯t aware since he got it through his special sense.
From Lim So Yool, who first suggested the solution, to Choi Hoo, who verified that it was surgically possible, and the members of the association, who helped him ovee the crisis when it seemed impossible to operate.
The fundamental reason Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s optic nerve was partially restored was that Dowook could make use of all their senses with his hands.
¡®If you want to be specific, these hands are the miracle.¡¯
Dowook wriggled his fingers and suddenly remembered the mysterious man who gave him this special sense and disappeared without a trace.
¡°Professor, do you happen to know Dr. Ji Gang Cheol?¡±
¡°Hmm? Ji Gang Cheol? How do you know Dr. Ji?¡±
Lee Won Seok, who had been in the field of neurology for a long time, really knew him.
¡°Not long ago, he was brought into the ER.¡±
Prof. Lee let out a fakeugh when Dowook told him of themotion on the day he was forced on duty with the exception of how he got his special sense.
¡°Something like that happened? I don¡¯t actually have his contact number. It¡¯s also been a while since I¡¯ve seen him at a conference.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
¡°Still he¡¯s not the type to run away without paying the bill, no matter how difficult his situation is. He was always intelligent and full of confidence. He would have seeded if he just continued as a clinical professor, but was it nerve maniption technology? He started a research institute saying some nonsense about how he would develop talented people, and I stopped hearing from him.¡±
It was true that it sounded like nonsense, but it apparently seemed like he seeded in making that technique. Right at this moment, he was making use of it very well.
There was no news from the police who said they would investigate. If he met Ji Gang Cheol, he could urately define this special sense, but for now, he seemed destined to remain as an uncertainpetent person.
Around Room 2009 of the VIP ward, a few of the documentary team¡¯s cameramen were wandering around here and there.
The staff who had dark expressions on their faces before the surgery, could not stop smiling after they heard about the positive development.
PD Lee Chang Yong ran over to Prof. Lee and Dowook from the other side of the corridor.
¡°Professor, we installed an electronic keyboard in the room at Mr. Jeong¡¯s request.¡±
¡°He can¡¯t move around yet.¡±
¡°He¡¯s not going to y it himself, he¡¯s just too curious about how it would sound. In a little while, someone from the city symphony orchestra will arrive for a visit and y a few pieces. Would that be ok?¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡.¡±
Prof. Lee turned to Dowook.
¡°I think there might be a negative effect on his recovery if there is focused stress on his ears. What do you think as the main surgeon?¡±
¡°We didn¡¯t touch the actual auditory nerves. It should be fine as long as it isn¡¯t loud enough to ring in his skull.¡±
After listening to Dowook¡¯s opinion, Prof. Lee turned to the PD.
¡°I will inform you of my decision once I¡¯ve gone in and checked on the patient¡¯s condition. I think there will be a positive answer.¡±
¡°Please. And thank you for saving our documentary. Once our program director heard the surgery was a big sess, he gave us a slot in the golden time period. 9 PM on New Year¡¯s. We¡¯llpete with otherpanies¡¯ signboard, the Idol Olympics.¡±
¡°Oh, good for you.¡±
The PD gave a deep bow on behalf of the broadcasting team. Prof. Lee smiled and made a gesture with his hands as if to send all the honor to Dowook.
When they opened the door, they saw Jeong Woo-seok''s wife, daughter, and son-in-w waiting in the parlor.
After briefly greeting the patient''s family, Prof. Lee went into the inner room where Jeong Woo-seoky.
¡°Wee, Prof. Lee. Dr. Park as well.¡±
Sensing them, Jeong Woo-seok greeted them first with a bright voice.
¡°Were you able to sleep well?¡±
¡°I still feel my scalp stinging so I kept waking in the middle but the nurses were very nice and took good care of me. If my daughter were half as nice, her husband¡¯s secret trips to go drinking would reduce.¡±
At Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s joke, his son-inw, who was in the parlor, suddenly choked and started coughing. Seeing him shake his head while looking at his wife seemed desperate somehow.
As Prof. Lee approached the patient while looking at the brain waves and electrocardiogram shown on the monitor, Dowook focused on the keyboard installed at the bedside.
Usually, patients who¡¯d had their heads opened, had no energy. The wound hadn¡¯t closed yet and they had to get all their energy from just the glucose drip.
The fact he looked for a piano the moment he woke up was evidence of his strong will to recover.
¡®He¡¯s almost 60 years old, but still so passionate. I think we can set a shorter recovery period.¡¯
Prof. Lee asionally asked for Dowook¡¯s opinion as he conducted a thorough manual examination Dowook had also used on Lim So Yool.
¡°There¡¯s a bit of stiffness in the neck. Is it because of inmmation?¡±
¡°I think it¡¯s because the surgery was prolonged and the meninges were severely stimted. Let¡¯s check again in the evening, if the stiffness is the same, then we can try medication.¡±
¡°The pain perception on the right palm is weaker than the left.¡±
¡°It should be the sensory dissociation. Since we ated quite a few nerve bundles. We should check on it every 4 hours.¡±
After finishing the detailed physical examination that took about 20 minutes, the most important test for today, the visual acuity test, started.
Prof. Lee shone a light into the right pupil.
¡°There¡¯s absolutely no movement on this side.¡±
When he shone a light in the problematic left pupil, Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s fingers flinched.
¡°Is it ufortable?¡±
¡°No. Light or dark, that¡¯s the only thing I can feel, but it feels like the world as I know it has entirely changed. How music would sound. I¡¯m nervous but overly excited as well.¡±
At Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s words, Prof. Lee turned to look at the keyboard Dowook saw.
¡°I heard another pianist wille to y for youter. Although you seem better than expected, I can not allow you to listen to several pieces for a long time. Please keep the stimtion to your auditory nerves to less than 10 minutes.¡±
¡°Just 10 minutes. Then Chopin sounds fitting. I¡¯ll request for Fantaisie-Impromptu and Nocturne No. 1.¡±
¡°Dr. Park, can you check that thing¡¯s volume? So the patient¡¯s head won¡¯t ring.¡±
At the request from Prof. Lee, who continued his examination, Dowook approached the keyboard.
Although there were several confusing buttons aside from the keys, the power button and volume control symbols were shown by the universal signs, making them easy to find.
Turning it on, he lowered the volume as much as possible and pressed a key. Almost no sound could be heard, so he increased the volume to 30% and pressed a key.
Ting~
In the middle of a conversation with Prof. Lee, Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s ears pricked up.
At that moment, Dowook perceived a sensation that fiercely prated his fingers. It aroused a strong urge to y the keyboard.
¡®Oh, oh¡.¡¯
He ced his hands on the keys as if possessed by something.
He pressed two low notes with his left hand and his right hand gently drew a melody at the same time causing Prof. Lee to stop talking and turn in his direction.
The notes that seemed to bounce out of the keys and went along with each other, gave Dowook great pleasure.
Forgetting the embarrassment of causing an incident, he continued to y the song he didn¡¯t know the title of.
Prof. Lee opened his mouth.
¡°This song is the one Mr. Jeong sung during breaktime yesterday¡.¡±
¡°Correct, that song. Bad for Adrinne. Dr. Park seems to y the piano. Pretending not to know, he was pretty mischievous.¡±
¡°He was probably trying not to speak of anything to stimte the patient during an awake surgery. If he started talking about the piano, he might have been worried about causing you excitement.¡±
In the middle of the calm song, he swept the entire keyboard to create an amazing continuous harmony at the climax.
Even Prof. Lee, who didn¡¯t know a lot about ssical music couldn¡¯t help from the exmation of admiration.
¡°Mr. Jeong, Dr. Park is ying very well, isn¡¯t he?¡±
¡°Very. His music has a fresh tremble to it. Ha, I want to y the piano.¡±
¡°Please bear with it.¡±
Prof. Lee couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Dowook¡¯s masterful ying for a moment.
He had only thought of him as a talented neurosurgeon, now that he looked again, he was someone talented in many areas. The biggest mystery was how such a genius was not found until now.
As the song was about to finish after two minutes of ying, Jeong Woo-seok asked in a low voice.
¡°Is this also included in the 10 minutes, professor?¡±
¡°That¡.¡±
¡°It would be great if there was an encore in a doctor¡¯s diagnosis like at a concert.¡±
In a corner of the 20th floor¡¯s lounge, the sound director, who was checking on the microphones installed in Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s room, heard the sound of the piano ying and quickly stood up.
¡°Director Lee! Is the musician from the city band already here? It¡¯s not possible right now. The mix setting isn¡¯t ready yet.¡±
¡°What are you talking about? The stationary cameras aren¡¯t installed yet.¡±
Seeing Lee Chang Yong talking to the musicians who had just arrived, the sound director became confused.
¡°That¡. Try to listen.¡±
The sound director yed the sound he was listening through the headphones on the speaker. Lee Chang Yong¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°This is ying real-time. What¡¯s this?¡±
Sung Tae-jin, the head of the city symphony orchestra who came for a visit, turned his head at the sudden sound of the piano.
¡°Adrienne? It has a nice feel to it. Is Mr. Jeong the one ying? What do you think, concertmaster?¡±
¡°The rhythm is simr. But didn¡¯t they say he couldn¡¯t move at all?¡±
¡°Oh, right. Who is it? Student? If they can resemble Mr. Jeong¡¯s emotions, I definitely have to cast him at the end-of-year performance.¡±
Seeing the people from the orchestra moving toward the reception desk, Lee Chang Yong felt pressed for time.
¡°Camera team! Hurry up and install the cameras inside! We have to film sudden situations like this to create a good overall picture!¡±
Chapter 38: Blind Test (8)
Dowook only felt the aftermath of sensory impulse after he took his hands away from the keyboard and stood up.
Prof. Lee, Jeong Woo-seok, and his family in the parlor all stopped talking and were listening to
his ying.
¡®Damn¡¯
He thought of just about every excuse he could make and forgot about them.
¡®It started from the piano academy Mom sent me when I was young. And since then, I practiced when I could without letting anyone know.¡¯
The problem was that if he left this ce, he wouldn¡¯t be able to y like this again. He discarded this single-use excuse because of its many holes.
¡°I was nning on letting you hear, but I was the one who got to listen. It was a gift-like performance, Dr. Park.¡±
Fortunately, Jeong Woo-seok was more focused on enjoying the music instead of asking how he learned to y.
¡°I was only supposed to check the volume, I¡¯m sorry if I bothered you.¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t a bother at all, I would like to request another song. I really want to hear Nocturne.¡±
He didn¡¯t know what it was from just listening to the title. Although he was curious if he could y it without listening to the melody using his special sense, he couldn¡¯t sit back down just because he wanted to sate his curiosity.
¡°There aren¡¯t a lot of songs I can y very well. If there is a chance, I will y for you.¡±
As the situation was a bit controlled, Dowook asked Prof. Lee right away.
¡°What do you think of the patient¡¯s optic nerve? Do you think it can get better?¡±
¡°We can¡¯t be sure until we consult with the ophthalmology department, but I think this is the limit. He hasn¡¯t used it for so long, his retina has hardened. Mr. Jeong, this is not yet the final diagnosis. After enough recovery time has passed, we will do a detailed examination and I will let you know.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s do it that way.¡±
The consultation ended after 30 minutes.
As he came out and passed by the reception desk, he saw people waiting in line to enter the VIP ward.
A group of people neatly wearing formal clothes.
Dowook passed by them without a second thought. Then he overheard a conversation that made him flinch.
-There was a problem at the end-of-year concert due to Mr. Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s health. I hope we can cast the person who yed the piano a while ago.
-Who do you think it was? I haven¡¯t heard anyone say he was teaching a student.
It was a conversation that naturally made one pay attention.
-Do you think he is acquainted with just one or two pianists? Let¡¯s go in and ask.
-The broadcasting director asked Mina to y a few songs a while ago. Do you think he will be satisfied after hearing that? What should we do, Mina?
-I¡¯m really stressed right now so please don¡¯t talk to me.
Dingdong.
He got on the elevator quickly and hid. As they were going to the fifth floor, Prof. Lee started to talk.
¡°You y the piano well.¡±
Flinch
¡°Ah, it was only that song.¡±
¡°Song Woo Jin from the Department of Family Medicine ys the violin well, and sometimes performs at the hospital. He also runs an ensemble. He¡¯ll be very happy to know there¡¯s a doctor who can y the piano. He¡¯s been calling me a lot since I became Mr. Jeong¡¯s attending physician. It¡¯s annoying.¡±
Whileughing ¡®haha,¡¯ Dowook vaguely said that he would contact them some other time. Connections as doctors were wee, but ssical connections were difficult. He prayed that he could quickly ovee this crisis.
As they got off on the 5th floor, Prof. Lee opened his mouth to speak.
¡°I¡¯m now going to organize the data from the visit. I¡¯ll send you the chart after I¡¯m done. You did a good job.¡±
¡°You can give it to me right away. I have to keep staying at the clinic for a while.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
The five seniors from the association who were waiting for him. It would be easier to satisfy their curiosity and send them on their way before the surgeries scheduled in the afternoon started.
Drrrk.
As he entered the resting area, the oldest of the 5 association members, Seongbuk Clinic¡¯s Nam Gung Seok, weed him.
¡°You¡¯re here. We tried to analyze why the patient¡¯s optic nerve recovered amongst ourselves while we were waiting.¡±
Since this was a study that one could only find interesting, Dowook listened carefully.
¡°No matter what, in any case that is rted to tumors there is an assumption that the perfection of the technique must be guaranteed. Both you and Prof. Choi were top-notch, capable of painstakingly isting nerve bundles. Thus, normal nerves that were buried in the malformed tissues werepletely unearthed.¡±
It was a reasonable assumption.
¡®Technically, I also borrowed Prof. Choi¡¯s sense, in conclusion¡..¡¯
The otherworldly skills of the king of the OR. That was what led to these results.
Dowook got goosebumps on his forearm for no reason. The best surgeon who guaranteed much better results than expected. Choi Hoo was such an existence.
The will to get used to all the senses he¡¯d epted as soon as possible and be more perfect was overwhelming.
¡°How is the patient?¡±
¡°All of his vitals are well.¡±
They continued the conversation about Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s prognosis for a while. As they were talking, Son Jae-geol, who¡¯d been moving back and forth busily, poked his head into the resting area and looked at Dowook.
¡°Dowook.¡±
¡°Hm?¡±
¡°You were at the emergency room when the students from the car crash were brought in, weren¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
As soon as he confirmed this fact, Son Jae-geol scurried to Dowook¡¯s side and spoke in a low voice.
¡°One of the male students from the ident had aftereffects, so we did some tests. However, the cause is unclear on the CT.¡±
¡°What kind of aftereffects?¡±
¡°His eyesight keeps getting worse. Almost to the point of blindness. At ophthalmology, they said it¡¯s not an eye problem but a brain problem. Could you take a look? We need some clues before we can do additional tests.¡±
When a neurologist called on a neurosurgeon, they requested surgery, not a diagnosis.
At the unusual scene, the eyes of the five people sitting around the table began to twinkle.
The professor from Gyecheon propped up his chin and mumbled.
¡°A patient with eyesight problems due to the aftereffects of a crash?¡±
¡°A fall in arge structure. It¡¯s not just simple trauma, his whole body must have been severely shaken.¡±
As Dowook watched them start a new conversation, he was engulfed in anxiety that if they got started on a new topic, they wouldn¡¯t leave until tomorrow. So he immediately asked Son Jae-geol.
¡°Where¡¯s the chart?¡±
¡°In the staff room.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s take a look. Seniors, I¡¯ll just¡.¡±
He was nning toe back quickly, but all five of them stood up along with Dowook.
¡°¡..why?¡±
¡°It hurts since we were sitting for so long. Do what you have to do. We won¡¯t interfere.¡±
* * *
¡¶This is the area where the students hospitalized at Hansung Hospital will take their exams. We n to have the medical staff on stand-by. Dean Kim Chun Man, who opened the ward, said that in addition to the seven students brought in due to the bus ident, three more, including a patient hospitalized for acute pancreatitis, will take the CSAT¡¡.¡·
Song Minji, who had been watching the news through her phone, looked at Jeong Taejun, a ssmate who had been in the hospital with her for two weeks due to the same ident.
He onlyy in bed all day feeling depressed.
¡°Taejun, are you still having trouble seeing things?¡±
¡°Dunno. Don¡¯t ask.¡±
¡°The ophthalmologist said it¡¯s only going to be temporary. Your eyes aren¡¯t injured. There won¡¯t be any problems if you just take care of yourself.¡±
¡°There is a problem. I can¡¯t take the CSAT. There were just 4 points left.¡±
Song Minji stopped the video she had been watching.
¡°I checked but the test area in the hospital over there isn¡¯t much. It¡¯s cramped and stuffy. Will you be able to take the test properly in a ce like that? We can take it next year after we improve our condition.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll begging a year behind the others. How important will that one year be when we enter the workforce? And you can take the test. You have the best condition among us.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not going to take it this year.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not?¡±
¡°I felt the world is quite different after I had something like this on my neck. I want to find a university where I can do what I want to do and match the criteria to go there ordingly. Slowly. Not ording to the cut-off.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡¡.¡±
Jeong Taejun, who had been acting harshly, said in a soft voice.
¡°a bit cool.¡±
¡°Right? This noona became pretty cool after experiencing an ident, didn¡¯t she?¡±
¡°Who¡¯s the noona?¡±
¡°Then you should act like an oppa. Don¡¯t be so moody.¡±
Letting out a big sigh, Jeong Taejun said.
¡°I want to go to an amusement park. It¡¯s too stuffy here.¡±
¡°Should we skip?¡±
¡°Your neck hurts, my eyes are like this, where will we go?¡±
¡°Riding a wheelchair is prettyfortable.¡±
¡°And who¡¯s going to push us?¡±
¡°Uh¡.each other?¡±
¡°Are you stupid?¡±
Song Minji felt a bit relieved when she saw Jeong Taejun¡¯s expression, which seemed to have returned to his usual vitality.
Click.
In the meantime, the ward door opened and some people wearing doctor¡¯s coats came in. Not just one or two but several.
¡°Oh? It¡¯s that doctor.¡±
¡°Who?¡±
¡°The doctor who fixed the driver.¡±
Dowook, who was walking in front, saw the girl he had met recently sitting there and nodded his head lightly in greeting.
¡°Are you two friends?¡±
¡°Yes, we¡¯re ssmates.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s see, name is¡.you¡¯re Song Minji, this is Jeong Taejun?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right.¡±
¡°Ok, Minji. We have to do some really important tests with Taejun now. Can youe backter?¡±
Song Minji¡¯s face froze with anxiety.
¡°Why? Taejun¡¯s eyes¡.no way¡..¡±
Dowook shook his head when he saw Song Minji who was about to cry at any moment.
¡°Stop. It¡¯s not like that. What.¡±
Dowook covered his mouth and whispered something to her. Face turning red, Song Minji wheeled her wheelchair and left the room quickly.
After the female student left, Son Jae-geol asked Dowook.
¡°What did you tell her?¡±
¡°We¡¯re going to take all his clothes off for the tests, was she going to watch.¡±
¡°Re-really?¡±
¡°Would it be real? It¡¯s just in case a sensitive diagnosises out. Just call his legal guardian quickly.¡±
¡°The intern went to get them.¡±
Dowook went to Jeong Taejun¡¯s side.
¡°Taejun, I¡¯m Park Dowook from neurosurgery, let me just ask a few questions. When you first woke up from the emergency room. How much could you see then?¡±
¡°At first? Um¡.¡±
As he received the progress of blindness step by step, Dowook turned his attention to the five seniors who had followed him from the staff room to this ce.
¡®Collective intelligence is really a scary thing.¡¯
Before they came here, even Dowook couldn¡¯t find the cause when he only looked at the charts in the staff room.
Then, like in the operating room yesterday, he kept rotating among the senses of his seniors through his hands, something that was seasoned by numerous clinical cases that stimted his mind.
As a result, he was able to figure it out.
The most likely cause was a concussion. It caused too much umtion of cerebrospinal fluid and part of the optic nerve was swollen. The patient¡¯s symptom was papiry edema.
The reason he didn¡¯t mention it right away even though he found the answer was that if he said it, it would be as difficult to fix the situation as when he suddenly started ying the piano. Like those five not going home until the evening.
¡°How¡¯s the headache?¡±
¡°It was really bad on the first day but it onlyes for a short time now.¡±
¡°And you didn¡¯t vomit? How about feeling any nausea?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t really feel hungry so I sometimes feel nauseous.¡±
¡°I heard that the loss of vision did note all at once. It blurred, blinked, and disappeared. Is this correct?¡±
¡°Yes, that was about right.¡±
He continued to mention symptoms that would help make a diagnosis of papiry edema. Then, as he realized something, Son Jae-geol rummaged through one of the charts and found a sheet that recorded the pressure on the brain and held it in his hand.
¡°Dowook, do you think it might be papiry edema?¡±
Eventually, Son Jae-geol caught on. Dowook asked while controlling his facial expression.
¡°What? If it was, the ophthalmologist should have figured it out by now. If the ophthalmoscope isn¡¯t broken.¡±
¡°No, look at the pressure. The brain was swollen and then slowly recovered. So the CT scan can¡¯t catch the lesion at all. How can it find this, it¡¯s a pseudo brain tumor.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
¡°Ok. This is certain. Dowook, just a sec. I have to contact this patient¡¯s attending physician. We¡¯ve figured it out so let¡¯s have him buy us a drink.¡±
Son Jae-geol held his phone in his hand.
¡®Situation finished.¡¯
The cause was discovered, and he could see the interest of the five seniors disappear in an instant.
It was not difficult to treat papiry edema caused by a pseudo brain tumor.
¡°Do-doctor. A brain tumor?¡±
Jeong Taejun, who¡¯d been listening quietly, asked in surprise. Dowook smiled brightly and answered.
¡°There is the word ¡®pseudo¡¯ in front. It means fake. Medical terminology is difficult but some are literal.¡±
Dowook reassured the patient and looked at the band-aid on the patient¡¯s forehead. Something about his facial silhouette was familiar. Then he remembered the ck box video he saw the other day.
¡°Taejun, you, did the bus driver help you put on the seatbelt just before the crash?¡±
¡°How did you know? Did the driver tell you?¡±
The student rescued by the driver with great difficulty was this child.
¡°The concussion you suffered was not a fall injury. A typical injury of ident victims who weren¡¯t wearing their seatbelts. Forehead hit. You should be d it wasn¡¯t a strong hit on the face.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not something you should apologize to me for. I think you not being able to see was because of that. So don¡¯t worry. It will slowly recover by itself.¡±
¡°When will I be able to see?¡±
¡°Hmm, aplete recovery is about¡.two months? Before that, it wille and go.¡±
Jeong Taejun¡¯s face quickly became dark.
¡°It can¡¯t. I have to take the test. Is there no way my eyes can see in 6 days? I don¡¯t have to see everything. I just have to see the test paper¡.¡±
¡°Unfortunately, we can¡¯t do that. This requires a recovery process where the swollen optic nerve tissue gradually normalizes.¡±
¡°Doctor.¡±
Jeong Taejun¡¯s hand, which was groping the bed, grabbed Dowook¡¯s arm. He probably couldn¡¯t see but he held on and didn¡¯t let go.
¡°I have to take it. I must.¡±
¡°Taejun. When ites to nerves, if you try to do something with it quickly, problems ur. Natural recovery is the best¡.¡±
Tingle.
¡®Hmmm?¡¯
Something stimted his neural circuit and traveled through his wrist. It was feeble, but it was exuded by this student.
He didn¡¯t know exactly what the sense was for, but one thing was certain. The need to take the test and evaluate the score.
If this sense was conveyed, he thought that this was a student who studied really hard.
Dowook felt amazed and regretful simultaneously as this felt a lot like Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s sense which urged him to y the piano.
¡®I¡¯m sorry. For some symptoms, the doctor can¡¯t do anything more.¡¯
As he was about to exin one more time that it was best for a future without aftereffects.
Perhaps the lingering senses of the 5 seniors ovepped with the patient¡¯s sense. An idea shed through Dowook¡¯s head. But he wasn¡¯t sure if this could be a solution.
¡®Well¡. Hmm?¡¯
Dowook turned to the five who were sitting gloomily. He had forgotten that there were experts right next to him who could verify his idea.
¡°Seniors. This pseudo brain tumor. If we consider it as idiopathic intracranial hypertension and proceed with an open surgery, wouldn¡¯t it be possible to instantly andpletely restore vision?¡±
All of a sudden, life returned to bored eyes.
¡°What? What did he just say?¡±
¡°He said to make a gap in the optic nerve sheath and drain the umted cerebrospinal fluid manually.¡±
¡°Give up natural recovery? Is that possible without side-effects?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know about other surgeons, but Dr. Park can. Yesterday, hepletely ated nerve bundles more difficult to control than that. He even saved the optic nerve.¡±
¡°There is a more reliable way. Not surgery, but a shunt procedure. Properly controlling the excess cerebrospinal fluid with a thin tube. It would rely on the surgeon¡¯s skills, of course.¡±
¡°Oh, then it would be a new case? There is still no case in Korea where such a procedure was performed for papiry edema.¡±
The discussion moved quickly, and it didn¡¯t take long for them to conclude the idea¡¯s possibility.
Dowook helped Jeong Taejun release him and put his hand down on the bed and spoke.
¡°The neurosurgery seniors did find a way. But it is not easy.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°If you want to take the CSAT, you have to insert a small tube in your head that day. You can¡¯t leave the operating room either since we have to keep watch. We can barely use anesthesia, too. If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t take it like this.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll do anything. I want to try.¡±
¡°It is not just up to you. Talk to your parents first.¡±
Chapter 39: Blind Test (9)
Dean Kim Chun Man was smiling broadly in his office. A special series about CSAT¡¯s was just ying on the local TV news.
Bits of news like this year¡¯s questionnaire trend andst year¡¯s average score went by.
¡°Atst!¡±
The signboard of Hansung Hospital appearedrge. It was the most important among the main news stories.
Against the backdrop of the special test ward that different broadcasting stations came to file a while ago, a good-looking reporter continued his fascinating remarks.
¡¶¡¡we have received news that both officials from the Office of Education and parents are grateful for the consideration of Hansung Hospital, where all high school seniors can take the test. This is Reporter Park Sang-chil from QBS.¡·
Even the conclusion was terrific, so Kim Chun Man pped his hands.
¡°Good, good. QBS did the cleanest job. I¡¯ll give you 10 points.¡±
He stood up from the sofa and walked to hisputer so he could watch it again. But, the CSAT special news that should have been finished continued for some reason.
¡°Huh?¡±
Since the main news was Hansung Hospital and it was natural to save the best forst, Kim Chun Man stopped his steps as he did not understand why there was more news after that.
¡¶This news just came in. An unexpected hope came to a seriously injured patient from the bus crash who can¡¯t even see at the moment. Let¡¯s hear it from Reporter Jeon Sang-mil.¡·
¡¶Today, the neurosurgery staff of Myeong Sae Hospital announced a very unusual operation to the medical association. It was a special n to cure the blind symptoms that ur due to swollen optic nerves from a concussion which should take two months of recovery time. A miracle was found for Jeong Taejun, who desperately wanted to take the test as the CSAT approaches.¡¡.¡·
¡°¡¡what the heck. A miracle? No way.¡±
Just by looking at the atmosphere and the reporter¡¯s expression, the broadcasting station was dealing with this as a huge issue. As he was feeling irritated, confused, and astonished, the phone rang.
Tiririring~!
Kim Chun Man held the receiver to his ear without thought.
-Sir, it¡¯s the chief of neurosurgery. That¡..at Myeong Sae Hospital. They say Dr. Park Dowook is going to perform an amazing surgery so I¡¯d like to go¡.
¡°Shut up!¡±
The phone was thrown to the floor.
¡°Park Dowook? It¡¯s that b*stard again? Agaain!¡±
* * *
The day before CSAT, Myeong Sae Hospital General Ward 703.
¡°Ok. This is everyone taking the test tomorrow, right?¡±
At Seong Chang Soo¡¯s question, the four students sitting on wheelchairs nodded their heads.
¡°Tomorrow, Noh Myeong Deok and I will take care of your physical condition. You have to endure even if the lines attached to your chest and the IV attached to your forearms are ufortable. Those with broken limbs and ribs wouldn¡¯t have said they¡¯d take the test without knowing all this, Right?¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
Considering they were in the ICU not so long ago, they were overflowing with energy.
¡°Tell us right away if you feel any pain even in the middle of the test. Although we can¡¯t teach you the answers, us from the emergency unit will take care of your bodies. As quick as possible.¡±
One of the nodding students pointed at Jeong Taejun who had his eyes closed at the back.
¡°Doctor. Will Taejun also really take the test? When he can¡¯t see anything?¡±
¡°Uh, I¡¯m also pretty curious about that. Dowook. Is he really going to take the test?¡±
Seong Chang Soo asked Dowook who was standing at the back. Dowook approached and sated their curiosity.
¡°He can. He¡¯ll be able to see tomorrow. Those from the association all agreed with this procedure. Although Taejun has to take the test in the operating room. It means he can¡¯t cheat.¡±
Laughing at the joke, a student shook their head.
¡°Taejun has the highest grades among us. Taejun¡¯s the only one who reached the cut-off score for Seoul University.¡±
Hearing Seoul University, Dowook asked.
¡°You guys were from the advanced ss of that cram school, weren¡¯t you? One that gathers students who study well. Who ns on bing a doctor here?¡±
No one raised their hand. Dowook forced a bitterugh. Seong Chang Soo pouted.
¡°At least pretend to raise your hand! Don¡¯t you know how cool a doctor is! Who do you think is responsible for you lot being able to sit here?¡±
¡°The bus driver.¡±
¡°What? Ummmm¡¡.¡±
Seeing as they were right, Seong Chang Soo became embarrassed but quickly continued to speak.
¡°Let¡¯s draw lots and have someonee. This doctor, no, this senior will take very good care of you. I¡¯m a very warm person.¡±
At those words, Noh Myeong Deok, who¡¯d been standing behind him, shook his head slightly to say ¡®no.¡¯ A few of the students giggled.
Seong Chang Soo red at the giggling kids and said.
¡°You guys are overlooking something but. Us. doctors. We are people who scored really well on the test you are about to take. Second try, third try, and finally entering medical school, we¡¯re masters. Our Myeong Deok here passed on the third try. What do you think? Do you want to hear how to do well on the CSAT or not? Should I just go or not?¡±
¡°I want to hear!¡±
¡°Me too!¡±
¡°Are youing to med school or not?¡±
¡°Go!¡±
¡°You. I like how loud your voice is. You have the right to hear the story. Myeong Deok, cue.¡±
Seong Chang Soo¡¯s jokes were well-received by the kids.
The rigid atmosphere of having to take the test in a hospital ward full of medical staff seemed to ease, so Dowook smiled as he watched. Then, his eyes fell on Jeong Taejun, who looked sad the whole time.
¡®Why is he like that?¡¯
That night.
Lying on the bed, Jeong Taejun turned his head at the sound of the door opening.
¡°Mom?¡±
¡°Your parents are resting for a while.¡±
It was the voice of Park Dowook, the doctor who would allow him to see tomorrow.
¡°I heard from Minji that you are short 4 points? In math at that?¡±
¡°I keep making mistakes while calcting. Even though I know all the forms.¡±
¡°That¡¯s why I brought the goddess of math.¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
A rustling sound, then the sound of a notebook being opened could be heard.
¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Taejun.¡±
The female voice that came from right beside him was very beautiful. Taejun¡¯s cheeks blushed as a sweet smell blew into this ce that smelled like disinfectant.
¡°Who¡.are you?¡±
¡°I¡¯m Lim So Yool, Dr. Park¡¯s friend.¡±
Right after, he heard the conversation between Park Dowook and Lim So Yool.
¡°This is Taejun¡¯s test paper. Is it possible to fix?¡±
¡°He seems to have a poor understanding of the concept of numbers. It should be alright if we fix his impatience.¡±
The sound of writing continued. Then, the beautiful voice asked a question.
¡°Taejun, do you remember the 21st question? When the constants a and b satisfy the following conditions¡..¡±
Her private tutoring to review the mock test questions that he had solved the day before the ident in a quiet and clear voice.
There was no way of knowing if it would actually help tomorrow, but it was enough to relieve Jeong Taejun¡¯s anxiety over the fact that he couldn¡¯t review anything for the past few days.
He thought Dr. Park brought his friend over just to help him calm his nerves.
¡°As soon as you see the problem, you think of the properties of the right function, base function, symmetry, and all kinds of forms. That¡¯s why you can¡¯t see past the numbers to prate the essence.¡±
¡°The cram school teacher said it¡¯s usually solved¡..¡±
¡°Usually? Do they know what usual means when they say that? Did you learn to be average?¡±
¡°N-no.¡±
The sound ofughter could be heard from somewhere.
¡°Now, what is being asked in this question is the properties of a and b. So when you¡¯re looking for the solution, you¡¯re turning only in this direction, so you miss that there are several paths to the answer.¡±
¡°Several paths?¡±
¡°Make your own functions. Just rece what you don¡¯t know with ¡®x¡¯ and you¡¯ve started half of it. The problem with you is that you ignore the trial and error thates with solving and only keep the results in your head. You¡¯re afraid of worries.¡±
She spoke in a scary manner. It was scary but easy to remember. It was totally different from the lectures where topics were matched to the test.
However, thinking that it might be really helpful, Jeong Taejun focused on her voice.
* * *
November 15.
On the morning of the CSAT, when public officials and office workers were dyed to work and traffic in the city was restricted, the whole nation cheered for the high school seniors.
Two test sites were also set up at Myeong Sae Hospital.
Entering one of them, the supervisors from the Office of Education were bewildered by the surgeon¡¯s exnation in front of the sterilizing tool cart.
¡°If you go outside, you have to disinfect your hands when youe back in. Even if it¡¯s ufortable, please don¡¯t take off your mask.¡±
The state of the operating room prepared for Jeong Taejun to take his CSAT was both unfamiliar and amazing to the supervisor.
A 3D image of the patient¡¯s head was disyed on one side, and the desk and chair for the test where the body would be fixed to were different from the usual.
Beyond the window overlooking the operating room, dozens of people watched the scene.
¡°There¡¯s an hour left. Scrub nurses, please hurry up and prepare the rest. If the supervisors can follow Dr. Nam over there and learn how to disinfect their hands first. Hana.¡±
¡°Pleasee this way.¡±
The supervisors followed the doctor wearing round sses and washed their hands at the disinfection site outside the operating room.
A few minutes after returning and settling down, Jeong Taejun entered the operating room on a stretcher.
¡°Please sit Taejun over here. Fix his hair in ce.¡±
Jeong Taejun flinched when Dowook wiped his left temple with some disinfection cotton held in a pair of tongs.
Dowook, who quietly received a drill from the nurse, looked at the 3D navigator after confirming that his hands still had Choi Hoo¡¯s sense which he¡¯d epted as soon as he got to work.
¡°Hana. Anesthesia.¡±
He put the drill to the ce under local anesthesia. Then he talked to Jeong Taejun.
¡°Tell me if you want to stop at any point.¡±
¡°Will it hurt a lot?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know. If it hurts a lot, do you want to stop?¡±
¡°No. I¡¯m gonna hold on.¡±
Whiiiirrrrr.
The thin drill punched a hole in Jeong Taejun¡¯s skin and skull in an instant. He made a hole with a diameter of 0.2mm without any error.
Stemming the bleeding with gauze, Dowook held a tube thinner than the cartridge of a pen in his hand.
Checking the tube¡¯s gradual entry through the navigator, Dowook twisted his hand slightly at the corrugated nerve tissue.
¡°Ugh¡.¡±
¡°You¡¯re holding on very well. Just keep hanging in there. The most painful part is over.¡±
He could feel the patient¡¯s pulse rate go up. He could tell that it was because of nervousness just from the sound of the beat.
Slowly, slowly so that nerves and tissues were not damaged. It wasn¡¯t long before the tube arrived at its destination.
¡°Begin the drainage.¡±
When the syringe on the other end of the tube was pumped, part of the liquid was sucked out.
An exact amount of cerebrospinal fluid must be extracted topletely return vision. If too much was drained, it would cause dizziness and if you drain less, the vision would not recover properly.
Stopping the syringe at the appropriate line, he looked at the patient.
¡°Can you open your eyes?¡±
When he opened his eyes slightly, Jeong Taejun was first surprised by the scenery of a room full of people wearing masks and hats.
Then he met the deep ck eyes of the doctor who performed the procedure. He looked simr to the impression given by his voice.
¡°How is it? Can you see?¡±
¡°I can see very clearly.¡±
¡°How many fingers am I holding up?¡±
¡°You¡¯re not even holding up your hand.¡±
¡°Oh, you can see pretty well.¡±
One could feel the broad smile Dowook had behind his mask.
¡°I¡¯m going to leave the tube in your head until the end of the test. You¡¯ve heard the exnation, but the recovery of your sight is temporary and you¡¯ll have a severe migraine tomorrow. Don¡¯t curse me. I tried my best.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t.¡±
He stuck a tape fixing the tube in ce.
¡°Hana, check the vitals every 20 minutes. Call me right away if something happens. I have to go for a surgery right away.¡±
¡°Yes, senior.¡±
When the clock in the operating room passed 8:30, a supervisor sat in the chair in front of Jeong Taejun.
Another supervisorpleted the test identification slip and face check and the CSAT in the only operating room test site in Korea began.
It was almost 5 PM when Dowook came out afterpleting two surgeries.
¡°Thank you for the hard work, professor.¡±
He bowed to Prof. Choi who was passing by him.
¡°Sure. Are you going on your rounds? Check on thest patient who had surgery yesterday and arrange the schedule for the second surgery.¡±
¡°After I finish up Jeong Taejun¡¯s procedure.¡±
¡°It was a shunt procedure drain, wasn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Prof. Choi removed his gloves and mask, then threw them in the waste bin as he looked at Dowook.
¡°If you want to gain more experience with additional surgeries, tell me whenever you want. I can rearrange my schedule as long as it¡¯s not fixed.¡±
Even though he didn¡¯t take charge of this patient because of such passion, Dowook nodded silently.
After sending Prof. Choi off, Dowook quickly went to Room 3 where Jeong Taejun was located. The supervisor was putting thest answer sheet in an envelope and tidying up.
Dowook approached Jeong Taejun, who was sitting while he looked very exhausted.
¡°Taejun, are you ok?¡±
¡°I¡¯m so tired.¡±
¡°It would be tiring to stay like that the whole day. This would be the first time you had to eat and poop in the same ce as well.¡±
¡°Not that. I thought my head would explode because the math problems were so difficult. The level of the test this year is out of this world.¡±
Dowook ced his hand on the tape, fixing the tube in ce as he asked.
¡°I guess your scores will go down? Thene to Myeong Sae University instead of Seoul University.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t fail that much, ok?¡±
¡°What¡¯s wrong with Myeong Sae University? Our medical department is harder to get in than most departments in Seoul University.¡±
He removed the tape while whining, and disinfected the area around the tube again.
¡°Once I remove this, you¡¯ll slowly lose your vision. You have to suffer for two months, is there something you want to see for thest time?¡±
¡°That¡.¡±
Jeong Taejun¡¯s eyes looked at Dowook¡¯s direction.
¡°My face? How embarrassing. Well, if you want I¡¯ll put my mask slightly do¡..¡±
¡°The noona from yesterday with the beautiful voice.¡±
He swallowed the kimchi soup wrong. Dowook looked into Jeong Taejun¡¯s eyes which were sparkling with expectation and shook his head.
¡°She¡¯s not someone I can just call over whenever I want.¡±
¡°It seemed like she would be really pretty. Is she really?¡±
¡°She is very beautiful. I¡¯m sorry this face is thest thing you¡¯ll see. Close your eyes. You¡¯ll feel dizzy if you keep your eyes open and experience the changes in your vision.¡±
He finished all the preparations to remove the tube.
¡°Are you two dating?¡±
¡°That kind of general standards are only for ordinary people. As you may have felt yesterday, she has apletely different thinking process.¡±
¡°I did feel that wa¡.. Ah, it hurts, doctor.¡±
Removing the tube in an instant, he ced an aseptic gauze to staunch the bleeding.
¡°Good job. You¡¯re pretty strong-willed. When you¡¯re this hurt.¡±
¡°Thank you, doctor. I¡¯ll pay you back someday.¡±
¡°That favor, can you apply for med school instead? Doesn¡¯t this job seem attractive?¡±
¡°That¡.only if I really fail the test.¡±
¡°Ugh, this brat.¡±
That night.
Song Mina, who was checking the answers Jeong Taejun had recorded on his test slip one by one, added the total score and opened her eyes wide in surprise.
¡°Tae, Taejun¡..¡±
Chapter 40: Blind Test (10)
On the way to work on a normal day without surgery or receiving attention from the medical association nor from patients being stalked by reporters.
¡°Ugh. I should wear a padded jacket now.¡±
Dowook entered the hospital lobby with his shoulders hunched to shield himself from the chilly weather. Perhaps because the heater was on, the interior was warm.
Getting on the elevator, Dowook was about to get off on the 5th floor to the neurosurgery department but paused as the door opened.
Right in front, he met the gaze of a person holding a recorder and notebook. Just a nce could show that the person was a reporter so Dowook started to feel nervous.
¡°By any chance¡..¡±
¡°Park Dowook? It¡¯s Park Dowook!¡±
¡°Where? Where?¡±
There shouldn¡¯t be anything to cause this today, but why were the reporters like this? Unable to get off due to his bewilderment, the doors started to close slowly when a daredevil reporter stretched out their arm and grabbed the elevator door.
¡°Dr. Park Dowook! I¡¯m Reporter Yoon Jinho from News Seoul! If you give us an exclusive interview, we will¡¡!¡±
¡°Oho, Reporter Yoon! How could you cut in line like that!¡±
¡°Dr. Park! I¡¯m Jeong Gilbok from Night Magazine! Just by looking at the number of subscriptions, the exclusive would be with us¡..!
Thinking he might be turned into someone unrecognizable by these people on the elevator with him, Dowook got off first. Looking outside, it was even more spectacr. The hall from here to the neurosurgery department was crowded with reporters.
Dowook couldn¡¯t understand the situation no matter what he did so he asked Yoon Jinho, a reporter he was acquainted with from a previous press conference.
¡°Why are you waiting for me?¡±
¡°I guess you haven¡¯t heard the news?¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t. That¡¯s why I have such a nk face right now.¡±
¡°The student you operated on, Jeong Taejun, received a perfect temporary score in his CSAT.¡±
¡°What?¡±
He thought that since Taejun had a tube in his head and took the test in an ufortable operating room, he would score worse than usual, but to get a perfect score?
¡°If you give our News Seoul an exclusive interview about the surgery and the behind-the-scenes story rted to Jeong Taejun, I will personally guarantee that I will make you and this hospital popr.¡±
¡°Reporter Yoon, don¡¯t go over the line! They¡¯re already popr, how will you increase it!¡±
The reporters started to surround him. Then, he saw Nam Hana gesturing from the entrance of the neurosurgery department.
¡°I shall give an interview another time. I need to figure things out before I can answer any questions. Please let me through!¡±
In recent days, he had experienced the siege of reporters several times, so he quickly escaped through the gaps and arrived at the entrance of the neurosurgery department.
He reached the other side of the automatic doors and saw Nam Hana.
¡°Hey, wow. Did you hear about it too? Jeong Taejun got 100?¡±
¡°The phone line at the staff room is a mess because of that right now.¡±
¡°The phone in the staff room? Why? Because of the reporters?¡±
¡°No. parents. Asking if their kid can take the test with a tube in their head next year as well. If there is a reservation. How much it is.¡±
Dowook let out a scoff as he walked down the hall.
¡°What¡¯s the rtion between the score and the surgery?¡±
¡°That¡¯s what we are telling them, but we don¡¯t have a way to stop those who are asking for a consultation with you. When can you have outpatients, Senior?¡±
¡°Outpatients¡¡±
Although he was working as a temporary fellow under Prof. Choi, he could only begin consultations after he received a specialist certificate in January next year.
¡°After mid-January. Staff doctors do 3 a week so I guess I¡¯ll do the same. But just send the parents to the reception.¡±
As they passed by the staff room, they saw a resident diligently responding on the phone.
-No. There are no surgeries that make holes in a healthy head, sir.
-Get Park Dowook on the phone? Dr. Park is not a part of the staff but is a fellow under a professor so we can¡¯t just make hime for calls li¡.why are you shouting?
Dowook put his hand on Nam Hana¡¯s shoulder.
¡°I leave the aftermath to you. Gather the staff who are not sleeping tonight. I¡¯ll buy everyone something delicious.¡±
¡°How many surgeries do you have?¡±
¡°3. Send an assistant from the staff for the second one. I¡¯ll be performing the surgery.¡±
¡°Ok.¡±
Looking in the staff room again, Dowook raised a finger.
¡°That intern¡¯s blood pressure¡¯s pretty high. Go console him quickly.¡±
-Why is it our fault your child got the 7th rank in the mock test!?
Starting his morning rounds, Dowook first went to the most talked about ward. As he opened the door and entered, he saw Jeong Taejun surrounded by his family and friends.
¡°Good morning.¡±
¡°Oh my, Dr.¡±
Jeong Taejun¡¯s mother ran over as soon as she saw Dowook and grabbed both his hands.
¡°Thank you. Thank you so much.¡±
¡°I just did my job as a doctor. And the reason he got such a great score isn¡¯t because of the surgery. You know that, right?¡±
¡°I do, but even so, thank you.¡±
Worried that more misunderstandings might ur even as people kept calling the hospital, he made sure to stop Jeong Taejun¡¯s parents from misspeaking.
As he approached Jeong Taejun, Song Minji, who was sitting on a wheelchair, smiled brightly at Dowook.
¡°Doctor, Taejun changed his first choice of university.¡±
¡°Really? To where?¡±
¡°Myeong Sae Medical University.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
Feeling happy, Dowook looked at Jeong Taejun.
Jeong Taejun, pretending it wasn¡¯t true with his head turned, muttered a little.
¡°It looked a bit cool.¡±
¡°Brat. It is a bit cool.¡±
Six years of war against sleep in medical school, one year of crying every day in internship, and four years of suffering from those above and below in residency. Only after enduring all that would you be listed as a green specialist.
¡®It¡¯s just that it takes a long time before you can be cool.¡¯
As Dowook checked on Jeong Taejun, he imagined what it would be like if the kid appeared before him in 11 years as a doctor.
He was sure he¡¯d be very proud. He at least had the confidence not to yell at him every day like Chief Ha did.
¡°If your headache gets worse, inform the nurse. They¡¯ll give you some painkillers.¡±
¡°Yes, doctor.¡±
Jeong Taejun hesitated as he added.
¡°Thank you for helping me find a way to take the test.¡±
¡°I should be the thankful one. You agreed to be my junior. But since you¡¯re doing it, be a surgeon. Don¡¯t go into internal medicine.¡±
¡°That, I don¡¯t know yet. And the tutoring from the pretty noona was a lot of help. It even helped me focus on the other test subjects.¡±
¡°It did?¡±
¡°I also didn¡¯t know it would be this helpful.¡±
The true reason was someone else.
He was about to leave after his round when Song Minji, who¡¯d been standing by herself at the entrance, blocked the way.
¡°Doctor, when can we go out? We have to go to the amusement park.¡±
¡°Amusement park?¡±
Dowook nced at Jeong Taejun since she seemed to be asking secretly behind her friend¡¯s back.
¡°Just the two of you?¡±
Song Minji gave a short nod.
¡°Aha. Everyone¡¯s situation is different. We have to check on Taejun¡¯s progress for at least half a month. But even so by the time your neck gets better in 7 weeks, you should be able to push Taejun¡¯s wheelchair.¡±
¡°7 weeks? If it¡¯s 7 weeks¡.it¡¯s right around Christmas season. Great. Thanks, doctor~¡±
Song Minji¡¯s appearance as she pushed her wheelchair into the room while smiling broadly, was the very definition of youth.
Dowook smirked.
¡°Good at studying, has a cute girlfriend. Taejun, this guy pretty much has it all huh?¡±
Feeling envious at the fact as he realized it, Dowook continued on his rounds.
Hisst visit for the morning was Room 2007.
¡°Pleasee in, doctor.¡±
As soon as Secretary Ok opened the door, Dowook swallowed a gasp as he looked inside the room.
From the parlor to the inner room, there were several post-it notes everywhere.
¡°What is all this¡..¡±
¡°She¡¯s in the middle of a number game with Gabby. Her mother said she had to go somewhere this morning and asked us to look after the child.¡±
Seeing Dowook¡¯s confused expression, Secretary Ok quickly asked.
¡°They seem almost done. Should I call her over?¡±
¡°No. My previous round ended early so I still have some time. I¡¯ll organize my charts for a while.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll prepare some tea.¡±
While listening to the sound of water boiling and inputting information for the chart on the parlorputer, Dowook¡¯s attention was drawn to the sound ofughter from the inner room.
Lim So Yool was in the midst of drawing something for Gabby.
The girl named Gabrie with an English diplomat father and Korean mother was a long-term inpatient in the VIP ward.
-Now, let¡¯s add one more. How should we send it?
-Should it follow the road exactly or take a shortcut?
-I don¡¯t know, this is the space you made.
-Then¡.
All these many post-its were ces that represented certain points. Matching a young girl¡¯s taste, ces like doll shops, dress shops, and flower shops stretched out along the dots and lines on the post-its.
-I¡¯m gonna have her ride the merry-go-round. Go!
From the starting point of the memo and following the line, Gabby walked out to the parlor where a memo with a drawing of a merry-go-round was stuck.
¡°Here! Huh?¡±
Dowook and Gabby met each other¡¯s eyes.
¡°Hello.¡±
¡°It¡¯s the doctor. Hello.¡±
As soon as the child, who talked happily with Lim So Yool, saw the doctor¡¯s coat, her expression suddenly calmed down.
He heard from the nurse in charge that Gabby always kept a certain distance from the medical staff because she had been in the hospital for a long time.
Lim So Yool, who¡¯d followed Gabby out, bowed her head slightly to greet Dowook.
¡°I guess we should stop for a second. Gabby, do you want to expand the space here, first?¡±
¡°With the Dijkstra algorithm?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right.¡±
Two cups of tea which smelled like tea were left on the table in the inner room.
Dowook pointed to Gabby who was ying in the parlor and asked Lim So Yool.
¡°What on earth are you teaching her?¡±
¡°It¡¯s an algorithm to find the shortest distance. It¡¯s perfect for space recognition with numbers.¡±
That wasn¡¯t the point of the question, however, it wasn¡¯t something he should be arguing about with that math genius who was sipping tea and getting drunk on the sweetness.
¡°When will you be able to check on Gabby¡¯s diagnosis?¡±
¡°I put in a request for consultation with the internal medicine department. When the professor agrees, then I can. This requires detailed diagnostic data from experts in the field, not just me and you.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±
A patient like Jeong Woo-seok was also able to see positive results. Wouldn¡¯t something goode out of Gabby¡¯s incurable disease? Although they shouldn¡¯t have hasty expectations, it was worth a try.
¡°Then, let¡¯s start the diagnosis on this side.¡±
After a thorough examination of the neck muscles and sutured wound, Dowook said.
¡°The operated area has almost fully healed. Even if you want to leave tomorrow, there is no probabilistic logic for me as your doctor to refuse. I think we can decide on when you will leave the hospital.¡±
Lim So Yool, who was rearranging her hair after holding it up for the exam,ughed at the words ¡®probabilistic logic to refuse.¡¯
¡°The vice-dean told me I can use the dean¡¯s office after I¡¯m discharged, but I¡¯m morefortable here. Can we use this ce as an office for the time being?¡±
Dowook put on an expression saying he couldn¡¯t understand.
¡°The dean¡¯s office must berger and morefortable. The usage fee is expensive here.¡±
¡°But it¡¯s lower than the cost of staying at a hotel.¡±
¡°Hotel? You won¡¯t stay at home?¡±
¡°My house is in Seville. I¡¯m in Seoul for work.¡±
From the appearance of Lim So Yool, who mentioned Seville, Spain as if it were a small city in some province, Dowook saw a glimpse of the dignity of someone who worked internationally.
¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any problems with using the VIP room. Since it¡¯s only used on a reservation basis.¡±
¡°I just feel ufortable using up a hospital room when I¡¯m not sick. It should be against hospital policies as well.¡±
As she was someone with a clear-cut personality, he could feel her concern over something that wasn¡¯t so clear. Dowook thought for a moment and answered.
¡°That¡¯s¡how about thinking about it like this? Although you are cured, the hospital is still very sick. Due to financial deterioration and ounting audit issues. After all that is treated, you will be discharged from the hospital.¡±
¡°I guess that works as a psychological excuse.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll inform the nurse team not to ept reservations for Room 2007.¡±
Now that the discharge issue had been sorted out, this was thest time he would being here as the attending physician. Getting up from his seat, Dowook reached out to Lim So Yool.
¡°I¡¯ve never met a patient as unique as you.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve never met a doctor as special as you.¡±
After formally bidding good-bye to each other as patient and doctor, Lim So Yool was about to go out when she asked.
¡°Will youe to visit a friend sometimes?¡±
¡°To hang out?¡±
This was an unexpected question. It was true that they had be close recently, but it was within the boundary of keeping good faith as a doctor.
As long as she was deredpletely cured, this point of contact disappeared and only her original status which could easily change the fate of a doctor remained.
A financial consultant feared by everyone in the hospital.
¡®Hmmm¡..¡¯
Lim So Yool¡¯s expectant gaze seemed obvious enough to overshadow these concerns.
Come to think of it, when she introduced herself to Jeong Woo-seok, she introduced herself as a mathematician.
Dowook thought this was enough.
¡°As long as you don¡¯t say ¡®you can understand this kind of thing in 5 minutes¡¯ when it¡¯s aplicated calction no matter who sees it.¡±
Lim So Yool raised her eyebrows. However, her expression brightened when he replied he woulde over without any burden.
¡°Oh, by the way. Jeong Taejun, the student you advised yesterday, asked me to say thank you.¡±
¡°Did he catch on to the concept of numbers?¡±
¡°Very. To the point of understanding some life concepts. If things go well, I might have a new junior.¡±
After delivering the heart-warming news, Dowook left the room.
Chapter 41: Blind Test (11)
He was looking at his phone to see if he¡¯d gotten a call while on his rounds when he saw that Prof. Lee Won Seok had contacted him.
[I have a seminar scheduled so can I ask you to include Jeong Woo-seok in your rounds this morning? Although he is under the care of the neurology department, there¡¯s no other doctor I¡¯d trust more than you.]
Since he was already in the VIP ward, he sent a reply saying he would.
After talking to the receptionist nurse, he entered Room 2005. Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s daughter, who he¡¯d met once before, greeted him in the parlor.
¡°Oh my. Pleasee in, doctor.¡±
Dowook began by asking the patient¡¯s family.
¡°Did anything happenst night?¡±
¡°He had trouble sleeping.¡±
The patient¡¯s symptom of insomnia seemed to have made his family unable to sleep since she looked very haggard as well.
¡°It¡¯s not something you would worry about. Insomnia will slowly get better.¡±
Since he rummaged through the patient¡¯s head, no matter how neatly the surgery was performed, there were various aftereffects, including headaches, that would bother the patient.
There was a long way to go until the sutures in the scalp healed up.
Dowook went into the inner room and talked to Jeong Woo-seok.
¡°It¡¯s Park Dowook, sir.¡±
¡°Dr. Park? I can¡¯t seem to hear Prof. Lee.¡±
¡°Something urgent came up so I came this morning instead. He shoulde by for the evening rounds.¡±
He examined Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s physical condition for a while.
¡°How is your eye?¡±
¡°It¡¯s still at a level where I can ssify light sources.¡±
Since he had lived for so long without using his eyes due to visual impairment, there seemed to be no more miracles beyond this point.
Dowook hid his disappointment as a doctor and asked brightly.
¡°You said you were going to check the sound of the piano during the filmingst time. Was there any change in your hearing?¡±
¡°That I don¡¯t know myself. Since I can¡¯t y with my own hands, I couldn¡¯t get a feel for it.¡±
At the same time, his daughter, who came in with a te of peeled fruits, told Dowook.
¡°Dad also woke up in the middle of the night sometimes before the surgery. Back then, he could go to sleep right away after ying the piano for a while. But now, he can¡¯t do that, so he seems to be having more trouble. Dad, do you want an apple? Pear?¡±
¡°Apple. Dr. Park might misunderstand. I do want to y the piano, but I think my difficulty is causing so much annoyance to my daughter¡..¡±
Pausing his words, Jeong Woo-seok turned to look in the direction Dowook was standing in.
¡°How does she look right now? She has rabbit eyes, doesn¡¯t she?¡±
Holding a slice of fruit passed by Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s daughter, Dowook couldn¡¯t think of what to say and simplyughed awkwardly.
Jeong Woo-seok, who was munching on an apple, put on a serious expression and told Dowook.
¡°Can I ask a favor from you, Dr. Park?¡±
¡°What kind of favor?¡±
¡°Chopin¡¯s Nocturne No. 2. Please y this song for me. There should be a primer sheet in front of you.¡±
¡°Uh¡..¡±
¡°Park Mina, a musician from the city orchestra, performed the piece so stiffly I could hardly listen. You have emotions at your fingertips, so it¡¯s nice to listen to.¡±
ying a song that he had never heard before. He tried to refuse because he wasn¡¯t sure that he could y even if he borrowed Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s sense.
¡°To be honest, I¡¯m a beginner who can¡¯t even read a music sheet.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine. I just want to feel the emotions as you y. The most important thing in music isn¡¯t recorded in a music sheet.¡±
Those words touched his heart.
¡°I¡¯ll give it a try.¡±
Dowook uneasily sat in front of the keyboard in the room. He didn¡¯t think he would y the piano once again.
¡®Let¡¯s see if this works, shall we?¡¯
He epted Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s sense in his hands.
¡®Nocturne. Nocturne.¡¯
He kept thinking in his head and waited for something to happen. But his hands were still. Not even the slightest bit of the intense impulse from before arrived.
¡°Hmm. This is¡..¡±
Now that he was here, it felt as if his piano sense had run away.
Jeong Woo-seok calmly lying in bed and his daughter¡¯s expectant expression fell into dowook¡¯s eyes. Then, an idea suddenly came to mind.
The owner of this sense was not someone who yed while looking at the piano like he was doing.
When he gently closed his eyes, his fingers naturally went over the keys.
The soft and quiet first note rang in the room.
This time, his fingers moved not with intense impulse, but just for the sake of ying. His fingers moved with a feeling that he would absolutely be able to control them.
¡®Huh. I did it, didn¡¯t I? It feels better thanst time.¡¯
This melody he was ying note by note conveyed a special feeling to Dowook, who didn¡¯t even know its title.
A slight mncholy. An overwhelming sense of hopeing from within it.
Somehow, it was simr to the situation Jeong Woo-seok was experiencing. It was like an ending song in movies that was yed after all the hardships.
As he was ying, Dowook fell into a trance.
This was probably why music was considered thenguage of emotions.
When a person perceives something visually, what was seen with the eyes would be 10% and what was processed by the brain would be 90%.
Simrly, when a person hears something the ears perceive 10% while the brain interprets and feels 90% of the stimulus.
Dowook only knew the literal meaning of these words from the Introduction to Neurology. But now, he understood that there was something intangible that could be heard.
To a human, music was a source offort that couldn¡¯t be missed.
The song, which smoothly changed from a splendid tremor to a calm embellishment, was over.
Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s daughter, who¡¯d been listening raptly with her jaw dropped open, looked at Jeong Woo-seok.
¡°It¡¯s really simr to the one Dad ys.¡±
¡°Is it? I did something like¡. Have I yed something like this for you?¡±
Dowook opened his eyes and flinched in surprise. Perhaps because he had beenpletely immersed in Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s sense, his vision flickered from normal and ck-and-white causing him some confusion.
Thinking he had to get out first, he gathered his senses and said.
¡°I will leave first. It¡¯s almost time for my next surgery.¡±
¡°Dr. Park Dowook.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°You have good sentiments. Just right forforting people.¡±
Dowook walked down the hall of the VIP ward and thinking he couldn¡¯t continue this way, he fell onto a bench in the rest area.
¡°So there¡¯s a disadvantage like this.¡±
It was not a diagnosis for a neurosurgeon to give, but it seemed his brain¡¯s synaptic structure tried to imitate Jeong Woo-seok¡¯s because he had focused all his attention on the piano.
While he was waiting for the lingering sense to disappear, he heard a familiar voice emerging from the hall opposite the rest area he was in.
¡°Unni. This time we should stretch the road until here¡.huh? That doctor is over there.¡±
¡°Who?¡±
He felt the approach of the sound of someone pulling a mini oxygen tank and someone covered in the scent of fruit tea.
¡°Dr. Park.¡±
¡°Is that you, director?¡±
Dowook turned to look in the direction where Lim So Yool¡¯s voice wasing from with his eyes closed.
¡°Why are you sitting there with your eyes closed?¡±
¡°That thing is.¡±
Dowook tried to make excuses as he quickly epted Lim So Yool¡¯s sense to erase the previous one.
¡°My head was hurting from spending several days in the hospital. I was just resting for a while.¡±
¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a migraine so it will go away soon.¡±
¡°I know as much as a doctor when ites to migraines. Do you also have a fever?¡±
He could feel Lim So Yool touch his forehead with the back of her hand.
¡°Migraines caused by exhaustion don¡¯t disappear just because you close your eyes tightly. It¡¯s best to massage here and here.¡±
As he was getting tips on getting rid of headaches, Lim So Yool¡¯s sensepletely upied his neural circuit.
Sparkle.
Dowook became embarrassed as soon as he opened his eyes. This was because he met Lim So Yool¡¯s eyes which were a few inches away from his.
¡°Umm¡.¡±
Maybe because Lim So Yool didn¡¯t think Dowook would open his eyes without warning, she didn¡¯t take back her hand, which was pressing the middle of his forehead, right away.
Gabby, who was standing next to them, looked at them with a gaze saying, ¡®What is this atmosphere?¡¯
* * *
Lunchtime btedly taken after a surgery.
Watching Dowook eat his food quickly, Seong Chang Soo asked.
¡°You don¡¯t seem to have any worriestely? You¡¯re eating the food like it¡¯s really delicious.¡±
¡°If you¡¯re not going to eat that, give it to me. You¡¯re talking so much because you don¡¯t feel like eating, aren¡¯t you?¡±
At Dowook¡¯s move of stretching his chopsticks toward the Hamburger steak, Seong Chang Soo quickly blocked it with his fork.
¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m always hungry. Shoo! Go away!¡±
Dowookughed at his friend¡¯s reaction when he was only pretending.
¡°Why are you so surprised? I¡¯m going to get another side dish, what about you?¡±
¡°Get me another te of sd?¡±
Dowook returned to the table with a te of jeyukbokkeum and a te of sd. Then he saw Seong Chang Soo staring at the TV without moving his spoon.
¡°Why are you like that? Is there something interesting on TV?¡±
¡°Just wait.¡±
Seong Chang Soo didn¡¯t take his eyes off the TV even as he kept shoving food into his mouth so Dowook couldn¡¯t steal it.
¡°It¡¯s on! It¡¯s on!¡±
¡¶The next piece of news is about the student at Myeong Sae Hospital who overcame severe trauma and took his CSAT and became a hot topic.¡·
News about the condition of the students and Jeong Taejun¡¯s unusual surgery flowed out and moved on to the interview scene.
Along with the subtitle ¡®Emergency Medicine at Myeong Sae Hospital,¡¯ a cheesy doctor¡¯s face with hair fixed in ce with a ton of wax came out.
¡°Dowook. Look at that. I¡¯m on TV!¡±
Seong Chang Soo, who was excitedly sending messages to his acquaintances, was overflowing with energy.
Dowook couldn¡¯t help butugh.
¡°Are you really that happy?¡±
¡°Ve~ry happy. Hey, listen carefully to the interview. I gave a good shot at the dean of Hansung Hospital.¡±
¡¶¡¡someone from the same bus could take the test, while some couldn¡¯t? If we failed that day, reporters would probably have written something like this. Some of those from the bus lived, while others died. I want to ask the dean of that hospital who decided to use the sad story of the students to promote their hospital. Would you have promoted this matter if the students brought to Myeong Sae Hospital¡¯s emergency center did not survive?¡·
¡°Kya. What do you think? Great question, right?¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t that too provocative?¡±
¡°We have to do this much to let the anger fade away.¡±
Seong Chang Soo¡¯s phone began to ring continuously with message notifications. The doctors from several departments who were called over by Commander G that day sent him messages telling him that he¡¯d done a good job.
¡°See, see. I wasn¡¯t the only one who got angry.¡±
As he was reading the messages while humming, Seong Chang Soo frowned when he read a message saying [Everything was ok, but you styled your hair so much it¡¯s making me feel embarrassed.]
Then, he suddenly raised his head when he read that the sender was Park Dowook.
Dowook waved his phone and said.
¡°You won¡¯t look handsome just because you took a bit more care of your hair when your eyes look so tired. You should have just styled it as usual. It¡¯s so obvious that you¡¯ve never done an interview.¡±
¡°Bullsh*t. As if you¡¯ve had any.¡±
¡°Yeah, three times.¡±
¡°Stop kidding around.¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t you try searching for it.¡±
As they were eating, they argued like they usually did. Then, someone ran over to Dowook¡¯s side.
¡°Senior!¡±
It was Nam Hana.
¡°You have to go upstairs immediately. Yoo Sang-il has regained consciousness.¡±
At the news that the driver of the cram school bus had woken up, Seong Chang Soo¡¯s eyes also widened.
When Dowook entered the ICU, the vice-dean had already arrived. Chief Ha was also in attendance.
Quickly approaching, Dowook bowed his head in greeting.
epting the greeting, the vice-dean pointed into the sterile room.
¡°The attending physician should check personally.¡±
¡°Understood.¡±
Putting on a sterile cap and gloves, Dowook entered the sterile room and asked the ICU nurse who was performing preliminary care beside the patient.
¡°How long has it been since the patient regained consciousness?¡±
¡°A little under 10 minutes.¡±
When he got closer, Dowook saw Yoo Sang-il who opened his eyes with difficulty. Although the swelling had reduced over the weeks, there were still many signs of bruising all over his face.
Dowook spoke to the patient first.
¡°Sir, I am Park Dowook, the doctor who operated on you. It has been about 4 weeks since you were brought to the hospital. Although your body is very heavy and there is pain everywhere, please don¡¯t worry. If you understood what I am saying, could you squeeze this hand for me?¡±
The patient¡¯s right hand wiggled. Considering the injury suffered by Yoo Sang-il, it was possible to diagnose that he had improved tremendously since he was able to move his body with his own will.
¡®Active breathing seems to also be possible.¡¯
Looking outside the cleanroom, he could see Chief Ha nodding his head.
¡°Please raise the patient¡¯s body.¡±
The nurse controlled the patient¡¯s neck and raised the upper body of the patient. When the respirator was removed, the patient who had no energy coughed.
¡°We¡¯ve sent a message to your wife so she should be here soon.¡±
The patient, who¡¯d been trying to understand the situation, asked Dowook in a small voice.
¡°The students¡. The students who were in the same idents as me¡¡±
¡°They are all safe. They also took the CSAT.¡±
The patient who came back from the edge of death was still thinking of that ident.
Looking at the patient who was tearing up, Dowook recalled what Seong Chang Soo just said in the interview.
If some on the bus lived and some died. How big of a shock would that have been for this patient?
When faced with the greatness of life, it sometimes felt like all the hubbub of a doctor''s daily struggles were taking ce in a distant world.
The reason he had decided to be a doctor. The first time he was faced with the death of a patient.
On top of the umted weight on his shoulders, Dowook realized that the first thing the patient asked after he woke up was also weighed with responsibility.
After taking a few tests, he went out of the clean room.
¡°How is he?¡±
¡°I saw some arrhythmia, but I think we should dy the administration of drugs until the anastomosis on the head blood vessels stabilize.¡±
¡°Ok. Take good care of the patient until the 3rd round of surgery.¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
After receiving the report, the vice dean turned his gaze to Chief Ha.
¡°I think I mentioned it before. You taught your student well, Chief Ha. I am really looking forward to the future of the neurosurgery department.¡±
The vice dean disappeared after patting Chief Ha on the shoulder. Chief Ha, who had been bowing from the waist, elbowed Dowook in his side.
¡°Did you hear?¡±
¡°I heard.¡±
¡°Do well, student. My shoulders are too heavy thanks to you nowadays. I mean, why is a severe trauma patient who recently underwent a head surgery and was about to undergo a chest and hepatopancreatic biliary surgeries still being cared for by the neurosurgery department? We aren¡¯t even a part of the 3rd round of surgery.¡±
¡°You have to hold on. That is theposure of a surgeon.¡±
Letting out a deep sigh, Chief Ha patted Dowook on the shoulder as if he was getting dust off him and said.
¡°Ok. I¡¯ll clean up, you¡¯ll clean up. Let¡¯s try to keep on together. Why?¡±
¡°Because neurosurgery is one body?¡±
¡°Correct. In that vein, Dowook. Since we removed you from on-call duty, there were some holes in the weekend schedule¡..¡±
¡°Ahem, it¡¯s time for surgery. I¡¯m leaving!¡±
* * *
Hansung Hospital, Dean¡¯s office.
-¡¡I want to ask the dean of that hospital who decided to use the sad story of the students to promote their hospital. Would you have promoted this matter if the students brought to Myeong Sae Hospital¡¯s emergency center did not survive?
¡°That greasy-looking bastard.¡±
An issue that had to be refuted right away came out.
Gritting his teeth and raging at Myeong Sae Hospital, Dean Kim Chun Man grabbed the phone temporarily wrapped in tape because he threw it.
¡°Hey, this is the emergency department, right? Put on Sangdong.¡±
-Sir, this is Chief Shim.
¡°Gather all the names of Myeong Sae Hospital¡¯s emergency center staff and send it over right now.¡±
-Myeong Sae Hospital¡¯s? Why so suddenly¡.
¡°I¡¯m preparing because not doing anything would make us look like idiots. You don''t want to get any applications in the future? Don''t you know that we''ll only get picked if we step on Myeong Sae Hospital?"
-I¡¯ll do it! I¡¯ll do it right now!
As soon as he put down the phone, it rang again. Thinking it might be Shim Sangdong, he answered the phone and heard a familiar sound from the other side.
-This is Yoon Jinho.
¡°Reporter Yoon? What? You want me to buy you dinner? From now on, you will only receive lunches under the Kim Young-ran Act from our hospital. Don¡¯t contact me for personal reasons, either. Such a useless reporter.
[T/N: The Kim Young-ran Act is an anti-briberyw in Korea that states those working in public institutions cannot ept gifts exceeding ?50,000.]
-I understand why you¡¯re angry, but I contacted you for an interview today.
¡°What is it?¡±
-There is a rumor that the parents of the students from the cram school bus ident that are hospitalized in Hansung Hospital all wish to have their children transferred to Myeong Sae Hospital in preparation for the college interview and discourse. Is this true¡.
Crash bang!
The phone which was barely holding itself together rolled on the floor.
The title of a news article, ¡®Myeong Sae Hospital, which has Recovered its Honor. Who Will Win the Title of Best Regional Trauma Center?¡¯ entered his sight as Kim Chun Man leaned back on his chair while grabbing onto the back of his neck due to his blood pressure going up.
¡°Oh f¡.¡±
¡ª¨C
sync : Pianist¡¯s skills that shine due to blindness
action : When cing hands over the keys with eyes closed, a touching melody flows out.
Chapter 42: Online Star (1)
9 PM, a house somewhere in Gimpo.
Kim Soo-han who was starting his 7th year as an online streamer opened the door to an area decorated with soundproof booths and turned on the lights.
Equipment for transmission andputer games were revealed inside the room covered with thick sound-proofing material.
Turning on theputer and sitting down, he shook his hair which was still wet from his shower.
¡°I¡¯mte,te.¡±
The system finished booting up a minute after being turned on.
The background of the gameputer, chat window, and a camera screen featuring a boy next door were all gathered together and were transmitted through a broadcast tform called ¡°Twitch.¡±
[Live ON AIR]
[Sukan¡¯s Game World]
¡°Hello, everyone. Monday, November 19. I will start the broadcast now. Thank you for watching and wee.¡±
Even before he finished his words, thements of viewers who were connected to the chat window quickly poured onto the screen.
¡¸Which game will you y today?¡¹
¡¸Late 5 minutes!¡¹
¡¸Sukan-hyun!!! I couldn¡¯t watch your live stream yesterday so I went to watch the recap beforeing over^^¡¹
With severalments being pushed up on the screen in an instant, he saw ament that could portray his experience as a streamer of 7 years.
¡¸Hyung, your face looks a bit rounder these days. Aren¡¯t you on a diet?¡¹
¡°Grind what? Don¡¯t use ng. It doesn¡¯t sound good. And me, it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t put anything on my face. I don¡¯t have a girlfriend so I have no reason to go out.¡±
¡¸The man married to live streaming, Kim Sukan!¡¹
¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t have anything other than live streaming and you guys. But if I suck in my stomach like this, I also look ¡¡..¡±
When he folded his arms and looked in the distance in an old-fashioned pose, the chat window was filled with ¡°haha¡±.
¡¸Hahahahaha. No, hahahahah this hyung did gain a bit of weight.¡¹
¡¸This person was the Jang Dong-gun of Gimpo once upon a time!¡¹
[T/N: Jang Dong-gun is a famous actor in Korea.]
He encouragedmenting in order to lead to a pleasant atmosphere, but another rted chat came up.
¡¸If you don¡¯t like ng, I¡¯ll give you a gentle review. Your face seems like it¡¯s having diarrhea.¡¹
¡¸diarrhea hahahahaha¡¹
¡¸Me too! Each of your facial features is strongly asserting themselves!¡¹
¡¸Your features are moving freely here and there to match the era of globalization^^¡¹
¡°These punks are sticking whatever they want to my face. Just do it once, don¡¯t hurt your brains.¡±
The chat window was filled withughter.
Kim Suhan shook his clenched fist to get a reaction and increased the audience¡¯sughter.
Maybe because of theughter at the beginning of the broadcast, the number of viewers increased suddenly. Almost 10,000. He became energetic at the idea that today¡¯s broadcast would be popr again.
¡°The game we will y today is the one we talked about on Saturday, Battlnd Practice.¡±
A popr game where 100 gamers were dropped on a virtual battlefield and fought until only one was left.
Although 3D shooting games made him nauseous, Kim Suhan could not give up on thispetition.
The prize was one thing, viewers would also gather in droves. There wasn¡¯t an opportunity to increase his poprity like this.
¡°Ok, let¡¯s start the first round!¡±
Inside the monitor, Kim Suhan¡¯s naked character ¡®Sukan¡¯nded on the Battlnd with a parachute.
Entering a brick house, he put on the clothes on the floor and picked up the pistol. As he was going to the next house, he met someone.
¡°What is that!¡±
TangtangÒ»!
[Sukan has died under Peeyu88¡¯s fists.]
Even though he shot his pistol, his character fell under the attack of the other¡¯s fists. Current rank 100. He became thest in a game where it was hard to fall to the bottom.
¡¸Hahahahahahahahaha!! Such great skill!¡¹
¡¸Hyung. Can I say a few swear words?¡¹
¡°No!¡±
Kim Suhan quickly exined that it was a misjudgment and started the matching for the next round.
This time, he killed one person and was killed by a yer who came over after hearing that noise. There were fights in other areas so his current rank was 91.
¡°Arrrrgghhhh!¡±
¡¸It¡¯s alright, hyung. You were ranked top 1 in the biggest voice category. I saw it.¡¹
¡¸Awesome scream hahaha¡¹
In the third game, he defended himself throughout the game while moving around the outskirts and died because he failed to arrive at the safe zone within the time limit.
¡¸Solitary death? Dam hahaha this is why hyung is so fun to watch.¡¹
¡°Don¡¯tugh. I¡¯m gonna kick you out if youugh from now on. I¡¯ll ban you if youugh!¡±
¡¸Ha?????????¡¹
¡¸Hyung! I died while I wasughing??¡¹
The chat window was starting to be covered with tears.
This job where the content of the broadcast came from the stories from the moments ofmotion, criticism and cheers for his gamey.
Others might think he was a jobless shut-in who slept during the day and was up at night, but Kim Suhan enjoyed his life.
He banged on his keyboard and med the equipment. He poured out his anger.
Some viewers had fun. Others felt sorry for him.
It was around the climax of the broadcast.
The ninth match.
Expecting to rise through the ranks with quite a few kills, the viewers held their breath this time.
Kim Suhan, who was carefully moving his character in the bushes, tried to pull the trigger with his mouse as soon as the enemy appeared.
¡°Huh?¡±
But his finger stopped still without shooting a single bullet. The character on the screen died under the enemy¡¯s bullets while looking puzzled.
¡°¡¡Argh. Suddenly my arm.¡±
¡¸Is it your arm¡¯s fault this time? Where did you buy that arm?¡¹
¡°That¡¯s weird. It feels like it¡¯s cramping¡¡.¡±
Kim Suhan, whose body became rigid, banged his head on the keyboard without finishing his words.
The conversation continued without rest in the chat window.
¡¸Look at him put on a show at his embarrassment?????¡¹
¡¸No, it re-re a l ???????!!¡¹
¡¸This hyung, his immersive acting is the best among the streamers, the best.¡¹
¡¸You watched everyone on YouTube?¡¹
But as Kim Suhan didn¡¯t show any changes, the atmosphere in the chat started to change.
¡¸Did he really faint?¡¹
¡¸No way¡¡.¡¹
¡¸????????¡¹
¡¸Someone call 119!!¡¹
* * *
10 AM, Chief Ha Sang Joong¡¯s office.
Dowook, who was carefully looking at the A4 papers spread on the sofa table, picked them out.
¡°How about here?¡±
Chief Ha snorted when he received a paper printed with photos and information about Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, USA.
"You¡¯re saying you want to go to Johns Hopkins for your staff training".
¡°There¡¯s no reason why I can¡¯t.¡±
¡°There¡¯s plenty of reasons you can¡¯t. If you apply under the name of the hospital, one of the top 3 hospitals in the US will ept you no problem.¡±
¡°They say this hospital isn¡¯t one of the top 3 anymore.¡±
¡°Even if it¡¯s one of the top 40, brat!¡±
After yelling, Chief Ha pushed the documents containing prominent US hospitals such as MD Anderson, Memorial Sloan, and Mayo Clinic with one hand. And he took an old book from the bookshelf and threw it onto the table.
¡°The only option you can choose is this.¡±
It was a pamphlet about a hospital located in a small city in the central United States.
¡°This is the hospital we have a sisterhood with. Colorado Springs.¡±
Dowook, who¡¯d been rummaging through the pamphlet, frowned.
¡°Not even 10,000 patientse through in a year. How many among them woulde for neurosurgery?¡±
¡°What about it? You¡¯re just going for a month of training and you¡¯re acting as if you¡¯re going on an exchange program. You just have to take a quick look at the American surgeon culture.¡±
¡°So you¡¯re telling me to go on a tour for a month? Rather than that, it¡¯s better to stay here and receive more patients.¡±
Chief Ha snatched the pamphlet away and spoke as if he was in a foul mood.
¡°If you want to.¡±
¡°Ok, I¡¯ll do it that way.¡±
The list of ces for his training which he had put a lot of thought into since dawn, got scattered on the floor. Dowook, who¡¯d been watching it, stood up.
¡°I¡¯m leaving. You don¡¯t need me for anything else, right?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t!¡±
Chief Ha, who¡¯d shouted proudly, hurriedly lowered the finger he¡¯d raised toward the ceiling as he remembered a patient he wanted to send to the aces of neurosurgery in Myeong Sae Hospital.
¡°There isn¡¯t, but Dr. Park. By the way.¡±
¡°Why is your voice so kind suddenly?¡±
¡°A case came in. It¡¯s a cerebral aneurysm.¡±
¡°Is it ruptured?¡±
¡°No, unruptured.¡±
Dowook turned his back without a care.
¡°You know Prof. Choi doesn¡¯t even look at simple surgeries.¡±
¡°You brat. This isn¡¯t a trifling case. And you can squeeze it in the period you are performing the surgery. You said Choi Hoo doesn¡¯t care about that?¡±
Seeing that he begged this much, it was clear this patient was someone he was acquainted with. Sensing a weakness, Dowook grabbed it right away.
¡°John Hopkins.¡±
¡°Even if you want to go there, it isn¡¯t logically possible to go there.¡±
¡°You have a lot of connections in the medical association. Your student wants to look at some advanced surgical culture, but you can¡¯t even use them?¡±
¡°Whew¡¡.¡±
After a moment of struggle, Chief Ha nodded his head.
¡°I¡¯ll look into it. Even if it¡¯s not John Hopkins, at least at that level. In return¡¡.¡±
¡°In return?¡±
¡°10 patients that I request from now on. You¡¯ll go in for surgery without asking orining about it.¡±
¡°What, it¡¯s fine if it¡¯s 3.¡±
¡°3, don¡¯t you have a conscience¡¡ 7.¡±
¡°5.¡±
¡°Damn. 5. In return, you can¡¯t say no.¡±
The small dispute between teacher and student who knew each other for around 10 years reached a dramatic agreement.
¡°What kind of case is it?¡±
When Dowook asked, Chief Ha beckoned him over to theputer. Subsequently, a digital patient chart was opened.
¡°The patient was taken to the emergency room at Gimpo General Hospitalst night. Their neurosurgeon transferred the patient to our hospital. I confirmed the transfer this morning.¡±
¡°If it''s Gimpo, we''re talking about the ce of your junior, right?"
"Yeah. You''ll be shocked when you hear who this patient is."
"The name''s written right here. Kim Suhan. Age is 32. He is a year younger than me."
After thinking about it for a moment, Dowook asked.
"Who is Kim Suhan?"
"How can someone so young not know who Sukan is?"
"Sukan?"
Click. Chief Ha clicked his mouse to open Youtube and several videos came up in the search.
Among them, he clicked the one introduced as ¡®Game Broadcast Full of Tension, Sukan TV.''
¡°He¡¯s the most entertaining Live Streamer these days. He¡¯s really entertaining while ying games. He¡¯s hrious.¡±
¡°You like games, chief?¡±
¡°Not ying, just watching. My daughter was watching, so I watched beside her once or twice during the weekend¡. Oh. This wasn¡¯t what I wanted to say. He¡¯s a celebrity so take care of him properly. Give him a thorough examination. You know that the scariest type of fans areizens, right?¡±
Dowook walked out of the manager¡¯s office after printing out the chart and moved to the two-person ward area on the 11th floor.
A two-person ward was more expensive than a six-person or four-person room, so it was a ce where those with a bit of money were hospitalized.
Dowook who¡¯d been thinking, ¡®How much could streaming on the Inte earn?¡¯ when his stereotypical thinking was broken by the sound of Chief Ha¡¯s yelling from earlier.
-He earns 5 times more than you, you punk. The number of starbursts in a day. Ah, these are donations. Anyway, do you know how much that is?
¡°What does it matter?.¡±
If a coil embolization was required, embolization with a microscope would be required and doing the surgery himself was sufficient.
Looking at the CT scan taken in the emergency room yesterday, it seemed to be a normal cerebrovascr problem. The chief must have pushed the case to him because the patient was famous at the request of an acquaintance.
Patient care that other staff could not imagine when they cooperated with Prof. Choi.
Whether this was something he should benefit from or be careful of, Dowook hadn¡¯t decided yet.
¡®I¡¯ll try it once. And if Prof. Choi says something, I just won¡¯t do it.¡¯
While waiting for the elevator, he opened the video app on his phone. After searching for the channel Chief Ha watched a while ago, he saw thetest video.
The number of views was over 100,000. It wasparable to the bus driver¡¯s video.
¡®Huh?¡¯
The title was sensational enough that he couldn¡¯t help but click it.
[Sukan-hyung died while gaming!?]
It was the live stream video from yesterday. Clicking on it, it showed edited footage of how Sukan yed normally and suddenly dropped his head on the desk.
¡®Are you telling me he uploaded a video of him having a cerebral hemorrhage and sold it?¡¯
He seemed to be a patient who was not ashamed of being made fun of at all.
Dowook paused as he was clicking his tongue at the people immersed in the peripheral fun on the broadcast.
¡°Did his arm get paralyzed?¡±
It was not a symptom mentioned in the chart. The fainting was diagnosed to be a part of the aneurysm.
He re-watched the video several times. Then, he discovered the patient¡¯s eyelids shaking like a seizure.
¡°Hmmm¡¡.¡±
Usually, a doctor couldn¡¯t see what the patient looked like before they lost consciousness. But because of this patient¡¯s job, a very clear high-quality video of it could be seen.
¡®Vascr stenosis. Cerebral infarction. The possibility of an extensive aneurysm cannot be ruled out.¡¯
If his arm truly was paralyzed, this was not a simple patient.
Dowook quickly moved to the 11th floor.
Knock knock.
The moment he knocked and entered RM 1103, Dowook became bewildered.
-It¡¯s true. The moment I woke up after passing out, the emergency center doctor said, ¡®it¡¯s because there¡¯s bleeding in your head. It¡¯s best to have a thorough physical exam at a big hospital.¡¯
The patient, Kim Suhan, was in the midst of broadcasting with a small camera connected to his phone.
¡°Um¡¡ sir?¡±
As he approached the patient and called out, a man in his early thirties with a warm look turned his head.
¡°As soon as I said it, a doctor from a big hospital is here, everyone!¡±
Dowook and Kim Suhan. A high-tension voice rang inside the hospital room with only two people.
Chapter 43: Online Star (2)
[LIVE ON AIR]
[Sukan¡¯s Hospital Visit]
A handsome doctor appeared on the screen of Kim Suhan¡¯s emergency center broadcast, which was watched by as many as 15,000 people.
¡°I am Park Dowook, the attending physician assigned to you.¡±
¡¸Attending physician? Sukan-hyung¡¯s looks can¡¯tpare at all?¡¹
¡¸Ask him how old he is, hyung.¡¹
¡¸Right. If he¡¯s older than Sukan-hyung, it would be unbelievable. He looks way younger.¡¹
After a nce at the phone¡¯s chat window, Kim Suhan asked.
¡°Doctor, you seem very young. If I may ask¡..¡¡.¡±
¡°I¡¯m 33.¡±
¡°Whoa, hyung.¡±
Seeing the appearance of Kim Suhan who bowed his head right away in greeting, the chat window was filled withughter.
-Diring.
[¡®HandsomeDoctor¡¯ donated ?10,000.]
-Mr. Doctor. Even though Sukan looks like that, he¡¯s 31 years old.
When the phone automatically read the message, the doctor turned his head with a puzzled look. In the meantime, Kim Suhan lowered his head and shouted as he posed with a double-chin.
¡°Goodness, ?10,000 donated by HandsomeDoctor! I will keep working hard!¡±
¡°What on earth are you doing at the moment¡¡.¡±
¡¸Hahahahaha This must be that doctor¡¯s first time seeing a live streaming.¡¹
¡¸Newbies on Twitch are so cute~¡¹
¡°We have to discuss your symptoms, will you be keeping this on?¡±
¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. The video I uploaded at dawn became a hit so I opened a live broadcast but this also became popr. If it doesn¡¯t bother you, can I continue to film?¡±
-Diring.
[¡®SaveSukan¡¯ donated ?5,000.]
-We also want to see! Please!
The doctor¡¯s gaze turned to the direction of the phone where the notification came.
¡°Well¡¡ That¡¯s fine.¡±
¡°SaveSukan¡¯s ?5,000 donation! Thank you, thank you! Luv you~¡±
At Kim Suhan¡¯s chaotic reaction to the donation in the middle of a conversation, the doctor pointed to the table in the hospital room with a confused face.
¡°Let¡¯s sit down first.¡±
¡¸The doctor seems a bit confused.¡¹
¡¸Hahaha I would also pretend not to know him if I met Sukan-hung outside. Really.¡¹
The number of viewers in Kim Suhan¡¯s broadcast channel, where messages appeared constantly, rose steeply and surpassed 20,000 viewers.
Dowook came to discuss the symptoms seriously but fell into confusion. He had seen countless patients with cerebral hemorrhage but he had never seen someone so normal.
Even Seong Chang Soo, who often spoke and acted like he had a few screws missing, was not this bad.
¡°You already know that a cerebral aneurysm had ruptured causing you to faint, right?¡±
¡°I heard it from the other hospital. But even though they said there was bleeding in my head, they didn¡¯t even give me a single pill.¡±
¡°That¡¯s probably because the amount of bleeding wasn¡¯t that much and the blood was absorbed naturally. You also returned to consciousness pretty quickly.¡±
¡°Does that mean I¡¯m not in any danger?¡±
¡°If that were so, you would have been discharged and not transferred to Myeong Sae Hospital.¡±
He tried to reflect on his usual tone when interacting with patients while calmly answering, but there was a cheerful sound from a phone.
A virtual voice spoke out one after another.
-He speaks very logically since he¡¯s a doctor. My hyung¡¯s QI is trash so he needs things exined simply.
¡°Whoa, ¡®WhatDidYouDoLastNight¡¯! Thank you for the ?10,000 donation!¡±
Kim Suhan, who made a ridiculous posture emphasizing his chin fat, looked at Dowook.
¡°Doctor, then does that mean I¡¯m in danger?¡±
¡°We need to find out through a few tests. Just now, someone said that something of yours was trashed¡¡.¡±
¡°Ah, QI. It¡¯s IQ backwards. It¡¯s used when making fun of streamers.¡±
-Diring.
-A serious doctor and Sukan-hyung who doesn¡¯t even know what that word means. It¡¯s too funny~
Kim Suhan, who once again crossed his arms with his hands tucked within his armpits and showing off his chin. Then the room became quiet. Since there were only two people in this room.
Deciding to give up on building rapport with the patient, Dowook asked.
¡°Are you going to stay in that pose?¡±
¡°Ah. I¡¯m sorry, doctor. It¡¯s a rule if I receive more than ?10,000. I y ser games often, so this is a ser y ceremony. Do you know Mbappe?¡±
¡°I know scrotitis. Hopefully you didn¡¯t get it.¡±
¡°Heuk.¡±
Kim Suhan quietly took his hands out of his armpits and used them to cover an important area.
¡°Please focus on the medical consultation for just a minute. I have to go into surgery soon.¡±
¡°I understand. You guys also heard, right? Stop the pose for a minute.¡±
Dowook took out his phone and opened the video he was watching as he came to the room.
¡°This! This is exactly what happened yesterday, right?¡±
¡°Oh, did you also watch it, doctor?¡±
¡°Just this part.¡±
He stopped the video right before he passed out and approached Kim Suhan..
¡°You showed symptoms of arm paralysis before you lost consciousness.¡±
¡°Oh, that. My left arm suddenly couldn¡¯t move. I don¡¯t know if I suddenly got a cramp. When I woke up, it was better. It¡¯s been a while since I stopped exercising.¡±
¡°It¡¯s more urate for a doctor to make a diagnosis. You don¡¯t have to guess and analyze the cause yourself.¡±
-Diring.
-sharp. Hahaha
Dowook calmly continued as Kim Suhan nodded slightly with a start.
¡°From now on, we will conduct cerebrovascr MRI and basic tests, which take about 4 hours. It''s expected, but there''s a serious bomb in your head right now. Yesterday, it was a symptom that showed that.¡±
At this point, any patient was bound to be nervous. Kim Soo-han was no different. Untilments came out.
-Diring.
-Is my hyung dying? NO way, I can¡¯t lose Sukan!
¡°Whoa, ¡®PouringSauceIsATrend¡¯! ?100,000 donaaaatioooon~ Make some noise!¡±
Kim Suhan jumped up, turned around shaking his arms, and began to dance joyfully.
Dowook gently pressed his forehead and called one of his juniors to do the tests.
[Seongtae. I have to go in for surgery. Come to the 11th floor and take over a patient for me.]
Shwaaaaa.
An Hosan, who was washing his hands with disinfectant under running water, lightly greeted Dowook who just entered the D-rosette.
¡°Is the main surgeon for this surgery Prof. Choi or you?¡±
¡°It¡¯s me.¡±
An Hosan smiled toward Dowook who started to wash his hands beside him.
¡°These days, I don¡¯t have to worry when operating for neurosurgery. It¡¯s sofortable since Prof Choi marks for you. It finishes quickly. It¡¯s clean. It actually makes me want to join in.¡±
¡°If you doze off because it¡¯sfortable, I can¡¯t cover for you.¡±
¡°That''s a big problem. I can''t help but fall asleep when I''m with Professor Choi and you. Nurses yawn all the time. Don''t you agree, nurse Song?¡±
The nurse, who was moving the cart to the operating room, nodded and covered her mouth with her hands, andughed.
¡°See see. That stressed Nurse Song also said it¡¯s nice.¡±
¡°This patient is not in good condition, so you have to pay a lot of attention to his vitals. I heard that he had hard trainingst week..¡±
¡°Training?¡±
¡°A soldier. A special forces soldier or something.¡±
A man in his 40s with the position of a sergeant. He, who had undergone surgery due to tissue necrosis caused by cerebral infarction, worked in a ce with a slogan like, ¡®Do it until it works, evil to evil.¡¯
[TN: A cerebral infarction is the pathologic process that results in an area of tissue in the brain (cerebral infarct). It is caused by disrupted blood supply (ischemia) and restricted oxygen supply (hypoxia), mostmonly due to thromboembolism, and manifests clinically as ischemic stroke.]
As they were talking, the patient arrived at the D-rosette.
¡°The special agent is here. I¡¯ll go and start the anesthesia.¡±
¡°Please take care of me.¡±
After An Hosan went in, Dowook washed his hands carefully and stood in front of the operating room.
¡®Phew. There are 3 surgeries today. Let¡¯s do our best.¡¯
The reason Prof. Choi¡¯s hysterics calmed down was that Dowook would arrive first and look through the operating room with the Professor¡¯s sense first.
¡°Nurse Song.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°That¡¡ A strand of hair is out, could you fix it?¡±
Although covered with a mask, he could feel the nurse¡¯s cheeks blush. But it was still better to receive criticisms like this rather than Prof. Choi¡¯s knife-likements.
¡®The tools¡¯ condition, check. Sterility, check. The floor¡¯s ok, too.¡¯
Dowook, who carefully checked the state of the OR for 15 minutes, finally felt relieved. It was hard work, but it made performing the surgery much smoother.
¡°Great work.¡±
After finishing a surgery that took 3 and a half hours, Dowook bowed at the waist toward Prof. Choi.
The surgery was neatlypleted, but since the patient was known for overdoing things before he was brought in, they had to watch him carefully.
¡°Hana. Check the patient¡¯s vitals every hour after the patient wakes up, and call me right away if his blood pressure drops.¡±
¡°Yes, senior. But, why didn¡¯t you connect the blood vessels at the end after peeling off the necrosis?¡±
¡°Huh? That¡¯s¡¡.¡±
Since he skipped it because Prof. Choi¡¯s sense didn¡¯t want to, Dowook had to think about it for a while.
¡°I didn¡¯t suture it in advance because there is a risk of developing calcified nodules.¡±
¡°Calcified nodules would develop?¡±
The rarest form of development mechanism among arterial thrombosis. Last Choi¡¯s sense predicted it, and Dowook followed it and continued the surgery
¡°So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s better to watch and treat it with medicine. As expected¡¡.¡±
Understanding Choi Hoo¡¯s intentions, he hadn¡¯t asked questions in the middle of the surgery, but Nam Hana was reviewing the surgery with wide eyes.
¡°Aren¡¯t you going to send the patient to the recovery room?¡±
¡°Ah. I¡¯m sorry.¡±
Nam Hana, who moved the patient onto the mobile bed with the transportation managers, looked at Dowook.
¡°I¡¯m learning lots of things from going into surgery with you nowadays.¡±
¡°It¡¯s all experience. Don¡¯t miss one even if it¡¯s hard ande watch.¡±
¡°Yes, senior.¡±
Dowook, who had taken off his gloves, mask, and gown, came out and headed for the waiting room.
When he entered a room, arge monitor showing what happened in the D-rosette, the wife was nowhere to be seen and 5 generals in Marine-boy style military uniforms were lined up in a row.
¡°Doctor.¡±
When he turned to look at the source of the loud voice, a man in a stylish naval uniform with three stars on his shoulder spoke.
¡°Are you the doctor who operated on Sergeant Major Jeong? I sent Hyejung away for a moment.¡±
The patient¡¯s wife¡¯s name was Jin Hyejung.
¡°Who¡¡¡±
¡°I am Hyejung¡¯s father. Sgt. Maj. Jeong¡¯s father-inw.¡±
Three stars, a lieutenant general of the Navy was the father-inw. Dowook couldn¡¯t help himself from being surprised.
¡°How did the surgery go?¡±
¡°It went well as expected. There should be no effect in his life, and I think we just need to prepare for the aftereffects that will appear in the future while watching the recovery process. There was nothing special during the surgery¡¡.¡±
As the surgeon''s exnation continued, sighs of relief poured out from the back of the Navy Lieutenant General. Dowook, who had turned to them, flinched.
He didn''t go to the military because he worked as a public health doctor, but he knew well that the one-star and three-stringed Mugunghwa sses were also very high ranked.
[T/N: Mugunghwa is the national flower of Korea and used to show military rank.]
The 1-star general and lieutenants were waiting for the lieutenant general¡¯s words like nervous recruits. It was a scene that was hard to see in a person¡¯s life.
¡°Captain Park.¡±
¡°Yes! Lieutenant general!¡±
The answer of the captain with one-star was both modest and loud. Kim Suhan, who was broadcasting live earlier, was this loud, but the genre waspletely different. The tension could be felt here.
¡°I will not stop you from controlling your soldiers with force. But, what kind of training is it that even the drill sergeant ended up like this?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll fix it right away!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t just say the words. Regimental Commander.¡±
¡°Yes! Lieutenant general!¡±
¡°Did I tell you to change Sgt. Maj. Jeong¡¯s position or did I not?¡±
¡°But there isn¡¯t a drill sergeant who teaches as well as Sgt. Maj. Jeong just yet¡¡¡±
When the colonel with 3 Mugunghwa spoke for a long time, the one-star frowned and provided hints with his eyes.
¡°I-I¡¯ll fix it right away!¡±
Dowook saw the universal truth right that the rank above was scarier than the rank far above.
It was interesting to see the elderly respond at the top of their voices, but it was difficult to fulfill his job as a doctor in this atmosphere.
¡°The patient will wake up in 2 hours, so I will see you in the patient¡¯s ward then.¡±
The lieutenant general, who was giving a fierce look to the subordinates, turned to Dowook.
¡°Thank you for the hard work, doctor.¡±
Soldiers below One Star saluted Dowook as he was leaving the waiting room.
Dowook, who entered the staff office, grabbed his phone because he couldn¡¯t see Kim Seongtae, who he had ordered to take Kim Suhan for tests.
¡°Seongtae, are you not finished with the tests yet?¡±
-Senior. This patient is driving me crazy. He¡¯s noisy and all over the ce.
¡°He isn¡¯t still broadcasting, is he?¡±
-He stopped in the middle because his phone ran out of battery. I think he said he had 30,000viewers? He asked me to charge it because if he didn¡¯t turn it on right away we¡¯ll be attacked by terrorists.
¡°Which tests did you finish?¡±
-We finished most of them. We¡¯re in the ECG room right now.
He walked over to aputer and opened the digital chart.
Checking the cerebrovascr MRI, Dowook swallowed a groan. The worst-case scenario that could have happened was spread out over the patient¡¯s head.
Multiple aneurysms.
If you touch one, the other will inevitably burst, so the diagnosis was difficult and the surgery was more difficult, so there were many neurosurgeons that gave up.
This type of cerebral aneurysm was treated as a kind of incurable disease, in which you had to live with an artery in your head that might burst at any time.
¡°Seongtae.¡±
-Yes, senior.
¡°Listen to me carefully. Do whatever the patient asks of you first. Then make him sit him down in a quiet ce. Tell him I¡¯ll be right there.¡±
-Why are you like that?
¡°Do it first. I¡¯ll exinter.¡±
-Yep.
Instructions. Performing as they were heard without saying a word.
Like the soldiers he had witnessed earlier, the professors and doctors learning medicine acted simrly. It was just that a doctor didn¡¯t do the same after the age of 50.
Right after Dowook hung up, he called Chief Ha.
-Yeah, Dowook.
¡°Please check Kim Suhan¡¯s chart.¡±
-Just a sec.
The rustling sound heard over the phone soon turned into a groan.
-What is this? Why are the blood vessels such a mess?
¡°I can¡¯t tell if a surgery is possible or not.¡±
-Wow. Why is it so tangled at such a young age?
¡°Should I suggest conservative treatment or surgery?¡±
-Wait a sec. This can¡¯t be solved after checking for a while. Did you tell the patient?
¡°I wanted to do it now.¡±
-Life. What a surprise to a kid who has such a fun broadcast. First, let''s reveal the results of the examination as it is, and listen to the patient¡¯s opinion for the surgery and discuss it.
Standing up from the seat, Dowook went to find the patient right away and make a decision on whether to operate or quit. He thought that this was what the patient needed.
¡®Should I ask?¡¯
Chapter 44: Online Star (3)
3rd floor indoor garden, 2 PM.
Leaning on a bench, Lim So Yool was savoring thest of the autumn sun shining through the skylight/ss ceiling.
Having spent a while with her eyes closed, she became aware of her dulled sense of time and checked it with a flinch.
¡°It¡¯s already thiste. Secretary Ok must be waiting.¡±
She raised her phone and called her secretary.
¡°You should be home for today. And please reschedule the visit to the cardiology department to tomorrow.¡±
-Go home? Already?
¡°I have some ns to recalcte and amend¡.. And the autumn sky is nice today.¡±
-Didn¡¯t you sleep wellst night? Weren¡¯t the calctions already finished? And right now, it¡¯s winter, not autumn. Are you wearing your coat properly? It would be bad if you catch a cold so please remember to zip it uppletely. Don¡¯t forget that you have a weak immune system.¡±
Following the usual sharp criticism, Lim So Yool''s eyebrows wriggled. Then, she saw the person she had made an appointment with standing at the entrance.
A short and logical excuse. She needed to calcte. To calcte.
¡°The financial cooperation for the integrated internal medicine departments seems to take twice as long as the surgical departments. As the amount of drugs used is different, there are many excuses made by the people in charge. A lot of variables have been added. I¡¯ll spend today dealing with those variables.¡±
-Oh dear. You must be very stressed? Should I inform the vice-dean? He did say to call him whenever the department chiefs pressure you¡¡
¡°I¡¯ll take care of it. Anyway, go home. Right now.¡±
Thest few words were almost yelled out in a whisper. As soon as she put down her phone, he was in front of her.
With hisptop under his arm, Dowook brightly greeted Lim So Yool, who was styled very differently today.
¡°You finally got rid of the patient¡¯s gown.¡±
¡°You¡¯re here.¡±
Lim So Yool, who zipped up her coat carefully like Secretary Ok nagged her to do, stood from her seat.
¡°I didn¡¯t think you would suddenly ask me to help calcte with you.¡±
¡°My patient¡¯s circumstance is quite unique. Thank you for agreeing even though you must be busy.¡±
Dowook pointed to a pic table in the rest area of the indoor garden.
¡°Should we do it over there?¡±
¡°Sure.¡±
Moving to the table, Dowook ced hisptop on it and Lim So Yool ced her notebook and pen.
¡°Your patient is famous this time as well?¡±
¡°They said he¡¯s popr on the Inte. There¡¯s apparently a job called BJ¡¡ no, streamer. And around 10,000 people watch that broadcast.¡±
[T/N: BJ stands for Broadcast Jockey. It¡¯s just another name for live streamers in Korea.]
Dowook, who essed the academic portal, found the date and disyed the reports on the screen as he spoke to Lim So Yool.
¡°This patient¡¯s case is more extraordinary than Jeong Woo Seok. There is a lot of research about the nature of cerebral aneurysms. Do you think that would help a patient understand the diagnostic information more urately?¡±
¡°Just because there are many samples, it can¡¯t ascertain the reliability of the data. If there are too many, it can be problematic when setting the representative value.¡±
¡°representative value?¡±
¡°We can also call it the standard. Like a guideline to reach the answer. You also set the guidelines for thest patient¡¯s data and handed it over to me. Don¡¯t you remember?¡±
¡°Ooohh. Right, right.¡±
After smiling awkwardly, Dowook acted as if he was thinking about something, then he took out a pen and looked at Lim So Yool.
¡°Could I have a sheet?¡±
¡°Here.¡±
Receiving the paper, Dowook started to quickly organize something.
Scribble, scribble.
For a moment, only the sound of a pen moving across a sheet of paper filled their surroundings.
For Lim So Yool, there was no other time that made her calm and feel good as the moment when she could quietly write as she was locked in her thoughts.
The crooked voice of the chiefs of the internal medicine departments who she had to deal with the whole morning was buried in the sound of that pen, so she didn¡¯t think about it anymore.
She couldn¡¯t believe that she could even enjoy watching others calcte. She thought maybe this was what healing felt like.
Dowook, who was filling a page with numbers, showed signs of embarrassment as her forehead came very close to him.
¡°Um¡¡ I¡¯ve been staying too quiet for a while now haven¡¯t I?¡±
¡°No, continue what you¡¯re doing.¡±
Lim So Yool watched as the page was filled up by Dowook with both her arms on the table and her chin resting on them. As if she was watching a very fun movie.
¡°Like you said, having a lot of cases is also a problem. I¡¯ve used up the paper.¡±
¡°Here.¡±
Lim So Yool quickly tore another page from her notebook and put it in front of Dowook then she pointed to the middle of the function he wrote and said.
¡°The Bonferroni method is effective inparing mean values. You don¡¯t have to test the non-independent hypothesis. You came to me to do the 1/n. Are you going to do everything by yourself?¡±
¡°It¡¯s¡.. I was just too focused. I¡¯m sorry.¡±
She didn¡¯t know why he was apologizing when she was pointing out something he did well.
Dowook pushed out the page he was done with.
¡°It was 1/n, right? Please.¡±
Lim So Yool took it and skimmed through it, looking for the reference point first.
Risk factors for cerebral aneurysms. Rted symptoms. Shape. Location. Size.
All of them were converted into densely written numbers.
This patient had symptoms of a problematic aneurysm and they had to find a way to extend their life expectancy while considering active or conservative treatment.
After 30 minutes.
Filling up the 5th page and stopping, Dowook paused after taking a look at Lim So Yool, who sat in front of him.
One hand was calcting while the other hand was patting the tabletop. An act showing that she was looking for something subconsciously. Of course it was something sweet.
As he was looking through the ss door of the garden wondering if he should go to the convenience store, his phone vibrated.
[The tests for patient, Kim Suhan, are done. I was going to lead him to a quiet ce but he wanted to get some fresh air.]
[I¡¯m at the indoor garden. Bring him here.]
They were almost finished organizing, so Dowook quickly went to the convenience store.
Lim So Yool, who was tapping the tabletop while filling her notebook, turned her head with a ¡®huh?¡¯ when she felt something get caught in her left hand. A chocte milk from the convenience store was held in her hand.
¡°You seemed to be looking for something like this.¡±
¡°There¡¯s a danger of bitterness depending on the amount of chocte.¡±
¡°Is that so? I bought this one because the cashier said it was the sweetest.¡±
Lim So Yool quickly red at Dowook.
¡°I don¡¯t eat everything just because it¡¯s sweet, ok?¡±
¡°Then, I¡¯ll change¡¡¡±
Her behavior of answering bluntly and then opening and taking a sip right away made him speechless.
She seemed to eat anything as long as it was sweet but he didn¡¯t think it was right to criticize when he was asking for her help.
Taking a sip and making a happy face, Lim So Yool opened her mouth.
¡°The error test for the frontotemporal approach surgery is over.¡±
¡°How is the probability?¡±
¡°Compared to the reference point, the average chance of sess is 43.17%.¡±
Anteriormunicating artery aneurysm which was the most dangerous area when surgery was attempted, was less than half the probability of sess.
Dowook sighed at the darkest news he had to deliver to the patient who would be here soon.
¡°I understand. Thank you for your help, Director.¡±
¡°It was my pleasure.¡±
Lim So Yool¡¯s gaze which was aimed at the notebook was sparking.
¡°If you apply this case, which was subtracted as a type 1 error, as a reference point, the probability can be raised to 72.1%.¡±
¡°Is there such a case?¡±
¡°The hypothesis is correct, but it was deleted from the variable because there is only one sample.¡±
Dowook, who checked the part Lim So Yool pointed out, recalled the reference he had only nced at earlier. Even if it was grabbing straws, he had to try so he gathered the data in his notebook.
¡®It¡¯s Yeo G. E. G.¡¯
A dissertation about a surgery tried only once by a surgical team from John¡¯s Hopkins three years ago.
¡®The ligation structure is unique.¡¯
A vascr suture surgery that 4 neurosurgeons tried to perform in an emergency situation wherein mass cerebral hemorrhage urred in a patient.
It was a different suture created by adding a quick response on top of another quick response. The aneurysm pattern of this patient who survived such a dramatic situation was somewhat simr to that of Kim Suhan.
¡°The patient was cured, but the risk assessment of the surgery is the worst.¡±
It was almost gambling it one¡¯s life on the line. He couldn¡¯t ask the patient to consider this.
¡°Senior!¡±
Kim Seongtae¡¯s voice was heard from the entrance of the indoor garden so Dowook raised his head. Kim Seongtae, who entered with the patient following him, made a face showing he was tired of the situation.
Trying to look for the reason why, a camera rod was held in the patient¡¯s hand. He was broadcasting once again.
Dowook turned to look at Lim So Yool.
¡°The patient is in the middle of broadcasting on the Inte. It will be chaotic due to the camera, would you like to go upstairs? I¡¯ll just talk to the patient about the parts that have been calcted, the rest can be organizedter.¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine with it.¡±
There was no one around, but Kim Suhan was chatting boisterously while looking at the camera. He felt like he was dealing with an younger brother who was not two years but 20 years younger.
Seeing they had almost arrived, Dowook urgently said.
¡°You might be fine with it, but what crime did the patient¡¡¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°¡¡.nothing.¡±
[Live ON AIR]
[Quest for Ssuhan¡¯s Health]
The doctor who was seen in the morning appeared in the video of Kim Suhan which was viewed by as many as 30,000 people making it the No.1 on the broadcasting tform¡¯s ranking.
Dirring.
-HD~
[T/N: in the raws, it was an acronym for the donator¡¯s user name (I think). So I did the same when tranting.]
¡°?10,000 donated by ¡®HiDoctor¡¯! Thank you!¡±
The selfie stick shook a lot because he was making a reaction pose. In the meantime, the chat window went crazy about the appearance of a woman who passed through the screen at the end of the video.
¡¸Who was that just now??¡¹
¡¸A nurse?¡¹
¡¸She was wearing civilian clothes, though? She¡¯s very pretty.¡¹
Only Kim Suhan¡¯s face was shown again as the doctor¡¯s voice spoke.
¡°From now on, we need to discuss sensitive issues about your symptoms. If you don¡¯t mind revealing it to outsiders, please check that part first. That you won¡¯t ask us to take responsibility.¡±
¡°These guys? It¡¯s fine. They¡¯ve seen me sloshed while I was doing a drinking mukbang.¡±
Dirring.
¡°Whoa, ¡®DogSpoutingAlcohol¡¯. Arf arf. Thank you very much for the ?100,000 donation! Arf arf!¡±
When he danced the mortar dance in front of the doctor again, the chat window was filled withughter. In the meantime, the position of the selfie stick changed, and this time, a woman¡¯s face was captured head-on.
¡¸!!!¡¹
¡¸Whooooa! What! Who is that noona! Is she an actress?¡¹
¡¸Noona, I died!¡¹
Dirring.
-Ssuhan-hyung. Stop doing embarrassing things and ask who thedy beside the doctor is.
¡°¡®3738¡¯, thanks for the ?5,000. Um, doctor. Who is this person?¡±
¡°She¡¯s ¡.. helped with the diagnosis process.¡±
The doctor who paused while speaking made eye contact with the woman.
¡°She¡¯s a mathematician I invited especially due to your symptoms.¡±
¡°I¡¯m Lim So Yool.¡±
Kim Suhan was surprised.
¡°A mathematician? Is there a job like that?¡±
¡°There¡¯s a job where you talk to yourself while looking at a phone, is there anything surprising about being a mathematician?¡±
At the woman¡¯s retort, the chat window was filled withughter.
¡¸Right. That noona¡¯s words are a 100% correct. Ssuhan-hyung is the weider guy.¡¹
¡¸This is my first time seeing someone say that their job is a mathematician.¡¹
¡¸You too? Me too.¡¹
¡°Sir, please sit here first. Seongtae, you did a good job.¡±
While Kim Suhan was setting the camera on the table after taking it off the selfie stick, the doctor spoke.
¡°In the morning, I said that there might be a bomb in the patient¡¯s head. After looking at all the test results, I find I need to correct my analogy.¡±
¡°You¡¯re saying it¡¯s not serious? I thought so. I don¡¯t feel any different than normal.¡±
Just in time, the camera was fixed to show the entire table.
The doctor and mathematician sitting together. Kim Suhan who was sat facing them.
In the peaceful atmosphere, the doctor¡¯s voice continued.
¡°Once a bomb is removed, the danger disappears, but your case is not like that. It wouldn¡¯t be strange no matter when you die.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right. It wouldn¡¯t be strange no matter when I leave¡. What?¡±
Probably because of how shocking the doctor¡¯s words were, the chat window froze for a moment.
¡¸Really?¡¹
¡¸Ssuhan-hyung is dying?¡¹
Looking back and forth between the doctor and the camera, Kim Suhan asked in a shaky voice.
¡°Are you saying that I¡¯m terminally ill?¡±
¡°Regretfully yes.¡±
He could really feel it was true because of the doctor¡¯s calm facial expression.
¡°Ha. hahaha¡.¡±
Kim Suhan, who was in despair and looking as if he was suddenly hit by a thunderbolt, spit out a monologue toward the camera to cheer up.
¡°I didn¡¯t know that when I jokingly said that I would die on live stream, they would return to me like this. They did say the ¡°life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but aedy in long-shot.¡±¡±
¡°This case is a tragedy even from a distance, though?¡±
The doctor quickly whispered to the mathematician who had made the cool correction of the monologue.
¡°I know. You¡¯re telling me to just say the numbers, right?¡±
The doctor continued to speak to Kim Suhan, who started crying in shock, with a very stable voice.
¡°Please calm down. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s no answer to the problem. In some cases, the lifespan has been extended for more than 30 years with only conservative treatment. Cerebral aneurysm is different from person to person.¡±
¡°What should I do to live?¡±
¡°We will tell you the probability of each circumstance, you have to decide. You don¡¯t have to tell me the decision right away. Director?¡±
¡°In the case of conservative treatment, 82.42% of the patient surviving for 5 years. 50.25% of surviving for 10 years and 15 years¡..¡±
Kim Suhan burst into tears as direct numbers rted to his life expectancy flowed out.
Dirring.
-Hyyyyuuuuunggg!
¡° ¡®Don¡¯tDie¡¯ ?5,000¡¡ Sob sob donation¡..sob sob.¡±
Dirring.
-I won¡¯t forget Ssuhan!
¡°¡®Dont¡¯Go¡¯, 10,000¡. Sob sob. Thank you. Really eve¡..¡±
The doctor became embarrassed by the sight of everyone in the chat window and the live streamer bing a sea of tears, but the mathematician still continued to say the probabilities quietly.
¡°¡¡the possibility ofplete recovery is 72.1% if a risky surgery is performed, but the probability of sess of the surgery itself cannot be measured. There is only an evaluation that it is extremely low.¡±
Kim Suhan, who was crying, took a deep breath and turned toward the camera.
¡°Guys. You all heard, right? I¡¯ll start a poll on what to choose from now on.¡±
¡°What?¡±
The doctor asked thinking he had misheard.
¡¸??????¡¹
¡¸Insane. Is this hyung thinking of being a live streamer until the day he dies?¡¹
The audience typing in the chatroom also asked if he had gone insane.
Chapter 45: Online Star(4)
A/N: Due to IRL stuff, I won''t have ess to aputer and maybe the Inte for the first two weeks of November. So, only three chapters a week will be scheduled for those two weeks and any donated chapters will be uploaded once I''m back to civilization. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Dowook was confused as to how he should feel about the chaotic poll happening in front of him.
¡°Ms. Mathematician, what was the third choice?¡±
¡°Coil embolization. The technological sess rate is 90.03%, but theplete recovery rate is 57.23%, and the recurrence rate is 24.4%.¡±
¡°Whoa, it¡¯s like hearing the probability of obtaining a game item. You guys heard, right? The third is coil embolization.¡±
There were many patients who sought their family and friends¡¯ opinions when thinking about how to cope with a disease. However, someone seeking opinions from perfect strangers on the other side of the Inte didn¡¯t exist in Dowook¡¯s view of the world.
¡°What about the fourth?¡±
¡°Cerebral aneurysm embolization. The technological sess rate is¡¡.¡±
Dowook turned to Lim So Yool, who was answering all of Kim Suhan¡¯s questions with probability rates. She was helping the patient without any change in her expression.
¡®Has she seen a lot of live streams?¡¯
It was not surprising because she disyed a determined attitude in everything, s he had no choice but to watch the conversation between the two with concern since he remembered how she hadmented coldly on the patient¡¯s condition several times earlier.
This patient was a special request from Chief Ha Sang Joong. As such, Dowook was obligated to take care of him even in areas that he didn¡¯t usually pay attention to.
Feeling Dowook¡¯s stare, Lim So Yool turned to him. And she asked an unexpected question.
¡°Dr. Park, you¡¯re also looking forward to it, right?¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°It will be a good sample that can lead to an optimal global solution.¡±
Although Dowook had memorized severalplicated medical terms, even a single mathematical term popping up made him go nk.
At Dowook¡¯s speechless response, Lim So Yool brought her head slightly closer and added with a low voice.
¡°The size of the sample making a choice is about 30,000. I can make an evaluation function to see how convincing each coping method was.¡±
¡°Ah¡¡¡±
As expected, it wasn¡¯t an ordinary reason.
Reading his wry expression, Kim Suhan intervened in their conversation.
¡°Doctor, you seem bewildered. Although these guys chat like that, their advice is the best in the world. I¡¯m not insane.¡±
In other words, he wanted to hear what they, on the other side of the Inte, wanted to advise him on the direction for the rest of remaining time on earth. Lim So Yool was waiting expectantly in the opinion that this would be the best possible choice.
¡®I don¡¯t care anymore.¡¯
It would be better to manage if a patient diagnosed with an incurable disease was motivated to live.
There wasn¡¯t a reason to stop him, and Dowook didn¡¯t think anything he said would convince Kim Suhan so he didn¡¯t say anything. Around the pic table in the indoor garden, only the sound of conversation between Kim Suhan and Lim So Yool could be heard.
¡°Ok. So until now, there are a total of 7. I¡¯ll keep the poll open for 10 minutes and decideter, so think carefully and choose.¡±
Starting the timer, Kim Suhan¡¯s eyes were still a bit red. Whatever was chosen, he must feel anxious since he was told he would have a constant risk of cerebral aneurysm.
Viewers¡¯ donations continued as Kim Suhan waited anxiously.
-Dirring.
-Ssuhan-hyung! Be strong!
-Ddirring.
-Let¡¯s have the funeral broadcast in 50 years!
-Ddirrring.
-Doctor. Please save our Ssuhan-hyung!
There was no end to theforting messages until the set timer rang.
After 10 minutes.
Kim Suhan lifted his phone at the beeping rm.
¡°Everyone, thanks for the vote.¡±
The 7 treatment ns suggested by the doctor. Kim Suhan ced his finger on the button leading to the results.
¡°This brat, not answering your phone.¡±
Ha Sang Joong ran out of his office after an hour of waiting for Dowook to call since he had promised to call after asking Kim Suhan¡¯s opinion.
Wandering around the corridors of the neurosurgery and the staff room, he stopped in front of Choi Hoo¡¯s office which he didn¡¯t even look at.
They were all the same doors, but this one seemed to always let out a gloomy energy.
Knock knock.
¡°Choi Hoo¡¡¡±
Ha Sang Joong peeked a little into the room then his eyes went wide.
¡°Park Dowook!¡±
Dowook, who was practicing sutures on the mock operating table, turned his head.
¡°Chief?¡±
¡°What¡¯s with that expression which says you don¡¯t know anything? What about the call? And the patient Kim Suhan!¡±
¡°Oh, right.¡±
¡°Right? Where do you keep your attention!¡±
cing the surgical forceps down, Dowook turned towards the shaded area.
¡°Director, please pause the calctions for a moment.¡±
Angry at his student¡¯s irresponsibility, Ha Sang Joong, who was stomping hurriedly into the room, saw the woman standing up, this stopped his steps and he hurriedly ced a hand on the table in the middle of the room to stop his swaying body.
¡°Director Lim?¡±
Standing from her seat, Lim So Yool nodded slightly.
¡°Wee, Chief Ha.¡±
¡°Why are you here¡¡. I heard you were going to visit the integrated internal medicine department.¡±
¡°I finished the cooperation over there in the morning.¡±
¡°Aha, in the morning.¡±
Considering that there was no message from the chief of the integrated internal medicine in the group chat named ¡°Lim So Yool Countermeasure Team¡± secretly operated by the department chiefs, it seemed that he was in the same dire straits as the other chiefs.
Dowook approached Ha Sang Joong and revealed why Lim So Yool was there.
¡°The director is helping with Kim Suhan¡¯s diagnosis. Like with Jeong Woo-seok.¡±
He quickly became anxious at the mention of the pianist.
The process of what happened a few weeks ago because of Prof. Lee Won Seoking to suggest an extraordinary operation and Choi Hoo dly epting that suggestion crossed his mind.
¡°So what did the patient decide on?¡±
¡°That is¡¡.¡±
Dowook turned to the mock operating table in the center and replied.
¡°He agreed to surgery.¡±
¡°He agreed? He made a difficult decision. How willing is he? Does he fully understand that in cases like this, the probability of a full recovery is not certain even after surgery?¡±
¡°That¡¯s the reason I wasn¡¯t able to call you right away.¡±
Dowook held up a piece of paper next to the mock operating table and stuck it out to Ha Sang Joong.
¡°What¡¯s this?¡±
¡°This is a prediction drawnparing themon parts of the cerebrovascr MRI of a patient at John¡¯s Hopkins three years ago and patient Kim Suhan¡¯s MRI. The cases are simr.¡±
¡°You drew this?¡±
¡°The director did.¡±
Taking the paper in his hand, Ha Sang Joong eximed in amazement over the virtual MRI image captured urately with a pen. Then his gaze stopped at the pen marks made by a different color over the blood vessels to mark where the ligations were nned.
Ha Sang Joong''s eyes shook.
¡°What is with thisrge number of sutures?¡±
¡°The treatment n chosen by the patient.¡±
¡°Choice? The patient has even chosen how to ligate the arteries?¡±
¡°I analyzed the probabilities of some possible cases and suggested them.¡±
Since Ha Sang Joong focused on just cerebrovascr cases for 20 years, he was able to grasp how dangerous and unstable this technique was just by looking at the structure of the procedure.
¡°This is like you wrapping up the blood vessels with thread. Are you blocking a leaking faucet? How will the blood flow to the brain?¡±
¡°But if we seed, there is a chance ofplete recovery.¡±
¡°Are you going to use a ligation technique that has never been heard of and requires the highest surgical skills? You won¡¯t be able to wrap it like this even if you use a machine. Has there ever been a case of a surgery like this being sessful?¡±
"Yes. I''ve printed the files here.¡±
Dowook continued his exnation after handing over the paper spectacrly. This was the result of surgery performed by 4 talented surgeons at John Hopkins during an emergency.
¡°Dowook, you shouldn¡¯t do this. Even if you bring out 4 neurosurgeons with surgical experience, you won¡¯t be able to recreate this. Why? Because they were just doing whatever they could since there was no other choice. There¡¯s only a very small chance of it happening!¡±
¡°I¡¯m also not saying we should do it right away, I wanted to discuss it with Prof. Choi and then talk to the patient again. That¡¯s why I forgot to call.¡±
¡°Come on, do you think Choi Hoo would have met a patient like this?¡±
Click.
The office door opened and Choi Hoo came in.
¡°Dr. Park, here¡¡.¡±
Choi Hoo was looking down at the ice cream cone in the convenience store bag as he entered. When he saw the other two people in the room, he paused.
As soon as Ha Sang Joong saw Choi Hoo, he yelled.
¡°Choi Hoo! Come check what kind of nonsense your assistant is talking about!¡±
Choi Hoo who arrived closer did not act as Ha Sang Joong had expected. He passed an ice cream cone to Dowook.
¡°Here Dr. Park.¡±
¡°Thank you, professor.¡±
He didn¡¯t hand one over to Lim So Yool, who met his gaze for a moment since he had bought the ice cream ording to the number of people in his office.
After a moment of awkwardness, Dowook passed his ice cream to Lim So Yool.
¡°You have it, director.¡±
¡°Me?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Lim So Yool nodded in thanks. cing the bag on his desk, Choi Hoo asked Dowook.
¡°We¡¯re going into surgery soon. Don¡¯t you need some sugar? The surgery won¡¯t end before mealtime.¡±
¡°I ate this and that while talking to a patient.¡±
¡°I see.¡±
Ha Sang Joong became furious at the rxed normal conversation between the two surgeons.
¡°What are you doing? Am I the only one in a hurry? Why am I the only one angry again!¡±
Taking a bite of his own ice cream, that was when Choi Hoo finally turned to Ha Sang Joong.
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°Dowook, this kid says he wants to try a procedure that hasn¡¯t been verified.¡±
Turning his gaze, Choi Hoo looked at Dowook.
¡°A new procedure?¡±
¡°It¡¯s this one.¡±
Dowook pulled the retractor further to the side of the model so that the inside was easier to see.
Choi Hoo asked as he looked at the suture tightly wrapped around a blood vessel.
¡°Multiple rounds. Is it a patient whose blood vessels can¡¯t hold out with a single round?¡±
¡°The diameter of the A1 segment is estimated to be less than 0.8mm.¡±
¡°If the pressure goes up, the ligated area will be torn. Hmm¡¡.¡±
After observing the model closely with his arms crossed for a while, he raised his head.
¡°In liver transnt surgery, reconstruction of blood vessels ismon. The areas of the blood vessels that are cut are sewn up with tissue peeled from normal blood vessels. How about securing the thickness that way?¡±
¡°Securing the thickness? Then¡¡.¡±
Dowook¡¯s expression changed as if he had just realized something. When Ha Sang Joong saw that he had asked Choi Hoo to scold Dowook but they ended researching anding up with new ideas, he was amazed.
¡°Director, we need to calcte the probability again regarding stability. A lot of variables have been added.¡±
¡°Right now?¡±
¡°Yes, I think something good wille out.¡±
Even Lim So Yool, who was eating ice cream with enjoyment, joined the study.
¡°What, even the director¡¡.¡±
The strange work of the three continued as if they had an implicit agreement.
Choi Hoo made ns for the procedure by mentioning different cases, and Lim So Yool verified them. The surgical robot and the calction robot just continued their work without any human emotional exchange.
Ha Sang Joong stared at Dowook who was the most ridiculous thing within this already absurd situation.
He went here and there, and was so busy moving to the point where he himself became confused whether he was a doctor or a mathematician.
After 10 minutes.
Finishing the calctions, Lim So Yool walked over to the mock surgery table with the papers.
¡°Adding thest variable proposed by Prof. Choi ensures stability simr to that of existing aneurysm surgery. Of course, it¡¯s just a prediction.¡±
Dowook¡¯s expression became brighter.
¡°A new path appeared.¡±
Putting thest bit of the ice cream in his mouth, Choi Hoo pped his hands. Then he told Dowook.
¡°Try to suggest this procedure to the patient.¡±
¡°I understand.¡±
Finally, their whole conversation was over. Ha Sang Joong shouted as if he had been waiting.
¡°Everyone stop! All surgeries done by the neurosurgery department is the responsibility of the chief. In this hospital, you can only do this surgery if you convince me first.¡±
When he tackled this with his authority to approve, Choi Hoo suddenly responded.
¡®We must do it. It¡¯s hard to meet a case like this in a lifetime.¡±
¡°You¡¯re going to turn a blind eye to doctor ethics with an excuse to save people? I can¡¯t tolerate situations where we have to gamble on such untested procedures.¡±
Maybe because he agreed, Choi Hoo didn¡¯t object. Rather, he answered this way.
¡°I will confirm that this procedure will not be dangerous. Then, will you approve?¡±
¡°Yes, if you prove it.¡±
Choi Hoo turned to Dowook.
¡°Dr. Park.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Everything that can be postponed from tomorrow¡¯s surgery schedule will be pushed to next week. We will train for the remaining time. And contact the association. Tell them we want to verify a new procedure.¡±
Ha Sang Joong was very surprised.
Choi Hoo, who usually acted first whenever there was a disagreement, took a step back, no, two steps back and followed regtions.
¡°Choi Hoo. Why are you so obedient?¡±
¡°I am?¡±
¡°Yeah, you. Normally you would start by threatening to raise a knife.¡±
¡°In this once in a lifetime case, it will be over if I raise my knife.¡±
¡°Of course, that¡¯s the true you.¡±
¡°However¡¡.¡±
Choi Hoo¡¯s gaze remained on Dowook, who was cleaning up the mock operating table, and Lim So Yool, who was unexpectedly helpful.
¡°I think such cases will continue to happen. I think we need to put a new regtion in ce.¡±
¡°Regtion?¡±
Thinking that he meant to continue discovering new procedures whenever there was a chance, Ha Sang Joong felt a migraineing up.
¡°What do you n to do when you fail with verification?¡±
¡°It won¡¯t fail. Since I¡¯ll try until it happens.¡±
At Choi Hoo¡¯s deration, not only Ha Sang Joong but also Dowook were startled.
Chapter 46: Online Star (5)
Coming out of the office, Ha Sang Joongughed despondently.
The surgeon with the devilish talent to repeat any procedure with the same skill level as long as he was familiar with it dered that he would practice until he seeds.
When was thest time Choi Hoo, who always ran like a lone wolf, decided to do things by the book? Moreover, the reason was Dowook.
¡°Ha. Really. I get to have a great student in thetter half of my life, filling my life with variety.¡±
The student, who he expected to have a hard time under Choi Hoo, somehow became the key figure who caused such idents every time instead of being discouraged.
It wasn¡¯t enough to make him lose his mind trying to exin the alternative surgical concept of brain stic surgery to the association, but now they were trying to create a new technique for the crowning glory of surgeons.
At this rate, he was a little afraid a day woulde when those surgeons asked for permission to do a surgery that didn¡¯t exist in the world.
¡°Rotten bastards. Phew, my stomach. Augh, stress.¡±
Vrrrr.
As he was walking down the corridor, his phone rang. When he opened it, he saw that it was a direct message from the chief of the Integrated internal medicine department.
[Chief Ha!! What should I do?? I can''t go around with my head up anyway because of Director Lim. How did she dig up amission from 5 years ago?. She said I have to return everything. Is there no way to talk her out of it? Who was it? Would it be possible to ask Dr. Park?]
Reading everything, Ha Sang Joong frowned. Then he called the Integrated internal medicine chief immediately.
-Chief Ha~
As soon as he heard the other''s voice, Ha Sang Joong shouted.
¡°Why do you want to pass that poop on to our Dowook? Director Lim was discharged from the hospital, so she is no longer under the charge of our department. Don¡¯t even think about contacting Dowook about this. Or I¡¯m gonna kick you out of the group chat!¡±
Ending the call, Ha Sang Joong huffed in anger.
¡°How can you bother a kid who has to perform 3-4 surgeries a day.¡±
Although he scolded Dowook a lot in the office, outside he was his family and student.
¡°How!¡±
As he was walking down the hall, Ha Sang Joong tilted his head.
¡°Just a sec. For what reason is Director Lim helping Dowook so much? She''s probably really busy.¡±
He had heard rumors that her workload was enormous in preparation for an ounting audit.
¡°She camest time and said something about Dowook being the future of the hospital. NO way¡¡.¡±
A sudden guess.
¡°¡¡Did she fall in love with our Dowook?¡±
It was such a ridiculous idea that Ha Sang Joongughed loudly.
Park Dowook was the one who ended a blind date he had prepared for him by himself because he had an emergency patient. What method would he have to use to attract not just any beauty but Lim So Yool.
¡°Impossible. Right. I know Dowook pretty well.¡±
7 PM, two-people ward area.
Finishing one more surgery, Dowook entered Kim Suhan''s ward.
Walking down the hall on the 11th floor, he noticed that the door of the far away RM 1103 was wide open. There were quite a few people going in and out, so he hurried to the door wondering what was going on.
¡®Huh?¡¯
Inside the hospital ward. The side of Kim Suhan¡¯s bed was decorated like an Inte cafe. Some people wearing uniforms with the words ¡°Computer Hot ¨C Get AS anywhere in the country¡± were in full swing installingputers and equipment.
¡°Please install the monitor of the transmissionputer a little closer. I need to be able to check with just a turn of my head.¡±
Kim Suhan, in the middle of all the chaos, had just seen Dowook and said hello.
¡°Pleasee in, doctor.¡±
¡°What are these people doing?¡±
¡°The CEO of CompuHot donated things so I could have a good game in thepetition on Saturday. Equipment is important for FPS, so it¡¯s hard with just aptop. It can¡¯t handle the overheating.¡±
Surprised that the reason thepany employees wereing in and out of the room was a gamepetition, Dowook asked.
¡°Do you want to live stream?¡±
¡°Just on Saturday. Before that, I¡¯m just going to practice.¡±
¡°You should refrain from doing anything that will harm your condition for surgery. In the video I watched briefly, you had a lot of emotional ups and downs whenever you yed games. If you¡¯re stressed, you¡¯ll be in big trouble.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll try to be as rxed as possible. It might be thest broadcast of my life, I can¡¯t ruin it by not practicing.¡±
Last. Knowing the seriousness of the word, Dowook didn¡¯t even try to stop him. Instead, he made a suggestion.
¡°If you must practice, do it in front of medical staff. You must also have a vein transfusion line attached for quick stability. It hurts a lot. If your vital system worsens, you stop immediately and rest.¡±
¡°That much is, well. I¡¯m doing this so I won¡¯t have regrets so I should endure that much.¡±
Kim Suhan¡¯s expression even looked resolute for a moment.
¡°I understand. I¡¯ll assign a nurse to take care of you.¡±
¡°Just with the voting, you don¡¯t know how grateful I am because you didn¡¯t stop me from making my choices. In that manner, can I have just a ss of beer with my dinner?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°It might somehow be myst beer¡¡.¡±
¡°That only works once. Before surgery, any alcohol is prohibited.¡±
Dowook informed Kim Suhan, who was instantly depressed, of the discussion he had with Prof. Choi to give him a bit of hope.
¡°¡¡If it is recognized by the Society, we can use this surgical method for your surgery.¡±
¡°Oh my god.¡±
¡°Although this method has been added, it is not certain that it is more stable than other difficult aortic aneurysm surgeries. After the verification, you should be careful about your health until your surgery.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±
Kim Suhan¡¯s expression brightened again.
¡°Hearing such great news needs congratting. In that way¡¡.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not possible. Head nurse! Please put a footnote that alcohol is forbidden in this ward and please watch the patient carefully.¡±
* * *
Three days had passed by since they pushed all surgeries to the next week and started training.
Dowook, who opened the office door and went outside, flinched when he saw that all the lights in the hall were off. He had thought it would be evening, but it was already in the middle of the night.
¡°Ugh, my body.¡±
He couldn¡¯t remember how many times he repeated the same suture. Coming here the moment he woke up to practice and practice. Borrowing Choi Hoo¡¯s sense was not much of a help either.
Dowook reasonably thought perhaps it was because he was also not familiar with this technique.
He thought whether he should hurry to the night duty room and get some sleep first, but he moved toward the 11th floor first. Detailed condition checks for Kim Suhan were indispensable since other surgeries were pushed back for him.
As he approached RM 1103, he heard the sound of a mouse clicking and a shout immersed in the game as expected.
-Haha! Drop it! Where do you think you are attacking from?
As he opened the door, he saw a screen of the Battlnd game, which was in the midst of fierce battles. The ward nurse and intern, who were watching from behind the patient, bowed their heads to Dowook.
Seeing Dowooke in, Kim Suhan also grinned.
¡°Doctor, I¡¯m just about to reach first ce. You came at the right time.¡±
Dowook approached Kim Suhan, who was sitting in front of theputer, and checked his physical condition first.
It was painful to sit with wires attached all over your body and an intravenous line attached to the shoulder connected to your central vein. However, Kim Suhan was not frowning at all.
Because Kim Suhan was boldly oveing the stress caused by the physical pain, Dowook had to tolerate the excessive shouting while ying games to an extent.
¡°Huh? No!¡±
[Sukan has been killed by HandsomeJunhyuk¡¯s grenade.]
On the screen, Kim Suhan¡¯s character was seen lying on the floor. Kim Suhan sighed deeply and was disappointed.
¡°Argh, such a waste. I really could have reached first ce.¡±
¡°You think 15th ce is a waste? Turn your head and open your eyes wide. Let me check the state of your nerves.¡±
While his pupil reaction was being examined, Kim Suhan grumbled.
¡°If you¡¯re 15th out of 100 people, you¡¯re in the top ranks. You don¡¯t even understand.¡±
¡°But there are 14 more people above you.¡±
¡°Have you ever yed Battlnd? Don¡¯t you know that it¡¯s a rule to acknowledge the 15th or higher shots?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure about the shots. But I think it¡¯s a problem to catch one and not look around because you¡¯re so happy about it. Just now, you were so excited about winning first ce that you were sted by the grenade without being able to see it.¡±
When he pulled away after the examination, Kim Suhan looked up at Dowook with a dumbfounded look.
¡°Doctor, do you know that you¡¯ve been giving a lot of advicetely?¡±
¡°I have?¡±
¡°Even now, like. I didn¡¯t even turn on the broadcast, but it feels like I¡¯m next to my viewers. If it¡¯s gonna be like this, it¡¯s better to turn on the broadcast and get donations. Rather than paying money to get criticism from my doctor.¡±
The ward nurse and intern, who were watching the practice,ughed at Kim Suhan¡¯s reaction of turning away from Dowook as they followed the conversation.
¡®I was criticizing?¡¯
Dowook scratched his cheek.
He was usually not interested in Inte broadcasts at all, but as he watched a few times, he naturally intervened every time he watched.
¡®It¡¯s actually a lot of fun.¡¯
Was this what it would feel like if you transmigrated into a coach during a nationalpetition when you didn¡¯t know much about ser? No, there was no sense of immersion in the national game.
The possibility of giving real-time advice right in front of your eyes and watching the reaction. If live-streaming waspared to food, it would be something very addictively spicy.
¡°I¡¯m going to collect some blood from an artery.¡±
¡°Again? I mean, how can you take blood whenever youe to see me?¡±
¡°It¡¯s not every time but every 6 hours. It¡¯s needed to judge yourtest physical condition. So we can respond faster in emergencies.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t know how I am even though I have a lot of these things on my face? A doctor?¡±
He seemed annoyed but the reason wasn¡¯t because of the blood extraction. That long needle in his shoulder hurt more.
Dowook smiled slightly and asked.
¡°Are you going to criticize my diagnosis?¡±
¡°No, well¡¡.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t stop you. Try.¡±
Even after being given permission, Kim Suhan looked warily at Dowook and turned towards the monitor.
¡°I¡¯m going to win first ce this time, so enjoy my skills. Doctor Noob.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s make that thest game. It¡¯s already past midnight.¡±
¡°Ok,st game.¡±
Saturday, at dawn.
Dowook, who was resting his tired body in the night duty room, shot out to the hall at the sudden call.
[Patient, Kim Suhan¡¯s left arm has be paralyzed!]
m!
Kicking the door of RM 1103 open, Dowook saw the patient surrounded by the ward nurse and intern.
¡°Doctor¡¡.¡±
Kim Suhan, who was lying in bed, smiled bitterly as soon as he saw Dowook.
¡°I think it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t listen to you and did too much.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t move it at all?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t even put some strength into it.¡±
Kim Suhan, who was lying with his left arm drooping, looked weaker than any other time Dowook had seen him.
¡°Of all times, on the day of thepetition. Do you think this hand will return to normal?¡±
Dowook pressed Kim Suhan¡¯s left arm muscles and as he checked the state of his nerves, his gaze stopped on Kim Suhan¡¯s eyelids.
It was slight, but a reaction of his eyelids shaking. It was the symptom he saw in the video before the patient fainted.
¡°I can judge more urately after taking a CT, but even if the paralysis is relieved, moving is prohibited. Nothing good wille from stimting the cerebrovascr system.
¡°But¡¡.¡±
Kim Suhan, who was about to cry. Although the effort and meaning put into the preparation for today¡¯s broadcast were regrettable, they were not more important than his health.
¡°Nurse. Please give me 5©J of Diazepam.¡±
First aid was urgently prescribed with an anticonvulsant to the central vein. After about a minute passed.
¡°Huh? Doctor. Look at this.¡±
Seeing Kim Suhan about to move the arm that had been paralyzed and had loosened, Dowook pushed down on his shoulder.
¡°Please don¡¯t move it.¡±
¡°It seems to have gotten better, though?¡±
¡°It¡¯s just because I suppressed some of the brain¡¯s activities and made the nerves dull. It¡¯s a temporary recovery, so take a rest first.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t we do something just for thepetition?¡±
Dowook admonished the patient who wanted to broadcast even in this situation.
¡°Come to your senses, sir. As long as you recover, you can participate in dozens ofpetitions like this. We are continuously increasing the stability of the surgery. There¡¯s no reason to overdo it.¡±
¡°How can I do that? I made a promise to my viewers. Those guys have been waiting for me to simply turn on the broadcast for a few days. My inbox is about to explode.¡±
¡°You are sick. What is the reason you must do this while enduring this kind of pain?¡±
When asked by the cold doctor, Kim Suhan¡¯s eyes turned red with emotion.
¡°I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t think so. But to them, I¡¯m Yoo Jaeseok of Infinite Challenge. If theckluster guy in the neighborhood goes out to apetition and gives a good disy at least once, they cheer andugh about it. It may seem like a ridiculous jobpared to being a doctor, but this isn¡¯t a job for me. It¡¯s a way of life.¡±
Tingle.
A sensation digging into his fingertips. It was clear that this belonged to Kim Suhan.
He felt like he wanted to sit on that chair decorated like an Inte cafe and start a hectic broadcast whilemunicating with thousands of people right away.
The Inte broadcaster who looked immature also had a philosophy, and a skilled sense umted after doing this job for a long time.
Dowook fell into deep thought as he felt the patient¡¯s sense.
Since he was a patient who had to undergo surgery with a new type of ligation, it was not possible to wait and see as his mental state was even a little bit disturbed.
However, was it correct to ignore this tingling sensation?
A value that would not have been considered if he didn¡¯t have his special sense.
Making a decision, Dowook spoke.
¡°There are restrictions on the use of blood pressure-lowering agents and anticonvulsants. Your paralyzed arm won¡¯t stay rxed throughout thepetition.¡±
¡°D-do you mean it is possible?¡±
¡°Yes. I¡¯ll keep watch beside you. But if I tell you to give up in the middle, you have to do it.¡±
¡°I understand.¡±
¡°And don¡¯t take your anger out on the mouse and keyboard.¡±
¡°I under¡¡ what? Is that also rted to my symptoms?¡±
¡°It¡¯s not good to me your equipment when you know you¡¯re not a good shot.¡±
Dowook, who understood the concept of live-streaming after a few days. Kim Suhan¡¯s jaw dropped at the bone-biting criticism under the pretext of a diagnosis.
¡°Doctor Park, you were a newbie though¡¡.¡±
Chapter 47: Online Star (6)
[LIVE ON AIR]
[Competition which could be Sukan¡¯sst]
The day the survival FPS game, ¡®Battlnd¡¯s¡¯ eventpetition opened.
As Kim Suhan¡¯s channel turned on and viewers flocked at once, the tform¡¯s server caused a connection failure.
¡¸Is it true that 50,000 viewers are waiting?¡¹
¡¸Hyuuung! Why aren¡¯t you appearing in the screen?¡¹
¡¸Do your job, whoever you are! What are you doing!¡¹
It wasn¡¯t until a few minutester that Kim Suhan¡¯s voice was properly transmitted.
¡°¡¡is it working now? Everyone, don¡¯t get so angry and calm down.¡±
A face that becamepletely emaciated in a few days. Kim Suhan, sitting with a long tube near his left corbone, showed his face on the camera screen.
¡°Hello, everyone. Saturday, November 24. Starting the broadcast. Thank you foring to see me. Wee.¡±
As soon as he finished his greeting, the chat window was covered with crying emoticons like¡®??¡¯.
¡¸Hyung¡¡. Are you really dying? Is this thest broadcast?¡¹
Kim Suhan, who caught one of the hundreds of chats, smiled lightly and said.
¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s really thest one. The doctor said that I won¡¯t die right away if I get surgery. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±
At Kim Suhan¡¯s gaze, the doctor sitting behind his chair nodded lightly.
¡¸It¡¯s that doctor fromst time, right? Sleep over tonight?¡¹
¡¸What sleep over? Sukan-hyung is like that, he¡¯s probably there to provide artificial respiration if he faints in the middle of the show.¡¹
¡¸artificial respiration hahaha is that person some kind of paramedic?¡¹
Kim Suhan, who read the chat atmosphere, asked the doctor.
¡°They¡¯re asking if you will perform artificial respiration if I faint while broadcasting?¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°If needed, I¡¯d prefer if the ward nurse did it.¡±
¡°If you faint one more time you won¡¯t be able to wake up again so rather than artificial respiration, I would have to announce the time of death.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
Kim Suhan, whose eyes became as wide as they would go. The doctorughed slightly.
¡°No. If you can¡¯t breathe on your own, at the hospital. We attach an Ambu bag to your mouth and squeeze. You don¡¯t need to distinguish between men and women.¡±
In response to Kim Suhan¡¯s frustrated reaction at the doctor¡¯s joke, the chat window was filled with ¡®lol.¡¯
¡¸Sukan-hyung is so confused.¡¹
¡¸That doctor¡¯s streaming sense has improved a lot in a few days.¡¹
The atmosphere, which used to be a sea of tears, had returned to its usual streaming atmosphere.
¡°Thepetition has started. Let¡¯s look at the broadcast screen together.¡±
Kim Suhan changed the configuration of the transmitted screen by clicking the mouse.
On the main screen, the video of the Battlnd Destruction Competition was shown, and the camera screen went down to the right.
The broadcast team on the screen started to speak.
-A big event involving 50 streamers! Battle of Battles! The heat is amazing from the start. Currently, more than 100,000 people are watching thispetition, including all the channels rted to thispetition.
-I think it¡¯s because there are more topics than ever prior to this event. From Sukan, who experienced something unfortunate recently and dramatically expressed his intention to participate, to Captain Shot, who has emerged as the strongest Twitch yer in the top 100 server rankings this season.
While the announcer andmentator continued the conversation, the doctor checked Kim Suhan¡¯s physical condition through the camera.
The chat window was in a frenzy with the very friendly appearance of the doctor pressing the patient¡¯s muscles here and there, staring into his eyes and talking.
-Ddiirrring.
[¡®Jo-mot-sa¡¯ Has donated ?10,000.]
-You are showing beautiful love.
¡°Whoa. ?10,000 donated by Liking so much it bes Love! Nice!¡±
[T/N: Jo-mot-sa is Korean ng meaning ¡®Liking so much it bes Love¡¯ created by taking the first characters of the three words in the Korean sentence with that meaning.]
Kim Suhan, who made a chin down reaction and looked at the doctor. The doctor was not embarrassed and continued the examination with a penlight in his face.
¡¸That doctor¡¯s expression isn¡¯t changing anymore.¡¹
¡¸He¡¯s be a master of live-streaming hahahah¡¹
In the meantime, the opening remarks of the tournament broadcasters were also nearing to an end.
-This event will be held in a total of 10 rounds, with 50 points for the first ce and 1 point for thest ce for each round.
-regardless of the ranking, those selected for the MVP by viewer vote will be given a special reward separately by the sponsor. Before the end of thepetition, make sure to vote for your streamer.
¡¸The first ce and MVP will both be Captain Shot¡¯s. He¡¯s a ranker.¡¹
¡¸I¡¯m still going to pick Sukan-hyung.¡¹
After the examination, the doctor nodded. Kim Suhan sat down in his seat. When the transmission screen was converted into a game, the image of the waiting room created by the organizers appeared on the screen.
¡°Ok ok. Fighting!¡±
¡°Dont¡¯ throw your mouse. The central vein tube might fall out.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t throw it.¡±
Kim Suhan, who was grumbling with his doctor, lowered his voice while looking at the camera.
¡°Everyone. That doctor. He hasn¡¯t yed a game of Battlnd but his criticisms during practice were really urate.¡±
¡°I can hear everything.¡±
¡°Really. HIs criticisms were a work of art.¡±
Kim Suhan gave a thumbs up to his doctor.
¡¸Hahahahahahaha¡¹
¡¸The sense of presence of the doctor is insane!¡¹
¡¸I feel like tonight¡¯s sleep over is the stuff of legend!¡¹
Dowook looked at the vital monitor on one side of the room and turned to Kim Suhan¡¯s monitor as he entered the game.
A game in which peoplepeted for survival on an ind stage called ¡°Battlnd.¡± Kim Suhan¡¯s character was currently falling to a military base in a parachute.
¡®100,000 people are watching? Is that really that fun?¡¯
When he thought of Kim Suahn¡¯s practice, watching it from behind was fun.
It was obvious he didn¡¯t do well, but pretending he didn¡¯t. At that time, the reactions that came and went were really good.
¡°I came after sharpening my knives. I won¡¯t keep on being a yer who hides in a corner and wishes for good luck. Just have head-to-head matches¡¡.¡±
-Ddirring.
-There are too many skilled yers, hyung. Take care of the gap from level 3. It¡¯s all thanks to the equipment.
¡°Smack. I¡¯ll prove it. I can do it when I need to.¡±
-Ddirring.
-So rank 50?
¡°Just wait and see. I¡¯ll change those jeers into cheers.¡±
Just like this.
About 2 minutes after the first round, Kim Suhan encountered an enemy.
¡°Come on,e on!¡±
Click click click.
The loud keyboard sound rang in the hospital ward.
[Captain Shot¡¯s M416 headshot killed Sukan.]
[Ranking #50. Kill 0]
¡°Noooo!¡±
As soon as he met the enemy, the character copsed.
¡°Wow, my opponent was also a puppy. By a slight difference!¡±
-Ddirring.
-I came from Captain Shot¡¯s channel. His vitality hasn¡¯t decreased from 100. Good luck.
-Ddirring.
-That jeer. Became a big cheer.
Kim Suhan¡¯s head went down after confirming the kill through a donation.
He had practiced so much but he was thest in the first round.
Dowook saw that the speed of the chat window doubled. All of it was criticism and advice.
¡®There¡¯s no mercy even for those who fight with injuries.¡¯
Kim Suhan carefully reflected on the past y with his hands sped to his mouth.
¡°You were too conceited, Suhan. You still have a long way to go. I have to get the equipment first. What are you doing holding a gun like a bugger?¡±
¡¸Reflection ON!¡¹
¡¸Growing Kim Sukan!¡¹
¡°Everyone. The first game is a warm-up concept and we¡¯ll move on. If I¡¯m inst ce in the next round, say something.¡±
He exaggeratedly confessed and thenmunicated again.
It used to make Dowook feel very awkward, but now that he knew that there were tens of thousands of people watching, it seemed natural. Seeing people¡¯s reaction in real-time chat was the beauty of live-streaming.
-Let¡¯s look at the results of Round 1!
About 50 people struggled and were ranked. The first-ce winner was a streamer named ¡®Captain Shot¡¯ who knocked Kim Suhan out of the running.
¡°As expected, Captain Shot. Look at that. He killed me and got first ce. If I met someone else at the beginning, I wouldn¡¯t be inst ce. There are a lot of people worse than me.¡±
Ddirring.
-Captain Shot got 10 kills. He doesn¡¯t know if you died.
¡°¡®Payforitandgiveup¡¯ thanks for the ?5,000. Just wait. I¡¯ll make you remember this round.¡±
And the 2nd round that followed
Kim Suhan, who met an enemy lurking on a bridge while carefully looking for equipment around the ind, won after a desperate battle.
[Sukan¡¯s AKM killed Yapsil.]
¡°Nice! Where is a Yapsil hiding! Did you think I wouldn¡¯t know?¡±
Ddirring.
-Yapsil is angry that no other than Kim Sukan killed him..
¡°Angry? Yapsil normally does worse than me?¡±
Dowook smirked when he saw onlyplimentsing up in the chat this time. Saying things like seeing the light or they believed in him. It was scary how the atmosphere changed so dramatically within a short time.
Kim Suhan¡¯s charactersted for another 5 minutes and copsed to a top ranker in thest round.
[Ranking #42. Kill 1]
¡°Ok. I went up 8 ces. Aja aja!¡±
Ddirring
-Sukan! Let¡¯s rise through the ranks in the next round!
¡°¡®YouGaveMeMoneyforaBath¡¯ donated ?10,000! Thank you. I¡¯ll go to the sauna next time. Let¡¯s soar through the raannks!¡±
In the 3rd round, which started energetically, he died at the same time as the first opponent he met.
¡°Arrgh!¡±
Kim Suhan, who was about to m the keyboard and throw his mouse, made eye contact with Dowook, who was watching behind him.
¡°Try to rx.¡±
¡°Haha. I didn¡¯t want to waste this round.¡±
¡°If getting 49th ce out of 50 is a waste¡¡.¡±
Dowook nced at the screen where hundreds of messages were posted per second and said.
¡°¡¡you already know so I won¡¯t say anymore.¡±
¡°Doctor, you should still cheer for me. We spent several nights training together.¡±
¡°I work as a public health doctor, so I don¡¯t have a good sense of camaraderie.¡±
-Ddirring.
-This doctor has a good understanding of what it feels like to criticize Sukan-hyung.
After looking toward the camera at the donation alert, Dowook nodded slightly.
The chat was stered with ¡°Just Dr. Light.¡±
-As of the third round, the first ce is Captain Shot with 130 points. The lowest is a tie. Sukan and Yapsil. You need to work harder, right?
The 4th round started.
As soon as Kim Suhan fell, he beat a nearby enemy with jumps and hand-to-handbat.
Kim Suhan, who was carefully lurking on the second floor of a building with a weapon, caught another enemy who passed by him without seeing him.
-Ddirring.
-2 Kills as soon as you started? Who are you?
-Ddirring.
-Rocksam who just died was so flustered by hyung¡¯s y!
¡°No no. don¡¯t worry about this. I¡¯m looking at a higher rank. I¡¯m just getting results from my practice.¡±
As expectations for this round of reaching a high rank were high, Dowook also paid more attention to the game monitor instead of the vital monitor.
Kim Suhan caught one more enemy in the boat and won after a hard struggle at the end of the shrinking safe zone.
The people remaining now were just 5.
Suddenly soaring up after ying in thest ce every time, the chat was filled with the word ¡°Light Sukan¡± and everyone¡¯s attention was more concentrated than ever.
¡°Focus. You have to focus, Kim Suhan.¡±
Kim Suhan, who was focusing on the game byshing out at himself.
Dowook was looking at the screen while holding his breath. The sense of immersion was different when a person who was teased for not doing well suddenly woke up and did well.
Then, there was a warning sound from the vital monitor.
Dowook, who subconsciously turned his head, paused.
Rising blood pressure. It was a precursor to nerve paralysis. Dowook rushed to the medical staff who were waiting together.
¡°Nurse! Tenormin 2©J!¡±
The nurse flinched and found a medicine bottle and handed it over.
Dowook immediately opened the syringe packaging, sucked the liquid from the medicine bottle, and approached Kim Suhan.
¡°Haha! How¡¯s that!¡±
ck, ck, as he was tapping on the keyboard, Kim Suhan¡¯s left eyelid suddenly trembled.
¡°Huh? Why is this¡¡.¡±
Kim Suhan, whose left arm became paralyzed soon after. Dowook quickly inserted the syringe into the central vein.
¡°Rx your shoulder.¡±
¡°Euugh¡¡.¡±
Kim Suhan, who suddenly trembled with pain. None of the 50,000 viewers chatted, as if the chat had frozen.
¡°Sir. Look at my thumb. Is it focused?¡±
¡°I can¡¯t see it clearly, doctor. Why is it like this?¡±
¡°This is evidence that the beta-blockers are working. First, you should go lie down.¡±
Kim Suhan, assisted by medical staff,id down as if he was copsing on the bed. His character also copsed under someone¡¯s attack.
[Ranking #4. Kill: 6]
It was his best performance, but none of the viewers chatted with joy.
Kim Suhan, who was lying down and staring at the chat monitor, opened his mouth.
¡°Doctor, I¡¯m still in the middle of a live stream.¡±
¡°I warned you before. You have to stay there and not move for at least 2 hours.¡±
¡°For two hours?¡±
¡°This isn¡¯t something that can be solved by enduring it.¡±
Dowook turned to the camera.
¡°The pain endured by the patient at this time is like the pain generally experienced when you are hit. He needs to rx so please understand.¡±
Kim Suhan turned to the camera and raised his right arm.
¡°I¡¯m fine, everyone. I was already warned of what would happen. More than that. You saw, right? My rank. I¡¯m this kind of person.¡±
At Kim Suhan¡¯s efforts to lead a pleasant broadcasting atmosphere to the end, Dowook did not stop the movement of his right hand.
-Ddirring.
-Hyuuung! You participated in thepetition in that kind of situation? Don¡¯t be sick!
-Ddirring.
-I saw! I saw Sukan-hyung reach 4th ce!
All kinds of cheers from 50,000 people flowed through the speaker.
¡°Thank you, ¡®2533¡¯. Thank you, ¡®Let¡¯sGoOnATrip¡¯¡¡.¡±
Kim Suhan, who was thanking everyone for each donation, looked up at Dowook who was checking his condition.
¡°Doctor, I have a favor to ask.¡±
¡°A favor? To start, beer is not allowed.¡±
Kim Suhan, who smiled at Dowook¡¯s deration, continued.
¡°That broadcast. Please help me finish it properly.¡±
¡°What? Are you still thinking of the broadcast right now?¡±
The doctor¡¯s cold eyes looked at the patient.
¡°You¡¯ve done what you could. We are steadily preparing for the surgery so that this won¡¯t be yourst broadcast, so don¡¯t overdo things.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not saying I¡¯ll force myself to sit in front of theputer. Can you y for me in the next rounds? That¡¯s what I want to know.¡±
For a moment, Dowook thought he had misheard.
¡°It¡¯s an eventpetition so there aren¡¯t any special qualifications to participate. This is my first time having this many viewers, so I don¡¯t want to end the broadcast with a faint ending like this.¡±
Dowook¡¯s gaze headed to the Battlnd screen, where 50,000 people were watching.
¡°What would be fun about me sitting down and doing a broadcast instead?¡±
¡°It will be a lot of fun.¡±
Kim Suhan¡¯s voice seemed to have gained confidence for some reason.
¡°I¡¯m going toment on your y from behind.¡±
Chapter 48: Online Star (7)
Dowook had nned to refuse. But Kim Suhani''s sense which pulsed through his hands at that moment made it impossible to do so.
Broadcast. The desire tomunicate. Even before he organized his thoughts, the words left his mouth.
¡°Don''t me me if this fails.¡±
¡°It¡¯ll be even more awesome if it fails. A good angle wille out from YouTube. You shouldn¡¯t misunderstand, the goal isn¡¯t to win. It¡¯s mainly tomunicate with Battlnd newbies. I¡¯ll talk to the organizers first, please sit down and get warmed up.¡±
Almost pushed to sit in front of theputer, Dowook looked alternately between the main monitor showing the game screen and the second monitor showing the chat window.
Ddirring.
-I¡¯ll cure even my patient¡¯s broadcast! Doctor, you¡¯re so cool!
The ID was highlighted blue on the second monitor, and the amount of donation came up.
Dowook instinctively said these words.
¡°¡®NoMatterHowMuchGingerIsHarvestedI¡¯mGarlic¡¯ thank you for the ?50,000. We¡¯ll make good use of it as the patient¡¯s medicine fee.¡±
¡¸??????¡¹
¡¸What was that? It was totally a streamer¡¯s tone.¡¹
¡¸Like patient like doctor hahahahaha¡¹
Hundreds of messages went up in a hurry, but some interesting ones caught his eyes. He thought it was because of Kim Suhan¡¯s sense.
¡¸He was a handsome doctor a few days ago, but today he¡¯s a bit crushed.¡¹
Catching one of them, Dowook continued.
¡°I would like to ask for some understanding from patient Kim Suhan¡¯s viewers. I¡¯ve been working overtime for 3 days, so I¡¯m not at my best at the moment. But, what do you mean crushed? Isn¡¯t that crossing the line?¡±
¡¸Right. It¡¯s not to the level of crushed. Looking at your face, you might kick the bucket the day after tomorrow?¡¹
¡¸Day af t hahahahahaha¡¹
¡¸Face¡¯s emergency situation! Nurse! CPR!¡¹
¡¸Face¡¡ am I the only one ufortable?¡¹
¡¸Ack face! It¡¯s cheaper than a tire!¡¹
¡¸Tire hahahaha hey isn¡¯t this going too far with doc.¡¹
All kinds of jokes poured out, and the chat became energetic. He could feel that the viewers were enjoying the show.
¡®What the! They¡¯re making fun of me but why do I feel so satisfied?¡¯
Dowook realized that Kim Suhan¡¯s sense had expected this situation to some extent since he paid attention to the chat.
¡°Doctor, I¡¯ve talked to the organizers.¡±
Hearing Kim Suhan, who was lying on the bed, Dowook turned his head.
¡°The organizer agreed to let us participate in the next round. My score in the first half will be added to yours, and we will be considered as team participants.¡±
¡°Will the score have any meaning?¡±
¡°Tsk. A newbie should just listen to the expert.¡±
Dowook looked nkly at the screen where the 5th round had already begun. Truthfully, there was nothingplicated. Since he just had to y 5 rounds of a game that took 15 minutes per round.
¡°Newbie, over there. You should at least go through the tutorial, why are you just watching.¡±
¡°Ah, should I?¡±
¡°The practice button in the menu. Stage 1. Augh, why are you so slow.¡±
Clicking the mouse as instructed, Dowook turned to look at Kim Suhan.
¡°You didn¡¯t ask me to sit here because of what I¡¯ve said over the past few days?¡±
¡°Maybe~¡±
Kim Suhan smirked slightly.
¡¸Criticism ON!¡¹
¡¸Doctor! There¡¯s a vicious viewer behind you!¡¹
Entering the practice mode, he was taught how to move the character and aim and fire a gun one by one.
¡°F hits hits! The others grab equipment ande running in a second. If you do it like that, you won¡¯t be able to load it before you get hit.¡±
¡°I have to check what I picked up so¡¡¡±
¡°No, you have to check before you pick it up and just grab it. Youughed a lot from behind me when you saw me do it like that and got hit while I was practicing.¡±
¡°I think there¡¯s quite a bit of emotion in your words.¡±
¡°Ahem, you are on the verge of getting away. How can a soldier go against the instructor?¡±
-Ddirring.
-Doctor, it¡¯s not toote. Just put Ssuhan-hyung to sleep.
¡°JungguWillAnesthesizeYou thank you for the ?10,000. We have to monitor his vitals so total anesthesia would be difficult. Should we simply anesthetize his mouth?¡±
¡°do-doctor? Anesthesia is a foul.¡±
¡°Excessive training for beginners is also a foul. Let¡¯s be gentle with our words.¡±
¡°huh.¡±
The chat went crazy at the reversal of the situation.
¡¸LPLD tiki-taka¡¯s insane haha¡¹ [T/N: LPLD=Like Patient Like Doctor. Tiki-taka is a style of y in ser with short passes and movements. So I guess ament about their bickering.]
¡¸I really like this duo!¡¹
The second stage was target practice.
Just as the game system instructed, he picked up the gun and pressed the trigger.
¡°I mean. Can you still miss the target when it¡¯s standing still?¡±
¡°Ah, it¡¯s just practice!¡±
As he was listening to advice when he was the one ying, Dowook¡¯s feelings also intensified with every moment. He thought the saying was ¡®putting yourself in someone¡¯s shoes.¡¯ It was a different feeling from when he was just watching and criticizing.
¡°He¡¯s angry again. I should call you Park Tto-wook instead of Park Dowook.¡±
[T/N: Doesn¡¯t make sense in English, but in Korean ¡®suddenly bing angry¡¯ is ???(Ook Hada) and ¡®again¡¯ is ?(tto). So Kim Suhan was creatively making fun of our MC using his name by saying his name should mean ¡°bing angry again.¡±]
¡¸Tto-wook lmao¡¹
When a nickname was created, the chat was quickly filled with ¡°Tto-wook.¡±
Moving the character, reading thements, makingments. Reacting regrly to therge amounts of donations.
As he was actually hosting the broadcast, he desperately felt that this was a formidable process.
¡°Let¡¯s make that the character¡¯s name, too.¡±
¡°As Tto-wook? I disagree.¡±
¡°It¡¯s what the viewers want.¡±
As he was creating his character, the 5th round was over.
¡°Doctor. Please change the screen with the transmission mouse.¡±
When he pressed the green button which was already set up, the game screen switched to the ry screen.
-That was the fifth round. As expected Captain Shot has be the strongest candidate for first ce. There¡¯s another piece of news. Instead of Ssuhan, who withdrew due to uncontroble circumstances, his doctor will participate.
-I took a brief look and he was a very handsome doctor.
-What about his skills?
Thementator shook his head looking at the announcer.
-Let''s take a break and start the second half.
The screen broadcasting thepetition was switched to an , and a message arrived in the game asking the yers to return to the waiting room in five minutes.
¡®Why am I so nervous?¡¯
After finishing the tutorial, he essed the waiting room. The participants who had been waiting first asked Dowok about Kim Suhan''s condition.
[Yapsil : Is Ssuhan-hyung alright?]
[Roksam : He seems to be lying down at the back. Is he very sick?]
Dowook looked behind him at Kim Suhan. He was lying motionlessly with his upper body propped up. His left arm paralysis hadn¡¯t gone away yet, but his vitals were stable.
[Tto-wook : He¡¯s physically stable, but he¡¯s pouting because he had to withdraw after bing a candidate for the championship.]
[Yapsil : Hahahahahaha]
[Roksam : Candidate for championship? Did Ssuhan-hyung say that himself? The three of us are the candidates forst ce.]
[Yapsil : This hyung is a real man. In the midst of all that, he¡¯s still joking so that the viewers can enjoy the show.]
The waiting room was filled withughter. The viewers watching it also became a sea ofughter. Kim Suhan, who didn¡¯t know what was happening, made eye contact with Dowook.
¡°Once the game starts, just follow what I say. 4th ce in the 4th round with 6 kills. The words of a skilled champion.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡±
¡°You¡¯re obedient now. It¡¯s a good posture. So you can at least get one kill.¡±
¡¸Ssuhan-hyung. Don¡¯t be like that. If you look at the rey, you¡¯ll kick your nket.¡¹
This caught his eye among the numerous chat messages. However, Dowook didn¡¯t say anything so he could see the nket kickter.
Perhaps because the broadcast went smoother than he thought, the number of viewers which was around 50,000 increased to 55,000.
-Let¡¯s start Round 6!
The problem was the game.
¡®Phew. don¡¯t be nervous, Dowook. Even so, it¡¯s just a game.¡¯
A 3D video of a ne flying over an ind yed, followed by a parachute. A character with the nickname ¡®Tto-wook¡¯ fell on a quiet road.
¡°Doctor, do you see the big church in front? Run to that ce. It¡¯s an area with a lot of equipment.¡±
Following Kim Suhan¡¯s instructions, he opened the door of the church on the hill and entered..
He swept through the screen picking up the items on the floor. He opened the inventory and carefully equipped the items one by one and criticism flew right away.
¡°Are you an old man? Put them on quickly and go find a gun. 2nd floor, 2nd floor!¡±
¡°I¡¯m going.¡±
¡°Ah ah, stop! There¡¯s a first-aid kit in the corner! Keep your eyes peeled!¡±
¡°I got it.¡±
¡°You have to install it on the shortcut key, too!¡±
¡°I will.¡±
Silently doing as he was told, he arrived on the second floor. But somehow, an enemy from the opposite entrance picked up a gun first and started shooting at Dowook¡¯s character.
¡°Run, run! Dodge it first!¡±
Startled, Dowook took a few steps back and pressed the wrong key.
Lying down and shooting position.
The person who was following him with a gun might not have expected this and froze in front of him.
¡°Arrrggh! What are you doing! Really what are you doing!¡±
The opponent changed his weapon into a frying pan and hit Dowook¡¯s character. Since his character had already run out of stamina, Dowook, who responded with a rare control of lying down and punching, quickly died.
[Seo Bom¡¯s frying pan killed Tto-wook.]
[Ranking #50. Kill: 0]
The screen turned gray. Dowook lost his words at the sudden elimination and looked nkly at the monitor.
¡¸What did I just see?¡¹
¡¸The frying pan viin sent Dr. Tto-wook to heaven.¡¹
¡¸Murderer! Murderer!¡¹
¡¸That can happen. There are games like this toooo ha¡¡.¡¹
¡°Doctor¡¡.¡±
Kim Suhan¡¯s voice was filled with emotions, so Dowook turned his head and immediately sighed. Kim Suhan¡¯s expression of pressing down hisughter was very mean.
¡°You told me to go to church.¡±
¡°Why are you ming me? The problem is your hand which needs 10 seconds to put on equipment.¡±
¡°It¡¯s right to take that into consideration when criticizing.¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t you say that I should be gentle?¡±
-Ddiirrring.
-Doctor. Any excuse is a disadvantage here. Just get hit first.
¡°¡®SoBad¡¯¡¡ thank you for the ?10,000.¡±
¡°Our viewers have good timing. Good.¡±
The 6th round finished.
Thepetition broadcasters reviewed the highlight scenes. Seeing how Dowook died, they couldn¡¯t continue talking for a while due toughter.
-Khhhh. Personally, this match. I think this will be a famous scene that will be remembered in the history of Battlnd.
¡°It¡¯s still fantastic when watched again. Do you know how talented you are at broadcasting, doctor? I can¡¯t believe you made a scene-stealer in just one game.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s be serious this round.¡±
¡°Yes, serious. Let¡¯s try to rise in the rankings.¡±
At the start of the 7th round, Kim Suhan said his strategy. The so-called ¡®hiding around.¡¯
As soon as Dowook fell, he secretly moved to a deserted forest.
¡°Good. Like that. See see. 3 people already died while fighting among themselves. Great. At least 47th ce!¡±
Their ranking went up, but the character was only holding a pistol since he avoided ces with many items.
¡°I think I can hear a car?¡±
¡°Find cover no matter what. Just hide even if you hear the sound of the wind. Since we¡¯ve gone up to 40th ce.¡±
After waiting for another 3 minutes, a system message appeared notifying that the safe zone would be narrowed. And from far away, a red maic field began to approach.
¡°What should I do?¡±
¡°Open the map.¡±
¡°Map?¡±
¡°Shortcut key M.¡±
A map showing the safe area opened.
¡°It¡¯s far. There¡¯s no other choice. Run!¡±
Just as he was about to go out, a grenade flew from the second floor of a building across the street. With the sound of an explosion, the screen shed brightly before returning to normal.
¡°Enemy, enemy! Right in front!¡±
Tang-tang.
He fired his pistol, but the enemy leisurely rode a motorcycle and moved away. Looking at the ID, it was Captain Shot. He was the current No.1 contestant.
Looking at Captain Shot who left even though there was enough time to kill him, Dowook asked.
¡°Why did he let us go?¡±
¡°He didn¡¯t let us go.¡±
¡°If not?¡±
Beep beep beep.
Along with a warning sound, a red maic field hit Dowook¡¯s character. His stamina, which still had 30 points, started to slowly run out one point at a time.
¡°You can¡¯t get out that wall by just running. It¡¯s a very cruel y that leaves you to die alone. Captain Shot¡¯s too mean to a Barin.¡±
[T/N: Barin is a term referring to a newbie in Battleground.]
¡°We can¡¯t escape?¡±
Dowook made his character run hard, but eventually lost his strength in the maic field.
[Tto-wook has died in the maic field.]
[Rank #33. Kill: 0]
The atmosphere in the chat became unusual after he hid for a round and died alone without even properly shooting.
¡¸Why participate if you¡¯re going to go ¡®No Fun Meta¡¯?¡¹
¡¸The n was all wrong.¡¹
¡¸Oh, my. I was looking forward to it. Why did you y like this?¡¹
¡¸You should have at least gotten revenge on the frying pan killer.¡¹
The final ranking had increased, but the responses had worsened.
As the chat started firing up, Kim Suhan¡¯s sense was of no use.
Dowook realized one thing from this experience. What the viewers wanted was not a high ranking. They wanted to enjoy the game andmunicate with each other.
¡®Live streaming is hard.¡¯
Vrrrrrr.
In the meantime, his phone rang. He turned it on and saw that it was a call from the ward nurse. It was a notification about the drop in the blood pressure of a soldier patient who underwent cerebral infarction surgery a few days ago.
This was something he had to see with his own eyes before he could understand the patient¡¯s condition so Dowook stood up.
¡°A call came so I have to go to another ward.¡±
¡°Will it take a long time?¡±
¡°It¡¯s nearby, but just in case, I¡¯ll call Dr. Nam Hana toe over.¡±
¡°If you leave by yourself now, it will really be a big problem.¡±
Kim Suhan looked at Dowook with a desperate face.
¡°50,000 people are up in arms right now.¡±
¡°It¡¯s 59,000 right now.¡±
¡°What? They must havee over from other channels to curse at us.¡±
Dowook turned to the camera.
Kim Suhan¡¯s sense strongly told him that he had to say something at this moment.
¡°Viewers who just came in, my skills may not be very good. It¡¯s ok if thepetition doesn¡¯t go well. But please remember this one thing. I sincerely followed Instructor Kim Suhan¡¯s n. Thank you.¡±
¡°Doctor¡¡.¡±
¡¸Traitor Hahahahaha. In the midst of all this, Dr. Tto-wook is throwing Ssuhan-hyung to the wolves and running away.¡¹
¡¸Crazy toss skill. Where was such live streaming talent hiding all this time?¡¹
The chat, which was full of criticism, quickly went back and forth happily saying, ¡®Ssuhan-hyung got screwed hahahaha.¡¯.
-The thing about being a strong soldier. They¡¯re not created by pushing them into harsh environments.
Dowook tilted his head at the sound he heard from the room even before the door was opened. The deep voice sounded like the three-star general who said he was the patient¡¯s father-inw.
Knock knock.
¡°It¡¯s Park Dowook.¡±
When he entered, he saw the Navy Lieutenant General as well. He was teaching his son-inw in a soldier way.
¡°Look at the US soldier training. You feed them well, let them sleep well, and put them in their best state. In the present generation, there is no battlefield where people have to starve for 3 days and nights. As an instructor, how can you overlook this and take the initiative?¡±
When Dowook stood next to the vital monitor, the Navy General, who was disciplining his son-inw, bowed lightly.
¡°The doctor is here. What do you think, doctor? Do you think it¡¯s right to overwork your body like this to develop a strong body and spirit?¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡¡.¡±
Checking the patient¡¯s condition as he justy there, Dowook answered.
¡°I don¡¯t know much about the corrtion between strength and effectiveness.¡±
¡°You¡¯re still a doctor, you must have some basic knowledge. His cerebral infarction wouldn¡¯t havee for no reason?¡±
¡°If it¡¯s rted to the disease, your words are wrong.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°This patient had a natural medical history and had such good stamina that he survived when ordinary people would have copsed. You could say his usual training saved his life.¡±
When Dowook didn¡¯t agree with his words, the Navy Lieutenant General coughed and looked far away.
¡°Ahem. I thought you were someone I could talk to.¡±
¡°Augh, Dad!¡±
The patient¡¯s wife, who walked out of the bathroom, frowned at her father.
¡°Let him take care of himself. Why are you making things so suffocating?¡±
¡°I¡¯m saying this because I¡¯m worried about Sgt. Mjr. Jeong. It¡¯s not like we belong to differentpanies. What should I do if Leejun mes me for not stopping his father?¡±
¡°What are you saying about a kid who¡¯s proud of his father who¡¯s a UDT shooting instructor? And if you¡¯re going to nag, remove your badge and do it.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not ignoring that part. Sgt. Mjr. Jeong should¡¡.¡±
¡°Badge.¡±
As the patient¡¯s wife red, the Navy General flinched.
¡°¡¡I just think it¡¯s better if your husband takes a less important post and works morefortably.¡±
¡°Please move so that the doctor can do his job!¡±
The Lieutenant General, whomanded those with one-star and 3 Mugunghwa, was just a father in front of his daughter. While the Lieutenant General stepped to one side, Dowook spoke as hepleted his diagnosis.
¡°The blood pressure problems are temporary. If the pain gets worse, we¡¯ll increase the amount of painkillers. The prognosis is very good. You¡¯ll be able to move to some extent next week.¡±
¡°The prognosis is good? Phew, that¡¯s great. Did you hear, love? You can move by next week.¡±
The eyes of the patient lying down with his head fixed in ce turned to Dowook. And he expressed his thanks with his gaze.
Delivering a new note on the cycle of painkiller administration and condition management to the ward nurse, Dowook turned to the patient at a sudden thought. He turned to the patient¡¯s wife and asked.
¡°Umm, Ma¡¯am. Is the patient really a UDT shooting instructor?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right.¡±
¡°Is it the special force thates out in the event of a terrorist attack? The kind that¡¯s on a different level from ordinary soldiers.¡±
The patient¡¯s wifeughed slightly.
¡°All men must have some fantasies about UDT. What you said is roughly correct. There are a lot of secrets rted to this, so I also pretend I don¡¯t know much.¡±
¡°There¡¯s nothing to say about my son-inw¡¯s talents. There¡¯s plenty of ces that want to recruit him but why does he have to stay with the Pre-Operation Team. ¡¡.¡±
¡°Dad. I¡¯m talking to the doctor right now.¡±
The Navy Lieutenant General, who had briefly interrupted their conversation, coughed one more time.
¡®That means he¡¯s a real shooting expert. Will it help?¡¯
Dowook slightly stretched his left hand toward the patient.
Tingle.
Something from an expert who had reached their peak in a field mmed into his head by traveling up his neural circuit. It felt like something prated his brain.
¡°You¡¯re in a stable state now, so I¡¯ll see you during rounds tomorrow.¡±
¡°Ok, Doctor. Thank you.¡±
Opening the door of RM 1105 he left and went into RM 1103.
Thepetition was about to start Round 8. Nam Hana, who was sitting in front of theputer, looked back at Dowook with aplicated expression.
¡°Senior¡¡.¡±
¡°Hey, Hana. I¡¯ll do it.¡±
Nam Hana stood up with a face full of relief and whispered to Dowook.
¡°Thements and the screen. The sounds from theputer and the patient making conversation. Ugh, it¡¯s so chaotic. And scary.¡±
¡°I understand, I understand.¡±
When Dowook sat down, Kim Suhan lying on the bed spoke with relief.
¡°You came right on time. I reflected on my defeat in thest round. Let¡¯s go head-to-head in this round. I¡¯ll coach you properly.¡±
¡°No, thanks. I¡¯ll take care of it this time so don¡¯t give any advice.¡±
¡°What?¡±
Kim Suhan¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°There are a lot of viewers who came in, so you might not be able to handle the reactions. They talk really rough.¡±
Dowook turned to the game character, Tto-wook, who was falling with a parachute, and muttered softly.
¡°It¡¯ll be ok.¡±
Since he had found a new instructor to teach him.
Chapter 49: Online Star (8)
Start of Battlnd Round 8.
As soon as the characternded outside the military facility, the first thing Dowook did was to find out the location of other parachutes falling nearby.
Coordinates. Map. Falling position.
Since Battlnd itself was a famous game that reflected military data in detail, the sense of the UDT shooting instructor quickly adapted to the information.
Four other yers were currently flocking to the military facility to pick up items.
Dowook climbed the watchtowerdder, which made it easy to locate the enemies.
¡°Doctor. Why are you climbing adder without even looking for a gun?¡±
¡°There is a gun.¡±
A weapon lying in the iron watchtower by itself. Looking at the bottom of the gun, one could see that it was a sniper rifle called AWP.
"A sniper rifle? Doctor. Beginners don''t use sniper guns in Battlnd. Because of the poor efficiency. There''s no other way to survive if you rush and miss. There''s no magnification..¡±
When he picked it up and equipped it, there was no scope on the gun. It seemed like he had to pick it up somewhere else. However, in order to deal with those who entered this military base, the watchtower was the optimal position.
Kim Suhan sighed as Doowook''s character aimed the rifle down without a scope.
"Sigh. You''re going to do that, but you¡¯re telling me not to advise you."
-Ddiirrring
-Tto-wook-hyung. Let¡¯s listen to Ssuhan-hyung from now on. A sniper rifle is too much.
¡°OverNoNo, thanks for the ?10,000.¡±
After muttering so, Dowook calmly pulled the trigger toward the opponent who just popped out of the two-story building.
Tang.
Flop.
[Captain Shot was killed by Dowook''s AWP headshot.]
As soon as Captain Shot, the strongest yer in the lead, finished the eighth round with a shocking ranking of 50th.
The broadcasters who werementating on the game, the chat, and Kim Suhan, who was teaching in the back. Everyone momentarily lost their words and only looked at the screen.
Another yer jumped out of the underground bunker.
Tang. Tang. Flop.
[SeoBom was killed by Tto-wook¡¯s AWP.]
Even though there was a considerable distance between the watchtower and the bunker, he wiped out his opponent¡¯s stamina with just two shots.
¡°Whoa, C. Doctor. How did you do that without magnification? Was the problem with the gun preference?¡±
[T/N: C is like saying ¡®Effing¡¯ instead of the actual curse word.]
Kim Suhan''s fierce admiration. The reactions in the chatroom weren''t much different either.
¡¸Dr. Tto-wook was the sniper type.¡¹
¡¸He has great form.¡¹
Dowook waited excitedly even though he eliminated two. There were still two enemies left in this military base.
Ta-tang dang dang!
The enemy shot at Dowook''s character on the watchtower.
Location found.
Dowook manipted the character and jumped to the other side. It was a fall from a high ce so 40% of his blood was gone, but he was able to run to the roof of themand post, which was the second position he considered.
He stepped on a box, jumped up, and took a prone position. He still aimed at the back of the enemy who was still shooting at the watchtower.
Tang.
[Yang Poong-wol was killed by a headshot from Tto-wook¡¯s AWP.]
As he took a deep breath while looking for the remaining enemy, the sound of footsteps were heard right next to him.
As soon as he turned the screen to check, the opponent who owned a charge gun suddenly jumped onto the roof.
"Oh! Doctor! Run away first!"
Help calmly turned his line of sight to the opponent and pressed the mouse.
Tang tang. Tang.
[Jjapjeonging was killed by Dowook''s AWP.]
¡°Phew.¡±
After a deep deep breath, Dowook¡¯s character looked around.
"Military base clear."
The viewers'' chat blew up with these words.
¡¸Clear! That was insane!!!¡¹
¡¸That was awesome! Tto-wook-hyung, I¡¯m dying!!¡¹
¡¸This hyung just killed the 1st and 5th cers.¡¹
Dowook looked at the chat window and tried to say something, but stopped. Because he was using the UDT shooting instructor¡¯s sense, he couldn¡¯t catch a word of that chat.
-Ddirring.
-Ssuhan-hyung¡¯s instructions were the actual deterrent.
-Ddirring.
-How did you make such a talented persone inst ce? How can you do that?
When the criticisms came in, Kim Suhan showed that he thought it was unfair with his expression, but his mouth was smiling. Since the broadcast was bing so fun.
Kim Suhan, who saw Dowook''s character trying to leave the military base as it was, urgently said.
"Doctor. Farming. You have to pack all the items that they just dropped."
¡°Ah.¡±
¡¸It¡¯s the first time he¡¯s killed someone so he doesn¡¯t even know the basics of the game¡¹
¡¸Hey! I¡¯m a newbie! But I¡¯m a legend! Hahahaha¡¹
Going to the next safe zone, he killed two more so his kill count was 6. The remaining 20 survivors quickly decreased.
Tang!
[Yapsil was killed by Dowook''s AWP.]
¡°Doctor, that¡¯s awesome! Haha. Yappy down!¡±
Kim Suhan went into cheering mode and added rejoinder whenever Dowook caught someone.
At the end of the round, there were five yers left in a narrow area. Kim Suhan said in a very nervous voice.
"Come on. I''m about to win. I''m getting all nervous about it."
Dowook was worried because he couldn''t find a safe position. It was difficult to move because each of the five were hiding while observing their surroundings.
30 seconds before the warning that the safety zone would be narrowed further.
It was not the attack in the game that broke the silence, but the cell phone in Dowook¡¯s pocket.
Dowook¡¯s hand reflexively checked the call.
[About patient Kim Suhan, I have something to check if you want to calcte with the surgical technique added by Professor Choi. Do you have time in the evening?]
It was Lim So Yool''s text.
¡°Doctor!¡±
A warning from Kim Suhan. Dowook clicked on the mouse toward the enemy in front of him. Fortunately, he caught the other but was unable to endure thebined attack of the other three who jumped into the fight.
[Ranking #4 Kill 10]
"Oh, that was close. Died from getting ganged up on. But 10 kills? Wasn''t the highest record for Captain Shot today 11 kills? Aesssoome. 10 kills! Oh, yeah. If you weren''t ganged up on, you could have broken this record."
Unlike Kim Suhan, who felt sorry for him, Dowook was not too disappointed.
Although he borrowed the sense of a special forces shooting instructor, at the beginning, he was only half-confident that this would work in the game. But now he was convinced.
Even if you didn''t know the rules of the game yet, if you were familiar with the rules of war, you could achieve high results only with correct judgment and calmness.
In addition, there were still two more rounds left. Since it was a nearby hospitalization room, he could borrow it at any time even if the sense faded.
¡®I think I can win first ce like this.¡¯
Help sent Lim So Yool a reply first.
[I''m with Kim Suhan. Would you like toe here?]]
Vrrrr.
[Alright]
Kim Suhan seemed to have gotten the feeling back in his left arm, stood up for a moment and approached.
"You can''t overdo it."
"I know, I know. I''m going to change the settings of the transmissionputer a little bit. I think I thought wrong."
"What?"
"I don''t think it''s a beginner''s teaching broadcast anymore.¡±
Kim Suhan, who stepped down after tapping on the keyboard, smiled satisfactorily and gave Dowok a thumbs up.
"Thank you for the rest of the round."
[LIVE ON AIR]
[Dr. Tto-wook¡¯s Conquest of Battlnd]
When the title was revised, the 70,000 viewers, who were tuning in to the channel, chatted withughter emoticons at once.
¡¸This doctor got a name as a streamer less than an hour after turning on the broadcast."¡¹
¡¸Was there anyone who hit 70,000 on the debut show? It''s legendary in many ways.¡¹
The highlight video of the eighth round from thepetition''s broadcasting channel was almost only Tto-wook''s sniping.
In particr, the four-person sniper scene shown at the military base in the early stages was busily praised by the broadcasters.
¨C This is hard to see even in professionalpetitions. Look. This natural positioning. He already saw the angle when he fell. How can a beginner make such a judgment? This is a very good instinct.
-Commentator. A viewer said it''s because Ssuhan stopped instructing.
-No way. Then how embarrassing would Ssuhan be?
Broadcast screen. Camera screen in the corner. Kim Suhan, lying in bed, slightly covered his face with a pillow.
-Ddirring.
-Ssuhan-hyung. Let¡¯s be confident. I saw. I saw Tto-wook-hyung be 42nd ce with Ssuhan-hyung¡¯s instructions!
¡°Hey! Stop talking about Round 7 now. ¡¡It¡¯s embarrassing.¡±
Sitting quietly in front of theputer while looking at his phone, Dowook entered the waiting room in preparation for Round 9.
[Yapsil : Dr. Wook. Where are you going in this round?]
[Tto-wook : Why do you ask?]
[Yapsil : I¡¯ll be out the moment I go there. Please let me live just this once.]
Seeing the chat in the waiting room, the viewersmented things like "Yapsil Kowtow Mode." Kim Suhanughed.
"Yapsil is good at riding the line. He knows where to go. Doctor, don''t ever tell him. Just press hard in the game."
"But even if it''s not me, he''s always at the bottom¡"¡.¡±
[Yapsil: Doctor! I''m watching that broadcast!]
"Oh, I''m kidding."
¡¸Doctor Tto-wook humiliated Yapsil right away.¡¹
¡¸He¡¯s really good at broadcasting.¡¹
Start of Round 9.
The timing of the tournament broadcasters was also bound to be Dowook-oriented.
Dowook¡¯s character, which got off at a shabby private house, found a sniper gun on the second floor of the building and held it in his hand.
¡¸Sniper Tto-wook, start!¡¹
¡¸You''re all dead now!"¡¹
Dowook¡¯s character, who simply overpowered the other three people who got off in the private house area, moved.
-This proves right away that this yer''s previous round was not a coincidence.
As soon as viewers'' expectations were heightened by thementator''s words.
Plop!
A sh of someone hiding in the trench flew toward Dowook¡¯s character. As the screen went nk, the sound of guns was heard as a distortion effect.
Ta-ta-ta-dang!
[Captain Shot¡¯s SCAR-L killed Tto-wook.]
[Ranking #34. Kill 3]
Taken out by a surprise attack.
Viewers were also surprised, but Dowook also couldn''t say anything while looking at the screen.
The broadcast screen revealed that Captain Shot, who was the first to be shot in the previous round, had been skillfully attacking only Dowook.
¨C Here, this scene. Look. Captain Shot moves quickly to keep Tto-wook in check from the drop point. It''s not a stable farming y to win the round, but a gamble.
¡¸Wow, Captain Shot. Goosebumps. This shows the pride of a ranker.¡¹
¡¸I think he cut it unconditionally because it''s the biggest kill rival. The overall ranking is definite anyway.¡¹
"Doctor, when the shes, you have to turn the screen around and cover your eyes.
"Really?"
"What do you mean, really? It''s obvious. A basic in FPS games."
¡¸This is what happens because a Barin is good at handling only sniper rifles. You don''t know how to deal with shes?¡¹
¡¸You were in a hurry. You should have moved slowly while looking at the maic field time.¡¹
After failing to y one round, the viewers'' advice came up one after another in the chat.
"By the way, Captain Shot seems to be trying to keep you in check properly. If he keeps doing this, the next round will be hard."
"I''ll try to move carefully."
"The mood at the beginning was better than before. I didn''t know the grudge of making himst ce would be this big."
With Kim Suhanmenting, apletely new person appeared on the camera screen.
A beautiful eye-catching woman.
¡¸Who¡¯s that noona?¡¹
¡¸Wooow!¡¹
¡¸A celebrity? How far is this broadcast going?¡¹
The chat was in a frenzy because of the beauty. One of them came to his senses and chatted.
¡¸It¡¯s that mathematician noona from a few days ago. Her name is Lim So Yool.¡¹
Dowook bowed his head toward Dowook.
¡°You came, Director.¡±
¡°What is all this?¡±
¡°The patient couldn¡¯t continue with the broadcast from the middle so I¡¯ve been helping out. It¡¯s almost over, so please wait a moment.¡±
In a screen filled with only two men, the appearance of a beautiful woman melted the hearts of the audience. The chatroom was filled with "Noona, The only light.".
¡°Huh? There are 80,0008 viewers though?¡±
Kim Suhan on the bed calmly nodded at Dowook¡¯s words, as Dowook turned to viewer statistics on the transmission screen.
"Our trainees are soloists who have rarely dated. If someone like thises out, I can''t control it."
-Ddirring.
-Mathematician noona! I''m dying!
"Look. He''s already dying like that. These kids are so embarrassing. How many lives do you have that you keep eximing that you¡¯re dying. Calm down.¡±
-Ddirring.
-Yeah. We all know that you are also just staring at that noona.
¡°Yeah. I¡¯m looking at your chats. From here I can only see the back of Ms. Mathematician¡¯s head.¡±
As alerts came out one after another, Lim So Yool turned to the chat window.
"These are the ones who helped you estimate the global categorization, right? Thanks to this, I was able to find the exact numbers without the Bonferroni correction."
¡¸???¡¹
¡¸What is she talking about?¡¹
¡¸global¡¡ correction¡¡ thanks¡¡ memo¡¡.¡¹
-Ddirring.
-What do you mean?
¡°This function? It''s a concept to find out the outliers through the Grubs test. Your vote informed me of your evaluation propensity very appropriately.¡±
¡¸She¡¯s speaking in Korean right?¡¹
¡¸Even if it¡¯s aliennguage, it¡¯s nice to hear since she¡¯s so prettty.¡¹
-Ddirring.
-Nonna. Please continue! You¡¯re the best!
Lim So Yool''s eyes sparkled at the donation alerts.
"I guess there''s someone who likes math here, too. To know the function of finding out the outliers, I can''t help but mention the task I was working on when I was in Seville.¡¡.¡±
¡°Director.¡±
Dowook, who was watching Lim So Yool, shook his head quietly.
"Why? They''re curious."
"Half of the chat is question marks. If you continue, the viewers will run away. I''m helping the broadcast, not disturbing it.¡±
"Disturbing? Abnormal prices are not that difficult. It only takes five minutes."
"I think the director is strict with other calctions but is alwaysx when factoring in the understanding of calctions.¡±
"What?"
Dowook slightly avoided Lim So Yool''s gaze, who raised her eyebrow.
Although it seemed like an argument, there was a sweet atmosphere making the viewersment things like, "Is this an episode of We Got Married?" and "What¡¯s this, what¡¯s this?"
"I got a message for Round 10. Stop being angry and stay at the back for a second."
Dowook logged on to the waiting room for the game.
[Yapsil : Dr. Wook. Where are you going this time? I''ll ambush you and catch you. How did all the aire out in one round? It''s very Wook-pino. Ha]
The chat atmosphere of the participants had also changed due to the previous round. However, it was a chat with a pleasant intention to entertain viewers.
Help nced at Kim Suhan and hit the keyboard.
[Tto-wook: Yes, 49th ce in the first round. When I ranked 42nd earlier, I couldn''t even talk to the top 30. Does Battlnd normally not take rank into ount?]
[Yapsil: ¡¡Do-doctor?]
[Tto-wook: Stop! Where?]
[Roksam: LOL]
[Seopoong: That''s right. That''s right, Yapsil. How can the 49th chat here? Close your mouth]
As the atmosphere moved to teasing streamer Yapsil, even the waiting time continued to entertain the viewers.
A few minutester, the count for entering the 10th round began.
Inside the ne flying over the ind.
Dowook''s character waited until the end and fell alone at the end of the ind.
¡¸You''re starting from the outside.¡¹
¡¸The priority is not to be discovered. Great judgment.¡¹
¡¸Will Captain Shote again this time?¡¹
While chatting continued, Dowook¡¯s character entered the church from Round 6 and quickly picked up only the items that he needed.
"Oh, doctor. You''re using a church-run strategy."
"I think there are quite a few essential weapons here. I rarely see people as well."
"That''s why I rmended it earlier."
Dowook''s character, who packed a sniper gun, scope, and first aid kit, soon climbed up the hill.
Dowook, who was lying close behind a rock and slowly looked around, found a very small point and erged it.
It was a yer bending under the wall.
An estimate of 1km.
Even with the sniper scope, it was too far away.
He was waiting for the other toe within range, when a face suddenly popped up on the camera screen.
"Now. Please shoot at that location."
Dowook was surprised and asked when he heard Lim So-yul''s remarks with her face right next to his.
"Just shoot?"
"Yes. The data is very urate in this game.¡±
¡¸Mathematician noona''s Training ON!¡¹
"You''re not doing this because I cut you off earlier, right?"
"No."
At Lim So Yool''s nce, he quietly clicked on the mouse as she said.
The scope''s crosshair. An effect appeared as a bullet passed far out of the lower left side of the screen.
At that moment, Lim So Yool''s eyes twinkled.
"Gravity variable is 1.1 m per second, wind variable is 1.35 m per second, and air resistance is not put into data."
Lim So Yool, who finished calcting the trajectory in an instant, pointed at one side of the screen with her finger.
"Here it is. 271 degrees, top scale 2.73, left scale 3.39. Shoot."
"Shoot? Really?"
"If your opponent moves, you have to calcte again. Hurry up."
Dowook manipted the crosshair and pulled the trigger toward the point she designated.
Click! Ta-ang!
About 3 seconds after shooting.
[Handsome guy Junhyuk was killed by Tto-wook¡¯s Kar98K headshot.]
The bullet that flew more than 1,000 meters hit the enemy.
¡¸??????????¡¹
¡¸What was that just now?¡¹
Chapter 50: Online Star (9)
A very long-distance sniper shot.
As soon as thepetition broadcasters saw this scene, they screamed.
-Let''s watch it again through rey.
¨C To exin, Tto-wook, who calcted where the bullet would fall with the first shot. Handsome Gong Joon-hyuk turned his head, but the distance was too far, so he couldn''t hear the gun fire. The next shot of Tto-wook calmly corrected the error. It was a clean sess.
¨C The viewer said that the calction was not made by Tto-wook.
-It wasn¡¯t?
-It was instructions from a mathematician noona.
Not only did Dowook who seeded in shooting, but also Kim Suhan, who was just enjoying the sess of the broadcast, looked at Lim So Yool with a bewildered gaze.
The same was true for the nearly 90,000 viewers who essed the chat room.
The protagonist pointed again to a point on the screen as if nothing had happened.
"Here. The direction is 263 degrees. 3.19 above, 4.57 above. Shoot."
Dowook reflexively moved the aiming point in the direction Lim So Yool pointed at.
Ta-ang!
[Twerking was killed by Tto-wook¡¯s Kar98K headshot]
¡¸Whoa!¡¹
¡¸What''s up with this noona? What is with these instructions!¡¹
With the sess of the second ultra-long-range sniper, all sorts of exmations popped up in the chat window. Whether he did well or not, the criticisms that continued intermittently all disappeared.
After all, who could teach better than this?
Lim So Yool saw Dowook sitting with his mouth open.
"Do my calctions still lookx?"
"It''s¡ You really did take it to heart.¡±
"What does everyone think?"
At her question to the viewers, donations poured in.
-Ddirring.
-That''s true! It was a strict and serious calction!
-Ddirring.
-Noona! What kind of research did you do in Seville that you can do this? Respect!
-Ddirring.
-Battlnd yers. Worship the queen of training!
Lim So Yool, who was nodding with a satisfied look, put her hand on Dowook¡¯s shoulder.
"What are you doing? 291 degrees."
"Yes, yes."
Ta-ang!
Dowook¡¯s character, who hid on the hill, began to kill all yers who came into view from then on.
"310 degrees. 3.21 degrees below¡¡±
"I''ve been discovered. Once I move, please calcte again."
"If the height of the ce changes, the parabolic variables must be measured again."
"You want me to make a shot first, right? Then we need a cover.¡±
Dowook''s character "Tto-wook," which moved all over Battlnd and shot from ultra-long distances, instilled a fear in all yers by the time the round was half over.
¡¸You need to see, to be able to deal with it. Other streamers are probably having a mental breakdown.¡¹
Ta-ang!
[Ddowook''s Kar98K headshot killed Yapsil]
¡¸Sly Yap. How many kills have you had so far?¡¹
¡¸I don''t know. I quit counting.¡¹
¡¸At least more than 20.¡¹
Taang! Tang!
The two yers, who were fighting in between a building, copsed in good harmony.
"We''re moving."
"The parabolic function isplete. I''ll find the angle right away now."
Ta-ang!
A yer, who was farming items, died of a bullet that flew in from900 meters away.
¡¸I''m scared of this duo now.¡¹
¡¸I''ve never seen anything like this even in a professional game.¡¹
At some point, thepetition broadcasters were not thinking ofmenting and were just looking at the observer screen chasing Dowook¡¯s footsteps.
-The 23rd person has been eliminated. This round can be divided like this. Those who were eliminated by Tto-wook and those who were not.
-You are now watching the new history of Battlnd Sniping y.
Ta-ang!
-24!
Taang! Tang!
-25! 26!
Before they knew it, the round entered the second half.
Dowook''s character hid through the grass.
Of the 50 people who fell on the ind, only two were left now.
"I can''t figure out the location. I''m sure it''s ahead of me."
Kim Suhan''s desperate voice could be heard after Dowook¡¯s urgent words.
"It''s Captain Shot, so we don''t know what strategy he''lle out with. Close-up matches are disadvantageous. He has professional shooting skills.¡±
Lim So Yool alsomented.
"The calction is meaningless up close. The margin of error is less than 1mm."
The carefully thinking Dowook turned to look over the hill toward the approaching maic field.
"Patient Kim Suhan."
"What?"
"How long can youst if you go in there?"
"It''s totallyte in the game, so it cuts off health by 2% per second. So 50 seconds at the longest."
"Director."
"Yes."
"How many seconds does it take to check the opponent and calcte with that parab function"?
"Three seconds."
The determined Dowook moved his character and jumped toward the maic field.
For a Battlnd Ranker, it was, of course, a suicide, so Captain Shot, who was watching for Dowook, fired bullets of ridicule.
Tadadadadang!
In the meantime, a bullet passed by and the character''s blood dropped to 80%.
When you enter the maic field, your stamina would start to decline.
¡¸What are you doing, Tto-wook-hyung! Are you giving up on the game?"¡¹
¡¸Why is he digging his own grave at the end?¡¹
-yer Tto-wook, what does he mean to do!
The chatroom was going crazy. The broadcast team was also going crazy. However, only Kim Suhan and Lim So Yool, who understood what Dowook was trying to do, watched the screen quietly.
When he only had 10% left.
Dough''s character, who was running, turned around and aimed the sniper rifle.
"Director!"
"I''m doing it. Enemy position!"
The scope was expanded to explore. As a good yer, of course, Captain Shot moved from the position where he just fired from.
Dowook, who was moving the screen while continuing to breathe calmly, found his helmet slightly sticking out between the rocks.
"Here it is."
"173 degrees above. 3.39. Left 5.0¡¡3!¡±
Dowook''s sniper rifle fired.
Ta-ang!
[Captain Shot was killed by Tto-wook''s Kar98K headshot]
[Tto-wook died in the maic field]
[Ranking #1. Kill 30]
Captain Shot was eliminated first by a short margin.
Dowook who saw the title of first ce cheered and naturally held hands with Lim So Yool who stood next to him.
"The timing of the calction was great, director."
"It took 2.1 seconds, not 3 seconds."
"That error was nice, too.¡±
-Ddirring.
-L.E.G.E.N.D.
-Ddirring.
-I''m getting emotional after a round of a game. It''s so touching!
-Ddirring.
¨C Noona. Hyung. So when are you doing the next broadcast? You''re going to do it, right?
Dowook was surprised to see that the number of viewers exceeded 100,000. To inform him of this news, he turned to Kim Suhan.
"The viewers right now¡"¡.¡±
"I checked, doctor. This broadcast is probably the first time in Twitch''s history that this much shot of a single broadcast has been taken. You''re amazing. It''s an honor, streamer Tto-wook.
"I''m just helping you."
"It''s not just helping. You made the broadcast fun. I didn''t know there was a doctor like this in the world. I really didn''t even think about it."
Lim So Yool watched this conversation with a meaningful look.
"Doctor, in that sense, a ss of beer to celebrate¡"¡.¡±
"You can''t."
"No, after the surgery, What do you mean, why is everything forbidden?"
"You can''t drink during the two-month recovery period."
"What? You didn''t tell me that."
"It''smon sense. From now on, I''ll tell youmon sense things, too."
Dowook alternately looked between the broadcast screen and Kim Suhan, who became teary.
Unexpectedly, he was too immersed in thepetition and enjoyed the game. How should he exin this feeling of 100,000 people watching and cheering for him?
¡¸Bright Tto-wook, bright Tto-wook!¡¹
¡¸Sorry for the bad advice earlier! I was the one newbie!¡¹
¡¸Wook-hyung is the MVP! Let''s debut professionally!¡¹
Beyond the Inte, they were all people who actually lived somewhere out there.
How many people in the world reacted so explosively to each of his small actions?
It was understandable that Kim Suhan decided to push ahead with the broadcast with a central vein and thought of this as his life and them as friends.
"Doctor Park."
Lim So Yool looked up at Dowook with clear eyes.
"The surgical technique that Professor Choi added."
"Oh."
The four-hour Inte broadcast was sessfullypleted. Now, it was time to aim for another sess for the rest of Kim Suhan''s future.
"The treatment of the deep inlet artery takes a long time and is tricky even for general surgery. So what you suggested was to rece it with a hemoclip instead of a microclip."
"There''s too big of a difference in the size of the tools. If this happens, the recovery variable must be adjusted considerably."
"Did you bring your notebook? Let''s write it down first.¡.¡±
Tingle.
He was an Inte broadcaster, then a shooting instructor.
This time, the mathematician''s sense dug into his right hand.
* * *
Monday morning, the entrance to the general ward.
Dowook stretched and tried to wash away the tiredness umted fromst night.
It had been five days since he practiced the new skill.
Choi Hoo did not force Dowook to train. If they practiced together and he couldn''t hold on any longer, Choi Hoo would also pull out then.
The pressure was rather enormous because there was no word about where or how there would be an error. Thanks to this, his fingers were still shaking because he was practicing until 3 a.m. yesterday.
"I''d rather go into surgery.¡±
"What did you say, doctor?"
An intern who followed to assist in the rounds asked him in a sleepy tone. Dowook spoke after tapping the intern''s forehead with his fingertips.
"Take care of the charts. We have a conference today.¡±
"Oh, it hurts. It''s the day of the conference, right."
Inpatient meetings were held on thest Monday of every month by all neurosurgeon doctors.
There was a lot for Dowook to prepare. After a few weeks of crazily going to the operating room, there were 19 critically ill patients assigned to him.
"Your rounds are harder than other rounds. There are many things to note about each patient, and why do you manage critically ill patients like a professor?¡±
"I''m trying to be a professional surgeon, but I seem to make more work for myself."
"But you¡¯re still the coolest. My colleagues say they want to apply for neurosurgery these days."
"Our department? Really?"
Dowook, who opened the door to RM 701, looked back at the intern.
"What attracted you interns?"
"If Ist four years in neurosurgery at Myeong Sae Hospital, I''ll really be something. Chief Ha Sang Joong¡¯s scolding every time you meet, the threat to your life whenever you see Prof. Choi, patients pouring in, and the amount of work is double that of other departments."
"Why are you only speaking about the cons?"
"There''s someone who overcame it all and was recognized. I''m applying because of you.¡±
Dowook smiled at the unexpected answer.
"Anyways, neurosurgery applicants are always wee."
Dowook, who was carrying a lot of charts into the public conference room, found not only neurosurgeons but also interns working in the rotation of other departments gathered in the back.
¡®What is this?¡¯
Other doctors'' participation in conferences was usually a phenomenon that urred only on special days. When the dean or vice-dean participated, or famous doctors from outside participated.
As he walked to the front seat, Nam Hana, who was in the midst of preparing for the meeting, rushed to him.
"Senior. Did you see the attendance list?"
"It¡¯ll all be the same people, why should I check the list? Is there a new doctor on the staff?¡±
"Oh, my. I texted you at dawn."
Dowook dropped the charts on the desk.
"Can''t you see all of this? I don''t have the time to hear any gossip these days."
"It''s not a small thing. The professors of the association areing."
"What?"
Five seats were prepared at the front.
Suddenly, the memories of professors who visited not too long ago and made his soul fly away crossed Dowook¡¯s mind.
"Hana, do you happen to¡"
"Hey, Dr. Park! I heard you''re nning an amazing operation this time.¡±
Dowook turned at someone''s lively voice.
Those who didn¡¯t run out of things to say just by talking about opening their patients¡¯ heads for two nights and three days. Even from among them, one of the particrly hectic five members waved happily towards Dowook.
That gray-haired person was Nam-goong Seok, a senior professor at Seongbuk Clinic.
"How did you know that when I didn''t even report it to the conference?"
"How do you think? Rumors spread around the hospital."
Nam-goong Seok turned his head and waved toward the intern gathered behind him. An intern bent straight down.
"Nice to meet you, Dr. Song. Did you apply for colo-proctology? The chief there is strict, but if you respond confidently, you will get a good score. Spirit is important.¡±
Dowook swallowed a moan. That intern who applied for a residency course at Seongbuk Clinic, where Nam-goong Seok belonged, was the cause of the rumor leak.
"I heard that you''re going to present the contents of today¡¯s meeting for it to be verified by the association. I''ll help you. So that you can pass. I''m a fan of Dr. Park.¡±
"That''s¡."
"Dr. Park~ I''m here again~"
Yoon Do-cheon, a senior professor at the National Medical Center, entered the conference room with the same expression as Nam-goong Seok. Some interns waiting behind immediately bowed down to greet Professor Yoon Do-cheon.
Coming close, he stroked his beard and asked.
"Dr. Park. I heard you''re nning something amazing."
"You''re asking the same question as Senior Nam-goong."
"Really? Hehe. I''ll help. No, we''ll help you. I guarantee you that the probability of sess can be increased by 15%.¡±
When all five of them were certain to participate, Dowook¡¯s head started to hurt.
Hard work to improve thepleteness of the surgery.
Just the gaze of Choi Hoo gave off so much pressure, but he didn''t even get a sense of how difficult the process would be if the eyes of those five ovepped as well.
Chapter 51: Online Star (10)
People began to enter in time for the scheduled meeting.
The doctors, who had been sitting in their respective seats as usual, stopped when they saw the group of five.
Those who were not affiliated with Myeong Sae Hospital but seemed to be simr in age with the vice-dean. Lee Yeon-beom, a professor at the clinical department realized who one of them was, hurriedly bowed down to greet him.
"Pro-professor Nam-goong."
"Oh, long time no see, Mr. Lee."
"What brings you here¡.¡±
Dowook, who was apanying the five, had to continue sending looks and signals to calm down the associate professors who followed behind Lee Yeon-beom and were bewildered by the situation.
Knowingly or not, Professor Song Sang-guk of Gyecheon University Hospital continued with a lively conversation.
"The way I see it, Myeong Sae Hospital is the ma that will lead neurosurgery in the next association meeting. Dr. Park, how many specialists are here?"
"There are about 28 people."
"As expected, like a member of the Big 5, there are a lot of resources. There''s no way that it won''t be famous. You''ve already proven that your skills are the best in Korea.¡±
"Professor Song, shall we suggest holding a conference next year at Myeong Sae Hospital?"
"Shall we? Senior Nam-goong?"
Dowook felt suffocated in front of the five people who held a lot of authority even within the association. It was an honor for a conference to be held here, but it was an emergency situation and the parties were responsible for it.
"Don''t praise us too much."
At that time, there was a person who walked quickly to the front seat.
"What do you mean a conference? We''re super busy next year, so we can''t do it."
"You¡¯re here, Chief Ha."
Chief Ha Sang Joong stood in front of the five.
"Aren''t you seniors busy? Why do youe here every day?"
"Why are you so angry this morning?"
"Why do you think so?"
"I''m sorry I suddenly mentioned it. We''ll treat all the people here to dinner."
"That''s a must. Please don''t interrupt the meeting."
Chief Ha, who was talking to the five, winked at Dowook, who was standing on one side. An indication that he would apany these five. Dowook nodded and settled between the residents and the staff.
"By the way, Chief Ha. Professor Choi is noting? I have a lot to ask about this case."
"Choi Hoo is not interested in anything other than his own surgeries."
"He even skips official events? He doesn¡¯t seem to have any intention of advancing his career.¡±
"Will you go since Choi Hoo isn¡¯t here?"
Nam-goong Seok smiled and shook his head.
"There''s Park Dowook. We''re not leaving. Are you leaving, Professor Song?¡±
"What are you talking about? I¡¯ve been ignoring the calls from the head of the center."
Chief Ha shook his head at the chatty behavior of the seniors who were over 60 and turned to the members of the neurosurgery department. Everyone was slightly frozen.
"As you can see, the seniors of the association who came today are very flexible people who are not formal, so do as usual. Everyone¡¯s here, right?
Chief Ha, who was looking around the conference room, stopped his gaze at the interns sitting in the back.
"What are they doing here? Interns. Why are you guys here?¡±
-We''re here to broaden our horizons.
"Are you going to study our case? Are you going to apply for our department?"
Some nodded and some moved their eyes toward the five. Chief Ha, who read the rough situation, grumbled.
"There are so many bright stars. Then you can''t do it as usual.¡±
"The interns are growing, so they are just being rash, Chief Ha. They''ll understand."
"Right. Back in my days, I was pped by a senior who was a year ahead as I studied cases."
Chief Ha frowned when the five brought up their childhood memories.
"What are you talking about? They''ll be surprised when they hear. No, Interns surgeons don''t train like that these days. They didn''t know the reality because they used their scalpels during the 80s."
Chief Ha, who finished organizing the situation to some extent, sat in the center. And he brought the microphone near his mouth.
"It''s been dyed from the start. Let''s hurry up and proceed. Where do you want to begin with first? Spine? Cerebrovascr?¡±
"We''re going for surgery at 10:30."
"Really? Let''s start with Professor Yeom. The next team will get ready, too."
Professor Yeom Sang-chil, a specialist in the field of brain tumors, walked forward to the podium.
An hourter.
-Medication to assist in work history was performed at the same time, but thymectomy was performed due to seizures apanied by respiratory paralysis.¡.
During the patient report of Lee Yeon-beom, a detailed spinal nerve specialist, the five only sat still with a sour look.
Lee Yeon-beom quickly moved on to the next case because his seniors were not interested at all.
-This patient has spinal cord infarction and neuropathy at the same time, making conservative treatment impossible¡¡.
It was the most difficult case to manage, but this time again, the five were busy holding back yawns.
¨C That''s how I finished the second surgery and am watching the prognosis. Do you have any questions? ¡¡ There isn''t.
A case which the authorities of the association turned a blind eye to.
When the presenter quickly passed the remaining cases, the staff and residents studying the spinal nerve field also failed to ask any questions passionately.
Chief Ha, who couldn''t look on anymore, stretched his neck out and red at the five.
"Are you here to watch?"
"No, I''m afraid I''ll disturb you. We''re not that shameless."
"Since you participated officially, you have to show at least the minimum courtesy."
"Should I?"
Professor Nam-goong Seok spoke into the microphone after scanning the monitor in front which disyed aputer chart.
"Dr. Lee."
"Yes, sir."
"You said you had fracture executive surgery because of the pressure on the patient¡¯s axis, right? I think the 2nd and 3rd cervical vertebrae will be crushed soon. Why didn''t you fix them in ce?¡±
"Cr-crushed?"
Surprised by the unexpected question, Lee Yeon-beom exchanged looks with the doctor who performed the surgery. He hurriedly searched through the documents he had brought and replied with a look of relief.
"It''s not that we didn''t predict a rupture either. The patient had a high fever, so the remaining surgery was turned to conservative treatment."
"Fever? This is a problem that is difficult to exin because nerves areplicatedly intertwined with organs. It''s right to fix them in ce because there¡¯s a fever. Open the patient''s X-ray.¡±
Nam Hana in the corner quickly manipted herptop and switched the screen.
"If you look at the joint angle, it''s bent at 80 degrees, not 70 degrees. It''s about to be overstated."
Lee Yeon-beom made a face as if someone had hit him over the head with a brick.
"If the patient had a fever due to nerve pressure, and you turned to conservative treatment, that would only extend the patient''s recovery period."
"Right. It will take at least 8 weeks. Still, reoperation will shorten it to five weeks.¡±
"I''ll consider it. Thank you, Professor Nam-goong."
After saying this, Lee Yeon-beom red strongly at the doctor in charge sitting behind him.
Different coping methods for the same cause. Although it was not wrong at the hospital, he could fully infer from the face of the doctor in charge that Nam-goong Seok''s criticism was painful.
Chief Ha, who watched this process, sighed deeply.
"Senior Nam-goong."
"Huh?"
"Okay."
"Huh? What?"
"I understand well, so please don''t discourage the children."
"What. I didn''t know that Mr. Lee''s team handled spinal nerves this well. That''s why we canmunicate.¡±
Chief Ha, who asked for the participation of the five, immediately admitted to the mistake and raised the white g. If they sincerely bit into a case, it wouldn''t end until the evening.
"Good job, Professor Lee."
Chief Ha beckoned for Lee Yeon-beom to step down quickly. And the five moved their eyes toward one person waiting.
"Dowook."
"What?"
"You just go first."
Dowook, who was in the back, walked out under Chief Ha''s direction. At the same time, all five of them, who were lined up, straightened their postures and watched Dowook.
Lee Yeon-beom, who was tidying up on the podium, flinched at the appearance of the five who changed their eyes. He spoke carefully to the approaching Dowook.
"Dowook, I think they''re waiting to rip into your case thoroughly. Will it be okay?"
"I think it¡¯ll be a bit tiresome."
Dowook heard Lee Yeon-beom''sment as he put up the chart.
"I didn''t know that the patient with the simplest symptoms would be pointed out among our team cases. Those old men are scary."
"There''s a way to end the recovery period in three weeks."
"Huh? Professor Nam-goong said it was five weeks.¡±
"Uh¡ Please don''t reveal that I said it."
Dowook slumped a little and whispered quietly to Lee Yeon-beom. Lee Yeon-beom, who was listening, opened his eyes wide.
Lee Yeon-beom, who stepped down from the podium, stood in front of Nam-goong Seok.
"Senior."
"Huh?"
"What do you think of a simple procedure for inserting K-steel wires during the re-surgery?¡±
"K-steel wire? In the neck?"
Nam-goong Seok was uncertain, but Kim Ho, a senior professor at St. Paul''s Hospital sitting next to him, pped his hands.
"That''s right. I thought of this, too. These days, steel wires can be made as strong as metal tes, so orthopedics often use them."
"Professor Kim, do you mean to use orthopedic skills for neurosurgery?"
"Do you not touch bones because you''re in neurosurgery? We should use what we can.¡±
"Well, the prognosis would be much better to make only a slight hole than to squeeze your neck. What will it be¡."
Nam-goong Seok, who admitted to it, looked at Lee Yeon-beom.
"That''s right. That''s a neater way. It will be over in three weeks, not five weeks.¡±
Kim Ho also raised his thumb toward Lee Yeon-beom.
"Very good, Dr. Lee. Your posture ispletely different from when you were a resident. No matter how great a senior is, don''t be so intimidated ande forward."
"Thank you."
Lee Yeon-beom, who sat down, bowed his head slightly to Dowook in thanks.
¡®Five tigers are sitting down while the rabbits are ying.¡¯
He looked at Lee Yeon-beom, who was overwhelmed by the five, and then looked at his hand, which was tingling.
A sense filled with the neurosurgery experiences of five great seniors.
Each person''s tendencies were so simr that it was hard to tell which senior the sense was from. Perhaps that was why, even if it was reced by the sense of the person next to them, the afterglow of all senses remained longer.
It felt like five senses were all located in one hand.
This was a collective intelligence itself, which was better to be used for meetings like this than in the operating room. He also thought that maybe he couldbine other simr senses with this concept.
"Hana, please pull up the 1st chart".
Theputer chart of the first patient appeared on arge monitor next to the tform. He saw that the eyes of the five were focused on the screen.
¡®If I get attention, I keep getting tired.¡¯
A seventh-year specialist was so embarrassed by the light criticism that they brought up, but how could he withstand the pressure when he would be a first-year specialist next year?
Knowing that he could not keep using his special sense every time, Dowook continued an easy presentation that they would never react to.
So that the surgical process he performed, using Prof. Choi¡¯s sense, was not noticeable.
He had hidden it well up to the eighth of the 19 cases when.
-Oh, is it a patient who was brought in because of a burst blood vessel?
As soon as the chart appeared on the screen, Nam-goong Seok showed interest.
-You sewed it up in 30 minutes?
-The process must have been tough. The head, chest, and stomach are all fatal injuries. Was it because two neurosurgeons were in the emergency ward that you only tried to restore the headpletely?
There was no way to move on simply because it was the case of Yoo Sang-il, the bus driver from the academy bus crash. Dowook answered quickly.
"At that time, the head of the emergency medicine department was in charge of overall damage control. I might be the attending physician, but after the third operation, he will be under the care of the Hepatopancreatic department."
Since it was the first time this case was posted at the conference, other neurosurgeons also watched the screen with interest. He tried to give Nam Hana a signal to move on quickly, but Nam-goong Seok''s words were faster.
-That suture structure. Does cardiothoracic surgery use that, too?
-I wonder as well.
Dowook groaned at the screen.
A knot used to connect the blood vessels in the brain was seen in a ce connecting the cardiovascr blood vessel. The two main surgeons were too busy in other areas so it was one that he did in a hurry. It was obvious that it was not an ordinary treatment.
-It''s effective but rough. It¡¯s interesting.
-Wasn¡¯t the chest treated by an emergency surgeon? This is like a specialist level in minute details. Did he do double boarding?
The five, who were sharing their opinions with curiosity, looked at Dowook at once.
-Dr. Park. How did the process for this one happen?
The time hade.
Chapter 52: Online Star (11)
Dowook calmly thought of an excuse.
"The pressed ribs crushed the arteries, so the blood wasn¡¯t reaching the brain. The patient was about to die. So Prof. Choi removed the cerebral hematoma, Chief Ji Hwi-gwan sutured the lung perforation, and I connected the cardiovascr system."
-So it was an emergency.
As the five were about to calm down at the fact that it was not done with great intention, Chief Ha''s eyes widened this time.
-Hey. Connecting the heart vessels? You''re a neurosurgeon. That''s thoracic surgery.
"It wasn''t something with high difficulty.¡±
-It¡¯s fortunate the patient lived. Chief Ji, this guy is also the one who doesn''t make any sense like Choi Hoo.
While people were buzzing over Chief Ha''s reprimand, one of the five, Won Sang-do, head of the Cerebrovascr Center at Yeouido Hospital, turned his head.
-No, Chief Ha. Look at that knot. During the second surgery process, you didn''t touch that ce as the onlyplete treatment. Such a fine knot technique would be worth studying in the thoracic department as well.
-Dowook is not a research doctor, right? He''s my surgeon.
At this, Kim Ho turned his head.
-What distinction do you need between a Ph.D. and a Professor? Let''s look at the results. So? Did the cardiothoracic surgeon make a im? Did the patientin?
-That''s not it, but¡¡.
Yoon Doo-cheon turned his head.
¨C Huh? Tsk tsk. How can you not trust your student?
-It''s not that I don''t trust him. Monthly conferences are supposed to point out and discuss these things¡¡.
Nam-goong Seok and Song Sang-guk also turned their heads.
¨C If it''s Dr. Park''s skills, it''s not an invasion of the realm of others, but a reasonable settlement. As a department chief, I understand the concern, but this much friction should be taken care of.
¨C There will be no disagreement among the academic audit directors on this matter. The three doctors took appropriate measures at the same time. That was the right decision. The eyes that look at a person''s body are different.
Almost everyone in the conference room watched the scene with surprised eyes as the elders of the association stood up for Dowwok.
Chief Ha sighed and quietly surrendered.
-All right, all right. Just Dowook. Dowook. People might think I''m the outsider and they''re Dowook¡¯s teachers.
-Chief Ha. There''s nothing to be upset about. Can I do it if I say I''m going to be Dr. Park¡¯s teacher? Is there that much flexibility in Myeong Sae medical school? If possible, I''ll take a seat¡¡.
-Senior!
At this moment, Dowook realized. He¡¯d already disyed everything he could have to the five of them. Even if he hid it here, they would continue to bother him in the future.
¡®¡¡I''m doomed.''
Dowook became desperate and continued the rest of the report. And, he reached the 19th patient¡¯s case, Kim Suhan¡¯s.
Rare cerebral aneurysm surgery.
Five people who found out about the case that needed techniques that were so difficult andplex that it had to be officially verified by the association came by themselves
Now he had no idea how much he should use his brain to satisfy their academic curiosity.
"This patient is¡¡"
The moment he put theputer chart on the screen and spoke out, his cell phone vibrated. Since the sender was Prof Choi, Dowook immediately asked for consideration.
"Just a moment. I got a call."
He put his cell phone to his ear.
-Dr. Park.
"Yes, professor."
-I heard people from the association came for today''s conference. Who''s here?
"Uh¡"
Dowook turned his eyes to the chart on therge monitor and turned to the five who were checking it. And called their names one by one.
-That''s enough. Wait a minute. I''ll go up.
"You''reing here?"
-If you are recognized by them, it''s the same as having been certified by the academic association. We can move up the surgery date.
After finishing the call, Dowook looked at the people with a puzzled face.
"Professor Choi would be stepping up regarding this case. Please wait a moment."
The news of Choi Hoo attending caused a stir in the entire conference.
In a little bit.
The front door opened and Choi Hoo walked in holding arge bag.
Interns who saw him for the first time looked confused as if they couldn''t determine whether he was a doctor or a fighter due to the pressure being emitted from his 185cm height and muscr body.
Choi Hoo bowed his head briefly to Chief Ha and senior professors at the institute then spoke to Dowook.
"I brought the B13 cerebrovascr model.¡±
"What? That''s what I used to train. If you''re going to get tested, Professor Choi''s position is also¡¡.¡±
"Does it matter? It''s something you and I have to do repeatedly anyway."
Professor Choi didn''t seem to have any intention of embellishing it before showing it. The way he looked at his practice process still remained the same.
Thanks to this, the burden Dowook felt was added. This technique was new even to Choi Hoo, so even if he epted the professor¡¯s sense, it simply fizzled out of his fingers.
"Set it up."
"Yes, professor. Hana."
"Sungtae."
Dowook winked at the residents.
A desk was ced in front of the five and a bag was ced on it.
The interns were shocked when a special material body model appeared from the bag. It was because it was so sophisticated that one could mistake it for a real head.
While preparing, Choi Hoo stood in front of the five.
"I heard you''re here to study our patient''s case. Since you''re here, why don''t you check the safety of the new technique?"
"Verification? We''re here to help Professor Choi and Dr. Park research.¡±
"That kind of help is meaningless."
The five flinched at the cold response. Yoon Do-cheon looked at his colleagues and asked Choi Hoo.
"But if you discuss it with us, you''ll be at least 10% more secure¡¡.¡±
"There''s no need for discussion."
Regardless of whether it was a grand jury or not, Choi Hoo relentlessly cutting people off was familiar to the neurosurgeons at the hospital, but the interns had expressions of cultural shock.
Chief Ha pressed his forehead as he saw Choi Hoo ruin the image of the neurosurgery department in front of the greenhorns.
"Hey, Choi Hoo. You have to follow the procedure for verification.¡±
"No, no. Chief Ha. We want to see it in person, too. We can look at it today and add to it if there''s anythingcking. And¡."
Nam-goong Seok, who served as a representative, looked at Choi Hoo.
"You¡¯re still full of confidence like when you were a student. Let''s see how much of the clumsiness from back then has faded.¡±
"As much as you want."
Chief Ha was flustered for a moment when senior Nam-goong Seok, who thought he was just kind, disyed sharpness. The same was true for Dowook who was stuck in between.
Chief Ha''s eyes seemed to say, ¡®what should we do?¡¯ and Dowook replied with a look saying, ¡®How should I know?¡¯
"I''m ready."
Choi Hoo¡¯s gaze moved back to Dowook. Dowook quietly asked Choi Hoo.
"Is it alright to be so stiff towards the people who are going to verify? They''re not inexperienced, either. Even if they can help¡¡.¡±
"Dr. Park."
"Yes."
"You don''t seem to have a clear awareness of what you can do yet.¡±
He brought it up to deal with the situation, but a questionable answer came back.
The desk, which was made to ce conference documents on, quickly turned into a simted operating table. There, Dowook and Choi Hoo stood face to face with the desk between them.
"Let''s start."
Since he had been working on it a lot for the past five days, Dowook hung up a brain retractor on the top of the model with familiarity.
"Oh. Was there such a sophisticated model of blood vessels?"
"I know. I don''t think it''s a domestic product.¡±
Something that even experienced seniors had never seen.
Dowook also came to know about it while reordering it a while ago, but this was a special support item made only for Prof. Choi by the Rochester University Medical Center.
It may not be world-ss, but famous universities in the United States had already recognized Choi Hoo¡¯s skills.
As Dowook was about to start the process in front of the model with fully exposed blood vessels, he confirmed that about 40 doctors were paying attention to the process.
He felt like he had to exin things so he cleared his throat.
"In this patient¡¯s case, a fusiform aneurysm spread widely throughout the brain. Based on thick knots rather than conventional ones, the goal of the technique is to reduce vascr rupture before and after surgery as much as possible."
The patient''s actual MRI image appeared on arge screen.
Professors working as detailed cerebrovascr specialists shook their heads as soon as they saw the footage.
-Are you nning to operate on this?
-Professor Choi, seriously. Now you''re challenging the realm of God.
Since it was not a big conference hall, Dowook could hear conversations from far away.
It was better to show it rather than refute it one by one. Dowook put on the surgical magnifying ss on his head and examined the blood vessels first.
"Let''s start from here."
A 0.5mm hemoclip mechanism held in Choi Hoo¡¯s hand went back and forth over Dowook¡¯s hand which revealed the blood vessels at the target point with fine forceps and fine scissors.
A series of clicking sounds were heard, and the passage through which blood flow came and went was temporarily blocked by the clips.
When thest clip pinched a blood vessel, Dowook¡¯s micro-scissors were incising the portion of the aneurysm that had already bulged out.
The incision seemed to be over, but this time, Choi Hoo held the suture and began to anastomize the gap.
-Fast¡
-It''s just fast. Since it¡¯s Choi Hoo.
-I¡¯m talking about Dowook. He¡¯s the one leading.
An introductory surgery that literally developed like flowing water.
It was an opening that gave surgeons a stronger sense of immersion than any movie.
One of the five people who were watching closely asked.
"Why do you use such a big clip when your blood vessels are thin? Aren''t micro-clips safer than hemoclips? Much more sophisticated."
Dowook answered with his eyes focused on the mock surgery.
"If the patient only had a few ruptured aneurysms, we would have. But this case is different. Saving timees first."
"Saving time?"
"It''s easy to insert and take out a hemo-clip."
Holding the clip fixing device, Dowook ced a clip at the next surgical point in advance.
Choi Hoo took his hand off the suture and needle holder, he lifted the micro-scissors and went to make an incision in the aneurysm area. And this time, Dowook continued the vascr anastomosis over it.
The surgical process in which the role had reversed.
Originally, the surgery had to be stopped for a moment to ry the baton mid-surgery.
A series of perfectly in sync actions followed Dowook¡¯s answer of saving time which brought a considerable shock to most of the surgeons in the conference room.
No one could tell exactly who was the surgeon and who was the assistant.
-Is that possible? Aren''t you ignoring the procedure just because it''s a mock surgery?
¨C If that was the case, would they be just watching?
¨C Choi Hoo is one thing, but what about Dowook? How can he follow that crazy timing so well?
Repeating the actions he had been doing throughout the past week, Dowook suddenly came to his senses.
¡®I went too much into practice mode and forgot to speak.¡¯
He forgot that they were being examined.
Dowook, who turned his head to exin the new knot to the five, flinched. Because someone''s big eyeballs came into view through the magnifying ss.
When he looked after lifting the magnifying ss, he saw Yoon Do-cheon with a nice beard. Standing together with them at the table.
"Professor Yoon¡".¡±
"Oh, Dr. Park. Don''t mind me and keep going."
At some point, a lot of people hade near the table. The five people were at the forefront.
Song Sang-guk tapped Yoon Do-cheon on the shoulder.
"Wow. Look at that. Usually, it''s hard to wrap a single suture over there. But these guys are going over 10 or 20 times.¡±
"Because the person in the assistant position made the cut smoothly."
"How can I verify this? They must be the only team in the country that can operate like this."
Dowook could only tilt his head at thepliment.
Between his and Choi Hoo¡¯s skills during the mock surgery, his skills were obviously clumsy. Didn''t he practice until dawn yesterday, to make up for thatck?
"Let''s stop here".
Choi Hoo wrapped up the suture and pulled out. Dowook also pulled out at those words.
The more he looked at it, the more disappointing it was. The incision surface of the back wall of the blood vessel that was just progressing was not even cross-sectioned.
"Look at this incision. Did you cut it using a ruler? Why is it so clean?¡±
Yoon Do-cheon said as he bent down and looked closely at the model while looking with suspicion at Dowook.
"It''s not neat. My fingers shook while making the incision."
"Where in the world can you find a surgeon whose hand doesn''t shake when touching a 2mm diameter blood vessel? Even under the microscope, there are so many people who can''t do it¡¡ Hold on. I don''t know where it was shaken."
"Here. Look at this part. The line is crooked.¡±
"Can you zoom in?"
Dowook took off the magnifying ss on his head and gave it to Yoon Do-cheon.
"Let''s see. Huh? Are you sad because of a 0.01mm difference?"¡±
"Yes."
Yoon Doo-cheonughed at this answer. Kim Ho, who came to see what was so funny, was also surprised to see the cut through the magnifying ss and looked at Dowook.
"This friend has a lot of surgical greed.¡±
"What are you talking about? Let me see."
Won Sangdo and Song Sang-guk checked the cut surface andughed loudly with Yoon Doo-cheon.
"This is why I can''t help but like Dr. Park. He reflects over making a mistake after doing so great like this."
"I told you when they started. The next generation of neurosurgery will be centered here at Myeong Sae Hospital."
Four seniors tapped his shoulders and continued to praise him.
Dowook turned to the surgical site.
¡®Why are people saying it''s okay when there''s such a big difference?¡¯
Dowook paused as he was agonizing over it.
¡®Whose sense am I borrowing right now?¡¯
It wasn''t Choi Hoo¡¯s. Because he didn¡¯t feel the sharp feeling that could distinguish even small scratches on microvessels just now. But something was weird.
In the midst of borrowing the sense of one of the five, he was actually feeling a difference that they did not care about.
¡®Does it mean that I have Prof. Choi¡¯s sense right now? No way¡¡¡¯
In the past, the time in which he borrowed the senses of other people using his special sense had been short. However, it was safe to say that Choi Hoo¡¯s sense was actually always with him when he went to work at the hospital.
Assuming that if you borrowed a sense for a long time and used it steadily, it could remain permanently in the neural circuit, if not 100%.
Otherwise, he couldn''t exin this condition, in which he was disappointed because of an error of 0.01mm.
¡®If this is right, it means that 100% absorption is possible with some effort.¡¯
Dowook alternated between Choi Hoo''s awesome knot and Park Do-wook''s regr knot.
About 50%. That was the case just by looking at the level ofpletion of those knots.
As he kept looking, his desire to work harder was fired up.
Chapter 53: Online Star (12)
Choi Hoo stood facing Nam-goong Seok.
"What do you think?"
"Most of the clumsiness has disappeared. It was impressive."
"I''ve never been clumsy. Not back when I was a student nor now."
"I guess you don''t remember. What I pointed out in the lecture when Imented on you being clumsy was not a matter of skills, but a matter ofmunication.¡±
Nam-goong Seok looked at Choi Hoo as if he could see right through him. Choi Hoo calmly gazed back at him.
"I think it''s an unreasonable evaluation system to distribute tasks to others when you can do them alone."
"You say the same thing without a word of difference.¡±
"That''s it for the debate on values. What do you think about that knot?¡±
"Is there any reason to ask me after finishing it this perfectly? You changed the clip ording to the knot. As if someone had already verified your skills. I don''t think you even need our Dowook."
Choi Hoo nodded as if he acknowledged it.
"There is a quitepetent helper among Dr. Park Do-wook''s acquaintances."
"I guess they''re not ordinary for you topliment them. Are they from the academic association?¡±
"I don''t know about that. Whether there is such a conference in that field."
Chief Ha walked toward the two who were talking.
"Senior Nam-goong. Do you think it''ll pass the certification?¡±
"Of course. Definitely."
"Ha. Eventually."
"Howe you don''t look so happy when the name of the hospital willst forever?"
Chief Ha replied with a mixed but somewhat joyful face.
"The procedure wasn''t there before. I don''t know how to convince the public that it was led by my student who is a 4th year resident. This type of procedure is enough to report to the International Society. Choi Hoo, let''s put your name in the description report. You''ve been a specialist for 10 years, it''ll be easier to exin."
"I''ve already finished writing my thesis with the title ¡®Park Do-wook''s knot.¡¯"
"What? You''re already done with your thesis? Why are you so fast at work? This isn''t your style.¡±
Chief Ha was shouting. Choi Hoo didn''t even snort at his roar. Nam-goong Seok, who was watching the two,ughed.
"Chief Ha. What does external perspective matter? We need to look at the synergy that the two genius surgeons will create."
"I''m afraid something I can''t handle will emerge."
"It''s annoying because you¡¯reining out of satisfaction. I''ll keep in touch with the academic audit personnel. If we guarantee it, we will be able to rece the certification process by visiting the surgery in person.¡±
Chief Ha looked back at Choi Hoo.
"Did you hear that? Did you like it?"
"Dr. Park. Visit patient Kim Suhan and schedule a surgery."
Dowook, who heard this from afar, immediately left the conference room.
"Are you ignoring me?"
"I just took care of the priority first. Senior Nam-goong. If it''s not rude, can I contact you when something simr happens in the future? There are so many formal procedures that there is a risk of deteriorating a patient¡¯s condition in the meantime."
Nam-goong Seok nodded with a weing expression.
"Again, again¡"
"And."
Finally, he faced Chief Ha.
"Good. Very good. I''ve never had surgery like this before."
Choi Hoo, who had never expressed his feelings, nodded pleasantly and walked to the ce where the residents gathered. Chief Ha was surprised and watched Choi Hoo instructing them to clean up.
"Se-senior Nam-goong."
"Huh?"
"Didn''t you give him an F just because he''s out of his mind?"
"That''s right."
"Does he still look like that? It looks like that to me.¡±
"Once a maverick, always a maverick."
Nam-goong Seok sympathized and added meaningfully.
"But the maverick general, who meets an outstanding staff, always wins the war."
"Well, I had a hard time controlling Choi Hoo¡¡.¡±
Chief Ha paused and looked at Nam-goong Seok.
"That staff. It''s not me?"
"Hmm. Noment."
* * *
Early December morning.
Arge van with dark tinted windows parked in the underground parking lot of Myeong Sae Hospital.
"We''re almost there, boss."
The driver turned to the passenger seat. Lim So-hee, who was looking at the tablet, raised her head at these words.
"Thank you, Director Shim. Your morning schedule must be tight."
"You could have just paid a fine for the two-part vehicle system.¡±
"How could the CEO of the entertainment industry who makes a living out of thepany¡¯s image do so? It''s better for me to bear the inconvenience than for shareholders to feel ufortable. It''s not like there''s no car in thepany."
Lim So-hee turned to the man in the back seat.
"It was nice to see you, too, Ryu Chul."
Ryu Chul, the star actor of KG Entertainment, famous for being a Hallyu star, waved at her.
"Have a good time with your younger sister."
"Oh, by the way. I''m going to hold an event here for the actor to visit Korea that I mentionedst time."
"Volunteering in a pediatric ward?¡±
"Yes, that''s because they''re so famous that it''s hard for the cast to be positively mentioned in the article. Familiarize yourself with it so that we can appeal to the audience somehow.¡±
"What could there be?"
Ryu Chul smiled and asked Lim So-hee, who was preparing to unload her luggage.
"When will you ept my date request? I followed you on purpose to walk you home."
A 27-year-old man, who was in full swing with his handsome appearance and trained body, flirted with her.
Lim So-hee opened the door with a smirk.
"People younger than me are not my taste. I''m sorry."
Lim So-hee coolly disappeared into the hospital as Ryu Chul watched her back with regret.
"Manager Shim, what''s your preference for men? You''re so pretty, but there''s never been a scandal."
"How should I know? But I don''t think it''s you."
"Oh, my".
Lim So-hee, who got on the elevator in the parking lot, held up her cell phone after covering her mouth with her hand as she yawned.
"She''s not checking her texts again."
Lim So Yool didn''t seem to be interested at all, although her sister came to eat breakfast after staying up all night at work. The 1 beside the message hadn¡¯t disappeared since yesterday.
[T/N: In Korea, SNS or text messages show a ¡®1¡¯ beside it when sent to one person. It disappears when the person who receives the message reads it.]
She got off the lobby floor and pressed the call button.
-Unni?
"You¡¯re awake? Did you decide to chew the text with my name on it?"
-It''s because I''m busy. What''s up?
"Let''s eat. I''m in the lobby of Myeong Sae Hospital."
-I don''t have time right now¡¡.
A vague tone. This was the nuance of rejection. Because she refused to be rejected when she was already at the hospital, Lim So-hee mentioned the one thing that her younger sister had no choice but to react to.
"Last time, you said oveing the hospital image was a problem, right? Hollywood actors who appeared in the work ¡®Heroes League¡¯ are volunteering in hospital wards in Korea. I decided to have it at this hospital. What do you think? Are you attracted?"
-Are they famous people?
"Huh? Jet America, don''t you know Tom Brand? In terms of mathematics, it''s like Fermat with a Pascal-level awareness."
-Really? But I like Gaussian.
"Oh. Let''s not talk. Well? Should I just send them to another hospital?¡±
A voice sounded that seemed as if she was contemting. And the answer came back soon.
-There''s no time to eat a lot. I''m in front of the operating room.
"Why there? Are you having a surgery again? Are you sick?"
-No. I need to observe the variables. At the convenience store, bread and¡ What was it.¡ There''s milk called Lucky Choco. Buy those when youe.
"Dear little sister. Do you have to do this to me? I''m the one who brought Tom Brand to your hospital."
-If you don''t want to, then don¡¯t.
Love was a game in which the person who liked more lost every time. Lim So-hee sighed and asked back.
"Lucky Choco? Is that super sweet milk enough?"
-It''s not that sweet, ok?
Lim So-hee, who got off her cell phone, walked to a convenience store located at the end of the lobby.
She went inside and picked up the food her sister ordered first. And she wandered around the store looking for convenience store food to eat for breakfast.
Lim So-hee''s gaze stopped in front of a packaged lunch box that looked delicious.
"At least this¡"
Slip.
There was a hand that picked up the lunch box before Lim So-hee. When she turned her head, it was a man who was tall and had a firm body.
"Excuse me. That''s the lunch box I had nned to buy first".
"What?"
The man who turned back was wearing a doctor''s gown. Attention was drawn to the unusual name "Choi Hoo" disyed on the name tag roughly pinned to the chest.
The man pushed out the lunch box in his hand towards Lim So-hee.
"This is the worst tasting one here. Are you really going to eat this?"
"Oh, my. Why did you choose this then?"
"I revealed the reason while asking. Do you really want it?¡±
"Give it to me."
The lunch box was ced on Lim So-hee''s hand. The man, who quickly picked out another lunch box, finished paying and disappeared at a fast pace.
"You''re a weird person."
Lim So-hee, who even brought a coffee, also walked towards the cashier.
[Operating room 2: Patient in waiting: Kim Suhan]
Lim So Yool was sitting in a simple chair in front of the D-Rosette.
From diagnosis of cerebral aneurysm to surgery. The process that started with one calction waspleted and the result was almost right before her eyes.
This was a very dynamic function with a life on the line,pletely different from the boring numbers representing thepany''s financial status.
"Oh, the smell of disinfectant".
Lim So-hee appeared following the rustling sound of a bag.
"You¡¯re here, unni."
Sitting next to Lim So Yool, Lim So-hee stuck out the chocte milk and bread.
"Does Secretary Ok know you''re doing this here?"
"She doesn''t know."
"Even if she knows, she¡¯s probably pretending not to know. Please don''t make talented people suffer."
"Don''t make Secretary Ok do spy work."
Lim So-hee, who had nothing to say, turned away from her younger sister¡¯s gaze and changed the subject.
"What are you going to observe? What are you into today?¡±
Lim So Yool, who opened the seal of the milk pack and gulped it down, pointed to the entrance of the operating room.
"That patient is a littlete for surgery."
"Do you know this patient?"
"Yes. I calcted the probabilities rted to diagnosis and prognosis. I also helped with the patient¡¯s business a little. That was fun, too."
Lim So-hee was surprised.
"Diagnosis? Can you calcte that?"
"Sure. There''s someone who transforms variables amazingly in the middle."
"Is there another Semdeok who is participating in your crazy math concept?"
Lim So Yool, who was opening the bag of bread, red at her sister.
"I''m not a Semdeok."
"I don''t think it¡¯s an imaginary friend. Who could it be?¡±
Lim So-hee, who confirmed the name of the surgeon Park Dowook written under the monitor waiting for surgery, smiled. It was the doctor fromst time. She had a feeling that it would be like this for some reason.
"It wasn''t a Semdeok, but a Sem-dol. Park Dowook. It¡¯s him, right?
"Don''t ask if you already know".
"You keep making me ask. Oh, such a cute thing. Can I kiss you on the cheek?¡±
"Go away. It¡¯s the end of our rtionship if you do such thing."
Lim So-hee, who was opening the lunch box with a smile, picked up a side dish with a chopstick and chewed, then she frowned immediately. She put rice in and munched on, put another side dish in her mouth, and frowned again.
"What''s wrong?"
"Salty. Too salty. This is too nd.¡±
"Convenience store lunch boxes are like that."
"I think it''s made by someone who doesn''t know what liver bnce is.¡±
Lim So-hee said something and scoffed.
"It really wasn''t good. What''s with him?"
"Who?"
"There is someone. He¡¯s big and has a thick line¡"
Lim So-hee raised her hand when she saw someone disappearing into the operating room ss door.
"That guy."
"Professor Choi?"
"Do you know him?"
"He''s one of the people who helped me calcte variables. He''s a talented doctor who came in when I had surgery."
Lim So-hee''s gaze turned to Choi Hoo who was disinfecting his hands.
"That doctor. Why did he want to eat the least delicious lunch box at the convenience store before the surgery?"
"You can ask him. He¡¯s on the same team as Dr. Park."
"The same team?¡±
"Cooperation between a surgeon and assistant. They just call it a team here."
Lim So-hee, who was carefully looking at Choi Hoo, asked.
"I don''t think he¡¯s an ordinary doctor. At all."
"How do you know that?¡±
"I know just by looking at his face. Such a character has a unique position thates out as the final boss in a drama."
"How can you judge a person based on an acting role?"
"The same reason you judge a person only by numbers. If you refute, your logic is out, too."
Lim So-hee, who tapped her younger sister¡¯s nose, as Lim So Yool couldn''t respond for a moment and rolled only her eyes, put the lunch box in a bag.
"This hospital is fun. Semdeok, Semdol, and Mystery Pyeondol are one team. Are there any patients in the pediatric ward under their care?¡±
[T/N: The ¡®dol¡¯ suffix usually just refers to a guy. So Semdol just means a guy who like to calcte. Pyeondol means a guy from the convenience store.]
"I don''t know about that."
"There has to be. That''s how the sparks will fly in front of the camera."
"What are you talking about? If you''re done, go."
"So Yool. I worked all night and came here hungry. If you rip off half of the bread¡¡.¡±
"No!"
Chapter 54: Online Star (13)
While changing into a surgical suit and heading towards the D-rosette, Dowook paused when he saw the two women sitting near the entrance.
"Director Lim?"
At the call, the ZQ Investment Group''s financial director and KG Entertainment¡¯s CEO turned their heads at the same time.
"Oh my. Nice to see you, doctor."
It was Lim So-hee who weed Dowook first.
He had only run into her very briefly once, but he remembered that she was very impressive. In particr, the way she treated Lim So Yool, who most people at the hospital had trouble dealing with, like an immature child.
"Semdeok, weren''t you waiting for him?"
"I told you not to call me that. Wee, Dr. Park."
"Why are you hiding the chocte milk behind your back? Look at how cute she is."
As expected, the impression at that time was not an illusion. He¡¯d never seen Lim So Yool''s face look so red.
"Go home if you''re done eating."
"I don''t want to. I''m going to stick next to you today.¡±
To Lim So Yool, who rejected her sister trying to link arms with her, Dowook calmly talked to her as usual.
"That milk must suit your taste.¡±
Lim So Yool, who stopped, looked up at Dowook.
"The cacao content is 65.72%, but this is the first that¡¯s not bitter."
"Don''t you think it¡¯s because they just poured a ton of sugar in?¡±
"If they did, that''s condensed milk. Like this, skim milk powder liquid with an acidity of 6.65 and a viscosity of 1.63 centipoise needs 15 g of sugar per liter to be moderately sweet. More than that, it''s greasy."
"Aha."
Lim So-hee raised her eyebrows toward her younger sister, who continued her ridiculous answer. She¡¯d purposely induced the atmosphere to be sweet, but this was a dead-end cliff.
Lim So-hee, who wasmenting over her clueless sister, discovered that Dowook was watching her younger sister¡¯s answer as if it were funny.
Lim So-hee''s lively eyes moved to Dowook.
"Dr. Park Dowook."
"Yes."
"I heard that you went around calcting with her. Now that I see it, it seems just like the main character.¡±
"What?"
Lim So-hee quickly continued to talk to Dowook, who tilted his head.
"As you know, what our Semdeok says is notmon. As the only person who takes care of her and her older sister, I''d like to say a word of concern. Don''t try to abuse the fact that she¡¯s a number-idiot. Because she can''t really judge that."
Those words put a lot of pressure on him, so Dowook straightened his posture.
"It''s not abuse, but the degree of mutual exchange as a friend. That''s how I¡¯ve received help."
"I thought so, so I¡¯m saying first. I hope you don''t abuse it and continue to use it. It''s my first time seeing an acquaintance who looks social like you next to her."
"CEO Lim So-hee seems to be very social".
Smiling Lim So-hee looked back at Lim So Yool.
"But what''s the point? She doesn''t open the door to her heart. I think the doctor knows what that key is better than me."
"If you''re done talking, can I do my thing, unni?¡±
"Okay."
Lim So-hee, who made a zipping gesture over her mouth, took a step back and Lim So Yool stepped forward.
"The surgery is scheduled for 10 o''clock, right? It ends after dinner."
"That¡¯s right. So why have you been sitting here since this morning?"
"I''d like to check on Kim Suhan''s entry."
"You calcted all the probabilities involved."
"It''s not because of that calction."
"Then?"
As Lim So Yool quietly looked up at Dowook, his whole body was reflected in her eyes.
"There is a function that I have been trying to prove for a long time."
She, who had been talking about a bunch of things whenever she talked about math, was shy and stopped talking. Dowook thought there was something strange but still treated her as usual.
"Dr. Nam Hana will transfer the patient, so I''ll call you then meanwhile you can wait at the entrance for a while. I hope this calction is not long. You didn''t stay up all night trying to cut your lifespan, did you?¡±
Lim So-hee, who was yawning, paused. She had stayed up all night today as well.
Lim So Yool nodded.
"I''ve sorted out almost all the numbers rted to the hospital."
"Selfish numbers. That one, right?¡±
"There''s that, too."
Lim So-hee watched the two talking quietly about their daily lives as if it were interesting. At the end of the conversation, she spoke because she remembered something.
"Dr. Park Do Wook. I heard you''re on a team with Dr. Choi Hoo. He purposely chose the least delicious lunch box at the convenience store a while ago. Do you know the reason why?¡±
"One that¡¯s not delicious?"
Dowook thought about it for a while and answered.
"He probably wanted to replenish his calories for the long surgery."
"There''s no reason to choose something that tastes bad, though."
"It''s just a guess, but I think he might have judged that if he focused on delicious things, his concentration in the operating room would decrease."
"What, is he fueling up? How can a person be like a machine¡.¡±
"He''s that kind of person."
Lim So-hee muttered as if she was surprised, turning her eyes toward the operating room.
"He''s more unique than I expected. This side is sweeter than expected."
"How did you know about Professor Choi?"
"I ran into him before and just now."
"Just now?"
"He went in there. About 10 minutes ago."
Dowook asked again with an unbelieving expression.
"The surgery time is 10 o¡¯clock, but you saw him go in already?¡±
"Yes. It''s hard to not recognize such a character."
They¡¯d been in the operating room together dozens of times, but this was the first time. Dowook quickly greeted the two.
"I''m going to go now, director. It was nice to see you, CEO Lim."
Dowook quickly disappeared into the operating room. Lim So-hee, who was watching his back, stabbed Lim So Yool in the side.
"Do you always talk about numbers when you run into him?"
"Yes."
"Oh, my. You idiot".
Dowook applied the disinfectant while touching the running water.
He was in a hurry since Professor Choi was inside, but he had to wash his hands for at least two minutes to make them sterile.
¡®Why did he go in already? The anesthesia team probably hasn''t even arrived yet.¡¯
After washing, he opened the door of the second operating room with his feet.
Drrrrk.
Dowook entered the open door and flinched.
He couldn''t even feel the presence of a grain of dust in the air in the operating room. The white floor, where the disinfectant had passed by, the angr surgical tools and surgical beds, and the location as if measured by an LED lighting ruler that seemed to illuminate the whole area.
The final preparation that the assistant was supposed to do was finishedpletely differently by Choi Hoo himself.
Dowook could understand him, who gave the medical team tips every time he entered the operating room.
¡®This is the best, but I haven''t been able to do it like this.¡¯
Choi Hoo, located in the middle of the room, moved his head toward Dowook.
"You¡¯re here, Dr. Park."
"Professor, if you''re going to prepare, you should have informed me prior."
"I needed the perfect setting. I have to go through a simtion as well."
Choi Hoo, already wearing sterile gloves, reached into the air to measure the timing of the surgery.
Tingle.
Even though Dowook didn¡¯t intend to, he felt Choi Hoo¡¯s sense rushing in. And he was sure.
There was one reason why he was so focused on this operation.
Perfect application of new skills.
The tremendous impulse emitted by Choi Hoo stimted Dowook. This was the pure desire of a surgeon, that he had no desire to refuse.
Standing opposite Choi Hoo, Dowook participated in the preoperative simtion.
"We''re going into the temporary bidding."
"Blood pressure?"
"It''s unstable. 40 to 60."
"If the state of hypotension is long, this patient dies. 10 minutes. You have to finish the suture of the ligated area within that time.¡±
There were discussions on priorities and timing of the treatment, which they had talked about many times over the past week.
Drrrrrk.
An Ho-san of anesthesia, who was entering the operating room with the nurses, was surprised to see the surgeonsing first.
"What? Nurse Kim. Did we recall the wrong time?"
"No, we still have 25 minutes left. Look. The patient just arrived."
"What are they doing? Are they practicing?¡±
"Oh my, oh my. The scrub is all set up. Oh my god. Look at how the scalpels are lined up."
The preparation of two surgeons who refused to allow an inch of error. An Ho-san beckoned to the nurses, who were bursting with exmations, covering his mouth with his finger.
The surgery had already begun.
Beep beep. Beep beep.
LED lights from a microscope searched the patient''s brain. Tweezers, scissors, needles, and threads traveled countless times over unstable blood vessels.
Eight hours after Kim Suhan''s surgery, even those watching in the observation room kneaded on their stiff necks and backs.
"Blood pressure?"
"It¡¯s 130 and 160cm."
"It''s high. It''s serious here.¡±
However, Dowook and Choi Hoo, wearing bloody gowns, were still having the same conversation as at the beginning.
Capiries bulging like a strawberry in the brain rxed with a retractor.
The micro-scissors and suture needle waiting in front of it were unable to advance hastily due to the patient''s blood pressure.
Dowook, who was in charge of incision and dissection, asked Choi Hoo.
"What should we do? The moment you touch it, everything will rupture."
The pulse felt by his fingertips, had predicted a fatal situation for the two surgeons.
While looking at the blood vessels in the microscope with serious eyes, Choi Hoo raised his head and looked at Dowook.
"We do anastomosis and dissection at the same time."
Vascr anastomosis was a safe connection of bursting or incised areas. Choi Hoo had just suggested an extreme way to sew it even before it burst and resect the finished area immediately.
¨C Hey, Choi Hoo! What are you talking about?
Chief Ha, who sat in the observation room, immediately roared. However, it was a voice that did not enter into the ears of the two surgeons.
Dowook asked Choi Hoo to confirm.
"It''s only possible if you know exactly where I''m going to cut it."
"You can do it. It is also possible for you toplete the incision with zero error range.¡±
"Let''s try. There''s no other way."
The staff who participated as the first and second assistants stuck to the side of the two surgeons after the discussion. And a voice full of worries continued.
"You used a lot more sutures than other cerebral aneurysms, but is not having an error of 0.1mm possible?"
"That''s right. This is an area of impossibility."
The voices of two fellows. Choi Hoo turned his gaze.
"I twisted the same knot 3,000 times just for this surgery. Impossible? It''s already evaporated for the thousandth time. If you can''t follow me, leave the equipment and scram. There''s a lot of doctors up there to rece you.¡±
Faculty members of the association sitting in the observation room and neurosurgeon doctors who came for a special visit from nearby famous hospitals all had a sparkle in their eyes.
Surgery that would be the first case in the world as well as in Korea. It was an honor to just visit, but assisting it meant that it would be a golden business card to be used somewhere.
The two fellows immediately bowed their heads to Choi Hoo.
"We were thoughtless, professor."
"I hope you will speak less from now on as well."
"Yes."
Turning his head back to the patient¡¯s brain, Choi Hoo told Dowook.
"Let''s start."
Beep beep beep beep!
When Dowook began the incision, blood pressure repeatedly rose and fell like a roller coaster.
"Suction!"
Above it, Choi Hoo¡¯s suture wrapped part of the blood vessel like his hands were dancing. Above the needle that wound around even the unincised area, Dowook¡¯s forceps and micro-scissors worked together.
Beep beep. Beep beep.
Once the fluctuating blood pressure calmed down, the doctors in the observation room, who were watching with sweat in their hands, also sighed.
¨C Even if we reveal this as an original technique, I wonder if there will be a surgeon that can do it like those two.
¨C If you want to study the cerebral aneurysm case properly in the future, you will have no choice but to visit Myeong Sae hospital. Which patient will choose another hospital when there¡¯s such a perfect operation?
LED lights from a microscope searched the patient''s brain. Scissors and needles went back and forth over the more stable blood vessels.
Despair that came to a patient who was sentenced to a time limit. It gradually disappeared under the hands of these two surgeons who wished for perfection.
"Ugh".
Kim Suhan, who opened his eyes moaning with a splitting headache, confirmed that Dowook was sitting next to him and tried to say something, and choked.
"I didn''t take out the respirator yet. Self-breathing is possible, but I''ll leave it until the skull is fixed. It hurts a lot right now, right? Depending on the degree of pain, sleep anesthesia will also be carried out for a few days."
Kim Suhan blinked to show that he understood.
"The surgery progressed very well. I brought the director here for urate analysis."
Someone stuck their head out from behind Dowook.
Not long ago, she was the mathematician who was the top contributor to the hit broadcast. She was as beautiful as her name, with a pretty name called Lim So Yool. Seeing a beautiful woman right after he almost traveled to the other world made him feel good.
"I just finished calcting your life expectancy. The aftereffects have different recovery periods for each symptom, and the nerves in the left arm will be the most problematic.¡±
Little by little, her voice, which unraveled the results of the surgery in numbers, was like an angel, but there was also a little cruel side.
"¡You can live at least 50 years if you don''t put anything harmful into your body, such as alcohol and cigarettes."
Kim Suhan blinked quickly. When he saw that, Dowook asked Lim So Yool.
"If he keeps drinking beer, how much does his lifespan decrease?"
"I don''t know. It''ll be as much as others. We need to think more about alcohol-rted functions. Do you want to calcte it together?"
"I¡¯ll just not drink. I want to live long.¡±
"Tsk."
* * *
[Live ON AIR]
[Are you sleeping? It''s me, Ssuhan.]
A young man with a hospital room in the background appeared on the tform transmission screen.
Bandage around the entire head, a slimmer face than before.
Kim Suhan, who finished the surgery, looked so sick that viewers wondered if something bad happened, and crying emoticons filled the chat.
"I''m doing this secretly, so I can''t turn it on for long. It¡¯s the nurse¡¯s break time."
¡¸What''s wrong with you?¡¹
¡¸Didn''t the surgery go well?¡¹
A useful chat came into Kim Suhan''s eyes as he was browsing the screen.
¡¸In just a few weeks, your features are in chaos.¡¹
Kim Suhan''s energetic but angry voice continued.
"Hey. What do you mean by chaos? It''s because they didn''t feed me but just poured glucose into this tube. Don''t make fun of me. Don''t even talk about features."
¡¸Yes, Lord. But your face is in trouble.¡¹
¡¸Trouble Hahahahaha¡¹
¡¸Your face is all mixed up.¡¹
¡¸A fight all over the face. Would you like to try Tangpyeong massage?¡¹
In the chatroom where all kinds of jokes started as usual. A calm smile spread on Kim Suhan''s mouth.
"You guys are still the same. My surgery went well. I heard I can live for another 50 years. They said I could live longer if I stopped drinking so I said never mind."
¡¸Really? I was worried. I thought it was thest show.¡¹
¡¸I thought you were announcing a funeral broadcast. I almost went to donate at the funeral.¡¹
"¡ But my left-hand doesn''t move well. It will take some time to return with neurorehabilitation training after the wound heals."
Kim Suhan, who showed his shaky left hand on the camera screen, smiled.
"You don''t have to wait. I don''t care if you guys are scattered into more fun rooms on other channels. I''m going to continue to do broadcasts. Juste in whenever you''re bored.¡±
Saying this was the reason he forced himself to open the broadcast.
-Ddirring.
-While looking for a job, watching you was my only joy. I¡¯ll wait. For sure.
¡°Heesung49, thanks for the support. yeah, you¡¯re not going to wait. You¡¯ll seed in finding a job and won¡¯t have time to watch the broadcasts.¡±
-Ddirring.
-Can I go visit after my part-time?
"Pyeonsooni, thank you for your sponsorship. Yes, bring Melona when youe."
[T/N: Melona is a brand of ice cream in Korea. It¡¯s melon vored.]
-Ddirring.
-I''m sorry. You''re the only streamer who''s worse at games than me. I''ll hang on.
"TrainingBug, thank you for your sponsorship. Yes, please go to another room and learn."
-Ddirring.
-Let''s stop the broadcast. If you don''t want to reduce your life expectancy to 30 years.
"Park Dowook, thank you for your sponsorship. Yes, I''ll live longer than you¡Dr. Dowook?
-Ddirring.
-I followed you. You can broadcast as much as you want after the seven weeks it takes for the wounds to heal, for now, take a rest.
From the way of speaking to knowing the recovery period not mentioned in the broadcast. This was really Dr. Park Dowook.
¡¸Lol. A broadcast that the doctor takes care of!¡¹
¡¸Doctor! Look at him! He turned on the broadcast without telling the nurse!¡¹
¡°Doctor, don''t get me wrong. I turned it on for a short time. It¡¯s really thest.¡±
-Ddirring.
-Yeah, we''re going to confiscate all the PCs in the hospital room. You don''t have to make excuses.
¡¸Your way of talking is so beautiful. hahaha¡¹
¡¸When will you be on V LIVE. Dr. Tto-wook?¡¹
Just before pressing the stop transmission button on theputer, Kim Suhan looked at the chat window with regret, as everyone had a pleasant conversation with his doctor.
Looking at it, he was determined to seed in rehabilitation as soon as possible and return.
"I''ll remember everything you told the doctor. I''m going."
¡¸Come back~.¡¹
¡¸Hyung, make sure you be strong ande back!¡¹
"Thank you, guys."
Click.
[Live OFF AIR]
The screen froze.
Kim Suhan, who had been looking at the ck screen for a while, wiped his sour eyes with his sleeves.
"Oh, my. What if I miss you already?"
¡ª¨C
Sync: The sense of over immersion of a shut-in streamer
Action: You can enjoy variousmunication with online friends. Self-sacrificing words that sacrifice yourself to drawughter is a bonus.
Chapter 55: Ambulance Doctor (1)
Weewoo wee woo¨D
Stretchers were pushed into the emergency center of Myeong Sae Hospital.
"I have an electric shock patient!"
The appearance of a patient with a burn attracted bewildered attention from visitors standing at the reception desk.
Medical staff urgently approached the stretcher. The paramedics revealed information about the patient to the approaching doctor.
"35, male! He was working with an underground cable at a telmunicationpany and had a high-voltage current exposure ident!"
"To the critical treatment room!"
Chief Ji Hwi-gwan, who was looking at an ankle fracture patient in the general area, talked to the nurse as soon as he saw an emergency patient loaded on the stretcher.
"His Achilles tendon is fine, so call any resident and give him a splint."
"Yes, chief."
An electric shock patient who settled in the severe treatment room was transferred to a hospital bed.
Chief Ji ran over hurriedly, ced a stethoscope on the patient''s chest, and asked.
"How long has he been in this state?"
"He was in ventricr fibrition from the time we mobilized, and the general public continued CPR for about five minutes under medical guidance from the center while we were on our way. It took 2 minutes and 30 seconds to confirm the first recovery after attaching the defibritor. The patient was under a total cardiac arrest for a duration of 7 minutes and 30 seconds."
[TN: Ventricr Fibrition-Ventricr fibrition is an abnormal heart rhythm in which the ventricles of the heart quiver instead of pumping normally.]
Even in a chaotic situation, the voice which answered was very stable. Chief Ji''s eyes were fixed on the face of the paramedic under the firefighter''s hat.
It was Han Min-gyu, a veteran emergency team leader at the nearby Seodaemun Fire Station.
"7 minutes and 30 seconds. That was close. Thank you for your hard work, team leader. We''ll take care of it from here."
"Please take care of the rescuee, chief."
Team leader Han also recognized Chief Ji, greeted him lightly, and pushed his empty stretcher to leave.
Chief Ji immediately issued an order.
"He¡¯s lost a lot of body fluids. Nurse Yoon, add as much saline as possible, and mix 50ml of sodium bicarbonate with one saline bag. And 25g of Mannitol. Seongjun, take care of the urine tube. Chang Soo! Where¡¯s the time to do a blood test here! Get ready for myofascial resection first!"
[TN:myofascial resection-removal of tissues rting to the fascia surrounding and separating muscle tissue.]
As the task was delegated quickly, the medical staff''s movements became faster.
The patient''s clothes were cut off with scissors and his chest was clearly revealed.
The reddish area where the thermal burn was. The hand of Ji Hwi-gwan in sterile gloves was ced on top of it.
Beep beep!
All the figures on the vital monitor were disying a graph just before death.
Han Min-gyu turned his head after delivering the patient''s belongings to the nurse.
"Let''s go, Jiseok."
"Team leader, do you think that patient will live?¡±
Rookie paramedic Lee Ji-seok, who had been sweating a lot as he transferred patients, was unable to take his eyes off the bed where treatment began.
"I don''t know. It''s the realm of doctors from here on out."
Han Min-gyu put his hand on the shoulders of his junior, who could not turn his eyes.
"I''m sorry. It''s not our responsibility after the patient is transferred."
"But¡"
Since it had been only a month since he joined the emergency team, it seemed that he had never encountered a patient so close to death before.
Han Min-gyu, who briefly looked at the treatment room, quietly waited for Lee Ji-seok, who was feeling regretful about the treatment situation.
Chief Ji''s scalpel split the wound. After blood leaked from the swollen affected area inside the skin, the vital monitor''s warning signal stopped.
-Euuuggh.
And the patient woke up.
-Mr. Yoon! Oh, man. I told you I was going to do it.
The person who arrived in the ambnce along with the patient weed the patient¡¯s return to life with a crying voice.
After emergency treatment, a doctor began to exin the patient''s condition to hispanion. With a very calm look.
Han Min-gyu also calmly continued to talk.
"Paramedic Lee Jiseok."
"Yes, team leader."
"Focus on those doctors. Can you see someone acting like you?¡±
"¡No."
"It''s not because they don''t have emotions. Emergency room doctors are simr to us. If the doctor is too emotional about their patient being revived, the impact on thetter doubles. We have to encounter numerous rescuees in the future, but we can''t put our hearts into it every time. So let''s leave joy or sadness for the patient''s family."
Lee Ji-seok nodded at the advice of a senior with a long experience.
"You meanposure, right? Okay, team leader. But it''s good to see that he¡¯s safe."
Lee Ji-seok, who smiled awkwardly, and Han Min-gyu, who smiled ndly, pushed the empty bed and headed out of the emergency room.
A man in a suit walked into the door where paramedics passed by. Probably because it was an emergency visit, he was leisurely looking around inside as he asked a nurse passing by.
"Excuse me. Where is the chief?"
"Who are you?"
"I came from the City Hall."
The man in a suit took out a name tag with the status of a public official. The nurse looked around and pointed to the severe treatment room.
"He''s over there."
"Thank you."
As he approached the treatment room with the tapping of his shoes, he paused and could not easily approach the electric shock patient inside.
"Who are you? You can''te in here recklessly."
At the scolding of the doctor whose sleeves were all blood-stained, the man in a suit immediately bowed at the waist.
"Hello. I am Yoo Gwon-Ryul from the City Hall Policy nning Office. You''re Chief Ji Hwi-gwan, right?¡±
Chief Ji looked suspicious.
"City Hall? Why is the City Hall¡.¡±
"Huh? Didn''t you hear the news? I came about the cooperation visit regarding participation in next week''s fire prevention event."
The man in a suit replied with a strange look. Chief Ji asked back as he became lost in thought.
"If it''s a disaster prevention event, did the head apply for it?"
"I applied for it."
A refreshing voice intervened between the two.
Lim So Yool, a woman wearing a neat coat, approached with a secretary behind her.
Lim So Yool politely bowed to Chief Ji. Then she looked back at Yoo Gwon-Ryul.
"I''m Lim So Yool, the director''s representative."
"Oh, the person who called me. But the chief doesn''t know about this event.¡±
"I didn''t know you''d text me after you arrived an hour early. Thanks to you, I don''t have time to persuade him anymore."
Her voice, which did not show any ups and downs of emotion. The glint in her eyes was also not that different from that of Yoo Gwon-Ryul¡¯s superiors, so he shrank back automatically.
"I''m in the process of expediting my work. On Friday night, you should go home on time. Haha."
When Lim So Yool as well as Chief Ji remained expressionless after Yoo Gwon-Ryul tried to cover up the awkwardness withughter, asked quietly, "Should Ie back in an hour?"
Chief Ji looked at Lim So Yool.
"I don''t know why, but I hate being involved with fire stations."
"You''ll have something to think about when you hear the conditions. Let''s go somewhere quiet. With Mr. Yoo.¡±
Inside the staff room of the Emergency Center.
Chief Ji read the document handed over by Lim So Yool and put it down on the table.
"If we participate in this event, can our hospital be designated as a trauma center in the western region?"
"I can''t give you a definite answer. But I think it''s very likely."
"The designation of regional trauma centers is an issue that all famous hospitals in the western region are aiming for. Neither the attitudes of the people in charge nor the words from the city hall are favorable to our hospital."
Chief Ji moved his eyes toward Yoo Gwon-Ryul. He answered with a dry cough while reading the air.
"The influence of the Ministry of Health and Welfare is all about public medical projects. We''re only dealing with the situation ording to the manual."
Lim So Yool continued to say.
"What you said was right. This is a state-funded project and the decision is never made with an emotional choice. The selection of candidate sites for regional trauma centers only follows the internal evaluation score of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Myeong Sae Hospital is just below the current candidate selection cutoff. It¡¯s 1.3 points short."
Yoo Gwon-Ryul floundered.
"The evaluation criteria is confidential. The officials from the Ministry of Health and Welfare haven¡¯t even told us the scores."
"The selection criteria are confidential, but the list of hospitals designated as candidates is already disclosed. If you look at the operating indicators of candidate hospitals, it''s just a matter of equations to guess in reverse."
Lim So Yool''s eyes sparked as she began to talk about the concept of numbers.
Yoo Gwon-Ryul asked just in case because the words were simple but the process was not easy.
"I¡ I keep getting calls from Yeouido Korean Hospital. How many points are theycking there?"
"I have to look up the data there to find out. You can calcte it yourself."
For Yoo Gwon-Ryul who was tilting his head, Lim So Yool presented a page containingplex forms.
"If you majored in statistics, simply¡¡ No, you''ll understand in about 10 minutes.¡±
Although Yoo Gwon-Ryul frequentlypiled various statistical data for his job, it was inevitable that he was shocked by the forms and application functions he had never seen before.
"Th-this in 10 minutes?"
"Why? As expected, right? I think 5 minutes is enough. Because of someone, I''m confused with the standard.¡±
Yoo Gwon-Ryul no longer continued asking questions.
Chief Ji looked at Lim So Yool with an intrigued look.
"So what the director means is that next week''s disaster prevention event will raise those points. Is that it?¡±
"That''s right. It''s an event where you can add about 1.7 points if you check your external reputation and cooperation with rted organizations by standard deviation.¡±
The dean''s representative''s visits and ounting adjustments were notorious among the chiefs. Regarding Lim So Yool, theymented that she had no blood or tears, but Chief Ji did not feel any sense of crisis.
The emergency room was a department that suffered losses in all hospitals, and it was not particrly different at Myeong Sae Hospital.
However, when he actually met her, she did notin about the vicious cycle of losses of the emergency room. Rather, she said a n to be more faithful to its original function and win the national treasury project.
"That''s why you thought you could persuade me in an hour."
"Because it''s a good number. Since the calction waspleted in the morning, I apologize for applying first and informing youter."
A smart personality. It was Chief Ji''s favorite mindset.
"That persuasion, you may have seeded in 5 minutes. I like this suggestion."
"Thank you."
"What exactly is the event?"
"Mr. Yoo will tell you that."
As the two people turned to him, Yoo Gwon-Ryul was nervous for a moment.
The emergency chief and the dean''s representative, there was nowhere for him toment in the conversation.
He was just exining about the event, but Yoo Gwon-Ryul felt like he was presenting a policy PT in front of the city councilors as he spoke.
"This fire prevention event is an event where volunteer firefighters work 24 hours a day to give a break to all members of Seoul who are tired from working two shifts in teams of four. In particr, paramedics desperately need the participation of doctors with knowledge of emergency medicine¡¡.¡±
That evening.
As Dowook entered the staff office to make a schedule for the week, he found a crowd of residents in front of theputer.
"What are you doing?"
"Senior. There''s a big announcement. Sungtae, hurry up and bring the printed one."
Kim Sungtae, who quickly ran to the printer at Nam Hana''s instructions, handed out the document to Dowook.
Dowook¡¯s eyes widened as he read.
An application to receive an intention to work with paramedics at Seodaemun Fire Station next Saturday.
Dowook who thought it was a cruel notice asking people so busy they didn¡¯t have a social life to go out and volunteer stopped his gaze at the end of the document.
[Participants do not have to respond to personal calls from the emergency center for the next 60 days. When on duty, the chief is in charge of the responsibility. Provided that the qualification for participation is limited to residents.]
Call immunity. For two months at that.
When doctors were on duty, if they were asked what was the most annoying and painful, the call from the emergency room woulde out at the top.
It wasn¡¯t like they couldn¡¯t not respond. But when you went, 90% of the patients would have to be checked slowly.
This was like a deration to drastically reduce the intensity of work for two months.
"Are you going to participate in this?"
"Of course. If you work hard for a day, two months will befortable."
Dowookughed at the sight of his juniors talking excitedly. Then he remembered that he had no surgery scheduled for the first time in a long time next weekend.
It had been a really long time since he¡¯d been off, so he had all kinds of rest ns, but the sweetness of the call immunity was an irresistible temptation.
"Sungtae, please pick one for me, too. I still have a month of residency left."
"What? You too? Do you need to take care of these things too?¡±
"Yes. Just because I understand you guys are having a hard time doesn''t mean I''m not having a hard time."
Chapter 56: Ambulance Doctor (2)
Saturday 6:30 AM.
The area around Seodaemun Fire Station was very crowded with rows of vehicles and people getting off them.
Looking out from inside the minibus with the sign of "Myeong Sae Hospital Medical Team," Dowook stared at the poster at the entrance.
[Citizen''s consideration for the popce! Volunteer fire brigade. Anyone can apply]
"All these people voluntarily gathered after giving up on their day off, huh? Was Seodaemun-gu''s citizenship this good?¡±
"I''m not voluntary".
The grumbling next to him caused Dowook to turn his head.
His colleague, Seong Chang Soo, with his eyes closed with his face crumpled, sighed deeply. At his miserable appearance, Dowook asked.
"I guess the emergency department didn''t get a call exemption?¡±
"No. I''m just forced toe. I only received a special order to make it work with the fire department. Isn''t that right, Myeong-deok?"
Noh Myeong-deok, who was dozing off in the back seat, raised his head.
"Did you call me?"
"No, no. Sleep more. Sorry."
Dowook looked at Sung Chang-soo with curious eyes.
"Special order?"
"I think this is going to be added to the score for selection as a regional trauma center or something? If that happens, it will really be great for emergency surgery. Our treatment will improve, and our sry will rise slightly."
He did wonder why the notice popped out of nowhere.
"I''m from a different department, so I don''t have to pay attention to that, right?"
"What! If you''re a member of the hospital, you have to work hard together. AN Hospital was also designated as the Eastern Regional Trauma Center and its level changed. And, you have to work harder than our emergency department.¡±
"Me? Why?"
Seong Chang Soo had a smile on his face.
"This n was suggested by your destined person. Are you going to wait and see if it fails?¡±
"Director Lim? Did she visit the emergency center?¡±
Seong Chang Soo made an expression as if he was drunk.
"She was really pretty. As expected, she''s like a flower. You''re the best."
"Why is the direction suddenly going toward appearance? What did she do there? Did you get scolded for being in the deficit?¡±
"Dowook, you must have enjoyed being her attending physician. How was it? Is there any progress in your fateful rtionship?¡±
"Never mind. Let''s not talk."
Looking at Seong Chang Soo''s reaction, there seemed to be no idents between visits.
-Pssh.
The front door of the bus opened and a man in his 40s with a strict impression walked in.
-Wee, Myeong Sae Hospital doctors. I''m Han Min-gyu, the first team leader of Seodaemun Fire Station.
As soon as he heard the introduction, Seong Chang Soo paused.
"He''s in charge of this?¡±
"Do you know him?"
"I often run into him when I''m in the emergency room. How should I say this? He feels simr to Chief Ji. There''s no room for errors.¡±
"Oh!"
"It''s nothing to be amazed about. It means that it''ll be really hard to get those points."
Han Min-gyu looked at all the doctors on the bus once.
¨C If there is anyone who came thinking they would take it easy at today''s event, you should correct your judgment now. You have superior medical knowledge and treatment skills than our paramedics, so we will spend 24 hours in a practical dispatch rotation.
A loud and powerful voice rang in the bus.
"You heard that, right? The way he talks is just like Commander G.¡±
"He seems like a person with a sense of duty."
Han Min-gyu, who took a look outside, pointed toward the garage of the fire station.
-When you get off, please gather at the ce where the ambnce is.
Volunteer paramedics moved in a line under the dark sky of the early winter morning.
Yawning as he entered the garage, Seong Chang Soo¡¯s sight was drawn to a man.
"Huh?"
In his early 40s and with sleek eyes, he was someone familiar to Seong Chang Soo.
"Professor Min?"
"Dr. Seong? Wow, how long has it been?"
Seong Chang Soo bowed at the waist. The other was Prof. Min Eung-sik, one of the few serious trauma experts in Korea.
"Why are you here?¡ Gachan University Hospital is not in this area."
"I guess you didn''t hear the news. I moved hospitals. To Hansung Hospital."
"What?"
Min Eung-sik continued to exin to Sung Chang-soo, whose eyes widened in surprise.
"The dean personally asked me to participate in a regional trauma center campaign by participating in a local event. Trauma surgery was newly established because of me, so how can I refuse? That''s why we''re here."
"W-we?¡±
"Oh. Say hi. This is Lim Jaebaek, a thoracic trauma specialist. This is Choi Young-je, who specializes in abdominal trauma.¡±
The two doctorspleted their greetings one after the other. All of them were talented people who had built up a long career in the field of severe trauma. Seong Chang Soo had to swallow the groan that was threatening toe out.
"How many people came Myeong Sae Hospital?"¡±
"There are four from the emergency center and about ten from other departments.¡±
"A lot of people came. Let''s have a meaningful event. Good luck, Dr. Seong."
"Yes¡"
As soon as Seong Chang Soo finished his greeting, he stepped back and stuck close to Dowook.
"Do-Dowook."
"Huh?"
"There¡¯s a huge problem. The dean of Hansung Hospital dispatched professor-level doctors here. Experienced ones at that. Do you see those three?¡±
"Those wearing white padded jackets?"
"Yeah. Professor Min Eung-sik in the front is a person who even gives lectures at the association."
Dowook stretched out his hand when he heard that the other was a great doctor. Perhaps because it was cold, but his hands only felt chilly in the cold wind.
"I¡¯m not so sure.¡±
"What aren¡¯t you sure about? I told you about Chief Ji''s mission, right? This means that Hansung Hospital will openly go against us.¡±
Dowook also had no choice but to carefully examine the doctors from Hansung Hospital. Seong Chang Soomented.
"I got hit hard on the head. Showing off emergency skills in front of paramedics is not difficult, but it will be a childish joke in front of the final bosses. This event won¡¯t mean anything if we don¡¯t stand out."
"Will the call exemption disappear? I hope not.¡±
"Is that important right now! Myeong-deok! Cheolsoon! Sangmoon! Gather around."
Seong Chang Soo urgently called his three juniors from the emergency department who hade like him.
"Now that it''s like this, let¡¯s use our youth to our advantage. Work hard no matter what. Break the dream team of Hansung Hospital with positive energy."
In the meantime, Han Min-gyu entered the garage.
"We will provide everyone with a volunteer uniform. If a few people could help me hand it out.¡.¡±
"I''ll do it!"
Seong Chang Soo raised his hand. Seong Chang Soo, who stood in front of Han Min-gyu with his three juniors, looked at Dowook. When he silently shouted "Special Order!" and pressured him, Dowook couldn''t help but stand next to him.
"I''m Seong Chang Soo from Myeong Sae Hospital! We''ll help you!"
"Yes, Dr. Chang Soo. Thank you for your support. You sound very strong."
Han Min-gyu pointed to a box with clothes.
"Top, pants, jacket, hat. You can distribute what''s in that box ording to size. Everyone, stand in a line, and change in the waiting room inside when you get your clothes!"
In a little bit.
Dowook changed into a navy-colored volunteer fire suit and entered a garage lined with fire trucks.
In addition to the fire department''s symbolic pump car, there were a series of unknown red trucks. For some reason, it seemed that just looking at them gave him a feeling of stability because they were the first vehicles one would see in the event of an ident.
-I''m in Group D. I''ll go after lunch.
-I''m in Group B.
On one side of the garage, there was an A4 sheet of paper with a timetable listing the groups that would work today. Dowook also pushed his head through the people checking.
[Emergency Team 1 Group A ¨C Park Dowook]
"First order? Ugh."
Whatever it was, the first always ran into trouble.
He thought he was unlucky, but an announcement came from a speaker on the first floor of the fire station called themand amplifier.
-I''d like to inform all volunteer firefighters in the building. Prior to the official shift at 9 o''clock, there will be group training in the parking lot behind the garage, so please gather without exception. The shift order is posted on the garage bulletin board, so please check it.
Volunteer firefighters wandering around the fire station began to move.
Dowook found Seong Chang Soo as he entered the employee parking lot. Seong Chang Soo, who was closely examining the movements of Hansung Hospital, told Noh Myeong-deok.
"Look at him. He''s already yawning. We won. Myeong-deok, let''s cheerfully high-five here."
Dowook approached and scoffed at his ridiculousness.
"Is this a fight to see who is the most childish?"
"First of all, it''s a good thing to win anything. Dowook, you high five, too!¡±
Seong Chang Soo''s hand turned his hand at Dowook as well.
Han Min-gyu, holding a loudspeaker in his hand, walked out the back door of the station. Looking at the dozens of people, he ced the loudspeaker to his mouth.
¨C From now on, we will provide basic equipment training. Please stand freely around the members preparing inside. The team members who have been called for practice, pleasee out right away.
While firefighters exined how to use fire extinguishers and basic suppression equipment, Seong Chang Soo''s checks continued.
"Look at Hansung. He¡¯s touching his cell phone without focusing on the training."
"It''s how to use a fire extinguisher. We won¡¯t be using it even when we mobilize. "
Seong Chang Soo smiled when the exnation about the different types of gas masks that were lined up in front of them started.
"I carried the same model as that when I was a military doctor. You can turn it upside down in 5 seconds. Pfft.¡±
"We won''t go rescue anyone wearing that."
They kept chatting throughout the training.
Dowook sent an eye gesture to the nearby Noh Myeong-deok asking if he could do anything about Seong Chang Soo¡¯s mouth, but Noh Myeong-deok firmly returned that he could not.
Following a 30-minute basic fire fighting equipment training, two paramedics came inside with emergency bags and medical equipment on a stretcher for patient transportation.
¨C Medical paramedics, Group A, pleasee out first.
Dowook sighed and stepped forward while thinking that it was expected of being first. Then he saw a middle-aged man with sharp eyes approaching from the other side.
"Uh¡"
A professor, who Seong Chang Soo said waspetition earlier, was walking out. And with his colleagues at that. He couldn''t believe he was in the same group as Hansung Hospital.
Professor Min Eung-sik reached out to Dowook.
"Nice to meet you, we''re in the same group. I''m Min Eung-sik."
"I''m Park Dowook."
"Let''s do well today."
Group A''s education began after greeting the other two.
Seong Chang Soo ran over quickly when Dowook stepped back afterpletely familiarizing himself with the medical tools in the emergency bag following the procedure of assembling and transferring the stretcher.
"Dowook, you''re the only one. Should I suggest changing the group?¡±
"I think I''ll get attention if I make a fuss."
Seong Chang Soo looked at Dowook with a bitter look.
"Okay, then. There is no neurosurgery over there, so if the patient has neurological symptoms, shout out loud. I''ll be active in Group B. With the spirit of youth. Aja aja."
-Group B, pleasee out.
"Here we go!"
When the paramedics called over Group B, Seong Chang Soo spiritedly went forward.
Dowook looked at the trauma experts dispatched by Hansung Hospital. It was true that he came to suffer for 24 hours, but somehow he didn''t think things would go smoothly.
¡®Protecting the call exemption. That''s all I need to think about.¡¯
Even if it was selfish of him, he couldn''t help it. The word regional trauma center was too far away from Dowook.
It was 8:45 p.m. when the training was over.
-There will be a shift right away, so please don''t go anywhere and wait here.
Firefighters who finished working all night appeared in the parking lot.
"Is it these people? Wow, a lot of people applied."
"Today, even if you don''t go to the emergency room, the doctor will visit you at home. The residents must be veryfortable."
"Thanks to that, we can rest for a while."
Dozens of paramedics and twenty firefighters stood in a line in front of the volunteers. Han Min-gyu put his mouth to the loudspeaker.
-There''s nothing else to say. Say hello to the doctors who will be responsible for the next 24 hours.
All the members bowed their heads.
"Please take good care of the citizens of Seodaemun-gu."
After greeting each other and shaking hands, the shift ended.
¨C The crew on duty will go to the waiting room. Those on the next shift can go to the lounge on the second floor.
Dowook approached the ambnce Group A would board.
He¡¯d always greeted the patient through the back door, but it was the first time he went to greet the patient.
ording to a search on the way over, a member was dispatched at least a dozen times a day. He also watched a video of an unlucky member running out as soon as the water was poured into a cup noodle.
When he put his hand on the doorknob to see theplicated-lookingmunication equipment attached to the passenger seat.
The speakers on the ceiling rang loudly.
-Emergency dispatch. Patient with spinal cord injury. Unit 307, Bldg. 107 of Samjeong Apartment in Yeonhui-dong.
The dispatch order had been issued.
Tingle.
And at that moment, Dowook felt someone else''s sense digging into his fingertips.
¡®Who is it?¡¯
Han Min-gyu, the first team leader who had entered the waiting room, ran like lightning and opened the driver''s door.
"Two people in Group A will wait at the headquarters. Two of you get on board!¡±
When Han Min-gyu''s order was issued, Dowook instinctively opened the door and sat in the passenger seat.
While Lee Ji-seok added a stretcher to protect the spine in the back of the car, Hansung Hospital''s dream team also rushed up.
"I''ll go. Mr. Lim, Mr. Choi, wait."
"Yes, sir."
Min Eung-sik boarded the back and closed the door.
Vroom~ Wee woo wee woo!
An ambnce with a roaring siren left the fire station.
Han Min-gyu, who drove the ambnce to the leftne, skillfully utilized the right to travel and quickly crossed the road to work and left the intersection.
Dowook was surprised by the team leader''s quick and smooth driving skills, but his eyes remained on the radio equipment he saw for the first time in front of him.
¡®Huh?¡¯
His hand moved without him realizing it. The connecting switch he didn¡¯t know the use of was raised, the channel frequency wheel was rolled to set the setting, and the walkie-talkie was put to the mouth.
-Beep.
Dowook flinched. Han Min-gyu spoke after ncing at Dowook who was making an expression saying, ¡®What am I doing?¡¯
"If you''re already connected, ask themand center for details of the dispatch order."
"Dispatch order? All right."
The sense in his hand was the sense of Han Min-kyu, the team leader of the first emergency team. The current impulse was deeper than in the garage.
"HQ. Tell us the details."
-Beep.
-The spouse, grandmother, reported it, and the patient is presumed to be unconscious after falling in the grandfather''s bathroom. Currently in consultation with an emergency situation manager, but it is not wellmunicated to the elderly.
"If you''re done, send me a reply saying you''ve received it."
-Beep.
"Got it."
Han Min-gyu asked Dowook who hung the walkie-talkie in front of him.
"Have you ever used that walkie-talkie? You seem familiar with it."
Dowook had no way to exin, so he just smiled silently.
In front of the crossing where one could see Seodaemun Fire Station at a nce.
News Seoul reporter Yoon Jin-hyo, who was waiting for the light to change, put his phone on his ear.
-Did you arrive?
The person who called was Kim Chun-man, Dean of Hansung Hospital.
"I¡¯m in front."
¨C I won''t argue about the coverage process. Instead, make sure you put it in as it is. How much citizens appreciate it. How much the firefighters like it.
"Just as it is? Are you serious?"
-Of course. The doctors from our side who were sent there are on a different level. They are professors who will be key management when they enter the regional trauma center.
Yoon Jin-hyo clicked his tongue at the director''s already set n.
"To sum up, I only have to report truthfully on today''s case, and you''re not going to stop the advertising, right?¡±
-Yeah. Oh, you''re wee to put down Myeong Sae Hospital a little bit. Especially emergency surgery assistants. I can''t believe Chief Ji isn''ting. He made a mistake.¡±
"Objective or subjective coverage. Okay¡"
During the call, an ambnce appeared at the entrance of the fire station.
Yoon Jin-hyo, who unconsciously looked at the passenger seat with a reporter''s habit, paused. Because of an impression of a person that he had seen in the passenger seat somewhere.
-What''s wrong?
"No, we''ll proceed as requested by the dean."
Yoon Jin-hyo, who got off his cell phone, flinched while walking along the crosswalk and turned to an ambnce that disappeared with a siren in the distance.
"¡ Park Dowook?"
Chapter 57: Ambulance Doctor (3)
Samjeong Apartment, 9:06 a.m.
"This is 119!"
Inside a 15-pyeong apartment that seemed to only house two elderly couples.
[T/N: pyeong is a unit of measurement in Korea used for spaces equivalent to 3.3m2]
On one side of the living room floor full of dried peppers and dried persimmonsy an old man who looked to be over 70.
An old woman informed the crew who put down the first aid equipment.
"He fell down whileing out of the bathroom. He couldn''t even talk and was moaning."
Dowook sat right next to the elderly and checked his pulse and consciousness.
"Sir, can you see this?"
Seeing that the pupils were responding normally, there seemed to be no damage to the head and neck.
"Granny, how did he fall?¡±
"I don''t know about that either. I came out of the bedroom when I heard a bang. Old man. How did you fall?¡±
"¡¡Eugh¡¡."
He continued to groan.
First of all, Min Eung-sik checked at the neck to confirm the injured area, when he suddenly said.
"He fell sideways and tried to soften his fall with his left arm."
"What?"
Min Eung-sik lightly held the old man''s left arm and put it down.
"This bone is cracked. If you have low blood pressure, arrhythmia, and your arm''s warmth, spinal damage is certain. Spinal shock, along with a twisted spine. This is amon symptom in the elderly''s injury."
Min Eung-sik, who finished the diagnosis at a nce, was definitely a trauma expert as Seong Chang Soo said. Lee Ji-seok looked at Min Eung-sik with an admirable expression.
"As expected. It''s different with the doctor on the field."
"I''ll secure the airways, so please get ready to transfer the patient."
Paramedics followed Min Eung-sik''s diagnosis and immediately began first-aid treatment.
Dowook felt Min Eung-sik''s sense rushing in through his fingertips. However, receiving this sense could not help him make a better diagnosis than that professor.
He didn''t want to forcefully appeal himself as a doctor in front of the old man who was groaning and the olddy who stood not knowing what to do.
Dowook shook his hand to let go of the sense and received Han Min-gyu''s sense again. As his hand moved, Dowook went to quickly assist with the transfer.
Han Min-gyu, who was assembling a stretcher that helped hold the spine in ce, spoke with his eyes on his work.
"Jiseok, if you''re done fixing the head in ce, put a splint on the arm. A thin one."
"That doctor is already doing it though?¡±
"Huh?"
Dowook arrived in Han Min-gyu''s sight when he lifted his head up.
Aluminum splint coated with stic. It was bent in a U shape and added to the arm of the patient.
"Should I take over?"
"No, it looks good."
Han Min-gyu looked a little surprised after watching the treatment done by Dowook to the end.
There were many types of emergency splints. Among them, the low-soft pad was a perfect splint for elderly patients because it could be adjusted delicately.
"Team leader, I''m done with the head.¡±
"Okay, get ready to move the stretcher."
When Dowook, who was working on bandaging the patient, heard Han Min-gyu''s voice, he knelt by the leg of the patient although no one ordered him to. When paramedics approached closer to the patient¡¯s head and legs, Han Min-gyu naturally gave the following instructions.
"Move it on three. One, two¡.¡±
The old man was settled on a special stretcher for spinal fixation with Lee Ji-seok grabbing him by the armpits and Dowook lifting his legs.
While Han Min-kyu and Lee Ji-seok wrapped the Velcro firmly, fixing the patient onto the stretcher, Dowook carefully fixed the broken arm in ce with a separate triangle bandage.
Lee Ji-seok asked Dowook.
"Woah, doctor. Have you ever received emergency training?"
Dowook, who had been lost in thought for a moment, replied.
"When I worked as a public health doctor. I watched a few videos before I came here."
"Wow. I can''t do that even after 4 years of first aid training. You have a lot of talent."
Han Min-gyu, who finished with the Velcro, told Lee Ji-seok.
"Is that something to brag about? The two doctors are doing what you''re supposed to do".
"I justplimented him because he was good."
Han Min-gyu said in front of the patient who was ready to be moved by ambnce in an instant.
"Sir. Please be patient. Jiseok, raise your hand on the count of three. Carefully."
The paramedics with stretchers went out through the front door.
It was when the patient was loaded in the back of the emergency car and even the guardian was on board. Han Min-gyu said to Min Eung-sik, who was trying to sit in the passenger seat.
"Doctor, please board in the back. As the ess road from the house may be icy, I have something to report."
"Oh, should I?"
He thought the paramedic Lee Ji-seok would board the passenger seat, but Han Min-gyu looked at Dowook.
"Doctor Park Dowook. Get in the front."
"Me?"
"Yes. Jiseok can''t handlemunicators as well as you do. Please."
At this, Lee Ji-seok bowed his head low.
"I''m sorry, doctor. I''m a beginner."
Min Eung-sik watched Dowook board the passenger seat, and pulled out his ringing cell phone from his pocket.
[Professor Min, I sent a reporter there. I¡¯ve told them what to do, so they''ll cover it well on their own. Don''t worry and show off your skills]
Min Eung-sik, who put his cell phone back in his pocket, scoffed.
He had seen earlier that the emergency surgeons from Myeong Sae Hospital were surprised. Of course. What kind of courage would residents possess to show off in front of professors?
But that young doctor''s approach was different.
Because he handled the work faster than the actual crew, he gained the trust of the person in charge within just one dispatch.
Min Eung-sik, whose eyes deepened, heard Lee Ji-seok''s bright voice.
"Doctor, get in. Let''s go."
"Hey, get on quickly Mr. doctor. It''s cold outside."
Min Eung-sik took off his hardened expression and sat next to the patient¡¯s family.
"You were cold because the door was open, right? I''m sorry, grandma."
"It¡¯s nothing."
The transfer of the first patient.
The event was nned for the safety of the citizens in Seodaemun-gu and the rest of the firefighters, but ns with other intentions began in earnest.
Weewoo weewoo!
New construction site for studio apartments, 9:47 a.m.
"The fall patient is over here!"
Paramedics rushed to the man lying on the entrance to the underground parking lot on the slope.
Min Eung-sik made a diagnosis as soon as he saw the patient.
"I can see the left thigh deformation. On the right side, his ankle is turned outward. Sir, where do you feel the most ufortable?"
"Legs and shoulders¡¡ and the chest¡."
"Multiple damages. You should be taken to a hospital where severe trauma treatment is possible."
Han Min-gyu immediately said because it was a seriously injured patient.
"Jiseok, you put the pull-on splint on the left side of the patient¡¯s neck, and Mr. Dowook¡¡.¡±
Dowook had already ced an air-pressure splint on the patient''s right ankle. Han Min-gyu watched for a while as Dowook quickly applied first-aid and hit Lee Ji-seok, who was standing nkly.
"Are you going to let the doctor do everything again?¡±
"No."
The crash patient was tied to a stretcher belt and was quickly boarded on the ambnce.
Flower Day Care Center, 10:39 a.m.
Paramedics jumped through the main gate.
¡°This is 119!¡±
¡°Over here!¡±
A woman who appeared to be the daycare center¡¯s teacher raised her hand at the entrance of ss 2.
Min Eung-sik, who rushed in, found a four-year-old boy lying on the floor and approached him. However, he could not make a diagnosis immediately.
This was why Han Min-gyu hugged the child one step earlier.
The child took a prone position on Han Min-gyu''s thigh.
"Where''s Jiseok?"
"I¡¯ll be there soon!"
Paramedic Lee Ji-seok, who came with him, also responded now, but Dowook, who had already approached, grabbed the child''s head.
"I''ll hold onto his neck so that it doesn''t get pressed down."
"Okay. Hold on tight."
First-aid immediately upon arrival.
Han Min-gyu hit the child''s back and scapr bones strongly at 1-second intervals.
Tang! Tang! Tang! Tang!
Within just three times, a piece of toy block popped out of the blue child''s mouth.
The child began to breathe hard.
Han Min-gyu, holding the child with both hands, approached Min Eung-sik.
"Please check his status."
Min Eung-sik, who took out theryngoscope from the emergency bag, opened the child''s mouth and shined a light inside.
There were traces of scratches, but fortunately, the airway closure seemed to have been resolved.
"I don''t think I need to do the insertion tube. The problem is the dropped oxygen saturation, a respirator for children.¡.¡±
"Here you go."
Min Eung-sik, who epted the mask and put it on the child''s mouth, immediately turned to Dowook who prepared it.
Even in the emergency room, depending on the symptoms, there were times when you needed to take priority measures faster than diagnosis. This child¡¯s airway was almostpletely closed, and Han Min-gyu recognized it immediately after arrival, removing the foreign substance.
Decisions made by the skilled eyes of a paramedic.
But, how did Park Dowook urately match that tempo and respond?
The face of the child who received oxygen turned bright. The boy¡¯s consciousness quickly became clear, so he looked up at people with a tearful face.
After the dispatch, team 1¡¯s ambnce was parked in the garage.
Two doctors approached Min Eung-sik, who opened the back door and got off.
"Thank you for your hard work, senior. You''ve been on the move 8 times in a row. We''ll proceed for the rest of the time."
At the words of Lim Jae-baek, Min Eung-sik nced at the passenger seat and pointed to the corner of the garage.
"Follow me. With Professor Choi".¡±
The three doctors from Hansung Hospital gathered in one ce. Min Eung-sik said with a serious look.
"You know what we were going to do in the afternoon. We need to speed up the n.¡±
"Free medical treatment for residents?"
"Yes. If it continues like this¡¡.¡±
Min Eung-sik, whose eyes moved toward Dowook who got off from the passenger seat, paused for a while. It was not until Dowook disappeared into the waiting room that he opened his mouth again.
"At this rate, the image of Hansung Hospital will not be that great. You two ask for a change of group and then implement the n right away. There''s a reportering, so let''s move together. If you raise the fire department¡¯s image, the officials will definitely like it."
"What about you?"
"I''ll have to keep sticking to Group A. We have to keep him in check.¡±
"Who? You don¡¯t mean the doctor you were dispatched earlier with?"
The two doctorsughed at Min Eung-sik, who nodded seriously.
"No way. How can you get scared of a resident and keep him in check? We''ve contacted patients toe here. Doing it as nned at a quiet time¡¡.¡±
¨C Emergency dispatch. urrence of vomiting patients due to drinking. 22 Moraenae-ro 13-gil, Namgajwa-dong. The second floor of the house.
Themand amplifier on the ceiling rang urgently.
Min Eung-sik pointed to an ambnce when the lightning-like Dowook from the waiting room boarded the passenger seat.
"You guys go and check it out yourself whether I''m making it up."
Han Min-gyu stood by the driver''s seat and shouted.
-Group A! Let''s go!
Lee Ji-seok opened the back door.
"Who''s going this time?"
"Me."
"I''ll go, too."
Lim Jae-baek and Choi Young-je got into the ambnce.
2nd floor of Namgajwa House, 11:43 a.m.
"This is 119!"
The patient who seemed to be in histe 40s continued to vomit in the bathroom on the second floor of the vi. Hispanions, who were dining with him, were anxiously watching.
-Are you okay?
-Oh, I''m dizzy
cing down the stretcher, Dowook turned to the living room table while watching Lim Jae-baek pat the patient''s back.
Scattered liquor bottles, pork belly that was still sizzling with the heat of the grill. It was almost lunchtime, so he was drooling.
-When did the symptoms start?
-It''s been about 30 minutes since we were in the middle of eating.¡.
-How much did he drink?
-He didn''t drink a lot. About three sses of soju.
Lim Jaebaek, who conducted the interview.
Even in Dowook¡¯s eyes, it was not a heavy drinking atmosphere. To say that it was due to food poisoning caused by spoiled food, the others seemed to be fine.
"What do you think?"
When Han Min-gyu asked, Lim Jae-baek, who was in the bathroom, stuck his head out.
"He has a low blood pressure and a slow pulse, so it¡¯s likely to be burnout. If it''s a digestive tract disease, you''ll need a professional checkup. Let''s hurry up and move him to the hospital."
"It''s definitely morefortable to receive medical guidance from the center on the spot. Thank you."
Compliment from the team leader. Lim Jae-baek, who turned his head toward his fellow doctor Choi Young-je, shrugged. Choi Young-je also smiled at the gesture as if to ask what was difficult.
Han Min-gyu immediately gave instructions.
"We¡¯ll proceed with the transfer. Sir, can you get up?"
"Oh. I don''t have strength all over my body."
"Jiseok, help him."
Han Min-gyu told the others in the room.
"The guardian who wille with us, please get in the ambnce."
"Can we both ride? I''m friend Woo Yongsik, and he''s Kang Jinman."
"Yes, but it''s going to be a little cramped because there''s a lot of people."
The patient who came down the stairs on a stretcher was ced into the ambnce.
Choi Young-je blocked Dowook as he tried to get in the passenger seat as always.
"Can I ride there?"
"Uh¡"
Dowook was going to say it didn''t matter, but Lee Ji-seok came to the side and answered instead.
"Because of the walkie-talkie operation, Dr. Dowook has been sitting there."
"Oh. Radio. 99 is first aid. 192 is fire. 46 is fine. Right?¡±
Lee Ji-seok¡¯s jaw dropped when Choi Young-je, who knew the abbreviation for firefighting wirelessmunication, spoke.
"How do you know that?"
"I''ve been teaching emergency medicine for three years. It would be weird if I didn¡¯t know what my students were talking about.¡±
"Lecture? Wow, you were an amazing person."
Choi Young-je, who showed his skills, sent a look to Dowook asking if he was still going to stop him. So Dowook pointed to the passenger seat and said.
"Get in, doctor. I''ll go to the back."
Dowok climbed up the back door and saw Lim Jae-baek hanging an intravenous line.
"Is there anything I can help with¡¡.¡±
"It''s okay. You must have had a hard time with the continuous dispatch. Please sitfortably inside on the way back."
He seemed to be considerate, but somehow the atmosphere was cold, so Dowook tilted his head.
"Let''s go! Jiseok, get in front of me. It''s narrow because there are two guardians behind."
Following Han Min-gyu''s words, the ambnce departed.
Vroom.
While moving along the boulevard, the guardian on board opened his mouth.
"Doctor, is Taejin going to be ok?¡±
"If he gets proper treatment, he''ll feel better."
"If it''s soju, he can drink two bottles easily, but he fell down with only three sses. I thought his liver was okay at the general checkup?¡±
Dowook, listening to the conversation with one ear paused with a feeling of numbness in his neck muscles. Now, he had been continuously using Han Min-gyu¡¯s sense.
As early as at the daycare center, where they were dispatched in the morning, the sense warned him like this.
¡®Is there an emergency?¡¯
Dowook lowered his gaze toward the patient. The appearance of rapidly stabilizing when the infusion was injected. But unfortunately that patient was not.
As soon as he turned his head to the side and looked at the patient''s two acquaintances, the image of the table he saw at the time of the dispatch crossed his head.
Dowook asked immediately.
"There was a stic bottle with no patterns on the table. Was that alcohol, too?
"That? It was alcohol. A medicinal wine that is good for health."
"Medicinal wine?¡±
"It¡¯s something called Manbyeongcho that gives energy even a week after drinking."
At the unpleasant feeling he got when he heard the answer, Dowook took the blood pressure meter out of the bag.
"Dr. Lim. We need to check their vital signs."
"The guardians? No, why?"
He couldn''t just say "because of a feeling" at Lim Jae-baek''s strange gaze.
It was while he was thinking.
Kang Jin-man, an acquaintance of the patient sitting at the end, trembled.
"Yo, Yongsik. I¡¡.¡±
"Huh? What''s wrong?"
"I don''t know. Suddenly, I feel cold and dizzy¡¡ Euggghh."
Chapter 58: Ambulance Doctor (4)
At Gang Jinman''s sudden nausea, Dowook reflexively fumbled at the wall where the tools were organized and took out a stic bag.
"Here. Throw up here.¡±
When Kang Jinman, who received the bag, vomited, Lim Jae-baek became surprised. Another patient with the same symptoms. In this case, it was not an individual digestive tract disease.
"Wh-what kind of liquor did you drink besides soju?"
"Manbyeongcho¡ugh."
The otherpanion, Woo Yong-sik, who had been fine, began to vomit. Dowook, who put a bag in Woo Yong-sik''s hand, asked Lim Jae-baek to do something.
"Doctor, you take care of the person at the end. Let''s change positions."
"What? Yes¡"
Dowook pushed the window connected to the driver''s seat open.
"Team leader! It''s not just one patient. It''s three!"
At this cry, Han Min-gyu moved his eyes to the rear mirror.
"Three?"
"I think it''s Manbyeongcho addiction, that is the cause. All three of them ate that."
Vrooom!
Han Min-gyu, who heard the report, elerated the car further.
In the meantime, Kang Jin-man, who Lim Jae-baek was holding, drooped as if losing consciousness.
"Low oxygen shock!"
Dowook took a breathing mask from the first aid kit and threw it.
Lim Jae-baek, who received it, immediately ced the mask on the patient''s face. After connecting the mask, the tube connected to the oxygen tank, he opened the valve and asked Dowook.
"You said they''re all addicted to nts, right? Do we have atropine here?"
"There''s none."
"Damn. We need to put all of them on IVs."
The speeding car fluctuated greatly.
Lim Jae-baek, who pierced countless veins because the needle to be inserted into the patient''s arm kept shaking, could not easily secure the line.
"Dowook, ask the team leader to drive slowly¡¡.¡±
"Change seats. Hold this pack."
Lim Jae-baek, who turned his head, saw Dowookying the patient down on the ambnce floor to make him morefortable after already securing an infusion line, and his eyes grew bigger.
"Hurry up!"
At Dowook''s powerful cry, Lim Jae-baek flinched and hurried to move. Lim Jae-baek, holding the infusion pack after treatment, sat in the corner and watched Dowook.
Leaning the patient against the back door, he raised the patient''s left arm, and poked it with the needle. As soon as he recognized that he failed, he took it out and tried again. The vein line was caught.
Lim Jae-baek seemed to know to some extent by looking at the situation, why Professor Min Eung-sik asked to move up the n.
That was not a delicate service for customers visiting the hospital, but a critical service for patients who needed paramedics.
Two unexpected patients, a medical personnel who responded effectively in that cramped and shaking mess, and a doctor at that, one would have to believe it if they said they were the team leader.
Dowook, who boldly finished taking action, turned his head.
"This could be a case of acute addiction, so you have to contact the emergency room in advance. This is going to Hansung Hospital."
"Is your specialization paramedic¡¡.¡±
"What?"
"It''s nothing."
Lim Jae-baek quickly picked up his cell phone and called a colleague working in the emergency room.
"Yes, it''s me. There are three patients, and we suspect poisonous herb addiction. Do you know Manbyeongcho? Oh, the Azalea family? So, it means Grayanotoxin. Anyway, one patient seems to need gastrointestinal cleaning."
* * *
Seodaemun Fire Station, 12:30.
Team 1''s ambnce which finished the dispatch entered the garage.
As soon as the back door opened, Min Eung-sik, who was waiting, grabbed his nose at the smell of vomit.
"Ugh, what is this?"
Min Eung-sik, who saw Lim Jae-baek, who was half out of it, asked why with a look.
"An ident in the middle¡"¡.¡±
Lim Jae-baek couldn''t continue to talk and was nauseated by the scent of vomit.
Dowook, who had been with him, asked as he came down.
"It''s lunch time. Anyone who wants cup noodles in the lounge?"
"I''m fine."
Lim Jae-baek''s tone was out of energy. Choi Young-je, who approached from the passenger seat, shook his head as if he had no appetite.
"Dr. Dowook. Add water to mine. I''ll clean this up and go up."
Lee Ji-seok''s cheerful voice. Han Min-gyu also got off the driver''s seat and nodded to Dowook.
"Then three including me. What about Professor Min?
"I don''t have any thoughts either."
Min Eung-sik, who roughly realized the situation during the dispatch, asked quietly as Dowook disappeared.
"What do you think?"
"It''s true. There''s something unique about that friend. His mindset when responding to the situation is different. If this continues, the team leaders may not remember Hansung Hospital."
"If you understand, do it right away."
The boiling pot''s switch stopped.
He saw Seong Chang Soo entering the lounge while he was pouring water into the ripped cup ramen container one by one. He bowed his head as if he hadn''t seen him because he felt Chang Soo''s need for gossip, but Seong Chang Soo already approached in an instant.
"Paramedic Park Dowook. Did the dispatch go safely?"
"Roughly."
"Oh, ramen. I''m going to eat, too. Do you have water left?
"There''s none left."
"It''s sloshing around though."
Dowook cautioned Seong Chang Soo, who sat next to him with a container of cup noodles.
"The crew wille up soon, so be careful with that mouth."
"I''m someone else who will receive a staff award at the emergency room next year for my outstanding talk.¡±
"The chief is really generous. I can''t believe he epted even though you should be disqualified.¡±
"That''s funny."
While waiting for the cup noodles to cook properly, Seong Chang Soo slowly turned on his motor mouth.
"I almost went crazy when I was transferring patients from the fifth floor earlier. It''s an old apartment, so there''s no elevator. I took him to the emergency room with a lot of difficulty, but he was walking soundly when we got there. Are you kidding me?"
"You didn''t give a proper diagnosis at the beginning. You should have told him to walk down."
"How can I insist when the caller screams that he''s in pain as soon as we arrive? I can''t even take X-rays."
"The professors from Hansung Hospital seem to achieve it as soon as they look though?"
At this, Seong Chang Soo looked around and lowered his head.
"How was it? Do you think your team leader likes only them?"
"I don''t know about that. Like you said this morning. It''s Chief Ji''s style. I took care of all the work and didn''t say much.¡±
"I hope you keep doing that. Going on dispatch, there wasn''t much I could do as a doctor. It''s notpletely treatable out on the field either. If it''s internal medicine, there''s a lot to say. There''s a resident from internal medicine in Group B with me¡¡.¡±
Whi-ing~
Themand amplifier on the wall rang once. Almost all of the people sitting in the lounge stopped talking and eating momentarily as they turned their heads.
The team that was ordered to go had to run out.
While dozens of people were quiet, the broadcast came out.
-We''d like to inform all doctors in the room. From 2 p.m., a free clinic will be opened at the nearby Yeonhui-dong Community Center. There will also be a treatment room that can treat mild patients, so if you feel that the patient''s condition is light between dispatch, please transfer them here.
Since it was not an order to dispatch, everyone returned to their original actions, but Seong Chang Soo opened his eyes wide.
"What does that mean? Free medical treatment?"
"It must be part of the event. Themunity center is across the street.¡±
"Something smells fishy. Really fishy."
Lee Ji-seok, who finished organizing the ambnce, arrived at the lounge.
"Dr Dowook."
"What about Team Leader?"
"He went to the control room for a while because there was a change in the group.¡±
"Change of group members?"¡±
Lee Ji-seok, sitting next to Dowook, lightly greeted Seong Chang Soo and replied.
"Two people are applying for the free clinic. Hansung Hospital provided special cooperation for the medical equipment. Many of the patients are often mild, so this will save a lot of effort when they return after being transferred to the free clinic. I''d be so happy to work with such great help every week."
"See,see. Dowook. I told you it smells fishy.¡±
Seong Chang Soo''s expression suddenly darkened. Lee Ji-seok sniffed his clothes and looked sorry.
"I''m sorry. I guess it got on my clothes when I cleaned up."
Dowook shook his head towards Lee Ji-seok saying that it was not the reason and asked Seong Chang Soo.
"Will I lose my call exemption?"
"That''s not important right now!"
Sacheon Bridge Intersection, 1:45 p.m.
In the ambnce on their way back from dispatch, Dowook took out his vibrating phone and checked it.
[I didn''t know Hansung Hospital woulde out like that. Can I visit you for a bit? I have something to check.]
It was Lim So Yool''s text. Dowook sent a reply that he was free around 3 o''clock when the first shift ended.
¡®All the members seem to be grateful to Hansung Hospital. There''s no way out of this.¡¯
While contemting, he saw the LED light of the walkie-talkie shining.
-Bzzzzzzz.
-Emergency team 1, please respond.
He answered right away, holding the radio in his hand.
"This is team 1."
-Baek-il Studio Apartment Room 503. Patient with shortness of breath. Requesting Team 1 to dispatch.
"Team leader, it''s a dispatch order."
Squeak! Weewoo weewoo!
Han Min-gyu immediately changed the direction of the ambnce.
Consecutive dispatch while returning.
While the vehicle was shaking due to the rapid cornering, Dowook put the walkie-talkie closer to his mouth and contacted the center.
"HQ. Tell us the details."
-The caller has a history of asthma. After coughing symptoms, breathing difficulties gradually got worse. Bronchodtor administered, but no response. Trouble talking on the phone.
As soon as Dowook heard the information, he opened the divider.
"A patient with difficulty breathing. Please prepare intubation tools."
"Yes, doctor."
Lee Ji-seok nodded and opened the equipment box on the wall.
Han Min-gyu gave a smiling gaze to Dowook, who closed the divider again and settled down.
"Now you''re doing well by yourself."
"I guess I''m getting used to it as I keep doing it."
While waiting for the other cars to make way on a road packed with cars, Han Min-gyu spoke with a cautious tone.
"I want to let Jiseok rest at night because he has been working continuously since yesterday. I''m sorry to say this to the person who came as a volunteer, but can you act as the main team member during the second shift?"
"Two days in a row? That''s going to kill you. It doesn''t matter to me. I''m here to help the crew."
The ambnce elerated again as thene gave way.
Dowook grabbed the handle of the ss window and peeked at Han Min-gyu.
An unexpected request.
In order to defend the call exemption right, it was right to help with this. Like asking him to say good things about Myeong Sae Hospital to the higher-ups.
However, he couldn''t say anything hastily because of what he felt as he worked while borrowing Han Min-gyu''s sense.
For exemry team leaders who valued principles, it was only right to respect those principles.
There must be a different solution since the smart Lim So Yool wasing.
At 3 p.m., the first shift change between the workers took ce.
Group C, which was waiting, at the seat of Group A. Group A moved to a waiting position to provide support only in special ident situations that required recruitment.
"Great job, doctor."
"You as well."
Dowook, who greeted Lee Ji-seok, looked around, wondering if Lim So Yool hade. His cell phone rang just then so he took it out.
-I''m inside the main building. Where are you?
"Then I''ll go there¡¡.¡±
Dowook, who was about to enter the building, stepped back when he found Seong Chang Soo talking at the entrance with his juniors. There was no need to let that chatterbox know that Lim So Yool hade.
"¡¡No,e to the front. I''ll be there soon."
He left the garage and went around the building.
"Director."
Lim So Yool, who was looking at the fire station, turned to him at his call. Upon meeting his eyes, she approached him with a light smile.
"I didn''t expect you to participate in this event."
"Because it''s meaningful."
In many ways.
Standing close, Lim So Yool looked up at Dowook.
"I guess that''s the outfit of a volunteer. Even if it''s not a doctor''s gown, you have that aura."
"The director also wore a casual outfit¡¡.¡±
Lim So Yool wore a neatly buttoned coat with a scarf and fur hat. It was a style that looked bright and cute like a student.
However, the expression "cute" was not a good word to say as a greeting.
"You look good in it."
"Really? Even if it''s a little chilly, I don''t like it because Secretary Ok keeps forcing me to dress like this, but if Dr. Park says it¡¯s okay, then it''s fine."
Dowook smiled inside at Secretary Ok''s firm intention to take care of her as expected.
It was the outfit that parents would choose when sending out their daughter, who was ignorant about the world. In particr, that white fur hat covered up to the ears was the highlight.
After greeting each other like that, Dowook immediately asked.
"What are you here to check?"
"Doctor."
"What?"
Her expression became more serious when she gave an unexpected answer.
"The only thing Hansung Hospital''s free clinic can do for patients is making a primary diagnosis. But Dr. Park is different. The diagnosis that the patient can be much more satisfied with is possible. So¡."
Lim So Yool suddenly bowed her head and asked in a low voice.
"Do you want to calcte together?"
The pompom on the fur hat moved together along her shy head.
Chapter 59: Ambulance Doctor (5)
Multipurpose room on the 2nd floor of Yeonhui-dong Community Center, 3:07.
Click. Click.
Yoon Jin-hyo, who was filming the lines of elderly flocking from the senior citizen center receiving medical treatment, covered his mouth with his hand while yawning.
A really boring day, chasing the doctors from Hansung Hospital for 24 hours.
He felt despair at the thought of having to continue covering this until tomorrow morning.
-Look. A lot of residents are here, right? This is the true sense of amunity that helps and lives with each other.
Yoon Jin-hyo''s lens headed to the emergency surgeon at Hansung Hospital, standing with a district office official.
Arge number of things nned as surprise shows were moved up in the evening, and maybe due to theck of personnel but even the chief came. It showed how much the director was eager to do this.
"Reporter Yoon? You¡¯re here.¡±
Yoon Jin-hyo''s head turned at someone''s voice.
Sung Ryle, a social media reporter for the Dongmyeong Ilbo, walked inside.
"DongMyeong is also covering this event?"
"Someone I know said that something fun would happen. What about you?¡±
"Me too."
Yoon Jin-hyo asked quietly just in case.
"Hansung Hospital Dean?"
"No."
Sung Ryle smiled meaningfully. Yoon Jin-hyo looked at him in suspicion as he was preparing for intensive coverage with a cameraman.
Dongmyeong Ilbo was a mainstream newspaperpany within the top three traffic rankings on the Inte, and mostly did not report such small events.
If it was not a request to promote Hansung Hospital, why did hee here?
Yoon Jin-hyo''s curiosity was solved by fixing his eyes on a person who just appeared in front of the multipurpose room.
-I''m Park Dowook, a volunteer paramedic. I''m here to apply for free medical treatment.
"Are you here to report Park Dowook?"
"Do you know him?"
"We have history so it¡¯s a bit difficult to meet him face-to-face, but I know him well. How do you know him?¡±
"The informant pointed it out and asked for coverage. I looked through some articles and thought he was a highly popr doctor, so I came right away. Unlike the entertainment department, the Ministry of Social Affairs rarely has such a person.¡±
A few weeks ago, Park Dowook, who greatly put down Hansung Hospital with intelligent media response and outstanding skills, was an object of resentment for Yoon Jin-hyo, but he was quite attractive for reporters.
"No matter how hard it is, this is the enemy camp for Park Dowook. You''re not here to cover the excitement of him being dissed, though."
"Really? The informant is not one to say useless things."
"Who is it, that informant? Is it a secret?¡±
"Just keep it to yourself. It was CEO Lim of KG Entertainment."
"Whoa¡"
It was top-ss among industry giants. What kind of rtionship did such a big person have with him that she paid attention to Park Dowook?
Yoon Jin-hyo immediately turned the direction of the lens.
"Huh? Aren''t you covering Hansung Hospital?"
"I can''t repeat my mistake. I''m also boarding Park Dowook."
The dean of Hansung Hospital said this. Just cover the event as it was. So this was legitimate coverage.
"You majored in neurosurgery? At the hospital?¡±
Dowook nodded to the question of the nurse sitting at the entrance to the multipurpose room and the simple reception desk.
"Wait a minute."
Somehow, the way she spoke was not kind.
He saw the nurse, who went inside, talking to Professor Min Eung-sik, who was treating a patient.
Professor Min nced at Dowook and lightly saluted. The nurse came back to Dowook.
"After five minutes, you can continue in Professor Lim Jae-baek''s seat.¡±
"Okay. Oh, and¡.. Can you give me an assistant¡¯s chair?"
"Assistant?¡±
Lim So Yool, who was standing behind him, peeped out her head.
"Please."
"Right."
Dowook looked inside the free clinic while waiting in the hallway for a while.
It was the same structure as the outpatient clinic.
The reception desk first listened to and distinguished the patient''s illness, and assigned them to doctors sitting at five simple tables to perform diagnosis and treatment.
Professor Lim Jae-baek, who worked in Group A that morning, stood up from his seat and gestured for him toe over.
"Director. That way."
While settling down with Lim So Yool, Professor Min Eung-sik next to him stared with smiling eyes at Dowook.
"Although we announced that other hospital doctors could also give support, Dr. Park Dowook was the only one who actually came."
"Really?"
"Even though simple counseling for symptoms at the end doesn¡¯t actually require professional knowledge."
There wouldn¡¯t be a resident with the courage toe to this ce where Professor Min and other trauma experts from Hansung Hospital came and went. No matter how mild the patient¡¯s condition was.
Dowook would not have thought ofing here without Lim So Yool.
"It''s not easy to do double the volunteer work. The professor and the people here are amazing.¡±
"Is that so? In that case, Dr. Dowook who came here after six hours of dispatch is also excellent."
A strange atmosphere wherepliments were being thrown back and forth, but the vignt glint in their eyes did not disappear. Among them, a man in his 50s, who was wrinkled around his eyes, came to Dowook¡¯s table with a district official.
"Look here, too, Chief. We are also working closely with other hospitals. Thank you for your hard work, Dr. Park Dowook. I''m Shim Sang-dong, the head of emergency surgery."
Since the other person called his name, Dowook was surprised and asked.
"Do you know me?"
"Of course. Aren¡¯t you a famous surgeon at Myeong Sae Hospital? You have a reputation on our side too."
The district official once again looked at Dowook at this.
"Then work hard, Dr. Park. Chief, do you want to see the treatment room? We have set it up at the level of a general emergency room."
Chief Shim suddenly praised Dowook and disappeared.
To consider it as a gesture of reconciliation and harmony was difficult since the existence of this free clinic itself was already an open deration ofpetition.
It felt suspiciously like a way to keep him in check to Dowook.
"Patient 3 ising in."
A chubby man in his 40s approached the table. After a cough, he sat in the chair opposite him.
"Oh, doctor. I came because I ache all over."
"Do you have body aches?"
He clearly stated at the reception desk that he was from neurosurgery, but a respiratory internal medicine patient was sent. Despite the considerable number of neurological patientsining of spinal pain among waiting residents, the appearance of a patient seemed to have been specially picked out.
"As expected."
Chief Shim, who was talking to a district official, was ncing this way with a look as if ¡®Let''s see how well you do.¡¯
After checking with Lim So Yool, who was beside him with an open notebook, Dowook put the stethoscope to the patient''s chest.
"You keep coughing. Do you smoke?"
"No, I stopped after I got asthma."
It was not easy to listen to the breathing because there was a lot of fat, but there were enough symptoms to diagnose asthma.
"I''ll measure your blood pressure. Please raise your arms. Rx your fist."
Blood pressure 160/94. Pulse 100. Respiratory rate 20.
Writing the results of the diagnosis down on the paper, Dowook talked about his findings.
"You have high blood pressure. Seeing that there is no fever, I don''t think there are any symptoms of body aches due to infection. Can you tell me when youst had an asthma attack?¡±
"I think it was a week ago? I was suffering from coughs until dawn, but it stopped as I was delivering rice in the morning."
"You''re taking bronchial dtor, right? If that doesn''t solve it, you should be prescribed beta stimnts, which needs a diagnosis from a specialized hospital.¡.¡±
"Just a second, Dr. Dowook."
Min Eung-sik from Table 2, who finished diagnosing his patient, interrupted Dowook¡¯s words as if he had been waiting.
"Coughing throughout the night is not necessarily an asthma attack. If it¡¯s orthopnea, there is a possibility of heart failure."
[TN: Orthopnea or orthopnoea is shortness of breath that urs when lying t, causing the person to have to sleep propped up in bed or sitting in a chair. ]
Min Eung-sik, who boldly diagnosed heart failure, knelt down in front of the patient. Min Eung-sik, who once again listened to the breathing which Dowook had already done, opened his mouth.
"There''s a wet noise in his lungs. Can you show us your feet?¡±
Min Eung-sik, who touched the patient''s feet, raised his head.
"Both feet are edemic. Paroxysmal dyspnea and lung noise. This meets the criteria for diagnosing acute heart failure."
"wh-what''s acute heart failure, doctor?¡±
"It means you have a heart problem. There are many causes, but I''m d I found it like this.¡±
"Oh, my god. I thought it was just body aches."
"It would have been a big problem if you went back thinking it was a simple asthma attack and died."
Min Eung-sik once again stressed that Dowook¡¯s opinion was a misdiagnosis.
"Just in case, I''ll check your blood pressure again."
People''s attention was drawn to Min Eung-sik''s behavior of conducting a basic test that had already been conducted.
¡®They selected a patient who was difficult to diagnose from among those many citizens and sent him to me.¡¯
This was a symptom that could never be diagnosed at once by Dowook, who was not an internal medicine specialist. No, it was a case where it would have been difficult for a specialist to easily confirm unless he/she was examined with precision equipment.
Dowook turned to the reception desk and saw Lim Jae-baek looking over. A professor who Seong Chang Soo said was a chest expert was ssifying patients. He got a feeling of what had happened.
"Doctor, what should I do?"
"First, go to the hospital¡¡.¡±
"What''s wrong, Professor Min?"
Chief Shim returned at an amazing time with a district official.
"Chief. This patient¡¯s case is not something we can deal with here. Rted experts have to stick together and give definite opinions. Cardiology, respiratory medicine, and cardiac surgery."
"Really? Then I''ll call our hospital ambnce. It''s the weekend, so there must be only a few people on duty. Hey, let me try to get all the chiefs together. Free of charge. Because today is that kind of day."
As soon as Min Eung-sik, Chief Shim, and Lim Jae-baek''s faces were filled with smiles of satisfaction.
Lim So Yool poked Dowook¡¯s side. A sign that the calction was finished.
After nodding that he knew, Dowook told Min Eung-sik, who was smiling.
"The diagnosis is definitely different because the professor has been exposed to numerous patients. Thank you for your great judgment. Then, can I wrap up my patient counseling now?¡±
Min Eung-sik''sughter slowed to a stop.
"What did you say? Counseling?¡±
"It''s not polite as a doctor to just send him back to a big hospital because he''s sick. Sir, can you sit here?¡±
At Dowook¡¯s calm voice, the patient sat down with a confused face.
"During the re-examination, I checked various statistical data on the patient''s symptoms."
Dowook reached out and epted Lim So Yool''s sense.
After looking through the medical papers he had searched on his cell phone in line with the diagnosis added by Min Eung-sik, he quickly wrote down the statistics in the notebook. At the same time, he spoke to the patient.
"Your breathing problem is a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a disease called COPD. Director?
"The probability of relieving symptoms within three years with respiratory rehabilitation and oxygen therapy is 77.25%. 5 years is 96.13%."
"Did you hear that? 5 years is 96.13%, even though it''s long. The inhnts you are using now are only responsible for maintaining the status quo, and you must receive COPD treatment. What you need to consider if you have heart problems on top of that is, director?¡±
"Life expectancy can be calcted for each risk factor for high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis, and diabetes."
"The patient seems to have high blood pressure and diabetes. Would you like to hear what happens if we don''t take action on this risk factor? Statistics can be a little cruel."
The patient nodded with a serious face.
"I have to listen to it. I need to know so I can be prepared."
As Dowook began to analyze all kinds of medical statistics on patients'' symptoms easily and urately, Chief Shim, who was watching, looked at Min Eung-sik with a look asking what they were doing.
Min Eung-sik also shook his head with a face that he did not know because he had never heard of such a diagnosis.
Chief Shim spoke to the district official.
"Deputy Director. Now that you''ve seen the inside, let''s check out the medical supplies."
"No, wait a minute. Let''s listen to all of that. Each treatment even points out the probability of side effects. Are hospital check-ups like that these days? It''s fascinating."
"That''s¡."
When Mr.Choi from Myeongho rice shop in Yeonhui-dong, came out with a piece of paper, a local resident who was waiting asked.
"What is this, Mr.Choi? You didn''t even get cold medicine?¡±
Choi looked inside the free clinic and spoke as if possessed.
"I don''t have a cold."
"Then you should at least get a headache pill. Aspirin. They say it''s all free. Mr. Park got two bottles.¡±
"I don''t need that. This. This is amazing.¡±
The citizen looked strangely when he saw the paper shaken by Mr. Choi.
"What''s that?"
"That doctor. The medical checkup freely provided by insurance said something that was impossible to follow. Don''t drink. Exercise. Without saying those beyond obvious things. If you manage high blood pressure for 1 year, you can live for 30 months. If you manage it for 2 years, 50 months. If you don¡¯t manage it at all, you can die in 3 years. I think the probability for that was 90%? Anyway, he told me everything very precisely.¡±
"Really? Who? What kind of doctor?
"The one sitting in the middle".
The eyes of the residents in the line all headed for Dowook.
Chapter 60: Ambulance Doctor (6)
Two hourster.
Dowook, who was looking at the citizens standing in line, turned to Lim So Yool.
"At this rate, we won''t be able to finish today. Is your schedule okay?"
"Wait a minute."
Lim So Yool picked up her cell phone and checked the text she sent earlier.
[Unni. Are you sure you''ll be able to do the coverage?]
[Of course. Who do you think I am? I asked a nning and coverage expert, so don''t worry and enjoy your date.]
[It''s not a date, but we''re just calcting together]
[If you say so~]
Lim So Yool, who saw Dowook taking a sip of water because he was thirsty from consulting nonstop, thought that if she kept holding him next to her, his schedule would be too much.
She pressed her sister''s phone number. Not long after, Lim So-hee''s voice came out.
-What is it, Semdeok?
Lim So Yool covered her mouth with her hands and asked in a whisper.
"How long do I have to do this to fully reflect the public interest in the article?"
¨C I just got a call, he said he got enough interviews with the residents. You can decide on when to escape with Semdol whenever you want."
"It''s not an escape, it''s calction¡¡ Never mind. If this happens like you guaranteed, I''ll owe you a favor.¡±
-Oh, what should I ask for? First of all, it would be nice if love went back and forth.
"If it''s weird, I''ll never do it."
-If you whine like that, I want to do it more.
"I''m hanging up."
Lim So Yool, who finished the call, asked Dowook.
"I think you can rest now. He said he''s done enough coverage.¡±
"I guess this diagnosis met the requirements for promotion".
He asked with a smile on his face. Lim So Yool nodded.
"I''m satisfied with it."
"It''s almost dinner time, but shall we go after everyone is done? Unless you''re too tired."
The corners of Lim So Yool''s mouth bent up.
"No, keep going."
* * *
Seodaemun Fire Station, 6pm.
The lounge was filled with the smell of food that made one''s mouth water.
"I would like to express my deep gratitude to the volunteer members who have been suffering all day. For dinner, I invited the chef of the City Hall restaurant to make a spicy pork stir-fry. Please enjoy."
At Action Officer Yoo Gwon-Ryul''s words, the volunteers sitting in the room apuded.
In the food distribution line, Yoo Gwon-Ryul rolled up his sleeves and held a longdle in his hands.
"Enjoy your meal."
Yoo Gwon-Ryul, who was personally distributing the soup to the volunteer members, paused when he saw a man with a very sullen expression in the line.
"Chief Shim, you are here, too.¡±
"Oh? Oh, Officer Yoo. You don''t have to give me soup. I don''t have an appetite."
Following Shim Sang-dong, who trudged away, doctors from Hansung Hospital began to receive food. They all looked sad, so he asked the district official who was assigned with them.
"Manager, did something happen to them?"¡±
"Well, everyone volunteered well at the free clinic. The satisfaction of the residents was also great."
A woman in a neat coat appeared in front of Yoo Gwon-Ryul, who continued to distribute soup with a tilted head.
Yoo Gwon-Ryul, who had been scooping soup and putting it on the tray, made eye contact with the noticeable beauty and paused.
"Officer? I guess you''re here to cheer us up".
"Oh¡ Yes. E-enjoy your meal."
When Yoo Gwon-Ryul dealt with her with great tension, the district official asked.
"Who is she? Howe you''re treating her like that?"
"She''s the dean''s representative at Myeong Sae Hospital."
"Ah. That''s why she was with that doctor.¡±
The district official pointed to a volunteer sitting at the table with her and said.
"There was a bit of trouble for a while because the residents said they would only get treatment from that doctor. How he pointed everything out was really amazing.¡±
"Really?"
Yoo Gwon-Ryul''s eyes were on the two with bright expressions. And he met the doctors with dark expressions on the table next to them. For some reason, he felt like he knew the reason.
"Manager."
"What?"
"Do you know his name?"
"I''m sure it''s Park Dowook."
"What about the people next to him?"
"Uh¡ That''s¡¡. I know they''re from Hansung Hospital.¡.¡±
Dowook scooped up a spoonful of soup, chewed up rice, and looked around. Lim So Yool, who saw it, asked.
"What''s wrong?"
"I don''t know when mypanions wille out."
"Your colleagues? Is it a friend of yours?"
Dowook shook his head at Lim So Yool, who became curious.
"The director doesn''t have to pay attention to it. Because he says a lot of weird things."
"Weird things?"
Like a destined person or something.
He wouldn''t say that in front of the other, but there was a risk of harm to the public anyway.
"Something like that. Do you want some water? I''m going to get a drink."
"Please."
Dowook moved toward the water purifier and avoidedmenting on Seong Chang Soo.
Lim So Yool continued the topic when Dowook came back and handed her a cup of water.
"You''re the only one who''s saying weird things to me, so it''s not urate, but I don''t think you have any bad intentions. I''m curious. How you get along with other friends. There are only a few people in Korea who are this close to me. So I''m a little clumsy in many ways."
"That¡"
An unexpected and sudden honesty.
She, who had a unique way ofmunicating with the world, did not hide anything like this for those who understood her. Was there a need to treat her with the same mind as others who felt burdened by her?
"Then I''ll train him a bit."
"Train?"
"The moment you say, "This requires simple calctions," he will run away. It''s easy to see."
Lim So Yool red.
"Do you know that you say that as a joke a lot these days?"
"It''s¡¡not a joke though."
Han Min-gyu, who was sitting at themand office on behalf of a member who was eating, turned his head to a knock.
"Dad."
His son, Han Jin-gu, a college freshman, waved at the door.
"Why are you here?"
"I''m rooting for our team leader Han, who''s having a hard time even on weekends¡¡.¡±
"State your business simply."
"¡¡..Please give me my allowance in advance."
"Reason?"
"I''m going to a concert hall with just Sunah today. I want to confess afterwards. You have to do it in a good ce to seed."
Han Min-gyu smiled at his son, who revealed the purpose of his visit. He didn''t mean to use it for bad things, but one had to check the facts urately.
"Is there a possibility if you confess?"
"It''s very high. You know the big theater in Ahyeon-dong, right? There''s a "Show Me the Rhyme" stage today, and it was really hard to get this ticket. Sunah really likes it.¡±
"Because of that, your allowance is about to go bankrupt?"
"You''re too sharp."
Han Jin-gu, who saw his father looking through his pocket and took out his wallet, politely gathered his hands together.
"I only have my father."
"Pay me backter. This is my emergency fund.¡±
"Yes sir."
The son, who was very happy for the money, pointed to the walkie-talkie.
"Dad, there''s an emergency call".
"Huh?"
Han Min-gyu, who turned his head, quickly pressed the walkie-talkie button, realizing that it was a signal from the general disaster prevention center. He waved one hand and gestured to his son to go quickly.
Bzzzt.
"This is Seodaemun Command Headquarters."
¨C Multiple collisions urred at the Daeheung Station intersection. There were many injuries, so there was a request for paramedics support. How many people are waiting in Seodaemun-gu?
"Wait a minute."
Han Min-gyu, who saw the situation monitor, immediately answered.
"Team 2 is on dispatch at the moment, and there are three groups of people waiting for the shift change."
¨C Please mobilize team 1''s vehicles and mobilize all possible personnel.
Han Min-gyu put down his walkie-talkie. Unintentionally, arge number of members had to be drawn out during dinner.
Han Min-gyu, who pressed themand amplifier connection button, opened his mouth.
¨C Emergency support order. First aid. The mentioned groups shoulde to the front of the transport truck. Group A. Group B¡¡.
Daeheung Intersection, 6:57 PM.
The dark streets were filled with siren lights emitted by a mixture of police cars and fire trucks as the sun went down. Emergency vehicles and transport buses departing from Seodaemun stopped on the road.
-Click.
When Dowook got off the bus, he saw the middle of the intersection recessed and swallowed a groan. Seong Chang Soo''s eyes also widened as he followed after him.
"Is that the cause?"¡±
A 3m-sized pothole in the middle of the road.
It was aplex ident scene in which a vehicle overturned due to that hole and a dozen vehicles that turned the steering wheel in all directions invaded the sidewalk.
The most serious of them was a truck that hit the outer wall of a three-story building under remodeling. The building was destroyed and the steel structure was clearly revealed.
"Everyone, gather up."
All the people who came gathered at Han Min-kyu''s voice.
"Emergency patients were transferred first by Yongsan Station, and our paramedics will transfer patients who need quick treatment among the remaining people. Doctors should prioritize treatment for severe and minor injuries at the site."
At this instruction, Professor Min Eung-sik asked with a worried face.
"What about patients who can''t be treated with these basic tools?"
"Transfers of patients with no rescue or rehabilitation potential are excluded from priority."
Han Min-gyu, who recited the cold principles of the scene of a major ident. The volunteers were forced to be solemn for a moment.
"Doctor, please do what you can as a doctor. Please."
Han Min-gyu led the regr members and disappeared toward where the site manager was standing.
A cry was heard a distance from the medical personnel looking around with emergency bags.
"Please help me! The kid won''t stop bleeding!"
"Dr. Seong. We''ll go to the right. Call me if you need any support. You''re holding your cell phone, right?¡±
"Yes, professor."
There were nces between the doctors from Myeong Sae hospital and the doctors from Hansung Hospital.
Recognizing this was not a situation to think aboutpetition, each hurriedly scattered toward patients in need of doctors.
Seong Chang Soo, who was approaching a man holding a broken arm in front of the collision vehicle, shouted.
"Sangmoon, you take Cheolsoon and Myeongdeok over there. Dowook, you and me¡¡ Huh?"
Seong Chang Soo, who turned to the side, tilted his head. It was because he couldn''t see Dowook.
"What kind of patient did he go to see alone?"¡±
In front of the dented car.
Han Min-gyu looked through the rescuee trapped in a vehicle with severe pressure and shouted at the firefighter operating the hydraulic spreader.
"Hold on! A lot of ss particles are falling!"
Han Min-yu, who turned his head, called Lee Ji-seok, who was standing next to the ambnce.
"Jiseok, a nket over here¡¡.¡±
"Here you are."
Han Min-gyu, who received an inmmable nket from someone, made eye contact with the person who handed it over. It was Park Dowook.
"I thought you would need it, so I took it out."
Han Min-gyu, who nodded slightly at his reliable words, approached the driver''s seat patient and pushed his head through the window of the half-broken vehicle.
The degree of physical damage to the patient was severe. It was a priority target for transfer.
He covered the patient''s whole body with a nket and said something reassuring.
"If you cut the windshield and secure space, you cane out quickly. Cheer up a little bit."
"Oh¡ Please take me out.¡.¡±
Han Min-gyu, who got out of the vehicle, looked around the road to see if there was a more serious patient, and paused his gaze at Dowok, who was looking at the scene like him.
He saw a minor patient touching his bruised face, but he turned his eyes immediately. He seemed to be looking for a person in urgent need of treatment right away. It was to adhere to the principle of priority.
Lee Ji-seok came up to the side with first aid tools.
"Team leader, where should I go?"
Han Min-gyu thought he would never be able to point to his junior when asked who was more reliable between Lee Ji-seok, who had a month of experience, and Park Dowook, who only had a day of experience.
"Jiseok, you help with rescue work here, and as soon as you take them out, transfer them to the patient car. It''s a priority target."
"Yes."
Firefighters were actively moving to take out patients from the crushed vehicle.
Boom!
Following the sound of steel hitting the floor, a radio came from the site of the building copse.
Bzzzzt.
¨C Found one survivor on the debris of the building. Asking nearby paramedics to respond.
"I''m the first team leader at Seodaemun Fire Station. How''s the survivor doing?"
-It is difficult to confirm because he is losing consciousness.
"I''ll go right away."
Dowook came into Han Min-gyu''s eyes as he was trying to move.
The only way to minimize human casualties in such a chaotic field was efficient judgment and rapid cooperation. In that sense, that doctor was a very good coborator.
Han Min-gyu, who walked in front of Dowook, said.
"Doctor."
"Yes?"
"We found a survivor in the rubble. Let''s go take action together."
Chapter 61: Ambulance Doctor (7)
The firefighters'' headlights shined the area between the totally bent structure and gray cement.
"That way. Can you see?"
When asked by Shim Jae-man, head of the rescue team at Yongsan Fire Department, Dowook focused his sight on the patient.
¡®His breathing is irregr. Is there a problem with his lungs?¡¯
A patient who miraculously survived despite being stuck between so many steel frames. Although the distance between them was only 15m away, numerous barriers were blocking the path to his rescue.
"Sir! Can you hear me?"
[T/N: In Korean, the word used instead of sir means "person in need of rescue" and no gender was mentioned. But it didn''t seem to make sense in English nor did it make sense to write ¡®Sir/Ma¡¯am¡¯ just to be politically correct.]
"Sir!"
Considering that they did not respond to the firefighters'' calls, there was a high possibility of a concussion.
Team leader Shim looked at Dowook.
"How does the patient look?"
"I can only presume that the breastbone has been crushed. If there is a possibility of pneumothorax or hemothorax, you should take it out before they stop breathing."
Han Min-gyu, who was looking at the patient on the other side, shook his head at team leader Shim. Even over there, quick rescue work seemed unreasonable.
Team leader Shim pressed the radio''s transmission button on his shoulder.
"Situation room! When will the crane arrive? It can''t be lifted with bare hands!"
¨CBzzzt.
-I''m Lim Moon-bok, the transportation officer from Yongsan Police Station. The traffic in the area is not smooth because all the southern ess roads have been blocked due to the ident. It''ll take at least 30 minutes because it oveps with the time to get off work. Turn the crane north and enter.
"Will it be faster to go around? Please open the way quickly."
The ident happened in one of the areas with the busiest traffic, so the police seemed to be having a hard time.
"When the crane arrives, it will take another 15 minutes to clean this up. Do you think he canst 45 minutes?"
Dowook did not speak immediately because he made the diagnosis from a distance and the patient hadn''t recovered his consciousness, so the degree of injury could not be urately determined.
"In this situation, I can''t tell for sure¡"
While considering his diagnosis, Dowook found a man in his 40s far away from him, dressing a patient''s torn eyebrow. It was Professor Min Eung-sik who Seong Chang Soo had been trying to ovee all morning.
Dowook reached out and received his sense in order to check the patient.
He couldn''t understand the tingling feeling clearly with his head, but he felt that there was a feeling of diagnosis that a trauma expert could do.
A situation where you would know for sure what measures to take after checking up close but were not able to do so. Even though they had been awkward all day, he needed Professor Min''s insight right now.
After making a firm decision, Dowook shouted.
"Professor! Professor Min Eung-sik!"
Min Eung-sik''s head turned at Dowook''s call.
"Please check this patient! I''m in a hurry!"
Min Eung-sik, carrying an emergency bag on his shoulder, ran to the scene quickly.
"It''s him. Team leader, the light."
Team leader Shim''s shlight shone inside. Min Eung-sik, who looked inside the debris, was greatly surprised.
"Oh, my. Are they okay?"
"They''re not conscious yet."
Min Eung-sik, who examined a patient who had be insensate, opened his mouth.
"The breastbone is the problem. There. The upper left side. Contradictory chest wall movements are confirmed. At least five parts must have been fractured. There would be an internal hemorrhage."
As a serious trauma expert, the diagnosis arrived immediately. Team leader Shim asked Min Eung-sik the same question.
"Then how long can theyst?"
"It''s 20 minutes at most."
Team leader Shim, who frowned, shouted.
"Kisoon! Bring all the hydraulic equipment on site! Seokwon,e here!"
Min Eung-sik, who helped with the diagnosis, took a step back. Dowook bowed his head to him.
"Thank you, professor."
"This is nothing. By the way, I don''t know if we can rescue them in 20 minutes."
While worrying, Han Min-gyu, who was on the other side, approached.
"How''s the patient?"
Dowook quickly delivered Professor Min''s diagnosis.
Han Min-gyu shook his head as he looked at the crew cutting the steel frame and pushing the cement lump with hydraulic pressure.
"That won''t help us make it in time. Is there any way to stabilize the patient during rescue time?"
"That''s¡."
Dowook and Min Eung-sik''s eyes met. Of course, there were treatments worth trying from a doctor''s point of view. Min Eung-sik answered again this time.
"If you take blood out of the lungs, you can buy time. The rest of them are not life-threatening injuries."
"Is it something that a firefighter can do with medical guidance?"
"That would be hard. If you don''t diagnose exactly where the blood is, you can''t specify the area to be intubated. No, this is not an easy emergency measure even for a doctor."
"The crew on the other side are securing room to crawl inside. We intend to install safety airbags inside, but it''s hard to take action unless you''re a doctor, so it''s useless for me to follow you."
Han Min-gyu''s sad face.
Tingle. Tingle.
Dowook felt the impulse caused by the sense of the team 1''s leader delivering a tremendously strong stimulus.
¡®Hmm¡''
He regretted not following Seong ChangSoo for about 0.1 seconds.
He stretched his hands around and stopped at a firefighter working on the demolition, sweating profusely. The other¡¯s sense was transmitted to his hands through his special sense.
On top of the doctor''s knowledge, the firefighter¡¯s sense was immediately ovepped.
The confidence that it was a simple rescue work given by Team 1 Leader¡¯s sense blew away the anxiety over the specific actions required.
Dowook looked at Han Min-gyu.
"Then¡ Should I go in?"
Yoon Jin-hyo continued the phone call with his cell phone on his ear.
"It''s true. At least two teams have to cover this. If we do this properly, you can hand over the scoop to major broadcasting stations at a high price. Yes. It''s the intersection just above Daeheung Station. If you''rete, it''ll be taken away by the Dongmyeong Ilbo."
After speaking enthusiastically to the head of the newspaper, he turned to the subject of the coverage.
Volunteers were treating the victims from the ident, who were seated down everywhere.
Click. Click.
The small digital camera he brought with the idea that it would be roughly loaded on the social page took in the ident site.
Then, he moved the lens in search of Park Dowook, a person of interest.
"Where are you, doctor?"
The searching lens caught sight of Dowook¡¯s back.
He could only let out a disbelievingugh at what he showed at the free clinic was a falseugh.
He couldn''t believe that Dr. Park took over the event prepared by Hansung Hospital as if it was all made ready for himself. Among them, the expression of the emergency surgeon who lost was beautiful.
"Senior Sung. I like all the nning and coverage, but I''m the expert when ites to Park Dowook."
Click!
Yoon Jin-hyo continued to take pictures of Park Dowook, a tall doctor in his early thirties armed with confidence, although he looked indifferent to everything.
"Huh?"
But¨C
He couldn''t decide which direction to set the article at.
Crawling directly into the copse site with a rope wrapped around his waist and a bag on his shoulder.
It was apletely different behavior from the medical staff who were treating patients with rtivefort nearby.
"Why there? What is he doing?¡±
Dowook was crawling in a low position between cement structures full of dust.
"Please follow me carefully, doctor."
Dowook nodded at the voice of the firefighter who entered before him.
Bzzzt.
-Medical staff entry. All members working on the copse site stop."
When the work stopped at once to prevent possible structural shaking, it suddenly became quiet everywhere.
While avoiding the protruding steel frame and pushing his body between the narrow gaps, pain emerged from all body parts touching the floor.
Thanks to the small stones, he felt like he was being subjected to full body acupressure.
About 3m away from the patient, steel fragments blocked the way.
"The space inside is small. You need to proceed alone from here.¡±
Dowook nodded, passed by the firefighter, and entered the gap.
The dark passage full of debris was dug by relying on a single headlight.
Finally, as Dowook approached the patient, his instinct as a doctor immediately popped out.
"Patient, can you hear me?¡±
The man, who looked about fifty years old, remained silent even if Dowook shook his body slightly. The patient seemed to be in a sema.
The cement mass weighing on the waist and sides was too huge to do anything with just human power.
He took out a stethoscope and put it on the patient''s chest. As expected, the sound of the rupture was loud.
Bzzzt.
-Dr. Park. How''s the patient?
Professor Min Eung-sik''s voice was heard from the walkie-talkie suspended from his shoulder. Dowook immediately pressed the send button.
"It¡¯s hemopneumothorax."
-Listen carefully. There is a high possibility that the blood is pooled in the bubbling side.
Since CT could not be used to determine the location of blood collection, the location had to be determined in a very old-fashioned way.
"Professor, can you see me?"
-I''m watching.
While the light was shining, he epted Professor Min¡¯s sense in his hand.
Dowook took out scissors, cut off some of the patient''s clothes, and revealed his chest.
After wearing sterile gloves, disinfectant was sprayed on the patient''s chest. It was a weak measure in front of the risk of infection, but he had no choice but to push ahead within rescue time.
He took out the longest needle from the emergency box. There were no borate chest intubation instruments, no assistants, ormon ultrasound photos.
This was the end of the preparation.
There was a different tension than when he touched a sensitive bundle of nerves.
"Patient. It''s going to sting."
After taking a deep breath, he boldly inserted a needle.
Splurt.
Following the sound of air leakage, blood flowed out through the syringe connected to the needle. The patient''s body wriggled.
"Gasp¡.¡±
The patient, who coughed again and again, regained consciousness.
"Ugh".
"Patient, are you awake?"
"This is¡"
"This is the construction site. As the building copsed, the patient was buried.¡±
The eye of the patient gradually returned to focus, as he saw Dowook wearing a fire hat.
"Sir¡ my chest¡¡.¡±
"Take your time and breathe. You must be very ufortable because you''re taking out the blood that''s pooled in your lungs.¡±
Dowook measured the patient''s pulse, listened to the sound of the lungs, and informed the waiting crew 3 meters away.
"The patient''s vital strength is stabilizing. The patient should be able tost an hour like this."
"Thank you for your hard work, doctor.¡±
The firefighters immediately delivered the news to the site manager.
"Captain, The patient is in good condition now".
Bzzzt.
¨C Okay. Everyone, resume! Kisoon, you keep moving in and out of there and install airbags inside.
Dowook¡¯s walkie-talkie rang as he looked at the patient.
-Dr. Park is very fascinating.
It was Professor Min''s voice.
"Me?"
-During dispatch in the morning, you were an elite paramedic, at the free clinic, you were totally sly. And here¡ I really don''t know.
"Well, it''s all about helping people. What¡¯s soplicated about it?¡±
-Ha. I''m learning a lot today, Dr. Park.
The firefighter, who had been outside for a while, dragged a square box and returned.
The phrase "high-intensity safety airbag" was attached to the surface.
The hands of the firefighter, who was sweating in the cramped area and continuing the instation work, slipped and the T-shaped connector bounced forward.
"Oh¡"
Dowook reflexively reached out and grabbed it.
"I got it."
"Phew. Thank you, doctor."
"May I help you? This side is a bit spacious, so I can move a little."
¡°The thing is, sir. You have to connect the air hose to the Ker line urately¡¡.¡±
Dowook slotted the T-shaped pipe between the pressure reducer and the hose.
"Like this?"
"That''s right. Like that. Have you done this before?¡±
Dowook pretended to be innocent and nodded.
"Yes."
A veteran firefighter working on dismantling the structure up there had done this before. That was enough.
Chapter 62: Ambulance Doctor (8)
How much time must have passed?
Dowook put a stethoscope inside the space supported by the airbag to hear the patient''s breathing. His condition, which had been recovered for a while, was gradually deteriorating.
Dowook pressed the walkie-talkie button when he saw the patient''s lips shaking.
"When exactly will the rescue begin?"
-Bzzzt.
-The crane is tied up at the interchange due to traffic conditions in the south. The traffic police say it''s 15 minutes. The newly requested crane is approaching from the north, and it will also take 20 minutes.
"There''s a risk of shock, so I''ll prescribe fluids. Please get rid of the debris as soon as possible."
The patient, who heard the radio, looked at Dowook with a fearful look.
"Doctor, I¡¡ Am I going to die?¡±
Dowook turned his head to the patient who recognized him as a doctor and spoke to reassure him.
"You¡¯re not going to die. I''m just adding fluids just in case."
"My chest. Whoo. Whoo. There''s a hole and blood is flowing."
"It''s true that there''s a hole, but the blood has already stopped. Lung tissue is rich in substances with hemostasis.¡±
Now, the problem was that secondary infection and oxygen supply were not being carried out smoothly, not bleeding.
"It''s going to sting."
A fluid needle was inserted into the wrist where the disinfectant cotton was rubbed.
One in the lungs and one in the arm.
The needles supporting the patient''s lifeline had a fixed time in which they had an effect. He needed to be sent to the hospital for proper treatment before the timer ran out.
¨CBzzzt.
-Captain! There''s someone buried under the debris!
The voice of the firefighters was heard from the walkie-talkie on Dowook¡¯s shoulder.
-Where are you searching?
-It''s just below the copse of the outer wall. He was buried while in an SUV, and you can see him breathing. He''s still alive.
-Can you approach?
-There''s no room from this side at all. The exterior wall is covering the vehicle.
-Jeez! Hurry up and bring any crane!
The situation over there also seemed urgent. The patient who heard the radio with Dowook spokementably.
"If I''m fine¡¡. I can move my arms and dig it all up. Whoo. Whoo."
Tingle.
DowookI felt a sense rushing through his fingertips. Naturally, it was this patient''s sense.
"What''s your job?¡±
"An excavator. It¡¯s somewhere around here. Whoo. Whoo. I wasing down from there.¡ Some truck suddenly rushed in and caused the ident¡.¡±
Perhaps because of the patient''s concentration, the impulse that stimted his nerves was intact. This patient was a professional engineer who manipted heavy equipment at the construction site.
Dowook thought about helping for a while.
There was nothing more a doctor could do here. However, as someone with a special sense, there might be something he could do.
Pressing the walkie-talkie button, Dowook spoke.
"This is the airbag instation point. Please send a person here to check the patient''s condition."
-Bzzzt.
-Understood.
In a little bit.
"Dr. Dowook. I¡¯m here to take over."
Dowook twisted his body at Lee Ji-seok¡¯s voice as he crawled in from the entrance, then Dowook moved under the steel frame. The headlights shone on each other''s faces covered with dust.
"Oh my god. I didn''t know you would be in a ce like this."
"I also didn''t expect I¡¯d be in a ce like this either. Check the patient''s oxygen saturation periodically and attach a respirator if it falls below 87%. My bag is next to me."
"Okay."
Dowook, who quickly crawled out of the debris passage, stopped his gaze at the end of the ident site, where people worked to remove the steel frame.
In the dark, there was an excavator that was swept away by the copsed material at the bottom.
"Doctor."
Han Min-gyu approached Dowook as he tried to get closer.
"Jiseok will continue to wait in there until the rescue work begins. You''ve done a great job.¡±
Dowook shone a headlight toward the excavator he just discovered.
"Team leader, if we use that, won''t we be able to rescue them quickly?"
"That forklift? It''s also a job to put up a lifting rope, but I don''t know if there''s a firefighter on the scene who can operate the machine."
Dowook reached out once again through the cracks of the copsed building. He felt that the sense of a heavy equipment engineerpletely dominating his neural circuit.
"I''ll try it."
"Doctor, that''s not a normal vehicle."
He had been borrowing all the senses he could to save patients and squeezed through that gap. The first decision was difficult and the second one was easy.
"I can drive this. In this situation, shouldn''t we use all the resources we can?¡±
Dowook, who crawled up on the copsed excavator and opened the door, looked at Han Min-gyu.
"Should I stop?"
"There''s no reason for me to stop you because you''re so sure. See if it works first. Please."
Dowook closed the door and leaned sideways to fit the tilted seat.
When the starting switch was turned on, various indicators turned on normally.
He then turned the starting key to START. The engine shook and died while warming up.
Tingle.
The sense of the heavy equipment engineer led his hand.
With the cont lever pulled all the way, the starting key was continuously turned so that the cooled engine could heat up. In addition, he stepped on the elerator several times while praying at the same time.
"Please move, Gongpal."
[T/N: Gongpal seems to be part of the model number (08) and used as a nickname for the machine.]
Kurung. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
"Done!"
The engine started.
Then he touched the rod that manipted the main arm, he felt that he could get the excavator out without a lifting rope. His hand reacted right away.
Shim Jae-man, head of the rescue team, shouted at the radio.
"They¡¯ll send it within 10 minutes! What are you doing?"
The noisy poption density of Seoul had a very big headache because of this ident.
"Seokwon, hang a chain on the inner structure, not there! How will the wall move with that!"
The limitation of wrapping the lifting chain on the structure and pulling it with a hydraulic pump was clear. Due to the absence ofrger towing equipment, not only it aggregated the copse site, but threerge vehicles that were overturned by the crash were left unattended on the road.
If this intersection was not organized, traffic paralysis in Seoul would end up not just a problem in the south.
Hell would unfold, where it was difficult for people who needed to be saved and even those who were alive to move.
Shim Jae-man, who was sweating, approached the first aid team leader at the Yongsan Fire Station.
"Captain. We havepleted the transport of critical patients at the intersection. From now on, we will transfer patients with lower priority."
"There are two critical patients left. Are you going to hand it all over to the Seodaemun team?¡±
"Two?"
Shim Jae-man pointed to the rescue workers scattered into two teams and working. The first aid team leader, who looked through the copse area, immediately answered.
"We need to deploy our 1st and 2nd teams this way. We can''t keep the supporting team for so long."
"Before the Seodaemun team withdraws, take over the patient''s information from the doctor."
"Doctor? Is a doctor here?"
"He came to Seodaemun-seo as a volunteer. It''s Park Dowook. He has a great mind. He voluntarily went in there to save the patient."
Shim Jae-man looked around the scene.
"Where did he go? I heard he came out earlier."
Just as he was about to look for Dowook with his radio.
Ddddrrrrrrrr¨D!
Shim Jae-man and the head of the emergency team looked over at the loud machine sound.
Far away, an excavator that had fallen stretched its arms forward.
The driver''s room turned around and the part where the soil was dug, the bucket, hit the floor.
WhooshÒ»!
When the cylinder connected to the excavator¡¯s arm exhaledpressed air, the copsed body changed the angle smoothly.
Tap
An excavator settled on the ground light as a feather, approached in front of Shim Jae-man. And the driver''s door opened.
The protagonist, who borately manipted the 14-ton excavator and brought it forward, stuck his head out.
"Team leader Shim, can we rece crane work with this?"
"Huh?"
Shim Jae-man looked speechless when he saw the doctor he was looking for sitting in an excavator. Dowook, who was puzzled by the nce, spoke in a low voice.
"I''m sorry, I can manipte it, but I don''t have any qualifications. If there''s anyone who can drive, you can continue right away. Only the right side mirror is broken, and the other parts are fine."
"That''s not a problem right now¡¡ First, sit there. Attention! Kisoon and Seokwon, run away! A damned crane fell from the sky!"
Bzzzt.
-Yes, captain!
-We¡¯re leaving!
The lifting chain attached to the end of the excavator was pulled tightly.
That¡
An arm popped out between the lifted steel structures.
Subsequently, firefighters covered with dust appeared. The firefighter, whopletely came out, turned right away and pulled a rope connected to the inside.
While the rope and the stretcher slowly came out, other firefighters also approached in order to provide help with taking out the patient.
"Secured the survivor! We''ll transfer them!"
When thest patient trapped at the copse site came out safely, all the firefighters breathed a sigh of relief.
-It''s not time to rest yet. Check your surroundings to see if there are any undiscovered survivors.
At the radio from the site manager, the firefighters scattered in all directions.
"Where''s Dowook? I heard he went in there, too.¡±
Seong Chang Soo, who ran to the copse site after hearing the news, looked around for Dowook and stopped at the driver''s seat of the excavator. And he rubbed his eyes once.
The driver, who manipted two levers to move the excavator''s arms around, looked familiar.
"Do-Dowook?¡±
"Where?"
Seong Chang Soo turned the head of Noh Myeong-deok, who was looking at the steel structure, to the side.
"Can you see it? It¡¯s Dowook, right?"
"Uh¡ That''s right, Dr. Park. He is over there."
"What do you mean ¡®he¡¯s over there?¡¯ Can''t you see what he''s doing? He''s controlling that big thing!¡±
"Dr. Park is good at everything. I guess he learned it somewhere.¡±
A man wearing horn-rimmed sses approached Seong Chang Soo, who was watching Dowook in a daze.
"Excuse me, sir."
"Huh? Who are you?"
"I''m reporter Yoon Jin-hyo of News Seoul. Can I ask you a few questions about Dr. Park Dowook, who is helping with rescue work there?"
Seong Chang Soo looked at Yoon Jin-hyo with vignce.
"What is it?"
"First of all, what the doctor said, about him being good at everything. In the previous hospital coverage, there were many people who evaluated Park Dowook as a genius surgeon, and I want to know what the doctors think."
Seong Chang Sooughed as if he was dumbfounded.
"Genius? Dowook is just Dowook. What?"
Noh Myeong-deok nodded.
"I''m sure he¡¯s really a genius. He¡¯s also considered one of the best in Neurosurgery, which is said to be the mostpetitive.¡±
"Really?"
"I heard this from an intern who worked on duty with Dr. Park, but he is also in charge of patients at the professor level. The difficulty of care is crazy because the cases they operated on are all serious."
Seeing Yoon Jin-hyo writing furiously, Seong Chang Soo snorted quietly. Noh Myeong-deok caught it and immediately continued to talk.
"Of course, our senior Seong is not ordinary either. He is an ace among the fourth years who remained in the hospital after being called by Chief Ji.¡±
"Oh, really?"
Seong Chang Soo''s expression brightened up when Noh Myeong-deok sneakily praised him.
"Hey, what~¡±
"So I respect them a lot in the hospital."
"You''re making me feel awkward. Well, I and Dowook are very outstanding among our peers. Hehe."
Seong Chang Soo, who was smiling happily, asked Yoon Jin-hyo.
"Reporter, do you know this?"
"What?"
"I''m a doctor who¡¯s been on TV. To tell you about myself¡¡.¡±
Seong Chang Soo''s mouth began to move quickly. Yoon Jin-hyo, who was writing it down, thought he caught the wrong person, but he couldn''t get out of it.
Chapter 63: Ambulance Doctor (9)
The excavator''s arm upied the road and pushed the ident vehicle, which had been upside down, to the side.
Craaashhh!
-A little more to the side! Yes, it''s done!
The firefighter who was leading earlier sent a signal saying that it was over.
The excavator was parked next to the road and Dowook got out of the driver¡¯s seat after turning it off.
Lee Ji-seok came straight to his side.
"Wow, doctor. Are you Jet America? Actually going in and to treat the patient, manipte the equipment, and even help with rescue work. We just came to support, but we became the main lead."
Dowook asked Lee Ji-seok, who mentioned the main character of a famous hero movie.
"Main lead?"
The fire team leader, who was guiding the site, briefly saluted Dowook. The firefighters standing around also sent him a nod with respect.
"Can you see this? My shoulders are tense for no reason, right?¡±
While moving to the transport bus, everyone they encountered greeted them with a smile.
"Thank you for your hard work, doctor. When installing airbags, too. Thanks to you, we safely rescued them."
"Are you sure you''re a volunteer? If it weren''t for you, I would have been in big trouble in this traffic chaos."
A strange camaraderie that could only be felt by those who had saved people while struggling together. It felt different from the experience of emergency rooms that were like war zones and was conveyed in their greetings.
When he returned to the transport bus, someone opened the window and popped out their head.
"Park Dowook!"
It was Seong Chang Soo.
"What the hell are you doing going around like that? Tell me if you''re going to disappear. Do you know how hard it was for me to deal with reporters?"
Noh Myeong-deok next to him made eye contact with Dowook, and said it wasn¡¯t true and gestured that the reporter was scolded by that mouth.
"Anyway, hurry ande up. While working all day, I prepared several secrets to achieve the special order. At night, following the operation of youth¡¡.¡±
Dowook sighed at the thought that he had to endure Seong Chang Soo¡¯s chatter while returning. He tried to get on the bus, but the ambnce stopped next to him.
Han Min-gyu, sitting in the driver''s seat, lowered the window and told Dowook.
"Doctor, get in here. It''s narrow there."
"May I?"
Seong Chang Soo, who was talking, closed his mouth. Dowook looked at him.
"The special mission was almost resolved when Director Lim came earlier. Don''t do anything to undermine the hospital image at night."
Dowook got into the ambnce passenger seat.
"Director? When? When did a beautiful girle? What''s up with that special treatment?"
Seong Chang Soo''s voice echoed in the air towards the departing ambnce.
* * *
LT Communication, Ahyeon District Underground Communication Ward, 9:30 p.m.
The cable driver, who was looking at the 500m-long underpass with antern, headed to the entrance after confirming that there was no problem.
When he climbed the long stairs and opened the door, the superior who was looking at the server room turned his head.
"How are you?¡±
"Are you sure the danger signal was detected? I think we just need to change some light bulbs inside. I think it was malfunctioning because of too much noise.¡±
"Is it because of Mr. Yoon''s electric shock? Check the small things thoroughly¡¡.¡±
Booom!
A dull noise was heard from the venttor side, and the heads of the two engineers turned.
"What''s going on?¡±
BooooooomÒ»!
This time, the noise sounded for a bit longer.
"This is from the bottom."
The two drivers, whose eyes met, opened the door to the underground road and ran down.
Crack!
The two people who opened the door and looked back had to swallow their moans.
mes were pouring from all sides.
FwooooshÒ»!
"Report! Report!"
Outside the LTmunication building.
Sizzling smoke began to rise from the manhole on the road.
The smoke gradually gathered and stretched to a 17-storyplex right next to it.
As the smoke reached a huge poster with "Show Me the Rhyme! The Bounce that Makes Your Heart Beat!" written on it stuck at the entrance.
Splurt!
The manhole lid popped up and crashed through the window of the shopping district where the lights were off.
However, the roar of destruction was soon buried in the exciting rhythm and cheersing out of the building.
Sinchon-daero, 10:25pm.
Dowook was in an ambnce with a patient lying helplessly due to peripheral dizziness.
Looking out the small window at the bumpy feeling of the car, he could see a familiar street and a familiar ess road.
The patient, who was the first dispatch during thete-night hours, was currently on his way to the emergency room of Myeong Sae Hospital.
"That''s right. You were a doctor at this hospital, right?"
Dowook replied with a smile to Lee Ji-seok next to him, who asked questions and yawned loudly.
"I ran really hard to promote that I¡¯m from this hospital today."
"I know you worked hard. I''m a member of the team, but I''ll say it unconditionally if anyone asks me at the district office. Trust me."
"Thank you."
Lee Ji-seok, who was ncing outside on the way to the hospital like Dowook, suddenly said as if he just remembered.
"I don''t know if the patient fromst week is okay. He was injured while working on cables deep underground, and he was in the worst condition among the patients I''ve ever transferred.¡±
"Cable work? Did he get an electric shock?¡±
"Yes, it was a patient who had a heart attack from an electric shock."
While scheduling the operating room, he remembered seeing it from the surgical information of another doctor. The case outline remained in his head because there were few electric shock patients.
Dowook briefly stated his opinion as a doctor.
"He was scheduled for a second surgery for a skin transnt at the stic surgery clinic. The problem rted to life has already been solved."
"Oh, really?"
Lee Ji-seok, who looked relieved, yawned again. Dowook said this, recalling the request Han Min-gyu made during the day.
"You don''t have toe in the second half of the night. I can just sit here and keep in charge. Let''s have Professor Min sit in the passenger seat."
"How can you do that?"
Lee Ji-seok, who wiped the tears caused by yawning with his sleeves, smiled.
"The team leader is working overtime just like me because of this event. I can''t be the only one who can rest."
Dowook turned toward the driver''s seat.
A superior who cared for his juniors to rest but did not show it at all. His personality was different from someone who responded with a roar whenever he had time.
As well as his outstanding experience as a paramedic, the fact that he was an emergency rescue worker in charge of the area was relieving thought.
An ambnce stopped in front of the emergency room.
"We¡¯re here".
At the signal from the front, Dowook opened the back door and began preparing to help the patient get off. Then, he met eyes with the emergency room medical staff who came out to meet him. And he rubbed his eyes to see if he saw wrong.
"Chief?¡±
Chief Ha Sang Joong also saw Dowook and was surprised.
"Why are you sitting there? It''s off today.¡±
Chief Ha''s eyes headed toward the clothes of a volunteer worker worn by Dowook.
"What? Did you go to the disaster prevention event that made everyone go crazy about getting leave today?¡±
"It''s¡"
Dowook lightly pushed the stretcher to settle on the floor quickly while pushing the bed into the emergency room as he reported.
"The patient is 51 years old, and I did a Dix Hallpike test because he showed symptoms of neuropathy, and I think there is a stone stuck in the semicircr canal. You have to transfer it to neurosurgery right away and start with CT."
"Don''t change the subject, punk! Why did you drop by after delivering the patient from our department on an off day?"
"You know. If you clear this event, you''ll get a call exemption."
"Huh."
Dowook asked Chief Ha, who was following from the side.
"What about you? I just called neurosurgery. What brings you here? He''s not even a VIP."
"Do you think that I came because I wanted to?¡±
Chief Ha, who looked so angry, took his cell phone out of his pocket.
"The call phone is dead. But some crazy intern made an emergency call with an extension to the chief¡¯s office. There was no one in the medical department."
"You were on duty."
"I''m on duty because of someone!"
"A transaction is a transaction. A man should keep his word."
"So? You run this kind of event on a golden off day from the deal? You''re still a surgeon like that!"
"What do you mean by this kind of event? Consideration of citizens for citizens. I''m a volunteer."
"Shut up!"
Dowook calmly received Chief Ha''s temper, which continued until he arrived at the general treatment room. In front of the call exemption right, all anger was just a luby.
"Professor Choi will also be interested in semicircr nerve surgery, so please take good care of this patient. I''m going back."
"Hey, Park Dowook! I''ll see youter!
He moved to the reception desk, leaving Chief Ha''s cries behind. After putting a bag containing the patient''s belongings on the reception desk, he spoke to the nurse.
"That patient who just came in. The guardian is going to be a littlete. If the phone rings, please pick it up for me. She''s the daughter, but she''s very worried."
"Okay¡ Huh? Dr. Dowook? Oh my. You came in dressed like that, so it¡¯s a bit strange.¡±
"Do I look good in a uniform?"
"When Dr. Chang Soo came, it was really awkward. He got pretty confused as he was making notes about the patient like a doctor."
Perhaps Seong Chang Soo was very funny, the nurses around him covered their mouths and giggled.
Dowook, who received a sign confirming that the patient had been transferred, stopped looking at Chief Ha, who was swearing at the call phone.
"Nurse. Are all the phones not working right now?"
"It suddenly doesn''t work. The inte is also getting really slow."
"Really? Why?"
Bzzzt.
During the conversation, a voice was heard from the walkie-talkie on his shoulder.
-Dr. Dowook. Please board as soon as possible if the patient transfer procedure ispleted. We have dispatch orders to the LT Communications Building due to a fire.
"On my way."
After the transmission, Dowook pushed the empty stretcher and disappeared out of the emergency room like the wind.
"119 General Situation Room, LT Communication Fire Report Transcript".
? Yes, 119.
? There''s a fire! It came out really big! Here¡ Oh man. Here¡
?Sir. Take a big breath.
(Breathing heavily)
? Yes, here. This is the Ahyeon branch building of LT Tel. Underground.
? I got it. Seodaemun Fire Station will be dispatched.
?It will be difficult with just a few fire trucks. You have to send as many as possible.
?Can you tell me the exact scale of the fire?
? Depth of 6 stories below ground. It is a 500m long underground road. Here, 170,000 covered wired circuits are connected to about 200 trillion optical cables that are vulnerable to fire. If this continues, the Inte and telmunications, and a third of Seoul will die¡¡.
(Sound of static noise. Call againter)
LT Communication Ahyeon District, 10:33 p.m.
Seodaemun Fire Station''s first-aid team''s vehicle stopped on the roadside.
Dowook lowered the window of the passenger seat and turned to a six-story building that had no room to enter due to the fire trucks that had already arrived.
Because all holes leading to the outside were upied by ck smoke, the smoky smell filled the air, as the distance was quite far away.
Han Min-gyu in the driver''s seat reached out to operate the walkie-talkie himself and contacted the headquarters.
"First aid team 1 of Seodaemun Fire Station, we arrived at the driveway."
-Okay. Please wait for medical treatment at the site.
Dowook asked Han Min-gyu, who put down his walkie-talkie.
"There''s a big fire like that. Do we just wait?"
"There were no people in the building. The rescue team conducted a life search and came here first to prepare for the discovery of a secondary patient.¡±
"Oh."
Police cars gathered at the entrance to the scene.
Shortly after the traffic police began to control the entry of regr cars and induce firefighters to enter.
The cell phone in Han Min-gyu''s arms rang.
"Yes, son."
-Do you know there''s a fire next to where I am?
"Huh?"
Han Min-gyu''s eyes turned to the opposite side of the building under fire control.
Aplex building with a 17th-floor tower and a 5th-floor multipurpose shopping mall connected in an "n" shape. At the entrance, there was a poster of the performance that his son was going to see.
"Dad is also on the way to the fire scene, so hurry up and go back home with your friend after the performance."
It was not a distance to catch fire, but as a parent, there was a nagging that worried him.
-That thing is, Dad. I called you because I thought this building was shaking a little.
"The building is shaking?"
Chapter 64: Ambulance Doctor (10)
Han Jin-gu, who stood on the 7th floor while looking out the window, brought his phone to his mouth when he felt the building move once again.
¡°Yes, even now. It''s noisy inside because of the music, but this feels different. You know what I mean Dad. A building only shakes when there''s an earthquake or some other simrly serious disaster.¡±
Han Jin-gu coughed due to the dark smoke that entered through the slightly open window.
-That''s strange, that ce is a bit far from the reported area. I got it. Youe out first. I''ll go check it out.
Putting down his phone, Han Jin-gu returned to the middle of the concert hall taking up the 6th-8th floors.
Squeezing through the crowd of people fully focused on the stage where a dis-rap battle was happening, he tapped on the shoulder of his friend, Lim Seon-ah.
¡°Seon-ah.¡±
¡°You didn¡¯t see how rapper Jay-G stuttered just now did you? He did so badly that the whole judge crew gave him a thumbs down.¡±
¡°Let''s go out.¡±
¡°Huh? Whhyy?¡±
¡°There''s a big fire across the street.In situations like this, it''s best to escape first.¡±
Lim Seon-ahughed slightly.
¡°If there was something like that,someone would have mentioned it by now. There''s so many people here. There are people from the broadcasting stations, too.¡±
¡°An ident happens when it''s not expected.¡±
¡°Who said that?¡±
¡°My dad.¡±
At Han Jin-gu''s serious expression, Lim seon-ah lifted one finger.
¡°It''s almost the Jin-Q crew''s turn, let''s just watch that before we go. You know how much I''ve been looking forward to their performance.¡±
Han Jin-gu looked back and forth between Lim Seon-ah and his phone. He was slightly tempted by the thought that one more song wouldn''t change much, but he resisted with a shake of his head.
A period of a few seconds. He had seen his dad have too many nightmares over not being able to save someone due to apse of a few seconds.
He could whine at his dad for more allowance, but as a son, he couldn''t make his dad worry about him about something like this.
Grab.
Han Jin-gu forcefully grabbed Lim Seon-ah''s wrist.
¡°Come out. I''m not joking.¡±
¡°Jin-gu¡¡.¡±
Passing through the stairs leading to the seats, he opened the door to the 7th floor. Lim Seon-ah, who was practically dragged out by her wrist, looked and pouted at Han Jin-gu.
¡°There''s nothing outsi¡¡.¡±
Bang!
This time the building floor shook so much that more people felt it.
The people on the stage. Those watching the stage. Everyone looked around, wondering what was happening.
¡°Doctor. I''m going to check on the opposite building for a moment. If there''s a message from HQ, please contact me through the radio.¡±
Dowook nodded his head. Then he watched as Han Min-gyu got out of the driver''s seat and went in the opposite direction of the reported area.
¡®I guess he''s worried since it''s rted to his son.¡¯
The divider opened and Lee Ji-seok asked Dowook.
¡°Where is the Team Leader going?¡±
¡°His son is in the concert hall across the street, he went for a safety check over there.¡±
¡°Aha. You haven''t seen Jin-gu yet, have you doctor? He looks exactly like the team leader. I don''t know how much first aid training he''s received but he can wrap a bandage better than me.¡±
¡°Better than someone who received 4 years of training?¡±
Although it was a question said jokingly, Lee Ji-seokughed a bit awkwardly.
¡°I know. I wasn''t this clumsy back at school. The next time youe for an event, I''ll also show a skilled appearance.¡±
He didn''t think that he would participate in an event like this, but Dowook internally cheered him on.
¡°Oh, right. Does your phone work? Mine strangely hasn''t been getting a signal since a while ago.¡±
At those words, Dowook took out his phone. He had a signal like usual.
¡°Mine''s fine, though?¡±
¡°Look. Mine keeps showing me a warning that I''m not in a registered area.¡±
Lee Ji-seok pushed his phone through the divider.
¡°It seems that way. The hospital''s call phone was the same. That building belongs to LT Communications so maybe phones using their services aren''t working right now.¡±
[T/N: In the raws, the hospital staff seem to use a phone exclusively tomunicate among staff, separate from their personal phone. The author calls it a ¡®call phone¡¯ so I¡¯m going to just use the same term to differentiate between the phones.]
Dowook¡¯s gaze headed to the six-story building. The smoke was not decreasing at all.
If the call phone was not avable, the emergency reporting system in the hospital would also be confused. It was nothing for an intern to call the chief. Just managing patients in the wards would be a problem instantly. This would be the same for other hospitals.
It was a time when he thought that the fire in that building might not be just a matter.
Ba-ba-ba-bang!
Suddenly, there was a loud explosion.
It was a roar loud enough to make his eardrums ring, so Dowook closed his eyes for a moment and turned his head to find the epicenter of the sound.
And he saw it.
A tremendous me stretched out toward the entrance of the building with 17 floors. Han Min-gyu just went out for a safety inspection there.
Dowook picked up the walkie-talkie urgently.
"Team leader! Can you hear me?"
Bzzzt¡
Dowook rushed out toward the building where it was further away from the heat and pressed the radio transmission button.
"Reply, team leader!"
The mes rising toward the building seemed like a torch that was intensively burning in one ce.
Since it was huge enough to swallow up the surroundings, the me quickly spread throughout the 1st floor¡¯s ceiling and walls.
Even though the sprinkler was operating above the fire, its momentum was not dampened at all.
"What is that¡"
"Oh, it''s hot. Doctor. What about the team leader?¡±
When asked by Lee Ji-seok, who followed, Dowook shook his head. Once again, he sent a radio, but there was no answer.
As soon as he had an ominous hunch that he might have been engulfed in a fire that was hard to even approach.
Bzzzt.
¨C Here¡ Shopping mall¡¡ I¡¯m on the right side of the shopping mall.
Han Min-gyu''s voice was heard.
1st floor of Ahyeon Building shopping district, 10:55 p.m.
In front of the shopping district, where all the doors and windows were broken due to the shock of the fire explosion, Dowook approached with the emergency bag on his shoulder.
"Team leader!"
"I¡¯m here¡"
Inside the cafe with a twisted sign, Han Min-gyu sat against the wall and raised his hand.
As soon as he saw Dowook, he realized that Han Min-gyu''s left arm had a fracture. He immediately spoke into the walkie-talkie on his shoulder.
"Lee Ji-seok. I need an arm splint here."
Bzzzt..
-Understood.
There was blood flowing from Han Min-gyu''s forehead, so Dowook knelt down and looked at his head. There were signs that he had slid on the floor.
"Are you dizzy?"
"It''s okay. I didn''t lose my mind due to a concussion, but it took time to find this walkie-talkie."
Dowook, who opened the emergency bag, took out a tweezer and a sterilizing pad, sterilized Han Min-gyu''s wound, and put a band-aid on his head.
Han Min-gyu, who swallowed his groans, asked.
"Have you contacted the HQ?"
"Lee Ji-seok is going to do it."
"Fortunately, I avoided the explosion. I was checking that."
Han Min-gyu pointed to the corner of the cafe with his right hand. Dowook turned his head and his eyes widened.
The lid of the manhole.
It was stuck in the wall. It didn''t go well with the atmosphere of a European-style cafe to argue that it was an interior decoration.
"Why is that here?"
"I didn''t know at first, but I knew when I saw the explosion. The epicenter of this fire is not the LT building."
Perhaps because of the pain, Han Min-gyu groaned before continuing.
"The explosion just now is a shover. Gas from decaying products condenses and then erupts at once. Can you stand me up for a second?"
He helped Han Min-gyu and walked out of the mall. The mes covered the entire first floor of the building.
"There''s abustion point in the basement where this manhole lid flew in, which could cause a superrge shover of that size. Do you understand me?"
It was a sudden question, but Dowook nodded.
"I''ve got a splint!¡±
Lee Ji-seok ran with an emergency bag. Dowook took the splint and tried to put it on Han Min-gyu''s left arm.
"No, splints disrupt movement. Just wrap it with apression bandage."
"What? You have to go to the hospital."
"I can''t do that".
Han Min-gyu''s gaze was on the mes. He headed to the center of the building.
"We have to evacuate the people in there. If theye down the building recklessly, they will be suffocated by the thick smoke. We have to guide them through the evacuation route to the shopping district where the mes haven¡¯t reached yet. Evacuation is a fight against time. Doctor, you tell the headquarters about the fire lines that I exined¡¡.¡±
Han Min-gyu was ignoring the pain of a broken bone. Dowook reached out to Lee Ji-seok.
"Please give me a splint."
"Doctor¡"
Lee Ji-seok looked like he didn''t know what to do with Dowook¡¯s instructions that conflicted with Han Min-gyu¡¯s.
"If you put pressure on broken bones, you can''t use your hand properly for the rest of your life. Even your nerves are damaged right now."
Dowook dered as he took the splint from Lee Ji-seok and fixed it properly to his left arm with a bandage.
"I''ll go."
Lee Ji-seok, who was helping next to him, paused.
Han Min-gyu shook his head.
"The doctor is a volunteer. You have no obligation to take risks."
"Unfortunately, I have a duty. I took the Hippocratic Oath."
Dowook, whopleted splint treatment, hung an emergency bag on his shoulder.
"Call phones, cell phones, and the Inte are all dead. Most hospitals will not be able to amodate emergency patients properly. You have to block it in advance."
Han Min-gyu bit his lips tightly. He would never have allowed other volunteers to do it. But that doctor saved several lives faithfully all day long.
His son, who he could not contact, was up there, so he wanted to run right away, but Han Min-gyu made up his mind and opened his mouth.
"Please, sir. Ji-seok, you can apany and help him with the refugees."
"Yes, team leader."
Dowook asked, looking through the shopping district on the fifth floor.
"If it''s a fight against time, do you mean before that fire spreads to the fifth floor connected to the shopping district?"
"The mes will continue to be dyed when the sprinkler system on each floor is activated. But the smoke is another story. It must be before toxic smoke invades the fifth floor to ensure safe outdoor escape. Keep the radio going. I''ll keep in touch with the headquarters and keep you posted."
"I will."
Dowook and Lee Ji-seok ran towards the main gate of the broken shopping district.
Han Min-gyu, who quietly watched Dowook¡¯s back jumping in without looking back, hurriedly returned to the ambnce with his left arm wrapped in a splint.
The road leading to Ahyeon-gu was tightly blocked.
Reporter Yoon Jin-hyo, who got off the taxi, could not close his mouth as he saw a fire soaring from both sides.
"Oh my god¡"
One had no choice but to pray to the heavens that there would not be any damage while looking at this disaster.
This was not the scale that a third-ss newspaperpany that made a living from solicitation s could cover.
Yoon Jin-hyo''s gaze swept through a space full of fire trucks.
The scoop about Park Dowook must be up to here. He would just have to pray in the face of such a massive disaster.
"Heuk¡. heuk¡."
Dowook jumped up the steep emergency stairs at once and opened the door on the fifth floor. He looked into the hallway, calming his heart with deep breaths.
A notice board on the wall.
There was an arrow in the direction of the concert hall next to the information on the convenience facilities.
"It''s over there."
He was moving towards the pointed direction and ran again, but suddenly a loud crash sounded from outside the building. There was a vibration. It was an explosion that made one lean against the wall and crouch down.
"Are you okay, doctor?"
When asked by Lee Ji-seok, Dowook looked at him saying that he was okay.
Bzzzt.
-The mes are spreading byyers. The mes are soaring at the moment due to excessive air. The mes are still on the first floor of the main building.
"Okay."
-I radioed the headquarters, but themunicationwork burned down and the number of reports soared, so I couldn''t reach the people in the building. Additional rescue teams have been dispatched, but it is difficult for them to arrive before the evacuation golden time.
While running while listening to the radio, a door leading to the main 17th-story building appeared at the end of the corridor of the 5th floor.
"I''m about to enter the main building."
-The headquarters ssified people as rescue work first. Currently, the doctor is in charge of rescue, not first aid.
"It means I¡¯m a volunteer firefighter."
-No, you''re the person in charge of the rescue mission. I''m a volunteer fire captain. Other members will also call the doctor as the captain for convenience as of this time. If you have any instructions or requirements, please let me know right away.
The news that evacuation was the only countermeasure left.
In front of the dead end, Dowook felt a heavy sense of responsibility weighing on his shoulders. Fortunately, Han Min-gyu''s sense as a paramedic was clearly flowing in his neural circuit since he had been using it all day.
¡°Did you understand, Captain Park Dowook?¡±
"Understood. Let¡¯s go!¡±
Chapter 65: Ambulance Doctor (11)
The 5th floor of the main building of Ahyun Building. 11:03 p.m.
Bang!!
Dowook and Lee Ji-seok, who passed the long hallway as soon as the door opened, ran to the food court and stood in front of the esctor.
"I think this ce, which is the center, will be faster than the outer emergency exit. What do you think?"
"I agree. I think this route will be the easiest."
Dowook moved toward the sixth floor where the concert hall was located and suddenly paused. It was because he heard people''s voices from the bottom. Dowook looked down the railing and sent down the light from the shlight on his head.
"Who''s there?"
Five or six people who were going down to the fourth floor raised their heads up. Dowook shouted loudly.
"Stop! I''m from the fire station!"
"Fire station? Firefighter! The building is shaking and stuff right now!"
"You can''t move downstairs, that¡¯s where the fire is! Evacuation is in the direction of the annex on the 5th floor. Come up here!"
"Fire? There''s a fire here, too?"
Dowook, who saw them change directions, told Lee Ji-seok.
"I''ll go up and guide people this way. Please guide them to the annex."
Afterpleting the mission division, Dowook ran towards the concert hall.
When he arrived on the sixth floor, he saw people in panic attached to the window of the hallway.
Inside, only the fire of the building located beyond was seen, and there was no fireing in from just below.
Dowook raised his voice so that even the people far away could hear it.
"Everyone! You have to evacuate now! Go down in this direction and follow the firemen''s instructions!"
HIs throat had already be sore because he was not usually the type to shout. Dowook confirmed the movement of people and pushed the door to the entrance on the sixth floor of the concert hall.
Bang!
The entire performance hall calmed down at once as the sweat-covered Dowook stormed into the door.
Even if one roughly nced around, there were at least 300 people.
Although it was a volunteer outfit, only the mark was slightly different, so they all seemed to be aware of the seriousness of the sudden appearance of a person carrying an emergency bag on his shoulder.
Dowook tried to exin directly to the audience watching him with anxious eyes, but saw a microphone on the stage.
"Is that working?"
Under the stage, the staff wearing headsets nodded.
He went up quickly and put the microphone to his mouth.
"There is currently a fire on the first floor of this building. Do not go down to the main building because toxic smoke is rising."
The murmur spread in all directions.
"If you go to the esctor on the 6th floor, there is a firefighter who is guiding the evacuation route toward the annex. Please move calmly. We¡¯ll start evacuating from the front seat."
While the surprised audience began to move, Dowook once again announced the evacuation route through the microphone.
Bzzzt.
-Captain. This is the fieldmand center. Did you enter?
Dowook responded right away.
"I''m in the concert hall."
-I''m Lee Ik-hyun, a firefighter who went for the fire inspection to Ahyeon Building. There is a facility that allows full broadcasting in the broadcasting control room of the concert hall. Evacuation information can also be announced to those who may not know.
It was news. Dowook, who checked the control room located at the rear of the audience''s seat and at the location of the 8th floor, immediately moved.
As he was running up in the opposite direction to those who were evacuating, he saw people urgently walking out of the control room.
"Sir! What happened? You must know something because we can''t contact the outside at all.¡±
Looking at the staff pass on his neck, he was the CP and chief producer of the cable broadcasting station. Dowook focused on the mission to evacuate rather than exining the situation.
"I need to inform the entire building. Can you help me?"
"Of course. PD Yoon take all the remaining staff out. Sound! There''s no time to pack the equipment! Just go down! I''ve got fire insurance!¡±
The CP opened the control room door and sat in the central console. After raising the connection button, he beckoned to Dowook.
"You can speak."
Dowook put his mouth to the microphone and started an evacuation route announcement throughout the building.
"¡¡You should never go to the first floor of the main building. The evacuation route is to the annex on the 5th floor. It''s the end of the long corridor with a food court."
He put down the mic and gestured to the CP to evacuate.
When he left the control room, he could see that many of the audience had escaped.
"I think it''s done in time."¡¯
He¡¯d done everything he could with this much. It was the moment when a little sense of aplishment and relief settled in a corner of his mind.
Boom!
The building vibrated. The floor was vibrating enough to shake greatly, so Dowook lost his bnce and copsed forward.
He rolled several stairs and struck his shoulders on the railing of the audience seat.
¡®Ouch¡¯
The shock of colliding with the floor came, but for Dowook more problems urred so his mind instantly cleared.
All the lights on the ceiling went out at once. The entire building was cked out.
Bzzzt.
-shover urred on the first floor. The undergroundbustion point continues to supply heat. The mes spread to the second floor.
Screaming from all over the ce told him of the fear felt by the evacuating people.
Darkness. A situation where vision was not properly secured.
Signs of warning that human casualties could grow uncontrobly if great chaos came during evacuation made Dowook¡¯s body numb.
Dowook quickly got up and lit thentern at the entrance on the sixth floor.
"The mes are still on the second floor! Turn on your cell phone shlight and move!¡±
Dowook, who turned his head, reached out to the CP, who had fallen like him.
"Are you okay?"
"It''s okay, it''s okay."
"Hurry up and go down."
Dowook confirmed that cell phone lights came out from here and there and that the view of the entrance to the sixth floor was secured, and turned thentern to the concert hall.
He searched for anyone who couldn''t get out and pressed the radio transmission button.
"Team leader, will this quake arrive again?"
Bzzzt.
-It will continue until the undergroundbustion point is overpowered. Each time, the building''s own fire protection system will notst and the floor where fires spread will increase.
The 3rd and 4th floors. In the worst case, they had to get out of here before there were 2 quakes.
"What about those who couldn''te out from other floors?"
-Leave the unavoidable survivors to theters. We''re almost there.
After walking slowly down from the control room and checking that there were no people inside, He left the entrance on the sixth floor.
Bzzzt.
"Currently on the 6th floor, the people here are almostpletely evacuated."
While reporting the progress and walking on the esctor, the door of the emergency exit across the hallway suddenly opened.
"Daewon-nim!" [T/N: Daewon can refer to a member of a group. It¡¯s used as a descriptor for firefighters, paramedics or volunteer workers. In this case it means a paramedic]
Dowook¡¯s attention turned to the urgent call.
"Someone got hurt!"
"What?"
As he ran to the emergency exit, he saw a sweaty young man in his early 20s.
"Where is the injured person?¡±
He opened his mouth while breathing roughly with his hands on both knees as if he hade up with difficulty.
"At the gym on the 4th floor. Seon-ah and I helped him out since he was stuck under some equipment, but he lost consciousness.¡±
Dowook turned on the walkie-talkie right away.
"Found a patient. 4th floor. We''ll move."
When he went down the emergency exit and opened the door on the fourth floor, he could feel the smell of burning, unlike upstairs, piercing the tip of his nose.
"Here, here."
He ran down the dark hallway relying on thentern lights. A whileter, he saw a sign leading to the gym.
"Seon-ah! Lim-Seon-ah! Daewon-nim is here!¡±
A woman in her early 20s, who had her cell phone¡¯s shlight pointed to the fallen man next to her, turned her head to the young man''s voice.
"Jin-gu¡"
Dowook sat right next to them and checked the breathing of the man.
The shallow and slow inhtion meant ack of oxygen in the brain. There was no visible trauma, and the pulse was normal.
He asked the two, taking off the emergency bag he was carrying on his shoulders.
"Did you say he was conscious when you discovered him?¡±
"Yes. He got stuck in there and kept shouting for help."
He found a respirator, put it over the man¡¯s mouth, and attached the device to check oxygen saturation on his finger.
When he looked at the fitness device that fell while squeezing the airbag, his stomach and chest seemed to have been under pressure.
There were traces of using a dumbbell rod as a lever along with a piece of equipment that looked considerable in weight, so Dowook had no choice but to look at the young man called Jin-gu again.
Evacuation broadcasts and continuous explosions. It would have been a chaotic situation, but this was a pretty good response.
"Is this person okay?"
"He lost consciousness because he couldn''t supply oxygen to his brain temporarily. If this figure exceeds 95%, he¡¯ll wake up soon."
Dowook spoke of the patient''s condition in detail and stopped because he thought the young man''s face looked very familiar.
"Huh?"
It''s the same as Han Min-gyu''s. Dowook asked.
"Do you happen to know Team Leader Han Min-gyu?"
"Huh? He''s my dad."
As expected, it was as he heard from Lee Ji-seok. There was a reason for responding so calmly to this situation.
"Ugh¡"
The man opened his eyes at the continuous oxygen supply. Dowook took off the respirator and asked.
"Patient, are you awake?"
Dowook, who confirmed the nodding man was awake, touched his chest. The ribs were not broken.
"You may be in pain, but if you don''t move right now, you can choke on the thick smoke."
The patient, who was trying to raise his upper body, groaned.
"My back¡ It hurts so much."
When he sat down and took off the jacket, it was observed that the patient''s shoulder muscles were convulsing. The patient only mentioned his back, but there was a problem with his biceps and shoulder bones as well.
Dowook put his hand on the man''s shoulder.
"I''ll just apply pressure on you with a bandage."
An 8-way bandage method firmly fixed the corbone in ce. First aid that he didn''t remember unfolded familiarly in his hands.
The man, who groaned several times while wearing a bandage on his armpits and neck, looked a little better and looked at Dowook.
"Thank you."
"It¡¯s thanks to these two who found the patient and reported it."
"Thank you both. I almost got in trouble because the shoulder press suddenly copsed.¡±
Bzzzt.
-Captain. We''re from the Yongsan Support Team. I checked that people areing out to the shopping mall. Where are you now?
A question from the walkie-talkie. Dowook answered right away.
"The gym on the 4th floor. Emergency measures for one patient are over."
Dowook nced at the man wearing his jacket again and continued.
"It looks like we can move by ourselves, so we''ll evacuate together."
Thank you for your hard work. See you in the middle.
"Did you all hear that? Let''s move."
Dowook led the two college students and health trainer to begin evacuation.
When he came out of the hallway, he only spent a moment for emergency measures, but he felt that the smoke on the fourth floor had thickened.
"Oh, it''s hurting my eyes."
"Crouch down and cover your mouth with clothes. At times like this, clean air is 60cm below."
Lim Seon-ah coughed and asked back.
"Who? Your dad?"
"Yeah."
Dowook took the lead and put his hand on the door leading to the emergency exit.
¡®Huh?¡¯
The heat from the doorknob. Dowook hesitated. It was a strange thing. The surface of the metal should be cold. It was not like there was a fire inside¡¡.
¡®Damn!¡¯
Dowook cried out to the three following him.
"Move back! Duck!"
Bang!
Even before moving a few steps, the door flew away and stuck into the wall. At the same time, the building vibrated once.
Dowook, who threw himself into the hallway, witnessed a tremendous heat rising up from the bottom of the emergency exit and burst out in cold sweat.
The mes had arrived right below them.
Dowook calmed his heart and turned back.
"Are you all okay?"
Three people nodded their heads.
Bzzzt.
-Captain Park Dowook. How''s the situation?
It was Han Min-gyu''s radio. Dowook answered calmly.
"There was an explosion, but I endured it safely. In a shover situation, the fire seems to run up the emergency exit."
-The chimney phenomenon seems to be flocking to the emergency exit. Hurry up and evacuate.
"Oh, the team leader''s son is here with me. Fortunately, I got to a patient on time due to your son''s rescue."
-What? That punk¡¡.
There was a brief silence from the walkie-talkie.
-Please evacuate safely.
"See you outside."
When his father''s heavy worries were conveyed by radio, Han Jin-gu, who was in the back, also looked solemn.
Dowook got up and pointed to the direction of the esctor.
"Emergency stairs won''t work. The smoke keeps gathering. We¡¯ll go up the center."
When they arrived at the central esctor and looked down, they could see that ck smoke and hot heat were expanding.
¡®It''s hot. But it''s still on the third floor. Let''s hurry up and avoid it.¡¯
They hurried up the esctor. When he arrived on the fifth floor, Lee Ji-seok weed Dowook.
"Doctor!"
"Are you done evacuating people?"
"Yes. There were no more peopleing out this way."
"Let''s go out right away."
It was when they entered the 5th floor of the annex, on the route they first entered.
Bzzzt.
-We''re from the Yongsan Support Team. On the third floor of the shopping mall, but it''s impossible to secure a view here. We have secured two survivors who have fallen while searching for others, and two members are going down.
Unexpected news. Dowook immediately asked on the walkie-talkie.
"What do you mean you can''t see the 3rd floor of the shopping mall?"
¨C Smoke is flowing into the venttion port and the passageway near the main building. The smoke facilities seem to have beenpletely destroyed by the explosion earlier. Additional rescue teams are entering, so please evacuate to a smoke-free ce for now. It''s a suicide toe down here without an oxygen tank.
The smoke filling the escape path was like saying that they were isted.
BoooomÒ»!
The fourth big vibration came.
Sign that the fourth floor was pierced by fire.
The body began to feel that the thick smoke wasing in from everywhere in an instant.
Chapter 66: Ambulance Doctor (12)
The entrance to Ahyun Building. 11:10pm.
Arge amount of water from five fire trucks was being shot at the building.
"Water pressure, more!"
The water from the tarpaulin added to suppress the burning point of the mes sent sparks all over the building.
Firefighters in fire suits approached the mes more aggressively, regardless of the heat.
The firefighters on the first floor were carrying out the suppression work with a hose and looking at the hideous remains of the building destroyed by the fire.
"Captain, did everyone in the building evacuate? The smoke will go up to the top floor."
"I don''t know. We just have to wish they all came out quickly."
Bzzzt.
-The first response captain is still inside the building. We found another survivor on the 4th floor, and two members are currently in transit. We need additional people here.
The rescue team leader of Mapo-seo, who was assisting with the hose, immediately responded to the radio.
"Application for Mapo-seo. All personnel except the members working on suppressing the undergroundbustion point are supported for life search."
-Yes, captain.
-Understood.
At the same time, on the 5th floor of the annex of Ahyun Building.
Crash!
Dowook broke a window at the end of themon hallway and looked down the hall with hisntern.
[T/N: Lantern was used to describe the shlight stuck on the helmet in the novel so I just stuck with it.]
The smoke from the explosion just now transformed the fifth floor into a space where visibility could not be secured. If this continued, there was a high possibility of suffocation within a few minutes.
He quickly continued to talk, opening the box of the descending belt on the wall.
"From now on, we''re going to go down this way one at a time."
Lee Ji-seok assisted from the side and hung a snug hook on the support.
Dowook saw the three people standing behind with a belt. He told Lim Seon-ah, who kept coughing and crying due to the thick smoke.
"Seon-ah, go down first."
"Me? Me?¡±
Lee Ji-seok threw a reel with a rope wrapped around the ground. Whirling, the line that fell touched the ground.
"Daewon-nim¡"
For Lim Seon-ah, who looked afraid that she had to rely on a single rope from the fifth floor, Dowook hung the belt on and pulled the fixed ring forward.
Dowook put the two ropes attached to the reel tightly in Lim Seon-ah¡¯s trembling hands and calmly said.
"I know it''s hard. However, in an ident like this, life shes by in a second of hesitation. Close your eyes and take courage. Like your boyfriend."
"B-boyfriend?"
At Lim Seon-ah''s gaze, Han Jin-gu turned his head with an awkward look.
Dowook put one foot on the window frame and assisted Lim Sun-ah''s arm to guide her outside.
"Be careful of the ss pieces. Yes. Like that."
Outside the window, Lim Seon-ah hung on a rope and saw people crying inside. Han Jin-gu came right next to her and said.
"It''s the same as a ride in the amusement park.¡±
"Who?"
"Me. Stop crying and go down."
As soon as she wiped away the tears with her sleeves, Lim Seon-ah''s body began to descend.
Dowook spoke into the walkie-talkie attached to his shoulder.
"Back of the building. The descending stage has begun."
Bzzzt.
-Confirmed. Paramedics are waiting downstairs.
The health trainer got on after Lim Seon-ah settled on the ground. When Dowook saw the man hanging on the rope, he put his mouth to the walkie-talkie.
"The patient is sweating a lot. Please prescribe painkillers and fluids right away."
The man nodded to Dowook in thanks. The descending man settled on the ground. It was Han Jin-gu''s turn.
Han Jin-gu, who was familiar with the belt on his chest, looked back at Dowook.
"Thank you, Daewon-nim."
"I''m more thankful. Good job, Jin-gu."
While Han Jin-gu was going down, the reception light shone on Dowook¡¯s radio.
-This is themand post on the spot. There was a 119 text message report, and it was information that a patient with a respiratory attack was isted on the fifth floor of the shopping district. Is there anyone who can check it?
-It''s near the emergency exit on the 4th floor, but it''s very difficult to secure a view. I''ll go up and start searching right away.
In the midst of this, there were more injured people. Dowook turned to the surroundings. There was nothing to be seen in the smoke-filled area.
Dowook shouted inward just in case.
"Patient! Is there a patient here?"
The answer did note back. In the meantime, the belt and rope, which had finished Han Jin-gu''s descent, came up again.
"Doctor, please go down. The inside is like this, we have to leave it to theters now."
Lee Ji-seok''s words were natural. Dowook nodded, too.
When the belt was hanging on his body.
Tingle.
He felt a sensation that stimted his fingertips somewhere. He didn''t know what kind it was, but he could tell as soon as he felt it that someone was nearby.
The location reported by radio was too far to be thought of as a firefighter.
All he had to do now was ride and go down. But his feet wouldn''t move.
Lee Ji-seok''s eyes grew bigger as he saw Dowook loosening the belt again.
"I''ll be thest one to go. The doctor has done enough.¡±
"The patient is next to me, so I can''t pretend I didn''t see."
"Next to you?"
Dowook turned his head in the direction of someone''s sense delivered through his special sense. Clothing store. No, next to it. It was near the bathroom.
The distance was about 15m.
Dowook put his mouth on the walkie-talkie.
"HQ. Please respond HQ. I think I heard the survivor in the bathroom on the left side of the SS clothing store. After checking, if I find anyone, I''ll bring them near the ventted descending force."
Lee Ji-seok also closely followed Dowook running through smoke and darkness.
Crack!
Dowook, who opened the bathroom door and lit thentern around, found a man lying in front of the sink with his cell phone in his hand.
When he ran and checked, the level of consciousness had decreased a lot due to suffocation from smoke. He kept muttering words like "swag" or "flex."
¡®What kind of sense did you send?¡¯
He didn''t know who it was, but thanks to the man''s exceptional sense, he was able to discover him like this. He was a fairly lucky survivor.
Dowook turned to Lee Ji-seok.
"Hold his legs."
"Yes!"
He was trying to drag him out, but the man who forcefully opened his eyes saw Dowook.
"Firefighter¡"
"Patient, hold your breath a little bit. You inhaled a lot of smoke."
"Over there¡ My crew¡"¡.¡±
The man pointed at it with his finger. It was a sign that there was another patient, so Lee Ji-seok ran right away and opened the door.
"Doctor! There''s someone who''s unconscious here, too!"
"Bring them out! We don''t have time!¡±
He hung both hands between the man''s armpits and pulled him back. Although he was heavy, it was worth dragging him out, so Dowook did his best.
15 meters. 10 meters. Five meters¡
Dowook arrived next to the descending force and stuck his head out of the open window.
"Pfft! Heuk¡. heuk¡.."
The smoke made his eyes tear and his nose run. First, he took a breath and turned his head.
"Daewon-nim, from this side, fresh air¡"¡.¡±
He couldn''t see Lee Ji-seok, who should have followed behind.
"Daewon-nim!"
Bzzzt.
"Headquarters. Lee Ji-seok is not visible. Lee Jiseok is¡¡.¡±
Dowook hurriedly radioed and saw three headlights seen through the smoke.
Additional rescue teams equipped with fire suits and air respirators were approaching the copsed Lee Ji-seok and an unconscious patient in both arms. They arrived by a narrow margin.
Shim Jae-man, team leader of Yongsan Fire Station, who was at the forefront, gave Dowook an additional respirator that led to an oxygen tank.
"We''re a littlete, captain."
Team leader Shim reported to the headquarters by walkie-talkie while inhaling clean air through the respirator.
"Met the on-site captain of Yongsan rescue team 1. The 119 caller and additional patient have been secured. Both are unconscious."
Bzzzt.
-Confirmed. Thedder truck is approaching the 5th floor. Transfer to thedder with the unconscious patients.
Team leader Shim asked Dowook who took a deep breath.
"You were here, doctor."
"My shift isn''t over yet."
Team leader Shim watched Dowook joking lightly and smiled.
"Doctor, what do you usually do to make this happen? Are you from a special rescue team?"
"A surgeon. First of all."
"First of all?"
Dowook turned to the fallen patient. He knew what sense stimted him.
He felt his body riding a beat now, and he felt a desire to rhyme the "Sir" of surgeon by adding the "Sir" ofpany.
[T/N: It doesn¡¯t make sense in English but they both begin with the same syble in Korean.]
This man was a rapper.
"Dr. Dowook!"
Lee Ji-seok opened his eyes with a scream. Looking around, he realized that this was inside the stretcher of an ambnce and sat up.
"You woke up. Are you breathing well?"
When he turned his head, he saw Professor Min Eung-sik''s face.
"I lost consciousness during the rescue work. What about the others? Are they all safe?¡±
Professor Min nodded.
"The critical patient found during the evacuation was transferred to the hospital, and the first team of paramedics is providing medical support at the site. Can you see the team leader?¡±
Lee Ji-seok''s eyes were on Han Min-gyu.
Holding his son Han Jin-gu''s hand covered with a nket and patting his back.
Tonight, team leader Han Min-gyu, who calmly nned and made a quick decision to save those trapped in there, was like the incarnation of the spirit of sacrifice.
However, he was also smiling broadly at his son''s survival. It was the moment he wanted to call his mom.
After finishing the conversation with his son, Han Min-gyu approached the ambnce. And he saw Lee Ji-seok.
"Why are you crying?"
"I know. Calmness. Joy or sadness is up to the patient¡¯s family.¡.¡±
Han Min-gyu, who approached his junior who started crying openly, put his hand on his shoulder.
"Thank you. Thanks to you, my child came back alive."
"It''s not thanks to me¡¡ Crying¡ It''s because of the doctor¡¡¡¡¡ And this¡¡ I''m crying instead of you."
"Okay, okay."
Han Min-gyu, who was patting Lee Ji-seok on the back, headed for Dowook who was disinfecting a patient''s torn forehead.
-Please do what you can as a doctor. I beg you.
What he said in the daytime event.
But¨C
Could these things be said to be things that doctors could do? Even if he had climbed up there with a healthy body, he would not have been confident that he could save so many people safely.
Bzzzt.
¨C Team leader, we''re running out of disinfectant cotton pads. Can we get supplies? There are quite a few patients withcerations waiting for transfer here.
Dowook¡¯s radio.
"I''ll ask for additional supplies, sir. Oh, and Jiseok woke up."
-Is that so?
"He¡¯s crying like a snot-nosed brat, so I can''t send him to the doctor right away."
-Haha. Tell him toe slowly. He must have inhaled a lot of smoke.
Han Min-gyu climbed into the passenger seat. Communicating with the headquarters, he turned to two buildings where the mes were almost extinguished.
Weewoo weewoo!
The area around the scene was full of red lights with a loud engine sound.
The sound and light were urgent and desperate, but the appearance of firefighters busy here and there was enough to make them feel relieved.
* * *
[07:00 News Special Part 2 ¨C Ahyeon-dong Underground Fire]
Last night, a fire in the basement of LT Communication in Seodaemun-gu paralyzed majorworks and the Inte in Seoul.
The reporting system of the police station and the fire department was rendered inoperable, and even the call phone, a means of contacting the medical staff, was disrupted at the hospital.
¡¡.
It''s not just unfortunate news. The audience of "Show Me the Rhyme," who were trapped in the building where the mes moved, were able to evacuate safely with the activities of a rescue team.
A city hall officialmented on the situation as he said, "If we failed to keep the golden time of 15 minutes in a situation where allmunication is paralyzed, there would have been a catastrophe in which all 323 visitors would have died."
Meanwhile, rapper Jin-Q, who almost lost his life while guarding his colleague who had a seizure during the evacuation, will be making a cheering song for the firefighters who saved him and his colleague¡¡.
Seodaemun Fire Station, Sunday at 9 am.
A woman in her mid-50s with sharp eyes stood on the podium of a multipurpose room full of reporters.
-Chief! Is the cause of the fire an underground gas leak?
"It''s unlikely that it''s an external factor, such as fire or arson. But the exact cause of the fire is not known. The venttor and facility debris are left to the National Forensic Service."
-There is a rumor that outsiders, not firefighters, yed an active role in the evacuation of the concert hall, which has be a hot topic!
"It was a volunteer, not an outsider. The emergency team at Seodaemun Fire Station will continue to thoroughly cooperate with Myeong Sae hospital where Park Dowook is located to protect the safety of citizens."
In front of reporters, the chief''s words, which only mentioned Myeong Sae hospital specifically, contained infinite trust.
The rescue team leader approached and whispered to the chief, who continued to answer the questions. The chief, who nodded, spoke to the reporters.
"This is the end of the press conference. There''s still an important event left."
Reporters'' shes followed the chief leaving the multipurpose room.
"Everyone, attention! Bow!"
[T/N: Bowing is considered a greeting of respect and the lower you bow the more you respect the other, sort of like a salute, I guess. Usually, most people simply nod their heads in greeting. If it¡¯s toward someone you really respect, you bow at the waist at a 90¡ã angle.]
After 24 hours of volunteer work, the firefighters who came back bowed all together.
Han Min-gyu spoke to the volunteer workers who seemed to have returned from the war.
"Thank you for your hard work. Go back now and rest well."
He was about to dere dissolution, but the fire department¡¯s chief walked out of the back door.
The crew straightened their postures at the same time. Han Min-gyu also faced the chief with a straight posture.
"Team leader Han. Did you finish your shift?"
"Yes, chief."
"The members move to their respective positions. Wait a minute, volunteer workers.¡±
She looked back at the volunteers with bold eyes.
"I''m the chief conductor of Seodaemun Fire Station."
Last name Ji. First name Hwi-ja.
As soon as she said her unusual name, voices of "What?" and "No way?" popped out among the doctors from Myeong Sae hospital, which was concentrated on one side.
[T/N: Reason why the doctors from Myeong Sae were so surprised is because traditionally, siblings had the same character in their given name. This isn¡¯t done as much anymore though. But in this case, there is a high chance that the chief of the fire department is the sister of the chief of the emergency center at Myeong Sae.]
"I got news about the Ahyeon-dong identst night, so I''ll just let you know. The hospital where the critical patient was sent contacted us, and said the patient has recovered his consciousness. Thank you, everyone. It''s like a miracle that the death toll is zero in a major disaster of this scale."
The chief bowed politely toward the volunteers.
"Life is dignified and not worth more than that. Your voluntary participation has sublimely preserved its value."
Next to Chief Ji, the event nner Yoon Gwon-ryul, and the district official approached and greeted the volunteers once again.
A poster of volunteer workers located at the entrance of the fire station gently waved in the wind.
¡ª¨C
Sync: Veteran first aid team leader''s quick response method
Action: Skilled emergency response bes possible to patients in crisis.
Chapter 67: Judgment Day (1)
7 AM on the way to work.
Dowook looked at the cloudy sky and turned to the year-end decorations scattered on the streets. A typical called "If it snows on Christmas, hot chocte is free!" caught his eye.
"It''s already that day."
As he was busy with his schedule of spending 4-5 days at the hospital and 1 day at the amodation, he finally realized that today was Christmas. Somehow, the faces of the Sharehouse family who were preparing breakfast seemed all uneasy.
"Snow, please don''te."
It was sad to go to work on a day like this, but if the atmosphere was good, nothing was as bitter as that.
Today was just the 25th day of December, as Dowookforted himself that way, his phone rang so he looked at the screen. Still, today''s first call was from his beloved woman.
"Yes, mother."
-Son. Are you at the hospital?
"I''m on my way."
-What are you going to do about the Lunar New Year? Are youing down?
Cha Soo-jung, his mother, who immediately brought up business without saying hello, was a person who was known as an action leader in the neighborhood because of her cool personality.
"I don''t know about that day, but I''ll take my time off that week and go."
-You don''t have to overdo it. If you can''te, we can go up. It''s a holiday for families to meet, not a holiday where they force you toe home.
"Huh. Do you read a collection of quotes these days?"
-Anyway, your father agreed, so call me if you''re going to be busy during the Lunar New Year.
¨CHoney, is that Dowook? Son! Are you seeing your girlfriend on Christmas?
-He said he¡¯s at the hospital.
¨CI want to see my daughter-inw this Lunar New Year! I''m hungry for grandchildren!
-Come on! Why are you saying that? I''m hanging up.
Beep.
Dowook lowered his cell phone with a smile.
When he said he wanted to be a doctor, his father was just happy and told him to do whatever he wanted, but his mother asked if he could handle the difficulties.
¡®She was wise.¡¯
Dowook, who was walking on the road with his cor closed due to the cold, encountered two people walking out of the hospital entrance.
"Oh, it''s you! Dr. Dowook!"
That high school girl waving with a cheerful voice was Song Minji. She was one of the students who was carried in due to the academy bus ident about two months ago.
She was pushing a wheelchair, and Jeong Taejun, who was recently diagnosed with partial vision recovery, was seated on it. Wearing sunsses.
"What are you guys doing? Are you going out?¡±
"Yes, We¡¯re going to an amusement park."
"This early?"
"It''s our first time going out in months. Hee~!"
Christmas. Just the two of them.
He looked at Jeong Taejun with a calm expression thinking that envy meant losing.
"How much can you see now?"
"Nearly everything. Dr., you look very tired."
"Well, since it''s early in the morning. Be back by 8 p.m., and keep reporting your physical condition to your parents in the middle, and Taejun will sit there and take a good look at the rides.¡±
"It sounds like you¡¯re enjoying the fact that I''m the only one who can''t ride anything.¡±
"It''s just you. Take good care of him, Minji."
"Yes, doctor."
After sending out a couple who were scheduled to have a happy day, he passed the lobby and moved to the elevator.
"How many surgeries did I have today?"
One in the morning and one in the afternoon. That was the schedule he had in his head yesterday after getting off work for the first time in a long time.
Since he came early, he headed to the medical office to organize his schedule.
"Good morning."
As he opened the door and greeted them, he saw three juniors drooping.
Nam Hana, who raised her head with a face full of dark circles, bowed.
"Wee, senior. You came to work."
"Why do you look so dead?"
"These three are the only guys who have to keep going on a day like this."
"What''s wrong with our Seongtae?"
Kim Seongtae, a second-year resident who was lying on the table, jumped up.
"What? What did you say?"
"No, sleep more. Wipe your saliva.¡±
Nam Hana, who pointed to Kim Seongtae, who copsed again, asked back.
"That kind of guy?"
"I''m sorry. But our Siheon. Siheon is okay."
Lee Si-heon, a first-year student who was clicking on the chart, lifted his head out.
"I have a girlfriend, chief."
"I didn''t ask!"
"Woah, Hana. Calm down."
The intern, who was sleeping on the sofa, raised his head and intervened in the conversation.
"A man? He''sing to the ward today."
"Who?"
"Tom Brand."
Dowook asked back at the sudden appearance of a foreigner¡¯s name.
"Who?"
"Mr. Park, don''t you know Jet America?"
"I know. It''s a movie. I saw the trailer."
"The main character there will visit Korea for a surprise visit to the ward. I think he¡¯s going over to the pediatrics department, but because of that, the interns went crazy saying they would go over instead of working in the ward."
It was nowmon for the main character of a Hollywood movie to visit Korea for promotion. In the meantime, it was rare to visit a hospital.
"The main character''s name was Tom Brand. He¡¯s totally handsome."
"Insanely. His muscles are amazing, too."
"Did you hear that, Hana? Today is the ward. I''m following all the professors'' rounds. Since we''re doing it, let''s focus on Professor Choi''s.¡±
"Senior."
"Sorry."
Dowook, who stepped down after receiving a re for trying to pass the job secretly, sat at a publicputer and checked his schedule first.
"Let''s see. Monday, three. Tuesday and Wednesday, four¡¡.¡±
Dowook¡¯s gaze, which was looking at the table and contrasting with the reservation time for the operating room, returned to the schedule for today.
Two surgeries suddenly turned into one. Then, 0. It was deleted in real-time, leaving the entire space on December 25th empty.
"What''s wrong with you?"
He thought it was a server error, so he logged in again and opened the schedule. Still, today''s surgery did not appear.
"Hana, do I have any surgery today?"
"You told me toe in at 2 o''clock for vascr dpression surgery yesterday."
"Right?"
There was only one person in neurosurgery who could wield the power ofpulsory adjustment in this way.
"Oh, my. This is ominous."¡¯
Around the time when doubts were piling up.
Vrrrr.
He got a text message.
[Park Dowook. Run to the chief¡¯s office after your rounds. There''s a Christmas gift~]
Dowook knocked on the chief¡¯s office.
"It¡¯s Park Dowook."
"Come on in."
As soon as he opened the door, he tried to argue, but the timing was cut off thanks to another person sitting opposite Chief Ha.
As soon as he saw Dowook, a gentleman who looked about 40 stood up and gave out his business card.
"Hello, Dr. Park Dowook. I''m Shim Bo-hoon, the chief manager of KG Entertainment. Please call me Manager Shim."
"What?"
Chief Ha smiled at Dowook, who sat down after receiving the business card in a hurry.
"I organized all of today''s schedule. Professor Yeom''s team will take charge of both your surgeries.¡±
"How can you do this without informing us?"
"The thing is. If you haveints, you can be the department chief. The nerve, to have a temper when I reduce his work."
"Now that you''ve reduced my work, can I get off work?"
Chief Ha raised his hand to calm him down.
"First, listen to Manager Shim''s exnation. Do you know how hard I worked to persuade Choi Hoo?"
"How are you going to persuade me?"
"Hey! You still have 5 patients you have to take no questions asked! I''m stressed out because I''m on duty every weekend!"
Chief Ha, who was raising his finger, quickly twisted the direction of pointing and changed it to a finger heart when he saw his guest¡¯s surprised face.
"My beloved student. This is for the neurosurgery department and your future. Will you stop talking about it and ept it?"
"Why does your voice sound so affectionate?"
Chief Ha avoided Dowook¡¯s gaze suspiciously and looked at Manager Shim.
"We have amon opinion just by looking at each other''s eyes. Let''s talkfortably."
Manager Shim, who had been watching because they looked like they were the type to argue whenever they met, briefly coughed and took the document out of his briefcase.
"We would like to ask Dr. Park Dowook to participate in the filming program organized by KG Entertainment, so I contacted you like this."
Dowook received the document and read it.
[KG Entertainment¡¯s celebrities volunteer activities and filming requests at Myeong Sae Hospital]
"Volunteer work? I heard a Hollywood actor ising today. Is it rted to that?"
"That''s right. Ryu Chul, an actor from KG Entertainment, appeared in Tom Brand''s movie.¡±
"What am I supposed to do here?"
"Tom Brand stays for 30 minutes and goes to another appointment right away. Actor Ryu ns to fully volunteer from morning to evening. Dr. Park Dowook can apany Actor Ryu and take on the role of exining the duties of the volunteers. Kind of a medical expert."
Dowook, who was listening to the exnation, looked at Manager Shim with a strange face.
"Shouldn''t someone like the vice dean give advice, not me? High in experience and reliable position."
Manager Shim smiled brightly.
"This should be done by the first person whoes to mind when talking about Myeong Sae Hospital. I was impressed by the article that you worked as a firefighterst week."
"Oh¡"
"You will also be paid a small fee."
Chief Ha looked at Dowook with a lot of pressure on his shoulders.
"Did you hear that? You''re the representative of the hospital, so he came to neurosurgery, instead of any of thel other departments."
"I''m getting paid, but why are you so excited?"
"Huh? Never mind. I don''t like it that much."
"Your mouth is practically splitting your face in half..¡.¡±
Dowook watched Chief Ha with a gaze that seemed to see right through him. He immediately asked Chief Ha, who was ignoring him.
"Please remove me from duty in the week of the professional exam. Then I''ll cooperate.¡±
"What? This punk. You''re going to turn over the clock again? My daughter, she hasn''t even seen my face for two weeks.¡±
"Do a video call. Do I walk out or not?"
Chief Ha, who sighed deeply, nodded indecisively.
"Okay. But do it properly."
There must be a huge benefit. As he seemed to have gotten as much as he could, Dowook turned to Manager Shim.
"Is it enough to guide volunteers to do things?"
"You can think of entertainment shows like ¡®Medical 24'' that were once popr. While watching whether the participants are working hard or not, they sometimes talk to the camera. Actor Ryu will host the show on his own.¡±
"Aha."
It didn''t seem to be much different from the duties of the chief resident, which was to divide and manage the work for interns and residents.
"By the way, what kind of person is he? How old is he?¡±
When asked this question, Manager Shim''s eyes got bigger and Chief Ha''s jaw dropped.
"Hey, Park Dowook. You don''t know the famous actor Ryu Chul? Oh my god. I didn''t know you wouldn''t have seen that fun ¡®Trip to Ulsan.¡¯¡±
"Give me time to watch it and then pretend to be surprised."
Dowook turned to the actor''s name on the document.
Volunteer work with celebrities. If he got autographs, his mother might like it. She was a person who enjoyed cultural life.
* * *
8:50am.
Dowook got off the elevator in the pediatric ward on the 10th floor.
This ce also had a Christmas atmosphere.
He saw cute gift boxes piled up under arge tree at the entrance.
¡®It rather turned out well. Watching celebrities is a hundred times better than spending a dull day like today alone.¡¯
An old man in his 60s with gray hair and a white beard got off the elevator as he was waiting for people toe up while looking through the volunteer work schedule he had on his cell phone.
The old man, who seemed to look just as cozy as Santa us with a red hat on, passed by the side of Dowook with a gentle step and opened the door of the ward management office and disappeared.
¡®Who was that? He¡¯s too old to be a nurse.¡¯
Ding dong.
Another elevator opened.
Manager Shim took the lead in walking, and five men of strong physique appeared behind.
"Dr. Park, please say hello first. They¡¯re some of the volunteers today. Hyungmin, say hello as the representative."
"Hello, I''m Ha Hyungmin of New Five!"
His powerful voice and appearance was also handsome, so he could feel the eyes of the nurses passing by.
"Wee, Hyungmin."
Dowook, who greeted him, asked Manager Shim quietly.
"Are they famous people, too?"
"It''s¡"
Manager Shim whispered in a low voice.
"It''s the next generation of Hallyu idol groups with 1 million fans across Asia."
"Oh!"
Ding dong.
The elevator door opened, and people with small cameras and four women with unusual beauty got off.
This time, Manager Shim introduced them right away without asking.
"They¡¯re a rookie group, but they¡¯re a well-known idol with 100,000 sales on their debut album. The average age of the members is 17, so befortable with them."
"They''re in the 10th grade?"
The girls looked much more mature than Song Minji, who he encountered on his way to work. Celebrities certainly seemed extraordinary.
"Yena, say hello to the person in charge who will help you with volunteer work."
A woman who was tall enough to be a model bowed her head to Dowook.
"I¡¯m Yoo Yena from Blue High."
"Wee."
The atmosphere at the entrance to the ward also changed significantly as nine celebrities who seemed to be shining from their faces stood in a row in the hallway. It felt as if the hospital had be a dream space full of medical staff for handsome men and women.
¡®This is why celebrities appear in s.¡¯
He was waiting for the program''s main, famous actor Ryu Chul when the old man he saw earlier walked out of the ward management office.
Dowook, who was looking at the chart in his hand as he entered the pediatric ward, looked at the old man again whose sense was rushing in his fingertips.
It was a strange start.
Dowook couldn''t believe how he felt like he was getting endlessly generous and rxed. It was the first time he had a special sense that stimted the neural circuit like water flowing.
Feeling curious about what kind of sensation it would be, Dowook turned his eyes and flinched after seeing Manager Shim.
The bluish light that he witnessed when he first received Professor Choi''s sense sparkled at a certain point in Manager Shim''s chest and disappeared.
¡®That''s the galldder.¡¯
Manager Shim''s behavior of petting his stomach and burping showed he felt ufortable. Obstructive jaundice stuck in the whites of the eyes. Momentarily, medical reasoning rted to this crossed his mind.
"Manager Shim, are you sick?"
"I had a drink untilte yesterday. Even though I took digestive medicine, my stomach still hurts."
"Really? So it''s not cholecystitis."
The reasoning was simply wrong. So he muttered like this, and suddenly Manager Shim eximed in surprise.
"I recently received gallstone treatment for chronic cholecystitis. You recognized that right away. The doctor tells me to stop eating greasy food, but it''s not working well."
¡°¡¡.¡±
Dowook could not help but be surprised because of the light that gave the hint of diagnosis.
Ding dong.
In the meantime, the elevator opened and Ryu Chul, a 27-year-old man who looked smooth, appeared.
"Actor Ryu is here."
Dowook turned at Manager Shim''s voice. And he saw it. The blue light gathered on the lower body and anus of the famous young actor and disappeared.
"He-hemorrhoids?"
"Huh? doctor, do you recognize that, too?"
Manager Shim, whose eyes widened as soon as he heard him, whispered to Dowook.
"Please keep it a secret in front of the camera."
Dowook admired the action of the special sense directly acting on thinking ability.
The awkward gait of the lower body and the back of the hand that looked bloodless. Theoretically, this could be inferred from clinical evidence. However, it took almost Dr. Sherlock¡¯s level of observation to grasp this as soon as he saw it.
Dowook wandered around looking for the owner of this sense, but the old man had already disappeared into the ward.
Chapter 68: Judgment Day (2)
¡°Ok, ok. We''re here to do good things. Nice to meet you all. I look forward to working with you today."
His first impression of Actor Ryu Chul was that he was active. As soon as the actor saw Dowook for the first time, he greeted him gently and showed interest.
"Wow. I thought a stern professor would guide me, but apletely young doctor came.¡±
"What¡"
"When I get cast in a medical drama, I would y the role of a doctor around your age. What is it? Intern, Reggie? The icon of youth who is constantly growing up with the patient even though he is constantly being scolded above. You''re working hard, right?¡±
Dowook raised his gaze from where he was looking at Actor Ryu''s lower body and nodded.
"What¡"
"Oh, look at how gentle he is. About Tom Brand''s visit today, just trust me. We got really close while filming. If you need an autograph or something, just ask me."
English pronunciation as if he was forcing himself to roll his tongue. He wanted to pinch the actor''s cheek to see if Seong Chang Soo had appeared wearing a mask.
Five small cameras began recording, and when the PD in charge of filming from KG Entertainment sent an okay sign, a full-fledged volunteer program began.
-It''s been a while since I saw everyone on the N Live channel. I''m actor Ryu Chul. How about this side?
-I''m Ha Hyungmin! d to see you~.
-I''m Yena!
While the three greeted the camera in front of Ryu Chul, the cast waved their hands to the other cameras in greeting.
Dowook stepped back and watched the celebrities act naturally in front of the camera.
-¡ That''s why we gathered at the hospital. Just looking like Volunteer work? Pretending to work only when the camera is on? We don''t have anything like that. Undeleted videos will be uploaded.
Actor Ryu, who was in full swing, turned to Dowook.
-Doctor! What should we start with?
"Divide the number of people first into three teams."
Men and women were properly mixed and the number of people was divided into Ryu Chul''s team, Ha Hyungmin''s team, and Yoo Yena''s team.
Dowook told Manager Shim about the morning n he had received in advance.
"Ryu Chul''s team will move to the ward for severely ill children, Hyungmin''s team to the medical supply room, and Yena''s team will move to a neonatal room. Please tell me whenever you need medical advice between volunteer activities. This is a call phone. The team leader can carry it around, ask with this, and respond to the call thates with this."
After delivering the phone, Dowook stepped back, watched them start moving and asked Manager Shim.
"Do I just have to follow Ryu Chul around?"
"Yes. Actor Ryu is the main character, so please always move based on that standard."
The ward for severely ill children was crowded with dozens of children.
Those children, who had rare incurable diseases, rarely went outside and had to spend very ufortable days living only in hospitals.
This was a kind of healing daycare center established to ovee the problem.
Dowook looked inside through the window and paused when he saw a seven-year-old girl drawing at one table.
A respirator was connected to her nose. A habit of inhaling and exhaling roughly from time to time. Gabi was a VIP ward patient suffering from cystic fibrosis.
While thinking about going in and greeting her, he hesitated because he remembered that she did not give any affection to the medical staff.
Drrrr.
-Hi guys. Has anyone seen Trip to Ulsan?
As soon as Ryu Chul opened the door, a boy who was assembling a toy raised his finger and pointed at him.
¨C Huh? It''s that guy who was fighting with zombies.
¨C Right, right! You saw it? I''m the man who survived until the end. In the next movie, Jet America and the bad guys also hit each other. Ch, ch, ch, ch, ch, go!
-Do you know Jet America?
-I do. We''re best friends.
Ryu Chul was very friendly. He quickly became friendly with the children and continued conversations tailored to their interests.
¡®He''s really a good actor.''
Unlike the first impression he gave, his expression showed a warmth that seemed to express that he came purely for the children.
Dowook asked the ward nurse who was waiting when he saw the child sitting on herp.
"He''s wearing a bandage around his neck. Did he get surgery recently?¡±
"Seongho? He suffers from autoimmune thyroiditis."
"Aha"
Dowook sent a text message on the call phone he gave to Ryu Chul.
[He suffers from a rare disease that causes frequent swelling in his throat. The bandage is there to hide it, so it seems better not to mention it.]
Ryu Chul, who saw the text, nodded toward Dowook outside the window.
Other celebrities who entered with Ryu Chul soon began to sit down and y and talk with the children.
Dowook continuously delivered tips on coping with the disease on the call phone while keeping his eyes on Gabi, who was sitting alone.
A member of Blue High walked toward Gabi and sat next to her, but she was seen stepping back.
Dowook pointed to Gabi at the nurse.
"About Gabi. Is she usually alone like that?"
"It''s almost like that. Maybe because she''s much more mature than other children, she can''t open her heart well."
Gabi, who he had seen in Lim So Yool''s room, had the innocent smile of a seven-year-old.
Dowook moved toward the entrance of the ward because he thought it looked sad to have such an expressionless face among those smiling ones.
He opened the door and walked in front of Gabi.
"Hi, Gabi. Do you remember me?"
Gabi raised her head.
"I have to draw all of this."
"Okay, I got it. I''ll just sit here quietly. Can I do that?"
Gabi focused on moving colored pencils without saying much.
Dowook dragged the chair in front of Gabi and sat down. It was because he thought she would be less lonely just by having someone next to her.
He tried not to look at Gabi so she wouldn''t feel ufortable, but his gaze kept heading to the sketchbook. Human curiosity was really¡
¡®Huh?''
Rudolph. A reindeer characterized by a red nose and full antlers was being drawn very cutely.
He was amazed by her artistic skills when he heard Gabi muttering, "This is not the Euler circuit" while adding more branches to the antlers.
She drew the antler without lifting the colored pencil from the page.
¡®Weren''t you drawing?¡¯
It was at times like this that he became more curious about what education Lim So Yool had given Gabi.
"Dr. Park?"
His head turned on its own at the clear voice. Lim So Yool was seen standing outside the ward window. A gaze asking, "What are you doing here?" went back and forth between them. And at the same time, he pointed to Gabi.
Smiling Lim So Yool entered.
"Unni!"
Gabi weed Lim So Yool brightly.
"Did you finish drawing Rudolph?"¡±
"I''m still drawing antlers."
"Tell me when you''re done drawing. I''ll be talking to Dr. Park for a while."
"Yes."
Lim So Yool sat next to Dowook.
"I was going to call you. I think my sister''s family wille to see you."
"Family?"
"Seeing that you''re here, you''ve already met them."
Lim So Yool''s eyes were on the celebrities.
Only then did Dowook recognize again that Lim So Yool''s older sister was the CEO of KG Entertainment. He wasn''t sure why, but she seemed to have asked him to do this because of their previous rtionship.
"I was asked to serve as a simple consultant. As you can see, there''s not much to do."
"With my sister''s personality, she wouldn''t ask you to do anything easy. Be careful. You might have trouble."
"Will you get revenge for me if I have a hard time?"
Lim So Yool nced at the staff of KG Entertainment located everywhere and whispered into Dowook¡¯s ear.
"I owe her a debtst week due to the Seodaemun Fire Station incident, so I''ll do it unofficially."
"No, you don''t have to do that. I''m getting paid anyway."
Lim So Yool, who was continuing the conversation, looked at the oxygen tank next to Gabi.
"Dr. Park, when can we calcte the symptoms for Gabi?"
"It''s¡"
Dowook recalled the words he heard when he requested to consult with internal medicine.
-Hey, Dr. Park. Additional diagnosis? Statistics? What are you talking about with gic diseases where no cure has been established in the first ce? This is a disease that you have to carry and manage for the rest of your life. I don''t want to give a patient false hope. A Neurosurgeon should not talk about a gic disease¡¡.
Gic incurable disease. In areas that cannot be covered by surgical surgery, solutions such as Jung Woo-seok and Kim Suhan could not be found. Nevertheless, the request for cooperation was due to the existence of Lim So Yool.
On a day like today, he couldn''t bear to say that he couldn''t do it because the doctor in charge rejected it at once.
"All the doctors are busy because it''s the end of the year. I''ll keep looking into it."
It was not toote to make another assessment and reveal the facts then if it didn''t work.
¡°Wow. Who is this?¡±
Ryu Chul, who finished ying with a child, came to Dowook and Lim So Yool. Lim So Yool bowed her head lightly toward Ryu Chul.
"I''m Lim So Yool, the dean¡¯s representative of Myeong Sae Hospital. Thank you for the volunteer work."
Ryu Chul received Lim So Yool¡¯s gratitude with a sculptured face and a full smile.
"Don''t mention it. But you look a lot like a boss I know. Even your name."
"If you''re talking about my sister, that''s right."
"Oh no. I didn''t know both of you sisters were this beautiful."
Despite Ryu Chul''s efforts to gain favor, Lim So Yool responded with a short answer. When the opponent did not seem willing to continue the conversation, Ryu Chul immediately changed the subject.
"I hope the children here don''t get sick much today. As soon as I came, tears covered my eyes."
"If they weren''t sick, they would have been discharged."
She only pointed out the facts, but Ryu Chul flinched at the seemingly cold answer. Manager Shim, who was standing far away, shook his head slowly at Ryu Chul as if to say, "You look hopeless, so don''te near me."
The atmosphere in front of an opponent on whom the name value and appearance of a rich and famous actor did not work at all, became very awkward.
Dowook shook his head internally.
¡®You need to know something like Barrette distribution so that you can talk to the director. I can''t help you with this one.¡¯
Ryu Chul, who changed target, saw Gabi.
"Wow, you''re really good at drawing. Look at you filling in the color freely. It''s art. Art."
Gabi, who was sketching the torso, raised her head.
"This is rhombic Penrose tiling".
"Huh?"
"Unni said it was fun because it hit 144 degrees."
Mathematical figures presented by Penrose, extending the ne by neatly attaching aperiodic tiles. Of course, Ryu Chul did not recognize him. That was why he became mute.
Dowook provided a solution to Ryu Chul, who seemed to have a mental breakdown, even though he was not a psychiatrist.
"The bathroom is on the left."
"Oh, bathroom. Right. I was going to go there. Thank you, doctor."
Ryu Chul went outside in a hurry. In the meantime, Lim So Yool sat next to Gabi and began to talk about the drawing.
"Now you''re good at applying tiles thatbine the two. Shall we put Fiboni in here, too?¡±
"What''s Fiboni?"
"It''s the most interesting curve in the world so we can draw Rudolph''s eyes."
"Then it''s good."
Dowook slipped out since Gabi''s face had a smile that was not there before. There was nothing to help at the table where the world of the two began.
Lim So Yool, holding a pen, gave Dowook a look to say goodbye.
When he came out again, he saw Ryu Chul walking out of the bathroom after washing his hands. As soon as Ryu Chul saw Dowook, he rushed up.
"Doctor."
"What?"
"President Lim So-hee''s younger sister, no, Dean representative Lim So Yool. What is she doing over there?¡±
"I guess she came to y with Gabi because they are close."
"All the women in that family are not easy. From mother to two daughters. Oh, my.¡±
Ryu Chul shook his head.
Drrrk
Manager Shim, who put his cell phone to his ear, suddenly ran out of the door.
"Chul! Tom Brand just arrived!"
"Huh? Already? You said he¡¯de at 1 o''clock."
"That. This pediatric ward is not the destination."
"Then what?"
"He suddenly got sick and was taken to the hospital emergency room from the hotel."
"What?"
Chapter 69: Judgment Day (3)
10 AM.
The emergency center of Myeong Sae Hospital was in a state where patients were rushing in to suit the holiday.
A man who drank all night and broke the ss with his bare hands, a grandfather with a headache, a grandmother with pain everywhere, and a young man who keeps pointing to his stomach, suspected of appendicitis.
These people gathered in a narrow waiting line and were pressuring the nurse to treat them.
Dowook prated the gap between the hectic people and turned back.
"Follow me carefully, Mr. Ryu Chul."
"Whoa. It''s like a market in here."
"Christmas doesn''t mean that people are less sick."
Recognizing that there was a problem with the body, people first visited outpatient centers for medical treatment. Then, if they thought it would go wrong if the treatment waste, straight to the emergency center.
That was the situation Tom Brand was in.
Dowook looked around the confusing emergency room, wondering what symptoms might have caused it, and found Seong Chang Soo, who was treating a patient far away.
¡®It would be faster to ask Chang Soo than to find him myself.¡¯
After pointing out the general treatment area to Ryu Chul, he saw Seong Chang Soo providing medical treatment.
The patient was holding him by the cor.
-There''s someone who came first, so you have to wait for the ultrasound.
-What do you mean wait? I''m dying! What do you mean wait?
-Let go. Compared to the pain, aren''t you so energetic?
-My side is really sore. If my stomach explodes, will you take responsibility for it!
With patients who walked into the emergency room on their own, there was a high probability it was not in a real emergency.
Since it was chilly since the morning, cough and phlegm in the evening would usually mean a cold, and if they inhaled a lot of chicken, beer, and ramen as ate-night snack the night before, and their stomach hurt, it was just an upset stomach.
That man holding on Chang Soo¡¯s cor was someone who ate a lot.
"D-Dr. Park. Over there¡."
Ryu Chul''s eyes widened after seeing the doctor held by the patient.
Dowook shook his head.
"Don''t be surprised. It''s nothing serious."
"Why¡¯s the patienting out so rough?"
"Most people visit the emergency room because they are sick and sensitive. My friend has a lot of experience, so he can solve it well¡¡.¡±
One more situation urred even before the end of the first one.
-Hey!
Another patient intervened.
-Everyone¡¯s here because we¡¯re sick. Wait your turn for treatment.
The patient holding onto the cor jerked his head up.
-How sick are you?
-A disease that¡¯ll kill me faster than you.
Fists were exchanged between the two patients, and the area around Seong Chang Soo soon became a mess.
-No, sir. Sir!
Seong Chang Soo, who had an expression of putting everything down, reached out both hands to the sky and took the action "God, why me?"
Ryu Chul, who watched all of that, turned to Dowook.
"Isn''t this serious?"
"That guy is usually pretty good. Wait a minute, Mr. Ryu Chul."
Dowook rushed and stopped one side of the fight. Seong Chang Soo, who was holding the patient on the other side, discovered Dowook was in the emergency center.
"What? I didn''t call neurosurgery".¡±
"I''m not here to see you either."
"Then why¡ Huh? Uh-huh! Sir! You can''t swing your dislocated arm! Rx!¡±
The disturbance ended only after he managed to rip the patients apart and calmed them down.
Seong Chang Soo shook his head with an expression showing he was fed up with the pain that came on a day when patients flocked.
"Oh, god. I should quit."
"Doesn''t your department give any end-of-year benefits to the chief resident? You¡¯re working on a day like this."
"Right. And you¡¯re here at this hour because you''re not working."
While talking, Ryu Chul approached the bed. Seong Chang Soo''s jaw dropped at the sculpted handsome appearance of the man, which was rarely seen in real life.
"Ryu Chul¡"
"Hello."
"Ryu Chul, why are you here¡¡.¡±
Dowook asked immediately after helping close Seong Chang Soo''s chin upward.
"Tom Brand is here. Do you know where?"
"Tom Brand? Jet America?"
"Stop being surprised. I can''t see him in both the severe and general areas. Where is he?¡±
Seong Chang Soo pointed to the hallway painted green.
"In order for such a celebrity to be treated quietly, there is only the quarantine area. Negative pressure beds are rarely used. Oh, when did he get here? I can get an autograph If only I''m not working."
-Dr. Chang Soo! New patient!
Seong Chang Soo sighed at the nurse''s cry that rang from the market.
"Dowook, if you''re done with the treatment, lie and say there are new symptoms. I''m leaving after seeing that patient."
"Is that something an emergency doctor should say?"
"What? He¡¯s not just an actor. It''s Tom''s Brand!"
Seong Chang Soo, who was shouting out, made eye contact with Ryu Chul and coughed awkwardly.
Ryu Chul grinned.
"Tom Brand is understandable. During the first shoot, I also asked to take a selfie.¡±
"Ahaha. I, Mr. Ryu Chul. If you don''t mind, can I have a picture?¡.¡±
"But that doesn''t mean I don''t have pride. Let''s go, Dr. Park."
Dowook clicked his tongue at Seong Chang Soo, who was standing hopelessly, and then moved to the quarantine area.
Entering the green hallway, the light in the treatment room with negative pressure beds was bright. It was clear that someone was being treated.
"Stop."
The approaching Dowook was immediately blocked by the hospital''s security staff.
"Doctor. No one cane in here. They¡¯re doing VIP emergency treatment."
"Oh, I''m going to be outside, and Ryu Chul is here to meet Tom Brand. The two know each other well."
"Let me check".
The security guard talked to the bodyguard standing in front of the treatment room and returned.
"They¡¯re in the middle of treatment, so you have to wait."
When Ryu Chul heard this, he asked the security guard.
"Did you say I''m here? Actor Ryu Chul. Promoting the movie together. Best friend!"
"Yes. I said Ryu Chul''s name exactly."
Ryu Chul, who was stopped from entering, looked embarrassed and looked at the treatment room.
"You''re going to cut me at the entrance?"
Ryu Chul picked up his cell phone and started talking to Manager Shim on the phone.
Dowook waited for the results and saw a white bearded man walking from the far side of the hallway holding a chart.
¡®Isn¡¯t that person the one from this morning?¡¯
The old man immediately opened the door of the emergency center''s drug warehouse and entered. That was an important area where only the head nurse could enter and exit, and even doctors could not enter and bring out anything as they liked.
Slide.
Again, the old man''s senses dug into his fingertips.
When his special sense was forced into action in an unintended situation, it was usually apanied by intense impulses, but this was different.
Dowook wondered why that was and thought maybe this was because of his personality.
Rxed mindset.
Longing for a violent impulse was not everything after all.
The head of the nursing headquarters went into the drug warehouse and greeted the elderly. The smiling old man was so warm that Dowook even thought he might be a Santa fairy who appeared only on Christmas.
"The visit to the pediatric ward has been canceled, and everything¡¯s messed up? Then what should I do? Today''s goal was toe early, learn the know-how, and show it naturally in front of Tom Brand."
Ryu Chul, who unconsciously mentioned the behind-the-scenes story of volunteer work filming, lowered his cell phone. And he shook his head.
"I guess it''s not a cold. Tom Brand''s agent has apologized to KG Entertainment for unauthorized changes in promotional schedules.Yes."
"Shall we go up to the ward?"
"How can I just go when I know he¡¯s sick? I''ll wait, and after the treatment, I''ll just see his face and go.¡±
He didn''t know if Tom Brand would have any affection for this program, but because Ryu Chul sat in a chair in the hallway, Dowook sat next to him.
Dowook wondered if he should bring a donut cushion to Ryu Chul''s ufortable posture of leaning to one side.
Ryu Chul, who was wriggling around, smiled as he made eye contact with Dowook.
"The chair is hard."
Maybe a few minutes passed that way.
The door of the treatment room opened and a stretcher was pushed out.
Ryu Chul jumped to his feet after seeing Tom Brand lying with a respirator attached to him.
"Tom! I¡¯m Chul! Remember Iron Ryu? Are you okay?¡±
[T/N: It¡¯s mentioned that Ryu Chul has a really bad ent when speaking in English. The words in bold were supposed to be him saying them really badly in English.]
The tall patient with blue eyes and short brown hair did not respond as he was slumped and grabbing his side.
The medical staff next to the bed was spectacr. It was a medical team that included the head of the international medical department, the head of the integrated internal medicine department, and the professor of internal medicine dedicated to VIP.
Dowook, who was looking at the patient passing by at first nce, paused when he saw that the light he witnessed in the morning glistened from his side and disappeared.
Because he was epting the senses of the elderly man, detailed observation was activated.
Traces around the mouth that seemed to show vomiting, a pale redness of the face that appeared when sweating and fever that came at the same time, shortness of breath, and pain in the side.
He thought it might be a typical example of chest musculoskeletal pain.
The stretcher from the treatment room headed right next to it, to a video room with CT equipment for emergency centers.
¡®Wait. CT? If you have confirmed musculoskeletal pain, there is no reason to take CT, though?¡¯
When new information was injected into the head, a bluish light glistened on the patient''s chest this time and disappeared.
It was a really kind guideline for diagnosis, different from Professor Choi¡¯s or Commander G¡¯s.
¡®It''s hard to confirm with ultrasound and electrocardiogram alone. Intra-chest pain¡¡ Pericarditis? Yes. The diagnosis team suspects that.¡¯
Dowook understood the diagnosis process that took ce inside and at a nce turned his head toward Ryu Chul, who was in tears.
"I guess he¡¯s in trouble. He couldn''t even respond to me at all."
He had a feeling that he might have just been ignored, but Dowook silently sent him a look of constion.
"If the symptoms are pericarditis, it won''t be very serious.¡±
"Pericarditis?"
"Heart inmmation. There are many different causes, so you have to test this and that."
While talking about pericarditis, a voice suddenly intervened from the side.
"Who is this? I thought I saw it wrong. Dr. Park?¡±
Won Dong-Gil, the chief of the integrated internal medicine department, saw Dowook and approached.
Chief Won spoke with a voice mixed with ridicule to Dowook, who bowed his head and greeted him.
"I''ve just heard rumors that you followed the dean¡¯s line with Chief Ha these days. You''re not even going to respond to other managers'' calls because you have backing?¡±
[T/N: Line, in this case, would refer to one¡¯s connections in the hospital. Dean¡¯s line because he¡¯s the most powerful person that everyone follows. It¡¯s just how cliques at work are referred I guess.]
Ryu Chul, who was standing next to Dowook at Chief Won''s bitter question, looked shocked.
"Chief Ha is like that, too. No, Lim So Yool. That girl. Why are you trying so hard to follow the words of the person who''s just going to dip her feet in and leave? In other words, when the board of directors opens a meeting, everything will be organized. At a time when it is publicly known that the school foundation is also on the side of the board of directors."
Sharp words with criticism poured out. However, Dowook did not feel any anger for some reason. It must be because of the Santa fairy''s sense.
Chief Won''sst warning continued as Dowook only listened silently.
"Until when do you think the excuse of being busy with surgery will work? It''s up to you. Who will be the final winner?¡±
Chief Won turned his back and disappeared toward the video room again. Ryu Chul, who had been stepping back from a distance, rushed to Dowook¡¯s side.
"Whoa. That''s harsh, very harsh. Pressuring people below with power actually happens. I thought this hospital was a meritocracy, but it was like White Tower.¡± [Probably a drama reference]
"What?"
If he heard Choi Hoo when he got angry, he may be disappointed.
"Why is he saying something like that to Dr. Park?"
"I don''t know."
Dowook didn''t know exactly why, but he thought it may be rted to director Lim So Yool''s visit for ounting adjustment. Since they could not mention these internal circumstances, Dowook changed the subject.
"Since we saw Tom''s face, shall we go up now? We still have a lot of the volunteer program left."
"I can''t help it. I''ll have toe back down when I''m done with the volunteerter."
It was time to turn back and return to the pediatric ward.
The door of the video room suddenly opened and Chief Won looked at Dowook. With a darkplexion, he shouted.
"Dr. Park! Pay attention! Hurry up! Come in and look at the patient!"
An emergency call came from a selfish number.
Chapter 70: Judgment Day (4)
A/N: Thanks to AY for the donations! Annnd this is thest of the double updates a day week! Cheers!
¡º¡¡» ¨C talking in English/othernguages
When he entered the video room, Dowook could immediately see why Chief Won called him urgently. The new symptoms in the patient were neuro-rted.
"Hurry up and check it out. He''s suddenlyining of a severe headache.¡±
Dowook approached the stretcher and met Professor Yeon Jung-woong of the VIP Internal Medicine Department. He was the doctor in charge who criticized him about Gabi''s disease.
"Dr. Park."
"Professor Yeon."
Professor Yeon, who greeted Dowook with an unhappy gaze, took a step back.
"Sir."
Dowook checked the patient¡¯s level of consciousness as a habit after taking out his penlight and immediately spoke in English when he realized that the patient was an American.
¡ºSir. Can you see this light?¡»
A patient wearing a respirator nodded in response to the light.
Spasms in the left eye. Edema on the eyelids. Cold sweat on the forehead and face. When he organized the information about the symptoms in his head, the Santa fairy''s sense immediately found the guidelines.
¡®It''s really convenient.¡¯
Seeing the light glistening and disappearing around the patient¡¯s eyes, he found that there was a slight conjunctival hemorrhage.
Dowook, who turned his head away from the patient, said.
"It looks like cluster headache syndrome. I think we need to relieve symptoms first by administering ergotamine or sumatriptan."
"What?"
Professor Yeon was the first to respond to the diagnosis Dowook gave.
"Hey, Dr. Park. I guess you''re saying that because you don''t know what symptoms this patient was brought here for. Do you think it''s a correct diagnosis if you only see a part of the symptoms and name any disease?¡±
"I''m talking with that in mind. Cluster headaches themselves have a wide range of triggers, such as alcohol and stress."
"Ha. In front of an internal medicine specialist, the surgeon discusses triggers.¡±
"Anyway, if you don''t solve that headache quickly, the patient''s consciousness will decrease. It''s going to be harder to treat.¡±
Chief Won also called in neurosurgery because he was in a hurry, but he looked at Dowook with little trust.
Ryu Chul, who followed and was watching this process, suddenly asked the nurse next to him.
"I¡ I''m sorry. Tom Brand, is it a more dangerous disease than pericarditis?¡±
Professor Yeon''s ears pricked up at Ryu Chul''s question.
"Who are you?"
"Ah. I''m a volunteer who came with Dr. Park Dowook. I''m actor Ryu Chul."
Professor Yeon asked with a face that seemed not interested in the fact that a famous actor was in one room.
"Where did you hear of pericarditis?"
"Dr. Park Dowook told me earlier".
Professor Yeon was speechless at Ryu Chul¡¯s unexpected answer. Chief Won, who was standing nearby, was surprised and asked.
"Did you hear the diagnosis we just came up with in there from Dr. Park?"
"Yes. What was it? If it''s bacterial, it can be dealt with antibiotics, but he was also worried that cancer would be a real disaster.¡±
When it was revealed that Dowook actually presented another diagnosis name with pericarditis in mind, both Chief Won and Professor Yeon were speechless.
Silence unintentionally descended on the room.
Chief of the International Medical department Lee Joseph told the nurse.
"Please bring ergotamine. We¡¯ll continue with the CT scans."
Dowook, who finished his job,pletely withdrew from the patient.
"This is all my diagnosis. Then, keep up the good work.¡±
Lee Joseph raised his hand to Dowook who wanted to leave after saying his greeting.
"Dr. Park Dowook. The patient also showed neurological symptoms, so could you participate in the consultation until that is confirmed?"
"Me?"
"Yes, I understand that you''ve been in charge of VIP patients before."
"Well, that¡¯s¡"
When the person in charge said this, neither Chief Won nor Professor Yeon couldin. In the meantime, the nurse came in with a tray of drugs and aerosol injectors.
Cheek and ergotamine were sprayed to the tip of the nose, and Tom Brandy under the CT machine with a much better expression.
Standing on one side of the video room, Ryu Chul crept up to Dowook and smiled meaningfully. Dowook asked quietly.
"Did you mention it on purpose?"
"The timing was amazing, right? This is an experienced actor. I''m a huge fan of the White Tower."
A CT image of Tom Brand''s chest appeared on the screen. All the medical staff''s eyes gathered on the monitor.
And
All the doctors who realized the meaning of the video let out a groan at the same time.
Ryu Chul asked Dowook.
"What''s wrong?"
"This is¡"
Dowook pointed to the crumpled area near the liver.
"That''s a damage factor, which is mainly found in smokers."
"Smoking is bad for you. I know it well, but what''s wrong with that?¡±
"It''s acute. Cigarettes generally don''t cause this much acute damage. Here, you can suspect the action of other drugs simr to cigarettes."
Ryu Chul also understood and groaned. It was simr to cigarettes but illegal in Korea.
"Mar¨ªjuana¡"
Dowook saw that the Santa fairy¡¯s guidelines on the patient sparkled and disappeared in all directions arbitrarily due to new evidence.
This was probably because all preceding diagnoses were denied.
Joseph said to everyone in the room.
"The medical history of VIP patients is confidential. Please refrain from contacting the outside world at all until the confirmation ispleted."
To Tom Brand, who was moved back to the negative pressure bed. Joseph began to exin slowly.
¡ºThe most suspicious cause of Mr. Brand''s illness is the side effects of marijuana. The THCponent that causes nervous system disturbance can exin all the symptoms Mr. Brand is currently experiencing.¡»
¡ºSo. You''re saying that I''m in this state because I took drugs, right?¡»
¡ºWe estimate so.¡»
Tom Brand frowned.
¡ºWhat if I¡¯ve never smoked?¡»
¡ºThat''s¡¡»
¡ºIf you''re going to say something like, "Let''s take a drug test," I''ll have to move to another hospital. It''s unpleasant.¡»
Yeon Jung-woong quickly approached next to Lee Joseph, who was embarrassed.
¡ºWe just checked the symptoms and informed you the results. If Mr. Brand''s words are true, aseptic meningitis would be closer than drug addiction.¡»
¡ºAseptic meningitis?¡»
¡ºIt is an infectious disease in the central nervous system, and most of them recover naturally, but if they were traveling to and from various countries on a tight schedule like Mr. Brand, their immunity would have decreased. That''s why it developed.¡»
Dowook, who¡¯d been quietly listening at the back, nodded because it was a reasonable diagnosis. Ryu Chul poked Dowook''s side and asked quietly.
"What are they talking about? I think he''s a little angry. There are so many medical terms that I can''t keep up with. Do you understand everything?¡±
"Just roughly. What we read every day are overseas papers."
Dowook exined that the diagnosis shifted from marijuana side effects to aseptic meningitis.
"That''s right, that''s right. Tom¡¯s a good person in real life. No matter howmon marijuana is in the United States, I''ve never seen it scattered when filming. He¡¯s exactly like Jet America.¡±
"I guess we shouldn''t have suspected it."
"Wait. Was it because he was sick during the shoot? He was a bit forgetful. He often forgot his lines."
"What?"
Forgetfulness was not a symptom of aseptic meningitis. However, whenbined with other symptoms, apletely different diagnosis came up.
Chest musculoskeletal pain. Pericarditis. Liver inmmation. Cognitive dysfunction.
As the puzzle was put together, Santa Fairy''s guidelines clearly sparkled.
Tom Brand''s head. It shone urately in the white matter of the right frontal lobe. However, since the diagnosis had been changed several times so far, he wasn¡¯t so confident about bringing it up.
It was certainly not easy tomunicate and to examine patients withpletely different cultures. Just looking at Ryu Chul, Santa Fairy''s guidelines clearly emphasized "hemorrhoids" "hemorrhoids" "hemorrhoids."
Tom Brand''s agent asked Lee Joseph.
¡ºIf you''re sure of that, please do something quickly. Can''t you see from Tom¡¯s face that¡¯s about to die from the pain?¡»
Joseph nodded.
"Professor Yeon?"
¡ºAntiviral drugs could be injected immediately after a cerebrospinal fluid test confirmed the virus. Until then, we will perform symptomatic therapy with steroids and pain relievers.¡»
Flinch.
The old man''s sense suddenly gave off a strong impulse when he heard Professor Yeon''s response.
Spinal tap performed to confirm aseptic meningitis. This could pose apletely contradictory threat to the diagnosis directed by the guidelines.
Dowook spoke to Professor Yeon, who was preparing a long needle for tapping.
"Hold on, professor."
Since the inside of the room was quiet, everyone''s eyes turned to Dowook at his words.
"If you have tumor symptoms in your skull, the intracranial pressure will increase with that puncture. Then the patient''s headache will be dozens of times worse than it is now."
Professor Yeon snorted.
"What did you say? Tumor? What brain tumors in the world cause simultaneous diseases that make you suspect hepatic inmmation and pericarditis?¡±
"It wasn''t at the same time. Liver, heart, chest, brain. It''s blood vessels that pass through all of these, and there are lymphocytes in them. The symptoms spread.¡±
"So what do you want to say?"
Dowook remained silent for a while. And he said the name of the disease that the Santa fairy¡¯s sense imed more clearly than ever.
"That patient. I think it''s a primary central nervous system lymphoma."
Professor Yeonughed in vain when Dowook mentioned a rare tumor that urred in 0.5 out of 100,000 people. Chief Won tumbled and clicked his tongue and pointed at Dowook.
"You''re talking like a movie star to diagnose a movie star. Dr. Park Dowook. Can you take responsibility for that? Can you tell Tom Brand that he¡¯s going to die because of a malignant tumor?"
"If you do a contrast MRI and biopsy of the tumor, you can confirm it. And then it''s the doctor''s duty to tell you the results."
"Biopsy? Oh, my ears are itchy. Why do you keep talking nonsense? Professor Yeon. Hurry up and finish the spinal cord examination.¡±
Dowook¡¯s diagnosis was ignored, and Professor Yeon''s needle dug into the back of Tom Brand''s waist and spine.
Flinch. Flinch.
The impulse was stronger than before, so Dowook clenched his fists and suppressed it as much as possible. Participating in the coboration did not mean the right to decide on treatment.
Professor Yeon neatly pulled out the spinal fluid and put it in a syringe. Professor Yeon, who put the syringe on a sterile tray held by the nurse, looked at Dowook.
"Dr. Park. What did you just say? The patient''s headache will be dozens of times worse? Does it look like that right now? It doesn''t even make sense¡¡.¡±
Professor Yeon stopped talking because Tom Brand suddenly began to shake.
"Convulsions?"
"It''s epilepsy!"
At the same time as Dowook shouted, he ran toward the patient, took out all the anticonvulsants filled on one side of the wall, and put them on the cart.
Topiramate, Ramotrijin, Bibabatrin¡¡.
Among the dozens of anticonvulsants, Santa Fairy''s guidelines, which considered the patient''s age, apanying disease, and interaction with other drugs, selected two pills.
He pointed it out right away and stuck it out to the patient.
¡ºTake it. The convulsions will stop.¡»
"Park Dowook! What are you doing?"
Chief Won, who was screaming, also had to close his mouth because the patient stopped convulsing.
When Professor Yeon''s diagnosis failed perfectly, Tom Brand began to get mad at the agent.
¡ºI heard that Korea has excellent medical standards! What are they doing? What have you been doing to me for an hour?¡»
¡ºCalm down, Brand. All of these people understand English.¡»
¡ºI''m going crazy because I''m sick. What do you mean calm down?¡»
Chief Lee Joseph turned to Dowook while listening to the conversation with an awkward look.
"Dr. Park Dowook. Are you sure about the diagnosis?¡±
"If it weren''t, I wouldn''t have intervened rudely."
"Okay."
Lee Joseph approached Tom Brand.
¡ºMr. Brand. Our neurosurgeon strongly ims that your disease is a primary central nervous system lymphoma.¡»
¡ºHow can I trust a simple im? You made me a drug addict earlier.¡»
¡ºThat part is my mistake as the person in charge of diagnosis, but one thing is certain. If lymphoma is correct, that doctor''s clinical reasoning ability to find it in just an hour is among the world''s top. It is rare and difficult to find this disease so quickly. In ordinary hospitals, it may take weeks to be confirmed.¡»
Tom Brand''s eyes moved toward Dowook who relieved his pain by taking action immediately after the convulsions urred. Come to think of it, that doctor had prescribed him something when he suffered from a headache in the previous room.
¡ºWhat should I do to trust that argument?¡»
¡ºThere are a few tests we have to do.¡»
Tom Brand nodded and showed consent. Lee Joseph turned to Dowook and said.
"From now on, please lead the examination. Brain tumor patients are under the charge of neurosurgery. And¡."
Lee Joseph''s gaze headed toward Won Dong-Gil and Yeon Jung-woong.
"Chief Won and Professor Yeon, please refrain from getting angry. We''re here to coborate. We''re not here to fight."
Ryu Chul, who was interested in watching the whole process, saw the two''s poop-chewing expressions, covered his mouth, andughed.
Chapter 71: Judgment Day (5)
¡º¡¡» ¨C talking in English/othernguages
1 PM.
Lim So-hee approached the bodyguard guarding the VIP ward.
"I''m Lim So-hee, CEO of KG Entertainment."
When she disyed her business and ID card, the door to Room 2003, where Tom Brand was hospitalized, opened. The parlor in the hospital room was already crowded with many guests, most of whom were officials from filmpanies.
"CEO Lim, you¡¯re here."
The executive director of distributor Newbox came forward as he recognized Lim So-hee.
Lim So-hee asked the executive director, gazing at the bed where Tom Brand was lying through the door of the reception space.
"What did the hospital say?"
"We''re waiting for that, too. I got a call that the doctor in charge of diagnosis wille soon."
"We should cancel all the promotional schedules. The distributor''s position must also be bleak."
"There are many fans of the other artists, so it won''t affect the box office sess, but Tom Brand''s physical condition looks really bad. Jet America may have to retire. We have obtained five distribution rights through exclusive contracts.¡.¡±
After passing by the worried executive director, she approached Matthew, Tom Brand''s agent.
¡ºMr. Matthew.¡»
¡ºCEO Lim.¡»
¡ºI heard that the disease is serious.¡»
¡ºThe medical staff said that it might be malignant tumor and that we should be prepared.¡»
¡ºI''ve already prepared a return ticket for you to leave right away, so tell me if you need it at any time. I''m really sorry about Mr. Brand''s condition.¡»
Matthew expressed his gratitude for Lim So-hee''s quick response.
¡ºHow should I reveal to the Korean media? Personal reasons?¡»
¡ºYes. Please do that for now. Ourpany has also scheduled an emergency meeting, so we will contact you again when the official response has been decided.¡»
With a nod, Lim So-hee moved toward the door to leave the hospital room after once more looking at Tom Brand who had his eyes closed.
KG Entertainment was in charge of the artist¡¯s overall promotion schedule in Korea due to its rtionship with its actors in blockbuster films, but now it was right to organize it neatly even if they lost money.
"Take good care of yourself."
nk.
As she was going to touch the door, it opened first.
Lim So-hee looked up at the young doctor with a surprised look.
"Dr. Dowook?"
"Huh? The CEO was here, too."
Lim So-hee immediately made way because it was not the circumstance for a long greeting. Subsequently, older-looking doctors followed behind Dowook.
When the medical staff in charge entered, all the officials who were chatting calmed down.
Lim So-hee watched Dowook while stopping her steps to leave, after finishing her business.
She didn''t expect him to be in a position to deal with a world-ss celebrity like Tom Brand. This was totally unexpected.
"Boss?"
Actor Ryu Chul, who stood next to him after closing the door, looked at Lim So-hee with embarrassment. Lim So-hee also looked at Ryu Chul and said, "What are you doing here?"
"My friend is sick, so I can''t stay still.¡±
"Today''s volunteer work should bepleted without Tom Brand.¡±
"I don''t think the quality of the official channel video will deteriorate as the New Five and Blue High juniors are working hard. More than that, there''s Dr. Park Dowook over there. The more I look at him, the crazier it seems. I think it was a good idea to cast him.¡±
"In what way?"
Ryu Chul summarized what happened in the morning. Lim So-hee had a light smile on her face when she heard that he showed off his skills to the point where his age didn¡¯t prove a problem in front of older and more experienced professors.
"I knew he was the main character."
Tom Brand sat leaning against the bed.
Dowook passed the chart in his hand once and slowly conveyed the diagnosis results.
¡ºBiopsies have concluded that the patient''s symptoms are certain to be in the early stages of primary central nervous system lymphoma. They developed acute symptoms due to poor immunity.¡»
It was really rare to be diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor at the young age of 35. Not only Tom Brand but also his agent looked despondent.
¡ºHow should I treat it?¡»
¡ºAnti-cancer chemotherapy is currently considered a standard induction treatment. Since it was discovered early, the prognosis should be positive if it is managed at a cancer hospital.¡.¡»
Vrrr.
While Dowook was announcing his diagnosis, his cell phone rang.
Dowook apologized and ced his cell phone on his ear.
"Yes, Professor Choi."
-I just checked the MRI. Neurological lymphoma is a tumor that has not been attempted surgical extraction. The case of Tom Brand, there are no simr cases in Korea. But I think I can do it. What about you?
"I''m¡¡±
-If you''re sure, make a suggestion.
After finishing the call, Dowook''s eyes turned to Tom Brand.
It was on apletely different level to move from diagnosing the disease to rmending foreigners, especially movie actors, who the world was paying attention to, to operate at this hospital.
If he made a mistake, he would ruin his career as a neurosurgeon throughout the world.
However, Dowook did not fear this.
Ultra-difficult surgery to remove malignant tumor cells that were widely spread between brain tissues in a single attempt.
The next words popped out just because he wanted to do it.
¡ºThere¡¯s another method. That is also to operate here.¡»
The eyes of section chief Won Dong-Gil, who was standing behind Dowook, widened as soon as he heard those words.
"Dr. Park. Surgery? What nonsense are you talking about?¡±
Professor Yeon Jung-woong also immediately disagreed.
"Why do you need to skip brain radiation therapy and chemotherapy?"
Dowook spoke to the two, who were full of anger throughout the examination, calmly after asking them to calm down.
"I didn''t help you with this diagnosis to satisfy your curiosity. If you have any medical logic you want to refute, please argue with my superior, Professor Choi."
When he mentioned Choi Hoo, the two closed their mouths instantly.
Dowook looked at Tom Brand.
¡ºThe only rmendation Mr. Brand will get once you go back to a hospital in the United States and would be chemotherapy. And you¡¯re going to hear things like this. There will be hair and weight loss, movement will slow down, and appetite will disappear. So, your life as a movie star will stagnate until you''repletely cured.¡»
Tom Brand looked up at Dowook with a serious look. Dowook continued to speak.
¡ºHowever, why don''t you take a little risk to remove the tumor and continue your life as a movie star? That¡¯s what I''d like to suggest.¡»
¡ºIs there a reason I have to undergo the surgery here when it can be done by outstanding doctors in my country?¡»
¡ºWhere to perform the surgery is Mr. Brand''s choice. However, Professor Choi and I can try to remove the tumor without any dy from the moment we open the patient¡¯s head. We have skills that cannot bepared to ordinary surgeons that have to wait for the tumor to be revealed in detail through neural navigation confirmation time, real-time CT and fluorescent induction.¡»
Tom Brand, who looked worried, looked at the agent.
¡ºWhat do you think?¡»
¡ºI disagree. I can''t guarantee the surgical ability of this hospital.¡»
¡ºYou can check it out. Contact all the hospitals in LA.¡»
¡ºWhat if all of them rmend chemotherapy?¡»
Tom Brand looked at Dowook.
¡ºI''ll leave my life in the hands of that talented-looking Asian doctor. I can''t live my whole life bald.¡»
Ryu Chul, who was snooping outside the hospital room and inside the parlor, scratched his cheek and asked Lim So-hee.
"What are they talking about? Tom, are you okay?¡±
"I think Park Dowook seeded in promoting himself. The value of the hospital''s name¡¡. It''s going to be much higher than I expected."
"What?"
3 PM.
Dowook looked around the entrance of the pediatric ward and approached Jang Soo-ran, the head of the nursing headquarters, who was leaving the ward management office.
"Director."
"Oh? Dr. Dowook, it''s been a while since I saw you."
A 30-year-old middle-aged nurse known as the ward''s mother greeted Dowook with, "Merry Christmas."
Dowook smiled and replied to the greeting and asked.
"Among the people whoe and go to the management office. Is there an elderly man in his 60s who has a white beard?¡±
"I think you''re talking about the manager."
"The head of the maintenance department?"
The head of the nursing department replied with a smile.
"Dr. Dowook might not know. He was a professor of internal medicine who¡¯s now retired. That was already 10 years ago. I guess he¡¯s been bored, so he¡¯s been helping out with the ward sincest month."
"As expected, he was a doctor. What''s his name?¡±
"His name is very unique. Shim Pan. Prof. Choi¡¯s name is the most famous now, but at that time, when one heard "Judgment Shim," all the professors died. His personality was like a tiger. You can''t see his old self at all now though."
Listening to the old behind-the-scenes story of the hospital, Dowook only then understood the Santa fairy.
Vrrrrr.
During the conversation, a call arrived on his cell phone.
"You''re busy even on holidays."
"Something keeps happening. I was going to see Professor Shim and greet him, but I guess it can¡¯t be helped."
"Greeting? Did you get any help from him?"
"Yes. A lot of this and that. Can you give me his phone number? I have a question about diagnosis."
"I''ll give you the nurse''s call number, not the personal number. He''ll respond during working hours."
"Thank you, director."
Dowook bowed his head. And he got a number that could contact, the Santa Fairy.
* * *
By 5 p.m., as the sky became dark.
Colorful Christmas lights turned on inside and outside the hospital, heating up the year-end atmosphere.
1st-floor lobby.
-Mic test. One, two. Please crank up the echo a little bit.
Ryu Chul checked the sound on the simple stage installed in the lobby and turned his head to the outside.
"Oh! It''s snowing!"
Heavy snow was falling over the street.
Members of New Five and Blue High, who were practicing carols for a surprise performance in the evening, also jumped out of the back stage and focused their attention outside the ss door.
"It''s a White Christmas."
"I know. The atmosphere of the concert is going to be totally different.¡±
Third floor, cafeteria.
"You don''t want to eat with me? I brought Tom Brand¡¡ No, Tom Brand was taken away by Semdol. Huh? There''s something like that. Then I''ll just go."
Lim So-hee, who lowered her cell phone, sighed at her younger sister¡¯s refusal and stood up on the podium.
"Wee."
"The bitter Americano¡¡ No, I''d like a sweet hot chocte, please."
Lim So-hee, who was looking for a ce to sit with hot chocte in a mug, sighed again when she saw the tables full of customers.
"Should I have gotten a take-out?"
Then, her eyes stayed at a table where no one was approaching. At first nce, a man with a noticeably blunt impression was sitting there, which was hard to ignore.
Lim So-hee also knew that face. It was Mystery Guy from the Convenience Store. She didn''t know she''d see him here, so she had a smile on her face.
"Is that coffee the least delicious here?"
When she approached close and spoke confidently, Choi Hoo raised his head.
"In this cafe, the coffee beans are good, but the other things on the menu aren¡¯t."
"What? No way¡.¡±
Lim So-hee slightly sipped on the hot chocte.
"Ugh. It''s fishy. How can chocte taste fishy?"
Lim So-hee quickly asked Choi Hoo, who was looking back down.
"It''s because there''s no seat. Can I sit here?"
"Whatever you want."
Lim So-hee leaned on a chair and struggled with the hot chocte for a while. Then, her eyes fell on the documents lined up in front of Choi Hoo on the table.
A picture of a face was embedded in the upper left corner, and career and educational background filled the content, a doctor''s resume.
Choi Hoo was working on reading the resumes and ssifying them, but Lim So-hee, who had seen many resumes, noticed that he seemed dissatisfied with them.
"I guess it''s not about ability?"
"Do you know anything about character?"
"I''ve picked a lot. Because this is the kind of job I have."
Lim So-hee put her business card on the table and pushed it to Choi Hoo. After confirming that she was the CEO, he spoke slowly.
"It''s not easy to judge a person only by a piece of paper. I need someone to match the team well, but it''s due tomorrow."
"It''s my job to deploy effective talent in such a situation. May I give you a tip?"
"Why do you want to help?"
"My sister was a patient here."
Lim So-hee pointed at a pile of resumes Choi Hoo hadn¡¯t looked through yet.
"Let''s see. An Hosan. He¡¯s a family man. Three children. No additional work outside of regr working hours. I don''t think he''ll be able toe running whenever he is called.¡±
"Oh. Consider it that way.¡±
"There''s more know-how. By the way, my hourly pay is very expensive. If you want to hear more¡¡.¡±
"How much is it?"
"Not money, and buy me the most delicious drink at this cafe. I''ll help you while drinking it."
Choi Hoo quickly rose and walked as ordered. And he brought a coffee that smelled the same as his drink and gave it to Lim So-hee.
Lim So-hee, who tasted it eximed in surprise.
"This is definitely great. That''s strange. You bought the least delicious thing at the convenience storest time. But why are you drinking the most delicious drink right now?¡±
"I was going to give it to Dr. Park. In my surgical team."
"What?"
"Because he can''t taste it, he prefers food that has a strong scent and strong tongue stimtion.¡±
Semdol has an issue with taste, and Mystery Guy from the Convenience Store was not that robotic.
"It''s a fun team."
Lim So-hee looked at the resume and saw snow outside the window. She didn''t know she would be sitting alone in a cafe with a man and drinking coffee on a snowy Christmas.
Smiling slightly, he met Choi Hoo¡¯s calm gaze.
"Funny people are not considered."
"Yes, yes."
Fifth floor, chief¡¯s office.
Ha Sang Joong was giggling while looking at theputer screen.
A picture of himself shaking hands with actor Ryu Chul with a happy expression. This would soon be reprinted and framed so it could be hung on the wall of the chief¡¯s office.
"Dowook made me work for six hours and did a business that left a lot of money. I can''t believe I let a famous actor use his face freely.¡±
Vrrr.
When he looked at the screen, his cell phone rang, and it was his daughter.
"Yes, daughter. Are youing? Like I said, New Five is performing in the hospital lobby today. Do you want Ha Hyungmin''s autograph? Of course, of course. I¡¯m the best, right?"
After finishing the call, Ha Sang Joong''s face, who had been pleased for a while, looked at the message from the head of the human resources department at the bottom of the monitor.
[Does it make sense to have an anesthesiologist assigned to a professor''s team? Neurosurgery is already in the red. What are you going to do?]
"I know. Choi Hoo is crazy about perfect surgery, so if I don''t do it, he won''t listen. What can I do?"
Ha Sang Joong sighed and looked out the window.
"The snow falls silently, but there are no days in our department that are quiet because of the two surgeons."
20th floor, VIP lounge.
Dowook approached Lim So Yool, who was staring out of the window nkly.
"Director."
"Oh, I''m here."
Lim So Yool''s expression looked a little dark, so Dowook sat next to her and asked.
"Did something bad happen?"
"Just¡ I remembered the Christmas I spent with my college friends in Seville."
"Did you all study math under the tree? Or¡ It''s not like that, right?¡±
If it were usual, she would have red at this question, but this time she smiled ndly. There seemed to be a reason for not revealing something, but Dowook did not ask anymore.
"That''s right. Merry Christmas."
Dowook said and took a bunch of candy out of his pocket. It was a luxurious candy in pretty wrappers.
"Ryu Chul gave it to me. An overseas fan gave it to him as a gift or something. Sugar and syrup. It''s an exquisite blend of fruit concentrate and honey.¡±
Lim So Yool, who picked up one of the candy bundles on the table, opened the wrapper and put it in her mouth.
"Delicious¡"
"Really?"
"Doctor, you should try it, too.¡±
"It doesn''t mean much to me. I don¡¯t have a sense of taste."
Her eyes became round.
"Lies. Really?"
"You don''t have to look at it with such sad eyes because I¡¯m living without much difort."
Lim So Yool, who looked sad at the fact that he could not taste this delicious thing, soon confessed.
"I got a call from someone I hate the most in Korea. So I was depressed, but I feel better because of you. Thank you."
"It''s probably because of the expensive candy."
Lim So Yool red at Dowook. Dowook smiled lightly and revealed why he came up here.
"The diagnosis of Gabi. I think I found someone who can help me a lot. Sooner orter, let''s push for a thorough diagnosis.¡±
"That''s great. I''ll talk to Gabi''s parents."
Ta-tap..
Snowkes were attached to the window of the sky lounge.
"Oh, it¡¯s finally here."
"What?"
"Snow."
Following the direction Dowook was pointing, Lim So Yool''s gaze headed towards the window.
"Oh my¡"
In front of the two, a white gift created by winter collided like a wave.
The falling snowkes, the people on the streets who enjoyed them.
The atmosphere outside was not just Christmas. The two people sitting side by side also became part of Christmas.
¡ª¨C
Sync: ¡®Judge/Judgment Shim¡¯s¡¯ hand acupuncture
Action: At this moment, clinical reasoning that is most suitable for the patient''s disease can be carried out. The ability to prescribe drugs urately is a bonus.
A/N: A bit of a fun fact about this novel that I wanted to share is the author has a slightly weird naming sense. For example, Choi Hoo literally means ¡°The End/Last¡± and is probably part of the reason behind his nickname as ¡®Last Choi.¡¯ Ji Hwi-gwan also literally meansmander, hence his nickname ¡®Commander Ji/G.¡¯ Shim Pan in Korean literally means judgment/referee, again the reason for his nickname. It¡¯s funny although it makes me as the trantor second guess myself when ites to new names.
Chapter 72: Butcher (1)
January 1st, H Market in Yeonhui-dong.
A navy colored van, which could be seen everywhere, stopped at the entrance to a traditional market full of people who came out for the New Year.
Beep.
"Main location, check."
Cheon Ho-beom, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency''s second-tier investigation team, sat in the back seat of the van and looked out the window with a walkie-talkie in his hand.
"Pay attention to each other''s movements."
-Location 1. I''m grilling toast.
The owner of the stand nodded slightly towards the van.
-Location 2. In the middle of a delivery.
The delivery guy, who was moving with a box of chicken, also turned to the van once.
-Location 3, looking at the rooftop.
A hand appeared from the roof of a building overlooking the entire market. Then, it disappeared.
Cheon Ho-beom, who confirmed the locations of all the detectives, turned to the cafe building, which was the expected meeting ce of the suspect.
"Captain."
A young detective in the driver''s seat, Lieutenant Yoon Joong-gi, turned to Cheon Ho-beom.
"About Heogi-poongi. Will he really appear here? As soon as he starts to run, I''ll grab him in a choke. Ju-jitsu is more popr than judo these days.¡±
Cheon Ho-beom hit Yoon Joong-gi over the back of his head.
"If you want to film an action movie, go to the Violent Crime Department. They always fight over there.¡±
"Ow¡ How can I just get out of the Investigation team when I worked so hard to get in? I have to catch some big guys before I go out."
"Those intelligent guys will really be easily caught by you who¡¯s only good at physical things. Stop talking nonsense and move in."
"Yes."
Wearing an apron with the cafe logo, Yoon Joong-gi opened the door of the cafe and ran in.
¨C Location 4, part-time job¡¡ Finished!
In a little bit.
¨C This is the rooftop. Shin Sung-oh appeared at the entrance of Namyeongpa''s game business. I''m moving toward the cafe. Five wings.
Centering on the loan business, a boss of an organization that intervened in various entertainment rights and embezzledrge amounts of money had appeared.
-There are many customers in the cafe. Shall we send them out before Shin Sung-oh arrives?
Cheon Ho-beom immediately replied to the walkie-talkie.
"Do you have any doubt? Part-time, just make coffee well and don¡¯t step up until we have the suspect in custody."
-Understood.
Far from the market, a man with a harsh impression walked with his followers.
Shin Sung-oh, who came close, stood at the side door of the van. Cheon Ho-beom significantly reduced the sound of the radio and attached himself to the back seat.
Shin Sung-oh, who was looking around at his sportswear reflected in the tinted window, asked his subordinate.
"Duyong, should I have worn a neat suit? You said that guy Gipoong or Poong-gi or something gave off a bookish aura."
"Hyung-nim, who wears a suit like a gangster and threatens people these days? It''s best to do business with a smile."
¡°Graduating from high school really shows a difference, huh. Ok, ok. We¡¯re businessmen not gangsters.¡±
They, who looked exactly like a criminal group, giggled at each other and entered the cafe.
"Shin Sung-oh entering the cafe. Part-timer."
-I¡¯ve checked.
Now they just had to wait for the main character to appear.
Cheon Ho-beom was staring at the cafe as if he was looking through the wall, and his eyes were so dry that he put some artificial drops in his eyes. When he looked at his eyes in the rearview mirror, the whites were red.
He¡¯d been wrestling with the CCTV videos every morning for the past three weeks, so his eyes were in a ridiculous state.
-Captain, how can a person who swindles hundreds of billions of won have no criminal record?
"Part-time. You keep chatting during the mission, huh?¡±
-I''m washing the mop right now. It''s my first day at work, but they¡¯re giving me a lot to do.
-Yoo Sijin. The customer left. Hurry up and clean up the table.
-Yes, yes!
Cheon Ho-beom ced the walkie-talkie to his mouth, putting the artificial drops in his pocket.
"The scary thing about this guy is that aside from the alias ¡®Heogi-poongi¡¯ we don¡¯t know anything about him. Only the CCTV footage of the back that is presumed to be him has been taken.¡±
-It''s time for a detective''s intuition. I will always¡ Huh? Someone appeared in front of Shin Sung-oh!
Cheon Ho-beom immediately replied to the report delivered under his breath.
"What does he look like?"
-Mid-30s, tall, sses, and sry man style. What should I do?
"Keep watching. I''m entering as a guest.¡±
Cheon Ho-beom entered the cafe withmunication earphones in both ears as if listening to music.
"Wee."
"A cup of Americano."
"Are you going to drink it here?"
He took out one earphone and nodded.
"It''s here, sir."
Holding a tray with a mug on it in his hand, he walked to an empty table and looked slightly toward Shin Sung-oh.
The goal of today, aptop, was brought out and shown to Shin Sung-oh, who suddenly took out and shook a car key while chatting.
-The deal is starting.
The car that Shin Sung-oh could open with his key was full of cash acquired through an illegal business, and Heogi-poongi would take over a certain amount of money byundering it using cryptocurrency.
The amount of money illegallyundered over the past year by the suspect, who was at the forefront of new financial crimes, was as much as 500 billion won.
If they hit the case at the end of that transaction, they could even secure on-site evidence.
Cheon Ho-beom sat down and whispered quietly into his earphone microphone.
"Toast and Delivery, get ready to enter. Rooftop, lurk at the escape route."
A nervous moment.
The face of the suspect appeared in Chun Ho-beom''s eyes, who was measuring the timing of the arrest with a deep breath.
"Abort! Wait before entering."
-What''s wrong?
Cheon Ho-beom, who turned his head out of the window, hurriedly said, pretending to drink coffee leisurely.
"That''s Lim Jung Se. Level 3 for corporate moneyundering. It can''t be Heogi-poongi."
-Are you saying it''s a false lead? Let''s put Shin Sung-oh in first.
-I''m against that. You might miss a clue because you''re catching small fry.
Amid divided opinions, Yoon Joong-gi asked while washing dishes in a corner of the cafe.
-Captain. I heard that he has to do it himself because cryptocurrency maniption or mixing is a specialized area, right?
A sudden sh of thought shed in his head at the rudimentary question from Yoon Joong-gi, who recently started learning to investigate financial crimes.
Heogi-poongi was a cautious fellow. The fact that his personal information had never been exposed to the investigationwork also said that it was highly likely that he used an agent like today.
Cheon Ho-beom''s eyes turned to the interior of the cafe.
¡°Part-time. Act naturally and check all the customers¡¯ faces one by one. The suspect¡¯s around here somewhere watching the transaction. Focus on those who are using aptop, tablet or smartphone.¡±
-Ca-captain. Is¡ there anyone who isn¡¯t doing that here?
A man wearing a baseball cap, who was typing the password ¡®Coin blender¡¯ swiftly in the protocol, turned his gaze to the road outside the window and stopped his fingers.
That delivery guy.
He had been holding the same bag of chicken for the past 20 minutes. Even though the customer wouldin if he took that long to deliver. It was a very unnatural movement.
Baseball cap guy turned the screen of theptop to an SNS photo album.
He grabbed the bag he¡¯d ced on a chair so he could leave quickly but turned back around when he saw a man in his 40s sitting by the door as if he were guarding it.
He took out his phone and immediately sent a text.
[Police stakeout. Need help.]
Baseball Cap guy looked toward Shin Sung-oh. He saw Shin Sung-oh spin the key around and then push it toward Lim Jung Se.
Right before the contract concluded. There wouldn¡¯t be any problem if they could escape sessfully.
[Will make a distraction with the heater.]
Baseball Cap guy who had been pretending to look at his phone turned his gaze to the heating element on the store¡¯s ceiling.
BzzzzztÒ»
Carbon monoxide exuded by the entire building, which should be discharged to the outside, poured into the sealed cafe through an exhaust.
Less than 30 secondster, there were people coughing all over the cafe.
-Manager! What''s wrong with the air here?
-Oh, my throat.
At the entrance, a man suspected of being a detective coughed and looked at the ceiling.
Customers stood up one by one and started moving outside. Baseball Cap Guy used that gap to head to the ce where Lim Jung-Se was.
At the time when he was about to receive the key from Lim Jung-Se secretly.
"Everyone, stop! I sent people to the boiler room, so don¡¯t move!"
"Who are you, old man? Are you the owner here?"
"I''m Inspector Cheon Ho-beom of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency''s metropolitan investigation unit."
A man in his 40s, who brought up his police status, had the people withdraw and opened all doors and windows to ventte the store.
The delivery man and the owner of the toast restaurant also stood on both sides of the entrance without anyone realizing when they¡¯de over.
Baseball Cap Guy could not approach Lim Jung-Se due to the sharp gaze the police were using to watch everyone''s move. Because the police would havee for this deal.
Shin Sung-oh was surprised and pointed at Lim Jung-Se.
"What? Fuck! Did you set up a trap?¡±
"What are you talking about?¡±
At this rate, they would be arrested without being able to do anything about it. Baseball Cap Guy texted with his cell phone under the table.
[The police are moving to the boiler room. Stronger distraction is needed.]
[Stay away from the wall. I will ignite the refrigerant gas in the air conditioning facility.]
Maybe about 10 secondster.
BooomÒ»!
With a huge explosion, the exterior walls of the cafe connected to the boiler room exploded in all directions.
The interior looked like it was swept by a storm.
Baseball Cap Guy, who tried to get out in the midst of copsed and moaning people, immediately stopped walking when he saw a cafe part-timer crouching under the countere out while, shouting, "captain!"
There was one more.
If he ran away from here, he would get attention from thatst detective. Baseball Cap Guy crouched next to the fallen person. And then shouted.
"Help!"
* * *
Vrrr. vrrrr.
Dowook, who was sticking his head between thick books, jumped up into a sitting position. Then he held his cell phone in hand.
Seong Chang Soo was the main culprit who woke him up.
"Why?"
-This ce is going crazy right now. There are four patients with just cranial injuries.
Dowook let out a big yawn and asked.
"Did you send an emergency call to a person with a call exemption? Does Chief Ji know about this?"
-Stop bragging. I don''t know about the other patients, but I need you to check this person¡¯s CT. He¡¯s barely holding on to his life, but it looks like he needs an emergency surgery.
"What is it?"
He turned on theputer and opened theputer chart.
A patient¡¯s skull only had fractures, but there was a considerablyrge amount of blood pooled inside. He was suspected of severe brain trauma caused by a counter-impact bruise.
"He got hit hard. Didn''t he fasten his seat belt?"
-No. The building exploded and he got stuck in a pir.
"What explosion?"
-Are youing or not? If it''s not you, I have to call Professor Yeom. I don''t want to hear hisints from the start of the new year.
Dowook turned to the books piled up in preparation for the specialist exam, which was only six days away.
It was so boring that he couldn''t even think of pulling an all-nighter.
"I''ll go."
-Okay.
Dowook, who was entering the emergency center, tilted his head when he saw people in police uniforms standing as if they were guarding the treatment area.
¡®What is this?¡¯
"Dowook."
He approached the severe treatment area Seong Chang Soo was gesturing in a hurry.
"It''s him."
The patient in blood-stained sportswear had a long scar on one side of his cheek. Dowook looked closely at the semima patient''s head and asked Seong Chang Soo.
"Explosion? No fire?"
"I don''t know exactly either. The refrigerator gas exploded and the wall copsed. All the patients are here. What kind of luck is this from the beginning of the year?"
Dowook was surprised to see the emergency beds lined up in the hallway because the center was too full.
"Why did all these patientse to our hospital at once? Without dispersing."
"There was a criminal suspect in the building where the ident urred."
This answer was provided by a man in his early 30s with a band-aid on his forehead. The man lifted his ID card for Dowook to see.
"I''m Lieutenant Yoon Joong-gi from the Investigation Team. Please understand that all patients carried in from the Yeonhui-dong cafe explosion will be treated here under police surveince until the end of the investigation."
Yoon Joong-gi pointed to the patient.
"This guy, Shin Sung-oh. Can he live?¡±
"Well, if we operate and catch the cerebral hemorrhage first, it won''t be life-threatening. The aftereffects, we will have to wait and see.¡±
"I look forward to your kind cooperation. Shin Sung-oh is an important aplice."
Dowook picked up his cell phone and instructed Nam Hana to ready an operating room, and his eyes remained on Yoon Joong-gi, who looked very worried.
"Captain¡"
Where Yoon Joong-gi stood, a middle-aged patienty connected to a respirator.
"Oh, Hana. As quickly as possible. I¡¯ll call Professor Choi."
Dowook lowered his cell phone and tapped Seong Chang Soo''s shoulder.
"How''s he doing?¡±
"The Investigation team¡¯s captain? He''s lethargic with a fracture in his abdominal bone. The bleeding was quite big."
Dowook swallowed the exmation of surprise that was about toe out.
He couldn''t believe that detectives and criminals were brought to the emergency room together in an ident. How could this happen?
Chapter 73: Butcher (2)
¡°Dr. Chang Soo. The paramedics brought all the personal items of the patients together so we can¡¯t tell what belongs to whom.¡±
The nurse pushed in a cart full of bags and daily necessities.
Seong Chang Soo approached and looked at the items one by one. When the bags with wallets were first ssified and presented, the nurse checked the ID card and immediately delivered it to the bed.
"There''s only cosmetics here. Let''s put it on hold. It''s just clothes here. I''ve never seen aptop like this before. It''s really sturdy. Of course, the name is not written. You''re also on hold."
Dowook, who was looking at the patient''s vitals, also turned his eyes toward the cart.
A strong-looking ckptop caught his eye. And a sense flooded into his fingertips.
¡®Huh?¡¯
He looked around, but with the patients, the medical staff, and the police, there were so many people that the owner of the sense could not be specified. But the impulse was very intense.
Opening the screen after approaching theptop on the cart, Dowook lightly tapped the touchpad to open an Inte browser that he had never seen before.
On themand prompt, he typed what his fingers told him to.
Tap tap ta-tap.
"Doctor!"
Yoon Joong-gi across from him looked at theptop and ran over in a fluster.
"You shouldn¡¯t touch that device because it was used for criminal transactions¡¡.¡±
"Oh, I shouldn''t have touched it. I''m sorry."
Ring!
During the conversation, a cryptocurrency wallet called "Bitrain" appeared on the screen. Yoon Joong-gi''s eyes widened.
"How did you turn on this screen?"
"I just pressed this and that¡¡.¡±
Seong Chang Soo, who nced at theptop next to him, opened his mouth wide.
"What is this coin? Is it really the amount they have? The total value is 1, 10, 10 billion won? It''s over 10 billion won.¡±
"What? Isn''t it like a game?"
Seong Chang Soo pointed out the part where the currency information popped up.
¡¶Bitrain 1 = 55,375 won ¡ü¡·
¡¶Bitrain possessed 182,324¡·
¡¶10,096,191,500¡·
"Look. It''s a coin just by looking at it. What kind of rich man hit a coin this much?"
Yoon Joong-gi hurriedly closed theptop screen.
"Thisptop is an object utilized for a crime. Everything is part of a secret investigation, so please don''t mention it elsewhere."
Seong Chang Soo looked enviously at the back of Yoon Joong-gi, who quickly disappeared after taking theptop.
"Whether it was a secret or a crime, how nice it would have been if my coin had been covered like that."
"Did you invest in that?¡±
"I just tried it."
Dowook elbowed Seong Chang Soo in suspicion.
"People who lost all their money at the beginning of this year always say things like that with the same expression."
"I blew it normally. I didn''t buy more than my sry could cover."
"You''re crazy."
Seong Chang Soo looked up at the sky, recallingst year''s bitcoin craze.
"Ah! If I could go back to a year ago!"
Vrrr.
When he received a text message stating that an operation room was now free, Dowook picked up his cell phone and pressed Choi Hoo¡¯s number.
"Shh. I''m on the phone with Professor Choi."
At this, Seong Chang Soo flinched and stepped back even though it was just a phone call.
"Yes, professor. It¡¯s Park Dowook."
-I saw your text. It''s an emergency for cerebral hemorrhage? What''s the status?
"The systolic blood pressure is 75, respiratory rate 25, and there is pupil movement, but it''s like hemiplegia. The patient keeps bleeding in the central epidural membrane."
-Cerebral hemorrhage, huh. What about the operating room?
"It''s D-Rosette 4 in 30 minutes.¡±
-Let''s move then.
"I''ll prepare right away."
Seong Chang Soo approached Dowook who finished the call.
"What did Last Choi say? Did he curse at you for calling him back after work?¡±
"Until when will you misunderstand Professor Choi?"
"Misunderstand?"
"He only curses in the operating room. He has a bottom line."
"Is that a misunderstanding?"
Dowook went next to the patient.
"I''m going to move. Help me get ready."
"I''m busy. Can''t you see the belongings piled up here? And this person is under your department now."
"If Professor Choi asks me why I waste to set up the operating room for surgery, I would answer like this. Emergency center Dr. Sung was not cooperating¡¡.¡±
"Stop! What should I do? Should I get rid of the vital cord first?"
"Clean up, call the person in charge of transportation, and buy coffee."
"Are you kidding me?"
"Professor Choi¡¡.¡±
"You punk!"
The D-rosette door opened and a mobile bed was pushed inside.
Dowook pushed the patient into operating room No. 4 and moved in front of the washing table.
"Are you on call, Dr. Dowook?"
An Hosan, an anesthesiologist, approached as he began washing his hands.
"I''m not on duty, but the patient''s case is serious. Please pay attention to anesthesia."
"Looking at it, you¡¯re turning more and more into Professor Choi. I think you¡¯re only looking for difficult surgeries.¡±
"Did I say that? I''m sorry if you felt pressured."
"Pressure from Dr. Dowook is an honor these days. You¡¯re the hospital¡¯s face.¡±
An Hosan, who was smiling, suddenly said as if he had just remembered.
"There are rumors that Professor Choi will set up a dedicated surgical team. Someone had already been selected from our anesthesiologist department ."
"Dedicated surgical team?"
"I guess he would only be looking after difficult surgeries in earnest. He picked the most skilled person from our department."
It was Dowook¡¯s first time hearing about it, so he tilted his head when the door of D-rosette opened and three huge men in sportswear arrived inside.
As soon as Dowook saw them, he waved his hand in surprise.
"You can''te in here recklessly!"
"What are you saying? The door opens automatically for anyone toe in."
Neither Dowook nor An Hosan could kick them out because they were men with an unusual aura.
"Where''s hyung-nim?"
"What do you mean hyung-nim?"
"Shin Sung-oh. Our hyung-nim¡¯s name."
Dowook looked toward the fourth operating room when the man with a big nose answered. This patient, the detective said was an aplice, seemed to be the leader of a criminal organization.
The big nose man, who looked into the window of the door overlooking the fourth room, shouted.
"Hyung-niim! What happened? The big cover is broken. Hey! Open this door!"
In front of the door that opened with a button by using feet to prevent hand contamination, the big nose man cried desperately.
The sound of knocking on the door made the nurses and transport officials in the operating room look like they didn''t know how to act.
"The patient Shin Sung-oh is waiting for surgery. If you do this here, we can''t proceed with the patient''s surgery."
While Dowook was exining, An Hosan slightly bent over to call the security team with his cell phone.
"Don¡¯t move."
Another guy approached An Hosan and grabbed his arm. He took the cell phone and pressed the power button right away.
"Slow down with making the call. If you don''t want to break your bones."
The big nose man in front of the operating room door spoke violently.
"You, the doctor over there. Open this door and give hyung-nim to me quickly."
"If the patient is not operated on time, his life will be in danger."
"If he stays here for a long time, he¡¯ll get knifed and die! The lottery-obsessed bastards are moving because they know hyung-nim¡¯s out.¡±
It seemed that the life-threatening danger to this patient was not just rted to the unfortunate ident.
Dowook tried to persuade the big men as calmly as possible.
"There are detectives and police officers in the hospital now. That kind of thing¡.¡±
"How can I trust those fuzzies? What do you think those crazy guys are going to do? Hurry up and open the door!"
Bang bang!
When the men hit the door, the nurse in the operating room burst into tears. The man with a big nose pointed at the transport manager when he tried to call with his cell phone.
"Doctor. Why don''t you put it down right away?¡±
The person in charge of the transfer continued to report despite threats from the big man.
"Hey! You wanna die!"
The big nose man, who couldn''t ovee his temper, kicked the door. Then the operating room door opened.
"Huh?¡±
As soon as the man, who was surprised by the door opening, was about to enter the operating room.
Drrrrk.
The door of the D-rosette opened and Choi Hoo walked in.
Choi Hoo saw that there were three non-medical staff in the ward and frowned.
"What''s this?"
"MInd your own business."
Choi Hoo saw the big man trying to take a step into the operating room and shouted.
"Where are you entering with that dirty body?"
The big manughed in disbelief at Choi Hoo¡¯s words.
"Hey, doctor. Right now, did you just¡¡.¡±
Even before the man''s words were over, Choi Hoo came closer, grabbed him by the neck and dragged him back.
Crash!
The two other men rushed over after seeing the big man rolling around the floor.
However, they were unable to win against the pressure from Choi Hoo who was 185 centimeters tall and built like a fighter, so they helped the big nosed man stand up instead.
"Keuk, keuk. What''s wrong with that bastard?"
"His grip is crazy strong, Muk-Ho hyungnim. You went out in a single strike.¡±
"What are you doing? He''s only one person!"
While the big-nosed man held his neck and coughed, his two sidekicks approached Choi Hoo from opposite sides.
Choi Hoo watched the two nkly and pped the face of the guy that approached him from a closer side.
The big man swayed around with a pping sound.
Choi Hoo, who simply avoided the attack of the other, held the 10th scalpel from the cart in the operating room.
"Oh dear. Muk-Ho hyungnim. He''s holding a knife."
"A booger-sized one. Cough. What are you scared of?! We''re better at using knives!"
There was no fear of dealing with a gangster at all in Choi Hoo¡¯s gaze as he faced the opponent while twirling the scalpel as if he was holding a ballpoint pen.
"You guys. Just try toe into the operating room. I''m going to cut all those parts that get in."
Choi Hoo threatened like a growling beast, scaring those who heard his tone for the first time.
The big guy swallowed. And entering the operating room or not, became the biggest dilemma of his gangster life.
"Get out of my way!"
The big nosed man, who recovered, rushed in with an angry runny nose.
Choi Hoo jumped forward and covered the face of the tall nose man with his left hand.
A face caught like a basketball. When Choi Hoo put some force into his forearm, the big man''s rush stopped at once.
Choi Hoo immediately put the scalpel in his right hand against the other¡¯s neck.
The scary feeling of cold metal touching the neck stopped the big nose man with a flinch.
"Uh¡."
"This is the carotid artery. You can die in just three minutes from excessive bleeding if it gets cut. Now, would you still like to enter the operating room?¡±
"Eu¡ Doctor hyung. C-calm down¡¡.¡±
When the big man was overpowered in an instant, neither of the other two hastily touched Choi Hoo.
Choi Hoo turned to Dowook in that state.
"Who is this patient? What kind of idiots are they?¡±
"I heard he¡¯s a key suspect of the police."
"Key suspect?"
Choi Hoo turned to the operating room, and he shouted at the medical staff standing in a daze while looking at the scene.
"Not going to disinfect the contaminated things!"
With the scolding, the medical staff rushed to move. And then they realized they''d been working with someone scarier than a gangster.
Dowook approached Choi Hoo¡¯s side and looked at the trembling big man. The back of the scalpel was at his neck, but the man was trembling as if he didn''t recognize this fact.
"Sir. We are also people who gathered here to save this patient. If you take him out like this, he¡¯ll die before you move him to another hospital."
Held by Choi Hoo, the big nosed man looked at Dowook with wide and timid eyes.
"We¡¯ll definitely solve the trauma. Whether it''s a fight between organizations or not, settle it on your own. Let''s save this patient, your boss. Do you agree with the surgery?¡±
The big nosed man nodded his chin slightly up and down.
The underground parking lot of Myeong Sae Hospital.
Yoon Joong-gi, who was approaching the brown van with theptop held close to his chest, stopped at the loud voice that sounded from front of him.
-Before this happened, you should have asked for support in advance! What were you trying to do?
It was the voice of Oh Sang-man, the leader of Team 1 in the metropolitan area. Lieutenant Ahn Seok-young was the one being scolded. He was a senior who was not seriously injured in the cafe explosion.
-The chief is really angry. He said that if you can''t specify the culprit, you should throw in the towel and take care of yourselves. How many in your team are alright right now?
-The only one that can move is me and Joong-gi¡¡.
-All of the top staff are hospitalized and only the two of you are left? Can you still investigate? Hand over all the data to us and take care of Captain Cheon, you guys.
-But Captain Oh, Heogi-poong is what Captain Cheon has been working on for six months.
Yoon Joong-gi could not approach the van.
He would naturally be criticized as well if he went. But that wasn''t a problem. He didn''t want to share thisptop, which could be a big clue leading to the Heogi-poong case, with Captain Oh¡¯s team.
The criminal was in this hospital, and there was only one step left, and the results could not bepletely handed to Team 1.
Yoon Joong-gi turned around and sent Lieutenant Ahn Seok-young a text saying, [Please drag time. I''ll find a clue and check it out] as he entered the hospital again.
He looked for the number of the Cyber forensics investigator of the National Police Agency. As he was searching, he got a call from somewhere else first.
-Detective, this is the security room. Three members of the Namyoung faction went on a rampage in the operating room.
"What?"
-It''s the operating room on the 5th floor, and when the security team was dispatched, the doctor in charge had already taken care of the situation.
Yoon Joong-gi tilted his head.
How could the staff deal with the situation against the Namyeong faction, who were famous for their ignorance and recklessness? He urgently said,
"I''ll go up first."
Chapter 74: Butcher (3)
Beep. Beep.
Inside the operating room, only the periodic warning sounds of the vital monitor could be heard.
When the catheter was inserted deep into the brain to remove thest vestige of the stagnant blood, the patient''s blood pressure rose in an instant.
Dowook, who was looking through the microscope, lifted his head slightly and looked at Kim Seongtae.
"Suction. My view¡¯s blocked.¡±
"Yes, sir."
When thest forceps gently pushed out the brain tissue, the area where the blood vessels were continuously bleeding was revealed. While keeping his eyes glued on the microscope, Choi Hoo asked.
"Would you rather use a cauter or anastomosis?"
Fine tears on blood vessels were easy to heat-coagte with an electric cauter and the hemostasis speed was fast. However, the fact that it could transform the tissue very slightly bothered Dowook.
The desire to not make use of a method with even 0.01% of aftereffects. There was no distinction between excessive desire as a surgeon or responsibility for the best treatment, but Dowook made a choice.
"I''ll do anastomosis."
Choi Hoo nodded and immediately moved to match Dowook¡¯s actions.
When the clips were ced at both ends of the blood vessel and the passage was clearly secured, the patient''s torn blood vessels were connected as if the fine needle and thread had been waiting for this moment.
Second assistant Kim Seongtae, who had been admiring the monitor from the beginning of the operation, unknowingly let out an exmation of admiration at Choi Hoo and Dowook¡¯s great show of skills.
"I''m already done."
Beep beep. Beep.
An Hosan looked at the vital condition and gestured OK toward Dowook.
From anesthesia to anastomosis, bleeding waspletely stopped after an hour of high-speed surgery.
The emergency surgery ended with aplete restoration just like a regr surgery due to the two surgeons¡¯ skills.
Choi Hoo withdrew, went outside, and Dowook looked at Kim Seongtae.
"Seongtae, do you want to close it?"
"Me? Me?¡±
"What''s so surprising for a guy in his third year? Close it all, and call me when you ce the patient in the recovery room."
"Yes, sir!"
"Dr. An. Please scold him if he does something weird."
An Hosan smiled and nodded his head.
Dowook also stepped out of the operating room.
There was no reason to wash your hands thoroughly after the surgery, but Dowook turned on the water next to Choi Hoo and washed his hands clean.
"Professor."
"Huh?"
"After the specialist exam this weekend, I have to attend an outpatient clinic starting next week."
"How many days will you be assigned?"¡±
"It is said to be six hours a day for 2 days a week, so when outpatient treatment begins, there¡¯s no choice but to reduce the number of surgeries scheduled."
Choi Hoo seemed to be indicating something, shook off the water and said something Dowook had not expected.
"It would be nice to receive outpatient treatment mainly for patients with rare cases. I don''t mind selling my name actively for such a case. Like Tom Brand."
"At that time¡ Okay, professor."
Choi Hoo, mentioning an important surgical patient scheduled for next Monday, took a glimpse towards the operating room.
"And. When a new hospital resident is recruited in February, one anesthesiologist will be assigned to our team. I''m thinking of recruiting two scrub nurses and two assistants. If the proposal is passed, I will select the nurse, so you can select the dedicated assistant. It doesn''t matter if it''s from another hospital as long as they have good teamwork."
Drrrrk.
Choi Hoo walked out of the rosette.
Dowook thought he had just misheard, so he turned to the ce where Professor Choi had disappeared.
¡®Is he really trying to set up a dedicated surgery team?¡¯
Neurosurgery teams were rare in this era of detailed specialists.
If you monopolized all the rare cases of neurosurgery in Korea, how much could you improve your skills? He had high expectations for this.
Dowook then shook his head.
He couldn''t believe he was grinning while thinking of a future that would be very busy. Something seemed to be wrong with his head.
He shook off the water and threw the mask and hat in the waste bin. After checking through the window of the door to see if Kim Seongtae was doing well, he walked out of the rosette.
"Doctor."
Dowook was surprised when Yoon Joong-gi, who was waiting in the hallway, popped out.
"Oh, detective."
"Did you take care of those guys yourself, doctor?¡±
Dowook, who turned his head at Yoon Joong-gi''s gesture, saw the three gangsters who had been trained by Choi Hoo sitting side by side on the bench timidly.
It was a three-man bench, but it looked like it was meant for children because everyone was big.
"Not me, but Professor Choi¡ Why? Did they report me for assault?¡±
"No, they said something absurd. They said that they made a deal with the doctor to save their brother."
Just before the surgery, Dowook immediately drew the big nosed man¡¯s attention to get consent for surgery.
His impression was rough, but his eyes looked surprisingly innocent, smiling at Dowook.
"I said something simr. They told me that other organizations were going to rush in."
"Uh, ignorant guys. We will thoroughly crack down on them so that this doesn''t happen again in the hospital."
Yoon Joong-gi bowed his head with an expression of apology and asked.
"What''s the status of Shin Sung-oh?"
At this, all the big people sitting in a straight position pulled their heads out and focused on Dowook.
"The surgery ended safely. Once the anesthesia wears off, he''ll recover his consciousness soon."
"That''s a relief. Shin Sung-oh''s testimony was most needed when the investigation began.¡±
Behind the relieved Yoon Joong-gi, the big guys clenched their fists and cheered silently.
"Then I''ll get going."
"Doctor!"
Yoon Joong-gi urgently called for Dowook because he had finished his work as an officer.
"Theptop you essed the cryptocurrency site earlier. The connection was cut off to see if there was a time limit."
Yoon Joong-gi lowered his voice and continued.
"The forensic team couldn¡¯t force it open. I asked them to find out how they essed the unofficial cryptocurrency wallet site.¡±
"Oh, that''s it."
Dowook had no choice but to smile awkwardly. Because he identally borrowed someone''s senses and tried it.
"Isn''t there anyone in the emergency room who can handle this?"¡±
"There is, but he''s the suspect. I don¡¯t know what he looks like, so I need this clue."
It was an answer that surprised Dowook. He couldn''t believe that the sense he epted was a criminal''s sense.
"It¡¯s hard to do here. I think I''ll have to try again on the bed earlier. I pressed it by chance, too."
"Can you do it for me? It''s a really important issue for the investigation."
Yoon Joong-gi''s desperate expression. In order to stop the disturbance in the emergency room or the wandering of suchrge people in the hospital, catching the criminal would be the priority.
Dowook nodded lightly.
"Let''s do it. I can''t guarantee that it¡¯ll work though."
Dowook stopped at the door of the emergency center and asked Yoon Joong-gi when he saw threerge bodies creeping behind him.
"Why are they following us?"
"Huh?"
Yoon Joong-gi turned around quickly.
"Hey, I told you not to stand out. Why don¡¯t you scram?¡±
"What does it matter where democratic citizens go?"
"Do you people know that forcing private loans hurts democracy? If you want to follow us. Reduce your size first. Are the three of you kidding me?¡±
"We¡¯re not following you detective. We¡¯re following the doctor."
Yoon Joong-gi looked suspicious at the big nosed man.
"They say they¡¯re following you, doctor. Why?¡±
"I don''t know."
It was probably because it was scary to ask something from Choi Hoo, and they thought he was a doctor who seemed easy to approach.
Dowook beckoned and called the three people over.
"What is it? Tell us. Do you want to know the prognosis of Shin Sung-oh?"
When things wereid out in the open, the big nosed man put his hand in his chest pocket. Yoon Joong-gi saw his action and pulled the baton from his waist, the big nosed man suddenly stuck out a white envelope.
"This¡"
"What''s that?"
"It''s money. I mean the doctor from before. If lottery dogse in, please protect our hyung-nim. I put it in as a special treatment. A million won."
The moment Dowook heard that, he was speechless. Yoon Joong-gi was also speechless and couldn''t evenugh.
"Have you ever seen such crazy people? Did you just ask the doctor to join you in the gang fight?"
"It''s because you didn''t see it. His arm strength is just¡ Can you see his cheeks? There are only a few yers in the country who can beat people like paper.¡±
"Hey, you! Just one more absurd thing out of you and I¡¯ll just put you in jail. Get lost!"
With his head down at Yoon Joong-gi''s cry, the big nosed man once again appealed to Dowook.
"Doctor, I apologize for the unpleasant thing that happened earlier. Doctor, please tell your big brother."
Dowook seriously wondered whether he should deliver this news or not.
It was the moment when he stepped back and entered through the automatic door of the emergency center.
"Oh my god!"
A scream from the far side of the emergency room. It was the sound of the nurse.
Looking forward, he could see a dark-skinned man running through the middle of the emergency room with a club.
Police standing here and there chased the man with the club with whistles and warnings.
The man, who was looking for a ce to dodge, ran like an arrow to the path inside the hospital where Dowook was standing.
Yoon Joong-gi shouted as he pulled out his baton from his waist.
"Hey, stop! Sir. Please move to the side."
The man with the club raced over and didn¡¯t seem to possess any intention of stopping.
Dowook was surprised and moved to the back, near the three gangsters.
The big nosed man who called himself Muk-ho looked at the man with the club and groaned.
"He''s a member of the lottery tickets."
"Huh? That''s true, brother.¡±
Yoon Joong-gi swung the baton sharply to prevent the rushing man. However, the elerated speed of the man was faster.
The man ran away from Yoon Joong-gi and headed for the three big men that were stuck on one side of the hallway.
The man, who turned his foot, suddenly swung a club toward the three big men.
"Doctor!"
Yoon Joong-gi shouted in fright.
Dowook felt a sense urgently digging into his fingertips while trying to protect his body by reaching out reflexively.
Before he could determine whose sense it was, an instinctive movement took over his body.
He grabbed the man aiming for Muk-ho by the arm and cor. Then he threw him to the floor using the man¡¯s momentum against him.
Whoosh!
Dowook, who seeded in smoothly stopping the man with Judo moves, grabbed the man¡¯s arms as he was moaning in shock and bent it back. Then he reached out to Yoon Joong-gi, who arrivedte.
Dowook effectively overpowered the criminal and maintained a pressing posture. Yoon Joong-gi also reflexively took handcuffs out of his waist and handed them over.
nk, nk.
Cuffing the man, Dowook turned to Yoon Joong-gi, the source of the sense which sparked a strong urge to overpower the criminal.
Yoon Joong-gi, who became shocked, asked Dowook.
"Doctor, did you learn judo?¡±
"That''s¡"
Muk-ho, who almost got hit by a club, stretched his neck and looked at Dowook.
"Whoa. Doctor hyung-nim. You''re really sharp. Do you have any thoughts about ying with us? We''ll treat you with special treatment. 1 million won at a time!"
[T/N: The man with the big nose called Dowook ¡®doctor hyung-nim¡¯ as a show of respect since in gangs those in respected positions are called ¡®hyung-nim.¡¯ The y mentioned here isn¡¯t very clear. But from what I¡¯ve gathered, they might have a fighting/sports club. Or they''re gathering people to participate in a gang fight.]
Chapter 75: Butcher (4)
The police rushed out of the emergency room.
Yoon Joong-gi, who was helping Dowook back up, spoke to the Seodaemun-gu police officers who were just approaching.
"I''m Lieutenant Yoon Joong-gi from the Investigation team. I''m done suppressing them."
"Who is this guy? There are so many police officers, why are you using a weapon?"
"I think the Namyeong faction''s rival entertainment organization, Chunsik faction, sent a warning. Please arrest and investigate immediately and report it to the Investigation Team Captain Oh. He''s in the underground parking lot."
Yoon Joong-gi, who quietly watched the police disappear with the guy who caused the disturbance, turned to Dowook.
"Doctor. My biggest wish for the past six months has been to catch the financial criminal named Heogi-poong and put him behind bars. I think the final clue is here. I''m sure you were surprised, but can you continue to help me?"
Dowook looked at his hands that were still tingling with the lingering sense that he used to overpower his opponent.
This detective¡¯s sense was infusing his heart with something that could perfectly be expressed with the word ¡®passion.¡¯
"You have to catch bad guys. Let''s go."
Yoon Joong-gi, who saw Dowook step up, smiled and followed.
The guy next to Muk-ho asked him, who looked nkly at the two, a doctor and a detective, walking together.
"What about us, Muk-ho hyung-nim?"
"What do you mean? You have to get in first. That detective was from the Investigation Team. It means that it will never end if you don''t catch the culprit. Min-gyu, you should tell Dooyoung hyung-nim about the situation right away. He went to take an MR or something a while ago.¡±
The three people also entered the emergency center.
Dowook stood in the middle of the emergency center and was lost in thought.
"You need evidence to catch the suspect, and you need to confirm that it¡¯s the suspect to be arrested in reality.¡¯
Even if the criminal whose sense he¡¯d received earlier was found, simply chasing in that direction was not going to help. But urately exining this principle to Officer Yoon was not possible.
¡®I can use a special sense. So I found it.¡¯
If he said this at the police station, he may be fined for bbing nonsense.
"Detective, please put it here."
Dowook put Yoon Joong-gi''sptop on the cart and opened it with a look. Perhaps the culprit reacted to this earlier.
On the automatically powered-on screen, an unfamiliar screen of a cryptocurrency OS, not a typical Windows OS, emerged.
¡®Come here, sense.¡¯
Dowook put his hand on theptop carefully, conscious of his surroundings.
Tingle.
There was definitely a reaction. He secretly looked around to see where it came from, but it was not easy to track the route in the crowded emergency room that was filled with more people than before.
There was no reason to overdo it when it was hard to find even if he looked carefully.
"So, do you think you can log in like before? The forensics representative will arrive in about 20 minutes."
"I think it''s possible."
Dowook pointed to the direction of the emergency center''s medical office because it was not necessary to show all of this to the criminal.
"Let''s finish it inside."
"Patient. Are there any problems?"
The baseball cap man nodded at the nurse''s question.
"I''ll slow down the fluid. Your body temperature and blood pressure are all stable."
After the nurse who touched the fluid control device connected to the forearm disappeared, the baseball cap''s eyes turned towards the center.
A detective holding aptop was walking in.
The baseball cap man, holding the cell phone in his hand, attempted to contact the troubleshooter.
[Where is it?]
[Found it. At the 9 o''clock direction]
The baseball cap''s gaze turned left when he saw the text. Thirty meters ahead. A solid man in a doctor''s gown nodded very slightly.
[Evidence disappears only when we get back theptop. Remote removalmand doesn''t work.]
[Check]
The troubleshooter moved in the direction that the detective disappeared.
Tap tap ta-tap tap.
Yoon Joong-gi, who had been watching Dowook move his fingers quickly, unknowingly eximed.
"I guess you have to do everything well to be a doctor these days."
"What?"
"How can you do this in a sh? You¡¯re also very athletic."
Unable to say that this was all thanks to the criminal and the detective, Dowook disyed a cryptocurrency wallet on theptop screen.
The biggest clue in the fight between criminals and detectives had emerged.
"It''s done."
"Good! Thank you, doctor!"
"It was nothing"
Would the suspect in there know that he was chased by using his own talent? Dowook was surprised that he could use the special sense inpletely unexpected ces.
"I think something wille out when the forensics staff arrives."
The same screen as before, but the number unit of bitnes had changed considerably.
¡¶Bitrain possessed: 162,092 ¡·
About 20,000 won down. In terms of value, 1.1 billion won disappeared in an hour.
As soon as Dowook recognized it, his finger moved to enter the cryptographic protocolnguage.
A new window called "Coin Blender" emerged, and it was revealed that the unit system of 20,000 little coins, which disappeared, was being transmitted in installments to other cryptocurrency tokens.
Bitrain was being cut off, and Little Coin was gradually increasing.
"What? What''s this?"
"I don''t know exactly either."
Although his hands knew, but the nk feeling in his head was more than when he used mathematical forms by himself. It seemed to be because it was a totally unfamiliar field.
Dowook was focused on the screen as much as possible. Yoon Joong-gi bounced his finger while thinking hard next to him.
"Doctor. From what I heard from the captain, the suspect does moneyundering with a method called mixing, and he said that the coins are mixed into different types and finally delivered to the customer. If you dig into it the other way around, you''ll find the person who first entered this coin fund¡¡.¡±
Knock, knock.
The door of the medical office opened and an intern pushed his head in.
"Is the detective here?"
"It''s me. What''s wrong?"
"The investigation team leader, who was brought earlier, is in the operating room, and he is urgently looking for you."
"Is he awake?"
Yoon Joong-gi, whose face became brighter, jumped to his feet.
"Doctor, I''ll be back after meeting the captain. I need to report the progress of the investigation and check the status."
"Go ahead."
Yoon Joong-gi disappeared, and Dowook deeply recalled the concept of backtracking that he had just heard.
"Will it work?"
Tap tap.
When Dowook typed in the code, the ¡®Coin Blender¡¯ window popped up again, and information on the currency before Bitrain was now zero.
"Oh, it''s simple. If it''s like this¡¡.¡±
Click.
He heard the sound of the door closing so Dowook turned around.
"Intern, why are you standing like that? What''s wrong?¡±
"It''s nothing."
"You don''t have to look at me in a weird way. I''m the same age as Chang Soo, the resident chief of the medical office. Ah, Chang Soo is not the chief anymore. Do you know who became the chief of the emergency department?"
"That''s¡."
The intern''s movement to gradually narrow the distance between them was a little strange.
Tingle.
A strange sensation swirled around his hands and feet. Since there were only two of them in the room, Dowook could confirm that this was that intern''s sense.
¡®What is it? I don''t think it''s a sense rted to medicine.¡¯
Dowook looked at the ID card that the intern had put in his middle pocket.
Upside down, the picture was invisible. No matter how much the intern who had endured for the past year in the hospital was about to finish his term, that waspletely rude¡¡.
Suddenly, Dowook got goosebumps on his forearms.
The fact that an intern suddenly appeared in front of his eyes, who received a sense but was not a doctor or an intern. It was so weird.
"Intern Ha Sang Joong."
"Yes?"
"Can you call the head nurse of the emergency room?¡±
Standing 3m ahead, the intern was not listening to his senior, who had four years of experience. Even though he was called by apletely different name from the name written on the ID card.
¡®Fake?¡¯
The man across from him was a fake doctor.
The fake intern, who was looking at Dowook¡¯s expression, rushed out of nowhere. Startled by the speed, Dowook tried to dodge away but his body reacted the other way.
His fist stretched out as it was, aiming for the fake intern. Besides, it wasn''t even a normal fist.
Weaving his upper body followed by a right hook.
"Huh!"
He was also surprised to hit his opponent''s side, but his opponent, though surprised, managed to avoid it.
Dowook groaned automatically at the pain of hitting an iron ball.
"Who are you?"
The fake intern, who saw Dowook getting into the boxing position, smiled suspiciously and attacked. This time, it was a proper step.
Dowook realized at this moment. What the fake doctor''s sense was.
Swoosh!
The opponent''s fist, which was certain to make him pass out if it hit, brushed the tip of his chin. Dowook side stepped with both arms guarding his face, and he punched a couple of times toward the opponent''s abdomen.
The fake intern''s body was extremely hard.
While shuddering at the pain, a murmur arrived from outside.
"Here¡"
The fake intern hit the shoulder of Dowook as he shouted for help. Dowook was sent flying due to the difference in muscle strength andnded on the floor of the medical office.
"Ugh¡"
The fake intern took theptop on the table, put it in a secret chest pocket, and ran outside.
Muk-ho and his friends, who were walking side by side with bread in their mouths and drinks in one hand, saw the door of the staff room door bang open, and their eyes grew bigger when they saw the fake intern running out like lightning.
"What''s that?"
Dowook shouted at the tworge guys seen outside.
"Get him! Get him!"
Muk-ho, who threw a can of beverage at his opponent, blocked the fake intern. The others also reached out to catch the fake intern.
Swish, swish.
Avoiding the attacks with light movements and taking a few steps back, the fake intern was cornered against a wall.
A two-pronged attack.
Realizing that he couldn''t just pass by, the fake intern took a boxing step with a bouncy rhythm.
Muk-ho, who gulped down the bread he was chewing,ughed.
"What are you? Are you a professional yer? What organization is it? It doesn''t look like Lottery Tickets."
The fake intern stretched his fist without answering.
Muk-ho, who was hit by the fake intern twice, approached and held onto the fake intern.
"This is itchypared to the big doctor hyung-nim''s hand. Woongman, what are you doing?"
Another guy tried to hold down an arm from behind the fake intern.
The fake intern twisted his fist and hit the tip of Muk-ho''s chin strongly.
Muk-ho''s eyes were on the verge of losing consciousness due to an borate hit.
"You little punk!"
The same blow flew from the guy in the back.
The moment the fake intern, who quickly overpowered the two with different weight sses, was about to escape.
Bang!
Dowook, who came out of the medical officete, hit the chair he brought to the back of the fake intern''s head.
And sent a one-two to his chin.
The fake intern also copsed on the floor due to the blows.
"Heuk. Heuk."
Dowook¡¯s whole body was sore and his fists tingled, but he immediately checked to see how the fake intern was doing.
"Ow, ow. My chin."
Muk-ho, who managed to withstand the pain just before he passed out, was surprised to see Dowook looking at the pupils of the fake intern with a pen light.
"Oi, doctor hyung."
"Are you okay?"
"Right now¡ What are you doing?¡±
"This person is in a stupor. I think his neck nerves are a little twisted. I need to put on a brace."
Beating a guy up and then treating him was a terrifying form of violence that Muk-ho had never seen in his 13 years of life as a gangster.
Muk-ho, who was watching Dowook, quietly looked down at his pants. Just in case.
"Doctor!"
Yoon Joong-gi, who knew he was deceived, ran over from the end of the hallway. Upon arrival, he was bewildered by the situation that took ce here and was speechless.
Dowook calmly announced the situation first.
"He was aiming for theptop. Is he the culprit?"
"No, he wasn''t in the cafe¡ Huh?¡±
Yoon Joong-gi scoffed.
"He looks like the one who touched the cafe facility. The description Ahn Seok-young described is simr to this guy."
"The person who caused the explosion in the cafe? Oh my god."
With this murmur, Yoon Joong-gi looked at Dowook with incredulity.
Decodingptops and arresting aplices.
That doctor was leading this investigation all by himself.
Chapter 76: Butcher (5)
Oh Sang-man, the captain of Investigation Team 1 of the Seoul Metropolitan Police, who was sitting in the back of a brown van in the underground parking lot, turned his head at the sound of knocking on the window.
Four detectives were gathered next to the car.
Opening the door, Captain Oh handed out the investigation data he had in his hand to the detectives.
"Hurry up and read. Then prepare for the interrogation."
One of the detectives, who had been looking at the data for a while, looked up.
"Isn''t Heogi-poong moneyunderer that Team 2 has been chasing for more than half a year?"
"That''s right. I''ve got a definite situation that he''s in the emergency room of this hospital."
"What''s going on?¡±
"Intentional gas explosion. Why would the wall of the cafe suddenly fly away in a win-win situation when the deal was over? He noticed the undercover detective. It seems like a contractor¡¯s work."
Captain Oh lowered his voice and said, "No one is listening."
"As you can see from the data, this guy is not the end. Economic offenders, financial crime organizations, partners, etc. everyone is involved here. There''s a lot of investigation. It''s still January 1st, and you can just umte the year-end arrest results."
"Did Team 2 just hand over these golden eggs?¡±
"What do you mean ¡®just¡¯? Captain Chun and three main detectives in the second team are in aa. If you stop this important arrest opportunity because of the injured people, is that what a police officer should do?¡±
A golden opportunity where he was justified in eating the results of other teams¡¯ hard work. Captain Oh wasn¡¯t about to let this go.
"From now on, we will thoroughly interrogate and quickly identify the suspect. So that themissioner can see the criminal''s face as soon as he goes to work tomorrow morning. Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
"If you understand, follow me while reading the data.¡±
Captain Oh got out of the van and stood in front of the elevator in the parking lot. He pressed the up button and waited, and the elevator door opened.
Inside, police officers from the local police station and Inspector Ahn Seok-young of the second metropolitan area apanied a man.
"Detective Ahn?"
"Captain Oh."
"What''s wrong with him? Did these gangsters do something crazy again?¡±
Ahn Seok-young shook his head roughly pushing the deste man wearing fixed protective gear around his neck forward.
"He¡¯s the suspect behind the explosion of the cafe."
"What?"
All the detectives in the first team were wide-eyed.
"I''ll be interrogating this person in the office, so please focus on searching for Heogi-poong."
Captain Oh urgently asked Ahn Seok-young, who was about to leave the parking lot.
"Hey, Officer Ahn. How were you able to get hold of him when you were with me? I''m sure he didn''t turn himself in."
"The doctor at this hospital caught him and handed him over."
"Wh-who?"
Captain Oh thought he¡¯d heard it wrong.
"Then, I''ll get going. Early morning interrogation is prohibited by the main office. There are only two hours left."
Captain Oh had no choice but to look at Ahn Seok-young like a dog who¡¯d been chasing a chicken.
At a time when Heogi-poong''s case was taken over, forcing him to hand over even the arrested criminal was losing both justification and practicality.
As soon as Ahn Seok-young disappeared, Captain Oh said.
"How did the doctor catch the bomber from the cafe? You follow Ahn Seokyoung. Watch the interrogation and contact me right away if any information about Heogi-poonges out."
"Inspector Ahn will probably hand over the important information on his own.¡±
"How could he just hand it over on his own? If it were you, you would be deprived of the investigation you''ve worked so hard for months, but you''d be willing to help me well.¡.¡±
Captain Oh, who pointed out the fact that everyone was pretending not to know because he was embarrassed, coughed and got on the elevator.
"What are you doing? You''re not going to get on?"
Inside the emergency room.
The man wearing a baseball cap gritted his teeth.
[T/N: I¡¯ll be calling him ¡®baseball cap¡¯ from now on until his name appears.]
He failed to secure theptop.
It was said that it was protected by high encryption, so that could buy time, but if the transaction waspleted normally and automatically removed, this would not have urred at all.
The baseball cap, who was fiddling with his cell phone to try to find another troubleshooter, quickly stopped moving when he saw two police officers passing by the bed.
"These days, gangsters don''t seem to have a background. Are you sending your subordinates to a ce full of police officers to warn rival organizations?¡±
"That guy? Wasn''t he a psychopath?¡±
"No, the detective in charge said that."
The baseball cap''s eyes shed when he heard this.
It was the story of an organization fighting for influence with the Namyoung faction. Chunsik''s sale, which operated a gambling house that used illegal lottery tickets as currency, was a ce where the amount of money he wanted to wash was too small to be included in the transaction candidate list.
An organization that went this far might be the answer.
The baseball cap, which turned on the dark web''s connector with his cell phone, searched for customer information and found the Chunsik boss'' number.
[If you help me, I''ll give you 1 billion won. 300 million won in advance]
By text, he presented all the moneyundering fees to be obtained from the transaction. It was a waste when considering the value of keeping this business safe, but it was money that needed to be invested.
"Good job."
Someone approached the bed.
"I''m Oh Sang-man, the captain of Investigation Team 1 of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency."
The baseball cap looked at Captain Oh after manipting his cell phone to show a messenger screen.
"Detective, did you catch the culprit who made the cafe like that?"
"We can''t inform the general public in detail about the progress of the investigation, but we have some questions. Please answer sincerely."
"Right. I hope the culprit is caught soon.¡±
Under the baseball cap, the man''s face was covered with an innocent mask which said, ¡®I don''t know anything.¡¯
Nurses walking in the hallway of the emergency center were surprised to see the size of the leader guarding the entrance of the medical office like a steel tower.
Muk-ho drew a full smile on his face so that the passers-by would not be surprised, but it only caused the nurses to walk faster.
The guy next to him shook his head toward Muk-ho.
"Brother, I don''t think that''s right."
"What?"
"When that face of yours smiles, people get scared."
"You punk."
A man in his mid-30s wearing a jacket with the phrase "cyber safety" on his back approached the two.
"Excuse me¡¡±
Checking the name written on the door and checking the two men. The man tilted his head, as Muk-ho asked sharply.
"What is it?"
"Is Officer Yoon Joong-gi here?"
"Ah. Are you here to meet the detective? The person who specializes in forengi?¡±
"I''m the forensics manager, Ham Sung Soo."
"That''s right, forensics. I can only speak twonguages, Seoul and Gyeongsang-do. But you can''t just go in here. I need to be sure of your identity to get in, so show me your ID."
Click.
The door of the office opened and Yoon Joong-gi pped Muk-ho in the back of his head.
"Are you crazy? Where is there a gangster checking the police ID card?¡±
"It''s because of the safety of our doctor. Isn''t that yer a mean guy whoes in with a disguise? I''m not a gangster today, but the doctor''s right arm."
"Take care of your brothers, you guys. Sergeant Ham, pleasee in."
Ham Sung-soo, who passed between the men and entered the room, pointed outside with a surprised look.
"What are they doing?"
"The gangsters needlessly take care of loyalty. Don''t worry about it."
Yoon Joong-gi sat in a chair and pointed to Dowook disinfecting the wound on his hand.
"This is Dr. Park Dowook that I mentioned earlier."
Dowook exchanged greetings with Ham Sung-soo after attaching thest band-aid to the back of the bruised hand while hitting the criminal''s hard body without realizing it.
Yoon Joong-gi pointed to the table.
"The evidenceptop is over there."
Ham Sung-soo, sitting in front of theptop, eximed as soon as he saw the screen.
"This is the famous coin blender.¡±
"Coin blender?"
Ham Sung-soo, who felt the ignorance contained in Yoon Joong-gi''s question, briefly exined.
"All transactions ofrge cryptocurrencies are open to the public. The anonymity of the parties to the transaction is guaranteed, but the anonymity of the transaction itself is not guaranteed. That coin blender is a currency mixing program thatplements it, a kind of anti-tracking technology."
Ham Sung-soo, who was slowly looking at the information floating on the screen, soon opened his mouth and looked at Dowook.
"You tracked the flow of funds before mixing. If we work properly, it will take at least three nights and four days."
It was natural since he had the sense of the person who made it, but it seemed very surprising to that digital investigator. Dowook smiled awkwardly and quickly changed the subject.
"If we trace it back, can we definitely catch the culprit?¡±
"Wait a minute."
Ham Sung-soo, who was tapping on the keyboard, sighed quietly.
"The blockchain archive on the Dark Web is the first trading point. Even if the wallet information of cryptocurrency is clear, it is too much to find it at once. Everything is encrypted.¡±
Yoon Joong-gi couldn''t keep up with all of the information, so he took out a notebook and asked.
"Can you decipher it?"
"It''s possible if you run the program at the headquarters and get support from the cyber investigation unit."
"What information can you get?¡±
"The bank ount where the actual currency was injected, the IP of the ess point, the date, something like that.¡±
The ount information alone was enough clue to identify the culprit.
Dozens of alphabets and numbers that look like machine codes.
Yoon Joong-gi looked at the ce pointed at by Ham Sung-soo''s fingertips for a long time, but he couldn''t understand what it was at all.
"Even if it looks like a meaningless list, it''s an asymmetric cryptographic system using a small number of RSA. Do you know Snowden? The person who exposed the CIA corruption. He also used this method to exchange information to avoid CIA tracking. Thanks to you, we have a decoding program."
Yoon Joong-gi, who was diligently writing down information in his notebook, asked.
"How long does it take to confirm with clues?"¡±
"About 3 days¡"
"I need it done by tomorrow morning. You can''t hold on to more people without evidence."
"Let''s recruit a few more team members and shorten it as much as possible. Our team owes a lot to Captain Cheon, too.¡±
Ham Sung-soo stood up and put theptop in his bag. After bowing slightly to Dowook, he turned to Yoon Joong-gi and asked very carefully.
"How is the captain doing?¡±
"He still hasn''t be conscious."
"Oh my¡"
"Please. We have to catch him."
The forensics officer left and Yoon Joong-gi looked at Dowook.
"Doctor, I got a big clue thanks to you. Thank you so much."
"What? Hold on tight and put him behind bars. Can we arrest him with this?¡±
"Yes, as long as we keep to the Miranda Rights."
Yoon Joong-gi looked at Dowook remembering what he said earlier and joking lightly with a grateful look.
Yoon Joong-gi, who came out of the hallway, bowed his head to Dowook one more time and disappeared toward the emergency center.
¡®It''s roughly finished, right? That fake intern, it was really creepy.¡¯
Dowook walked toward the lobby to return to the neurosurgery department and turned to the men following behind him. The tworge men were following timidly.
"You don''t have to follow me anymore. The police took theptop."
Muk-ho shook his head.
"How can we do that? Woongman and I will be your right and left arm until the criminal is caught. It''s a bad game where professional yers are also put in, so who knows what would happen."
"That''s right. We''ll be the bodyguards."
Dowook eventually walked with two wings attached. Each doctor and nurse he encountered were busy getting out of the way.
Ding.
No one got on the elevator with them.
Dowook arrived in front of the office like that, continuing to feel like he had be the leader of a criminal organization for about three minutes.
Just before opening the door, Dowook looked back at the two behind him.
"Are you really going to stay here?¡±
"Of course."
"You''re not asking me to participate in the fight, are you?¡±
"No. Absolutely not. But if we raise it to 2 million won, would you consider fighting¡¡.¡±
"No."
When he refused at once, Muk-ho scratched the back of his head.
"I think you can get more than that, but I can''t offer more than two because I''m just the fifth. If it were Sung-oh hyung-nim, he would have offered up to 3 million won."
Dowook entered the office and tried to close the door, but saw two people lined up side by side. Although they seemed fierce, he thought they weren¡¯t that bad.
"Rest well, doctor."
The two bowed.
The neurosurgery hallway at 10 p.m. was dark. It felt a little weird to leave it there. Anyway, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to catch the fake intern without them.
"You can sit in the chair inside, but you have to be quiet. My exam is just around the corner."
"Can we do that? Of course. We''ll keep our mouths shut."
"Come on in."
The two men stepped carefully into the office.
All kinds of surgical models disyed on one side of the wall. Among them, Muk-ho''s expression froze when he saw the silicone head, which disyed the brain clearly.
"Oh man. What do you do here?"
"It''s an office and a surgery practice room."
"Doctor, you¡¯re a really scary person."
Dowook asked Muk-ho, who seemed very scared.
"Do you know who owns this room?"
"You?"
"No. The big doctor hyung-nim."
In response, Muk-ho grabbed his neck and the cheek next to him reflexively.
Smiling Dowook pointed to one chair.
"Sit over there. The big hyung-nim left work, so you don''t have to do that."
"Who is scared?"
"Oh? Professor Choi?"
When Dowook asked back toward the door, Muk-ho turned his back in surprise.
Of course, there was no one in the hallway.
"Please close the door since you turned your head."
Muk-ho''s embarrassment,caused by Dowook¡¯s teasing, made hispanionugh.
"You''re so cute today, Muk-ho hyung-nim."
"Hey. Shut up."
Under the protection of the two men who were crude but unexpectedly pure-hearted, Dowook resumed studying for his specialist exam which was disturbed by Seong Chang Soo¡¯s emergency call.
About an hourter.
Although Dowook¡¯s head wasn''t very tired, he couldn¡¯t help falling asleep because of his body¡¯s exhaustion. He woke up at the sound of knocking on the office door.
When they turned their heads around, the two big guys had leaned their heads on each other and left for a distant dreand.
Bang bang.
"Doctor! Dr. Park Dowook!"
It was an urgent voice.
Dowook approached the door without even yawning.
Click.
When he opened the door, Yoon Joong-gi, who was covered with sweat, stood in the hallway.
"Doctor, I''m in trouble."
As soon as Yoon Joong-gi saw Dowook, he told him shocking news.
"Officer Ham, who was returning to the station, was attacked. Fortunately, it happened near the main office, so he wasn''t seriously injured, but the strongest evidence to catch the criminal¡¡ It evaporated."
Dowook was speechless. Yoon Joong-gi spoke as if asking for help.
"It''s clear that their purpose was theptop, but just in case, please don''t leave the hospital until morning. I''ll apply for personal protection for you at the police station."
"There''s no evidence at all?¡±
"There are still clues that I wrote down to report to President Chun. I''ll share this with the investigation team and catch it for sure.¡.¡±
Yoon Joong-gi, who was looking into the notebook, took a few deep breaths with a sad face.
From the cafe explosion to an investigator who cooperated in infiltrating a contractor.
There were too many things that a young detective could not handle at a time when Cheon Ho-beom, who had been at the center of the investigation, was in aa.
"Why are you here again?"
Muk-ho, who woke upte, ran out in surprise when he saw Yoon Joong-gi.
"Did you catch the culprit?"
"Keep your loyalty to the doctor. I''ll be watching you."
As soon as Yoon Joong-gi, who said so, was about to disappear.
"Detective. Wait a minute."
Dowook picked up his cell phone and pressed the call button.
-Dr. Park?
"Director, is there a form that calctes a password? Do you know how to solve this?"
-More than 200 digits would be difficult in a short time.
"Detective. The code that Sergeant Ham mentioned earlier. How many digits are there in total?¡±
When asked, Yoon Joong-gi began counting the alphabets written in the notebook with his fingers.
"¡¡45, 50. 54 digits."
"They said 54 digits".
-Then it''ll take 20 minutes.
"Oh, really?"
-If we find it together, it might take 10 minutes.
"Then¡"
-Sounds good.
The answer came out first even before he could ask. This must be why her sister kept teasing her for being a Semdeok.
-Where should we meet?
"I''ll go up."
Dowook, who finished the call, turned to Yoon Joong-gi.
"Can you photocopy that and give me a copy? There''s a mathematician I know well, and I think she can solve it. Her skills are incredible.¡±
Yoon Joong-gi was speechless at the moment.
A method to break through the blocked investigation again. Was there anything that the doctor couldn¡¯t do?
Chapter 77: Butcher (6)
When Dowook opened the door of Room 2007, he saw Lim So Yool boiling water in an electric pot.
"Director."
"You¡¯re here."
Lim So Yool, holding a tea bag in her hand, made eye contact with Dowook.
"Would you like some? Or coffee?
"Coffee sounds good.¡±
Lim So Yool opened all the cupboards in the reception room and found a container containing coffee. Dowook approached to help her open the lid since she was having trouble with it.
"I¡"
"Huh¡?"
Even before finishing her sentence, the container slipped from her hand. Coincidentally, Dowook naturally snatched it away. While he was holding it, he opened the lid and held it out.
"Here."
"Oh, thank you."
Lim So Yool, who was already scooping some coffee out, jerked her head up.
"Did you think I''d make a mistake?"
"It was a coincidence."
"Coincidence is part of the probability. If you had predicted my usual pattern, it means that I''ve been acting that poorly. There was only one time when I dropped something absurdly in front of the doctor, ok?¡±
The switch of the electric pot went up, and Lim So Yool, who started pouring water, jerked back to look at Dowook. Then she carefully adjusted the amount of water as if she would never make a mistake.
Dowook smirked.
"Isn''t life too tight if you try to figure out how coincidental everything around you is?"
"Even if you calcte the exact time of sunrise, the wonder of the sunrise across the horizon can not impaired."
"That''s impressive."
"It''s not a good counter argument to show that understanding the world with probability is fine. Here, coffee."
"Thank you."
Dowook took the mug and moved to the hospital room that now ambiguously resembled a residential and office room.
Sitting face to face with Lim So Yool at the table, he presented a photo of Detective Yoon¡¯s notebook on his cell phone.
"This is the encryption sequence I told you about.¡±
Lim So Yool, who took a sip of the sweet-smelling herbal tea, asked while looking at the screen with interest.
"This patient must be a unique case. You¡¯re bringing something like this over. What are you helping with?¡±
"It¡¯s not a patient."
Lim So Yool''s gaze became sharp at his response.
"It¡¯s not even a patient, but you''re calcting like this?"
She seemed a little angry, and Dowook looked at her, ¡®Huh?'' he couldn''t judge how she felt right now just by her expression.
"We didn''t calcte together, we investigated together.¡±
"Investigate?¡±
A major ident urred, and detectives and criminals were brought to the hospital together, and one of them was operated on and even helped with this.
After hearing it all, Lim So Yool lifted her notebook and pen with a relieved look.
"Oh, it''s fine. But you overpowered a person twice?¡±
"I''m not exaggerating."
"I think that''s possible. Because it¡¯s you."
Lim So Yool, who expressed her belief, handed a pen to Dowook.
"Should we begin calcting?¡±
"Let''s do it."
Dowook ced his cell phone on the table and turned on the screen.
"How do you solve this code?"
"We need coincidence."
"What?"
Lim So Yool smiled at the bewildered expression on Dowook¡¯s face.
"One-way functions are useful to hide numbers so that only I can recognize them. Usually, we use a small number."
A snooty number that only dposes into one with oneself, a prime number, one of which was written on the note of Lim So Yool.
"The code that the doctor brought can be expressed one by one in an equation containing a few. It''s entirely up to the mathematician''s intuition to understand the 54 riddles in numbers. That''s why we need coincidence.¡±
Lim So Yool, who opened her notebook, looked at Dowook.
"Let''s start with Equation. I''ll start from the front. You from the back."
Dowook felt Lim So Yool''s sense rushing into his hands. This impulse alone could tell him that she was excited about the challenge ahead of them.
Wiggling fingers.
These days, he felt very sensitive about epting other people¡¯s senses.
"How many days until the director''s sense reaches 100%? ¡¯
A different feeling from the familiarity of medical science. Dowook thought he would only know how much proficiency he could build after oveing this unfamiliarity.
"Let''s get started."
The room became quiet for a while. Only the crunching of paper, scribbling of writing and sipping of drinks could be heard in the silence.
After about 10 minutes, the equations of the two ovepped in the 30th string.
Lim So Yool''s pen, which was fiercely continuing her writing, stopped. And she looked at the tip of Dowook¡¯s pen.
"You only did 24. You can do the one left."
"I''ll give it to you. I lost anyway."
"Haha."
Thest equation was recorded, and Lim So Yool, who went through the results, began organizing it on a new page.
"These are all the numbers before encryption.¡±
Dowook confirmed that the number estimated as the ount number and the number estimated as the IP address were clearly revealed and realized that Sergeant Ham''s prediction was correct.
"Thank you, director. This will be a clue.¡±
"I hope you catch the criminal.¡±
Dowook, who was in a hurry to deliver it to Detective Yoon, waved lightly to Lim So Yool as a good-bye.
Bowing his head slightly before leaving, Dowook looked over her shoulders, and the spacious room behind her caught his eye.
The scenery of sitting alone next to the table looked very lonely.
"These days, I feel like I''m asking you for too many favors. Is there anything you want to ask of me?"
"Will you listen to anything?"
"Yes."
Lim So Yool answered after thinking for a moment.
"Then please go somewhere with me."
"Oka¡ Huh? Where do you want to go? It''s not calcting somethingplicated?¡±
"It''d be better if you came and calcted with me as well."
Dowook thought it wouldn''t be a simple ce, but once she spoke up, he nodded.
"Please contact me when the time is set. I''ll make sure to leave my schedule empty."
¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it.¡±
Dowook came out, walked to the entrance of the VIP ward and saw tworge men standing upright. In front of them, two police officers in working clothes were also standing together.
There had been no invisible threats since the fake intern incident, but there were currently four people following him for protection.
"Shall we go?"
While walking in the elevator with four followers, Muk-ho asked.
"Are you done, doctor?"
Dowook shook the paper in his hand.
"It just came out."
"The bastard who did this to our Sung-oh hyung-nim. I hope that you catch him and put him behind the bars. He even called the people over cheaply.¡±
Muk-ho, who tried to recruit him and Choi Hoo, excitedly bit and tore the criminal with a very generous mind.
"Copper, don''t you think so? A crazy kid who blows up a building just because he''s in trouble. He should be fed a lot of bean rice."
[T/N: The bean ricement is referring to jail since it¡¯s widely considered that food in jail is so bad/cheap that they don¡¯t even give you rice but mix it with beans.]
"That''s ¡"
Those police officers could not treat the two men as if they were children like Detective Yoon. They were quite simple once you got to know them but Dowook could not tell them that.
They took the elevator and got off on the first floor where the emergency room was located.
Ding.
"Huh?"
Muk-ho''s speech decreased sharply because Detective Yoon and other detectives in in clothes were gathered in one ce near the emergency room entrance.
As he approached, he found a man in his 50s standing among the detectives and shouting angrily.
-Hey, Yoon Joong-gi! What are you doing? If you''re going to use the forensics, you have to report it. Are you the only one investigating?
-Captain Oh, you said you were going to focus on interrogating the criminal.¡.
-Look at this guy¡¯s sly mouth. You were trying not to spit out important evidence!
Detective Yoon was being badly scolded by Captain Oh.
-No, the evidence is in this notebook¡¡.
-You said yourptop was stolen! Get rid of useless things right now!
Captain Oh hit the notebook and it flew in the air until it fell in front of Dowook¡¯s foot.
Dowook picked up the notebook and approached.
"Umm¡"
Captain Oh nced at the doctor who appeared with a gangster and police officer on his back at the same time. While trying to turn his head toward Officer Yoon again, he looked at Dowook again because theposition of the personnel was unique.
"Who are you?"
When Dowook met Captain Oh, he was reminded of the face of the integrated internal medicine chief, who had been making noise while finding fault in him not long ago.
Dowook didn''t know if a selfish number was included in the police''s struggle for power, but the intensity of pressure seemed no different from the doctor''s society.
"Who are you? We''re conducting an important investigation. If you''re going to interrupt¡¡.¡±
"This notebook."
Dowook turned to Officer Yoon, who was isted alone. And he continued to talk.
"With the information written on this notebook, I found the ount number and IP address that the criminal used for the first deposit. This person says it''s useless. What about you, Officer Yoon? Do you need it?¡±
All of the first-tier detectives in the metropolitan area, including Captain Oh, had widened their eyes.
Detective Yoon asked with a surprised face.
"Did you really find it?"
"Here you go."
Detective Yoon''s face, as he received the paper written by Lim So Yool, was in full bloom. Detective Yoon immediately picked up his cell phone and called Lieutenant Ahn Seok-young at the headquarters.
"Detective Ahn, please start the ount tracking. Sergeant Ham will be in the cyber team office. Yes, it''s suspected to be the criminal''s ount."
Captain Oh approached Officer Yoon, who asked for tracking quickly.
"What are you doing now?¡ That person is¡¡. Oh, I''m stammering. What are you two doing right now?¡±
"We''re conducting a joint investigation."
"You have to report it to me."
Detective Yoon stood next to Dowook and answered firmly.
"We are not obligated to report confidential cooperative investigations with outsiders until the end."
"Where is the principle¡. Who¡¯s he? Why does he have gangsters next to him?¡±
"This is the person who caught the bomber of the cafe. He¡¯s Park Dowook from the hospital."
Captain Oh looked dumbfounded by this answer. Muk-ho, who was behind Dowook, intervened tactlessly.
"That''s right, detectives. I definitely saw it. The doctor hit the yer''s chin with his fist! Oh, well. The police missed the guy from the lottery tickets, but the doctor hit him! Put it on the floor with a piggyback throw¡¡.¡±
No one could stop Muk-ho, who opened his mouth, because it was such an amazing situation that the doctor did everything in a ce full of detectives and police.
Vrrrr.
In the meantime, Detective Yoon''s cell phone rang.
Background check information from the headquarters tracking ount numbers and IP addresses came in one after another.
Graduation photo of a man wearing a graduation cap from 10 years ago.
A graduate ofputer science at KAIST.
CEO of an ITpany currently suspected of being a paperpany.
It was the perfect match for Heogi-poong-gi profile created by Captain Cheon while holding onto theputer until dawn for six months.
Detective Yoon looked at Captain Oh.
"Among the emergency room investigators, is there a man whose name is Seo Jung Chul? In his early to mid-30s."
"I think I heard it. That''s right. The man wearing the baseball cap was Seo Jung-chul."
"That guy is Heogi-poong."
Finally, they seeded in identifying the suspect.
As soon as Detective Yoon''s words were over, the first-tier detectives rushed to the emergency room.
Seo Jung-chul, who was waiting in front of the X-ray room, sensed that the entire atmosphere in the emergency room was unusual, with nearby police busy talking on the radio.
He didn''t think they would have caught him.
Far away, a detective was seen looking at the bed he was lying on. When the medical staff pointed their fingers at the direction of the X-ray room, Seo Jung-chul immediately stuck his body behind the wall.
It seemed like he was caught.
Seo Jung-chul pulled out the IV stuck in his arm.
"Patient, if you do that¡"
He put the hat on the doctor''s head standing in front of him and ran to the emergency exit.
He¡¯d familiarized himself with the internal structure of the building in advance.
Next to the indoor garden on the third floor, there was an overpass that led to the building across from it.
If he passed there and ran toward the medical school campus, he would be able to buy time.
Seo Jung-chul ran fast and put his cell phone to his ear.
"Where are you guys? If you want to get the bnce, be quick! The building across from the main building! Come and buy me time!!"
It was the moment he opened the emergency exit door on the third floor and ran to the hallway of the indoor garden. Someone jumped next to him and tackled him.
Crash!
The opponent, who caused Soe Jung-chul to lose his bnce and fall, held him so he could not move and said.
"Seo Jeong-cheol, you¡¯re under arrest on charges of viting illegal fund management, special violence, and concealment of criminal proceeds. You have the right to appoint awyer, make excuses, and exercise your right to remain silent. However, confessing everything and asking for leniency will be the way to reduce the sentence. We''ve got the evidence for the crime.¡±
"What are you¡"
"Oh, you''re talking too casually. Then me too. I¡¯m Lieutenant Yoon Joong-gi. I came from the Investigation Team to catch a big shot. I can''t believe I handcuffed a guy like you. It''s an honor, Heogi-poong."
Seo Jung-chul, who was caught motionlessly, gritted his teeth.
Chapter 78: Butcher (7)
Yoon Joong-gi was firmly holding onto the criminal''s neck with both hands, so he couldn''t touch the handcuffs on his waist.
"What?"
As pressure was applied with Jiu-Jitsu techniques, the criminal soon fainted and rxed. Dowook asked Yoon Joong-gi, who had rxed.
"Don''t you usually twist their arms back and overpower them?¡±
Yoon Joong-gi, who took the handcuffs out of his waist pocket and put them on the criminal''s wrists, stood up and smiled.
"We can''t overpower them like that if there are many people around. This is the first andst choke."
Yoon Joong-gi took out his phone and called Captain Oh while going into the emergency room.
"We''ve arrested the criminal. The hallway on the 3rd floor. Please raise the number of officers."
Through the phone, Captain Oh''s shouts could be heard one after another.
-You punks. The three of us couldn¡¯t catch one person!
Yoon Joong-gi lowered his cell phone with a grimace and turned to Dowook, who urately guessed the criminal''s escape route.
"How did you know that he would run away?"
"The police are blocking the lobby, but it''s sloppy here. The building over there is a children''s hospital, but people don''t use this passage very much. Since he''s an intelligent criminal, I thought he''de this way."
"It''s because the doctor has a better sense than the incumbent detective. I''m embarrassed in many ways."
Dowook smiled at Yoon Joong-gi''s praise.
He couldn''t reveal that he noticed it because the direction the sense wasing from suddenly changed.
¡®Let''s just wrap this up by saying I have better intuition than a detective.¡¯
"Hyung-nim!"
Muk-ho, who btedly jumped up from the central esctor, shouted with a serious look.
"I just got a call saying Lottery Tickets are at the hospital! I think they¡¯re here for Sung-oh hyung-nim, so I have to go right away. No one can stop me!"
The fight, which he said he needed to hire someone for, seemed like it would really take ce.
Dowook looked at Yoon Joong-gi taking care of the criminal. He wanted to ask if the police could mediate the fight between organizations.
However¨C.
A group of people rushed from the other side of the building''s overpass so he couldn¡¯t ask. There were about a dozen people. Muk-ho was surprised.
"Shit! They¡¯re already here! Woongman! Call all the members here!¡±
Muk-ho urgently ordered the big man who was halfway up the esctor.
Dowook looked at the influx of violent criminal gang members.
"Those people. There are so many police officers in the hospital. They¡¯re not trying to create a ruckus here, are they?¡±
"Chinese organizations are not afraid of arrest for profit. That''s why they are fast to expand their power. I think we should call the detectives from the Seodaemunseo Violent Squad."
Rattle.
The emergency exit door opened and Captain Oh and three detectives ran out.
"Detective Yoon!"
Captain Oh ran over quickly.
"Why is Heogi-poong passed out¡.¡±
Captain Oh looked at the handcuffed criminal lying down and shifted his gaze to a group approaching from the other side of the passage.
"Who are they?"
Chun-sik, who had been running from the lead, raised his hand.
Members of the organization who were holding wooden sticks and baseball bats stopped all at once, and the leader opened his mouth.
"Is that guy over there Heogi-poong?"
A question with a strong Yanbian ent. Captain Oh snorted.
"What are these crazy guys doing in front of a police officer?"
"Think carefully before opening your mouth. We have more people."
Captain Oh flinched at the warning of the gang leader. While the detective next to him called the police on the radio, Yoon Joong-gi asked the gang leader.
"You''re not here to get one up on Shin Sung-oh, you''re here to find Heogi-poong? Did you steal Officer Ham''sptop?¡±
"Do I have to answer that when you¡¯re about to be beat up?¡±
The gang leader pointed forward.
A dozen people rushed for Heogi-poong at the same time.
Yoon Joong-gi shook his hands and looked at Dowook.
"Doctor, please move back. Captain Oh, you protect Heogi-poong. I''ll arrest the secondary aplices over there."
Dowook felt a tremendous sense rushing into his fingertips while stepping back. This was Yoon Joong-gi''s sense.
Yoon Joong-gi, who ran like lightning, grabbed a member''s wrist and pushed his elbow the other way around.
"Ugh."
After pushing the gang member who dropped his weapon, he stepped on the knee of the next member with a low kick. With a crackling sound, hended a strong punch to another guy next to him, whose knees were twisted as he copsed.
Pow!
In an instant, three people rolled around the floor while groaning in pain.
It was an effective and fast martial arts technique enough for the remaining members to panic at once.
Yoon Joong-gi, who took out his baton, looked back at the members.
"Thugs who believe in the strength of numbers and rushed in here. Who are you going to crush?¡±
Yoon Joong-gi, who looked confident and cool as he said those words, impressed Dowook.
¡®Wow, he''s not an ordinary person.¡¯
Earlier, Dowook was so busy that he didn''t know who this sense belonged to. He simply considered it as the detective¡¯s familiarity with judo.
But now he could definitely tell.
That detective.
He was a master of fighting, whose whole body was a weapon itself.
Captain Oh also looked to the side after seeing Yoon Joong-gi''s skills with his jaw dropped open.
"What are you doing? Jiwon, aren''t you going?"
Only then did the three detectives run out to deal with the gang members. In addition, Muk-ho and even hispanion jumped into the melee.
Due to Yoon Joong-gi''s unrivaled movements, it felt like he was no longer at a disadvantage.
Dowook stood relieved and saw the gang leader, quietly standing in the back, start to move. Yoon Joong-gi also felt it and tried to respond, but he couldn''t pull himself out because three men were attacking him simultaneously.
The gang leader ran out of the battlefield agilely.
Captain Oh felt his back and pulled out a pistol.
"Hey! If you don''t want to die, stop!"
"Isn¡¯t your first shot a nk?"
Ta-ang!
The nk was fired, but the gang leader approached regardless.
"Stop!"
The gang leader attacked Captain Oh who was aiming the gun once again.
"Doctor!"
Yoon Joong-gi finally defeated his opponents, ran over, and threw his baton toward Dowook.
Tap.
Dowook lightly hit the back of the gang leader who was struggling with Captain Oh, as the impulse in his arm told him to do.
Thud!
The gang leader reacted quickly and reached out to Dowook. There was a knife in his hand.
Dowook hit his opponent¡¯s hand with the baton. He relentlessly kicked the face of the gang leader who was groaning in pain.
The gang leader dropped down in a dead faint.
Yoon Joong-gi, who arrivedte, also looked on with wide eyes.
"You''re not athletic. You know martial arts".
"I just swung it¡¡±
He hadn¡¯t meant to do this, but Yoon Joong-gi''s sense was very explosive.
With an extremely relieved expression, Captain Oh lifted his pistol and fired it into the ceiling.
Ta-ang!
"Stop, you punks!"
The live ammunition blew one of the backs of the ceiling with a roar iparable to the nk. Detectives and members of the organization, who were intertwined in the fight, stopped moving at once.
Organizing the situation.
It wasn''t nned, but the police who asked for support finally arrived on the third floor one after another.
-What is this?
-Oh my god¡
-Call more people over¡¡ No. Ambnce¡¡ No, I mean¡
Captain Oh stood up with some difficulty and looked toward Dowook, who had saved him.
The appearance of a doctor checking the condition of the passed out gang leader by measuring the pulse registered in his mind. At the irony, Captain Oh asked with a disbelieving look.
"Doctor, what are you doing?¡±
"I need to call an orthopedic clinic. If the wrist bone ispletely out and not connected quickly, there is a risk of being crippled.¡±
"That''s¡ He''s a Korean-Chinese gangster. He¡¯s a viin who even tried to stab you with a knife."
Dowook saw the knife of the gang leader on the floor and pushed it away with his toes far away.
"The situation is the situation, and I''m a doctor. And I think I use a knife a little better. On such a dull de, only the fatyer of the skin can be cut."
At the words of the surgeon, who revealed that he was better at using knives than a Korean-Chinese butcher, Captain Oh felt cold sweat flowing down his back.
* * *
The next morning.
Cheon Ho-beom slowly opened his eyes.
As he turned his head while looking at the ceiling, he saw an infusion tube, various lines, and vital monitors. When he recognized that this was inside a hospital room, he remembered being carried away at the time of the ident.
"Aughh."
He lowered his eyes to look at the source of sleep talking.
Yoon Joong-gi was sleeping with his head leaning against the bed under his leg.
"Hey!"
"Ummm¡"
"Hey, Yoon Joong-gi."
Yoon Joong-gi opened his eyes wide.
"Captain!"
Yoon Joong-gi, who approached his bedside immediately, asked while looking around Cheon Ho-beom''s face.
"The doctors told me that your surgery went well and that you would wake up soon, but you didn''t wake up, so I was very worried."
"What about the others?"
"Hyunjin is sleeping next to you. Jun-seop went to the orthopedic clinic to wear a leg cast. Seok-young is interrogating Heogi-poong at the headquarters."
Cheon Ho-beom, who was nodding his head as he heard that all members of Investigation Team 2 were safe, paused.
"Heogi-poong?¡±
"I caught himst night. With a choke."
Cheon Ho-beom saw Yoon Joong-gi with disbelieving eyes.
"The intelligent criminal was caught by someone who can only use his body?¡±
"Are you looking down on me?"
Yoon Joong-gi, who replied, smiled awkwardly.
"I didn''t catch him by myself. The doctor helped me a lot. Really, captain. We should recruit this doctor into the investigation team right away. It''s crazy, crazy.¡±
Yoon Joong-gi began to talk aboutst night with excitement.
"We''ll have to wait and see for a while, but you have to keep in mind rehabilitation training. Brain nerves are also greatly affected by small inmmations. By the way, alcohol and tobo are prohibited. Did you understand?¡±
Shin Sung-oh, whose head was fixed to the bed with an instrument, blinked at Dowook¡¯s exnation.
"Then, I''ll see you at the rounds tomorrow."
Mukk-ho shouted loudly to Dowook as he was about to leave.
"Thank you for your hard work, doctor!"
Shin Sung-oh''s other subordinates also bowed as they loudly greeted Dowook.
Not only the nurses passing through the hallway but also the professors of other departments who were going on their rounds turned to Room 1101.
Dowook shook his head to Muk-ho informing him not to do that and quickly closed the door.
¡®Oh, this is troublesome. What if he keeps doing this until he''s discharged?¡¯
Even if he wanted to hand over patients to his juniors in the medical department, it was clear that they would not be able to provide proper care if suchrge men filled the ward each time they came to examine the patient.
Karma that he had to bear in his life.
After the morning round, Dowook entered the neurosurgery hallway, and a police officer standing in front of the office approached as soon as he saw Dowook.
"I''m Kim Yong-kyung from Seodaemunseo. You are Dr. Park Dowook, right?¡±
"Yes."
Dowook waited for the next question, wondering what the officer came to ask about yesterday''s happenings. However, the police spoke ofpletely unexpected news.
"The seniors who were dispatched from the city kept saying the doctor¡¯s name, so I thought I heard it somewhere. The person who reported the runaway patient a few months ago. That was you, right?"
"Huh? Yes, that''s right. It was by someone named Ji Kang Cheol.¡±
"I forgot because I had a lot of year-end work. I got a call about three weeks ago about that. It was an assistant who worked with a man named Ji Kang-cheol. He said he had something to talk about with you regarding the incident on the day of his disappearance."
The police handed over a memo with his name and phone number to Dowook.
"He said that you could contact him there. Then, bye."
The police saluted and then disappeared. Dowook turned to the memo.
A special sense.
A person rted to the professor who created it appeared.
¡ª¨C
Sync: The martial arts of a detective from the police special forces unit.
Action: Judo, hapkido, and jiu-Jitsu are overflowing with passionate instincts.
T/N: The title for this episode could have been ¡®Swordsman'' or ¡®Butcher''. I went with thetter because it seemed more bad@ss that way.
Chapter 79: Max Impact (1)
A/N: Thanks to AY for the donations once again! Last day of the double chap week. Cheers!
Dowook was standing at the entrance of a university located in the Nowon District.
[The 62nd specialist written exam]
[We wish you sess in your chosen department. President of the Korean Medical Association]
The wording on the bulletin board was simple, but the meaning of this test to a doctor was very special.
It was thest gateway before saying goodbye to the tedious examination thatsted for a total of 11 years from medical school to thepletion of residency.
Dowook walked in the direction of the test site indicated by the arrow, and saw the numerous residents from all over the country.
Everyone looked relieved.
He also felt how much he had grown as a human being naturally learned after rolling around for four years in his department. Judging by the tingling in his fingertips, some of the people here had already developed their own medical sense.
¡®Which department are they from? It''s not too much stimtion, but if it''s already like this, it''s amazing. The world is huge.¡¯
Dowook scattered the senses of others that flooded his fingers and looked at his hands.
Considering the experience umted inrge and small surgeries over the past few months, it was probably denser than any surgeon gathered today. The problem was that no one could objectively grasp how much experience it was.
In front of the building where he had arrived, there was another sign indicating the test area for each department.
Dowook came closer to the neurosurgery test¡¯s room, and he heard a familiar voiceing from nearby.
"¡ Uh, honey. Of course. The passing rate of the specialist exam is 95%. Let''s watch a movie after this. What should we watch? Hero League? Is that fun? It''s so popr these days."
Eyes that look confident with angled sses. It was Ahn Hyung-soo, a graduate of Myeong Sae Medical University.
"Hyung-soo."
"Huh?"
Ahn Hyung-soo, who got off his phone, looked at Dowook.
"Oh? Hey, Park Dowook!"
Of the 3,000 doctors taking the specialist exam, approximately 100 were from the same medical school. If nothing had happened to them in the interim, the probability of encountering them today was very high.
Ahn Hyung-soo grabbed his hand and shook it as he asked.
"How many years has it been? 6 years?¡±
"I guess it''s been that long.¡±
"I was worried when I heard you were going to a hard department. I thought you chose it because you didn''t want topete. But you probably survived since I''m seeing you here, right?¡±
Ahn Hyung-soo, who smiled and talked about his internship, was an elite who had never missed the top.
In particr, his memorization skill was better than most. Therefore, he entered AN Hospital, the undisputed No. 1 among the Big Five, and chose to be an orthopedic surgeon when thepetition in that department was fierce.
"How have you been? Say something."
"It''s just¡"
"If you get a specialist''s license, will you stay at the hospital? Or, open a business? These days, hospitals specializing in spinal surgery have a lot of demand for neurosurgery. My father-inw also said he would open a business for me, but I have to do a fellowship to officially put up an AN hospital sign. It''s not the same as before."
Although they¡¯d worked together often, Dowook wasn¡¯t very close to Ahn Hyung-soo, so there was nothing much to share. Just like then, he was showing off.
After listening to him for a few minutes after meeting for the first time in six years, Dowook slowly measured the time to enter the test site.
"We have a resident quota of 8 this year, and 17 applicants flocked. The highestpetition rate ever. As the average life expectancy increases, the mold keeps popping up. How many did you get?¡±
Dowook had never asked, so he texted Nam Hana for a moment. He thought he should answer this and leave.
As he was waiting for the reply.
"Huh? Aren''t you Park Dowook?"
When he turned his head at the sudden voice, he saw a man he had never seen before. There were four more people next to the man.
"Who¡"
Dowook didn''t remember, but he wondered if it was one of the seniors and juniors he¡¯d encountered at school, but the other man revealed his identity first.
"We are neurosurgery residents from Hansung University. My name is Jung Jongsun. I can''t believe I''m meeting you in person. Oh my god."
While shaking hands with Jeong Jong-seon, the four people standing together bowed their heads to Dowook.
"While studying, we dug into your cases a lot. I''m expecting a question about them in this specialist exam. You know the Park Dowook knot? I heard you practiced thousands of times. Is that a skill that you can do after some practice? It''s fascinating even when I watch the video."
"Uh¡"
Prof. Choi was satisfied after practicing it 3,000 times. Wouldn''t an ordinary surgeon need to do it at least 10,000 times before they could perform it at an eptable level?
Dowook could not bear to share this cruel reality to the young-looking dreamers.
"Of course. You just need to practice. Effort never betrays you."
"I didn''t know I''d take the exam in the same room as someone whose cases would be in the exam. Right. When is Tom Brand¡¯s surgery? Our chief also said that the application for observation was cut off. I''ll try to get a videoter."
"It''s scheduled for next week."
"I''m really looking forward to it. I spent too much of your time. Anyway, it was an honor.¡±
After Jung Jong-sun bowed his head to Dowook repeatedly, he disappeared into the test site.
Ahn Hyung-soo, who was watching the situation directly, asked with a surprised face.
"What is he saying? Your case? Do you even operate?¡±
"I went in a lot recently.¡±
"What does Tom Brand mean? You''re not talking about the Hero League star, are you? The actor who said he was off work for a while due to a brain tumor."
"Well, it''s an official announcement, so I won''t deny it. That''s right. Tom Brand.¡±
Ahn Hyung-soo''s speech decreased sharply.
"Oh, I got a text from our department¡¯s resident chief. Applicants for our department¡¡ Huh?¡±
Dowook read the text again.
"What''s wrong? There''s none".
"There are 32 people. There are only 4 positions. What''s thepetition rate?¡±
Ahn Hyung-soo''s shoulder, which had hardened as if it had be a stone statue, was gently tapped.
"It was nice to see you after a long time. Good luck on your test."
"Uh¡."
Dowook disappeared, and Ahn Hyung-soo quickly opened his cell phone and searched for "Park Dowook at Myeong Sae Hospital."
And the articles that came out.
Ahn Hyung-soo, who was scrolling through them, had no choice but to sigh at various news. In the field of neurosurgery, Park Dowook was already famous as a top genius surgeon.
How could he brag in front of such a person? How embarrassing was that?
The specialist test, which began at 9 o''clock, was a written test with a total of 200 questions taken over 4 hours.
There was a 20-minute break in the middle, but there was no meal time, so by the time Dowook left the test site, he was very hungry.
As he left the hallway, Dowook looked at his cell phone clock and it was 1:40 p.m.
¡®It was easier than I thought.¡¯
As Jung Jong-sun said when he came in, the case where he was really involved also came out as a problem.
A case of the bus driver who made headlines socially. The neurosurgery field, associated with multiple injuries, was not the only problem that needed in-depth exnation.
¡®Anyway, this is probably what a pie falling from the sky means, right?¡¯
"Wow. What''s wrong with the difficulty level? There were a lot of people who will fail this year.¡±
"Right? Did they need to make the neurosurgery tests so difficult? The professors are too much.¡±
Dowook was embarrassed by the conversation of some doctors grumbling as he passed by and had to scratch his cheek. Tests were rtive.
He was walking toward a nearby university restaurant to eat first, when his cell phone rang.
It was an unfamiliar name on the screen. However, it was also a name that Dowook was waiting for.
"This is Park Dowook."
¨C I''m sorry for the dy in contacting you. We''re going back to Seoul. Do you have time today? It''s hard to meet on other days because I don''t have much time.
"What time will you arrive?"
Dr. Ji Gang Cheol was brought to the emergency room while studying the special sense. This was the assistant who conducted the research with him.
After Dowook got off his cell phone, he became busy.
Just as he finished the specialist exam easily today, the mystery of his special sense may be neatly organized.
4pm. Tong-il Road.
Dowook got out of the taxi and turned to the space lined with buildings.
A wide road connecting Seodaemun Station and Seoul Station.
Somewhere here, Dr. Ji Gang Cheol''s Brain Neurology Research Center was located.
¡®It¡¯s on the 7th floor of Seonhwa Building.¡¯
After walking a block while checking the mobile phone map, the destination appeared. When Dowook entered the building and got on the elevator, he felt unexpectedly tense.
Finally, he would meet the parties rted to the study.
For months, he¡¯d done so much with this ability.
If he could understand the mechanism of using the special sense more urately, he would be able to n his life in earnest as a surgeon. Since he would know if this ability was permanent or not.
Ding.
Stepping into the hallway with high expectations, Dowook became silent at the sight in front of him.
"What''s this?"
A dirty sign that disyed neglect. All the lights were turned off in the hallway and the ss door was wide open, creating a bleak atmosphere.
There were still about 10 minutes left until 4:30 p.m., the appointment time, so Dowook looked inside.
It was called a research center, but there were only dusty desks and document boxes inside. Even those had foreclosure tags on them.
"I guess it''s been a long time since they¡¯ve failed.¡±
The appearance of Ji Gang Cheol that day was not very good either.
If Ji Gang Cheol''s special sense study in the video was sessful, he would have been a huge sess. It was an ability that anyone would want to have even at the cost of their whole fortune.
There was nothing else to look at so Dowook went out to the hall and he saw the elevator door opening.
A person walked out.
It was a middle-aged man who was half-bald and looked very haggard.
"Dr. Na Dong-gyu?"
"Are you Park Dowook?"
Dowook nodded and approached. Na Dong-gyu approached him and looked around the hallway. Like someone was chasing him.
Standing close, Na Dong-gyu immediately asked.
"Dr. Ji, you said he had a long needle in his head when he arrived at the hospital.¡±
"Oh, yes."
"Was he capable of speech when he arrived?¡±
"No, not at all."
"The needle. Did you bring it?"
Dowook took out a box for storing medical tools from the bag he had on his shoulder.
The needle that Ji Gang Cheol left in the bathroom and was found by Seong Chang Soo. It was ced in the warehouse of the medical office.
"Here you go."
"Thank you. Thank you for your hard work."
Na Dong-gyu, who grabbed the box, went into the research center. He seemed to be in a hurry, so Dowook followed him quietly.
Na Dong-gyu stopped in front of a closed safe and inputted the original password.
Suddenly, the door opened.
Na Dong-gyu, who took out aputer-sized ck machine full of wire strands from inside, put it on a dusty table and turned on the switch.
The needle was connected to the running machine which made a buzzing motor sound as if it was running on a battery.
The needle was attached to an electric cable.
Na Dong-gyu carefully hung it on the top of the machine.
Bzzzzt.
A blue sh appeared before quickly disappearing at the end of the needle.
Dowook flinched, but Na Dong-gyu sighed with relief as if he had expected it.
"It''s working. Phew, thank god it¡¯s still working."
"I guess that machine is the reason he was brought into the hospital?"
When Dowook spoke to him, Na Dong-gyu turned his head in surprise.
"Oh, why are you still here?"
"I''m also involved in the disappearance of Dr. Ji. I have a few questions."
Checking the machine, Na Dong-gyu replied quickly.
"Then ask."
"What''s this needle?"
"It stimtes the vestibr nerve at a specific frequency. The tip is nano-processed, so it can transmit signals directly to neurons.¡±
"The vestibr nerve is a sensitive ce where paralysis symptoms ur even with weak stimuli¡¡±
Na Dong-gyu''s gaze quickly turned due to Dowook¡¯s murmured words.
"You said you were a neurosurgeon, right?"
"Yes."
"That''s right. Dr. Ji''s research failed. The three subjects who participated in the study are still suffering from permanent side-effects. As you can see, the center is at this point."
"Then, where is Dr. Ji?"
"How would I know? If I knew, the debtors wouldn''t havee to me. This machine was sold to anotherboratory to raise funds. How much is the cost of treatment that Dr. Ji didn¡¯t pay?"
Dowook waved his hand saying it was okay. Because it was already taken care of with the loss process.
Dowook asked Na Dong-gyu, who continued to check the equipment, in a careful tone.
"About Dr. Ji''s research. Is there no chance of sess?¡±
Na Dong-gyu, who was preparing for the second check,ughed at his words.
"Never. Do you know who Dr. Ji respects the most?"
Na Dong-gyu pointed to a ster statue lying on a cab.
"Democritus. A man with a Neurology doctorate, who should be logical, believed in a philosopher who talked about metaphysics unrted to science. This study was impossible to establish in the first ce. Investors and researchers who participated in it were also fooled."
Dowook turned to a ster statue at Na Dong-gyu''s negativements. A phrase was written under the ster with a red foreclosurebel stuck to it.
[Awareness through the senses is a change that urs when a soul¡¯s atomse into contact with an external atom. ¨C Democritus]
It certainly didn''t seem realistic.
"But. Is there any chance that you can seed by chance?¡±
"Is it because you¡¯re a neurosurgeon? You''re very interested. Can you see this?¡±
At the end of the needle attached to the machine, shes of light appeared.
"It''s simply suicide to put it in your head. The human brain can''t handle the amplitude of this supercurrent in the first ce. It''s better to increase the output and use it for organic chemistry research.¡±
When Na Dong-gyu operated the device to raise the voltage, the sh became brighter.
Dowook was watching out of curiosity when he suddenly recalled what happened a few months ago when Ji Gang Cheol grabbed his wrist.
The sh he¡¯d witnessed at that time was simr to that color.
Tingle.
"Huh?"
His wrist suddenly started to tingle and be numb.
Then
The sh dancing on the machine suddenly moved to Dowook¡¯s fingertips.
"Huh?"
WhoooongÒ» thud.
The sh disappeared as if it had been absorbed, and the machine stopped working at once. Na Dong-gyu, who was checking the main maniptor, looked strangely at Dowook who had swollen eyes.
"What''s wrong with you? It stopped because it didn''t have enough power."
"It''s¡"
Dowook felt a tingling energy digging into his body and gradually dispersing throughout his neural circuit. What kind of phenomenon was this?
"What a curious doctor."
Na Dong-gyu opened the drawer and found a booklet. He handed it to Dowook who was standing in a daze.
"Here. I''ve seen a lot of people be interested in this paper. I¡¯ll give you this and we¡¯ll say it¡¯s payment for Dr. Ji''s hospital bills and the nuisance he made at your hospital. Read it and tear it apart if it sounds like nonsense."
On top of the dusty file iron, the title "Sensory Tuning and Expansion Transfer" was seen.
Chapter 80: Max Impact (2)
A/N: Thanks to AY for the donations once again! Last day of the double chap week. Cheers!
Dowook, who returned to the hospital, immediately went into the office and turned on the desk light. Under the light of the LED, a paper from 12 years ago was revealed.
Dr. Ji Gang Cheol''s research theory, which remained only in documents, with no records left online or publication in academia.
He looked over the paper with some expectation that there would be an answer there.
Like that, he read about 10 pages carefully.
"Hmmm¡"
The basic gist was not much different from the content seen in the previous lecture video.
¡®My concept is very special. Aren''t you curious?¡¯
If there was anything added, it was a way to realize it.
The "Braingate" was referring to an electrode insertion technique that he had read while studying.
A device that captured electrical signals in the brain by attaching sensors to the head of a patient with general paralysis and reced the action the patient wanted with aputer.
It was a research field that attracted attention 12 years ago, but now it was already in use for special treatment in many parts of the medicalmunity.
¡®And this, you tried the concept of braingate technology in reverse. epting the other person''s electric signal, not one¡¯s own.¡¯
After Dowook read thest page, his heart sank. None of his questions had been resolved.
Maybe. Somehow. This was an unusual ident, and he just happened to get the ability.
He could not guarantee that he would not suffer from side-effects, either. The three participants who were suffering from side-effects and Dr. Ji Gang Cheol, who was brought in unconscious.
Dowook sent a text with his cell phone.
[Prof. Na, the patients who participated in the experiment. Can you send them to the hospital? There is a surgeon in this hospital that can cope with any brain problems.]
After texting, Dowook looked down at his right wrist.
Why did the sh from the machine suddenly prate his hand? Was it because his neural circuits had been stimted so much that he had the ability to handle electricity, like in theic books?
"Yap."
[T/N: This is like a ¡®magic spell¡¯ in some children''s stories that make things happen. The closest Western version that I can think of would be ¡®open sesame.¡¯]
As the cartoon character did, he stretched his right hand forward.
Rather than anything happening, it was dinner time, so only his stomach rumbled.
Perhaps the direction was the problem, so he turned the chair around and reached out to the door.
Tingle.
The feeling of someone passing through the hallway was conveyed through his fingertips.
The urge to hold onto the tools needed to operate on spinal tissue. It was Professor Lee Yeon-beom, a detailed spinal nerve specialist. Seeing that he hadn''t left work yet, he seemed to have an important surgery.
Dowook scattered the sense.
"It wasn''t anything."
It was no different from yesterday when nothing was revealed. Hemented, but the door to the office suddenly opened.
Choi Hoo entered with a convenience store bag.
"Dr. Park? Didn''t you say you had a test today?"
"Oh, I just dropped by."
"Since you''re here, why don''t we perform a mock surgery? Since the error in deep tumor extraction is fatal."
He meant Tom Brand¡¯s case.
"Of course."
Choi Hoo threw a triangr kimbap to Dowook.
cing the moderately heated triangr kimbap in his mouth, Dowook thought of the difficult brain tumor extraction surgery scheduled for next week.
Since it was not a problem that could be supplemented by devising a new technique, there was a high possibility that it would be a more difficult operation than any other surgery that he had done so far.
Nevertheless, it was because of Choi Hoo that he was not very afraid of failure.
As long as the skilled Choi Hoo was beside him, he was confident that no matter what the neurosurgery symptom was, they would seed.
He was confident that this surgery, performed by the two of them, was going to be the best choice.
¡®I guess I''m crazy. It''s my day off, but I want to get into the operating room.¡¯
After the simple meal, the mock operating table was set.
"It''s done."
Choi Hoo looked at the clock on the wall and dered.
"Tumor cells are about to take root into the leptomeningeal membrane. Steroid prescriptions elerated the response, and 15 minutes. We have to get everything out by that time.¡±
"Let''s finish it in 12 minutes."
At Choi Hoo¡¯s nod, Dowook reached out to ept his sense as usual.
¡®Huh?¡¯
However, no feeling was conveyed at his fingertips.
¡®What is this?¡¯
Dowook tried to ept Choi Hoo¡¯s sense again, but no stimtion urred. He turned his hand toward Professor Lee Yeon-beom in the next room.
Tingle.
¡°¡¡?¡±
* * *
Tuesday morning.
Dowook quickly passed the hospital lobby with his cell phone ringing crazily. He pressed the elevator button and put his cell phone to his ear.
"Yes, chief."
-Where are you?
"You asked that 3 minutes ago."
-It''s already been 3 minutes! We don''t have much time!
"I''m going, I''m going."
He pressed the button to the fifth floor and tried to press the close button, but saw a doctor running from far away and pressed open.
Seeing him rush in quickly, although it was in the middle of the night, the patient under his care must have a problem.
The doctor rushed in and bowed his head to Dowook.
"Phew, thank you.¡±
"It was nothing. Are you going to the ward floor?"
"Yes, the 8th floor."
While smiling and pressing the button to the eighth floor, a shout sounded from his cell phone.
-You just did something to make me angry, didn¡¯t you?
"No way. I just followed my conscience."
When he got off the elevator at the neurosurgery floor and walked down the hallway, he saw the resident chief stamping his feet in front of the staff room.
"Hana."
"Senior!"
Nam Hana, who had been running fast, handed out the printed document to Dowook.
"These are the people who will respond to the video call."
A sudden consultation with Tom Brand''s agent at the request of the filmpany.
Tom Brand, who organized his schedule and returned to Korea two days ago, was adjusting his condition. He clearly expressed his intention to operate again this time, but the people around him were strongly against it.
This chaos at dawn was because of that disagreement.
Dowook confirmed the positions and identities of the five professors in the document and realized the power of those around Tom Brand.
Mayo Clinic, Clevnd Clinic, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and UCLA Medical Center.
The ces he¡¯d asked Chief Ha to send him to for training and had gotten chewed for. Medical professors from famous hospitals in the United States were here.
While walking to the public conference room, Nam Hana carefully asked.
"If you get rejected by this panel, will you still be able to perform Tom''s surgery?"
¡°Probably not.¡±
"How can you not get dissed by these people? Here. Steven Lyle from Mayo Clinic, is the author of the neurosurgery textbook that we''re using right now."
"Hana, if you get rejected, you''ll get rejected. Do you think the resident chief can be anxious like that?"
"How are you so fine? It''s not just a celebrity, it''s Tom''s Brand.¡±
Just before opening the conference room, Dowook told Nam Hana.
"You''re asking the wrong question, Hana. It''s not just a symptom, it''s a malignant lymphoma. And we suggested that we should operate on it instead of chemotherapy. That¡¯s what you should be nervous about as a surgeon."
"But you''re not nervous at all."
"I know. I think my head¡¯s gotten too big. These days."
Dowook smiled as he entered the conference room.
Inside, he could see the medical staff yawning and preparing for a video conference. Chief Ha was sitting in the middle.
"Seongtae! Is it time for you to yawn? Check the connection status one more time!"
Dowook pulled a chair and sat next to the screaming Chief Ha.
"Calm down."
"Hey, Park Dowook! Why are you sote?"
"Can''t you see that I ran out as soon as I got the call?"
Chief Ha lowered his raised finger when he saw Dowook¡¯s tired face.
"That¡¯s why, brat. Why did you have to stick your nose out and suggest operating to Tom Brand? Those experts are waiting to chew out our hospital¡¯s neurosurgery department. At thiste hour, too. They should have scheduled it when it was dawn there, attacking us with time difference on top of everything else."
"Calm down."
"How can I calm down? What about Choi Hoo? Why isn¡¯t he here yet?¡±
"I told Hana not to call Professor Choi."
Chief Ha¡¯s jaw dropped open.
"You didn''t call the person in a situation where you needed one more brain to defend that logic? Hurry up and call!"
"I think it''s better to handle it by ourselves. Professor Choi has more surgeries tomorrow.¡±
"Why are you so considerate of the surgery time? If I get embarrassed today, I''ll be humiliated all over the world!"
Dowook felt that his remaining drowsiness fly away at Chief Ha''s loud yell.
"We won''t be humiliated. I guarantee that.¡±
"You? How?"
To Chief Ha''s counter-question, Dowook briefly lowered his gaze to his own hands.
"It''s just my gut feeling."
"Whatever! You take responsibility for everything!¡±
"Our neurosurgery department is one body."
"Don''t say that anymore!"
Today, Chief Ha''s scolding, which seemed to have risen to the maximum level, was leisurely received, and Dowook organized the surgical data on aptop on the table.
After 10 minutes
A series of faces appeared on an 80-inch TV in front of the conference room.
On the split skype screen, doctors who were renowned in the field of neurosurgery briefly greeted each other.
¡ºIt''s been a while, Dr. Lyle.¡»
¡ºDr. Mitchell. I see you¡¯ve gotten a lot prettier since Ist saw you.¡»
The age range of the people on the screen was betweente 40s and mid 50s. Among them, Steven Lyle was the oldest.
After greeting each other, their eyes turned to Chief Ha.
¡ºNice to meet you. I''m Dr. Ha, section chief of neurosurgery at Myeong Sae Hospital. This is Dr. Park, the surgeon.¡»
Chief Ha winked at Dowook. Tom Brand''s chart immediately appeared on theptop screen, helping him to get to the point.
A chart also appeared on the monitor. Chief Ha quickly read the outline of the discussion while looking at the chart.
¡ºAs you can see, Tom Brand''s diagnosis is primary central nervous system lymphoma. About 3% of all primary brain tumors have urred, and the prognosis is extremely poor, with only two months of survival if not properly treated¡¡.¡»
¡ºHold on, Dr. Ha.¡»
Steven Lyle of Mayo Clinic cut off Chief Ha''s words and intervened.
¡ºUnlike other cases, Tom Brand''s tumor was confirmed very early. Since it has not yet shown widespread metastasis, it is not called malignant, but there is a risk of bing malignant. In other words, it should be ssified as a developmental risk tumor group.¡»
When detailed criticism of the terms came out from the beginning, Chief Hained internally as he said.
"Dowook, they''re trying to drive you to chemotherapy."
"That''s what I expected. Just finish the outline."
"Development Risk Tumor. Oh, my tongue¡¯s all twisted."
Chief Ha, who practiced pronunciation for a while, continued.
¡ºOkay, a developmental risk tumor. The medical staff at the hospitalpleted a thorough examination and analysis of prognosis to remove this DRT surgically. The results are recorded in detail on the chart. Do you have any suggestions on this?¡»
Johns Hopkins''s Ronshaw Mitchell raised her hand first.
¡ºPlease send me an MRI of the angiography.¡»
As soon as Dowook posted the relevant data, another MRI picture appeared on Ronshaw Mitchell''s screen.
¡ºThis is an MRI record taken three years ago when Tom Brand was brought in due to a stunt injury. It''s cleanpared to recent ones, right? I don''t even see thatmon vascr edema. At that time, he had lymphoma, but there is only one reason it couldn¡¯t be seen. X-ray, CT, MRI. The lymphoma was sensitive to weak radiation injected from these devices, causing the tumor that had not already developed to shrink. I can''t believe that the surgical extraction imed by the hospital can provide more stable treatment.¡»
Chief Ha, who listened to the opponent''s long argument, looked at Dowook.
"Johns Hopkins¡¯ Head of neurosurgery said that. I have nothing to argue against it. It''s too urate."
"Theparative analysis with MRI data from three years ago is surprising. We got hit with this one."
"Hey¡!"
Dowook spoke to Dr. Mitchell before Chief Ha screamed.
¡ºDr. Mitchell. Didn''t you tie a knot in a hurry a few years ago because a patient''s blood vessel burst? Four neurosurgeons rushed in and saved the critical cerebral arteries¡¡.¡»
¡ºOh? Do you know that case?¡»
¡ºThanks to that attempt, we also saved one patient.¡»
Dowook bowed politely to Dr. Mitchell and continued the conversation.
¡ºDr. Mitchell''s im for treatment would be the use of whole brain radiation, but there is only one problem. Dyed neurotoxic side effects. Tom Brand, who has to continue his acting career, may end up with a walking disorder. However, surgical extraction can get rid of this side effect.¡»
¡ºI don''t know how extraction can rule out side effects. If you touch any deep blood vessels in the lower ventricr zone, you will damage the neuroscopes. The degree of walking disability will not a problem, but there will be after effects.¡»
¡ºThat''s right. If you touch it even a little bit.¡»
Dowook opened a folder and disyed Kim Suhan¡¯s surgical video to the part where the knot came out well on the screen.
¡ºWe won''t touch anything else.¡»
The eyes of the five doctors who watched the video of four surgical tools suturing the patient''s blood vessels with fantastic synchronicity grew bigger.
Among them, Dr. Ronshaw Mitchell''s expression, who recognized that they had created a perfect technique based on their case, was close to astonishment.
Dowook asked calmly.
¡ºNext person?¡»
Chapter 81: Max Impact (3)
Dr. Ross from the UCLA Medical Center spoke up next.
¡ºThis lymphoma poses a fatal threat to the elderly with poor immune systems. But Tom Brand is 35 years old. Considering that the lesion is now in its infancy, induction chemotherapy can guarantee the average life expectancy with just a treatment at the level of taking cold medicine. Please show me the picture of the tumor again.¡»
At Dr. Ross''s request, an MRI image appeared on the screen.
¡ºLook at the size of the tumor that you found by angiography. Surgical removal of tumors that are almost invisible even with a microscope? Aren¡¯t you just trying to show off, Dr. Park?¡»
¡ºShowing off, you say¡¡»
Click.
Dowook yed a video of Lim So Yool''s neuro cyst removal surgery, which was diagnosed with 99.99%plete recovery.
¡ºI''ve be a person who has already realized my dream. This patient''s tumor is not as big as Tom Brand¡¯s.¡»
Dr. Ross could not take his eyes off the ultra-precise extraction surgery for a while, smoothly squeezing numerous nerve tissues and removing cysts with a diameter of 5mm.
At the marvelous sight of suturing immediately after extraction, he eximed without realizing it. And he no longer expressed his opinion.
¡ºNext person?¡»
Everyone was silent.
Only then did the five medical staff participating in the coboration recognize that the neurosurgery skill of Myeong Sae Hospital was remarkable even whenpared with the rest of the world. They were by no means surgeons who believed in thegging trend of insisting only on surgery, stuck somewhere in Asia.
Chief Ha looked at the doctors from abroad who were lost in thought and turned to Dowook.
"Why don''t you look nervous?"
"Because I''m only telling the truth."
"You know that all of those are not ordinary surgeries, right? They¡¯re all trying to figure out whether operating is stable, but we''re forcing the issue by counting on you and Choi Hoo¡¯s ability."
"Actually, that''s the only thing we have.¡±
"Hey!"
Dowook agreed to Chief Ha¡¯s argument. The surgical video was only a video, it wasn¡¯t enough to convince those people who had performed hundreds of surgeries.
¡ºI understand that Dr. Park is very skilled. It''s very impressive. However, questions arise in terms of reliability.¡»
As expected, criticism on this issue began.
¡ºPlease pull up the chart again.¡»
The one who made the request was Steven Lyle from Mayo Clinic.
The Mayo Clinic, where Dr. Lyle worked, was considered the world''s best general hospital in name and reality, and the reputation of the neurosurgeons who worked there were famous throughout the world.
A few years ago, when a chairman of a conglomerate copsed from a cerebral hemorrhage, Hansung Hospital called on Mayo Clinic for a coboration. It was a fairly famous medical anecdote.
¡ºThe biggest problem that can ur in patients who attempt tumor extraction with this symptom is the risk of tumor cells spreading into subclinical space. Therefore, it has not been recognized as a standard treatment until now. There were no reports that patients withplete extraction had an extremely higher survival rate than those with chemotherapy and partial extraction.¡»
The unique danger of having to cut open a patient.
Dowook could not rebut this part with confidence. A few days ago, Professor Choi also performed a mock operation for fear of metastasis of tumor cells.
¡®Hmm¡''
He was worried, but there was one way to counter Dr. Lyle''s criticism.
Just asking them to trust himself and Professor Choi''s skills based on the surgery they had performed so far.
However, it was unlikely that they would trust some surgeons located on and thousands of kilometers away by making a simple argument.
¡®In the end, it''s up to the agent.¡¯
Chief Ha spoke up when Dowook became silent.
"What do you want to do now? They say they can¡¯t trust your skills. Should I just shout it out?¡±
"It''ll backfire more."
"Hey, I''m one of the best in society, too. At the Macau Forum the year beforest, the Clevnd doctor was a big shot. How can you discuss aneurysms in front of a cerebrovascr expert? At least that one won¡¯t be able to talk."
"If you''re going to fight, I''ll just wrap it up¡¡±
Vrrrr.
His cell phone suddenly rang, so Dowook looked at the screen for a moment.
"Huh? Why is Professor Nam-goong messaging me at this hour?"
Dowook, who read the text from Nam-goong Seok, a senior professor at the Korean Neurosurgery Association, immediately turned his head and looked at Kim Seongtae in a corner.
"Seongtae, open a line quickly and connect it to the email I¡¯m sending you right now."
A face appeared in the corner of the divided screen.
An old professor, who had just woken up, appeared on the screen. Then his gaze stopped at Dr. Lyle, a white man in his early 50s.
¡ºLyle? Wow, it''s been a while.¡»
¡ºProfessor Nam-goong? How long has it been? I heard you retired.¡»
¡ºI''ve retired from active duty, and I''m enjoying my life as a schr. Last night, I heard news that woke me up, and when I woke up, I saw all of your face like this.¡»
Nam-goong Seok, who greeted Dr. Lyle, turned his eyes toward the screen of Myeong Sae Hospital.
-Chief Ha. I heard you''re doing a fun surgery.
"How can you get news from our hospital so quickly?"
-I don''t know¡
Due to how Nam-goong Seok seemed to avoid answering, Dowook strongly suspected that the doctor who leaked information about the monthly meetingst month blew the whistle once more.
-That''s not what''s important right now. Hurry up and tell me how far the aggressive coboration has been talked about. I like sleeping a lot in the morning, but I woke up by force.
Chief Ha briefly exined the situation.
Nam-goong Seok nodded and looked toward Dr. Lyle.
¡ºLyle.¡»
¡ºYes, professor.¡»
¡ºYou''re saying that the biggest obstacle is that you find Dr. Park¡¯s skill to be unreliable, right?¡»
¡ºTo be honest, yes.¡»
¡ºOh my. You should have witnessed the surgery yourself. Has it been 10 years? What did you say at your forum when the Korean medicalmunity was in the midst of a boom in stic surgery for handsome men and beautiful women? You said it''s so sophisticated and amazing that it''s iparable to America, right? I even joked that it was the power of Koreans.¡»
¡ºI remember.¡»
¡ºAt that time, you said something like this. One day, I hope that there will be a day when we can put the concept of stic surgery into the brain and be able to remove factors such as abnormal brain activity, depression, and epileptic seizures. I''ll introduce you to him. The world''s first surgeon to try and seed in brain stic surgery.¡»
Nam-goong Seok pointed from the screen. Everyone looked at the screen he was pointing at.
There were two people on the screen.
Chief Ha slipped out of the screen. And he nodded, saying, "It''s not me, but this guy next to me."
Dr. Lyle asked Dowook.
¡ºIs there a video of the surgery that Professor Nam-goong mentioned?¡»
¡ºJust a moment.¡»
The surgical video of Jung Woo-seok was very long, so he yed a point in the middle.
Dr. Lyle, who was watching in depth, couldn''t hold back and said.
¡ºOh, God. Is that possible? Removing the risk factors? Oh, shii~t. Awake surgery?¡»
Dr. Lyle continued to sigh and exim throughout the video. Because the ultimate direction he wanted as a neurosurgeon coincided with that surgery''s goal.
The same was true of the other doctors who were surprised. Thanks to this, there was no discussion for a while, so Chief Ha, who had been sitting quietly, spoke.
¡ºCooperation is being dyed. Let''s continue. Anyone else?¡»
The two doctors, who had not yet participated in the diagnosis process, shook their heads and indirectly expressed their intention to decline.
Officially all five had lost. Chief Ha''s face was filled with a regretful smile.
"Dowook, I think it''s done."
"I know."
Dowook was embarrassed because he didn''t know that the interest of the five seniors would turn out to be such a great help, but he bowed his head briefly to Nam-goong Seok.
Nam-goong Seok, who was wiping tears from yawning, smiled and slightly raised his thumb.
Someone with awork and influential authority in the World Neurosurgery Society hadid the groundwork. The mostcking aspect of reliability was directly supplemented.
¡®Yes. If you think about it, it''s not bad for them toe¡¡¯
Dowook hesitated and shook his head while thinking like he was possessed.
No. The good was only for a moment, and he shouldn''t forget the chaotic feeling of being the center of their attention, suffering from all kinds of questions. If he agreed, he might have to only talk about opening heads for three nights and four days.
¡ºDoctor Park¡»
Dr. Lyle, who finished watching the video, looked at Dowook.
¡ºI''ll ask you one question. That pianist. What happened?¡»
¡ºThere will be a check up soon for the first time since some part of his eyesight returned. During the Korean holiday called "Seol".¡»
Dr. Lyle, who confirmed that the results were definitely good, said immediately.
¡ºMayo Clinic¡¯s diagnosis is that surgical extraction is effective for Tom Brand''s treatment. So, can I attend the surgery?¡»
At the question, Chief Ha looked wide-eyed.
¡°What did he say? He wants to observe this surgery? Did I interpret that wrong, Dowook?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±
¡°Mayo Clinic? Damn¡¡! Ok, Doctor Lyle, wee!¡±
Things didn¡¯t end there. When Dr. Lyle showed an interest in observing, the other doctors also showed an interest ining.
¡ºWe also agree to the extraction surgery. Do we just have to mention which doctors from Johns Hopkins will visit?¡»
¡ºUCLA as well¡¡.¡»
¡ºWe agree to observe. I mean, extraction.¡»
¡ºDr. Park. How would the surgery proceed exactly?¡»
Everyone expressed their intention to participate, and Dowook looked back at Chief Ha.
"Is it okay to answer like this? The number of visitors is already considerable."
"Mayo Clinic ising, so you have to get the level right. It''s a pity that you''re not qualified, but when will we ever get this honor again? Oh. The chief of Hansung Hospital always brags to me. It will be worth seeing his expression if we put him in the front seat. Hahaha.¡±
"What about my burden of performing in front of such prominent yers?"
"You can share it with me."
Chief Ha looked like he was going to fly in happiness. Where did he look like a person who felt burdened? Dowook sighed deeply.
"Neurosurgery is one body, Dowook."
"Don''t even say that anymore."
In the morning.
As the news of the discussion held at dawn spread everywhere, professors who usually didn¡¯t talk to him continued to approach Dowook as he was making rounds.
"Dr. Park. I''m the top medical examiner, but I couldn''t even participate in Tom Brand''s coboration. Does this make sense? Can you get me a seat on the day of the surgery?¡.¡±
"Hey, Professor Kim. Dr. Park finished the diagnosis by himself, where do you think you can insert yourself? Dr. Park. I''ve heard that there''s really no room, but our thyroid cancer center director really wants to see this surgery.¡.¡±
The two professors he encountered in the hallway asserted, but Dowook repeated the answers he had been saying repeatedly throughout the day.
"The surgical observation list is under Chief Ha''s jurisdiction. I can''t help it either."
He bowed his head and entered the ICU.
¡®Do I have to go through this mess every day?¡¯
It was quite noisy even before the start as it was a surgery that received all kinds of attention both externally and internally.
Dowook went around the ICU to check the patient''s condition and came back out.
He gave a handwritten order to the head nurse watching the ward.
"Patient 803 lost a little weight. The amount of fluid administration cannot cover the loss of body fluid, so please rece it with a hypotone of saline solution. Patient 805 has recovered from 0.08mg to 0.03 of painkillers. His brain blood flow has almost recovered to normal. Patient 813 is¡¡.¡±
While giving detailed instructions, the head nurse pointed to one side of the hallway.
"I think the professor came to see you."
When Dowook turned his head, he saw Chief Lee Joseph of the International Medical Department.
He had no reason to ask for a seat because he was in charge of the overall hospitalization schedule of Tom Brand.
Dowook made eye contact, bowed his head, and gestured to wait a moment.
"¡¡Induce high blood pressure in ligation patients until lunch. After that, I will take care of it normally like other patients with aneurysm. I don''t think there''s anything that burst anymore. I''ll send Seongtae, so please help me."
The head nurse looked surprised since Dowook hadpleted the eight intensive care inspections in three minutes.
"Dr. Dowook, you¡¯re very neat when you go on rounds. It''s very detailed. We''ve checked the weight change of patient No. 803 and haven''t even recorded it on the chart yet."
"Since my teachers are like that."
"Professor Choi is not this fast either."
"Not that teacher."
Dowook smiled slightly at the round-eyed nurse, saying, "Is it Ha Sang-joong?" and turned to Prof Lee Joseph.
Rounds were always apanied by Chief Ji Hwi-gwan¡¯s sense. There was no higher level of ability to grasp the level of a patient''s criticality at once.
Approaching Prof. Lee Joseph, Dowook asked.
"Chief Lee, what brings you to the ward?"
"I thought you''d be busy, so I came in advance."
"Because of Tom Brand''s surgery schedule?"
"We will follow the opinions of Dr. Park and Professor Choi, so there is no need to coordinate with them separately. If you notify me, I will deliver it to Tom Brand¡¯s Agent. The reason I came here is because of this¡¡±
Lee Joseph presented the information screen to Dowook on the tablet.
Dowook read in detail after seeing the phrase "Announcement of the recruitment of manpower affiliated with NYS International Hospital in Songdo District."
A foreign hospital was built in Incheon''s Free Economic Zone, and it was a notice that medical staff from domestic hospitals would be recruited to participate as partners.
"The director of New York Stevia, NYS International Hospital, pointed out Park Dowook and asked if you could be a partner for neurosurgery cooperation."
"What does a partner do?"
"If they ask for advice on an important patient over there, you answer. You can think of it as a kind of part-time job or side job. Compared to the time and intensity of participation, the profits are significant."
Dowook was surprised to see the advisory fee attached under the notice. Each case gave about a third of his sry.
"It''s a great opportunity for Dr. Park to experience and research many cases. The director of the NYS hospital also seemed to be looking forward to your participation."
Lee Joseph was smiling softly at the thought that Dowook would naturally ept. But Dowook handed him his tablet and shook his head.
"I''m sorry. I have things to do during my time off work or surgery. It may be possible in a month or two.¡±
"Oh, is that so? The director of the NYS hospital will be disappointed. If you have any thoughtster, please feel free to let me know."
Saying so, Lee Joseph left.
Dowook wondered if he should have agreed, and felt slightly regretful. But now was not the time to waste time.
Vrrrr.
While getting on the elevator, his cell phone rang.
It was Chief Ha Sang-joong.
"Yes, chief."
-Why is your duty schedule this month like this? Why are you even on call at the emergency room?
"Hmm. Because of the noble wish to help urgent patients?"
-Stop talking nonsense. Do you have a debt somewhere? If you''re in a hurry, tell me, even if you''re ashamed. Even if the emergency room''s pay is high, you shouldn¡¯t do this!
"I''ll use my break time on my own. I still have rounds left."
-Park Do Wook!
Dowook hung up and pressed the emergency room floor. Before going around the general ward, he had to clearly re-ept Commander G''s sense again.
¡®This is going to be rough, huh?¡¯
The reason for rejecting the proposal of the NYS hospital director and iming to be on call was simple.
When he realized that Choi Hoo¡¯s sense had been fully mastered and he could no longer ept it, Dowook understood what it meant.
He could challenge the realm of surgery that no one had ever reached before.
Therefore, the next sense he wanted topletely emte after Choi Hoo. Commander G''s amazing on-site surgery ability had to be included in this hand.
Chapter 82: Max Impact (4)
¡¸@Tom Brand¡¹ retweeted.
[Please get better, Tom! I''ll be waiting for the sequel of Hero League!]@Lisa 2003
[Jet America is an inevitable existence!]@IRONban
[I''m a time traveler, and I saw Tom Brand receive an Academy Award at the age of 60. I saw it!] @BackToTheXuture.
Tom Brand, who was replying to encouraging messages from all over the world on his cell phone, smiled.
¡ºThis one¡¯s kind of fun. He said he''s a time traveler.¡»
Deckerman, who was sitting next to the bed, sighed bitterly as he looked at Tom''s neatly shaved head.
¡ºYou can still back out.¡»
¡ºAre you still saying that? I heard that the moviepany also contacted about the surgery.¡»
¡ºI also said that taking medicine alone can have a long-term cure effect. They want to open your hair and cut your brain tissue. You would have to postpone returning to acting for a few years. There are actors who came back after fighting against cancer in Hollywood, right?¡»
¡ºI don''t think that¡¯s something an agent with two years left of the contract period should say. You haven''t recovered half of the down payment you gave me yet.¡»
¡ºTom!¡»
Tom giggled when his friend of 15 years cried out with a re.
¡ºI know. It''s much morefortable to rest while getting treated slowly. But¡¡»
Tom''s eyes turned toward the movie poster on the wall.
¡ºGalnos is looking at Earth from space, and we can''t leave it to the new heroes who joined the jet team for the first time.¡»
¡ºYou can beat him up in about three years.¡»
¡ºBatman''s new series came out, so I can''t. If I do, little kids from all over the world will tweet Bruce not me.¡»
Deckerman clicked his tongue as if he had given up as he saw Tom trying to defend the hero movie until the end.
¡ºDo whatever you want. I tried my best.¡»
¡ºPlease deliver the news to Mrs. Brand. I hung up after saying that I was going to get surgery in Seoul, and I got 30 text messages.¡»
¡ºThere¡¯s no use in our contract that says I have to deal with your mother.¡»
¡ºAs a friend, please.¡»
¡ºI''m ending our rtionship from today.¡»
Tom pretended not to hear, turned to his cell phone and continued to respond to SNS support.
Knock, knock.
The VIP room door was opened and nurses and transportation personnel entered.
¡ºIt''s time to move to the operating room.¡»
The time hade.
Tom looked at the Jet American figure on the table, as he put down his cell phone.
A confident hero in the face of all the challenges in the world.
He was the character he yed, but it was not easy to imitate him at this moment. Because he was about to have his head cut open.
Tom clenched his fist and left onest message before going in for surgery.
¡¸@Tom Brand¡¹ tweeted.
[Let''s go, Jet Team. Let''s win this fight, too!]
Dowook paused as he came out of the locker after changing into a surgical suit. Because Chief Ha was waiting in a polite manner in front of the door.
"Dowook."
Even the tone of his voice was different from usual.
"Why? What is it?"
"Can I ask for a favor?"¡±
"No."
Chief Ha hurriedly shouted at Dowook when he turned around and headed for the operating room.
"Two weeks of duty!"
Dowook stopped walking. As it was, he was having a hard time due to the emergency room duty. He turned his head slightly and raised one more number.
"Three weeks?¡±
"Okay, call! No take backs!"
Chief Ha''s expression was full of relief. Dowook had no one but himself to me for being tricked. For some reason, this negotiation felt like a failure.
"What is it?¡±
"There are more than one or two famous observers today. Let''s promote a few people."
"Promote?¡±
"Please include Professor Yeom and Professor Kim as the 2nd and 3rd assistants."
Dowook thought he misheard.
"Professor Yeom Sang-chil and Kim Chi-hwan?"
"Yes."
Professor Yeom Sang-chil, who taught detailed specialists about brain tumors, was in his 14th year. Professor Kim Chi-hwan, who was in charge of cerebrovascr malformation and trauma surgery, was in his 11th year.
The chief had just told him that the two pirs that made up the neurosurgery department of the hospital should be used for chores like suction in the surgery. This was an unprecedented solicitation in the medicalmunity.
"Did they agree?"
"Of course. Steven Lyle ising with Ronshaw Mitchell, do you think they don''t want to show their faces? Don''t worry. I''m fully aware of the outline of the surgery. I told them to look at the MRI 10 times."
"Professor Yeom doesn''t like Professor Choi."
"It''s okay. He likes you."
"Phew."
This request was not bad for Dowook as the main surgeon, either.
"I''ll talk to Hana and Seongtae."
"Okay. Get ready there. Do well. As usual."
Chief Ha, who no longer expressed much concern about performing high-level surgeries, patted Dowook on the back and disappeared.
¡®If we do this, everyone in the operating room will be more experienced than me.¡¯
Dowook shook his head and moved to the operating room.
D-Rosette, observation deck.
The circr space overlooking the eight operating rooms at a nce was filled with people gathered only to look down at the second operating room.
Among them, many focused their attention on five elderly foreigners who were located in the middle of the observation room.
-That person is the head of the general hospital center?
-Next to him is the neurosurgery director at Clevnd Clinic.
Ha Sang Joong, who was listening to the buzzing conversation with one ear, grinned but soon controlled his facial expression.
Because Joo Seok-beom, head of neurosurgery at Hansung Hospital, sat right next to him with a face full of envy. It wasn¡¯t nice to show how happy he was. But he couldn''t control the corners of his mouth.
Chief Joo spoke.
"You must be happy. Thanks to someone, there are surgeries that make headlines every month."
"I just have a good student. Why? I heard that Chief Joo''s favorite student is also announcing a blood vessel-rted surgery this time? The chief at UCLA is one of the visitors, why don¡¯t you try inviting him to observe?¡±
"Who would I be humiliating him by inviting him to a resident¡¯s training operation? Please don¡¯t say such things.¡±
In the end, Ha Sang Joong couldn''t stand it andughed.
"By the way, where should we send our Dowook out of those five hospitals? Everyone would be excited if we just ask."
"Just brag about it. Park Dowook, you only signed a fellowship contract, right? He¡¯s not a clinical professor yet."
"Are you going to scout him? Try it if you can."
"You''re confident."
"My rtionship with Dowook isn¡¯t one that would sour due to money issues."
Chief Joo snorted silently as if he was unsure about that and turned to Dowook who just entered the operating room.
"Did you see that?"
"Huh? What?"
"The atmosphere of the operating room changed because of the look in Dr. Park''s eyes. The young doctor is charismatic.¡±
"Our Dowook?"
Only then did Ha Sang Joong turn his gaze from the observation deck to the operating room.
Dowook was checking the surgical readiness next to the patient who was about to fall under anesthesia. The nurses and anesthesiologists were nodding with nervous faces.
Ha Sang Joong turned on the microphone connected to the inside.
-Clips should be in the front in order to mp all arteries near the tumor. You have to consider the order of tool cement in the cart to shorten the time by even 0.5 seconds.
Chief Joo¡¯s jaw dropped in surprise at the voiceing from the speaker.
"Look at the scrub nurse nodding so hard. The mindset is definitely different. This means he¡¯s thinking about the surgery time right now, yes?¡±
"Probably."
Ha Sang Joong answered, but he also tilted his head to see if Dowook was that strict.
While Dowook was setting up for the surgery, two surgeons entered.
Yeom Sang-chil and Kim Chi-hwan.
Wearing gowns and gloves quickly, they stood on both sides of the patient''s waist. Yeom Sang-chil spoke to Dowook.
-I didn''t know the surgeon woulde and prepare this early. You should have called us, too.
-You don''t have to worry about it. Please be a good assistant.
-Oh. I have something to say about that. Why don''t you leave the scalp incision and craniotomy to me? Wouldn''t it be tiring to do everything?
-I will do the craniotomy. You have to be even a second faster to ensureplete extraction.
Chief Joo pointed as he listened to Dowook rebut Yeom Sang-chil.
"What''s up with that assistant? How dare he make suggestions to the surgeon? The atmosphere of neurosurgery at Myeong Sae Hospital is very rxed. Is it American style?¡±
Ha Sang Joong had no choice but to groan as he recalled Yeom Sang-chil''s years of experience and background.
Before surgery, checking all variables one by one and instructing the team was not what an ordinary surgeon would do.
"Hey, when did that brat start to have such a big presence?"
"Aren''t you underestimating your student? Because of his presence, all these people are sitting in this room.¡±
When Chief Joo answered, Ha Sang Joong looked around the people in the room again.
That was true.
Now, he couldn¡¯t deny how much Dowook had grown. He could only be proud.
"What that kind of surgeon needs isn¡¯t money, it¡¯s definitely support. Our Hansung Hospital has the best equipment in the country. AN Medical Center can''tpare. I should appeal with that.¡±
Chief Joo''s remarks about scouting mixed with personal wishes. Ha Sang Joong was furious and looked at Chief Joo.
This was wrong.
"If you keep coveting our Dowook, I¡¯ll just kick you out."
"You were so confident that I should try. Why change?"
10 o''clock sharp.
The operating room door opened and Choi Hoo walked inside.
Dowook stood at the patient''s bedside, bowed lightly to Professor Choi, and looked over today''s surgical team.
An expressionless facebined with such an overwhelming physique, like Professor Choi''s, caused fear in those who had not seen him and tension for those who had.
Professor Kim Chi-hwan, who seemed to meet Choi Hoo for the first time in an OR, looked a little frozen, and Professor Yeom Sang-chil''s eyes became sharp.
¡®He shouldn¡¯t be upset about me rejecting his suggestion to do the craniotomy, right?¡¯
Choi Hoo stood next to Dowook.
"Let''s start."
"Yes."
Dowook put a scalpel on the head of the patient peeking through a surgical cloth.
"The surgery to remove central nerve lymphoma begins."
A red line was drawn over the patient''s scalp across the frontal and temporal bones.
Clips quickly fixed the incised scalp on both sides of the incision.
Approximately 30 secondster, the craniotomy was done. Dowook turned his head and looked at Professor Yeom.
"Suction."
Professor Yeom paused.
There was less work for a second assistant in the operating room than a scrub nurse. Assistance to secure vision and suction in case of bleeding. It was not something a surgeon with 14 years of experience should be doing.
Dowook calmly spoke to Professor Yeom, who suctioned the spilled blood.
"You have to keep up with the pace of the surgery. With that hesitation, a second is added to the surgery time."
Professor Yeom awkwardly looked at the skull.
Dowook epted the drill and made a hole in the bone.
Subsequently, in line with the technique of helping with a high-speed cutting machine in hand, the meridian was pressed slightly to protect the brain by mechanically lifting the forceps.
Approximately 3 minutes before the headbone fragment was separated and the path to the tumor was opened.
Professor Yeom had to sigh internally when he saw that the area of surgery was secured at an unimaginable speed in terrible silence. If he had performed the craniotomy with Professor Kim, it would have taken at least five minutes.
"Please attach the mps now."
As soon as Professor Kim pulled the mps to both sides, work to temporarily block arteries near the tumor site began.
The anesthesiologist opened his mouth when clips for temporary ligation of the aorta were installed here and there.
"Blood pressure 100/70mmHg. It went up a little."
Dowook answered right away.
"He¡¯s going to bleed. Please tell me when it drops to 80.
Professor Yeom turned his head while doing suction, wondering what they were talking about. It was just basic work to block arteries, but bleeding?
However, as soon as Dowook finished speaking, the vital monitor beeped in warning.
"Suction!"
Professor Yeom reflexively suctioned blood.
Temporarily bleeding in the tumor area under reduced pressure. He couldn¡¯t believe Dowook had measured the timing, but then Dowook and Choi Hoo¡¯s next trick made more sense.
The clip ligation was stopped momentarily, and a part of the attached mass was removed immediately.
"Suction."
When the third suction timing was pointed out, Choi Hoo turned his eyes away from the microscope with scissors and tongs.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"That¡"
Choi Hoo seemed to not know that he was talking to Professor Yeom.
Dowook quickly calmed things down.
"Please keep up with the pace."
Professor Yeom began to sweat 10 minutes after the surgery began.
Chapter 83: Max Impact (5)
After the vitals stabilized with an emergency response done with natural ease, the preparation work continued smoothly.
The narrow tumor was located in the area where all iing arteries were connected.
"Let''s start the first stage."
Dowook¡¯s short instruction on what to do next.
Since they were entering the main stage now, Professor Yeom and Professor Kim, who¡¯d been helping with simple tasks, as well as the people in the observation deck all watched the monitor anxiously.
Two forceps simultaneously entered between normal tissues entangled in a millet-sized lymphoma.
Choi Hoo in the blood vessels, and Dowook around the nerves in the brain.
The cooperation between the two surgeons, while removing the normal tissue little by little, was simply delicate and bold.
"I secured the blood vessels."
"I''m done with the nerves as well."
Both Choi Hoo and Dowook held the normal tissue in ce with the fine forceps in their left hands, and tumor tissue extraction was to be carried out with only the right hand.
Holding fine scissors, Choi Hoo cut the tumor tissue, and Dowook held the fine forceps to pick out the tissue.
The two operated as if they were one person, causing the people observing them to erupt in admiration.
-I can''t believe it even when I¡¯m looking at it. Park Dowook and Choi Hoo, what kind of robots are they?
-I know. It would be strange to rmend chemotherapy in this case since the surgery won''t be dangerous if it''s this clean.
It was foolish to argue that one particr skill was the best in surgery when looking into the brain in micro units, since it varied widely from person to person.
However, everyone watching this operation had no choice but to admit that all the skills of those two surgeons were closest to the answer.
Professor Yeom immediately applied suction and sprayed water on the tissue that had been extracted. He did his best not because of Choi Hoo¡¯s re, but because he¡¯d never wanted to disturb this perfect synchronicity.
Fortunately, no criticism came out this time.
"Ready for the 2nd stage."
Dowook stated the next direction of the surgery.
There were a total of five tumor extraction points.
At this pace, the operation would bepleted in less than three hours.
Two hourster.
The surgery, which seemed to proceed as nned, faced a problem at thest tumor.
Dowook stopped moving and adjusted the microscope to greatly erge the tumor.
"This has a lot of adhesion. The mass development is deeper than in the video."
Choi Hoo touched the tumor with the tip of his forceps and nodded.
"It''s hard. You''ll lose blood vessels if wepletely resect it. What do you want to do?"
To close the head while leaving No. 5 as it was, would make this operation meaningless. Even in very small areas, radiation therapy should be apanied in the future.
While the surgeon was agonizing, the microphone in the observer''s room was opened.
-Dr. Park Dowook. Dr. Lyle has an opinion. Would you like to hear it?
Chief Lee''s voice.
Dowook turned his eyes to the observation deck and nodded. Steven Lyle spoke into the microphone.
-It seems that the area cannot be clearly revealed no matter what skill you bring. Why don''t we move on tobination chemotherapy here? This alone seems to have increased the cure rate by 80%pared to conventional chemotherapy. It was a great operation.
¡ºTom Brand would not want to close his head, leaving the possibility of tumor metastasis.¡»
-However, surgical removal of tumors with unclear boundaries and invasive growth is not stable at all.
The boundaries were unclear.
As soon as Dowook heard those words, he felt a sting in his fingertips and turned his head.
Professor Yeom, the source of the sense, was lost in thought while looking at the microscope monitor.
Even though he suffered in the beginning due to the suction timing, Professor Yeom was one of the few specialists in Korea with extensive clinical experience in the field of brain tumors.
¡®Maybe¡¡¯
Dowook looked at Professor Yeom.
"Professor Yeom."
"Huh? Did you decide?"
"No.5 tumor removal. Please take on the main position.¡±
Professor Yeom''s eyes grew wide at the request.
"What! Is there a way for me to do what you and Professor Choi can''t do?"
"There''s a way."
Dowook quickly revealed the n.
"As soon as Professor Yeom removes the tumor, Professor Choi begins vascr anastomosis. Nutritional blood vessels are saved, and some of the transit blood vessels are discarded. Then, infarction caused by venous damage will be sufficiently prevented. And, I¡¯ll stay alert in case of any danger. While assisting both processes."
Prof. Yeom asked again after listening to Dowook¡¯s exnation.
"To make such an attempt, the first assistant must have the ability topletely remove the tumor.¡±
"You''re good enough."
The sense in his fingertips said so.
"Professor Yeom, what would you like to do?"
Professor Yeom felt his heart pounding when asked to take charge of the surgery in front of numerous authorities. An unexpected request, and the difficulty level was the highest.
After seeing the look in Professor Yeom''s eyes, who was conflicted, Choi Hoo said.
"If you can''t do it, tell me. There are a lot of substitutes up there."
"I''ll do it. Choi Hoo, you''re too strict from the beginning.
"It''s true that you didn¡¯t do the suction on time."
"I''m reflecting on that, so stop hitting me with the truth.¡±
Stephen Lyle, who heard the conversation from Lee Joseph who was acting as an interpreter, asked.
-Dr. Park. Are you confident that there will be no neurologicalplications in choosing the boundary?
¡ºIf I''m confident, do you think it would be safe?¡»
Steven Lyle smiled slightly at Dowook¡¯s question.
-Just looking at the skills you¡¯ve shown, yes. I believe so. What about you, Dr. Mitchell?
-I feel like I want to be a scrub assistant next to him.
-That''s how it is.
Dowook, who bowed slightly to the smiling Steven Lyle, epted Choi Hoo¡¯s sense and Yeom Sang-chil¡¯s sense at the same time.
Compared to a few months ago when he¡¯d performed a surgery with Choi Hoo and Ji Hwi-gwan, he could clearly feel the difference between the two senses. This should be the benefit of fully synchronizing with Choi Hoo¡¯s sense.
"It''s been decided. Let''s get started."
The surgical position quickly changed.
Professor Yeom stood by the patient''s head and spoke.
"Starting the 5th extraction."
As soon as the words were over, clips were ced one after another to all blood vessels heading to the tumor.
It was the same speed as the fourth round, even though Dowook was gone and Choi Hoo was the only one to proceed. It meant that Choi Hoo increased his focus.
Professor Yeom gulped while watching through the microscope. If he made a mistake here, he didn''t know how unbearable the criticism would be.
"The mping isplete."
At Choi Hoo¡¯s words, Professor Yeom took the fine scissors and forceps to the tumor site. Armed with caution from years of experience, he slowly incised the upper part of the tumor.
Beep beep beep!
A warning sound from the vital monitor exploded.
"Blood pressure dropped to 65."
It was a change that did not exist in the surgery so far. Dowook, holding the suction machine in his hand, anastomized the bleeding and encouraged Professor Yeom.
"Continue. It''s temporary."
Beep beep.
As soon as he finished talking, the vitals stabilized. Dowook picked up forceps and pointed to one area.
"Please make an incision and anastomosis on this side."
It was a very sensitive area that Professor Yeom, who was removing the tumor, did not touch at all.
Before he knew it, Choi Hoo had cut it. Some of the blood vessels connected to the tumor were revealed.
From tumor extraction to cerebrovascr suture.
Considering that the lesion was located at an ultra-high difficulty level deep in the brain, the two surgeons continued smoothly.
Of course, the cause was due to a person who exquisitely coordinated the surgery between Professor Yeom and Professor Choi.
"Professor Choi. Slow down. There is still a bundle of nerves attached to the tumor. Professor Yeom, please make an incision from the top right. Don''t worry about bleeding."
Dowook naturally recalled both senses and continued to indicate the surgical boundary point.
Professor Yeom felt for the first time that such an assist was possible in the world, but Choi Hoo silently continued his vascr anastomosis as if he knew this would happen.
15 minutes passed in that manner.
The nurse wiped off the sweat on Dowook¡¯s forehead.
Dowook did not take his eyes off the micrograph monitor as the tumor was being removed even while his hands were busy. Then, he witnessed the tumor sliding sideways.
The source of the tumor was the size of a grain of rice.
That was what caused a change in thest extraction.
The hard embedded part was cut off, but the soft roots deeply located in the blood vessels below it were not easily picked up by Professor Yeon''s forceps.
Thanks to this, Professor Choi''s anastomosis also stopped.
¡®If we continue like this, it¡¯ll be toote.¡¯
A sense of crisis tingled up from his fingertips. Even Choi Hoo realized this and he red at Professor Yeom.
Dowook responded right away.
"Professor Yeom, you have to pick it out in a minute and let go."
"I¡¯m trying."
It was impossible to blindly cut off the tricky cyst with scissors.
50 seconds. 40 seconds.
Dowook felt a sense of urgency.
Even now, it was a work that put pressure on the patient''s brain nerves. Any more stimtion could lead to paralysis of the central nervous system.
¡®Should I interfere? No. That¡¯ll just make things more dangerous. Professor Choi is angry, but he can''t use his own hands. That''s a lesion that''s hard for me and Professor Choi to respond to easily.¡¯
"Blood pressure is dropping."
Following the anesthesiologist''s warning, the tingling in his fingers generated by Choi Hoo¡¯s sense also quickly started counting.
30 seconds, 25 seconds. 20 seconds.
Dowook turned to Professor Yeom.
¡®He can¡¯t do it.¡¯
Everything had gone well so far so he was about to instruct the professor to give up.
Then.
A blue sh suddenly shed from Dowook¡¯s fingertip toward Professor Yeom.
BzztÒ»!
¡®Huh?¡¯
Dowook thought he saw the wrong thing, but the sh quickly dug into Professor Yeom''s fingertips.
Professor Yeom flinched.
Professor Yeom used forceps to grab the mass, which had been misaligned like a possessed person and incised the tumor deeply embedded in the tissue.
"I- I''m done with the extraction."
Dowook immediately suctioned the blood to secure the view at the main surgeon''s deration. As if waiting for the final knot, the vacancy where the tumor disappeared was properly revealed.
Brain tissue, which had been pulled aside, had regained its ce, and vital signs also stabilized.
¡®Phew. That was close. But¡ What was that?¡¯
Professor Yeom looked at the fifth tumor held with forceps as if amazed.
"Oh my god. I thought I couldn''t get rid of it."
"You did it. Thank you for your hard work."
"Is it because I focused too much on this part? I just felt a little weird. I suddenly came to my senses. Ah. Did you scream at me?¡±
"What? No."
"Is that so¡?"
Professor Yeom, who was tilting his head, stepped down from his position.
Dowook, who returned to his position, put his fingertips on the patient''s open brain.
A powerful beat.
In the future, periodic follow-up examinations should be performed, but there were no more signs of the brain tumors on the patient¡¯s head.
Dowook turned to Choi Hoo.
"It seems like we¡¯re in the safe zone. I''ll close the head."
"Would you?"
Choi Hoo walked out of the OR as if the patient had never been in danger at all. It was cold-hearted to say that it was the back of a surgeon devoted to treating patients with a novel technique called real-time vascr anastomosis.
Choi Hoo left the operating room and Dowook dered.
"We will finish up the tumor extraction surgery."
Dowook put the separated skull piece back in and fixed in it ce. Then he thought about the sh that appeared at thest minute.
¡®What happened?¡¯
He turned to Professor Yeom and reached out his hand.
Bzzzt.
"Huh?"
Professor Yeom turned his head around. Although invisible, his body seemed to react.
¡®I don''t think there''s only one advantage thates when you master a sense.¡¯
Professor Yeom, who made eye contact, asked.
"What can I help you with?"
"Please do suction."
"I¡¯ve let things go since the surgery is over, haven''t I? I''m sorry."
Dowook shook his head as Professor Yeom was working on suction.
"If it were Nam Hana or Kim Seongtae, Professor Choi would have thrown something already.You''ve adapted really well."
"Haha. Is that so? I only heard rumors, but I didn''t know it was this tempo. Can Ie in to do suction from time to time? It looks like I have a lot to learn."
"You''re always wee if you have time."
Professor Kim, who had been standing like a statue with only mps for three hours, also greeted Dowook with a smile.
"It was an honor to be able to participate in this kind of surgery, Dr. Park Dowook."
"Good job, Professor Kim."
People in the observer''s room began to excitedly talk about the surgery scene that took ce for over three hours.
For surgeons, especially for neurosurgeons dealing with the brain, these three hours were more exciting than any medical drama in the world.
Chief Ha, who was feeling very proud of his student, raised his thumb toward Dowook.
* * *
Tom Brand slowly opened his eyes. As soon as he came to his senses, he let out a groan.
His body felt very heavy, and his head felt heavier than the rest of his body put together. It wasn''t an illusion. Because he was wearing a thick, hard bandage around his head.
¡ºYou¡¯re awake.¡»
When his eyes gained focus, the first thing that stood out was Dr. Park, a young Asian doctor. Tom smiled at Dowook.
¡ºLet me guess. You''re going to say the surgery went well, right?¡»
¡ºI didn''t know Jet America had the ability to predict the future.¡»
Tom pointed to Deckerman, who was standing behind Dowook.
¡ºIf you can''t predict that much even after seeing that expression on his face, you¡¯d be a fool Decky. Did you call Mrs. Brand?¡»
Deckerman picked up his cell phone and indicated that 100 text messages were piled up.
¡ºYou do it yourself.¡»
¡ºBreak the contract. I''m breaking up our rtionship.¡»
¡ºDo whatever you want.¡»
Deckerman turned his head regardless of Tom''s warning.
Tom gestured toward the embarrassed Dowook to continue.
¡ºWe¡¯re just joking. Even if it doesn¡¯t look like it, he would have already called my mother.¡»
¡ºThen I''ll tell you the progress of the surgery. In the check up after two weeks of recovery, everything must be clean in the first tumor examination to be diagnosed withplete recovery. There is no risk of recurrence, but initially one year of checkup is rmended to be sure. After that, I rmend that you continue to get a checkup every three years.¡»
Dowook, who briefly turned to the open VIP room door, told Tom.
¡ºThis is the end of what I have to say to Tom Brand as doctor. Children in the pediatric ward are visiting. Would you like to meet them now?¡»
¡ºYou''re talking about the ward kids that I couldn''t visitst time, right? Then, it¡¯s fine.¡»
Dowook beckoned outside.
Then a little boy wearing a big mask and red gloves appeared in a hero pose.
"Jet. I''m here! I''ll blow it all away!"
"What? hahaha!"
Tomughed at the surprise appearance of a child wearing a Red Hand mask who appeared with him in the movie Hero League.
Dr. Knuckle, Atom Girl, Wolfboy.
Masked children entered one after another, swinging their cute fists. Everyone was dressed as colleagues who formed Team Jet in the movie.
Dowook exined quietly.
¡ºBefore the surgery, you sent a tweet to summon the Team Jet.¡»
¡ºI can''t believe it''s such a grand event. Wee, Red Hand!¡»
Tom also tried to pose for Jet America, but the needle of the infusion tube shot a prickly pain up his arm so he stopped moving.
¡ºDon''t overdo it.¡»
¡ºI''m sorry, doctor. It''s so touching.¡»
Tom stopped apologizing and pointed to the masked kid that just came in.
¡ºThat''s Batman. Huh? Spider-Man? Haha.¡»
Heroes from otherpetingbels also appeared. Adults'' business circumstances were not considered in the pure standards of children who chose their favorite heroes.
¡ºDr. Park. How do you say ¡®Let¡¯s go!'' in Korean?¡»
"Let''s go."
The room quickly became full of children wearing hero masks. With the advent of Harry Potter, the division of genres was now meaningless.
What was wrong with that? You don''t need qualifications to protect the Earth from Galnos.
Tom shouted at the children with a bright smile.
"Gajwa! Team Jet!"
Click!
Deckerman held up his cell phone and took a picture of this friendly appearance.
¡¸@Tom Band¡¹posted a tweet.
#Picture attached.
[Hi, friends. The second part of the Hero League has begun. This is a picture for a screen test. If it seems that a spy is hiding among them, it is an illusion. Hey, Batman! Don''t take off your mask because it''s hot! Hide your identity!]
¡ª¨C
max sync: "Choi Hoo¡¯s¡± technique
chain: conveys a sharp willingness to operate to the other person using the sense.
Chapter 84: Future Plans of a General Hospital (1)
Emergency Center General Clinic, 6:50 a.m.
"Yejun, say ah~."
Dowook shone a pen light through the open mouth of a four-year-old boy. After examining whether there was any wound on the surface of the esophagus or whether therynx was swollen, he turned to the guardian standing next to him.
"He swallowed it straight down. His breathing looks good."
The father, who seemed relieved, asked.
"Then what about the coin he swallowed?"
"If it went down his esophagus then it''lle out of his stool. The location of the coin is¡¡.¡±
Dowook looked at the X-ray he just took. The location of the coin was the upper esophagus. In this case, it was better to push it down with an esophageal dtor and wait for it to emerge on its own.
He was going to tell the father about this, but he heard the nurse''s voice.
"Dr. Dowook. The doctor on duty is here.¡±
When he turned his head, he saw an emergency medical resident approaching. It was Noh Myeong-deok, who firmly endured his first year of residency while being directly or indirectly educated by Seong Chang Soo.
"Thank you for your hard work, doctor. I''ll take over this patient.¡±
As a resident who had reached his second year, he was now a bit mature.
"Do you want to? It¡¯s a pediatric case with a foreign object in the esophagus. The breathing is okay, but the patient finds it difficult to swallow."
"Phew, kid. You should eat something delicious."
Noh Myeong-deok patted the head of the boy sitting, with tears in his eyes and checked the X-ray.
"Sir, if you push the coin into the esophagus with the expander, you just need to check the stool for about four days."
Noh Myeong-deok''s response was the same as his, so he thought he was liberated from the 12-hour long training session.
Dowook, who was slightly bowing and backing away, suddenly stopped walking in front of the child¡¯s X-ray. The ratio was subtly different to call it a coin. Something that wasn¡¯t the same size as a 100 or 500 won coin. Was it foreign currency?
Ji Hwi-gwan¡¯s sense seemed to be exerting a strong warning, so Dowook immediately asked the child.
"Yejun, what you swallowed, was it a coin?"
"A round one."
The child didn¡¯t seem to be able to distinguish it well, so he took out his cell phone and searched for a picture of a 100 won coin and showed it to the child.
"Like this?"
The child shook his head. A 500 won coin got the same reaction.
Dowook turned to the child¡¯s father and asked.
"What was Yejun doing before swallowing the coin?"¡±
"He was ying with toys."
Dowook searched for a picture of a button battery on his cell phone and showed it to the child.
"This one?"
He nced and soon nodded. Dowook turned serious and immediately shouted at the nurse.
"Please prepare a catheter kit. The patient swallowed a button battery."
At this, Noh Myeong-deok was also surprised and turned back towards the X-ray picture.
Dowook spoke quickly to the child¡¯s father while preparing for the procedure.
"When a child swallows something that is not food, they often don''t know what it is. If it¡¯s a coin waiting for it toe out is fine but this is a battery. It''s safer to take it out as soon as possible. If you agree, I''ll try to remove the foreign matter right away."
Both the child''s father and mother nodded in surprise.
"Yejun, can you lie on your side?"
He stood next to Noh Myeong-deok who quickly assisted Dowook.
The mouth opener hung on the child''s mouth, and the airway was secured. A helping catheter was lifted to gauge the length of the esophagus.
"Do you want to do it?"
"I''ve never done an endoscopy on a pediatric patient¡"
Dowook didn¡¯t have any experience in responding to emergency pediatric patients either, but his hands naturally knew what to do since he had Chief Ji¡¯s sense.
"I''ll do it then."
Spray anesthetics were sprayed on the child''s neck.
Dowook slowly inserted the catheter into the child''s mouth after checking the balloon attached to it.
"Count up to 10 in your head, Yejun. Then everything will be over.¡±
Dowook felt that he had reached the ce where the foreign substance was located because of the feeling at the end of the catheter. 3 ml of saline was inserted into the catheter.
As soon as the catheter was pulled out, the battery appeared through the child''s throat.
He used forceps to grab it, and put it on the cart''s te.
tter.
"Phew."
As expected, it was a battery.
"It ended well, sir."
When the child burst into tears, his father quickly ran to hug him.
"Yeah, okay, okay. Our Yejun. You were really brave."
Dowook smiled as he looked at the child who was crying loudly enough to wake everyone in the emergency room.
Noh Myeong-deok approached Dowook, who took off his sterile gloves after finishing his work.
"As expected of Dr. Park. If I had diagnosed it, I would have handled it as a coin. How did you know what it was by just looking at the X-ray?¡±
"That''s¡."
Dowook couldn¡¯t just say that he had a feeling so he was trying to think of an excuse when someone suddenly approached.
"Myeong-deok. As an emergency surgeon, don¡¯t you do X-ray analysis training?"
It was Chief Ji Hwi-gwan who was on duty today.
Chief Ji touched the monitor on which the X-ray of Yoon Yejun was shown.
"Here. This circumference. It''s different from coins. Dr. Park figured it out at once. If you want to make the right clinical decision, make that effort."
"I''m sorry, chief."
"Go to the DB, analyze and write a report about 100 charts of patients who¡¯ve swallowed foreign substances. And, did you leave the procedure to a doctor from another department because youcked endoscopic experience?¡±
"I''m sorry about that, too."
"There are numerous patients receiving gastroscopy at the general examination center, go apply for it ande back after performing it 100 times."
It was a brutal follow-up.
Dowook had no choice but to cheer for Noh Myeong-deok, who was dealing with Chief Ji.
It had been 2 years since he first started. However, the responsibility as a doctor required of a second year was not light. Dowook hoped this year Myeong-deok could continue to endure.
Chief Ji turned to Dowook, who was about to leave the emergency surgery clinic.
"Dr. Park Dowook."
"Yes, chief."
"I think I see you often when I''m on duty these days.¡±
"I applied on purpose because I wanted to observe your emergency response method."
Dowook quickly thought of an excuse although it was also the truth.
"By any chance, are you¡¡±
Chief Ji''s eyes became intense as if looking at Dowook¡¯s inner thoughts. Dowook became nervous under the intense gaze.
¡®Professor Choi''s style is so different.¡¯
To put it in movie terms, Commander Ji was a righteous hero, and Last Choi was more of an egocentric hero.
Even if they were both heroes, Chief Ji was the type who you couldn¡¯t talk to and would only proceed his own way.
"¡Are you nning to apply for the position of a professor once the regional trauma center is decided?"
"What?"
"I don''t think it''s a bad idea because there will be an opening for a professor in neurosurgery. Same goes for Seodaemun Fire Station. Seeing this silent enthusiasm, I like how you¡¯re taking the initiative and helping us at the emergency center. I look forward to your kind cooperation."
Misunderstandings were intertwined and unexpected words came out.
He said good-bye to Chief Ji, and tilted his head while walking in the hallway of the emergency room.
"He just said he would support me if I applied for the professor position in the regional trauma center, right?"
He wasn¡¯t sure at first, but the meaning behind those words were as he thought.
The metropolitan trauma center was not decided, and the name Professor Park Dowook was a very attractive call.
"Anyway, it means he knows I follow him around whenever I¡¯m on duty but he doesn¡¯t mind. Let''s just focus on learning quickly."
Seong Chang Soo yawned and walked out of the medical office when he encountered Dowook.
"Huh? Dowook, why are youing from that direction? Were you on duty again?"
"You''re supposed to be in at 7 PM and you decide to crawl out at 7 PM?"
"I''m a staff member from this year. A regr shift is an option."
"Oh, option. That''s why Chief Ji was happily waiting for you to be on duty. He was taking care of the staff options.¡±
Seong Chang Soo flinched at this.
"You''re so yful today. Chief Ji wasn''t on duty yesterday.¡±
"Can''t you see this face without a smile? You didn''t even check the changed work card¡¡.¡±
He didn¡¯t finish his sentence as Seong Chang Soo had already started running like lightning toward the emergency room.
-Hey! Get out of my way!
After getting on the elevator and getting off the seventh floor, Dowook went straight to the shower room used before surgery.
Shhhhhh!
After relieving the fatigue umted over 12 hours with a hot shower, he was nning to copse and prepare for the afternoon surgery. Dowook, who was opening the door to the night shift room, recalled that there was a briefing session at 9 o''clock.
He picked up his cell phone and found information in the text piled up.
[1st quarter outpatient briefing ¨C 6th floor auditorium]
This was an indispensable meeting because he had to work in the outpatient clinic starting next week.
The auditorium that could seat 300 was about half full.
Dowook sat leaning against the outer seat.
"Dr. Park?"
When he turned to the familiar voice, Professor Lee Won Seok caught his eye. Jeong Woo-seok, a pianist, who was under the charge of the Neurology clinic was the reason they knew each other. He was also one of the professors whose sense Dowook had borrowed.
"Hello, Professor Lee."
"It''s been quite hard to see your face these days. Happy New Year.¡±
Professor Lee waved to the other professors in the department he entered with and sat next to Dowook.
"Is this the first time you''re taking on outpatient cases in your name?"
"Yes."
In fact, there had not been so many outpatients. For surgeons, the ward treatment that they had while following professors was priority and daily life.
"I''m not worried much because it¡¯s you, but to tell you one thing. You must build friendships with the doctors in the internal medicine department. When you diagnose, you¡¯ll have a lot of patients that you¡¯ll have to hand over to that side."
"It''s¡ I''ve already had an argument with Chief Won Dong-gil. Because of Tom Brand.¡±
"That''s why I''m saying this. Chief Wonined openly at apany dinner at the beginning of the year. It had a lot of jealousy in it."
Those on the board of directors¡¯ side and those on the dean¡¯s side.
The integrated internal chief was the former, and thest time Dowook talked to him, he had been forced to take the dean¡¯s side.
"Maybe because the dean and vice-dean are all former surgeons, the internal medicine department is generally dissatisfied with how the hospital is being run. If anything ufortable happens in the process, let me know. I''ll try to mediate as much as I can.¡±
"Thank you for your consideration."
"Instead of thanks, would it be alright if we cooperate on other cases at the clinic over patients who can be operated likest time?"
"I¡¯d like that, too."
During the conversation, the director of the outpatient affairs department of the secretariat, who hosted the briefing session on the podium, was appointed.
-Ah, since it is 9 o''clock, I''ll start. First of all, there will be a change in the number of outpatients from this quarter, so please check your email. If you don''t check and consider that your allowance has decreased, our people in charge will be in a very difficult situation. Key notifications for Q1 are¡¡.
For about 20 minutes, suggestions requested by the nursing department continued on the news of interior construction in the outpatient public waiting area.
Dowook yawned out of exhaustion and covered his mouth.
¡®I think you can just check your email for this. Why are there so many experienced professors here?¡¯
He couldn''t ask Lee Won Seok about this part. Because it would be obvious that he was bored with this briefing session.
-¡¡Then, from now on, the vice dean has something to say.
"Huh?"
Dowook had no choice but to focus and sit properly. Now that he was sitting up, he realized that the vice dean was in the front seat.
The vice dean got on the podium and began to talk.
-You are the faces of our hospital where you receive an appointment under your name and treat patients. Therefore, I think you will understand what I am suggesting is for the future of the hospital.
The vice dean continued to talk, slowly examining the 150 doctors.
-A 50-year-old man came to the hospital emergency room with a fever and severe headache. The examination confirmed a heart aortic abnormality. Which department should the patient go to first? Neurology? Cardio? Or, suspecting the virus. Infectious medicine? In the process, the hospital''s image is bound to fall as time is dyed, the patient is exhausted, and even the doctor is confused.
In line with the vice dean¡¯s remarks, the phrase "first stage of the new year''s business n" arrived on the rear screen of the auditorium.
-Our hospital has been treating patients centered on doctors so far. And they gained their own reputation in their respective departments. But what''s the result? Despite the size of the medical staff belonging to the Big 5, we have never ranked first in the evaluation of general hospitals. No, in thest 10 years, we have never even been in third ce.
When the introduction phrase "integrated outpatient operation" appeared on the screen, most of those watching could not take their eyes off the screen.
It was because the participation reward written on it was so unconventional.
-It''s time for us to start patient-centered diagnosis and treatment. In line with that, we n to open the first integrated outpatient room. It''s the second quarter. The number of members is only the most suitable from each department. As you can see, the reward is like this.
A doctor in the front raised his hand.
-Sir, is it possible to actually get an additional sry? A few months ago we were in the red.
-The budget has already been secured by an external consultant.
-How do you choose the right person?
-We will watch all of your outpatient courses in the first quarter and evaluate them. The main evaluation factor is not the amount of patients or the benefits brought to the hospital, but the cooperation with other departments. An impressive case will be widely disclosed to the public by the newly established content marketing team.
There was a sound of murmur everywhere. Dowook also turned to Professor Lee.
"Did you know that the vice dean would announce such a n?"
"Just roughly. I only talked about you because you visited the clinic and found a case of integrated treatment. Oh, I can see it over there."
The screen moved on to the next slide. The article was about Jeong Woo-seok. The vice dean looked at the screen once and said.
-I''m sure you all know this case. Earlier this year, I received a report that the number of patients booked for Neurology doubledpared tost year.
"Wow. Twice as much?¡±
"At the end ofst year, it was three times more."
"That''s why Jae-geol cursed me at the end of the year."
"Ha. Did Dr. Son do that? It''s understandable. We''ve been busy."
-The time when hospitalspeted on the basis of only being good at treatment is over. If it is a hospital that can listen to the patient''s condition and present an urate diagnosis and vision after treatment. I think we can be reborn as the best general hospital in the world beyond the best in Korea.
-Vice dean, is Tom Brand¡¯s case going to be included in the selected score?
The vice dean¡¯s gaze moved toward the integrated internal chief who asked.
-The surgery was over in the first quarter, so we can include it if you want.
-Well, I was only of little help at the time of the consultation, but it is what it is. You know that professors from the top 5 hospitals in the U.S. visited recently, right? I was amazed by the fact that I caught this esoteric tumor in the beginning and returned.
The chief¡¯s intention was to take the lead in the evaluation and take a position, so other doctors'' eyes became sharp. Even professors in the same department viewed the integrated internal medicine¡¯s chief with an undesirable view.
¡®This means that I''ll be reflected in the evaluation too.¡.¡¯
Profit even if you just stayed still. However, Dowook shook his head and raised his hand.
"Sir! You don''t have to include Tom Brand¡¯s case. The diagnosis wasst year, and he was not an outpatient.¡±
The chief of the integrated internal affairs department in the front seat turned his head in anger at the cry.
-Who are you to decide on¡?!
The head of the integrated internal medicine department''s embarrassed gaze was focused on Dowook, who yed the biggest role in the coboration.
-Why is Dr. Park here¡¡.
"From this year on, I''m also participating in outpatient activities."
The head of the integrated internal medicine department, who was coughing in embarrassment as if he had a respiratory infection, turned towards the podium.
Chapter 85: Future Plans of a General Hospital (2)
After the vice dean¡¯s presentation, arge number of central faculty members from the department of internal medicine gathered inside the office of the department director.
"Strengthening cooperation? When people hear it, they¡¯ll think we used to be enemies with the other departments."
Kang Beom Seok, the chief of the nephrology department,mented which led to a series ofints from the heads of other departments.
"Isn''t this all to help neurosurgery, which has been the center of the media these days? You¡¯d think they''re earning all the money for the hospital just because they¡¯ve treated celebrities a few times."
"That''s right. Where was the highest yield fromst year? Wasn''t it the cancer center? Shouldn''t we put the oncology clinic at the forefront?"
Among them, Won Dong-Gil, who was sitting with a lost expression, waited for the room to calm down and started to talk.
"Everyone, calm down. I don''t think we can solve this just by getting angry. The vice dean was a surgeon, so he is too ignorant about how the outpatient office is run. Let''s take this opportunity to show that the center of treatment is internal medicine.¡±
"How?"
"I mean we should all cooperate. We should diligently ask the neurosurgery department for a second opinion. Have you met a patient who doesn¡¯t have a headache?"
Most of the professors nodded after realizing the true intentions hidden within Won Dong-Gil''s words.
No matter how experienced a surgeon was, he couldn¡¯t master each specialty of internal medicine. It would be humiliating if a doctor failed to respond properly when asked for a second opinion.
"In particr, I think we should show the young doctor who¡¯s starting this week what happens if he messes around."
At Won Dong-Gil¡¯s next words, professors around him coughed awkwardly. Because it was not something to be said by the person who got taught while acting up recklessly during the briefing session.
"Director Won. I think you should change your mind when ites to Park Dowook."
Everyone''s attention was drawn to the voice of Yeon Jung-woong, a VIP professor and influential person in the field of endocrine medicine. Won Dong-Gil asked back.
"Professor Yeon, you were also there when he diagnosed Tom Brand and you still say that?"
"Aren¡¯t I saying this because I saw him in the act? Dr. Park is not a normal doctor. Professor Lee Won Seok of the Neurology Clinic also acknowledged it."
"Oh, but he¡¯s still a surgeon."
Won Dong-Gil muttered like this, but due to anxiety in the corner of his chest, he turned his head toward Lee Ki-cheol, the head of the tumor department.
"Director Lee, are you close to the head of the cancer center?"
"Well, we''re from the same school."
"There''s no reason for only the internal medicine to act. Other surgical departments will also have a lot ofints about neurosurgery. Tell me. There''s also the undisputed No. 1 surgical outpatient doctor.¡±
The discussion on countermeasures held inside the office of the integrated internal medicine department¡¯s director continued until the afternoon.
* * *
Wednesday afternoon.
Dowook was heading to the outpatient area on the fourth floor.
¡®How many patients did they say had made an appointment?¡¯
When he opened the schedule sent from the outpatient nursing department on his cell phone, he saw that he had 11 people.
Considering that each patient had up to 15 minutes of treatment time, the number was not asrge as expected. This was enough that he could also go in for surgery and emergency room duty without much difficulty.
Dowook, who yawned and got off the elevator, turned to the wide outpatient area.
From dermatology to respiratory medicine, it felt like he was standing at the entrance of a supermarket.The space was crowded with patients waiting for medical treatment.
He focused his attention in the outpatient area of the neurosurgery department, where three private clinics were attached. It was quite smallpared to the nephrology department right next to it with eight clinics.
The reason why the neurosurgery department upied such a small area was because the region of spine was separated into another clinic.
Even so, he couldn¡¯t help but be envious that the clinic had a waiting room with a good atmosphere.
¡®It¡¯s not like our department doesn''t have many visiting patients, but it isn¡¯t a lot either.¡¯
He approached and bowed to the nurse standing at the reception desk.
"I''m Park Dowook."
"Wee, doctor. It''s your first outpatient today, right?¡±
"Yes."
The nurse who checked the reception desk''s monitor proceeded.
"Professor Shin is looking at hisst patient, so please wait."
Dowook waited for a professor who was performing outpatient treatment in the morning, but he didn''te out even at 1 p.m.
At around 1:05, Dowook walked back to the reception desk.
"It¡¯s past the shift. Should I still wait?"
"That''s strange. He took over a patient at the end because they said it was a mild case."
¡°He took over?"
"Oh, there''s the patient."
Dowook turned toward the first clinic.
A frowning patient walked towards the reception desk.
"My doctor told me to get a shot. Where should I go?"
"Wait a minute."
The nurse, who checked theputer chart, printed it out and handed it out to the patient.
"You canplete your payment to the Department of Internal Medicine and proceed to the integrated internal medicine treatment room."
"This time, the integrated internal medicine department? Can''t I get a shot here?"
"The treatment for thyroiditis is not within the jurisdiction of neurosurgery."
"Ugh. I''m dying of pain. Go this way and that way. You keep making me go around. What''s wrong with these general hospitals?"
The nurse, who did not lose her kind smile to the patient who was grumbling and walking out, looked back to Dowook.
"I think you can go now."
Dowook left the nurse who seemed very good at dealing with upset patients and moved to the first clinic.
¡®Wait. Thyroidism? Why did the internal medicine patiente here?¡¯
Standing at the door, he could see one more person inside besides Professor Shin Sang-woong, a detailed cerebrovascr specialist.
He had a name tag with "Professor Kim Han-sung of Integrated Internal Medicine" on his chest.
Kim Han-sung opened his mouth.
"The medical history is only fever symptoms for sore throat, so I couldn''t have diagnosed subacute thyroiditis right away. Anyway, thank you for your help. At least it''s not a cerebral artery disease.¡±
Kim Han-sung walked outside, leaving Professor Shin behind with a disheartened expression. On his way out, he made eye contact with Dowook.
Dowook bowed slightly. Kim Han-sung soon disappeared from the clinic after receiving Dowook¡¯s greeting with a stiff gaze.
Professor Shin, who was packing his bag, looked at Dowook.
"You¡¯re here, Dr. Park?"
"Professor, thank you for your hard work.¡±
Dowook came close and pointed outside.
"What was that patient just now?"
Professor Shin sighed deeply.
"Didn''t you hear? Because of the integrated outpatient or whatever, the internal medicine department is determined to act up.¡±
"Act up?"
Professor Shin pointed to the patient''s chart on the monitor.
"They bring in a patient whose symptoms are ambiguous to cooperate and make it as difficult for us as possible. Of course, I doubted the brain side."
Dowook looked at the chart and groaned.
The mostmon reason for someone to have symptoms like headache and fever was a cold. But it wasn¡¯t easy to diagnose if there weren¡¯t any other signs such as swollen tonsils or coughing.
"Be careful, Dr. Park. If you don''t intend to apply for integrated outpatient support, don''t even take a request for consultation. They''re quite determined."
Professor Shin walked out of the clinic while clicking his tongue.
Dowook sat in his seat and recalled the war of tension during the briefing a few days ago.
¡®Something troublesome may happen.¡¯
Ring, ring.
The inte on the table rang. Dowook answered and heard the voice of the nurse at the reception desk.
-What should we do with the 1 o''clock reservation patient, Dr. Park? Should I let them in after 30 minutes?
Reservation No. 1 and the first outpatient treatment patient under his own name. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit nervous.
"No, let him in right away."
Two hourster.
Dowook looked closely at the left eyelid of a woman in herte twenties and spoke as he felt the slight tremors transmitted through his fingertips.
"The facial nerves and nearby blood vessels are so close that they seem to affect each other. In this case, you can try surgery to reduce nerve stimtion."
"Other hospitals rmended Botox injections."
"That''s one way. However, Botox injections have an expiration date so it will work up to six months."
"What about surgery?"
Dowook took his hand off the patient and smiled.
"If it wouldn¡¯tpletely cure it, I wouldn''t have brought it up."
Dowook, who left, made notes on the chart as he said.
"I''ll write you a prescription for migraines. If you''re thinking of surgery, don''t waste your medical expenses by moving around various hospitals.¡.¡±
"I''ll do the surgery."
"Will you?"
"Doctor, I came here on purpose after reading the article."
"Then I''ll schedule a thorough examination and contact you."
The 11th patient left the clinic, and Dowook looked at the clock. It was only 3 o''clock.
¡®It ended faster than I thought.¡¯
Choi Hoo¡¯s sense was the fastest and most urate diagnostic tool in front of symptoms requiring neurosurgery.
Now, he could get a clear idea of the surgical process just by touching the patient, and it was hard to consider this to be someone¡¯s sense.
Ring, ring.
The phone rang while he was entering the second examination schedule for patients who needed surgery among those he diagnosed today. Dowook pressed the speakerphone button and replied while typing.
"Yes, this is Park Dowook."
-I''m Professor Lee Il-sang of Infectious Diseases. I''m contacting you because I heard you''re done with today''s appointments. A dizziness patient visited here, but the symptoms seem a littleplicated.
What Professor Shin warned him about suddenly came in.
If he rejected it by saying he was busy, there would be no problem but if the position of neurosurgery was reduced in an integrated outpatient environment under the pretext of this process, it would not only be a big loss, but also hurt the pride of their department.
"What kind of symptoms?"
¨C It''s the 190117-3501 chart.
"I''ll check and call you."
-I''ll be waiting.
Dowook jumped up and ran out of the clinic. And immediately told the nurse standing at the reception desk.
"I''m going to the bathroom for 5 minutes".
"What? Yes."
Although he said the bathroom, the ce where Dowook was headed was in front of the outpatient clinic of the infectious medicine department.
There were a total of 6 clinics here.
HeI just pretended to pass by and reached out his hand. A tingling sensation was felting from two ces.
¡®Oh, there are a lot of great doctors here.¡¯
After epting the more intense stimting sensation as much as possible, he quickly returned to his clinic. Then, he opened the chart of the patient who requested consultation.
Dowook picked up the phone and called Professor Lee Il-sang and slowly started to speak.
"It seems to be a patient with symptoms of consciousness disorder and some paralysis."
-That''s right. There''s no abnormality in the head CT, but paralysis is the only clue.
A state in which anyone could only diagnose cerebral infarction. However, it must have been taken out because it would not be a cerebral infarction.
Dowook carefully browsed the information on the monitor and stopped at the blood test part from the diagnostic medicine department. At first, he didn''t understand it, but he was able to recognize it right away because his hands wrote down the prescription by itself as he looked at the chart.
"That''s strange. Isn''t there a doctor who can analyze blood antibodies properly in the Infectious Diseases?"
-What?
Came the flustered answer.
"There is a significant rise in influenza A virus antibodies. This is not a case of cerebral infarction, but an influenza encephalopathy. It has nothing to do with neurosurgery. Do you still want to coborate? I can help you, but still¡¡.¡±
-Uh¡
"I don''t know who was in charge of diagnosing this patient, but I''m very sorry. If a person who can''t even judge this much is sitting in an outpatient clinic, the hospital image could be in trouble."
-Excuse me, doctor. This request for consultation was not from the integrated outpatient case.¡.
"Oh, my. I''ve already recorded it.¡±
Tap tap ta-tap.
Dowook finished typing the prescription and clicked the mouse on the confirmation button.
-Oh my¡
Dowook hung up and bowed briefly toward the direction of the infectious diseases department. Come to think of it, this was also an umtion of evaluation points.
Ring, ring.
The phone rang again.
-Dr. Park. I''m the chief of nephrology.
Dowook was slightly surprised by Chief Kang Beom Seok''s call.
"Yes, sir."
-There''s a patient who''s in shock due to dizziness. Can you give me a second opinion?
Dowook reached out once because the outpatient clinic for nephrology was right next door.
Tingle.
The professor in the next room seemed to be a very good person.
"Do you have a chart?¡±
-If you look at number 3613¡¡.
As soon as he saw theputer chart, Dowook continued to write down a prescription.
"The patient has an abdominal aortic aneurysm and high blood pressure underlying chronic kidney disease, but is taking a hypotension drug. The symptoms areplicated."
-Right. That''s why we need the neurosurgical department¡¯s judgment.
Dowook, who confirmed the direction suggested by the sense, said after showing gratitude toward kidney medicine.
"Wait. Angiotensin 2 receptors can cause hyperkalemia.¡±
-huh?
"Didn''t you know that the patient''s symptoms were not the problem, but the drug was causing arrhythmia?"
-It''s not that I didn''t know¡¡.
Click.
"I''ll write a prescription and send it to you, so check it out. It¡¯s not a patient who needs neurosurgical surgery, but I''ll help you as much as I can."
-Wait a minute. Hey, Dr. Park. Let''s pretend this didn''t happen.¡.
Dowook smiled as he hung up. 4th floor, outpatient area. It was really the best ce to respond to these acts.
Chapter 86: Future Plans of a General Hospital (3)
Min Bo-Hoon, head of the cancer center''s high-level surgery team, was dealing with patients in the center.
"There are no traces in all three ces where liver cancer cells could have developed. It''s very clean right now."
"Then, am I cured?"
"If you follow regr checkups and precautions, the possibility of recurrence seems low."
Min Bo-Hoon, who was looking at the chart, turned to the patient. He suddenly felt that the patient was trying to avoid looking at him, so he asked.
"How many drinks did you have?¡±
The patient flinched and shook his head.
"What are you talking about? I don''t drink anymore. I stopped."
"That''s a relief. The consultation is over."
"Is it over? Thank you for your hard work, doctor."
"It''s hard to stay inside because of the heater, isn¡¯t it? Shall we go smoke in a cool ce before the blood test? But I''m out right now. Do you¡?"
"I still have half, sir¡"
The patient''s body stiffened when he noticed that he was caught in a trap while fumbling.
"Give it to me, that half."
"I''m sorry."
Min Bo-Hoon pointed to the CT film on the monitor with a cold expression.
"Here. This is the area of the hepatic vein at risk of recurrence. If you continue drinking, your liver will be strained by its weak function, and the tumor will grow again in this area. The same goes for cigarettes. I''m not forcing you to quit anymore. Judge the situation on your own and prepare. However, there is no guarantee that the next operation will be this sessful."
"Yes sir."
After the consultation, the patient walked outside.
"Aren''t you being too strict to a patient who finished his surgery well?"
When he turned his head to the voice outside the door, a middle-aged woman was leaning against the door of the clinic.
Hong Yoo Seon, head of the cancer center. She came inside and continued to talk.
"That patient, if you take good care of him for about two years, he bes the same as a normal person. Why don''t you tell him that he can have a drink by then? The surgery was that perfect.¡±
"Habits in the body don''t change easily. The moment that one ss bes ten, you will have to dere death, not treatment.¡±
"Professor Min is so negative about everything but it''s attractive."
Min Bo-Hoon, who was organizing the patient¡¯s chart, asked without turning.
"Why are you disturbing me when I still have patients to see?"
"Disturbing? I justplimented you.¡±
Min Bo-Hoon gave a sharp look to Chief Hong.
"There are still 10 reserved patients left."
"No, you don''t have any more today."
"What do you mean I don''t have any?¡±
"If you can postpone it, postpone it, and another teacher will treat the first-time patients.¡±
Min Bo-Hoon took his hand off the keyboard and reflected on Chief Hong''s answer just now.
"If it was this easy to adjust outpatients, I wouldn''t have to suffer every time."
"It''s not always easy. It is possible only under the premise that Professor Min will be the future of the cancer center."
"Why are you doing this?"
"I need you to cooperate with me. Among our cancer center patients, there was a radiation-resistant liver cancer patient, right? Developed into metastasis.¡±
Min Bo-Hoon hesitated.
"Did the AN Medical Center ept the transfer request?¡±
"It''s not AN. Neurosurgery at our hospital."
Min Bo-Hoon snorted at those words.
"Even with Professor Choi expertise on the cerebrovascr system, his skills with metastatic brain tumors cannot keep up with AN''s brain tumor center. Besides, it''s a resistant tumor. From treatment cases to medical staff with extensive clinical experience. The level is different.¡±
"Who said that? I just mean that you should listen and do things as usual."
"What do you mean, as usual?¡±
"If you express negative opinions to your heart''s content and you don''t like it¡"
Chief Hong pretended to slit her neck.
"Why are you ordering this?"
"The oncologist said this. If you press down on neurosurgery, they will add three more staff to the cancer center. Professor Min''s outpatient work will be greatly reduced, right?¡±
"You''re telling me to leave the patient and go to the floor."
"That''s how the title of the youngest assistant professor is. Timing is more important than showing off your skills sometimes.¡±
"So, do I have to be careful?"
"Bingo. Go and deal with it without any pressure. The doctor, whose name everyone knows nowadays, is currently participating in the outpatient treatment."
After Chief Hong left, Min Bo-Hoon was lost in thought for a while.
Dowook looked at Professor Kim Han-sung from the Integrated Internal Medicine Department, who was sweating like a waterfall.
"That, I know. What Dr. Park said is¡¡.¡±
"Do you want me to say it one more time?"
"No, it''s fine."
Kim Han-sung, who shook his hand, turned his head toward the female patient who came with him.
"Ma¡¯am. You can be hospitalized for kidney medicine and proceed with antibiotic treatment."
"Why should I do that? I heard this doctor diagnosed it correctly.¡±
"The diagnosis of urinary tract infection is not easy except for acute pyelonephritis. It¡¯s only at the beginning stage now, and for a more urate diagnosis, it''s right to go to kidney medicine."
"Then you should have sent me there from the beginning. It''s annoying."
The patient stood up and went outside. Kim Han-sung immediately shouted at the nurse.
"Please guide her to the Department of Nephrology department!¡±
Kim Han-sung then sat close together with a chair next to the table, even though he was not a patient.
"Hey, Dr. Park."
"Yes?"
"The diagnosis just now. I''m so embarrassed. Can you just pretend it didn''t happen?¡±
Dowook turned his head while recording a prescription for "left simple pyelonephritis" on theputer chart.
Among the checks under the guise of today''s cooperation, Kim Han-sung, the fifth batter, had very different results from other departments.
Even Kim Han-sung was judging the patient''s actual symptoms as acute gastroenteritis.
"How did Dr. Park find pyelonephritis just by pressing the abdomen? You didn''t even major in kidney medicine."
The reason why he could sessfully diagnose pyelonephritis of the patient suffering from nausea, vomiting, and body aches was due to there being a special sense of a nephrology professor nearby.
Thanks to the initial diagnosis of integrated internal medicine, the patient''s symptoms, which should have been transferred to other departments, could be treated quickly.
Kim Han-sung, who saw Dowook cing his hand on the mouse and thinking about whether to press the transfer button, politely put his hands together and begged.
"Save me, Dr. Park. In fact, if there''s a rumor about this outpatient clinic, I''m just a messenger.¡±
"I heard rumors that you''re trying to bury me today. Are you saying that I should justy down and die?"
"That''s¡ Dr. Park¡"¡.¡±
When the mouse moved slightly, Kim Han-sung was embarrassed and grabbed Dowook¡¯s arm.
"What should I do for you? Tell me anything. I''ll do anything.¡±
"Even if it is against the will of the integrated internal medicine chief?"
"Of course. I''m going to die, so what does it matter?"
Dowook weighed the pros and cons in his head.
This case had apletely different wavelength from the proper response of the other four requests for cooperation.
If the rumor spread significantly, Kim Han-sung was likely to be excluded from outpatient work.
Because the patient wouldn¡¯t look for him. It was natural that his career as a doctor would fall into the abyss.
¡®Would it be too cruel if I pushed forward with this? I also identally diagnosed it because of the sense from the doctor nearby.¡¯
Dowook, who finished the calction, told Kim Han-sung straightforwardly.
"From now on, don''t push the cases except for patients who need proper consultation."
"Of course, of course."
"A case of requesting cooperation from Professor Shin in the morning. Please pretend that all of that didn''t happen."
"Okay, okay. Is that enough?¡±
Of course, Dowook shook his head.
"Until now, you had to take care of yourself morally. I''m a little tired. Please assist the doctor next to the doctor who hasn''t requested a consultation. You have a lot of time today, right?¡±
"Huh?"
Dozens of outpatient clinics in hospitals.
Now, only five ces had called on him. It would be tiring to run around every time he was called. It would have been much easier for an experienced professor of integrated internal medicine to help from the side.
When asked to side with the enemy, Kim Han-sung''s face disyed a big embarrassment.
"It''s¡"
"If you don''t like it, follow the procedure."
When the mouse pointer went up on the diagnostic transmission button, Kim Han-sung immediately answered.
"I''ll do it. I''ll do it!"
And he immediately lowered his voice.
"Instead, keep it a secret that I''m here. Don¡¯t tell Director Won."
"I''ll protect you even if you don''t tell me that much. It''smon sense."
Negotiations that went in his favor were soon finished.
From this time on, Dowook could respond to cooperation requests while barely moving from his spot.
Kim Han-sung, who was a strong hostage, continued to tell useful diagnostic findings as a 10-year professor of integrated medicine.
"Huh? This is Professor Lim''s patient? He hid a myocardial infarction without chest pain."
"Really?"
"Do you see the sinus bradycardia on the electrocardiogram?"
Dowook definitely understood and nodded. Kim Han-sung clicked his tongue.
"It''s too much to argue that pulling the back bone due to muscle stiffness is a neurosurgery symptom. If you''ve been rolling in cardiology for 10 years, you should at least put a case that makes sense. Tsk tsk."
Sometimes, Dowook got a little confused because he didn''t hesitate to say things that looked down on the people on the same side as him.
He pressed the speakerphone button on the phone and called Professor Lim Ki-seok of Cardiology. And told him what Kim Han-sung said in a little refined way.
-Doctor Park!
The response was consistent. When the prescription was confirmed and posted on theputer, a scream sounded from the speakerphone.
-Doctor Park, don¡¯t you think that was too much!
Click.
When the speakerphone was cut off, Kim Han-sung covered his mouth andughed.
"I shouldn''t beughing here. The professors who say they¡¯re knowledgeable acting like this. How pathetic!"
"He''s the 10th one, right? I don''t know why they¡¯re calling me this much."
"I can''t do anything about it since the staff told me to do it. You know it shouldn''t be to this point, but you keep getting it right. If I were to find another reason, it might be because they envy you. Who among us would treat Hollywood stars like that?"
"My goal is to be the best surgeon, not the best position. I''m sorry that there are many people who can''t tell that apart."
Kim Han-sung, who felt stabbed at the moment, coughed awkwardly.
Ring, ring.
During a serious conversation, the 11th phone rang. Dowook, who pressed the speakerphone, looked at the clock. The deadline for outpatient treatment, 5 o''clock, was now less than 10 minutes away. Maybe this would be thest call.
"This is Park Dowook."
-Doctor Park. I¡¯m Min Bo-Hoon.
¡®Hepatopancreaticobiliary?¡¯
[TN: Hepatopancreaticobiliary: Rted to Liver, Pancreas and Biliary duct]
It was the first time a surgeon had contacted him, not an internal medicine doctor, so Dowook tilted his head and asked back.
"Did you call me for consultation?"
-Yes. It is a patient with a specific case where cancer cells in the liver have spread to the brain. Please check and contact me if you have any intention of consulting. The chart number is¡¡.
Click.
As soon as the business was over, the phone was hung up by the other party first.
Dowook opened theputer chart, read it all the way, and let out an exmation subconsciously.
"A cancer patient who can''t be treated with radiation?¡±
Kim Han-sung also looked at the chart andmented.
"This is too much for me to help. Not only are the fields different, but I''ve never seen such tumor structures before."
"The case is really strange. Surgery is the answer, but it''s not easy."
"Whose case is this? Huh? Isn''t Min Bo-Hoon the head of the cancer center''s high-level surgery team? The youngest assistant professor this year."
"Huh? Is Dr. Min Bo-Hoon already an assistant professor? Wow¡."
Min Bo-Hoon was already a renowned doctor at the cancer center.
He and Dowook were only three years apart. Bing an assistant professor at the time when he should be a full-time clinical instructor was like proving that his skills were enormous.
"Dr. Park. I can''t tell you everything, but I heard that there was an exchange between the head of the cancer center and the head of the tumor department. You''ll have to answer carefully because they¡¯re up to something."
While quietly sending a warning, the cell phone in Kim Han-sung''s inner pocket rang. Kim Han-sung, who took it out, looked panicked.
"Dr. Park. Shh. It''s Director Won."
Kim Han-sung, who answered the call, spoke.
"Yes, Director."
-Where did you go after you left your seat? Don''t you know that all internal medicine doctors are in a state of emergency because of Park Dowook?
"Uh¡"
Kim Han-sung couldn¡¯t say anything as it was because he was part of the reason for the emergency.
"Other departments may have lowered their evaluation scores a lot, but our department is fine. I haven''t asked for a consultation yet.¡±
-That''s what I''m going to say in this situation!
Kim Han-sung, who shrank back at the roar, gave a gesture that he was okay to Dowook when he looked over.
-Run to the director¡¯s office right now. Professor Min Bo-Hoon has stepped up, so Park Dowook won''t be able to do much. The oncologist said that if Professor Min pointed out something, there would be no doctor to respond. Let''s look for this moment.
After hanging up, Kim Han-sung turned to Dowook.
Regardless of Kim Han-sung''s concerns, Dowook was fascinated by the case itself and continued to look through the patient''s CT and MRI data.
"Dr. Park, you¡¡.¡±
"Hold on. I''ve seen almost all of this."
Kim Han-sung watched Dowook with a new perspective.
At first, he was so surprised that he couldn''t recognize it deeply. Park Dowook was not only good at dealing with patients, but also the standards of a surgeon. To the point where he was ashamed of himself for trying to trick him.
"Dr. Park, why don''t you just reject this? Professor Min is determined to bite you.¡±
"No way. Even if there is a problem, I''m very curious about this case.¡±
The smiling Dowook picked up the phone.
"Yes, Professor Min. We''ll coborate. Should I go to the cancer center? 10 minutester? All right."
Dowook put the receiver down and pointed to the clock on the wall.
"This is the end of today''s outpatient service. Let''s forget about the patient with pyelonephritis. The patient chart has already been handed over to the Department of Renal Medicine.¡±
"I''m saying this from the bottom of my heart. If you go up to the cancer center, you''ll only have more enemies. If you are humiliated there, rumors will quickly spread throughout the hospital."
Dowook picked up his bag as he calmly replied to Kim Han-sung, who was not annoyed, but rather worried.
"I think only that of a surgeon who can operate cases like this, I can¡¯t afford to think of anything else. I believe in that one thing."
"Ha. Do you really think so?"
"Yes."
"You¡¯re really a surgeon. That was your honest thought."
"All the doctors I want to emte are those who say simr things. Thank you for your help."
Dowook bowed as he walked out of the room.
Kim Han-sung then came out of the hallway and shook his head once as he saw Dowook disappear.
"Oh, no. Even if I¡¯m not honest, I should at least reflect on my actions so I feel less embarrassed."
Kim Han-sung took a step. It was not in the integrated internal medicine department which was full of schemes, but in the direction of the hospital room where a patient with pyelonephritis who was misdiagnosed due to his mistake was hospitalized.
Chapter 87: Future plans of a general hospital (4)
Dowook walked down the hall on the fifth floor of the hospital and toward the annex where the cancer center was located.
¡®Full of enemies, huh¡.¡¯
The chiefs from the internal medicine departments were hoping to take a ce in the integrated outpatient clinic during the second quarter.
The strong incentives proposed by the vice dean must have been a clear motive.
However, this part was not of great interest to Dowook.
He was always tired just by training to master the senses he received through his special sense, and thanks to numerous surgeries that followed intensively for months, performance-based bonuses were already piled up in his bank ount.
It was a waste to work more tenaciously here at a time when he didn''t have enough time to spend the money he¡¯d already earned.
However, the opening of an integrated outpatient clinic itself was weing.
It didn''t even start properly, but he couldn¡¯t believe that he already got ess to such a rare case.
There was also a situation in which internal medicine chiefs were working together to keep him in check. The conflict of energy between those who followed the dean and those who followed the director.
It was just a trivial problem in front of this specific case patient, whose resistant tumor had spread to the brain.
¡®¡Hold on. Why do I feel like my thinking circuit has been so weirdtely? Is it because I''m so focused on Chief Ji''s senses these days?¡¯
It was a tiring desire to have a mindset of wanting to save every serious patient somehow. A person must know when to give in order to have time to breathe. Dowook tapped his cheek and recalled the moderately selfish mind of ordinary people.
He arrived at the annex and got on the elevator.
Dowook squeezed through the crowd of visitors and pressed the eighth floor and had to fix his eyes on the on the wall because he could no longer move his body.
[Myeong Sae Hospital Cancer Center]
[Challenge cancer with 30 years of know-how, excellent treatment technology, and development of new treatments]
Shin Yae Seung, the dean of the hospital, looked very bright. He didn''t know when he''de back, but Dowook wanted him to be so bright even when he returned.
Ding.
After getting off the elevator, Dowook approached the ss door engraved with the phrase "High Difficulty Cancer Surgery Team."
This was a department with only talented doctors who dealt with multiple cancers requiringplex surgeries. When it came to cancer, it was a kind of special team that was already attempting integrated outpatient treatment.
knock, knock
"Excuse me."
With the appearance of Dowook, the heads of doctors sitting in the inner office moved.
Since his department and position were kindly written on the que on the desk, Dowook was able to find the person who requested for cooperation in the middle of the room.
After passing through professors in the Department of Anesthesia Pain, Pathology, and Radiation Oncology, he stood in front of a man who looked exceptionally young to be here.
"I''m Park Dowook."
Min Bo-Hoon, who was looking at the monitor, turned to look at Dowook.
"Wee, Dr. Park. Please sit there."
Min Bo-Hoon, who looked closely while sitting down, was handsome and had very thick eyebrows. His eyes were clearly focused on him, so he felt a subtle pressure just by looking at him.
"I was looking at a case of Dr. Park right now. You removed primary tumors rmended for chemotherapy through surgery due to their small size."
Looking at the monitor, it was a recently written surgical report about Tom Brand.
"That''s right."
"This part here. Did you not know before surgery that a single tumor was deeply rooted in the blood vessels?¡±
Min Bo-Hoon had asked at once, pointing to the hardest part of the surgery. The report did not say, ¡®This part was very difficult.'' If he figured it out at once, it meant he had a good sense of vision.
Dowook answered.
"It was an area where normal tissue and abnormal tissue could not be distinguished by deep scan. I saw it with my eyes, touched it with my hands, and figured it out."
"I see."
Min Bo-Hoon looked for rted data on the diagnostic medicine server and entered the figure byunching a program called "biomarker."
"If you had asked our team to do so, we could have pinpointed the tumor before the surgery. Thetest liquid biopsy uses secretive baggage loaded with cancer cells for cross-analysis.¡±
The location of the tumor was gradually revealed above the 3D image. Min Bo-Hoon pointed to the screen.
"What do you think?"
Dowook looked closely at the form indicated by the marker on the screen. And he had no choice but to admit it. The fact that hidden tumors could be predicted with cutting-edge diagnostic tools.
"It''s very sophisticated. It''s almost the same as the actual extracted form."
Min Bo-Hoon, who was ncing at the admiring Dowook, opened his mouth.
"This would have been enough to introduce my diagnosis level. Did you visit here because you thought you could help me more than this?¡±
"You''re suddenly getting to the point."
"I didn''t invite you to make friends. If you are burdened, I rmend you to step down from here. A lot of invisible eyes are focused on this coboration."
Min Bo-Hoon gently revealed that he had received a hostile request. It was not a cold tone, but there was an atmosphere that aroused tension momentarily.
"I''ll ask you one thing before I tell you my judgment."
"Say it."
"Those invisible eyes. Professor Min, how much do you care about them?"
Professor Son Chang-man of the oncology department next to him nced at Dowook, and when they met eyes, he quickly turned away.
Min Bo-Hoon answered Dowook.
"As much as needed."
"It seems like if it helps with the patient''s situation, you''ll ignore it."
"I won''t deny it."
Dowook pointed to the monitor.
"Will you post the MRI on the screen?"
When he checked in the outpatient clinic, the tumors in question appeared.
There were a total of three resistant tumors located in the brain. The tumor located in the liver existed as a single but extensive mass. Even if you looked at it separately, it was serious.
"Here. No. 1 and No. 2. I would have extracted the tworgest brain tumors first and tried to extract the remaining one. That way, we can shorten the operation time.¡±
"Do you think you can handle the bleeding if you extract 1 and 2 at once?"
"It''s possible. If you finish in three hours.¡±
Professor Son next to them sarcastically said while eavesdropping.
"This tricky tumor in 3 hours? Which hospital has this concept of surgery?¡±
Dowook looked at Professor Son without any indecision.
"Really?"
"Isn''t that obvious? Even if you try to remove just one of these tumors, five to six hours is a given."
It would be reasonable for Professor Son. However, Prof. Choi never performed surgery withmon sense.
"I exaggerated the estimated time a little bit."
"Taking a step back since you made a mistake, huh. This is not a ce to say things recklessly. You have to give your best opinion."
"That''s right. If you train enough in advance, you''ll be able to do it in two hours. I actually inted the time.¡±
"If you knew it was bloated, you''d regret¡ Huh? What did you just say? Two hours? You want to shorten it? You''re kidding, right?¡±
"If you go into the operating room with Prof. Choi, you''ll be in trouble if you joke around like this."
Professor Son''s eyes shook significantly as if he had not expected that he had Prof. Choi behind him.
"If you want to check if this is an exaggeration or fact, you cane observe. Professor Choi and I are almost always in the office except for surgery.¡±
Professor Son knew that no matter how hostile a rtionship may be, there was something he should not touch. He never said he would go to verify.
"Then, when will youe?"
"Hmmm¡"
"You don¡¯t have a cold, but you''re just coughing."
With that rebuttal, Dowook turned back to Min Bo-Hoon and continued to talk.
"With the smallest number 3, I cannot guarantee a reduction in surgery time. It''s located quite deep. It will take at least three more hours to extractpletely. In the end, you need up to 5 hours.¡±
"Thest one is small in size, we can leave it and respond with medication. What is the total loss of normal tissue if you use a knife to a non-fatal area?¡±
Professor Son, who retreated after hearing Choi Hoo¡¯s name, regained his energy and paid attention once more.
Dowook said.
"This patient, after liver extraction, won''t be able to withstand chemotherapy."
"Do you mean to say you can manage tumor patients better than oncology?"
They¡¯d have to see, but he was confident.
Since he had dealt with severe symptoms so much, it was now clear what kind of burden a patient after such major surgery could endure.
However, in order to understand this fact, he could not take out the charts of critically ill patients he had managed one by one and talk for a long time.
"If you have a short knowledge of tumors, you should know how to admit it."
When Dowook did not respond, Professor Son raised his voice as if he had waited.
¡®Ugh, such a bother.¡¯
He was about to move on as he shook his head.
"Professor Son."
"Huh?"
Min Bo-Hoon, who was quiet, turned his head.
"It''s not the right choice to leave a tumor no matter how small it is. If it metastasizes during the recovery period, the patient will have to live a limited life from that day."
"What''s the probability?"
"Is there a high probability that cancer cells in the liver have been delivered to the brain? Dr. Park''s logic, which assumes aplete enumeration, should be seen as the obvious choice, not because he has a short insight."
Professor Son, who was suddenly scolded, gave a silent wink, saying, "What''s wrong with you?" Min Bo-Hoon said to Dowook, ignoring the signal neatly.
"Keep talking."
Even when on the same side, Min Bo-Hoon, who was relentless, had the air of a leader. Principled. Harsh. It was not yet known whether there was a spirit of sacrifice in it.
"This is all I can surgically respond to. To take a step forward from here, I think I need to hear how Professor Min Bo-Hoon will perform liver cancer extraction surgery."
Tingle.
Min Bo-Hoon''s sense immediately entered through Dowook¡¯s special sense.
¡®He¡¯s strong. He¡¯s only 36 years old, but he''s already at this level.¡¯
There was a reason, he was the youngest assistant professor at the Department of Pancreatic Surgery.
Dowook heard a brief exnation of the surgical outline of the liver area with Min Bo-Hoon''s senses.
"¡¡so, the top priority is to resect right to the middle, but to defend 65% of normal liver tissue."
He asked a question because he felt something but he didn''t know it.
"Why don''t you try to resect vascrplications when resecting cancer tissue in the posterior region? The safety will be low.¡±
"Because you can''t use a microscope."
"Oh."
This was abination surgery. Since neurosurgery, which would operate the brain, would be exclusively using the microscope, there was no room for separate pancreatic parts in the middle in the same operating room.
"There is a blind spot like this when high-level surgery is performed at once."
Tingle.
Dowook felt the urge of what Min Bo-Hoon actually wanted in this situation and opened his mouth without realizing it.
"If the neurosurgery part reces the vascr anastomosis at this time, the surgery will work much smoother.¡±
Min Bo-Hoon hesitated.
"What did you just say?"
"The hepatic pancreatic part should pay attention to resecting the tumor to the lower vena cava inlet, so I thought it would be better for a third party to help the blood vessels exposed in the meantime."
Min Bo-Hoon, who was surprised, asked again, perhaps because he pointed out something that could not be mentioned unless he was a surgeon.
"No way. Did you understand this resection process just by outline?"
"Professor Min exined it well."
Dowook continued to respond calmly because he had often experienced these reactions.
"I think this is a case where the patient''s survival cannot be guaranteed unless all metastatic tumors are extracted in a single attempt. None of the neurosurgery books would have experienced such surgery, so I think they must have had a lot of worries within the high-level cancer surgery team."
"I agree with you".
Dowook considered the degree of cooperation he could perform in line with the surgical process of the paroxysmal pancreatic part. Then he ryed the conclusion he had reached.
"If I participate, the main surgeon of each part is Professor Min Bo-Hoon and Professor Choi Hoo. I''m the only assistant. You can proceed with this configuration. It''s going to be much more efficient and faster."
An unconventional proposal from a neurosurgeon to assist in both surgeries.
Not only Min Bo-Hoon but also the oncology professor, who had been listening to this conversation, looked at him with wide eyes.
Chapter 88: Future Plans of a General Hospital (5)
A/N: Thanks to Jany for the donation! Sorry for the wonky updates. I''ve been having trouble keeping up with them recently. So I''ll try to keep a steady upload of three chapters a week from now.
"Hey, Dr. Park!"
Professor Son pointed at Dowook.
"Helping out in pancreatic surgery? Where did you hear something that crazy? Does cancer surgery look easy to you?¡±
"Professor."
Min Bo-Hoon suddenly stopped Professor Son''s indignant yelling.
"If you want to participate in the coboration, please sit close. You''ve been cutting off the flow for a while."
"No, I''m¡"
While Professor Son, who became sullen, shrank back, Min Bo-Hoon asked Dowook.
"Is there a basis for your confidence?"
"If it''s a basis¡"
Dowook scattered the young Min Bo-Hoon''s sense and epted Choi Hoo¡¯s again.
"There''s definitely nothing awkward about it."¡¯
The fact that Choi Hoo and Min Bo-Hoon''s senses were concentrated in this one hand meant that a neurosurgeon could perform customized surgery at the level of a specialist in pancreatic surgery at the same time. Therefore, surgical assistance was of course possible.
A few months ago in the operating room, he struggled when using two senses at once but now it was different.
Dowook could not urately reveal this process to Min Bo-Hoon, but the idea was that there was no surgical method more suitable than this for the patient.
"¡ Surgery for a patient with multiple damages. I participated in one three months ago. If you check it out, you''ll understand to some extent. I can''t give you more evidence than that because this is not the surgical field."
Min Bo-Hoon began checking the chart when he told him the case of the academy bus driver where he served as an assistant for Professor Choi and Chief Ji at the same time.
While waiting for the choice, Professor Son''s voice was heard talking to someone on the phone.
"No, Professor Min is not cooperative. How can I push you here? I don''t need to nitpick¡¡.¡±
Professor Son, who made eye contact with Dowook, hurriedly covered his mouth and lowered his voice.
"Doctor Park."
Min Bo-Hoon, who took his eyes off the monitor, called out to Dowook.
"What?"
"This case. You had cardiovascr anastomosis in the middle.¡±
"Because it was an emergency."
"The chest decided that this part was aplete surgery."
"It''s probably because the patient was lucky."
Min Bo-Hoon smiled nkly, saying, "Huh."
"It wasn''t me, but the doctor who decided on the possibility of cooperation."
Professor Son, who grabbed the phone, was surprised when positive words popped out of the team leader''s mouth.
Min Bo-Hoon turned to Professor Son and said this.
"Are you still on the phone with the oncologist?"
"Huh? Yeah."
"Please tell him to stop spying. From now on, we need to n a case surgery and interview the patient, so please prepare for overtime."
"You''re agreeing to Dr. Park¡¯s proposal? What about AN Medical Center?¡±
"The medical staff at the AN Brain Oncology Center do not have the ability to cover the chest and abdominal blood vessels. The timing of this proposal is greater than any surgical benefit."
At Min Bo-Hoon''s answer, he urately understood the reason why he brought it up. Professor Son lowered his phone and asked sadly.
"Professor Min believes that Dr. Park can even assist?"
"I don''t believe it."
"Then?"
"I''m confident even though I know this proposal could end my entire career if it fails. I acknowledged my confidence. Dr. Park will prove it."
Min Bo-Hoon turned to Dowook.
"I don''t think you''ll step down from here, but I''ll ask you one more time. 80% of cancer centers are run by physicians. Invisible eyes will continue to follow, and even small mistakes will greatly inte."
"If this is the best thing for the patient, do you need to pay attention to those eyes? I''ll just do it."
Min Bo-hoon''s polite voice continued towards the smiling Dowook.
"If the patient agrees to thisbination, can you participate in the surgery?"
"Of course. That''s why I''m here."
In a little bit.
Lee Ki-cheol, head of the oncology department, rushed into the office of the high-level cancer surgery team after Dowook left.
"Professor Min! What are you doing?!"
"What are you talking about?"
"Instead of doing as nned, you gave in and evenplimented the enemy. How happy would Chief Ha be if he did this?¡±
Min Bo-Hoon stood in front of Lee Ki-Cheol after writing the expected surgery time on the whiteboard.
"n? I don''t remember hearing such instructions."
"Didn''t you hear that I said I''d add 3 staff members?"
"Chief Lee?"
Hong Yoo Seon, head of the cancer center, appeared behind Lee Ki-cheol, who was full of temper. Lee Ki-cheol turned his back and argued again.
"Professor Hong, what happened?"
"What do you mean? Professor Min cleared up his position."
"Organizing your position?"
"I''ll ignore the transactions going back and forth and go my way. The cancer center''s leading professor, who overwhelmingly ranks first in outpatient reservations, says he doesn''t like politics in the hospital, so what else can I ask for?"
Lee Ki-cheol opened his eyes wide.
"Are you going to pair up with a neurosurgeon? Professor Hong, whose side are you on?¡±
"I''m on the side of the person who will lead the future of the cancer center. No matter which department it is."
Lee Ki-cheol, who shook his head as if he couldn''tmunicate, red.
"From today onwards, the oncology department will be excluded from the cancer surgery team.¡±
"Excuse me¡"
"Come on!"
Son Chang-man flinched and followed behind Lee Ki-cheol.
"Professor Hong, think carefully about the route, too. Don¡¯t do something you¡¯ll regret.¡±
Lee Ki-cheol and Son Chang-man left the room.
Inside the office where the storm once passed. Hong Yoo Seon looked at Min Bo-Hoon.
"You did as usual."
"Do you think it''s a mistake?"
"We''ll have to wait and see."
"Park Dowook. If this case is sessful, please consider having a formal invitation to a highly difficult cancer surgery team."
"I can hear the budget emptying. Did you like him that much?¡±
"It''s notmon to ignore factional fights lightly in the general hospital system. Either one is crazy or very good at what he does. Dr. Park is thetter."
Dowook flinched as the door of the chief''s office suddenly opened while walking in the hallway of neurosurgery. Ha Sang Joong put out his head and looked through the hallway. Even though he was just on his way back from the cancer center,he must have already heard.
"Hey, Park Dowook!"
Dowook tried to walk without making eye contact but got caught.
¡°Yes, chief?"
"Get in here right now."
"I have to go in on duty. I didn''t even have dinner.¡±
"Shut up and hurry!"
Dowook sighed and headed to the chief''s office. However, it was not Chief Ha that was waiting inside.
"Vice dean?"
Bae Ji Man was sitting on the sofa. Bae Ji Man beckoned to Dowook who quickly bowed in greeting.
"Come on in, Dr. Park. You happened to be in the department.¡±
As soon as Dowook sat on the sofa, Chief Ha spoke quickly with a low voice.
"You. From now on, you can''t talk about what¡¯s being said in here outside."
"What are you talking about?"
"Wait. Sir, go ahead."
He was nervous, not knowing what would be said, but Bae Ji Man only looked at him and smiled.
"Tom Brand¡¯spany sent a congrattory message to the official ount. You and the hospital are mentioned. It''s going to have a lot of promotional effects."
"Really?"
"If the hospital was in normal operation, I would have rewarded you, but I''m sorry that I can''t. Please understand that it''s like apany dinner for all neurosurgery."
"It''s okay. I''m thankful for that."
"Neurosurgery is the pir of the hospital these days. I didn''t know you would take care of such a big patient."
Bae Ji Man continued with a satisfied smile.
"Dr. Park. I got a call from the dean a while ago."
The news surprised Dowook.
"He''s going to return soon. However, the board of directors, who heard the news of his return, took the initiative first. Sooner orter, a hospital management meeting will be convened."
"Isn''t it a meeting that the board can''t convene if he''s away?"
"There''s an exception. Article 9 of the Act on the Establishment of Myeong Sae University Hospital. The use states that if a majority of standing directors resign during their term of office, the appointment process must be carried out as soon as possible to form a new board of directors."
"Oh my god."
This meant that the majority of the board members actually resigned. It meant that they would make all-out efforts over there. He had a hunch that this would have a formidable impact in the hospital.
This must be why Chief Ha warned not to disclose it.
Important meeting to determine hospital operation guidelines. The absence of the dean was a situation that could lead to a great danger. The board of directors were insisting on an emergency management system that included sry cuts for doctors.
"So I have an important favor to ask Dr. Park.¡±
"To me?"
"I would like you to pay attention to Director Lim So Yool, who will attend the management meeting as the director''s representative, for the time being. There is a secretary saying that she is worried about her health due to a lot of work, but she does not want to rest. I heard that you are the doctor whomunicates the best with Director Lim So Yool at this hospital.¡±
"That''s fine. There''s no problem."
"This is the request. I''m just sorry to pass on the burden to you who is already suffering.¡±
If he faced a sry cut, he would have to listen to Seong Chang Soo¡¯sints. For that reason, there was no reason not to help Lim So Yool take care of her health.
"Dowook, please. This is our hospital''s future."
Chief Ha''s continuous request. Dowook nodded and suddenly remembered.
"I want to go right away, but I''m on duty right now¡"
Chief Ha''s face changed as he subtlyined. Chief Ha, who took a nce at Bae Ji Man, swallowed a sigh and waved.
"Just go. It''s not even a day or two that I fill in for you."
"Will you? If you could also take over the evening round."
Dowook with a quick bow stood up from his seat.
"Then I¡¯ll leave first and go up to the VIP room."
Dowook left the office to take care of the hospital¡¯s future.
Bae Ji Man, who was sitting with a stern look on his face, suddenly looked back at Chief Ha, who looked dejected by the shock of being on duty as a chief.
Awkward silence.
"You''re working so hard, Chief Ha. I left my luggage behind¡¡.¡±
"It''s fine, you don''t have to be sorry. Park Dowook, you cruel guy. In the meantime, you came in like this."
Dowook stood in front of Room 2007 after a long time.
¡®Since we saw each other in the new year, it''s been almost 3 weeks?¡¯
Until now, he couldn''t say hello because he had no time to breathe during training or surgery. By the way, she seemed to have been busier.
knock, knock
He knocked on the door and waited, but someone he hadn¡¯t met before suddenly stuck out his head. A man in a suit, who appeared to be in his early thirties, asked while looking at Dowook.
"Who are you?"
"Manager Moon. That''s Park Dowook."
Behind the man, he greeted Secretary Ok happily.
Dowook had no choice but to look inside the open door and swallow the groan.
Documents piled up without a break. Five strangers busily going back and forth between them.
Secretary Ok came close to Dowook, who was standing in a daze.
"It''s a mess, right? There''s so much to organize."
"Who are these people?"
"The director¡¯s subordinates. This is ZQ Investment Group''s ounting adjustment team."
A middle-aged man asked as he passed by Secretary Ok.
"Sangah, where is the business report for the 4th quarter ofst year at Rheumatology Internal Medicine?"
"There in the third pile at the end of the table.¡±
"Thank you."
Secretary Ok turned back to Dowook and continued.
"The director is in full swing, so even if I talk to her, she doesn''t respond. Would you like a cup of tea?¡±
Dowook looked at Lim So Yool, who was paying attention to the document with her hair tied up inside the reception room. Her dark circles looked more prominent because of her white skin.
"Director Lim, how many hours did she sleep?"
"That''s¡"
Feeling the reprimand in Dowook¡¯s tone, Secretary Ok looked worried.
"If you''re going to answer beyond the margin of error, please stop. You have to narrow it down to seconds to make a diagnosis ordingly."
Secretary Ok smiled lightly because it was not what ordinary doctors would say. Secretary Ok knew how this young doctor had treated Lim So Yool, how Lim So Yool had reacted, and everything. So she told the truth.
"She slept for less than three hours this week.¡±
"Are you that busy?"
"Yes. Enough to convene all the ounting experts at the Korean branch."
Dowook nodded and looked at Lim So Yool again.
She had a kind of obsessivepulsive disorder and couldn¡¯t sleep if she didn¡¯t solve a problem when she was into numbers.
From his experience so far, there was only one prescription that could properly help here.
"Secretary, is that for the director? I''ll bring it to her."
Secretary Ok smiled and handed over the tray to Dowook.
Swipe.
Lim So Yool lined up the variables in the notes in a hurry.
Embezzlement, bribery, external pressure, internal transactions¡¡.
The negative numbers that made up the hospital''s finances were very extensive. In particr, it was not easy to estimate the size of the money because there were no obvious records.
In order to raise funds in line with the vice dean¡¯s New Year''s n, all of these variables had to be recovered and returned to the flow of funds in sunny ces.
"Well¡"
A headache from thinking over and over again.
"Do it while drinking tea. It''s hot."
She unconsciously reached out to the voice next to her. She started searching for numbers again, using sugar to supplement energy to her brain.
Swish, swish.
How long had it been?
Sweet liquid no longer flowed out of the mug, so she put it down, and a piece of paper poured into the side of the desk.
"Sleep."
Pharmaceuticalpany that exchanged transactions with a clinic inside the hospital. It was a flow of numbers that gave temporary preferential treatment and gained unfair benefits there.
This was quite a lump that could be absorbed with the funds of sunnynd.
"What is it, Manager Moon? If I can find it like this¡¡.¡±
Lim So Yool, who raised her head, blinked in embarrassment as she mistook Dowook for Moon Kwang-min because of their simr physique.
Chapter 89: Future plans of a general hospital (6)
A/N: Sorry for the dy. The holidays plus real life hit me hard. Then I wasn''t feeling very well. As an apology, I''ll upload all the chaps for this week together. I''m really sorry.
¡°Why are you here¡¡.¡±
Dowook took the mug from the surprised Lim So Yool''s hand and ced it on the tray.
¡°I dered someone fully recovered after so much work but I received word that they were trying to get themself admitted back to the hospital.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
Lim So Yool looked back and forth between the paper Dowook passed her and the one she was writing on. Then her expression brightened.
¡°By any chance¡¡.¡±
¡°Did Ie to calcte with you?¡±
Nod, nod.
Energy returned to those exhausted eyes. Dowook shook his head.
¡°No.¡±
¡°Tsk.¡±
¡°I came to do it alone.¡±
¡°What?¡±
Dowook put his hand on top of the paper she was holding. Then he dragged everything in front of him.
¡°What are you doing?¡±
¡°Let me take your pulse for a moment. Your wrist please.¡±
Dowook put his fingers against Lim So Yool¡¯s pulse. Then he touched her forehead with the back of his hand to check for a fever. Afterward, he shook his head.
"Being a doctor is a job with a lot of overwork. Butpared to the director''s job, it is nothing. What did they say aboutparing two groups with different countermeasures? Parameters? Non parameters? These words were mixed together."
"McNemar test?¡±
"Correct."
Dowook stood up from his seat, held Lim So Yool''s hand, and pulled her up. It was easy since she was so light. After leaving the room, they quickly passed by the parlor and arrived at the entrance. Dowook opened the door and pushed Lim So Yool outside.
Standing outside the door within an instant, Lim So Yool looked up at Dowook with a bewildered gaze.
"What are you doing?"
"McNemar says that if you continue to work, you will die of overwork.¡±
"That''s not how the test works."
"The answer is the same. Will you be a mathematician who doesn''t allow freedom in the process of solving problems?¡±
"That''s¡."
Dowook pointed to Room 2008 across the hallway.
"It''s empty over there, so go to sleep. I already informed the ward nurse."
"If I don''t want to?"
"As a temporary doctor, I should stop here and step down, but as a friend, I''ll say one more thing."
"What?"
"I''ll help you, so don''t worry."
Lim So Yool''s eyes became softer.
"If I close this door, it won''t open for the next four hours. You can keep standing in the hallway or go to sleep over there. What do you choose?¡±
Lim So Yool, who was still looking at Dowook, held out the pen in her hand. Dowook took it and nodded as he said.
"Rest well."
The door closed.
Lim So Yool looked at the closed door of Room 2007 and turned around.
Suddenly, with a dazed expression, she touched her cheek. Obviously, there were many things that were worrying there, but she felt like she would be able to sleep sweetly if sheid on a bed.
How on earth should this be defined and calcted?
Dowook closed the door and turned his back. He paused his movements because all the people who were working hard inside stopped moving and were watching him.
A middle-aged man, who looked old, lifted his horn-rimmed sses and asked Dowook.
"You''re going to do it alone? By any chance¡ Can we rest too?¡±
"Uh¡"
Secretary Ok said to a middle-aged man with a smile.
"The doctor came because of the director''s health. Manager Choi, wouldn''t it be better to focus on your original work and endure the aftermath?"
"Okay, I got it. Manager Moon. Close your mouth and focus."
"J- just now¡. It''s my first time seeing the director change her mind in two years."
Dowook sat at the table where Lim So Yool had been working to avoid the looks from the ounting adjustment team.
From the calction he did a while ago to help Lim So Yool, he could continue with the work as long as he had Lim So Yool''s sense.
Rather than calcting, it seemed that all the flow of funds that went to and from the hospital were investigated up to thest won, and simplebor was substituted into a specific form. Therefore, even employees had to be called here.
[T/N: This shows how precise Lim So Yool was with her calctions since Korean won tends to be calcted by the hundreds. I guess a goodparison would be to say that she was calcting the financial reports down to thest cent.]
Of course, Lim So Yool''s workload was unrivaled in terms of the amount of documents umted and the results.
Dowook took off his doctor''s gown and hung it on a chair, holding the pen in his hand.
¡®Then, shall we start the health promotion mission of the director''s representative?¡¯
ScribbleÒ»
How long had it been?
Dowook fumbled by the table and looked up when he saw that his mug was empty. As he stepped out to the parlor, he noticed that the manager named Choi Jae-woon was dozing off.
Carefully trying not to wake him up, he picked up the pot of coffee.
"It must have cooled down¡"
Secretary Ok Sang-Ah approached him. Dowook shook his head.
"It''s okay. I''m drinking it like barley tea."
"You must like coffee."
"Well¡"
He did not say that it was because he only enjoyed the scent, not the taste.
While turning around with his mugin hand, Dowook made eye contact with Manager Choi, who opened his eyes in surprise at the sound of his snoring.
"You''re working hard."
"Wait, sir."
Manager Choi lifted the paper in his hand and handed it to Dowook.
"This medical supplies business ount you handed over earlier is by a borrowed name. By putting all cashable assets as damages instead of collecting them. I didn''t understand while I was organizing it."
For a moment, Dowook couldn''t breathe. He just did it because his hand told to, but he had no sense of the process.
"Manager, I''m sure they¡¯ve already spent it all."
At Deputy manager Moon¡¯s words, both Manager Choi and Dowook turned to look at him.
"I''m looking at the books of the goods store, and it''s such a waste. This person really likes luxury goods. They¡¯re gonna have to pay a lot.¡±
"Really?"
Manager Choi was surprised and looked at Dowook.
"Doctor, are you also the same type?¡±
"What do you mean by type?"
"The type to see what¡¯s going on just by looking at the numbers. Somehow, the way of organizing the results is exactly like the director¡¯s.¡±
It seemed better to answer the first question. Dowook quickly replied so he could leave.
"Anyway, your question has been resolved, right? Then, work hard."
As he quickly turned away, he heard the conversation of the staff from the parlor.
-Manager, are you that surprised?
-Look at it. He concluded it with just the basic ledger when we can confirm only by cross-verifying several books. This is an irrecoverable type of current fund.
-Oh my gosh. Really? That''s totally Director Lim''s style.
-I know. How can he be this good when he¡¯s a doctor?
Dowook felt their gaze and had no choice but to respond with an awkward smile.
Lim So Yool, who was lying in bed in room 2008, opened her eyes.
She turned her head and looked at the wall clock, and it was 1 a.m.
She was only going to sleep for three hours, but slept for six hours. She heard a voice from beside her as she stood up in a hurry.
"You can sleep more."
Dowook was sitting at the table. He was working on something on aptop.
"Why didn''t you wake me up?"
"A doctor should not interfere with the most effective treatment for overwork."
"But the team is still¡"
"Everyone left work. The secretary is supposed toe tomorrow morning, too. Look at this. Chief Choi said it was a report that required final payment.¡±
Dowook ced a file of documents in Lim So Yool¡¯s hand, as she sat with a nk look. Lim So Yool took the file and read it for a while before raising her head and looking at him.
"I''m done securing extra funds."
"Yes. I heard. Then can you rest tomorrow?¡±
"We need to prepare for the audit of the Ministry of Health and Welfare before the operation meeting."
"That''s something you have to do while sleeping for less than 3 hours every day, right?"
"I have to finish things that should take three months in two weeks."
Dowook covered his mouth as he yawned and said helplessly.
"I think it''s going to be hard for me every day, too. I''ll help you every other day."
"You don''t have to do that. This isn''t even an interesting calction."
"When did we calcte something fun?"
Lim So Yool red at Dowook. He met her gaze with a soft expression as he said.
"Helping the director''s work doesn''t mean I''ll lose money or sacrifice time. It''s ratherfortable."
"Are youfortable?"
"If it had been the way it was, it would have been chaotic right now. Not long ago, the emergency call exemption period ended."
Dowook sent a brief silent tribute to Chief Ha, who was on duty even though he was the head of a department and pointed to the file in Lim So Yool¡¯s hand.
"Manager Choi said that Director Lim has never forced anyone to work overtime or criticized them for not being able to work. You just handle everything by yourself."
Lim So Yool was still listening to Dowook, but she put her hands against her cheeks since they seemed to be burning.
In the midst of embarrassment with Dowook asking, "What''s wrong?" worsened the burning sensation
"This may be a consideration from the boss'' point of view, but it isn¡¯t from the employee¡¯s point of view. Using McNemar''sparison, it¡¯s like the surgeon entered the operating room,pletely finished disinfection of tools and anesthesia. If you do this, all the medical teams will be very nervous throughout the surgery, so the surgery efficiency will go down."
"That''s not how McNemar goes¡"
Lim So Yool said slowly while trying to point out the basic errors in his words. She realized the reason for her burning cheeks so she said.
"Doctor Park."
"Yes?"
"My heart beats as I keep listening to your voice. What kind of symptoms is this?¡±
"What?"
Lim So Yool said it again casually.
"My body is weird today. Since I saw your face, I haven''t thought of anything, my chest hurts a little, and I have a fever, but I don''t feel sick. Why?"
Dowook was greatly embarrassed as he looked at Lim So Yool.
"I don''t think that''s an area I can diagnose."
"Really? Even as a friend?"
"As a friend¡"
Dowook thought about it seriously and answered quietly.
"If you really don''t know, I think it would also be rude for me to make a theoretical definition and tell you. I think self-realization of what caused the symptoms is important."
"On your own?¡±
Dowook, who stood up from his seat, picked up theptop on the desk.
"Rest more until the morning. I''ll go down to the medical office. It''s not because I''m ufortable being with you, but because I''m going out and I think it''ll help with your symptoms, so don''t misunderstand."
Somehow, Dowook seemed to have been shocked as he disappeared outside. Lim So Yool, who had been tilting her head for a while, picked up her cell phone.
There was only one person in Korea who could help in this gloomy situation.
The call connected, and a voice sounded from over the phone.
-What? You weren''t sleeping either?
"Unni."
-Huh?
"Keep saying something."
-What? Secretary Ok texted me saying she was worried. Something about a meeting at Myeong Sae Hospital? Three standing members and two non-standing members? I know the chairman of Myeong Sae University. Should I call him? If you suddenly prepare everything, you''ll be stopped by that number¡¡.
"It''s not pounding."
-What?
"My heart."
-What are you saying? What kind of calction are you into today?
Lim So Yool recalled what had happened to Lim So-Hee. Then, all of a sudden, gigglingughter continued for a while.
¨C Hahahaha! I''m going crazy. Semdeok¡ This¡¡.
"I''m serious. Why do you keepughing?"
-I''m really curious what Park Dowook''s expression was. Oh my god. In the midst of all this, you should be considerate and realize it on your own. He''s an amazing character. It''s so charming. That''s why you react like that.
"What did I do?"
¨C So Yool, listen carefully. In general, this is roughly called a love reaction. Or it''s a sign of flirting. You know what this word means.¡.
Click.
Lim So Yool immediately ended the call. And she turned to the seat where Dowook had sat.
A person''s emotions.
A collection of special functions that were not easy to understand because there were many variables.
Until now, she¡¯d only thought that way.
But¡
Numbers and symbols. This sensation, which evaporated all other thoughts in her head at once and left only one person''s face, could not be exined by any function.
Simplifying the stage of good and setting it to 100, Dad was 100. Unni was 65. She was -10.
What about Park Dowook?
Why did a number higher than 100e to her mind?
Chapter 90: Future Plans of a General Hospital (7)
The next day.
Dowook was going down to the first floor for emergency call duty when he took out his phone. There was a message from his mother.
[Son. What do you n to do for the New Year¡¯s?]
¡®New Year¡¯s?¡¯
Looking at the date at the top of the cell phone, the holiday was just around the corner.
Although Dowook always tried to take time off to go see his parents during the New Year¡¯s, he really didn¡¯t have the time this year.
Surgery, outpatient, training.
The tasks increased as his first year as a specialist began in earnest.
Considering what he had to do at the hospital, he thought it would be only on New Year''s Day that he would have time at best.
[I have about a day.]
Dowook saw a familiar head as he was heading towards the emergency room after sending a reply.
"Chang Soo, did you have dinner?"
"Huh?"
Since Seong Chang Soo, who turned around, had a hot hoppang in his hand, Dowook pointed at it. [T/N: hoppang is a steamed bun with a sweet filling. Usually the filling is red bean paste.]
"Is that filled with red beans?¡±
"Uh-uh. There was only one left. Don''t even think about it."
"I don''t like those with red beans. It''s not a smell I like."
"Phew, poor guy who doesn''t even know anything about taste. This is amazing.¡±
"If you feel sorry for me, give me a bit. Hoppang has a pretty nice texture."
Seong Chang Soo, who took a bite while hiding the hoppang from Dowook, showed his refusal through his actions.
"Oh, it''s hot.¡±
"I''m not going to eat it. Eat slowly."
Dowook shook his head and quickly took his ringing cell phone out of his pocket. He thought it was his mother, but it wasn''t.
"It''s Professor Choi. Shh."
Seong Chang Soo closed his mouth immediately after fanning his tongue.
"Yes, professor."
-Where are you right now?
"I came down to go to the emergency room."
-1st floor? Where exactly?
"In front of the hallway to the center."
-I¡¯m nearby. Wait a minute.
As soon as he hung up, Seong Chang Soo asked.
"What did he say?"
"He told me to wait."
"Now? Did you make any mistakes during the surgery?"
"If I had made an ident in the operating room, would I be standing here intact? I would be beaten on the spot.
"Oh."
"And Professor Choi. He''s a very considerate person outside. Don''t misunderstand him."
"Last Choi''s consideration? I think it''s more like horror."
Seong Chang Soo bit a piece of hoppang with a horrified expression. And he smiled as if he had never done that.
"This is really a specialty. If you don''t go when it¡¯s steamed, it will be all sold out."
A shadow approached behind the happy Seong Chang Soo.
"Dr. Park."
A cold call. Seong Chang Soo instinctively flinched and walked to Dowook¡¯s side. When he turned around, Last Choi was standing there in his casual clothes.
"I have an appointment, so it''s hard to deal with it."
Choi Hoo held out a rough paper bag to Dowook. Dowook received it and asked.
"Were you going somewhere?"
"Yeah. I''ll be back before tomorrow''s surgery schedule. Chief Ha will be in charge of the morning round, so you don''t have to pay attention."
"Okay."
Seong Chang Soo stabbed Dowook in his side as he saw Choi Hoo disappearing toward the lobby.
"What is this incredibly normal conversation?"
"He''s always like this. You''ve be a specialist, and it''s time to be confident in front of Prof. Choi."
"Is trauma easy to ovee? I still remember being smashed for doing something wrong with the patient''s notification in my first year."
Dowook opened the bag handed to him by Choi Hoo and raised his head. His eyes remained on the hoppang held by Seong Chang Soo.
"Is that really a specialty?¡±
"I can''t give it to you. Shoo shoo."
"Who wants it? How dirty."
"There''s a big dumpling snack bar on the 3rd floor. There¡¯s a seasonal item that they only sell in the winter. Bulgogi disappears in a minute as soon as it''s disyed."
Dowook took the hot hoppang out of the bag. It was a steamed bun with a fragrant soy sauce meat scent that was essentially different from red beans.
"Like this?"
Seong Chang Soo''s eyes got bigger. Dowook took a bite and nodded.
"It''s a specialty. It smells good."
"No way. Is everything in the bag steamed buns?"
"I guess so. What does the green taste like?"
"The legendary vegetable hoppang?"
"Legendary?¡±
"I''ve only heard rumors. Myeongdeok said that the ratio of chives to pork is crazy.¡±
"Oh. This would be perfect for dinner."
Dowook looked around and moved to an empty table in front of the convenience store. Seong Chang Soo followed with shining eyes.
"I want one, too!"
Dowook jerked the bag aside.
"If you want a bite, buy me a drink first."
Seong Chang Soo, who rushed into a convenience store, came out with two sodas.
"Here you go".
"Dessert, too."
"You got it for free, too.¡±
"If you don''t like it, just leave."
It was not until he ran to the coffee shop across the street that a vegetable hoppangnded in Seong Chang Soo''s hand.
Seong Chang Soo looked thrilled.
"You''ll be blessed, Professor Choi."
"Hey. Trauma?"
"Starting today, it¡¯s no more!"
10 minutes passed as they shared the gift from Prof. Choi.
After a sip of coffee Dowook looked up at the ceiling. To be exact, he looked in the direction of Room 2007.
-My heart beats as I keep listening to your voice. What kind of symptom is this?
He was sure that she had asked because she really didn''t know Lim So Yool had always been honest with him.
Why did such a smart mathematician ask something like that?
The situation at the time was too sudden to ask.
He had to go check her health and help with work tomorrow evening, but he couldn¡¯t seem to move easily.
"What are you thinking about?" Are you upset because I ate three?¡±
Dowook''s attention turned to Seong Chang Soo at his question. Since they had known each other for more than a decade since college, they knew each other very well and helped each other whenever they had difficulties.
"Chang Soo."
Dowook quietly told him his worries.
"If, you know, some girl tells you her heart beats when she sees you. What would you do?"
"Huh? Who likes you?"
Since he hit the nail right on the head, Dowook hid his embarrassment and made excuses.
"If. I said if.¡±
"Who is it? Show me a picture."
Seong Chang Soo, who already epted it as a fait apli and reached out his hand first, was relentless. Dowook shook his head.
"Never mind. I''m a fool for asking this question to a single person who has never dated before."
"The theory of a single person who has never dated is more urate. There''s nothing to worry about. If you''re charming, you can start dating. If not, just mind your own business.¡±
"It''s because there are a lot of problems involved."
"Problem? You avoided me because you felt pressured when Ina followed you around because of her crush."
Ina was Seong Chang Soo''s younger sister, Seong Ina.
"That was a long time ago. Why bring it up?"
"She''s a stewardess now. It''s also a ss A airline. She''s been recognized for being charming. If you argue like that, you''ll totally remain alone your whole life."
"I''m not asking you to nitpick. Your sister is just like you, so I didn''t like her that way. And you always gossip about your younger sister''s personality. Why are you suddenlyplimenting her?¡±
"She asked me this and that and asked if she coulde over this New Year. She even offered a bribe.¡±
"Don''t do things like that."
"Don''t worry. I''ve already scolded her. Dowook is busy because of his flower-like¡¡.¡±
Seong Chang Soo paused.
"PARK DOWOOK. The woman who said you made her heart race¡ By any chance?"
"No."
"This guy. This guy. You confessed your feelings and got rejected?¡±
"Don''t turn your thoughts around. It''s not like that."
Dowook stopped moving while trying to correct Seong Chang Soo''s misunderstanding. But a call interrupted the conversation.
Among the two people who confirmed the call at the same time, Seong Chang Soo raised his head.
"I won. It''s an order from Commander Ji. There are two patientsing in from the collision.¡±
"Go ahead. I''ll follow you right after I clean this up. I¡¯ll be on shift soon.¡±
"Alternating? You''re on emergency duty again? How many cards did you max out? You shouldn¡¯t use more than your sry like me. It''s not a difficult thing."
"Don''t make meugh and go."
When Dowook entered the emergency room, it was after the patient in the collision had already arrived at the severe treatment room.
Chief Ji was in charge of one side and Seong Chang Soo was in charge of emergency treatment on the other. The condition seemed to be more severe for Chief Ji''s patient. It seemed like they weren¡¯t able to find where the bleeding was since there were several blood packs around them.
¡®Hope you survive.¡¯
Dowook passed by the treatment room and found Lee Sang-moon, a day shift worker. He was paying attention to the severe treatment room.
"Dr. Lee."
"Oh, you''re here, Dr. Park."
"Is there any special patient you want to hand over today?¡±
"There''s no urgent patient. One patient who is on a line in treatment room 7 will be discharged from the hospital on his own afterwards. Hees here often. The patient in No.3. is sleeping off the alcohol.¡.¡±
Lee Sang-moon could not stop paying attention to the severe treatment room even as he was ending his shift. It was not easy to focus on other things when a patient was next to you on the verge of life and death.
However, there were already enough emergency response personnel in that severe treatment room. In addition, Chief Ji''s response was as quick and effective as ever.
"There¡¯s no need for serious damage control. If the patient¡¯s vitals stabilize soon, they just need arterial embolization, so it will be a little helpful if you move to the CT room and prepare in advance.¡±
Lee Sang-moon''s head turned at Dowook¡¯s exnation.
"They used up 4 blood packs, but it''s easy to fix?"
"They¡¯ve already found where the bleeding is.¡±
Beep beep.
When Chief Ji pulled out, a sign of vital normalization appeared on the monitor. Peace descended quickly in the treatment room, which seemed urgent.
-What are you doing? Why are you not going to prepare for angiography!
Chief Ji''s shout rang out.
As Dowook said, Lee Sang-moon''s eyes widened as emergency treatment flowed.
"Thank you, Dr. Lee."
¡°H-have a good day.¡±
Lee Sang-moon was surprised and could only look at Dowook passing by casually.
It was ridiculous that a first year neurosurgeon, who received his specialist license this year, was more knowledgeable in emergencies than he was, an emergency surgery chief resident.
"Now that I witnessed the rumor in person, it¡¯s really something else."
The first door of the Severe Treatment Room opened. Chief Ji saw Lee Sang-moon and shouted.
"Sang moon! Run to the video studio and set up the basic embolization!"
"Yes, chief!"
Upon arriving at the general area, Dowook entered his name in front of the workingputer, and then moved in front of the reception desk, where many waiting patients were located.
The nurses on duty today saw Dowook and bowed their heads briefly.
Dowook asked one of them.
"How many patients are waiting?"
"There are currently 23 people."
There were a lot from the start.
"Dr. Dowook, are you working today?"
Hong Chul-soon, a third-year resident, greeted Dowook from where he was sitting in front of his workingputer.
Behind him was a doctor Dowook hadn¡¯t seen before, and looking at how young they were, it was likely a new sprout starting this year''s residency course.
Hong Chul-soon hit the sprout''s shoulder.
"Jinsu. Say hi. This is the famous Dr. Park Dowook. Doctor, this is Yeom Jinsoo, one of our new residents."
"Hello, senior! I look forward to working with you!"
12 months since she started as an intern. The voice of a prospective resident had the energy of a new sprout.
But that was also a spirit that would die down by the intensity of the hell-like residency that was iparable to when she was an intern.
Dowook encouraged her quietly to hold on as he said.
"You don''t have to be so energetic in your greeting. I¡¯m from a different department. Feel free to call me doc."
"Oh¡"
"There are 23 patients waiting. Shall we start now?¡±
"Yes. Senior¡ ah, doc."
The first patient was a man grabbing his nose.
"Sir, can you let go of your nose?¡±
"It hurts so much¡"
The upper part of the patient''s nose was slightly touched with a hand wearing sterile gloves. There was edema under the skin.
"How did this happen?"
"I measured the wrong heading angle. Ugh, it hurts."
"It isn''t that bad. Nurse. Heamp."
Dowook put amp on his head and lifted an inhaler and a cotton swab.
"Don''t re at the light and close your eyes. Your eyesight will suffer."
The blood clots in the nose were removed with a cotton swab, the ointment containing local anesthesia was applied to the torn mucous membrane, and a gauze was attached to prevent the patient from touching the swollen upper nose.
"It''s done."
"Already? Don''t you take X-rays? I think my nose is broken."
"Your bones are fine. If you feel itchy or sore after returning home, put on a cold pack or something. Until the swelling goes down."
The wait was long, but when the treatment ended in two minutes, the patient looked puzzled.
Dowook winked at the nurse to exin it well and then moved to the next treatment room.
After dealing with bronchitis patients, severe hups, and finger dislocation patients, he came out and looked at the clock.
It was 7:10.
An average of 2.5 minutes per person. Dowook thought he should work harder because his pace seemed to have fallenpared to before.
¡®What? I wasn¡¯t using the chief¡¯s sense.¡¯
Chief Ji''s sense also began to meld into his daily life, so trial and error urred for a while. It was important to ept and reflect carefully in order topletely meld with the sense.
Dowook slightly reached toward the video room where Chief Ji, who was in the midst of embolization, was located.
Tingle.
Just by looking at the patient''s eyes, he could feel Commander Ji¡¯s sense extendingpletely throughout his neural circuit.
As he approached the treatment room where the next patient was, he could see the muscle spasms were caused by muscle cramps. That was where the key injuries were. It was muscle stiffness due to hyponatremia.
"Nurse, please prepare a prescription for fluids here."
In a little bit.
Dowook came out of the general treatment room after the 13th treatment.
"How many patients are waiting?"
"Now there are only people who are registering."
Dowook looked at the clock and thought he could take a breather at the nurse''s answer.
It was 7:25pm.
It was about 1.5 minutes per patient.
"There''s a difference like this."
Although the treatment time varies from person to person because they had mild symptoms, he thought that Chief Ji''s senses still had a long way to go before he couldpletely integrate it as his own.
The patient''s prescription record was left on theputer chart, and Hong Chul-soon approached his side.
"Wow. I''m really happy whenever I¡¯m on duty with Dr. Dowook. How many people did you cover by yourself?"
"I''m done with the records."
When he stepped back from theputer chart monitor, Hong Chul-soon also continued to talk about a prescription.
"Senior Chang Soo needs to learn from Dr. Dowook, too. He always just tosses the patient. Or get angry."
"Even if you talk behind someone¡¯s back, you have to get the facts right. I only do that when there¡¯s too many patients, not all the time."
Hong Chul-soon flinched at the sudden voice.
As Seong Chang Soo approached with his eyes on him, Hong Chul-soon, who turned his head, closed his mouth. Seong Chang Soo, who was shooting Hong Chul-soon with a look of "I¡¯ll deal with youter," turned his head.
"I''m done working now."
"The patient?"
"Done with the care. The chief also gave the okay."
Earlier, Dowook saw Seong Chang Soo puncturing the central vein with a 24-gauge needle instead of a typical 14-gauge needle. That was a skillful response, which he could realize even without Chief Ji''s sense.
"Take a rest".
"No way. I have to prepare for tomorrow''s conference. I''ll be in the medical office, so let''s have ate night snackter. Oh, by the way. What I couldn''t say earlier¡¡.¡±
Dowook shook his head immediately.
"Just pretend you didn''t hear that. I don''t want any more advice from you."
"What! I wasn''t going to say this. Recently, Chief Ji and Director Lim¡¡.¡±
Seong Chang Soo''s voice was lowered even more in case anyone could hear him.
"They had a discussion. I heard it identally while sleeping in the medical office, but I think something huge will happen to the hospital. What was it called? A group boycott event? They''re preparing something like that.¡±
The board members'' ns seemed to have been poorly understood by the vice dean.
"Anyway. She said this to Chief Ji. Even if there is an internal dispute, the New Year''s business n will not be shaken, so please keep your bnce. It''s the day before the storm. Director Lim is at the center of it. What do you think this means?¡±
"What are you talking about?"
"Isn''t this a story of love rising up in this tragedy? So to speak, you''re Romeo and she''s Juliet."
Dowook facepalmed at the weird conclusion Seong Chang Soo arrived at.
"Never mind. Go away".
"The atmosphere at the hospital is extraordinary.¡±
"Okay, go home."
Seong Chang Soo''s back was pushed in the direction of the staff locker room, and Yeom Jinsoo could be seen in front of the reception desk holding the receiver with teary eyes.
Seong Chang Soo was surprised and asked.
"Jjinsu. What''s wrong with you?" [T/N: Just a nickname Seong Chang Soo gave the new intern.]
"S-senior. The patient seems to have hyperventtion syndrome, but the internal medicine doctor refused toe when I called for help."
"What?"
Seong Chang Soo looked at the treatment room where the patient was sitting. A male patient with dry hands, a typical symptom of hyperventtion syndrome. He was currently undergoing temporary treatment with a respirator in his mouth.
He took the phone.
"This is Seong Chang Soo from Emergency."
-Come on. Why do you keep bothering me when I said no?
"Did you see the chart? Blood pressure 180 and 100. Pulse 98. Respiratory rate 40.There are also signs of the trozo."
-Can''t you see that oxygen saturation has dropped to 94% even though he¡¯s hyperventting? Check properly and note with urate symptoms. Don''t waste my time.
Click.
The phone was hung up.
Only then did Seong Chang Soo look closely at theputer chart and feel wrong.
"Jjinsu. Go and check the medical history again."
"What?"
"It''s not hyperventting syndrome. If you don''t know the symptoms, you have to only do objective things so that they can cooperate. Cheol-sooni. Follow me.¡±
Seong Chang Soo, who sent two juniors, sighed deeply. Dowook asked.
"What''s wrong?"
"These days, with the internal medicine doctors. Cooperation is not the same as before. The atmosphere changed dramatically this past month. Like they¡¯re trying to eat emergency surgery."
Dowook had already experienced the internal medicine¡¯s aggression in the outpatient clinic, so he only listened silently.
"I can''t say anything because I''m not a professional. It''s still like that. If you have symptoms, what happens when youe down?"
"What kind of patient is it?¡±
"Over there. Treatment no.2. The patient with Jinsoo. It looks like hyperventting syndrome, right? But he said no. I can¡¯t figure it out at all just by looking at the chart.¡±
Dowook frowned at the chart.
"Hmm¡. It''s definitely just a patient who''s not easy to judge. I need to do several checkups to confirm."
"So pleasee down. That''s not it. Internal medicine doctors will be much better at diagnosing than emergency doctors. They''re trying to make you call them yourselfter."
One person came into Dowook¡¯s sight as he listened to Seong Chang Soo''sment.
"Huh?"
"Why?"
"Nothing."
Dowook reached out after seeing his fairy who had just entered the emergency room''s drug warehouse. With the fairy¡¯s sense, Dowook turned to treatment room 2.
Mouth dryness and fatigue.
Light was shing in the most important areas for identifying symptoms.
"Senior. I''ve listened to the patient''s medical history, but there''s nothing much to refer to. What should I do?"
When Hong Chul-soon, who went with Yeom Jinsoo, hurriedly returned and said this, Seong Chang Soo had an awkward expression on his face.
"What do you mean? I''m going to spin the examination and then do a noti." [T/N: Short for ¡®notify¡¯ it means to call a senior doctor to ask for help with a difficult diagnosis. This would be fine if it really was a difficult case but if it was a simple one, then there¡¯s a high chance for Seong Chang Soo to be scolded for being unskilled]
"Wait, Chang Soo."
Afterpleting the reasoning, Dowook asked quietly.
"Should I try to noti?"
Chapter 91: Future plans of a general hospital (8)
Dowook picked up the phone and called the internal medicine department. The call went through, and a slightly annoyed voice answered.
-This is Gu Sang-Do from integrated internal medicine.
"This is the emergency center. It''s because of a patient who visited the hospital due to breathing difficulties.¡±
-Who is it this time? You''re so persistent.
"Oh, I''m Park Dowook. I belong to the Neurosurgery Department. I''m on emergency duty support."
-Neurosurgery? So annoying.
A scoffing voice was heard from over the phone.
"Can I make a notification?"
-Oh, yes. Please tell us.
"This is a 43-year-old female patient who first visited the hospital with hyperventtion symptoms and stabilized by controlling the respiratory rate and administering anti-anxiety drugs."
Gu Sang-Do immediately cut Dowook off.
-If it''s stable, what''s the problem?
"Her blood sugar level is a little weird. If this is diabetic ketoacidosis, we need to urgently identify the underlying disease that caused it."
-Blood sugar? Then¡¡.
"It''s obvious that this is an internal medicine patient. Do you want toe down or should we just have a checkup here and take action? If the underlying disease turns out to be myocardial infarction or infection. I will record it on theputer. Symptoms are internal medicine, but emergency surgery and neurosurgery departments have treated it."
After saying this, Dowook hung up the phone. Seong Chang Soo''s eyes, which were listening from the side, grew bigger.
"Hey, we''re going to take care of it? If she is going to have a myocardial infarction, she needs a specialist. If we take care of it, it¡¯s our asses on the line."
"Wait."
Dowook leaned against the reception desk. Naturally, Gu Sang-Do ran down to the emergency room in about a minute.
"Integrated internal medicine! Where''s the patient?"
Dowook pointed to Treatment Room No. 2 in the general area. Seong Chang Soo tilted his head as he looked at Gu Sang-Do, who ran over.
"What? He could have juste. Why is he running that fast?"
"It''s the integrated medical evaluation period. I stimted their trauma a little."
"Did they also get hit by Last Choi?¡±
"Technically, I¡¯m the one who hit them. Now, there¡¯s also the blessing of Judgment Shim."
"Who is that?"
Dowook¡¯s gaze turned toward Shim Pan, who was talking to the head nurse in a friendly manner.
"That guy."
"The bearded grandfather? The one who looks like the KFC grandpa?¡±
"Be polite. He''s a very old senior."
In the meantime, the doctor from integrated medicine came over to Dowook with an expression of absurdity.
"What is this? That patient has stress-induced simple ketoacidosis. She has a history of diabetes but it is not serious enough to take insulin."
Dowook pretended to know nothing.
"So? Are you saying that my notification is wrong? Where are you going?"
"It''s not wrong, but the information is kind of¡"
After identifying the patient¡¯s problem, he deliberately changed it to a more serious symptom that had needed urgent care, but the other doctor didn¡¯t need to know that.
Gu Sang-Do sighed and continued to talk.
"It''s not bad enough for her to be hospitalized. Just prescribe fluids and discharge her."
"A prescription for infusion? I see. Good job.¡±
"Oh. So tired."
Gu Sang-Do grumbled and disappeared from the emergency room. Yeom Jinsoo approached
Dowook with a bright face.
"Thank you, senior. Thanks to you, we managed to solve a tricky situation.¡±
"Go and connect her to a line. They say that''s enough.¡±
"Okay!"
Seong Chang Soo looked at his junior who bowed and returned to the treatment room No. 2 and smiled in vain.
"Our Jinsoo is not the kind of person who greets others politely like that. Did she change her attitude after you helped her?"
"Why are you jealous of this?"
"What''s with that cheeky attitude? The internal medicine doctor was great. How could emergency and neurosurgery officially treat internal medicine patients? Then you''ll get cursed at.¡±
"It''s just like saying nonsense. I won''t cross the line, so don''t worry and go home."
"It sounds like you''re going to do more."
"I need to do a little more to make working at night easier. It''s annoying if my training is disturbed because of general treatment.¡±
Dowook approached the receptionist nurse who was ssifying the number of secondary care workers. He re-epted Shim Pan¡¯s sense and looked through the patients in front of the waiting room.
Warm lights that stayed at major symptom points and disappeared.
The medical sense sent by the diagnostic fairy was very easy to utilize.
Dowook picked up his cell phone and recorded all kinds of diagnoses one by one.
In about 30 minutes.
Dowook picked up the phone.
"I''m Park Dowook in the emergency room. There¡¯s a male patient with chest pain. He¡¯s 70 years old. But doesn¡¯t have a habit of smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes."
-If it''s such a medical history¡¡.
"Do you think it¡¯s reflux esophagitis?"
-Ah. That''s right.
"However, there is no significant change in EGC. Hang on. I think he¡¯s traveled abroad. Pulmonary thromboembolism caused by not being able to move on a small ne would be a big problem. If you''re not going toe down, I''ll just¡¡.¡±
-I¡¯ming!
Gu Sang-Do, who came running, quickly checked the patient. Panting, he looked at the patient and turned his head away.
"It¡¯s just a cold. Don''t you know what a cold is?¡±
"Really?"
It was another difficult case, so Gu Sang-Do went up to the internal medicine department while trying not to show his anger.
After measuring the time, Dowook called again.
-Why!
"Oh, my. Dr. Gu. Your voice is so sharp."
-What is it?
"A female patient with gastroenteritis symptoms. She¡¯s 41 years old. With severe abdominal pain and general feebleness.¡.¡±
¨C Never mind. It seems to be a simple symptom of enteritis, so just hydrate her.
"Really? That''s weird. She has reactive arthritis. If it''s infected with Yersinia bacteria, it''ll be very dangerous. Okay. We''ll take measures after a thorough examination. Rest."
-¡¡.
Gu Sang-Do came running down and headed to where Dowook was pointing, looked at the patient and screamed.
"Spoiled milkÒ»!¡±
The female patient, who visited the hospital due to a slight stomach ache after drinking the wrong milk, looked at him with puzzled eyes.
An hour passed like that.
Ring, ring.
"This is Park Dowook. Dr. Gu."
A little silence followed.
And
-¡Why are you doing this to me?
Gu Sang-Do, who¡¯d ran down 13 times in thest hour, continued in a tearful voice.
Dowook thought this was enough, so he spoke in a serious tone.
"Dr. Gu. I know very well that the rtionship between the internal medicine departments and the surgery departments at the hospital is not going so smoothly these days. However, is there a need for such things toe out when on duty like this? Isn¡¯t being on duty tiring enough for everyone without it?¡±
-That''s¡
"Please do me a favor. Please inform the other internal medicine colleagues or medical offices. Or, I have no choice but to have them experience how it feels to run down every three minutes during night duty. I''m also defending myself."
Warning that there may be infinite emergency calls. Beyond the phone, he heard a sound of someone gulping in terror.
¨C I¡ Dr. Park Dowook.
"What?"
-I understand what you mean.
Now that they seemed to be on the same page, Dowook spoke lightly.
"There¡¯s a patient who visited the hospital for abdominal distension."
-What?
Dowook smiled at the astonishing voice.
"I''m just kidding. If you understand, I won''t have anything to do tonight, but you''ll ept others sincerely, right?¡±
-Of course. Please save me. I''ll keep that in mind.
Two people on emergency duty approached Dowook after the call.
Dowook informed Hong Chul-soon of the result.
"I don''t think there will be a problem with cooperation with integrated internal medicine anymore. Other internal medicine departments will soon hear the rumors, so they will respond simrly."
"Wow. You were great against the Hansung Hospital during the fire fighting event, and you''re amazing today, too, Dr. Dowook.¡±
Yeom Jinsoo, who did not know about the story of volunteer work at the fire station, looked puzzled.
"Senior. What fire fighting event?"
"No way. It was no joke. Hansung Hospital dispatched professors specializing in trauma surgery to the event.¡.¡±
Hong Chul-soon began to tell her about that day''s events.
Dowook stepped back and turned to Shim Pan, who disappeared after checking the goods.
¡®Thank you for today, senior. Thanks to you, it worked perfectly.¡¯
Afterward, he reached out to Chief Ji, who was sitting in a chair in the severe treatment area.
Weewoo weewoo!
He heard an ambnce arriving outside. From now on, it was time for emergency training until the morning.
* * *
At 9 a.m., the office of the cancer surgery team.
The patient''s major medical history was listed one by one on the whiteboard.
29 years old, male
Two months ago, stage 4 liver cancer due to hepatitis B was confirmed. Confirmation of radiation resistance while performing radiation and chemotherapy at the same time.
Since then, cancer metastasis had progressed, and the medical staff at S Hospital had determined that it was not treatable. Transferred to the cancer center of the hospital.
Behind Min Bo-Hoon, who was filling out a chart with a board marker, there were a lot of faculty members from the Department of Pancreatic Surgery.
"This is the overview of thebined surgery. When performing surgery that inevitably causes severe bleeding on one side, the other team needs to keep up the pace. The risk of patients who have to open their abdomen and brain at the same time depends solely on this."
Kim Byung-seop, the head of the hospital''s pancreatic surgery clinic, who was looking at the information on Min Bo-hoon presented, spoke up.
"Professor Min. Vital care is impossible in an unexpected situation where both sides have major bleeding. Why don''t you try step-by-step coboration surgery to finish one side and operate the other side?"
"If you try to remove it separately, the patient must endure a state of greatly weakened immunity during the hiatus in between. Cancer cells are more likely to spread throughout the patient''s body."
"This is stage 4 liver cancer. Isn''t it a life-long surgery at best? Does the patient have to risk his or her life simply to reduce the surgery to five hours?¡±
"We¡¯re looking for a cure. The patient also agreed to take risks.¡±
"Completely cured? Can you do that?"
"Young age. Resistant tumor. Immunity. This patient is a very unusual case."
"What did the oncologist say?"
Kim Byung-seop looked around the office and asked.
"Wait. Why are we the only ones discussing such a difficult surgery?"
Hong Yoo-sun, who was standing quietly next to the door, answered this question instead.
"Tumor internal medicine is missing from the high-level cancer surgery team.¡±
"They¡¯re leaving? Chief Hong, How does that make sense? How can you touch multiple cancers without a consultation? If you do this, aren¡¯t you sending the ace of our department to a dead-end?"
"I just respected the ace''s opinion."
Kim Byung-seop turned to Min Bo-hoon.
"What? How could you decide to do this?"
"We have no choice but to join hands with neurosurgery to operate on this patient properly. The oncologist said he would leave because he couldn''t tolerate that part."
"You sold the future of the cancer surgery team for just one patient cooperation? Professor Min, are you crazy?¡±
"I don''t think it''s yet to be concluded whose future has been sold."
"I''ll talk to Lee Ki-chul, so let''s leave this cooperation. This isn''t how we should do this. I heard that S hospital also gave up on this patient."
Min Bo-hoon shook his head firmly.
"No. There''s not much time left until the surgery is viable.¡±
"Who did you hold your hands with? And. Howe neurosurgery didn''t even show up at the preoperative meeting? Who''s the coborator?"
"It¡¯s Park Dowook, and I got a call that he would bete for about five minutes due to the surgery of a patient carried in at night."
Rattle.
"Sorry!"
The office door opened and Dowook, dressed as if he had just run out of the operating room, entered. The blood sttered around his eyes told of the operating room''s struggle.
Kim Byung-seop''s sharp gaze was focused on Dowook who was catching his breath.
"I wondered who it was, and it was Choi Hoo¡¯s kid, Park Dowook.¡±
"Hello, sir."
"Okay. You''re the neurosurgery representative, right? Are you here alone?"
"Uh¡ Yes."
"Oh, my."
While Kim Byung-seop swallowed a sigh, Dowook stood next to the whiteboard. And he briefly apologized to Min Bo-hoon for beingte.
"How far did you get?"
"I was talking about the outline of the surgery."
"No. Professor Min was avoiding answering my question.¡±
Kim Byung-seop, who intervened in this conversation, asked Dowook.
"Dr. Park. This is an attempt to deal with both the abdomen and the brain at the same time. No matter how well the two parts work together, sudden bleeding always urs. Professor Min didn''t mention the countermeasures. Are you going to do the same? Then, this would be very suicidal.¡±
Dowook had rushed from the operating room, but as soon as he came, continuous criticism flew in. Dowook was a little understanding of Dr. Gu¡¯s pain, who he¡¯s called down consecutively yesterday.
"I agree with your opinion that sudden bleeding cannot be prevented."
"But you''re still going to do the surgery? I heard there will be two main surgeons, and it seems they''re both out of their minds.¡±
Dowook felt that not only Chief Kim Byung-seop but also the other professors'' eyes were not good so he looked at Min Bo-hoon and asked in a small voice.
"Did I miss anything? Everyone is not angry because of my tardiness, are they?"
"It may be because of the news that the oncology department refused to cooperate."
"Oh, internal medicine. Is it the same here?"
Following outpatient clinics and emergency rooms, to the cancer center. The check seemed to be ongoing.
"Professor Min, hold on. The board marker.¡±
Dowook spoke while adding to the description of the surgical process on the whiteboard.
"I''m not saying I''m going to do this operation without any measures. We will cause artificial brain death to increase the response time at every bleeding moment.¡±
Kim Byung-seop''s eyes widened when he heard the words "artificial brain death."
"What?"
Dowook wrote down the mechanisms such as inhibiting neurotransmitters that caused brain damage, protecting blood vessel barriers, and lowering brain pressure, and then tapped the whiteboard.
"Low body temperature therapy. Also called a therapy."
Everyone was buzzing, but Hong Yoo-sun, head of the center, who was standing still, raised her hand and asked.
"Have you ever had cancer surgery that added this kind of therapy?"
"There are quite a lot of brain tumors alone. Professor Choi also did it twice in the past. However, the liver has no cases in Korea, once at Hansnipper Hospital in Germany, and twice at Mayo Clinic in the United States. Of course, considering resistant tumors, it will be the world''s first case."
For the first time in the world.
The honor of setting a precedent for surgery that others would cite, which would emerge as the number one search word on the international medical portal.
The eyes of the hostile faculty turned into eyes of aspiration at once. Sensing the energy, Hong Yoo-sun slowly smiled.
Dowook returned the board marker to Min Bo-hoon and spoke quickly.
"It''s not an easy operation, but we also need support from two assistants in the excerpt part. Let''s decide quickly and continue the meeting. Who wants to participate?¡±
All the professors raised their hands.
Chief Kim Byung-seop, who read the outline of the surgery on the whiteboard again, coughed in vain. The findings of neurosurgery cooperation were wless.
It was possible to cope with the bleeding situation, which was judged to be the most fatal.
Park Dowook, who made unconventional proposals casually, seemed to be unshakable.
Kim Byung-seop pretended to cover his coughing mouth with his hand and slowly lifted it up.
Chapter 92: Future Plans of a General Hospital (9)
A/N: Thanks to EY for the donation! 8 chaps this week! Also, important announcement at the end!
"Yes, Professor Choi. The surgery has been scheduled for the first slot in a week. Due to the equipment requirements for the procedure, we decided to proceed in the D-Rosette operating room."
Cancer center hallway.
Dowok reported the results of the meeting and yawned with exhaustion. It felt like his head was spinning because he still had night duty after an emergency surgery. Even in his first year of residency, he didn''t have such a packed day.
Hong Yoo-sun, head of the center, approached Dowook, who was thinking of going to the staff room and getting some sleep. She was the only woman among the center directors and a professor from the Department of Hematology and was around Chief Ha¡¯s age.
"Today''s meeting was impressive, Dr. Park."
"Thank you for allowing me to cooperate in this surgery, director."
"We should be the one¡¯s thanking you. Dr. Park''s role is the key."
Hong Yoo-sun, who smiled brightly, hinted at this.
"The neurosurgery position on the high-level cancer surgery team is currently vacant. If Dr. Park wants, you cane over. I''ll treat you like Professor Min."
An unexpected proposal. She didn¡¯t approach him for nothing.
Dowook knew that the annual sry of the team leader of such a special department was considerable, but he expressed his intention and refused.
"Thank you, but I can''t. I¡¯m still under training, and Professor Choi is going to create a specialist team."
"Oh no. That''s too bad."
"If such a case urs, cooperation is always wee at any time. Professor Choi is also actively interested, so team-level cooperation will be possible in the future. Of course."
Dowook said good-bye and left the hallway of the cancer center.
Chief Kim Byung-seop, who was walking out of the office, saw Hong Yoo-sun standing still.
"What are you doing here?"
"My proposal was rejected so easily and I am trying to deal with the shock."
"Proposal?"
"I don''t know if the signature surgery team at the hospital will be reced in the future. Professor Min needs to work harder.¡±
Kim Byung-seop looked confused at herment.
Dowooky down on the bed in the staff room. And he thought that he had closed his eyes for a very brief moment.
Beep beep beep.
When he heard the rm, it was 5 p.m.
¡®Already?¡¯
He passed out for six hours. Instead of sleep, it should be called aa-like state.
He got out of bed and stretched. His mind was clear, but his body creaked everywhere.
"Uh. Should I adjust my pace a little bit?"
Dowook reflected on his workload, kneading his stiff shoulder muscles and carrying on with his unreasonable New Year''s schedule.
Fortunately, there wasn¡¯t anything special on his schedule this evening. He just needed to check Lim So Yool¡¯s health status¡¡.
"Oh."
Recalling what had happened a few days ago, Dowook sat back on the bed.
¡®Why did she have to say something like that¡¯
Come to think of it, Lim So Yool only revealed her thoughts without filtering as usual. The decisive problem was that she didn''t even know it was a confession.
When he would meet her, Dowook couldn''t help but worry about how to treat her. It was a problem that he wished he could get a second opinion on.
¡®Hold on. Advice?¡¯
Dowook thought and searched his gown for his wallet. He took out a business card coated with gold and held it in his hand.
The only person who could give an appropriate answer to this situation was her sister who knew her very well.
Dowook called the number on the business card. Not long after, someone answered.
-Hello?
"This is Park Dowook, ma¡¯am."
-Dr. Park? You finally called this number.
"I have something to ask because of Director Lim So Yool."
-If it''s because of So Yool''s silly behavior, you don''t have to talk about it in detail.
The knowing tone of voice. Lim So-hee first asked a sensitive question.
-Our Semdeok. You called me first because you were serious, right?
"Yes."
-Oh my. You''re honest.
"Not as much as Director Lim So Yool."
¨C Since it¡¯s you, I believe you''ll understand what I''m about to tell you and choose wisely.
The silence that followedsted for a while. And a more serious voice continued.
-So Yool was a child trapped in her own world. She was diagnosed with HfA around the age of four. This is a developmental disease that enables one to possess much higher intelligence than ordinary people, but the person bes excessively obsessed with one field or does not properly recognize the psychological state of others. Do you understand?
High-functioning autism.
"I''ve heard of it."
-So Yool had to get used to epting all situations she hadn''t experienced through numbers. Dictionary definition is just a list of words that are meaningless to So Yool. That made today''s Semdeok, and now as the doctor knows, she¡¯s stable enough to proceed with social life without difficulty. Sometimes I even forget that she has HfA.
The obsession with numbers, which Dowook had regarded as obsessivepulsive disorder, was a window for her tomunicate with the world.
Dowook felt like he had put together a unique puzzle with regards to Lim So Yool.
-I think that''s all I can say. Did it help?
"I think it''s enough."
-Okay. I gave you some information, so you should give me some, too. Professor Choi. Is he single?
"What?"
-Why are you so surprised? We¡¯re all grown-ups.
"Uh¡ I think so."
-As expected. Thank you for the information.
After the call ended, Dowook got up from his seat.
What happened a few days ago was now understandable. Then the answer was simpler than he thought.
Standing in front of Room 2007, Dowook knocked on the door.
Click.
Secretary Ok opened the door and weed him inside.
"Wee, doctor."
Behind Secretary Ok, who seemed to be acting as usual, were also employees of the ZQ Group''s ounting adjustment team. Manager Choi Jae-woon waved first.
"Oh, Dr. Park. Wee."
Dowook, who was looking around, turned to Secretary Ok because he couldn''t see Lim So Yool. Secretary Ok immediately answered.
"She¡¯s in the bathroom."
"Oh."
"Would you like some coffee?"
"Please."
When he approached Manager Choi, Dowook saw a bunch of ounting books filled with numbers that were hard to understand.
"What are you working on today?"
"It''s just to prepare for the meeting. When a tax audit is conducted, the investigator meets the tax cut line to an eptable level."
"It soundsplicated just by listening to it."
"We''ve all given up on going home until next week. Even if I fall down while working, I''m not worried because it''s a hospital. Haha¡.¡±
Manager Choi''s bitter expression showed he had given up in the face of the hell of overtime work.
While waiting for Lim So Yool, he took a sip of the coffee handed over by Secretary Ok. Then, the door to the bathroom dedicated to the VIP room suddenly opened.
And she walked outside with a towel around her neck with her dripping hair.
Lim So Yool, who was wiping her hair with a towel, made eye contact with Dowook.
Flinch.
It was obviously a very flustered reaction.
Looking around, and then ncing at Dowook. Lim So Yool, who seemed to be thinking over and over again, threw away the towel and came to Dowook. She grabbed his arm.
"Outside."
Dowook headed to the door, led by Lim So Yool. Those who were inside watched as their role was switched fromst time and focused on their interaction with interest.
Aftering out to the hallway and closing the door to Room 2007, she looked up at Dowook.
"You told me to realize it on my own. Why are you here already?"
"I realized something too¡ Should Ie backter?"
"No."
Lim So Yool shook her head firmly and looked up at Dowook with clear eyes.
"I apologize. I found out a littlete that it would be rude to say that all of a sudden."
"You didn''t finish calcting the meaning behind it?"
"I finished. It''s a confession that I want to be closer than your friend."
To define it, she felt that she now fully understood it.
"Then what kind of situation will arrive next? Did you calcte that?"
"I know. If I fail, we won''t be friends."
The murmured words really struck him to the heart.
"You''ve calcted more than I thought."
"It''s still on-going. Because I didn''t hear the doctor¡¯s answer.¡±
Dowook looked at her always clear gaze focused at himself, without being confused. To her who showed her heart as it was, Dowook also spoke without embarrassment.
"I also get excited when I see the director. Especially when you don''t force a mathematical theory that only you can understand in five minutes."
Lim So Yool''s eyes sparkled. Dowook was calm, but he continued to talk, feeling his pounding heart.
"I couldn''t say this that day because I didn''t know how to deliver it. Do you want to go out with me?¡±
"Yes.¡±
An answer without hesitation. Lim So Yool, who smiled brighter than ever, was pretty and sentimental.
How long had it been since he felt like this?
He didn''t have enough time when he was a resident. As an intern, sleep was more important. And he always needed to memorize something when he was a medical student. He didn''t even remember the time he had a crush on a student teacher because it was so long ago.
"How do you start a rtionship?"
Lim So Yool''s pure eyes made Dowook realize that he wasn¡¯t too sure himself.
¡°¡You don''t know?¡±
With a nod, she looked at him with innocent eyes.
She agreed to date but didn''t know the process.
Now that this happened, it was questionable whether she was dating him or learning how to date him.
¡®This rtionship won''t be easy, right?¡¯
Round and round but back to the starting point again. Nothing had changed, but his heart was ticklish. Still, they took a step forward. First of all, that alone was overwhelming, so let us move on.
"Take your time and think about it. It''s not a difficult calction."
"Shall we?"
Dowook pointed to room 2007.
"First of all, let''s start with the urgent fire. You have to let the people in there go home."
"Will you calcte with me today?"
"Yes."
Lim So Yool smiled like a flower in full bloom.
* * *
A weekter.
Arge car parked in the underground parking lot of the hospital. Two people dressed in suits exited the car and stopped in the VIP parking area.
Heo Young-rok, chairman of the medicalmittee at Myeong Sae Hospital, who was walking in front, asked executive director Jung Nam-soo.
"How many chiefs expressed their intention to join?"
"There are 13 people for sure."
"13 people? Howe that''s all you have? I heard that the internal medicine department is united.¡±
Jung Nam-soo looked ashamed at Heo Young-rok¡¯s almost reprimandingment.
"It''s¡ The internal managers rted to the cancer center are still undecided. I think there''s some kind of pressure."
"Hong Yoo Seon stabbed you in the back? Who does she think made her the center director!"
Heo Young-rok, who burst into anger, asked back.
"Call Hong Yoo Seon before the meeting. If I say something harsh, she''ll listen.¡±
In front of the elevator.
Jung Nam-soo, who was holding his cell phone and talking carefully, reported in a surprised voice.
"It''s hard to move because of the surgery. She said to meet at another time."
"What? Give that to me."
Heo Young-rok, who took the cell phone, shouted.
"Hey, Hong Yoo Seon! Surgery? The meeting deciding the hospital¡¯s future is just around the corner. What kind of trick is this? Take care that you don¡¯t ruin your future!¡±
-I''m thankful for your consideration.
"What?"
-This surgery will be observed by the chairman of the head of the pancreatic surgery clinic and the chairman of the oncology clinic from the medical association. The chairman of the medicalmittee who tells us not to do this is going to ruin the future of the hospital.
"What kind of surgery is this? Why are two chairmen observing?"
-If you''re curious,e to D-Rosette. Oh. The observation room is full, so you have to look from outside.
The phone was hung up.
Heo Young-rok looked at Jung Nam-soo.
"Director Jeong. Send someone to the operating room to find out what Hong Yoo Seon is up to."
"Yes, Chairman."
Dowook stood in front of D-Rosette No. 1 operating room.
Complex surgery with a high-level cancer surgery team. He saw that the patient was put under anesthesia on the operating table.
Drrrk.
He opened the door and checked the preparations. Looking toward the observation room, he could see a lot of faculty members from the conference and cancer center watching.
¡®It must be noisy. I hope they don''t bother Professor Choi.¡¯
It was fortunate that the five senior members of the Neurology Society were not here since the main part of this surgery was the pancreatic department.¡.
-Dr Park!~
Namgoong Seok''s bright gaze met Dowook¡¯s, causing Dowook to sigh and greet him with a nod.
Anyway, he¡¯d already expected this.
It was not the time to worry about the troublesome things. Now he had to focus only onpletely removing that patient''s tumor.
¡®Shall we start?¡¯
Lim So Yool stood at the entrance of the public conference room.
The answers she had steadily calcted and searched for about three months since Octoberst year. Today was the day when she had to sharply confront the forces that refused this answer.
Click.
It was noticeable that the chiefs were gathered in one ce around the U-shaped conference hall in the center.
Selfish or honest.
The deeds of the numbers each person did flew through her mind as if turning over pages of a book.
3 minutes before the meeting started!
People sat one by one at the secretary general''s announcement.
And
Chairman Heo Young-rok, who would be today''s key variable, sat in the center of the U-shaped desk.
Chapter 93: Future Plans of a General Hospital (10)
A/N: Two chaps today until Thursday thanks to EY! Please remember to read Chapter 92!
One hour into the surgery.
When basicparotomy and craniotomy werepleted and the tumor removal began in earnest, a tense atmosphere lingered inside and outside the operating room.
Then.
BeeÒ» beep beep.
An unstable and urgent mechanical sound came out of the vital monitor.
"The hepatic vein is bleeding. Suction¡"
Even before Min Bo-Hoon finished his sentence, Dowook¡¯s hand dug into the open area.
Min Bo-Hoon paused when the clip-picking tongs suddenly entered a location not visible due to bleeding.
"What¡"
Beep. Beep.
It turned into a regr machine sound again. Only then did the professor of pancreatic surgery, who participated as the second assistant, sucked in the blood that flowed out.
And the bleeding point was revealed.
Min Bo-Hoon''s gaze turned to Dowook¡¯s face when it was revealed that he had temporarily clipped the exact area on therge hepatic vein that was bleeding.
"Dr. Park, can you respond to all emergency bleeding this way?"
"Yes."
The second assistant''s eyes grew wide with this affirmation. Predicting how vein lines were distributed in the resected liver required considerable skill and intuition.
Chief Kim Byung-seop couldn''t stand it and opened the speaker.
-Dr. Park. You need to know the location of the hepatic vein on the resected surface faster than the surgeon. Does that make sense? If you make a mistake even once, you''ll be in trouble. Why don''t you keep the central venous pressure lower?
"You can''t touch the blood pressure because it affects brain tumor incisions."
-Ah. Every time the vitals jump, it¡¯s making me nervous.
Beep beep beep~
As soon as he finished speaking, the vitals fluctuated once again. This time, it was near the brain tumor part.
"Vascr anastomosis preparation. The tumor No. 1 is crushed more than expected.¡±
Dowook suddenly stuck next to Choi Hoo¡¯s side, picked up a suture and a needle, and put his eyes on a microscope.
"Give me a signal."
"Now."
As soon as the tumor was removed by Choi Hoo¡¯s hand, Dowook¡¯s needle and forceps moved over the amputated blood vessel. In that small space, four hands never ovepped or interfered with each other.
Vitals stabilized again.
All of the observers were relieved at the same time.
Min Bo-hoon¡¯s eyes shined as he saw Dowook approaching his side again. Dowook proved with his actions that he was one step ahead when experts were worriedly watching.
"Then, I''ll trust you and speed up."
"Please."
The amount of bleeding the patient could withstand was set, and there was a mountain of cancer cells to be removed. If a tumor the size of an eye booger was left, it would always grow again and threaten the patient.
This was a surgery where they walked on thin ice, where every incision was an option and a crisis.
However, this ice sheet was being heavily supported by a doctor who fully assisted the two surgeons.
"The finances of the hospital have lost their bnce."
Lim So Yool continued with the eyes of the newly elected directors, the steeringmittee chairman, and dozens of chiefs all focused on her.
"Last year, the medical revenue of the hospital was 1.137 trillion won, but the medical expenses were 1.2102 trillion won. Net profit recorded a deficit of 73.2 billion won. It was the lowest rate of return among the Big Five."
-Isn''t Shin Yae Seung''szy management strategy the biggest problem?
Lim So Yool''s eyes moved at the question of a standing director.
"Of the costs incurredst year, 50 billion won was withdrawn from the construction of the Life Research Center. Director Jung Nam-soo promoted this project, right?¡±
-What¡¯s wrong with that?
"The building has not been built yet, and I understand that there is not enough room to pay for thebor costs of major personnel to participate in the research project."
-Someone refused to tighten their belts and make up for the deficit. Are you telling me to dismantle my business and throw it away?
Despite Jung Nam-soo''s strong opposition, Lim So Yool was still.
"Is that a question?"
-What? If it''s a question!
"After reviewing Director Jung''s project proposal and progress, the additional cost required by the contractor toplete the construction was 10.7 billion won, and thebined annual sry of doctors and faculty members to participate in the life research center was 4.1 billion won.¡±
-So? Are you going to criticize me for creating a deficit?
"We will provide a total of 14.8 billion won, so please re-promote the center business within two quarters."
Jung Nam-soo''s eyes widened when the dean''s representative, who he thought would find fault with his business failure, suddenly spoke of supporting him.
-What did you say?
"The project has an expected value of 76.5 billion won. If the business is sessful, it can earn 11.7 billion won in profits over the next five years. So you don''t have to throw it away. Did that answer your question?"
Beep.
The devices surrounding the patient emitted warning sounds.
"Blood pressure is dropping! It''s dropping fast!"
Confusion fell throughout the operating room at the anesthesiologist''s cry.
The burst blood vessels spewed blood in all directions and wet Min Bo-Hoon''s gown and mask.
Dowook, who was assisting Choi Hoo, looked at Min Bo-Hoon.
"You have to finish ligating the area in 40 seconds.¡±
"There are too many blood vessels around the cancerous tissue by the hepatic valve. You have to stop here and blood pressure recover first."
"As soon as blood pressure is arbitrarily controlled, the patient''s brain nerves will be damaged."
Dowook was unable to move because the blood vessels in the brain were being sutured, so he turned to Choi Hoo.
"Professor."
"Go ahead."
Choi Hoo understood Dowook¡¯s intention and grabbed the blood vessels that he was suturing with fine forceps on his left hand.
Dowook stood next to Min Bo-Hoon.
"25 seconds left."
"I can''t distinguish dangerous blood vessels at once like Dr. Park."
"No, you can do it."
The liver tumor part was located in a situation where cancer tissue was ligated off to the left area of the liver along the side.
A very difficult process in which the surgeon had to concentrate to the limit.
As he epted Min Bo-Hoon''s sense, Dowook¡¯s understanding was at once instilled on top of Choi Hoo¡¯s sense.
Min Bo-Hoon, who seemed to have experienced a momentary stimulus, immediately spoke to him so that he was not aware of it.
"The feeling of residual blood vessels popping. You can avoid that and ligate it. 10 seconds from now on. Come on!"
When Dowook lifted the forceps and moved the tissue that was ligated to secure vision, Min Bo-Hoon moved the surgical scissors as if he were possessed by something. He cleverly avoided the vein associated with the tumor.
Clip.
Thergest lump of tumor fell off the patient''s body. The second assistant immediately started suctioning and the third assistant started emergency hemostasis.
"Blood pressure is climbing!"
Anesthesiologist''s cry.
The confusion disappeared, and the patient''s vital system regained stability.
"Please continue the remaining tumor resection work right away, and the third assistant will help Professor Choi. Brain tumor extraction will begin soon. The vision of the surgery will be messed up.¡±
2 hours since they walked on thin ice.
Now no one questioned the instructions of Dowook. Even professors in the observer''s room refrained from breathing so as not to interfere with the ever-changing and sophisticated distribution of parts.
Inside the quiet conference room.
Heo Young-rok, chairman of the board of directors, who decided to dere an emergency operating system, spoke up.
-Hey, Representative Lim So Yool. How can you invest more in a hospital? You''re creating a fuss to change the hearts of the directors.
"I''m done securing funds."
-How?
Secretary Ok posted two slides on arge monitor in the conference room at Lim So Yool''s nce.
"The medical expenses of integrated internal medicine left as payment obligations by implementing an exclusive supply contract with Yuseong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is 4.3 billion won. However, the expected profit of Yuseong Group in the first half of this year from Yuseong Pharmaceutical was reported by Yuseong Pharmaceutical. 500 million in the middle was going tond in someone''s hands."
Everyone''s eyes turned to Won Dong-gil, the head of the integrated internal medicine department, because she was talking about the circumstances in which ck money came and went. Won Dong-gil waved, saying it was not him.
"Minus 500 million plus 500 million. I''ve been working on adjusting all the selfish numbers that have made the hospital''s finances unhealthy. So the profits adjusted so far¡¡.¡±
When the screen changed and the numbers appeared, the eyes of everyone in the conference room grew bigger.
"¡A total of 29.6 billion won. Of these, 14.8 billion won is for the project proposed by Director Jung. The remaining 14.8 billion won will be spent on securing future value at the hospital."
Proposal to distribute funds exactly at a ratio of 50 to 50 to the hospital project of the ledger and the semiconductor ledger. Heo Young-rok lost his words.
The fact that both justification and practicality were considered could be seen by the astonishing expression of executive director Jeong Nam-soo, a close aide.
In addition, this was aparison. It was a logic of numbers that was simply indefensible, with fewer positions bound to decrease depending on which side made more profits.
Heo Young-rok asked, trying to find fault with anything.
-What is the future value that Representative So Yool says? Is that something with some truth in it?
"These are the numbers of possibilities. This kind of thing.¡±
The results of the evaluation of the doctors¡¯ level of cooperation at the integrated outpatient room was disyed on therge monitor.
Aprehensive score table in which patient satisfaction, cooperation results, and optional medical treatment revenue were summed.
Everyone who observed the screen had no choice but to buzz.
The points of the doctor in first ce were tremendously higher than the rest.
"To be precise, he is a doctor who is likely to lead the future of the hospital. I''m sure. If this number of possibilities is added and multiplied by a special function, the specification hospital will be the best of the Big Five. No, one of the best hospitals in the world."
Exaggerations made everyone unable to take their eyes off the names floating at the top of the screen.
Some nodded as if they admitted it, some snorted in jealousy, and some were enchanted by a sense of despondency.
-I can''t believe it. How can there be such a difference?¡.
The integrated internal medicine director was in the third category. He was the one who advocated for the integrated internal doctors to coborate.
-Number one is Park Do Wook, number two is Min Bo Hoon? If I do this, we¡¯re over¡¡.
It was the kind that made onepletely lose their fighting spirit.
"The liver tumor extraction isplete."
"Finished brain tumor part.¡±
Min Bo-Hoon and Choi Hoo voiced almost simultaneously.
When theplete removal of resistant tumors, whichsted about five hours safely, exmations flowed out from all over the observation room.
They couldn''t count how many times the crisis descended during the operation, but nothing caused fatal problems to the patient.
The Chairman of the Society of Pancreatic Surgery even apuded the surgeons that did it.
"Are you here to watch a concert!"
He immediately stopped at themand of a professor who was 185 centimeters tall and had overwhelming charisma.
"I''ll do the closing, Professor Choi."
"Great job, Dr. Park."
"Thank you for your hard work."
Inside the operating room that Choi Hoo had left.
Min Bo-Hoon, who was closing the abdomen, turned towards Dowook.
"Dr. Park, do you really have no intention of joining the high-level surgery team? If youe, I''m willing to give up my position as team leader."
The two professors of the Department of Pancreatic Surgery, who had not yet left the operating room, looked at Min Bo-Hoon in surprise.
Dowook replied in a calm voice.
"It¡¯s an honor, but I don''t want to make a hasty decision about my future."
"Huh. You¡¯re not shaking at all. You started your fellowship this year, right?¡±
"Yes."
"Take my title as the youngest professor in moderation. I''m also an ace, and it would just causeparisons."
The surgery ended well enough to make jokes, so he faced Min Bo-hoon with an eye smile.
¡®Once in the middle. It would have been very dangerous if I hadn''t conveyed Professor Choi''s sharp sense.¡¯
Dowook could be sure after today¡¯s surgery.
The more skilled he was with the sense, the more he could perform surgeries that no one had ever tried.
HIs hands tingled in anticipation for theing future.
* * *
The first day of February.
Dowook entered the outpatient area of neurosurgery and stopped. There was a line of patients in the hallway.
¡®Did the morning treatment get dyed?¡¯
Dowook walked to the reception desk and asked the nurse.
"Professor Shin isn¡¯t done yet?¡±
"No, he got off work at exactly 12 o''clock.¡±
"Then¡"
They were optional patients they had to face. The estimated number of patients was 40. The nurse held out a bunch of documents piled up to Dowook who was surprised by the number of reserved patients that had more than doubled.
"What''s this?"
"I saw that there were a lot of waiting patients and decided the order on my own. They were sent by the doctors from other departments who came to request for cooperation earlier. The one in front is number one."
"Cooperation?"
Dowook moved to the clinic and looked at the top of the document he received.
¡®Hmm¡''
This was a document with detailed information on patients who wanted cooperation and a very polite request to help them.
It was a case that required real cooperation one by one, which waspletely different from the time when it was pushed to him.
"Why did internal medicine doctors change their attitude?"
While tilting his head, someone rushed to the front of the clinic. It was Professor Kim Han-sung, who forcibly helped him diagnose a few weeks ago.
"Dr. Park."
Kim Han-sung continued to pant.
"I didn''t know there was a form. I was the fourth in line."
He also submitted a request for cooperation. When Dowook received it, Kim Han-sung opened his mouth.
"Is it like that between us?"
"I don''t have any personal feelings. But you can''t break the rules and change the order just like that."
"Uh¡"
"But why does it feel like the outpatient system is going back to normal all of a sudden?"
"Huh? Didn''t you hear about the management meeting yesterday?"
"What news?"
Kim Han-sung smiled forcibly.
"The directors were convinced, and a member of the integrated outpatient office was also selected."
"Already?"
"No one could keep up with your evaluation score for the remaining month, so everyone erased the first ce from their goals. Then, what do you think it is? If you get overwhelming scores in first ce and do something, you''ll be second ce. Oh, second ce is overwhelming, too. It means you can at least get third ce.¡±
Dowook only understood the situation then. Kim Han-sung spoke quietly while looking at Dowook.
"If you put my order forward, I''ll let you know who''s mentioned as the head of the integrated outpatient office.¡±
This was a harsh remark. Dowook asked by pulling out the paper on the back and inserting it into the middle.
"Who is it?"
"You may be unfamiliar, but he¡¯s a very legendary person. Professor Shim Pan."
"Really?"
¡ª¨C
Sync: Cancer center¡¯s talented team leader''s resection
Action: High-level techniques for liver, biliary tract, and pancreas be possible.
Chapter 94: Big Shot (1)
Road Raver Arena in Melbourne, Australia.
-Hello, tennis fans in Korea. This is Lee Seung-yong from Melbourne, where the semifinal round for the women''s singles of the Australian Open is being held. Many Koreans havee out to cheer Ko Yoon-ah, the first Korean female yer to break through the 16th round in a major tournament and reach the semifinals with a series of unexpected events¡¡.
The faces of Korean casters andmentators who were wearing Korean g badges were very bright.
¨C What do you think about today''s game, Inho?
¨C I don''t think it¡¯ll be easy. Vinesa ranks 12th on the world rankings, which is a huge difference from Ko Yoon-ah, who is currently 108th.
-I heard that yers outside the top 100 rarely reach the semifinals.
-That''s right. Ko Yoon-ah''s advance to the semifinals is truly a miracle.
-At this moment, our Ko Yoon-ah is on the court!
The main camera zoomed in on Ko Yoon-ah.
With a height of 173cm, a healthy and young appearance. Her poprity soared after the news of her game became known to Korea, resulting in on-site broadcasts at prime time in Korea.
-yer Ko Yoon-ah doesn''t look very nervous.
-Tennis is a solitary sport. Qualifying for the semifinals from the bottom not as a seed speaks volumes about Ko Yoon-ah''s mental strength.
-The strong heart of a 20-year-old yer looks amazing. Spain''s Vinesa Murgu, her semifinal opponent, also took the court. She looks very light.
-In the quarterfinals, Ko Yoon-ah won after a neck-and-neck race in the third set, but her opponent Vinesa scored a neat victory during the second set.
The preparation time was over while the broadcaster andmentator continued talking. As the two yers gathered in the middle of the court, the referee threw a coin to determine who had the right to serve.
-Ko Yoon-ah has the first serve. This is advantageous. Ko Yoon-ah''s specialty lies in a serve with a strong drive. I hope she does well until the end.
The first set game began with the referee''s whistle.
Ko Yoon-ah tapped the tennis ball and bounced it against the floor as she proceeded to toss the ball to head level. She slightly bent both knees and jumped flexibly toward the sky.
Tang!
The ball flew across the court, crossed the and stuck under the opponent''s feet.
-Service ace! Vinesa couldn''t respond to Ko Yoon-ah''s serve!
-It was a powerful shot!
Ko Yoon-ah''s second serve began in line with the cheers of the broadcasters. This time again, she strongly struck the opponent''s court, but Vinesa countered it.
-Return!
Ko Yoon-ah''s backstroke ran quickly to the other side. Vinesa couldn''t keep up.
-Continuous points! It''s a good start with momentum!
When she took one point with her third and fourth y, Koreans in the audience and tennis fans from other countries enthusiastically shouted for Ko Yoon-ah.
In the 2nd y, Vinessa won. Ko Yoon-ah won the third and fourth y.
-Ko Yoon-ah is fierce!
-If she can take the first set, there is a good chance of her reaching the finals.
The bnce copsed when Ko Yoon-ah won the five ys like a watershed. With a 6-3 score, Ko Yoon-ah took the first set.
-Are we going to the finals?
The start of the second set was from Vinesa''s serve.
Ko Yoon-ah seemed to be good at catching up, but Vinesa''s winning y with seasoned skill increased, and the set ended with a score of 6-4.
-It''s right before thest set. Oh¡ Ko Yoon-ah looks very tired. We need the support of everyone.
The rally had extended from the first game of the third set. Ko Yoon-ah took one game after a close deuce match.
-If you win five more times like this¡¡.
1-1. 2-2. 2-2 The tight race continued, and the game time exceeded two hours.
-Set score 6-6. The game enters a tiebreak. Vinesa is sweating heavily.
-Vinesa also used up a lot of energy. She probably didn''t expect a tough match by a 108th-ranked yer. From now on, it''s an advantageous fight for those who don''t make mistakes.
Ko Yoon-ah was preparing to serve. She bounced the ball and hit it with all her strength. It was so sharp and fast that Vinesa''s racket couldn''t touch the ball.
-ACE!
When "190KPH" was photographed at the sub-speed of the electronic disy, admiration came out from all over the audience.
-190? Isn''t this the world''s best serve speed?
-You''re growing even during the game, Ko Yoon-ah. She¡¯s very focused in the second half of the game. Now, if she can catch only one of Vinesa''s two subs, she has a chance of winning. This is the final round of the Grand m Tournament!
Vinesa''s serve in a tiebreak of 1:0. Vinesa''s hand was tangled by Ko Yoon-ah''s counterattack with both-handed strokes.
-Return ceeee!! Everyone! Ko Yoon-ah is 2 points ahead!
A series of Vinesa''s serves led to a long rally. After that, Ko Yoon-ah, who did not lose concentration, scored.
-3 to 0! Lost the match against Vinesa!
-Ko Yoon-ah, who had an advantage in serving, will get two serve tickets! Let''s go to the finals!
The excited voices of the broadcasters rang inside the overheated stadium.
Ko Yoon-ah, who was taking a deep breath, bounced the ball and tossed it as it was. Unique dynamic serve posture. The broadcasters, the audience, and the viewers of South Korea held their breath.
And
Ting!
The ball, which was not expected to fall on the opponent''s court, was caught in the. When Ko Yoon-ah dropped her racket and grabbed her right arm, the camera was also surprised and fixed on her.
-P-yer Ko Yoon-ah?
-I think there''s a problem with her arm. A request for medical help came in.
The medical staff and the coach rushed into Ko Yoon-ah, who copsed while crouching. The coach, who got up from his seat, shook his head at the referee with a grim look.
-yer Ko Yoona¡¡ expresses her intention to abstain.¡.
Ko Yoon-ah left the court with support from the medical staff. The expression of the broadcasters looking at her with devastation spread across the sea to viewers across Korea.
¡¾Ko Yoon-ah, the hope of Korean tennis. A tennis elbow diagnosis that is fatal to a yer''s life?¡¿
¡¾World ranking goes up vertically! What is the future of the injured tennis queen?¡¿
¡¾The only tennis broadcast with a 16% viewer rating. Ko Yoon-ah was the gust of wind that ended unfortunately!¡¿
¡¾Ko Yoon-ah, who was cheered for by the whole nation, returns home today before Lunar New Year''s Day¡¿
* * *
Dowook was humming on his way to work.
¡®How long has it been since I had a holiday?¡¯
If he worked hard until today, he could take three consecutive days off during the Lunar New Year period starting tomorrow.
Happiness that came after working the weekend shifts and conducting a tight surgical schedule. He was now just imagining how rxing it would be to sleep well today and tomorrow, resting for one more day afterwards.
Dowook passed the hospital driveway and turned around the corner. His humming was cut off because of someone who was in a hurry and bumped into his shoulder.
A woman wearing a hat and a mask bowed her head to Dowook as he regained his bnce after stumbling slightly.
"I''m sorry¡"
"No. I walked without looking where I was heading."
As he was going to the hospital while trying to calm his excitement over the holiday, the woman wearing a mask carefully asked.
"Do you know where Myeong Sae University''s park is?"
The campus of the university was quiterge due to how old it was.
"If you go toward the north gate, there will be a gym. It''s in front of that.¡±
"Thank you."
Bowing, once again, she moved along the path Dowook pointed to her.
Carrying a sports bag, she was quite tall like a model. Half a span difference with himself. It was a noticeable appearance because it was early in the morning and was in a deserted street.
¡®Hold on. We bumped into each other, but why was I the only one that bounced off?¡¯
Somehow, it seemed embarrassing as a man, so he coughed awkwardly and hurried to walk in the opposite direction.
Dowook went up to the fifth floor and into the staff room as he saw Nam Hana sitting while yawning.
Click.
¡°Hana.¡±
¡°Huh? Senior, you¡¯re here.¡±
¡°How¡¯s your schedule?¡±
¡°Seongtae and I will take turns after a day. The 4 new guys who just came in will stay for the full time.¡±
¡°New guys?¡±
Nam Hana pointed to a corner of the staff room with her chin.
The 4 prospective residents who would officially start their residency in March were spread out all over the table and sofa.
¡°Whoa. The office looks cramped since 4 of them are like that.¡±
¡°It¡¯s so annoying since there¡¯s so many things to teach them.¡±
¡°They¡¯ll do great even if you take it slow. I¡¯m gonna go on my rounds starting from 9 o¡¯clock, I¡¯ll take one of those annoyances. I might have to hand you the care of some patients over the holidays.¡±
¡°Did you get a long vacation?¡±
¡°3 days.¡±
¡°Wow¡¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t get it for free. Close your mouth before you lose your jaw, and send over a bright er.¡±
He passed through the room and opened the door to the office.
Looking at the clock on the wall, it was 8AM. It was the time he got to work when there was nothing urgent.
Opening hisptop and checking the patient charts that had been updated, he received a message.
[Dr. Park, could youe over to the Neurology clinic at 10? The Rehabilitation Department and the Orthopedic Department couldn¡¯t find the cause of the pain so they transferred a patient. The case is quiteplicated.]
It was from Prof. Lee Won Seok.
Seeing how work came finding him just as he was thinking he had some free time, he would have to continue being busy.
After replying that he would go over, someone knocked on the office door.
-Dr. Park, we came to follow you on your rounds!
It was the energetic voice of the residents in training.
When Dowook opened the door with the tablet used for checking on the patient charts, he saw four people in the hallway bowing at him in greeting.
¡°Huh? I told her to only send one.¡±
¡°Everyone had nothing to do in the morning so they came to learn by observing. And my name is We Dae Han, senior.¡± [T/N: We Dae Han literally trantes to ¡®great¡¯ in English.]
¡°Ok. Nice to meet you, Dr. We¡ what?¡±
The name of the 29-year-old greenhorn doctor was quite unique.
¡°My dream is to be a great neurosurgeon just like Prof. Choi Hoo and Dr. Park Dowook.¡±
Looking at his shining eyes, he had more than enough passion.
Dowook turned to the other trainees and pointed at We Dae Han.
¡°Is his nickname by any chance¡¡±
¡°It¡¯s Great We, yes. He always says the word.¡±
A junior with the name tag saying ¡®Kim DongHyun¡¯ replied with a chuckle. We Dae Han shook his head with a red face but Dowook just patted him on the shoulder.
¡°Ok. Work hard and do your best to reach your dream, Dr. Great We.¡±
¡°Yes sir! Ah, I mean¡¡±
¡°Dr. Kim DongHyun, Dr. Ahn Ju Hwan, Dr. Son Eun Gyeong. Nice to meet you.¡±
After the greeting filled withughter, Dowook headed straight for the patient ward.
Ding.
Getting off the elevator, Dowook handed the tablet to We Dae Han.
¡°I have 13 patients under my care. The one to pay the most attention to is Yoo Deok Chul who just had a hematoma evacuation recently.¡±
Since they said there were a lot of residents who applied, he probably wasn¡¯t picked for his unique name. Dowook asked his junior who was looking at the chart with a light tone.
¡°What side effects should patients who underwent traumatic subdural hematoma removal be careful of?¡±
At the question, We Dae Han replied with a stiff and nervous expression.
¡°In acute cases, the intranasal pressure should be checked carefully until the cerebral edema subsides. It is also necessary to make sure that there is no loss of consciousness, speech impairment, or epileptic attacks to determine the degree of secondary nerve damage.¡±
It was the answer of someone who had studied quite a bit.
¡°Ok. Starting today for 3 days, check every 6 hours. You¡¯re quite great, Dr. We.¡±
Although he received praise, his cheeks turned as red as a while ago.
¡°Patient Shin Soo-cheol underwent an aneurysm ligation 10 days ago. High blood pressure was caused by cerebral artery dtion. Who wants to talk about what the needed treatment will be?¡±
All four raised their hands at the same time.
¡°Oh, why don¡¯t you try, Dr. Kim?¡±
¡°Secondary brain damage must be watched out for so we have to make sure he doesn¡¯t suffer from hypoxia, hypotension, hypoglycemia¡¡±
¡°You¡¯re correct but. Dong Hyun speaks too much like a textbook. Dr. We Dae Han.¡±
At the unaffected tone, We Dae Han turned his head.
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Every 12 hours for patient Shin Soo-cheol.¡±
¡°Yes sir¡ but, doctor.¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Huh? What?¡±
¡°I can not allow for our Great Dr. We to be ced at a lower station.¡±
At We Dae Han¡¯s teary expression, his peers all burst intoughter again.
Passing by the ICU, the question and answer session continued, causing time to fly by.
The work which would normally only take him 15 minutes took a lot longer but the joy of teaching these sproutlings made him forget the time.
Vrrrr.
Then, his phone rang and when he checked it, he saw Prof Lee Won Seok¡¯s name.
¡°Oh¡¡.¡±
Just remembering that he had promised to meet the professor, Dowook answered his phone.
¡°Professor, I¡¯ll be right there after I finish my rounds.¡±
-It¡¯s not that. You don¡¯t have toe over right away.
¡°What?¡±
-A patient who was hospitalized in the orthopedic ward is currently missing.
¡°Missing?¡±
-She was still here at dawn but when the nurse went in in the morning, she was gone.
¡°Who¡¯s the patient?¡±
-Oh, it¡¯s Ko Yoon-ah. The tennis yer. You should also know. Security has been informed so they¡¯ll call once they find her.
Dowook hung up and tilted his head. Seeing how Prof Lee Won Seok has requested for his help, it should be someone famous, but since he didn¡¯t watch any TV, he didn¡¯t know who she was.
Dowook asked the juniors standing in front of him.
¡°Do you guys know who Ko Yoon-ah is?¡±
At the question, the 4 all paused. We Dae Han asked him with wide eyes.
¡°Senior, was the call just now about Ko Yoon-ah?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°W-with Ko Yoon-ah?¡±
¡°Damn. I heard she hurt her arm so she came to Dr. Park Dowook?¡±
He figured out how famous she was from the surprised expressions on his juniors¡¯ faces. Dowook¡¯s eyes widened after he took out his phone and googled ¡®Ko Yoon-ah.¡¯
¡®Huh? This looks like that person from this morning¡¡.¡¯
Chapter 95: Big Shot (2)
Ko Yoon-ah had already been running 10ps around the park.
-As a result of a thorough examination, no abnormalities were found in the bones and ligaments. It¡¯s definitely not tennis elbow.
-No inmmatory response was found in the blood test. I think this is extreme stress pain.
The doctors she¡¯d met yesterday said that this was just a mental problem that came because she couldn''t handle a big game. She clearly felt the pain but they said it wasn¡¯t real.
"Haa, haa."
She ran to the point where her head was nk, but her thoughts did not disappear easily.
Ko Yoon-ah, who was gradually slowing down and catching her breath, noticed a tennis court between two buildings. Some members of a college club were conducting step training.
She vowed not to swing a racket until the diagnosis came out, but she couldn''t stop her footsteps. She put on her mask and picked up the bag she¡¯d thrown to one side.
"Split! Tennis is a game you y with your feet, not your arms!"
College students were jumping in ce following themand of their coach. He may be older than her, and his tennis career far shorter. But he was full of energy.
She was jealous of what she was seeing.
While watching the training scene, her cell phone rang. It was Professor Moon Hyung-taek from Korea¡¯s National Sport University.
Although she could ignore everyone else, she could not refuse her mentor¡¯s call since he was the one who recognized her potential since childhood and supported her both physically and mentally.
"Phew. I''ve only been gone for 2 hours¡"
She answered her phone carefully.
"Yes, professor."
-I got a call from your father.
"I''m sorry."
-If you ran out, which you didn¡¯t and not evenined about the hard training in your adolescence, that means you were in pain.
She¡¯d thought she would be scolded, but he only spoke warm words.
-I heard from your father that the test results came out.
"The doctors wouldn''t tell me anything for certain. Everyone just keeps saying that it''s because of stress and is a mental problem¡¡±
-It doesn¡¯t hurt right now?
"It''s usually okay, but it''s especially bad when I hold a racket."
-I''m going to arrive at Seoul in the afternoon, so let''s talk more about it then. And I''ll talk to your father. The first rebellious act in your life, enjoy it as much as you can. I''m always on your side, Yoon-ah.
She felt a little relieved thanks to her teacher who was the only one in the world who understood her.
The college students had shifted to exchanging rallies. Watching the balle and go, she only could see the racket that she couldn¡¯t hold for the past week.
Even if she was surrounded by rusty fences on crude artificial grass, she felt much more stable than in a stuffy hospital.
How could anyone say that the tennis she loved so much could cause her stress?
Ko Yoon-ah would never believe it.
"You were here."
While watching, Ko Yoon-ah''s head turned when a voice suddenly disturbed her.
A man in a doctor''s gown.
She thought no one could recognize her because she was wearing a mask, but such an introduction came from the man before her.
"I''m Park Dowook, a neurosurgeon who was scheduled to examine Ko Yoon-ah at 10 o''clock today."
Dowook looked at Ko Yoon-ah.
She was soaked in sweat just as he saw her in the morning. Maybe because she was an athlete, she didn¡¯t seem to feel cold. However, if anyone walked around for a long time while wet, nothing good woulde of it.
"There¡¯s another test?¡±
Dowook nodded at the question asked with slight annoyance.
"I heard that the patient did not trust the diagnosis of the orthopedic department, so I received a request for consultation from the neuro clinic. This fact was delivered only to the guardian, so there must have been a misunderstanding in the middle."
Based on what Dowook had heard beforeing, he calmly revealed the situation. However, Ko Yoon-ah''s eyes became sullen.
"I think the doctors are the ones misunderstanding things. I just came to the hospital once more to confirm things. I''ve already had a neurological examination at a local hospital in Australia."
¡°What?¡±
This was the first time Dowook heard such information. He tilted his head and Ko Yoon-ah turned back to watch the college students to show that she didn¡¯t want to continue talking to him.
Her gaze disyed envy as she watched them practice.
Dowook wanted to ask her about the results of the test done in Australia but paused when he felt the tingling sensation that traveled up from his fingers.
He realized who it was from quite quickly. The sound of the tennis ball bouncing on the court sounded more clear than a moment ago. The want to y suddenly came with overwhelming intensity that he almost jumped over the fence.
¡®Is it because this is the first time I got a sense from a pro-athlete? It¡¯s more intense than I expected.¡¯
As he was shaking his right hand to get rid of the sense, the phone in his chest pocket vibrated.
-What happened? Did you find her?
¡°Oh, Prof. Lee¡¡±
Dowook hesitated.
He felt that if he revealed the fact that Ko Yoon-ah was here, it would only worsen her current depression. In this kind of situation, convincing the patient came first.
¡°Not yet. I¡¯ll call you when I find her.¡±
Ko Yoon-ah stared at Dowook as he put his phone away.
¡°I¡¯m thankful you didn¡¯t tattle on me but I still think that doing the tests again here is just a waste of time.¡±
¡°Could I at least hear the results of the tests done at the Australian hospital?¡±
¡°Fibromyalgia due to stress.¡±
Dowook could only keep quiet. It was the same diagnosis Prof. Lee Won Seok had made tentatively.
Fibromyalgia. It was difficult to find the cause and the chronic pain it caused was even more difficult to cure.
If she had hurt her arm, surgery and rehabilitation could help her recover but if it was Fibromyalgia, the only thing to do was to exercise, eat well and live a healthy lifestyle.
He could fully understand why Ko Yoon-ah was so depressed.
¡®She¡¯s already gone through all the necessary tests from Neurology. There¡¯s nothing more Prof. Lee and I can do to help¡ huh?¡¯
Dowook trembled at the sudden sting that came from his right arm.
It was a strange pain that seemed to poke at the nerves in his arm.
Since he didn¡¯t know the cause of the pain, he suspected it was the exhaustion that had piled up recently before he realized that Ko Yoon-ah¡¯s sense hadn¡¯t left his arm yet.
¡®No way.¡¯
As Dowook stood there with a nk expression, Ko Yoon-ah said for thest time.
¡°Please leave me alone here. I¡¯ll enjoy this rebellion until the afternoon and return.¡±
¡°Umm. Ms. Ko Yoon-ah.¡±
Dowook asked with his gaze focused on Ko Yoon-ah¡¯s right arm.
¡°That pain. Instead of feeling like your muscles are tingling or stiff, does it feel like a needle is prickling from the inside?¡±
Ko Yoon-ah¡¯s gaze became a bit restless.
¡°That¡¯s right.¡±
¡°If I can give you a diagnosis other than Fibromyalgia, would you be ok with getting some tests done right now?¡±
¡°What do you suspect it is?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know what it is exactly but I think the problem is not in your arm but in your head.¡±
¡°My head?¡±
Ko Yoon-ah¡¯s gaze turned cold in an instant.
¡°The orthopedic surgeon also said that it was a head problem. My mind has always been clear, but suspecting it¡¯s a mental problem just because of the semifinals. It''s stress because it¡¯s not tennis elbow. I''d rather wait for my teacher than trust people who don''t even know what tennis is.¡±
It seemed like it wouldn¡¯t be easy to convince Ko Yoon-ah, who had been hurt by several doctors who asked her to trust them.
At that moment.
¡°Ok, let¡¯s start the practice games!¡±
At the shout from the court, Dowook felt his arms and feet react.
¡°Um¡ Ms. Ko Yoon-ah. Would you be able to trust in a doctor who knows a bit about tennis?¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to check. Please wait a minute.¡±
Dowook ran over to the court entrance.
If the cause of the pain was Ko Yoon-ah¡¯s sense, there was no way her symptoms were caused by Fibromyalgia. This meant that there was something wrong with her neural circuit somewhere.
If so, this was not something to ponder over.
Instead of tests that only confused her, it would be more urate for him to experience the error in her neural circuit for himself.
Ko Yoon-ah starred in bewilderment as Dowook talked to the coach inside the court.
Then he took off his doctor¡¯s gown and suit jacket, pulled up his sleeves so she could only send a questioning gaze his way.
¡°Ok. Listen carefully!¡±
The coach¡¯s voice rang throughout the court.
¡°That doctor said that if you win against him, he will pay for everyone¡¯s dinner! Samgyeopsal!¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Who should we send? Jung Chan? Eun Soo?¡±
A sudden bet.
A strong-looking college student stood on the other side of the.
Holding a racket in hand, Dowook bounced a ball on the courts and tossed it into the air.
His waist and arm were pulled back appropriately and his knees were bent securely.
Kko Yoon-ah let out a quiet exmation at the perfect pose that pulled all his energy into the serve.
The racket was pulled forward.
Tang!
Following a cheerful sound of the ball hitting the racket, the ball went over the in a straight line and hit within the inline. Until the ball hit the fence, the college student who was preparing to receive the serve could not respond at all.
¡°Wh-what was that?¡±
¡°Did you see the ball twist into a drive just now?¡±
A big serve that never appeared on an amateur stage.
Dowook spoke after swinging the racket and his arm a few times.
¡°This is 1:0, right?¡±
¡°Fi-fifteen love.¡±
The surprised coach btedly said 15-0 in ordance with tennis rules.
When Dowook bounced the ball again in preparation to serve, the college student on the other side swallowed his saliva. Seeing such a super serve in front of his eyes, he couldn¡¯t help but be nervous.
Tang!
A clean ace appeared once more.
¡°Set Love¡¡.¡±
The coach red at Dowook while yelling out the score with a nk look.
"You''re a semi-professional. Are you pretending you can''t y?"
"I''ve never said I can''t y.¡±
"Really. Jung Chan! If you can''t get a point, that¡¯s 10ps around the court!"
Tang!
The next serve fell neatly. With a score of 40-0, the college student showed a teary expression.
¡°Doctor, please put less strength into it. I¡¯m still the 1st in our club. Just one point.¡±
¡°This isn¡¯t something I can control.¡±
¡°Please¡¡.¡±
As if he was trying to win the game mercilessly, Dowook''s preparation for this serve was also neat and cautious.
Ko Yoon-ah couldn''t take her eyes off the line where Dowook''s racket was moving. The semifinals. The first serve she made after entering the tie break was just as confident.
As she recalled that day, which was bound to be disappointing.
Bounce bounce.
The ball flew up into the sky.
Dowook, who was about to hit the ball with the racket, suddenly lowered his arm with a groan.
"Oh! Doctor! You lost a point with that swing!"
He said this after Dowook raised his left hand toward his opponent.
"That came faster than I thought. Is it because it''s been a while since I moved? I lost."
The college student, who was pointing his finger at the swing, looked at Dowook with a bewildered expression.
"I give up."
Dowook walked toward the coach and gave him his phone number before walking out of the court.
Ko Yoon-ah''s eyes were on Dowook who was putting on his suit again.
¡°Tennis¡.¡±
¡°What do you think? I seem to know a bit right?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know.¡±
¡°It¡¯s alright. There¡¯s no need for that. If you apologize, there are many things that would sting my conscience. Anyway, I got my confirmation. Your symptoms. Once we¡¯re sure what it is, we can treat it.¡±
¡°Treatment?¡± Looking at the wide-eyed Ko Yoon-ah, Dowook continued his exnation.
"Neurosurgery is clear even to people who have no idea what the brain structure is like. Do you want to go now? I have surgery in the afternoon. The only other time I can do the checkup is after the Lunar New Year¡¯s.¡±
Ko Yoon-ah nodded without even realizing it at the gaze of a young doctor who seemed full of power and confidence.
"Then, let''s go. Oh, I searched it on my way here. I heard Ko Yoon-ah''s Australian Open performance was amazing. I should have cheered for you while watching the live broadcast. Congrattions on the semifinals."
Ko Yoon-ah had no choice but to stare at the back of Dowook, who started walking.
It was the first congrattions she¡¯d heard in Korea since most people were disappointed that she could not reach the finals.
"It should be better to take a shower here. You have clothes in that bag, right?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Dowook guided Ko Yoon-ah to the bathroom on the 5th floor and came out. It was difficult to go anywhere else so he sat on the bench in the hall and waited.
How much time had passed?
Nam Hana ran over from far away.
¡°Senior!¡±
¡°What¡¯s so urgent?¡±
¡°The reporters keeping to the office. By any chance, did you take over Ko Yoon-ah¡¯s case, senior?¡±
Click.
The door of the bathroom opened and Ko Yoon-ah walked out in her casual clothes. Nam Hana¡¯s jaw dropped as soon as she saw her. For Nam Hana, who was 158 centimeters tall, Ko Yoon-ah was also a giant.
She couldn''t help but admire Ko Yoon-ah''s beauty, who looked much younger than in the news.
¡®There¡¯s a reason the Inte blew up so much.¡¯
Dowook forcibly turned his junior''s head to the side and asked.
"What did the reporters say? Is there going to be a press conference?¡±
¡°There will be a press conference. That¡¯s¡¡.¡±
Nam Hana whispered to Dowook in a low voice.
¡°The fact that she was diagnosed with a mental disorder at the Melbourne hospital in Australia was also released.¡±
¡°Huh? Why is that a problem?¡±
¡°¡¡since that would end her career as an athlete.¡±
Ko Yoon-ah seemed to have overheard as she shook her head and replied instead.
"He rmended antidepressants and said it would help with the pain. So I refused. Taking drugs that affect your condition is a serious crime that can disqualify you for more than three years."
Serotonin nerves that affected stress response. Antidepressants were the drugs that regted it. Since fibromyalgia, which was difficult to treat, was the diagnosis, it was natural to rmend a medicine for depression.
However, Dowook didn''t know she would have to quit her career just for relieving the pain, nevermind treating it.
Only then did Dowook understand why Ko Yoon-ah had such a calm face.
"Hana, if reporters keep calling me, tell them you don''t know anything¡.¡±
-Ms. Ko Yoon-ah!
Before he could finish his sentence, he noticed that a reporter appeared near the elevator.
If he couldn¡¯t finish the diagnosis quickly, Dowook thought that things would get troublesome until the afternoon so he spoke quickly.
¡°Hana, take the others and turn the hall of the Neurology clinic into an area prohibited to civilians.¡±
¡°Yes, senior.¡±
¡°Ms. Ko Yoon-ah, please follow me.¡±
When Dowook began to move, Ko Yoon-ah hurriedly followed after him.
Chapter 96: Big Shot (3)
The automatic doors of the neuro clinic opened.
Dowook, who led the way, walked in and found outsiders who did not look like patients in the lounge and reflexively hid Ko Yoon-ah behind him.
"Wait. I think they''re reporters."
Dowook thought he had reacted quickly, but Ko Yoon-ah was seen by the reporters.
"Ko Yoon-ah!"
At one person''s cry, about 10 people approached the entrance at once. Surrounded by reporters, the experienced Dowook tried to escape from the siege.
"They''re my sponsors, doctor."
Then, Ko Yoon-ah''s voice stopped him.
To Ko Yoon-ah, who was bowing, the suit man who was at the forefront spoke first.
"I''m Shin Jung-chul, head of the market team at Juno Sports. I contacted you after reading the article, but you didn''t answer. Is it true that you were diagnosed with a mental illness that could end your career at Melbourne Hospital in Australia?"
"I''m not sure about the article, but I was diagnosed with stress-induced fibromyalgia in Melbourne."
"Really? You should have told me the truth before renewing the sponsorship contract. Thepany is going crazy right now. The special promotion n for the Lunar New Year was alsopletely stopped."
She bowed her head at Shin Jung-chul''smenting words, and there was a reprimand in the other¡¯s tone.
"Our WestFace can''t afford to sponsor unpopr sports. We signed the contract only due to Athlete Ko Yoon-ah, but what if you can''t y in the game?¡±
"The same goes for Nissan. Does it make sense for a tennis ballpany to be promoted by a non-tennis yer?¡±
Ko Yoon-ah¡¯s head bowed down more and more. Those who questioned the loss of image continued.
Dowook couldn''t speak hastily when he saw Ko Yoon-ah''s bag on her shoulder and the logo of the exercise jacket she was wearing was ¡®JUNO.¡¯
¡®I heard that sports also have quiteplicated hierarchies. To actually see it in person like this.¡¯
Ko Yoon-ah, who only apologized quietly, was obviously in a lower position.
"You''ll have to take responsibility for this. Although you made it to the semifinals of a major tournament, how long do you think the topic willst? A yer made it to the semifinals in the men''s singles in the past. Who remembers him now? Wake up and deal with it, Ko Yoon-ah. Luck doesn''tst long."
Ko Yoon-ah''s eyes quickly turned red at the harsh words thrown at her.
¡®Hmm¡¡.¡¯
Dowook had also read in a previous Olympic special article that if sponsorship was cut off for athletes ying unpopr sports, they would not be able to train properly or participate in games at will.
However, seeing them attack Ko Yoon-ah, who had looked at the tennis court so longingly and emitted an overwhelming special sense, Dowook couldn''t stay still.
¡°Everyone, please act like the adults you are.¡±
Everyone sent Dowook an annoyed nce..
The fact that she was 20 years old this year meant that she was the same age as the children from the bus ident who took their CSATsst year. This was not the treatment that a person who trained so hard that she had such a high-quality sense at the age of 20 should receive.
Dowook calmly spoke to them, who were more worried about their losses than in helping a young yer.
"Myeong Sae Hospital has not yet diagnosed Ko Yoon-ah with a mental stress disorder."
"The hospital that specializes in treating athletes has already confirmed and announced it, what gives you the right to overturn it?¡±
Dowook turned to look at the man who raised his voice right away.
"What do you do for a living?¡±
"I''m the head of Dongshin Distribution''s public rtions office."
"Oh, PR manager. I thought you were a prominent doctor because you were more certain about the illness than I was."
¡°What?¡±
"Ko Yoon-ah''s symptoms involve very rare neuralgia. It doesn''t fit with fibromyalgia. Whatever the Australian specialized hospital says, I strongly deny the diagnosis."
Ko Yoon-ah''s eyes slightly grew wide at Dowook¡¯s deration.
"If you don''t interfere with my examination, I''ll tell you the exact name of the disease in a few hours, so please wait until then before you get angry. I think you should prepare an apology. And this is an off-limits area except for patients and medical staff."
Pointing toward the exit, Dowook shouted.
¡°Dr. Nam! Lead these reporters outside! If they resist, call security!¡±
The head of Dongshin Distribution''s public rtions office looked at Dowook and walked out of the clinic. The rest of the sponsors followed suit.
Dowook talked to Ko Yoon-ah, who was crouched down.
¡°Are you alright?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±
"You¡¯re not sick because you want to be, so you don''t have to be sorry about that. One more thing as a doctor who knows tennis is I¡¯ve never met someone with as great of a se¡ umm, skill as Ko Yoon-ah.¡±
She didn¡¯t fully understand thisfort exactly, but the tears that formed around Ko Yoon-ah''s eyes disappeared as if she had found some stability.
Inside the clinic¡¯s diagnostic area.
¡°You mean she¡¯d already received a diagnosis of fibromyalgia?¡±
Dowook nodded at Professor Lee Won Seok''s question and detailed the pain he¡¯d experienced with Ko Yoon-ah''s sense.
Pain that poked the nerve line connecting the elbow, back, and cervical spine.
"¡¡ to the vertebrae. I think there¡¯s a problem, especially with the outer cortical spinal cord connected to the right arm fibrous nerve."
"That makes sense.¡±
Professor Lee nked out the chart space prepared for the fibromyalgia examination and wrote a new chart.
"We need to urgently specify the lesion area for a precise diagnosis.¡±
"Let''s also contact Melbourne Hospital to get Ko Yoon-ah''s examination chart. The time difference there¡¡.¡±
Ko Yoon-ah, who was staring nkly at Dowook exining her pain with more detail and professionalism than herself, came to her senses and replied in a hurry.
"It''s two hours faster than Korea."
"Really? There''s not much difference. Professor Lee. If the cause is specified, it will be possible to confirm by cross-verification of both data.¡±
Professor Lee, who was working on the examination schedule step by step ording to Dowook¡¯s words, spoke quietly.
"The more I see you at work, the more I''m surprised. How can such a detailed guess be made with just a questionnaire?"
After three months of recognizing and using other people¡¯s senses through his own nerve path, Dowook was able to precisely pinpoint the areas that hurt when ordinary people were only able to say that their arms or shoulders hurt.
Since this fact could not be revealed straight away, Dowook smiled lightly and said.
"Recently, there¡¯s been quite a bit of spinal nerve surgeries, so the thought urred to me.¡±
"That kind of coincidencees only when your skills are enough. If you were a neurologist, the clinic workload would be reduced by one-third. After your fellowship, think about getting a professor appointment here. I''ll give you a T.O."
"Jae-geol will get upset if he hears you say that."
"It''s the truth."
When Lee Won Seok, who seemed older and more knowledgeable, relied on a young doctor, Ko Yoon-ah''s gaze unconsciously stayed on Dowook. On the tennis court, the more she looked at him, the more reliable he seemed.
"Now get started. I''ll take care of the neurological examination. Please send a resident to help me."
"Will you?"
Dowook, who was consulting with Professor Lee, turned his head to Ko Yoon-ah. Suddenly, he looked at her in embarrassment.
"I have an operation at 1 o''clock, so I think I need to finish the examination in a hurry. Let''s go."
"What? Yes."
When they left Professor Lee''s office and went to the neurological examination room, Dowook¡¯s friend Son Jae-geol rushed over.
¡°Dowook.¡±
¡°Huh? Did the professor send you over?¡±
Son Jae-geol briefly greeted Ko Yoon-ah and asked quietly.
"There¡¯s a huge crowd of reporters outside. Is it because of this person?¡±
"Isn''t it obvious? You don''t even watch the news?"
"I barely have enough time to look at patient charts¡ Oh, I''m sorry, Ms. Ko Yoon-ah. I''m a fan."
Looking at his friend who seemed to have learned of Ko Yoon-ah¡¯s existence for the first time today like him, Dowook tested him.
"She lost in the 16th round by a very small margin.¡±
"I know."
"I never knew tennis was such a fun game.¡±
"Isn''t it a national sport?"
His friend who gave a mechanical answer with a tired face as if he hadn¡¯t left the hospital for 3 days. Dowook whispered in his ear with a tsk.
Surprised, Son Jae-geol opened his mouth.
"Let¡¯s go in, Ko Yoon-ah. Dr. Son is going toe in after reflecting on himself. Go and wake up. We have a difficult checkup ahead of us."
After 30 minutes.
Next to Ko Yoon-ah, who was lying on her stomach with nerve electrodes on her right arm and back, Dowook was looking at the examination with a serious expression.
"It''s not here either, Jae-geol. Please move one electrode to the thoracic spine. About five millimeters."
Ko Yoon-ah''s back muscles flinched when a new electrical stimulus was applied. Son Jae-geol, who attached the device, asked Dowook.
"Why do we have to do this manually?¡±
"We need to find where the nerve capiry group is fluctuating."
"I don''t know what you''re looking for when everything looks the same.¡±
"Please pay attention to whether the patient is in any difort. Number 5, thoracic spine."
"I''ve been doing this for 4 years. What you''re doing now is like looking for a needle in a haystack."
Normally, it would be but it was apletely different story for Dowook, who was aware of the exact path of movement of the needle.
The path through which his special sense activated was a bundle of 1 million nerve fibers called the spinal cord. Some were in charge of sensory information and some were in charge of exercise information.
The reason Ko Yoon-ah''s sense and pain were passed along was that there was a problem within this bundle of nerves.
For this reason, from Dowook¡¯s perspective, it was more like finding a rod in a haystack.
Dowook focused on the electrical signals.
After dozens of minutes, he found it.
¡°Huh?¡±
At Dowook¡¯s surprised exmation, Son Jae-geol turned to the monitor in surprise.
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°The abnormal activity. It was here.¡±
¡°Where, where?¡±
The waveform diagram was printed out and Dowook handed it to Son Jae-geol.
"This part. Report it to Professor Lee right away. Even the position of the electrode in detail.¡±
"Wow, damn. This small wavelength. Are you human? You sure you¡¯re not a robot?¡±
"Just hurry up and inform the professor."
A circle was drawn in the areas with slightly different amplitudes. Son Jae-geol ran out holding the waveform in his hand.
Dowook approached Ko Yoon-ah.
"I found the area that caused the pain. Now we only need to identify the incidence factors through neural MRI and biopsy."
The electrode was removed and Dowook pointed out where it was to the curious patient.
"If spinal cord damage is the cause, a blocked nerve should be considered. Depending on the situation, you will need about two months of rehabilitation. If the cause is a virus or bacterial spondylitis it can be treated with extensive antibiotics. You have to wait and see the progress for a year on a three-month basis to determineplete recovery."
Dowook added to Ko Yoon-ah, who sat down.
"None of these will affect Ko Yoon-ah''s awesome serve."
"Oh¡"
As soon as Ko Yoon-ah removed the electrode attached to her arm, both hands wrapped around Dowook back tightly.
¡°Thank you, doctor.¡±
¡°It was nothing.¡±
At the same time, Ko Yoon-ah''s sense rushed in, so Dowook quickly patted her back and stepped away.
The sense had to be scattered immediately. It was hard to control his desire to run out and exercise right away. He¡¯d only put in four serves earlier, but his arm and waist muscles were still stiff.
Her body had a different muscle density than the general public. Since she trained so much, she must have gained such an outstanding sense even at the age of 20.
"I think my role ends here."
Dowook, who checked the time, took Ko Yoon-ah''s jacket from where it was hanging at the entrance and held it out.
"From now on, please follow Professor Lee Won Seok''s instructions. I''ll be back in three hours after the surgery. Let''s talk to the sponsors with the results then.¡±
Ko Yoon-ah nodded with a brighter face.
She was much bigger and stronger than the students from the academy bus, but with such an expression, she looked like the 20-year-old she was, so Dowook couldn¡¯t help but smile.
Chapter 97: Big Shot (4)
The first surgery in the afternoon was a stent angiosty, a rtively simple operation that needed to be done while the holiday schedule of the other neurosurgery professors was being adjusted.
While the guiding catheter was being pushed into the patient¡¯s blood vessel, Choi Hoo asked Dowook.
¡°Have you decided on where to go for your fellowship training?¡±
¡°No, not yet.¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to Rochester this Lunar New Year¡¯s. If you haven¡¯t decided yet, why don¡¯t you go there? I can put in a request with the person in charge over there.¡±
Dowook, who¡¯d been preparing to inte the balloon once it was positioned in the blood vessel, turned to look at Choi Hoo at the unexpected suggestion.
Because he was properly able to show his skills to the professors from famous hospitals during Tom Brand¡¯s case, he could choose any one of those hospitals to go to. Since he didn¡¯t have a lot of information about the unfamiliar ce called Rochester University, he couldn¡¯t help but ask.
¡°If I go there, can I learn something that can help me perform surgery even with a short visit?¡±
Choi Hoo nodded as he pushed the stent into the blocked blood vessel.
¡°The Rochester University of Medicine has a department that makes the world¡¯s best medical models. Talented surgeons from all around the world gather to help produce such models. They also provide free models to the participants.¡±
¡°So the reason you¡¯re going to the US this Lunar New Year¡¯s is¡¡.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right. I received news that they will be creating a new model.¡±
All kinds of models that filled Choi Hoo¡¯s office. This was how he was able to get such expensive models without any support from the hospital.
But something else gained Dowook¡¯s interest.
The talented surgeons from all over the world gathered there.
The possibility that he could feel the senses of surgeons from hospitals all around the world in just a month. During a free training period at that.
¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±
¡°Ok. You¡¯ll probably be able to take part the next time they create a new model.¡±
After the surgery, whichsted about two and a half hours, Dowook walked out and was surprised to see Son Jae-geol waiting outside the entrance of the rosette.
¡°What are you doing here?¡±
¡°Park Dowook. What did you say that¡¡.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°A press conference is being held in the auditorium. It was called by one of Ko Yoon-ah¡¯s sponsors due to her health problems. They¡¯re creating a fuss and asking for the hospital toe out and give a statement.¡±
¡°How did the tests go? What did Prof. Lee say was the cause?¡±
Son Jae-geol replied with a sigh.
¡°We¡¯re waiting for the results of the spinal cord puncture, but they said it looks like acute transverse myelitis. I sent the diagnosis to the Australian hospital, and they said it isn¡¯t possible. They¡¯re saying that they¡¯re right. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re just covering up their mistake but things are getting crazy.¡±
¡°What about Ko Yoon-ah?¡±
¡°In the clinic¡¯s waiting area with her father. Her coach and mentor are dealing with the reporters.¡±
¡°Ok.¡±
Dowook answered cidly. Son Jae-geol asked worriedly.
¡°What are you nning?¡±
¡°What n? We have to diagnose the disease urately first. I¡¯ve experienced something like this a few times and the one who wins is the person who has the most urate evidence.¡±
¡°Huh? What did you experience?¡±
¡°Things happened. I¡¯m going to the clinic first, so ask theb to hurry with the spinal puncture analysis.¡±
-What do you think about the allegation that Ko Yoon-ah deliberately hid her illness and took the entrance exam to Korea National Sport University?
Prof. Moon Hyung Taek, who¡¯d been sitting in front and answering the reporters¡¯ questions, shook his head and replied.
¡°She is a tennis prodigy who had received a confirmation for admission several years ago. Since she achieved first ce in the Korean rankings three years ago, she has not dropped. What reason does she have to cheat?¡±
-Is it true that she ignored the diagnosis of Melbourne Hospital and tried to create a fake diagnosis at Myeong Sae Hospital?
-There are rumors among the sponsors that Ko Yoon-ah ignored the content of the contracts to keep her sponsorship. Please say something about this.
Prof. Moon frowned at the series of provocative questions that came flying.
Outside the auditorium, News Seoul reporter Yoon Jin-hyo shook his head while watching the scene inside.
There could only be one reason why some reporters were asking such aggressive questions. The influence of the sponsors, especially Juno Sports, which was arge clothingpany.
When the news of the diagnosis from the Australian hospital made headlines, thepany tried to break the contract without losing money.
Normally, he would have sided with Juno Sports and joined those asking aggressive questions, but he didn¡¯t do so after checking the name of the doctor.
Park Dowook.
If he used normal logic and joined in when this doctor was involved, he would only get hurt in the process.
During the academy bus incident, and the LTmunications underground fire. How many times did he suffer with the dean of Hansung Hospital, who he wasn¡¯t in contact with anymore?
¡°What are you doing out here?¡±
The marketing manager of Juno Sports approached Yoon Jin-hyo, who was leaning on a wall outside the auditorium. The marketing manager nced at the name tag hanging from his neck and continued with a crooked smile.
¡°You¡¯re from News Seoul. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve received instructions. Are you trying to get money without doing anything? We at Juno Sports can¡¯t ept that.¡±
¡°I¡¯m waiting.¡±
¡°Waiting for what?¡±
¡°The one who will bring a twist to this catharsismunication. Articles about him are really good at gaining view counts.¡±
Yoon Jin-hyo pointed to the podium with a sly smile when the marketing manager looked at him in bewilderment.
¡°He¡¯s here.¡±
Park Dowook appeared on the podium.
Dowook could gauge how interested the public was in this case when he saw nearly 200 reporters in the auditorium.
The auditorium which quieted down for a moment when he came up on the podium was soon filled with noise once more.
-About the alleged cheating in the university entrance exam¡!
-The reason for hiding her illness¡!
-The reason for tricking sponsors and making a profit¡!
Perhaps because he had experienced being questioned by several people at once numerous times, but the provocative words were very clear to Dowook.
Dowook turned and spoke quietly to Prof. Moon and Ko Yoon-ah¡¯s coach who both looked flustered.
¡°I will be answering all questions from here on.¡±
Pulling the mic closer, Dowook first introduced himself.
¡°I am the neurosurgeon who helped in Athlete Ko Yoon-ah¡¯s diagnosis.¡±
-Where is Ko Yoon-ah?
¡°She had a spinal puncture done so she must be in a rxed state.¡±
Seeing a reporter raise his hand the moment he finished talking, Dowook waved his hand asking him to wait and continued.
¡°As far as I know, everyone here is wondering about the difference in the diagnosis given by Melbourne Hospital and Myeong Sae Hospital. I will take care of this part first before I answer any questions.¡±
Dowook sent a signal to Son Jae-geol who stood below the podium.
The projector screen behind the podium turned on and two video call screens appeared.
Turning on theptop on the table in the auditorium, Dowook appeared on through the camera. The other screens connected and three people appeared.
¡°This is the Melbourne Hospital¡¯s Sport Medical Team. They are Rehabilitation, Neurology and Orthopedic doctors. Hello, doctors.¡±
At Dowook¡¯s greeting, a slightly dyed response came from the people on the screen.
All the reporters had a bewildered expression on their faces. They didn¡¯t think that those who had a different opinion would be summoned like this.
¡°We have to speak in English so is there anyone here who needs a trantor?¡±
A few hands went up in the air.
¡°There¡¯s quite a few. Ok. It would take some time to do this on the spot so¡¡±
¡°I¡¯ll trante.¡±
Prof. Moon who was beside him turned on his mic. After nodding in thanks, Dowook turned to the Melbourne Hospital doctors.
¡ºI am Dr. Park Dowook. I believe everyone has checked the referral we at Myeong Sae Hospital has sent over. Do you still believe that Athlete Ko Yoon-ah has stress-induced fibromyalgia?¡»
At the question, the middle-aged doctor in the middle answered.
¡ºI¡¯m Keryl Logan, a Neurologist. Myeong Sae Hospital¡¯s diagnosis of acute transverse myelitis is ridiculously absurd. We can only say that the patient¡¯s symptoms were forced to match a rare case.¡»
A reasonable objection since the diagnosis was made using his special sense from the start. However, there was no reason to force his process of diagnosis to match the logic of normal doctors.
Toy the groundwork for this debate, Dowook looked through the spinal cord tests on the public medical site with cases from all over the world and found unexpected facts on the Melbourne Hospital server which he¡¯d gone into for information exchange.
¡ºIf Ko Yoon-ah is not the only example, will you admit it?¡»
Dowook typed something in hisptop and brought up the rted charts.
¡ºAthlete Ron Sagan. Athlete Anna Schmiedlov¨¢. I believe both these athletes also suffer from the same illness.¡»
¡ºWhat do you mean? Aren¡¯t they all patients who received treatment from our hospital? They didn¡¯t even receive the same diagnosis at Athlete Ko Yoona-ah.¡»
¡ºThat¡¯s correct. The illnesses are different. Athlete Ron Sagan had fever and dermatitis. Athlete Anna Schmiedlov¨¢ was sore throat and arthritis.¡»
¡ºAre you joking right now?¡»
¡ºUh, there are 200 reporters in front of me so it would be terrible if I¡¯m ying a joke.¡»
Lifting theptop slightly, he turned it around to show the situation inside the auditorium, surprising the doctors on the screen.
¡ºBoth Ron and Anna participated in the Australian Open and visited Melbourne Hospital during the same period as Ko Yoon-ah. In addition, the symptoms were alleviated by a wide range ofmon antibiotics. Ko Yoon-ah didn¡¯t get a prescription of antibiotics because she was misdiagnosed with fibromyalgia.¡»
¡ºIf you keep talking nonsense, we¡¯ll pretend this coboration didn¡¯t happen.¡»
¡ºI¡¯m not so sure about that. If I were you, I would immediately contact these athletes and apologize. Otherwise, they might sue Melbourne Hospital.¡»
¡ºWhat¡¡.¡»
¡ºHave you heard of Lyme Disease? Ko Yoon-ah¡¯s case of acute transverse myelitis was caused by the Borrelia bacteria from deer mites. We¡¯ve already confirmed it through tests.¡»
Once these words were interpreted and the Melbourne doctors hesitated, there was amotion among the reporters..
¡ºThe three I¡¯ve mentioned did not show normal signs of the disease because as athletes, they are healthier than most, so the disease reacted differently. ording to Ko Yoon-ah¡¯s father, all the participants who participated in rounds 32 and up stayed in the same hotel. Please check the quarantine status of this hotel. There may be additional patients.¡»
The faces of the three doctors on the screen turned dark in an instant.
¡ºSuch tricky symptoms are bound to be difficult to diagnose. Each person and illness have a different symptom. Melbourne Hospital didn¡¯t seem to wish to listen to Myeong Sae Hospital when we are just trying to correct errors that have urred. I¡¯ll ask you onest time. Do you still think that Ko Yoon-ah has stress-induced fibromyalgia?¡»
¡ºW-we will check one more time and call you.¡»
¡ºWhat more do you want to check? It¡¯s not an infection but caused by stress. This diagnosis? Dr. Logan, is that truly the case?¡»
The three doctors urgently talked to each other as they looked at the test results provided by Myeong Sae Hospital. Dr. Logan spoke as their representative.
¡ºWe apologize.¡»
Doctors who had their heads bowed.
¡ºI don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything more that we need to talk about. By the way, you don¡¯t have to contact Mr. Sagan and Ms. Schmiedlov¨¢. Our international medical department sent the diagnosis to the Tennis Association and they replied by saying that they would like to get re-examined at our hospital.¡»
¡ºWhat? Dr. Park! Isn¡¯t that too much¡¡.¡»
¡ºHave a nice day.¡»
Click.
Hanging up the call, Dowook turned to the reporters in the auditorium.
¡°Now. Questions?¡±
None of the reporters were able to raise their hands so the auditorium fell into silence.
That night.
Marketing Manager Shin Jung Cheol checked the flower basket he was holding one more time and stood in the hall of the VIP ward.
While waiting for his visiting request to be confirmed by those inside, he checked the news on his phone.
¡¾Melbourne Hospital Acknowledges Diagnostic Errors About Ko Yoon-ah. Raises a White g To Myeong Sae Hospital¡¿
¡¾Australian Open Requires Special Quarantine from all Sponsored Hotels. Serard Hotel, where all athletes stayed at, scolded by the Australian Media!¡¿
¡¾The World Tennis Association Posts an Apology to Ko Yoon-ah and Other Victims ¡¿
¡¾Australian Open Women¡¯s Singles Winner Vinesa Murgu. ¡°The one who pushed me the most was Ko Yoon-ah.¡± Looking forward to once again facing the Korean Queen of Tennis in the French Open in June¡¿
While reading the articles, the door of Room 2001 opened and an unknown man in histe-30s walked out.
¡°A visiting request? Who are you?¡±
¡°I¡¯m Shin Jung-cheol from Juno Sports. I wanted to visit Ko Yoon-ah. She didn¡¯t answer any of my calls so I came to visit.¡±
¡°Oh my, it seems you didn¡¯t receive the news.¡±
¡°What news?¡±
The man let out a small sigh.
¡°Ko Yoon-ah will be managed by our ¡®Starpiece¡¯ from now on. All of her existing sponsorship contracts are being sorted out so expect ourwyers to contact you soon.¡±
Handing a business card to Shin Jung-cheol, the man added.
¡°Oh, and Ms. Ko asked that all visitors from her sponsors be rejected.¡±
The man turned around and disappeared down the hall.
Looking at the words ¡®Director Gong Do Yoon¡¯ written on the business card, Shin Jung-cheol had a nk look on his face.
Starpiece was a famousbel that was under KG Entertainment. Yoon Yi Seol, Park Jong Ho, Oh Sora and even Han Jung-woo, a legend in the entertainment industry, belonged to the agency. This meant that such argepany acknowledged Ko Yoon-ah¡¯s star quality.
Walking out with the flower basket in his hand, Shin Jung-cheol¡¯s legs almost gave out.
Standing in front of the elevator with a stiff face, Shin Jung-cheol met the representatives from other sponsors with fruit baskets and bouquets in their hands.
¡°Huh? What are you doing here, Manager Shin?¡±
What else? He was regretting the fact that he didn¡¯t realize a star before he let the opportunity slip from his hands.
Without a word, Shin Jung-cheol patted the Dongshin Distributor¡¯s public rtions manager on the shoulder and got on the elevator.
ck.
The flower basket in his hand fell to the floor.
Dowook stood up after confirming that Ko Yoon-ah was slightly feverish after the prescribed antibiotic treatment. Seeing how worried Ko Yoon-ah¡¯s father, Ko Seok-ho, looked, Dowook spoke to him in a calm tone.
¡°A normal immune response is taking ce. The bacteria that caused her illness will be killed, so let¡¯s wait a few days and check again.¡±
¡°Thank you, doctor.¡±
Ko Yoon-ah, who¡¯d had her eyes closed, opened her eyes and looked at Dowook, who was about to leave the room.
¡°Doctor.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°By any chance¡.¡±
Ko Yoon-ah¡¯s teary eyes looked at Dowook then at Prof. Moon, her coach and her father, who were sitting around a table in the room.
¡°¡¡It¡¯s nothing. Thank you.¡±
¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±
Ko Yoon-ah¡¯s gaze did not stray from Dowook who left the room with a smile.
A man talking on the phone rushed to Dowook as he came out of the room.
¡°Dr. Park Dowook.¡±
Gong Do Yoon. He¡¯d heard a while ago that he was a director sent by KG Entertainment.
¡°Ms. Lim would like to talk to you for a moment.¡±
¡°Right now?¡±
Dowook took the phone and put it to his ear.
-I don¡¯t know how to thank you. I had been wondering how I could get in contact with Athlete Ko Yoon-ah and you just introduced us.
¡°Prof. Moon said that it would help athletes if they received professional management. So I thought it would be worth it to ask you at the very least.¡±
-Since you gave me an unexpected gift, I figured, I will also give you a gift. So I dyed my return to Korea by a day.
¡°What¡¡±
-It means that tomorrow, our Semdeok will be all by herself. If you have time, you can make use of So Yool for a whole day. I¡¯ll turn the other way whatever you do.
Words that could make anyone misunderstand. Dowook quickly replied with a blush.
¡°I will decide after I hear her opinion on the matter.¡±
-Oh my. What is this honest reply?
¡°If there¡¯s nothing else¡¡±
Returning the phone to Kong DoYoon, Dowook disappeared down the hall.
¡ª¨C
sync : A tennis goddess¡¯s muscle movement.
action : The world¡¯s best serve posture will be possible.
Chapter 98: Proving the process with results(1)
¡¶Reference for the Press Release by the Ministry of Health and Welfare¡·
¡õ Ministers from all over the world gather to discuss achieving universal health care!
¡õ Minister of Health and Welfare Kim Jin-hoo announced that he will attend the G20 joint meeting to be held in Shanghai, China on February 15th.
*With theunch of the G20 Summit to ovee the global financial crisis in 2008 and the growing importance of the health agenda, China, the chairman country, will form thergest joint meeting for cooperation between health and financial authorities this year.
¡õ The meeting will actively discuss ways to ovee the problem of resistance to antibiotics and the new Agenda in the global disease sector covered at the WHO General Assembly.
(Omitted)
¡ùThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is considering adding professional medical attendants to the delegation''s members due to concerns over Minister Kim Jin-hoo''s chronic disease.
In addition to one from internal medicine, one from Neurosurgery¡¡.
* * *
First day of the Lunar New Year¡¯s.
Dowook woke up after a night of deep sleep and looked at the clock. It was still 7 AM. He¡¯d only slept one hour more than usual. He thought that habits really were scary, then he turned around and fell asleep again.
¡°Uugghh~¡±
Feeling like he¡¯d slept enough, he stretched and opened his eyes to look at the time.
7:30 AM.
¡°Damn.¡±
People who usually had vacations were the only ones who knew how to enjoy it..
He was supposed to meet Lim So Yool around lunch so there was still plenty of time.
When he opened the door and came out, the sharehouse looked empty. Either they were at the hospital working or had gone home for the holidays. So no one else was off-duty in the house where 10 doctors lived.
¡®Is Chang Soo still on duty?¡¯
He banged on the door next to his but there was no reaction.
Dowook went down to the kitchen on the first floor, poured some cereal into a bowl and sat at the table. He poured some milk into his bowl and looked through his phone while scooping some cereal into his mouth.
He saw a new text.
[Son. This father of yours isn¡¯t feeling quite good this morning. Since you have three days of break, shouldn¡¯t you be the one toe home?]
It was a message from his father, Park Mu Jin. Dowook typed a reply with one hand.
[I have too many ICU patients so I can¡¯t leave Seoul. Once youe, I¡¯ll give you an allowance that¡¯s ?200,000 more than what I gave during Chuseok without letting Mom know.]
As he took one more scoop of cereal, a reply arrived right away.
[Thanks!! See you tomorrow. Love you!]
Financial therapyplete.
As he scooped out a third spoon of cereal, his phone suddenly rang. It was Seong Chang Soo who was on duty at the emergency center for two days in a row, now in preparation for a holiday.
¡°Yeah, why?¡±
-It was too much of a hellst night. People should really stop dragging their healthy parents to the hospital to show their filial piety during the holidays.
¡°If you¡¯re just going toin, I¡¯m hanging up.¡±
-Let¡¯s have breakfast together before I go down to Gwangju. A hot bowl of gukbap. [T/N: gukbap is bone soup with rice usually with different toppings like meat.]
Dowook turned to the cereal he was eating habitually and ced down his spoon.
¡°You pay.¡±
-Who are you trying to fleece? I paid a lot to get rid of my debts for the new year.
¡°Did you? When are you getting off?¡±
-There¡¯s a lot of patients so it will probably take one more hour.
¡°Let¡¯s meet at the entrance then.¡±
Dowook stood up right away. It was too wasteful to do the same things as usual when it was a holiday. He should at least do things like this.
Changing into casual clothes and putting on a jacket, Dowook went out of the house. He looked at the empty roads and took out his phone on a sudden thought.
The statistics Lim So Yool sentst night.
[Passion: 13.2%]
[Romance: 9.4%]
[Spontaneity: 7.5%]
¡
She said she wanted to try one of the dating types chosen by a sample group of 1,004 lovers surveyed by a magazine.
For her, who only knew the literal meaning of the words but was insensitive to how they actually made her feel, perhaps this was a way of creating a new form.
Dowook had expected that things would be unpredictable so while he looked forward to it, he was also worried. Because the answer at the end of this calction was not necessarily one that ended in a permanent form.
He decided to just treat everything with his honest feelings so he looked through the keywords with a calm mind.
¡®A passionate date, huh? This would be hard for me too. I¡¯ve never done it before. Romantic, spontaneous, fresh, dedicated, silly? What kind of date is silly?¡¯
Dowook stood at the crossing and paused when he saw a person running swiftly on the opposite side of the road.
A white scarf and an expensive-looking coat. It was a very familiar back.
¡®Director Lim?¡¯
When he turned to look again, he noticed that it was really Lim So Yool. She was running quickly as if something was chasing after her.
When she had gone quite far from the hospital, two men in suits were seen chasing after her with their eyes fixed in the direction Lim So Yool had disappeared into.
¡°Huh?¡±
It looked like she was being chased. As soon as the lights changed, Dowook ran after them.
¡°Haa. Haa.¡±
Lim So Yool panted heavily as she leaned against a wall in an alley. She peeked out to the main road to see if anyone was following and hid once more.
She didn¡¯t think that woman woulde looking for her at the hospital.
She didn¡¯t have time to respond since she deliberately gave Secretary Ok a day off since she was going on a date with Dowook. She had no choice but to run out.
Since that woman was always busy, as long as she could remain hidden for an hour, she would leave, but Lim So Yool didn¡¯t let her guard down as she took out her phone.
She was going to contact her sister but her phone rang first. Seeing that the caller was Park Dowook, Lim So Yool answered with a surprised expression.
¡°Dr. Park?¡±
-I just saw you at the pedestrianne a moment ago. Where are you going? You run faster than I thought you would. I can¡¯t see you anywhere.
With wide eyes, Lim So Yool asked in a soft voice.
¡°You saw me?¡±
-The two men who seem to be looking for you are also near me. Are they people you shouldn¡¯t be meeting by any chance?
¡°They¡¯re that woman¡¯s personal secretaries.¡±
She didn¡¯t tell Dowook who that woman was, but she¡¯d once revealed that she hated her very much. That was probably why she heard him say.
-The alleys around the hospital are moreplicated than it seems since this is a pretty old neighborhood. If you see a big Inte cafe nearby, there¡¯s aundromat close to it. The alley right next to it is one that even people who live here don¡¯t know very well¡
Dowook gave her directions and informed her where they could meet up. Lim So Yool listened carefully as she walked.
A momentter.
Lim So Yool stood in front of a closed supermarket and smiled brightly when she saw Dowooke up from the other side of the road. Dowook ran over while breathing heavily as he said with a happy expression.
¡°I made sure the two men were headed the opposite direction beforeing here.
¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°You managed to escape pretty well even without me though.¡±
Looking at Dowook with a bright expression, Lim So Yool suddenly looked sad.
¡°I¡¯m sorry it started like this.¡±
¡°Start what?¡±
¡°Our first date.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
Dowook recalled one of the several keywords from a while ago.
¡°From the list yesterday, I thought that looked interesting.¡±
¡°Which one?¡±
¡°Silly. Right now we both seem that way, don¡¯t we?¡±
It was chosen by a mere 2.7% but he thought it would be nice on a day like this for some reason.
¡°Shall we go somewhere else? We have to go up this hill if we want to go to the downtown area.¡±
Dowook, who led the way, spoke in a light tone as he looked at Lim So Yool¡¯s appearance.
¡°You were still able to wear appropriate clothes. If I knew we¡¯d meet this early, I would have dressed up.¡±
¡°You said this coat looked good on me so I tried it on.¡±
Her usual unpretentious words sounded different now that they had agreed to date.
Dowook quietly walked beside her wondering whether she knew how flustered her words sometimes made him and also whether that was her real intention.
¡°You look very beautiful. Like that time.¡±
Lim So Yool smiled beautifully and looked at Dowook¡¯s arm. Then, she wrapped her arms around it.
Surprised by the sudden warmth around his arm, Dowook looked at Lim So Yool. Looking up at him from a very close distance, she said.
¡°The magazine said that doing this would make you feel good..¡±
¡°So what do you think?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure. If I feel good because of this or because I like you.¡±
A sweet scent floated up from her. It seemed like she drank that tea when she woke up.
Once again, her words made his heart beat faster. Dowook had trouble meeting her frank gaze. How was she so good at making his heart skip a beat?
Maybe the one who was new to dating was him and not her.
A path, they walked in whatever direction they felt like going.
Dowook looked at Lim So Yool with serious eyes and asked something that he intentionally tried to not ask about before.
¡°About that woman the director doesn¡¯t like.¡±
He felt a tremor from her hand which was wrapped around his left arm.
¡°Is she someone who will continue to make things difficult for the director?¡±
¡°As long as I¡¯m in Korea, probably.¡±
Seeing as how Lim So Yool always drew a sharp line in her interactions with other hospital personnel, there was arge possibility that it was a very close acquaintance. For example, her mother.
There was no wound deeper than one created by the family.
Dowook didn¡¯t ask any more and said.
¡°Just in case, I¡¯ll tell you some good ces to hide in the hospital. There are a few ces I hid in when I was an intern.¡±
¡°That ce is nice, and just staying beside the doctor like this is also nice.¡±
Dowook asked her as his heart skipped a beat.
¡°Is this really the first time you are dating?¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±
Myeong Sae Hospital¡¯s parking lot.
Sitting in a luxurious sedan, a woman wearing sunsses lowered the document she was reading and put it to the side when her phone rang.
¡°Yes, Secretary Woo.¡±
-We did find your daughter but she is in a cafe with a man.
¡°A man?¡±
Ring.
A photo taken from afar. It was a bit blurry since it was taken with a phone but one could tell that the two in the photo were having a fun conversation.
Because it was an unexpected expression from Lim So Yool, who always put up a wall against others, she zoomed in on the man¡¯s face. It was hard to check for sure with the photo.
-What should we do? Should I ry the director general¡¯s wish to meet?
¡°No. I have to go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs soon. Let¡¯s end things here today.¡±
-Understood. We¡¯ll withdraw now.
A nametag with ¡®Seo Jung-Hee, Director of the Asia-Pacific Bureau of Foreign Affairs¡¯ inscribed on it was hanging from her neck.
¡°Mr. Yoon, start the car.¡±
At hermand, the driver started the car.
After thinking for a moment, Seo Jung-Hee picked up her phone and called her eldest daughter. After a moment, it connected with an overseaswork.
Click.
-Huh? A greeting in the New Year¡¯s? This doesn¡¯t seem like something you would do, Mom.
¡°I came to see So Yool.¡±
On the other end of the phone, Lim So-Hee remained silent.
¡°Are you still in America?¡±
-I told you to stop bothering her.
¡°I just came to see her face for a moment.¡±
-You know she would run the moment she sees you, Mom.
¡°She already ran.¡±
-It¡¯s not like you¡¯d suddenly want to act like a parent. If you¡¯re trying to make use of So Yool¡¯s abilities, the chairman of ZQ won¡¯t remain still.
A dry emotionless smile appeared under the sunsses.
¡°I need her expertise in other areas, not in thepany. Something very much a matter of public interest. Would you ask her for meter?¡±
-No. It¡¯s not like she listens to me.
¡°Then, does she listen to that guy she¡¯s with?¡±
She asked in curiosity and a reaction came right away.
-When did you go over there? Please leave So Yool alone. You¡¯re the one who threw her away back then.
¡°People will misunderstand if they hear you say that.¡±
-I¡¯m hanging up. I¡¯m at the airport.
¡°Just tell me one thing. That guy, what does he do for a living?¡±
-You couldn¡¯t afford to point a finger at an underling to find out?
¡°Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s parental interest.¡±
She thought her daughter would simply hang up when she heard a sigh but a reply came from the other end.
-Dr. Park Dowook from Myeong Sae Hospital. He¡¯s quite famous so you probably don¡¯t need to investigate. It would probably not be easy to touch him from your position. He¡¯s someone Semdeok fell for after all. Happy New Year and don¡¯t contact me about So Yool again.
Click.
Putting the phone down, Seo Jung Hee tilted her head.
Park Dowook.
About to search the name on the Inte while wondering where she¡¯d heard his name, her gaze fell on the documents she¡¯d put aside a moment ago.
¡°Oh.¡±
Grabbing the documents and turning a few pages, she realized that her guess was correct.
[Minister Kim Jin-hoo¡¯s personal doctor rmendation list]
Documents rted to the G20 event from the department in charge of the diplomatic mission.
Park Dowook was someone who received a very high score in Neurosurgery among the rmended doctors.
He was removed from the list since the officials thought that the hospital was trying to help him gain some fame since he was so young.
But Lim So-Hee gave a very different analysis.
Her daughter¡¯s perspective on people enabled her to create an excellent entertainmentpany that was the biggest in Asia.
Seo Jung-Hee picked up her phone and called the diplomatic mission officer and said.
¡°Officer, it¡¯s me, Director Seo. about Minister Kim Jin-hoo¡¯s doctor. Please include one of the doctors that was removed from the list. I think it was a mistake. Yes. The doctor¡¯s name is¡¡±
* * *
The morning he returned to work after a long holiday.
Maybe because spring was almost here but it felt a lot warmer when Dowook entered the hospital.
The three days of rest truly went by in an instant.
A date with Lim So Yool wherein they didn¡¯t do much yet time flew by. The next day, he visited the city with his parents who came to Seoul after a long time. On thest day, his rtives who lived in Seoul and Incheon came to the sharehouse to see his parents so he¡¯d had to run errands for them as they drank all night.
¡®It seems like I¡¯m more tired than rxed.¡¯
As usual, he got off the elevator and stood in the hall of the fifth floor. Then, he saw Chief Ha Sang Joong whose eyes lit up when he saw Dowook.
Ha Sang Joong pointed at Dowook, who instinctively paused and took a step back.
¡°Park Dowook!¡±
Chapter 99: Proving the process with results (2)
A/N: Final chaps donated this week. I mentioned at the beginning of the week but I won''t do donations any more and will reduce the number of chaps to one a week. While I am sorry for reducing it so much, I felt I wouldn''t be able to continue tranting this novel otherwise.
Judging by the volume of the shout, a very important and urgent problem had urred.
Dowook quickly tried to think about what it could be.
Ko Yoon-ah¡¯s case was solved without a problem before the Lunar New Year. He was also done fighting with the internal medicine doctors and they were performing outpatient treatments well.
Maybe it was because he¡¯d insisted on going for training at a famous ce but suddenly changed his mind.
¡®That¡¯s not it. I haven¡¯t even mentioned it yet.¡¯
Dowook greeted Ha Sang Joong half worriedly.
¡°How was your holiday, sir?¡±
¡°How could I! My back¡¯s about to break from all the New Year¡¯s money I had to give out to all my nephews!¡±
¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re so upset. Then let¡¯s do our best today. Happy New Year, chief.¡±
Ha Sang Joong shouted at Dowook as he was about to enter the office.
¡°Where are you escaping to! I can¡¯t rest at ease for a single day because of you! What happened?¡±
Ha Sang Joong pushed a file in front of Dowook. Looking at the color of the file, it was an important one sent by the Director General.
Dowook quickly went through the documents and read a portion out loud just in case he had misunderstood something.
¡°Uh, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Request for cooperation with professional medical personnel.
- Hoping for the continuous development of Myeong Sae Hospital.
- Our department intends to draft Park Dowook, a neurosurgeon from your hospital, as an attending physician for Minister Kim Jin-hoo¡¯s overseas appointment¡¡±
Dowook looked up as he was reading.
¡°What¡¯s this?¡±
¡°It¡¯s asking for you so why are you asking me?¡±
This was an official letter of cooperation asking him to be the minister¡¯s doctor during the G20 meeting in Shanghai next weekend and was stamped by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He understood why Chief Ha was so excited this morning.
¡°It¡¯s for three days and 2 nights. I can¡¯t take that much time out of my schedule. I¡¯ll send a reply rejecting¡¡.¡±
¡°What! This kid is saying crazy things again. What do you think would happen if you rejected a request to be appointed as the Minister of Health and Welfare¡¯s doctor? Do you want the whole hospital to die with you?¡±
¡°That¡¯s true.¡±
Behind the official letter, information rted to Minister Kim Jin-hoo¡¯s neurological illness was attached.
Ha Sang Joong sighed and ced his hand on Dowook¡¯s shoulder.
¡°There¡¯s no other way. I¡¯ll stand in for you next week so be sure to read up and prepare well for the trip. Don¡¯t cause any trouble when you get there.¡±
¡°There haven''t been any recent seizures. I¡¯m going just in case. What could happen?¡±
Ha Sang Joong became serious at Dowook¡¯s careless attitude.
¡°Do you know how rare a chance to participate in a mission like this is to a medical professional? It¡¯s at the same level as going overseas to be a visiting professor for 3-4 years. Pull yourself together and do it. Got it?¡±
¡°Yep.¡±
Dowook fixed his posture and nodded. Then, he slowly added.
¡°No matter how close Shanghai is, it¡¯s still a trip abroad. If you could also stand in for me in the surgery the day before so I could pack¡¡±
¡°This bastard!¡±
A weekter.
Dowook came out with his luggage and paused when he saw a ck sedan waiting in front of the sharehouse. It was not a vehiclemonly seen in a small alley in Sinchon.
Sure enough, the driver wearing a suit came out and asked Dowook.
¡°Are you Dr. Park Dowook?¡±
¡°Huh? Yes.¡±
¡°We will take you to the airport.¡±
Dowook was bewildered by the man¡¯s behavior as he suddenly took his bag and put it in the car¡¯s trunk. In the meantime, the car¡¯s backseat window opened and the person inside turned to Dowook.
A slight wrinkle on a sharp jawline. It was difficult to guess her age with makeup but she was a woman who looked to be in her 40s.
¡°Get in. I¡¯m Seo Jung-Hee, the Director of the Asia-Pacific Bureau of Foreign Affairs. I will be going to Shanghai with you today.¡±
She showed him the pass from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on her neck, so Dowook asked after bowing in greeting.
¡°I¡¯m not very clear on how things are but does the directore to visit everyone who is appointed as the minister¡¯s doctor?¡±
Seo Jung-Hee smiled slightly and pointed inside instead of answering.
¡°Shall we talk on the way?¡±
Dowook got in and saw the documents piled up on the car¡¯s simple table.
¡°Please don¡¯t mind the mess. There¡¯s some things I have to take care of before leaving the country.¡±
¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s go, Mr. Yoon.¡±
The driver started the car. Seo Jung-Hee continued speaking to Dowook who was surprised by the smoothness of the luxury sedan¡¯s engine.
¡°I wanted to meet you in person, so I took the liberty ofing to fetch you.¡±
¡°Me?¡±
Seo Jung-Hee added at Dowook¡¯s questioning nce.
¡°You received an unrivaled evaluation among the list of candidates for this position. You¡¯ve had a tremendous influence in the medicalmunity recently.¡±
¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that it¡¯s a tremendous influence. I was just treating my patients.¡±
¡°When I read the articles about you, I was amazed. It also made me curious. What kind of doctor could receive so much attention from the media and the public?¡±
Although she wasplimenting Dowook, he felt awkward since he was unsure how to interact with Director Seo. He ended up asking straightforwardly.
¡°Is there anything you wish to ask me concerning the trip?¡±
Seo Jung-Hee smiled lightly.
¡°Not at all. Please take good care of the minister¡¯s health.¡±
It was strange. Usually, in cases like this, he received some kind of solicitation.
After that, the car remained silent until they left Seoul.
Then, just as they were entering the Incheon International Airport Expressway.
The car slowed down significantly due to the sudden appearance of a bus at the joined interchange.
Because of this, the pile of documents fell.
¡°Oh my. I apologize, Director General.¡±
Seo Jung-Hee¡¯s eyes turned to the back mirror at the driver¡¯s quick apology.
¡°There¡¯s still quite a bit of time before departure, so please slow down a little.¡±
¡°Yes, Director General.¡±
Dowook picked up the documents that fell in front of his feet and felt a sense digging into his fingers. He couldn¡¯t figure out what it was so he spaced out for a moment when Seo Jung-Hee spoke.
¡°It¡¯s been separated by type so just pile it up on the desk.¡±
¡°Oh, ok.¡±
Dowook quickly organized the documents that fell onto the table and turned to look forward.
Seo Jung-Hee picked up the pile of papers and started to organize them.
¡°You¡¯ve ¡sorted them?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Dowook turned at Seo Jung-Hee¡¯s question. Seo Jung-Hee pointed at the 4 piles of papers.
¡°German, French, Italian, English. This is the national protocol manual belonging to the 4 regional groups from G20. Dr. Park, do you know those 4nguages?¡±
¡°Uh¡¡±
He¡¯d merely done as his hands had wanted so he didn¡¯t realize that he even sorted them.
Seeing how he could intuitively understand the German written on the document, the sense he could feel being transmitted from Seo Jung-Hee seemed to be closely rted to linguistics..
¡®Wow. Does the special sense work on something like this, too?¡¯
Hiding his surprise, Dowook replied swiftly.
¡°I only speak a little English. I looked at medical papers often so I guess I sorted them like that without realizing it.¡±
¡°Hmm. Dr. Park is very humble. It¡¯s not a character trait often seen in young people.¡±
Dowook stayed silent since he couldn¡¯t say that he was afraid to act arrogantly because of his special sense since it could disappear one day. It wasn¡¯t being humble.
Seo Jung-Hee gave Dowook a meaningful look and then returned to her work.
About 30 minutester, the car stopped near the departure area of Incheon International Airport Terminal 2.
Seo Jung-Hee turned to Dowook.
¡°You need to get a temporary Diplomat certificate from the MInistry of Foreign Affairs and Trade inside to simplify the entry process. Otherwise, you¡¯ll need a visa.¡±
¡°I got a message about that.¡±
¡°I have to go now since there¡¯s a protocol discussion before the flight.¡±
Seo Jung-Hee¡¯s car dropped Dowook off and then disappeared down a road forbidding public entry.
¡®Hmm. What is this strange feeling?¡¯
Dowook thought it was probably because it was his first time meeting a high-ranking official as he dragged his luggage into the airport.
The departure area of Terminal 2 was quiet.
Dowook looked at the map and walked toward the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
¡®How long has it been since I¡¯ve flown on a ne? Has it been 10 years?¡¯
When he was a medical student, he squeezed in 3 trips abroad in his vacation but all of them were group medical volunteer trips. He didn¡¯t go to any world-famous tourist destination but some of the world¡¯s poorest areas, Mongolia once and Africa twice.
Technically, this trip was also for work, so Dowook didn¡¯t look as excited as the people around him.
Entering the government¡¯sprehensive administrative center on the 2nd floor, he could see the neatly divided departments.
After passing through the Korean Customs Service, Military Manpower Administration, and the quarantine offices, Dowook stood in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs¡¯ civil service center.
¡®Huh?¡¯
Unlike outside, this area was filled with people. He could tell everyone here were not ordinary travelers due to their clothes.
A request to dress appropriately so as to not lose national prestige.
Because everyone was dressed in ordance with the notice, Dowook thought that most of them were probably also members of the delegation.
Dowook approached the reception desk.
¡°My name is Park Dowook. I¡¯m one of the professional medical practitioners.¡±
¡°May I see your passport, please?¡±
When he handed over the passport, he was given a number and told to wait.
Dowook sat down with no. 37 in his hand. He looked around slowly at the people who would be going with him on this trip.
Employees from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Health and Welfare were not here. It seemed that they had alreadypleted the procedure and were preparing for departure somewhere else.
Listening to the people around him, Dowook realized they were scientists, interpreters and general managers attending the summit.
¡°Are you Dr. Park Dowook?¡±
Dowook looked up at the voice. It was a middle-aged man in his 40s.
¡°I¡¯m Prof. Lee Il-soo from the Central Medical Center. A doctor of internal medicine.¡±
¡°Oh. Hello.¡±
Dowook greeted him brightly since he was his only medical colleague in this mission.
¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you from Senior Yoon Do-cheon.¡±
When he heard the name of one of the 5 great seniors, Dowook was surprised. Prof. Lee smiled at his reaction.
¡°I know. He¡¯s quite talkative. You¡¯ve experienced it as well, haven¡¯t you, Dr. Park?¡±
¡°Once in a while.¡±
¡°I¡¯m pretty quiet so don¡¯t worry. Please take care of me in the next 3 days.¡±
¡°Please take care of me, professor.¡±
While talking about Minister Kim Jin-hoo¡¯s chronic disease, central temple sclerosis, the reception desk called Dowook¡¯s number.
He went to the desk and returned with his passport which included a diplomatic mission certificate. Since they¡¯d met, he decided to wait for the professor before going inside.
¡°Professor, you said this is your 3rd time at an event like this. What do you usually do when you go?¡±
¡°You stay at the designated hospital and eat the meals they give you. If we canmunicate, then we can talk to doctors from other countries. One or two health checks will be the main thing.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not a lot.¡±
¡°From a doctor¡¯s point of view, not doing much is the biggest help to the mission. It¡¯s good to be bored.¡±
As expected, there wasn¡¯t a big problem. He could think of it as a small vacation.
-No. 52, pleasee to the reception desk.
Since it was Prof. Lee¡¯s number, Dowook stood up as well.
He watched Prof. Lee walk to the desk and almost fall down due to a man with short hair who suddenly appeared.
-I¡¯m the interpreter, Jin Dae Young.
-There¡¯s a lot of attendants rted to interpreting so they are being handled all at once. Which group are you in?
-The Chinese group.
-Please hand me your passport. After it¡¯s been processed, you¡¯ll be called over with your group.
Jin Dae Young stepped back but didn¡¯t join the other interpreters and stood at the back.
Dowook tsked internally and thought that person was obviously someone with an impatient personality. Then, his eyes went wide at the sense piercing his fingers.
Since it wasing from the front, it could only be from the Chinese interpreter. It should obviously be rted tonguage.
¡®Should I try it out?¡¯
Earlier, he felt somehow pressured by Director Seo so he couldn¡¯t check it out properly.
He took out his phone and searched for a site tranted into Chinese.
If it was really possible to understand anguage through the interpreter¡¯s sense, it could be quite useful. A huge bonus was that he wouldn¡¯t have to read the English papers.
¡®Let¡¯s see.¡¯
With anticipation, Dowook looked at the Chinese characters. He hoped he could understand the words but it didn¡¯t feel like it did when he looked at the German earlier.
¡®Huh? It¡¯s still just Chinese.¡¯
¡°Dr. Park.¡±
As he was focused on the words to see if he was mistaken.
Prof. Lee returned with his passport and patted Dowook on the shoulder.
¡°What are you looking at? Let¡¯s go in¡¡±
Dowook, who hadn¡¯t expected the contact, reacted instinctively.
He swung his upper body and grabbed Prof. Lee¡¯s arm and bent it to the side.
¡°¡¡Argh!¡±
¡°Huh? I¡¯m so sorry!¡±
Dowook, who¡¯d just disarmed someone in 0.1 second, flinched and let go.
¡®Wh-what¡¯s this¡¡?¡¯
Chapter 100: Proving the process with results (3)
-We will now start boarding. As there is only one boarding gate, passengers with seats at the back of the ne should board first.
More than 100 members of the delegation who were gathered at the airport lounge heard the announcement made by the flight attendant.
Dowook stood with Prof Lee Il-soo around the middle of the lounge.
¡®One should not be too curious.¡¯
Dowook repeatedly apologized to Prof. Lee for the sudden push as they waited to board the ne.
He¡¯d been careless.
Dowook sneaked a nce at the interpreter who caused the problem.
He¡¯d once experienced a simr sense from a detective from the police investigative team. A tendency that popped up because of a sense of danger ingrained in their life. He figured that man wasn¡¯t a simple interpreter, but there was no reason for him to look into things since he didn¡¯t know the MInistry of Foreign Affairs¡¯ criteria for selecting staff.
Dowook turned to Prof. Lee and saw that his ss was empty.
¡°Professor, I¡¯ll return your ss with mine.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡±
¡°Please, allow me. It¡¯s because I feel sorry.¡±
Dowook figured he¡¯d be forgiven if he showed how sorry he was by taking care of the professor. He didn¡¯t seem upset but Dowook couldn¡¯t know for certain.
Once he returned from the lounge bar, he saw that people in the row before theirs were heading down the stairs.
Generally, the delegation members went down a runway prepared to allow reporters to take pictures first before getting on the actual ne.
Soon, Dowook also went down the stairs.
Click. Click.
Walking about 50m down the runway which was bright from the shes of the camera,disying their future return after a job well done. It was a massive promotion event.
Dowook boarded the ne and sat in the middle row.
While different members of the delegation filled the ne, a government car arrived from the other side of the runway.
Dowook looked out a window of the ne. The middle-aged man with gray hair who exited the car seemed to look familiar.
¡®That¡¯s the prime minister, right?¡¯
The prime minister of Korea, who he¡¯d only seen on TV, stood in front of the ne heading to the G20 event. And the key figures of this trip began to appear from the lounge.
They were followed by the directors from each ministry, led by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Ministry of Strategy and Finance. Among those people was Director Seo Jung-Hee who gave him a ride to the airport.
The reporters standing to one side took pictures of the Prime Minister shaking hands with everyone and saying a few words of encouragement.
That was when Dowook felt it.
That was the true promotion event and showed that this was important to the whole country.
¡®I think it¡¯s starting to feel real now.¡¯
He was starting to understand a little bit about how valuable this experience as the minister¡¯s doctor was and why Chief Ha almost foamed at the mouth when he said he was going to reject it.
Everyone boarded the ne after greeting the prime minister.
As the government car left, the reporters stepped away and the in-flight broadcast appeared on the screen.
-To all passengers, this special flight to Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport¡
2 hourster.
Dowook was looking out of the ne as itnded in downtown Shanghai.
It was drizzling and the sky was gray.
The weather was not very good. He turned on the roaming function of his phone and searched about the concentration of fine dust particles in Shanghai and saw that it was a little high. It made him wish he thought of bringing a mask.
During the flight, continuous texts made his phone vibrate. Since they were about the patients in his care, he forwarded them to Chief Ha, who was standing in for him for three days.
Vrrrr.
At Chief Ha¡¯s reply of [Hey, you bastard!] Dowookughed even though he felt sorry.
¡®I don¡¯t know if the chief can withstand Prof Choi¡¯s pressure when he¡¯d stopped going into surgery for quite a bit of time.¡¯
As he was thinking so, Prof. Lee stood in the hall of the ne.
¡°Everyone in front of us is almost done getting off. Let¡¯s get off as well.¡±
Since therger luggage bags were to be delivered to the designated hotel, Dowook got off with only a briefcase containing hisptop and headed inside the airport..
Was this because he was part of a diplomatic mission or was it always like this at this airport? It seemed like there were absolutely no arrival procedures.
Dowook reached an area filled with people after passing several passages quickly. While waiting for further instructions, he heard someone calling him from somewhere.
¡°Dr. Park Dowook! Is Dr. Park Dowook here?¡±
¡°Here.¡±
Dowook raised his hand slightly to reveal his location.
A man in his early thirties with straight hair approached him with a group of attendants.
¡°I¡¯m Minister Kim Jin-hoo¡¯s secretary, Oh Seo-jin. If I could have a moment of your time as I have something to inform you regarding the minister¡¯s checkup schedule.¡±
An assistant secretary said that should there be any problems after the morning checkup over the next couple of days, he should cooperate with the doctors at the designated Chinese hospital.
And¨C
He was assigned as an interpreter to help him before leaving him alone.
The interpreter stood beside Dowook.
¡°My name is Jin Dae Young.¡±
¡°Umm¡¡.¡±
Of all the people here, why did it have to be him? Dowook quickly hid his embarrassment.
¡°I¡¯m Park Dowook. I¡¯ll be in your care.¡±
¡°This is my number. Assisting you with amodations is also part of my job so please call me at this number whenever you need assistance.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
Nodding his head while saving the number on his phone, Jin Dae Young added.
¡°Please keep in mind that on the spot interpretation will be difficult should you useplex medical terms.¡±
¡°That part has a lot of international standard terms so the other party should be able to understand if I speak in English.¡±
The conversation ended abruptly after the introductions.
Quiet, expressionless, short hair. Recalling the sense he¡¯d experienced before leaving the country, Dowook had a strong suspicion this man was from the military.
¡®Maybe he was chosen because of his Chinese skills even though he¡¯s a soldier? No, no. It¡¯s none of my business.¡¯
Shaking his head, Dowook inconspicuously took a step away from Jin Dae Young.
A momentter.
Dowook boarded the limousine he was guided to by a foreign ministry official and paused when he noticed that there were foreigners inside.
Prof. Lee exined to him with a light smile once he noticed Dowook¡¯s surprise.
¡°They¡¯re doctors from the other participating countries. I guess they sent one car since everyone needs to head to the same hospital.¡±
Prof. Lee pointed to a man with long hair in the front and whispered.
¡°He¡¯s a French Gastroenterologist and an infamous drinker so be careful. If you¡¯re with him, he¡¯ll continuously invite you to drink wine.¡±
¡°Aha.¡±
As they got on, the french doctor waved at Prof. Lee.
¡ºDr. Lee! It¡¯s nice to see you.¡»
¡ºIt¡¯s been a while. Dr. Cassel. This is Dr. Dowook Park.¡»
At Prof. Lee¡¯s greeting, the French doctor stretched out his hand.
¡ºOh, Dr. Park. I¡¯m ude Cassel. It seems there are two doctors from Korea? Very thorough. Hold on. Let me guess. Dr. Lee is a gastroenterologist so Dr. Park is a surgeon! Emergency surgery?¡»
¡ºI¡¯m a neurosurgeon.¡»
¡ºEugh, I got it wrong.¡»
Dowook shook hands with the French doctor who was very friendly even to someone he¡¯d just met and moved further into the car. Looking for a vacant seat. Then, his gazended on a person who stood out in the crowd within the car without realizing it.
A young brown-haired woman with a mysterious aura as if she had just popped out of a European movie. She was exceptionally eye-catching since she was in a crowd of people in their 40s and 50s.
Feeling his gaze, the woman turned to Dowook. Then she looked at Prof. Lee Il-soo who was following behind him.
¡ºDr. Lee?¡»
¡ºDr. Ellie. Nice to see you.¡»
Unlike with the French doctor, Prof Lee turned away from her with a short greeting and pointed to two empty seats. Then he exined as soon as they sat down.
¡°That doctor just now is always the doctor attached to the Spanish delegation and is quite feisty. I¡¯ve seen her baptize several men with champagne at banquets. She¡¯s a psychiatrist. Many Europeans suffer from insomnia and headaches.¡±
¡°Aha.¡±
Until they left the airport, Prof. Lee continued to inform him what he knew.
Each country brought doctors with a different field of expertise. From France, a gastroenterologist was required for the members with hangovers and indigestion. Spain brought a psychiatrist to manage work stress. The UK and US brought emergency surgeons who were responsible for immediate treatment.
¡°Were there a lot of people with hangovers in Korea?¡±
¡°About the same as France. There¡¯s a banquet every day. Hangover cure ounts for most of the medical supplies we brought.¡±
Since Dowook came thinking about being responsible for the care of only Minister Kim Jin-hoo, these facts felt very interesting.
¡°Hi, everyone!¡±
While they were talking, a cheerful voice came from the entrance of the bus. A man in his mid-30s waved at everyone in the car.
The man¡¯s hair was slicked back with gel and it made his hair look oily. Dowook couldn¡¯t help but stare as the man¡¯s hair reminded him of Seong Chang Soo. It seemed such a sleazy look was universal.
¡®Is it because of everyone¡¯s good body proportion? All the doctors are quite good-looking.¡¯
The man by the door looked around the interior of the car and proudly walked to the back and stood next to the Spanish doctor.
¡ºIt¡¯s nice to meet you. My name is Garrett Greer. An emergency surgeon from Johns¡¯ Hopkins. And you are, Dr. Beautiful?¡»
The Spanish doctor looked at the man for a moment and turned away signaling her reluctance to talk. However, the American doctor did not give up and continued to speak..
¡ºWould it be alright if I sit beside you?¡»
¡ºIt¡¯s not like this is the only empty seat here.¡»
¡ºHow could it be for the seat? It¡¯s because of a beauty like you.¡»
Dowook¡¯s eyes widened as soon as he tranted their conversation since the speed of the man¡¯s pick up lines was lightning fast.
¡ºDon¡¯t you think I put my bag here on purpose due to people like you? I¡¯m sorry but please sit somewhere else.¡»
There was a coldness attached to the Spanish doctor¡¯s words.
¡ºWell, if that is thedy¡¯s wish. Excuse me.¡»
The American doctor smiled and sat behind her. Dowook received culture shock over how confident the other man was in the face of a rejection.
After a while, the British doctor got on the bus and expressed interest in the Spanish doctor, but was coldly rejected. Perhaps because she was used to such things, but the Spanish doctor was cold and calm.
"Professor, did those people who got sshed with champagnee on to her like that?¡.¡±
Even before he finished his sentence, Professor Lee, he nodded silently.
The person in-charge in China got on, checked everyone¡¯s passports once, and the car departed.
As they left the airport, Dowook could see a lot of people holding pickets standing outside the window.
Dowook raised his head, wondering if it was a crowd weing the G20 Ministerial Meeting, and suddenly flinched back at the water balloon flying to the window.
"What was that?"
Red paint left a mark on the window.
Puck. Puck.
The other windows were also covered in paint due to the water balloons.
The other doctors who were surprised like Dowook tried to look out the window when the Spanish doctor quietly spoke.
¡ºALF. They¡¯re animal liberation protesters.¡»
At those words, Dowook took another look at the pickets.
¡¶Say no to antibiotic research using animal testing!¡·
¡¶Abuse of antibiotics is a human sin! Animals are innocent!¡·
The ones who continued to throw paint-filled water balloons at the attendants¡¯ buses were from different races.
The French doctor tsk¡¯ed while looking at the bright red window.
¡ºJeez. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d see these disgusting people in Shanghai as well.¡»
¡ºAren¡¯t protests against thew in China? Once you do protest you get bulldozed by a tank.¡»
¡ºIt would be hard to touch the foreigners. Especially now when the media from all over the world are focused on Shanghai. That¡¯s probably why they decided to start making a fuss from the airport.¡»
¡ºWe should pay more attention. If it¡¯s the ALF, they won¡¯t hesitate to turn to violence.¡»
Dowook couldn¡¯t help but be surprised by the concern in the doctors¡¯ tones.
¡®Wasn¡¯t this supposed to be a peaceful event?¡¯
Buses covered in paint left the airport.
The cloudy gray sky mixed with the red paint on the windows created an ominous atmosphere.
Chapter 101: Proving the process with results (4)
The bus left the airport and stopped in front of a building with the long name, ¡°Shanghai¡¯s First People¡¯s Hospital International Medical Center.¡±
Dowook got off the bus and looked up at the designated hospital he had toe to work for the next three days.
The five-story L-shaped hospital was painted a simple gray color, so it gave off a very different feeling from Korean hospitals.
¡®It feels a bit like a prison.¡¯
A Chinese person was waiting at the entrance and approached Dowook¡¯s group.
¡ºWee, everyone. I¡¯m Zhang Wen, the director of the International Medical Center here at the First People''s Hospital. If everyone could follow me?¡»
Zhang Wen spoke in fluent English as he guided the doctors into the building.
¡ºOur International Medical Center is a center that operates as an outpatient center, emergency center and wards for foreign patients and VIPS that is separated from the rest of the hospital. During the G20 event, you may use the resources from the emergency center to treat patients.¡»
Dowook passed through the emergency center and saw that it was equipped with thetest technology and confirmed that the interior was not that different from Korean hospitals.
The specialized severe trauma area in the general hospital level seemed to have a perfect sterilization system.
¡®That can be used as an operating room.¡¯
The fact that VIPs came to this area meant that only the rich among the Chinese coulde here. The treatment of VIPs differed from Korea, and it seemed that this area was created solely for one patient.
Zhang Wen stopped in front of the reception desk and continued to exin.
¡ºIf you talk to the nurses here, they will provide you with all medical supplies you need. If you need to treat a patient urgently, please feel free to use the beds over there. All international staff can speak English, so please don¡¯t worry.¡»
Zhang Wen, who led people to a private lounge in the emergency center, disappeared after telling them to call him if they had any questions.
The doctors, who were tired from the constant travel, sat down in the lounge.
Dowook also sat at a table with Professor Lee, and the French doctor ude Castle.
¡ºHow old are you, Dr. Park?¡»
¡º34. Ah, no, I¡¯m 32.¡»
Following the global rules of calcting age, Dowook answered with the reduced number. He didn¡¯t feel any guilt over it.
¡ºWow. Coming here and representing your country at that age, you must be very skilled.¡»
¡ºThe professor is the representative. I¡¯m just here temporarily¡¡.¡»
Minister Kim¡¯s illness couldn¡¯t be mentioned lightly since it was a secret to other countries.
ude pointed at Ellie, the Spanish doctor sitting alone, and poked Dowook.
¡ºDr. Ellie is also 32 years old. Same age as you. You must have a lot ofmon interests, and it¡¯s a great sin to let a beauty sit by her lonesome. Go talk to her.¡»
Even seeing the American and British doctors, who were quite handsome, being rejected, he suggested such a thing. French culture seemed to be quite open when it came to expressing interest in others.
Dowook smiled lightly and answered.
¡ºIf I go talk to her by myself, it wouldn¡¯t be fair to my girlfriend who is in Korea.¡»
¡ºOh, already? I¡¯m sorry. Then I can call her over without things being awkward. Dr. Ellie!¡»
At ude''s loud voice, Ellie turned around.
¡ºDon''t be bored over there. Come and talk to us. None of us will flirt with you. Promise.¡»
Although everyone expected her to decline, she unexpectedly moved. As a result, the table for four was upied.
ude spoke to Ellie who sat down beside him.
¡ºSince you already know me and Dr. Lee fromst year, we''ll skip the introductions. This is Dr. Park. Name is Do-Ook?¡»
At ude''s introduction, Dowook bowed toward Ellie.
¡ºIt''s pronounced Dowook.¡»
¡ºI¡¯m Ellie de Armas.¡»
Although the table had doctors from Spain, France and South Korea, ude was the one leading the conversation.
Dr. Ellie and Prof. Lee also helped slightly by stating their predictions on how the international medicalmunity would change as a result of the G20 meeting.
Dowook just listened and learned what the main agenda was.
¡ºStudies have shown that antibiotic-resistant infections will cause more deaths than cancer by 2050.¡»
¡ºThose ALF bastards are just brainless. The antibiotic resistance problem should be dealt with immediately by revising international health rules. To think they gathered to prevent that. Dr. Ellie, what do you think about their psychological state?¡»
¡ºIt is an organization that believes that the value of human and animal lives are the same, so they show a radical tendency to risk their lives.¡»
Dowook, who¡¯d been listening while only nodding his head, looked around the room because he felt a hostile gaze from somewhere.
Garrett, the American doctor, was ring at him.
Dowook couldn¡¯t ask openly but he figured the other doctor was jealous since the British doctor was sending a simr gaze toward him.
He didn¡¯t do anything but was misunderstood. Dowook wondered if he should tell them that he had a girlfriend.
¡®Why don¡¯t I take a look around the hospital for a moment?¡¯
Dowook coughed and said.
¡ºI¡¯m sorry to interrupt. I saw a store by the entrance. I¡¯m going to buy a drink. Is there anything you want? There¡¯s only hot green tea here.¡»
¡ºWine would be best in this kind of atmosphere. It¡¯s a shame, the sun¡¯s still up.¡»
¡ºThen, grape juice for Dr. Cassel?¡»
ude smiled brightly while shaking his head.
¡ºThe taste of artificial sweeteners in grape juice isn¡¯t that good. Carbonated water for me.¡»
Ellie also asked for carbonated water while Prof. Lee ordered just water.
¡°Dr. Park, I¡¯ll pay for it.¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s alright. I also exchanged more than enough currency.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t have to keep feeling apologetic. And the person requesting should pay in situations like this.¡±
Prof. Lee handed Dowook 200 yuan. Then he pointed to the other people in the room.
¡°Since we¡¯re going to the store, why don¡¯t we buy ording to the number of people here? I¡¯ll go with you.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not that heavy. It¡¯s fine. And if you don¡¯t mind, please speak casually. You are my senior after all.¡±
Dowook left the resting area by himself.
He was looking at the Chinese drinks and snacks in the shop when he heard the sound of an ambnce.
¡°This sound is pretty universal.¡±
He thought it might be one of the delegates so he turned to look outside. As the back door of the ambnce opened, the patient brought in by the paramedics was a local. A shout in Chinese could be heard even in the shop.
¡®Traffic ident?¡¯
Blunt force trauma in the chest and abdomen. It didn¡¯t look like there were any obstructions or hernia. In that case, rather than hurriedly preparing for surgery, hemodynamic stabilization was enough.
Dowook¡¯s gaze softened as he judged that the situation was not serious.
Recently, he could roughly make out what was wrong with a patient just by looking at them.
The training, where he used Chief Ji Hwi-gwan¡¯s sense, was of great help.
Although he couldn¡¯t diagnose at 100%, he was almost 70-80% correct when thinking of his recent time at the emergency center.
While he was paying for the drinks, his phone rang. It was a group text informing them of the event¡¯s progress.
It also mentioned the scheduled end of the official event of the first day.
¡®If it¡¯s 7 pm, there¡¯s still 4 hours left.¡¯
It was clear he would continue to be bored during that time so he sighed quietly and returned to the lounge.
When he put the bag down on the table, Prof. Lee called everyone over.
¡ºIf anyone wants a drink, pleasee over here.¡»
¡ºSouth Korea¡¯s offering cold drinks. Why don¡¯t we use this chance to introduce ourselves?¡»
ude called out right away.
As people gathered, the atmosphere rxed slightly.
As people who¡¯d experienced simr missions, Prof. Lee and ude were extraordinary. Even the cold Dr. Ellie didn¡¯t seem as annoyed by them.
Ennd¡¯s Dr. Grant took a sip of juice and pointed to the emergency area where the Chinese staff was busy.
¡ºThat patient in bed 1. Do you think it¡¯s a circtory or respiratory problem?¡»
At this question, the doctors all turned to therge window in the lounge. Come to think of it, the inside of the emergency room was clearly visible from here. It was structured so doctors could run out at any time.
¡ºIt seems to be a heart problem. The patient doesn¡¯t look so sick, but he¡¯s getting ready for a chest ultrasound.¡»
¡ºScanning the chest doesn''t mean it''s a heart problem. I think it''s asthma. Breathing difficulties have calmed down, but ultrasound is performed to determine the risk of secondary breathing problems.¡»
Hearing the opinions of the German and Italian doctors, the British doctor who asked the questionughed.
¡ºBoth of you have a point but if that were so, there would be no need to inject that.¡»
The two doctors were wrong. The American doctor Garrett spoke.
¡ºThere is one reason I would intravenously inject adenosine. Blood flow load. I''m preparing to test for coronary artery disease.¡»
Theughter in the mouth of the British doctor, who was about to show off, disappeared. It made people realize that Garrett had said the right answer.
Garrett immediately pointed to bed no. 3.
¡ºCar ident patient. I saw a special lesion before the ident. Does anyone know?¡»
¡ºIt¡¯s blunt trauma, but it doesn¡¯t seem to need open surgery. Since it¡¯s not blocked damage. I think he was in a very safe car during the ident¡»
Garrett nodded at the British doctor¡¯s response even though he was a bit disappointed the other doctor got it right.
From that moment.
Instead of waiting in boredom for patients that did not usuallye, the doctors showed off their professional knowledge while watching the rush of Chinese patients rush in.
As expected of doctors, Dowook thought that this was an interesting way to pass the time as he observed.
The person who answered the question would ask the next question and several answers woulde from different directions. Even Dr. Ellie, who seemed indifferent to the conversation, watched the situation with interest.
Garrett, who obtained the right to ask the next question by urately diagnosing the digestive problem of the Canadian internal medicine doctor, turned his head toward Dowook, who was sitting toward the back.
¡ºHowe you aren¡¯t saying a single thing, Dr. Park?¡»
¡ºMe?¡»
¡ºWould you like me to ask an easy question so you can take part without worries?¡»
He was just sitting there watching everyone, but was suddenly provoked. Dowook turned to Prof. Lee.
¡°Professor, if I meddle here¡ it won¡¯t cause an international incident or something like that will it?¡±
¡°Haha. How would that be possible?¡±
¡°Then, I¡¯ll just say a few words ande back.¡±
Garrett pointed to a patient being treated in a corner but kept his gaze fixed on Dowook.
¡ºTwisted pelvis. If you look at the patient¡¯s painint, it¡¯s a high energy damage, but in what direction do you think it fractured? The time limit is until the X-ray resultse back.¡»
Pelvic fractures all have unique fracture shapes rather than uniformity. Therefore, Garrett¡¯s question was difficult to answer unless one specialized in the field.
The British doctor frowned at Garrett.
¡ºIt¡¯s not fair to ask a question that even you don¡¯t know the answer to.¡»
¡ºI already know. I¡¯ll write it down here.¡»
Garrett wrote his diagnosis on the paper and turned to Dowook.
¡ºDo you have anything to say, Dr. Park?¡»
¡ºJust a moment.¡»
Garrett smiled when the Korean doctor looked at the patient with a serious expression. After confirming that Ellie was looking at them, he smiled more brightly.
¡®Ugh, it keeps tingling.¡¯
Dowook was trying to look at the patient with Commander G¡¯s sense but the sense of the American doctor kept rushing in. There was no reason to be fair, but he deliberately didn¡¯t use Garrett¡¯s sense since they were representing their countries.
¡ºDr. Greer.¡»
Garrett, who¡¯d been staring at the Spanish ice beauty, turned at Dowook¡¯s call.
¡ºDid you write vertical conflict in the notebook? Based on the hipbone, in the back and upward direction..¡»
Garrett, who was holding the paper, paused. Dowook pointed at the patient and asked back.
¡ºThe patient''s pelvic soft tissue is severely damaged, so he needs to perform screw insertion immediately. Which screw should be fixed to which hip bone to minimize neurovascr damage?¡»
¡ºWhat! How can you judge that without an X-ray?¡»
Garrett raised his voice. Dowook beckoned silently for the paper. He scribbled an answer and returned the paper to Garrett¡¯s hand.
¡ºEven if I¡¯m right, you should still ask the next question, Dr. Greer. I¡¯m still tired from jetg.¡»
The time difference between Seoul and Shanghai was an hour. He didn¡¯t know if the other doctor knew that but Dowook turned around and returned to his seat.
Prof. Lee asked in a low voice.
¡°Dr. Park, are you that sure about your answer?¡±
¡°I just had a gut feeling so I tried it out.¡±
Commander G¡¯s sense which had been created from saving numerous severe trauma patients never discriminated against patients because of their race.
¡ºWhat¡¯s written on the paper, Dr. Greer?¡»
Garrett read the trauma treatment n Dowook wrote with incredulity.
¡ºInserting the ceiling screw from the edge of the hip to the second hip bone. Beware of damage to the C2¡¯s pelvic ring¡¡.¡»
The British doctor, who was looking at the X-ray closely,ughed and looked at Garrett.
¡ºYou got hit quite hard for acting out. You got the chance to ask a question. Hurry up and ask.¡»
Garrett red at Dowook.
¡ºAn orthopedic surgeon from Korea is participating in the G20 mission?¡»
At the question, ude answered instead of Dowook.
¡ºDr. Greer. Are you misunderstanding something? Dr. Park is a neurosurgeon.¡»
¡ºN-neurosurgeon?¡»
¡ºWhy don¡¯t you stop before you get more humiliated? I think you¡¯re just onpletely different levels.¡»
Garrett Greer, a promising specialist at Johns Hopkins Emergency Center, had no choice but to stare at Dowook, who managed to point out the most effective treatment method for the patient when he wasn¡¯t an orthopedic nor an emergency surgeon.
Chapter 102: Proving the process with results (5)
4 hours since arriving in Shanghai.
Dowook sat in the lounge and looked around the general medicine supplies piled up by each country.
Internal medicine doctors focused on oral medication such as gastrointestinal medicine and headache medicine. Surgeons came in with only first aid tools and fluids.
Korea, which had both internal medicine and surgery.
"¡¡it''s really just hangover cures."
"I told you."
The medical supplies box, which had been transported 10 minutes ago, was filled with only ¡®Heotgae Condition¡¯ and ¡®Dawn 707.¡¯
"We can''t do this in countries where the hospital level is low, but ces belonging to the G20 will not supply low-grade medical resources locally. That''s why we''re providing this kind of service."
"Aha."
Like Professor Lee, Dowook arranged the hangover cures one by one on the table.
¡ºDoctor Lee, is there a new product that came out?¡»
French doctor ude came over. Professor Lee just took out a bottle from the box.
¡ºThis one has twice the fluids.¡»
¡ºOh! Oh!¡»
ude epted it like a treasure and raised his thumb. Since there were now two hours left until the evening, he seemed to be preparing to drink in advance.
When the luggage that arrived from the airport was almost organized, the lounge, which had been busy for a while, calmed down again.
Professor Leeughed at Dowook who looked at the clock, yawned, then looked at the clock again.
"In Korea, I always wished the patients would stoping but here I sort of miss being so busy."
"Ha. That''s true."
Dowook, who was wiping away tears from yawning, felt a sudden disturbance in the emergency center and turned.
Movement to greet the patient in advance.
Seeing that the head of the center, who had not been seen for a while, was waiting at the entrance, it seemed that the patient wasn¡¯t someone ordinary.
He looked out the window wondering if the patient was someone rich, when he saw ude running out with a serious expression.
"Professor Lee. A French patient ising."
"France?¡±
It was more interesting because it was the first G20 participant patient.
Other doctors in the lounge gathered near the window feeling the same curiosity.
While waiting for the one arriving in, Chinese bodyguards in ck suits were seening in first and securing the route.
An unusual atmosphere.
Subsequently, a stretcher was pushed in. The German doctor muttered when he saw the face of the patient.
¡ºIsn''t that Bern Kushner?¡»
When the name of the French Minister of Health and Welfare came out, everyone eximed in surprise at the same time.
ude hurriedly asked, looking at Minister Kushner, who settled in the clinic.
¡ºWhen did he faint?¡»
¡º15 minutes ago. While reviewing the deration at the hotel, suddenly¡¡.¡»
In response to the secretary''s answer, ude spoke to Zhang Wen, head of the center.
¡ºPlease send someone from emergency.¡»
¡ºOkay, Li Wei!¡»
Another doctor was next to ude.
ude, who was examining for signs of trauma and checked the electrocardiogram, blood pressure, and pupil reaction. Then he sighed and expressed his opinion.
¡ºIt''s not a light vagus nerve fainting. I suspect a stroke, so CT scans are urgent. Please, center director. And¡ ¡»
¡ºI will call all the senior professors of neurosurgery and neurology at our hospital.¡»
With the issue on hand being what it was, Zhang Wen''s response was also quick.
While the minister was moved to the video room, ude asked the secretary.
¡ºDid he have any other symptoms before fainting? Whether it''s a headache or a cognitive problem.¡»
¡ºOh. He said the deration was hard to read.¡»
¡ºIt''s sounding more and more like a stroke. If this continues, we won¡¯t know what''s going to happen. We should also consider urgently transferring back to France.¡»
The faces of the assistants who followed along turned dark at ude''s words.
In a little bit.
Faculty members of the First People''s Hospital gathered in the video room of the VIP Emergency Center.
The opinions of the neurosurgeons and neurologists were divided over the location of the luded artery in the CT images.
-It would be safer to treat blood clotting with thrombolytic release.
-The lusion is light. Mechanical thrombectomy is suitable forplete recovery.
ude, who was receiving the trantion of the specialists¡¯ opinions from the head of the center, called Dieno Hospital in Paris, where he worked, thinking that things couldn¡¯t continue that way.
The golden time to change the prognosis of acute ischemic stroke was 6 hours.
Cross-verification by several doctors was needed ahead of an important decision.
¡ºYes, Dr. Liam. I''ll send you the chart, so please check it and contact me right away. Cause? I don''t know. High blood pressure, obesity, smoking, diabetes. There''s a possibility for everything. Anyway, improving habits is not important now, but immediate action is important.¡»
ude, who was on the phone, was approached by the secretary of the minister.
¡ºWhat''s the conclusion?¡»
¡ºI''m checking right now.¡»
¡ºI''ve been contacted through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs channel, and I''m telling you this because I wonder if it will help. I received information that this hospital has a doctor recognized by the international neurologymunity.¡»
¡ºAll the neurosurgeons who are said to be doing well here at the First People''s Hospital have already gathered over there. The center director called them.¡»
¡ºNo, not a local doctor. A Korean doctor. The name is ¡®Dough Park?¡¯¡»
ude''s eyes widened.
¡ºDoctor Park Dowook?¡»
-What? What are you talking about?
Dr. Liam''s voice was heard on the cell phone that was still connected, but ude''s gaze did not leave the lounge.
¡ºDid the secretary mishear? Dr. Park Dowook is a neurosurgeon, but he is very young. He¡¯s not old enough to be called an authority¡¡.¡»
-ude. Did you just say Park Dowook? Is he there?
Wondering what this was about, ude asked.
¡ºDo you know also know him, Dr. Liam?¡»
¨C The theme of this month''s intensive conference in our department is the "Park Dowook Knot." The skill level in this paper is crazy.
¡ºWhat?¡»
ude ran to the lounge.
"I can''t believe the first patient is a minister with a stroke. It''s way out of my expectations."
At Dowook¡¯s words, Professor Lee also looked out the window with a surprised gaze.
"The French are going to have a lot of worries. The main agenda of this meeting will be Minister Kushner.¡±
"Really?"
Gazing outside in the hopes that it would heal well, he suddenly heard the door burst open.
"Doctor Park!"
It was ude.
¡ºHurry up and check the diagnosis.¡»
¡ºMe?¡»
¡ºThe most-skilled neurosurgery professor I know is studying your knot! Hurry up!¡»
At the desperate cry, Dowook rose from the chair and looked at Professor Lee.
"Do we have to go through diplomatic procedures?"
"Not at all. You''re usually worried about friction caused by conflict of opinion, but you don''t seem to have a problem."
"Then I''ll be back."
Professor Lee smiled and sent off Dowook.
Dowook left the lounge and moved to the video room located on one side of the emergency center.
When he entered, there were quite a lot of people waiting. ude pointed to the monitor next to Dowook.
¡ºThat''s it.¡»
¡ºWhere''s the basic diagnostic test chart?¡»
¡ºHere.¡»
Dowook briefly revealed his findings after examining the blood clot blocking the blood vessels in the patient''s head.
¡ºWe found the location of vascr obstruction. Other areas have no incidence factors. I can remove it right away.¡»
¡ºWe¡¯re worried about the method of doing so.¡»
¡ºThe method? What¡¯s there to think about?¡»
¡ºBecause we have to do the right thing.¡»
When the head of the center interpreted the conversation into Chinese, all neurosurgeons at the People''s Hospital listened to Dowook¡¯s voice.
¡ºAre you referring to administering thrombolytic drugs or mechanical thrombectomy by inserting a conduit?¡»
¡ºYes, those two.¡»
The eyes of the Chinese doctors who insisted on different treatments shone.
¡ºThose are just standard treatments. Both adjust blood clots only up to 80 to 90 percent, not solving the fundamental cause of sudden blood clots. Didn''t the right measure mean perfect treatment, minimizing the patient''s aftereffects?¡»
¡ºI-is there any other way?¡»
¡ºWe need to open it ourselves topletely remove the blood clot and adjust all blood vessels that interfere with smooth blood flow. Manually.¡»
All the Chinese doctors who heard the interpreter looked dumbfounded. A method that was rarely used due to the advanced medical tools. They didn''t know that he would casually propose a solution that relied entirely on the hands of the surgeon and only on skills.
ude was also very surprised and picked up his cell phone.
¡ºUh, Dr. Liam. Dr. Park has proposed a surgery.¡.¡»
A secretary approached ude after the call.
¡ºWhat does the French hospital say?¡»
¡ºDr. Park''s solution is the most suitable way to treat the Minister''s illness, but not everyone can do it.¡»
¡ºWhat if no one can do it?¡»
¡ºOnly experienced specialists can handle these risks. Only Park Do-wook will be able to perform it in Shanghai.¡»
The secretary moved toward the aides with a heavyplexion. After a serious discussion, the secretary, rather than ude, approached Dowook.
¡ºDoctor Park.¡»
¡ºYes.¡»
¡ºCan you please proceed with the surgery right now?¡»
¡ºWhat?¡»
Dowook looked at the secretary with a flustered look. The French minister''s brain surgery in Shanghai, and immediately at that. Even in the face of such an unexpected situation, he asked questions habitually.
¡ºDid you get consent from the legal guardian?¡»
¡ºWe have received the information that Dr. Park has performed several high-level surgeries recognized by the International Medical Society. All of the assistants judged that Dr. Park''s skills were highly reliable, and they also decided that it was right to receive urate treatment for the Minister''s health rather than forcing him to attend the remaining events by using a solvent or performing conduit surgery.¡»
Although the tone was very businesslike, the logic was clear.
¡ºOkay. Still, we need support from the medical staff who have undergone rted surgery. There should also be an operating room with specialized neurosurgery equipment.¡»
¡ºI will definitely take responsibility for that part at the First People''s Hospital.¡»
Center director Zhang Wen informed Dowook.
¡ºI need two talented assistants.¡»
¡ºLet''s decide that now. Here, these professors are the best at the First People''s Hospital. I''ll show their the surgical history data.¡»
Dowook turned to about 10 doctors gathered. Faces shocked by his surgical proposal. They looked like they were looking at a monster.
¡®It''s a national thing, so I only thought at Professor Choi''s level of perfect surgery, but I feel like I''m being treated a little weird.¡¯
Anyway, he had to do his best to choose an assistant, so Dowook asked Zhang Wen to interpret this.
¡ºI willplete the operation within two hours to minimize the progression of cerebral infarction. Blood vessels in the area where the blood clots are clumped need borate work of suturing in the form of a solid knot. Can anyone catch up with this rhythm?¡»
The eyes of several doctors were fired up.
And
Tingle. Tingle.
Dowook picked up the two people who conveyed their senses most intensely.
As a result, a temporary surgical team in Shanghai was formed quickly.
The inside of the lounge was noisy at the news of the French minister''s surgery.
Lee Il-soo was reluctant to answer the doctors from other countries who surrounded him and asked about Dowook, and simply told them the evaluation given by senior professor Yoon Doo-cheon.
¡ºIn Korea, he is a genius surgeon with talent that may appear once every few decades. I heard that the special surgeries he does asionally attracts surgeons to the point where you¡¯d have to pay for the right to observe.¡»
Garrett, the American doctor crossed his arms and snorted at those words.
¡ºI don¡¯t believe it. How legendary could his surgeries be?¡»
¡ºTom Brand would have said something simr.¡»
¡ºTom Brand?¡»
Garrett also knew the story of a Hollywood star who luckily found a malignant brain tumor as an early diagnosis and underwent surgery. However, he had never heard of whether Park Dowook performed the surgery.
When even Spain''s Dr. Ellie listened to Lee Il-soo''s story with an interested look, Garrett gritted his teeth and brought out his phone. Because Johns Hopkins Hospital happened to have a neurosurgeon who attended the operation.
¡ºCan I talk to neurosurgery? Yes, right away.¡»
As the phone was connected, Ronshaw Mitchell''s bright voice came through.
-Oh, Dr. Greer. I heard you went to China as an emergency doctor representing the U.S. The emergency chief really liked it.
¡ºI''m in Shanghai right now. It''s nothing but¡¡.¡»
Garrett''s expression as he listened to Mitchell''s story on his cell phone changed step by step.
¡®How does that make sense?¡¯, ¡®How dare he!¡¯, ¡®What can you do?¡¯, ¡®Why do I feel so tired from that¡¡¯ going through those four steps
¡º¡.haha. Hahaha!¡»
-Yeah. It was a great surgery that made meugh.
He entered the "mental copse" stage.
3rd floor of the main building of the 1st People''s Hospital, inside the changing room.
While changing into a navy surgical suit provided by the hospital, Dowook looked at the screen when his cell phone rang.
If possible, he was going to call back after the surgery but it was Ha Sang Joong.
"Yes, chief."
-Choi Hoo told me not to be ridiculous. What should I do?
"Did you get assistance with the surgery?"
-Yeah.
He could guess what it was like knowing Chief Ha, who was a non-stop talking style.
-How did you endure that rotten guy''s temper? Throughout the surgery, nag nag. Why does it take so long for the chief to help me? Oh, I''m getting angry just thinking about it.
Dowook, who finished wearing the surgical suit while listening to Chief Ha''sment, fixed his hold on the phone andforted the chief.
"Please hang in there for two more days. It¡¯s not like you''re going to fight."
-If I was a kid, I''d just. Are you okay with the situation there? ording to the news, violent protesters also appeared.
"Nothing special happened. Bern Kushner needs to go into surgery now."
-Oh, surgery? Okay¡¡ No. What is he saying? Why do you have surgery there? Are you going to open a business in Shanghai?
"No, I happened in another circumstance that would add to my specs.¡±
-Are you kidding with someone who''s angry over having to cover for you? Berne whatsit, who¡¯s that?
¡®Hmm.¡¯
Should he reveal this or not? Dowook, who was agonizing over it, opened his mouth.
"The French minister."
-¡¡?
Click.
Although he just hung up the phone, Dowook felt like he could hear Chief Ha''s yelling all the way here from Seoul.
Chapter 103: Proving the process with results (6)
Drrrk.
Dowook opened the door after disinfecting his hands.
The surgical microscope, surgical cloth, and circr LED were not different just because he was in a Chinese hospital, but theposition of the medical staff was quite diverse.
Doctor Hu Xiao, the assistant surgeon. First assistant, Dr. Wang Joo Yi. A lot of nurses.
Center Director Zhang Wen and other professional interpreters from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs nodded toward Dowook from one side.
Dr. Liam, director of neurosurgery at Dieno Hospital in Paris, who was connected by video call, also paid attention to offer surgical advice.
¡®I''m the only one from Korea. Let''s pull ourselves together.¡¯
Dowook put on sterile gloves and a gown before standing by the patient''s head.
He slowly examined the surgical n and opened his mouth.
¡ºFor convenience, we will unify all surgical terms in English. Beginning Minister Kushner''s thrombectomy.¡»
Assistant Wang Joo Yi handed him a scalpel.
Dowook took it and made a U-shaped incision in the scalp near the blood clot and quickly fixed it with a clip.
Whiiiirrrr.
The patient''s brain was revealed when the skull piece was removed and the epidural was incised in a triangr shape.
¡ºNavigation device verification will be omitted. Please prepare for vascr surgery as soon as vision is secured.¡»
Wang Joo Yi and the scrub nurse, who were preparing 3D navigators and endoscopic equipment, paused at the same time.
When Wang Joo Yi, who was surprised, asked questions, Zhang Wen interpreted at the same time.
¡ºDoctor Park. Are you going to secure a view for surgery without a navigator?¡»
¡ºYes. There are not many bundles of nerves near the blood clot that will interfere with vision.¡»
¡ºYou need to pass through the 5mm gap in the nutritional artery.¡»
¡ºThere''s a gap of 5mm. You just have to go around it.¡»
Realizing it would be useless to keep exining once he saw their buzzing reaction, Dowook dragged down the microscope. Then he turned to the assistant surgeon, Hu Xiao.
¡ºPrepare to assist. If I touch the nutritional blood vessels and it starts bleeding, Dr. Hu Xiao should perform standard surgery through the navigation system. That''s enough, right?¡»
After Zhang Wen''s interpretation, Hu Xiao also put his eyes on the microscope.
Dowook used the micro-forceps to dig through the blood vessels.
Smooth movement that reacted quickly and slid sideways whenever the forceps were about to touch ultra fine blood vessels with a diameter of 1mm.
Those who were looking at the microscopic images soon became shocked.
The forceps, almost simr to the beat graph of the vital monitor, entered the surgical site at once in a constant rhythm.
Last Choi''s sense of blood flow was very useful in this case.
Whenever Dowook avoided blood vessels like a ghost, Hu Xiao moaned as if he were going up and down the roller coaster. If he had done it he would have scratched the blood vessels 100%.
Dowook asked as he neatly grabbed the vascr lesion.
¡ºI''m going to continue like this. Do you still want to do the standard surgery?¡»
The answer came first from the hospital in Paris that was participating as a long-distance surgical consultant.
-No. You saved at least 5 minutes with that one shot.
¡ºDr. Park, Dr. Wang Joo Yi apologizes.¡»
Wang Joo Yi, who was most concerned, apologized with a short bow to Dowook.
Since then, no oneined about Dowook¡¯s actions.
An hour after the surgery.
Dowook put the micro-scissors on the blood vessels in question where the ligation waspleted. As soon as this area was cut off, mass bleeding would begin, and the entire process from returning to smooth blood flow would be a fight against time.
The quicker he finished, the less aftereffects the patient would suffer.
It would have been an easier operation if Choi Hoo was here, but now the surgeon himself had to y all the roles.
Dowook opened his mouth with a cautious look.
¡ºHere, the assistance of Dr. Hu Xiao and Dr. Wang Joo Yi is very important. Please keep up with me.¡»
The eyes of the two doctors became determined.
¡ºA thrombotic incision.¡»
Snip.
Beep beep!
As bleeding increased, the patient''s heart, which detected abnormal blood flow, increased pumping. Dowook pushed his forceps through the open blood vessels and scratched a thick blood clot.
And
An anxious wait began until residual blood clots were pushed out of the blood vessels flowing deep into the brainstem.
¡ºHeartbeat 96.97.98¡¡. Blood pressure is going down!¡»
The anesthesiologist''s report.
-Dr. Park. Shouldn''t we suture it now?
Surgical advisor Dr. Liam''s question.
¡ºShouldn''t we hurry up and catch the bleeding?¡»
Chinese medical staff''s concern through Zhang Wen''s mouth.
A sense of crisis lingered throughout the operating room in the patient''s condition, but Dowook focused all attention only on the sensation at his fingertips. It could be defined that the blood clots werepletely removed only after this unnatural beat was over.
¡ºHeart rate is 105! Blood pressure dropped to 60!¡»
Thump thump.
Dowook¡¯s fingertips flinched at the feeling of normal blood flow that finally arrived.
¡®Now!¡¯
Dowook shouted, taking the suture and needle toward the blood vessels.
"Suction! Cauterizer! Add 2 more packs of blood and induce hyperventtion!¡»
He even gave the assistant surgeon Choi Hoo¡¯s sense. Now it was a fight measured in seconds.
Bee-bee-bee-bee¡ beep. beep.
Less than 30 secondster, the patient''s condition stabilized rapidly.
Whenever Dowook finished suturing at an insane speed, Hu Xiao removed the clips around him as if he had been possessed and put them on the surgical tray. In Chinese, he muttered, "This rhythm is crazy."
In a little bit.
When Wang Joo Yi regained sight of the affected area with E-Gation and suction, the blood vessels that had been sutured were revealed.
The solid-looking connection was enough to show that the best skills were implemented.
"Phew."
Dowook was relieved only by the beat of the lively blood flow delivered through his fingertips. This was enough to leave little to noneplications.
¡ºEnd of thrombus removal. Closing the head.¡»
Finishing order. After fixing the fractured headbone again, a reinforcing pin was attached. After suturing the scalp, Dowook looked at the clock on the wall.
It took a total of 1 hour and 55 minutes.
¡ºThe surgery is over. It ended faster than I thought because everyone followed along well. The hospital is in charge of patient care, right?¡»
¡ºYes. We will take good care of the patient in the VIP recovery room.¡»
Dowook nodded at Zhang Wen''s answer.
¡ºEveryone, thank you for your hard work. I think my role here is finished.¡»
All the medical staff politely bowed their heads to Dowook as he walked toward the door..
Drrk.
Inside the room where the stormy surgery ended.
Hu Xiao looked at his hand, which had assisted the surgeon in a trance, and asked Wang Joo Yi across from him.
¡ºProfessor Wang, did you feel that?¡»
¡ºWhat?¡»
¡ºBefore. It felt like my hand was moving by itself.¡»
¡ºReally? I''m jealous. It feels like we were part of a miracle.¡»
¡ºIt''s my first time seeing a doctor whose hands don''t shake at all in fine surgery. Is this possible? Does Dr. Park do this type of surgery all the time?¡»
The two neurosurgeons at the First People''s Hospital were overwhelmed by the lingering emotions and could not easily leave the operating room.
ude was on the phone with Dr. Liam.
-You will know the exact prognosis only after a close examination, but based on the results of the surgery, the patient can be discharged from the hospital in two days.
¡ºHis head was opened, but the recovery period will be the same as prescribed drugs?¡»
-It might be faster. You should''ve seen it, too. The soft fingertips that drew out residual blood clots with bold bleeding induction and covering the time of probation with skill. It was exhrating.
¡ºI can''t tell the secretary that the surgery result is exhrating. I¡¯m asking for objective opinions, Dr. Liam.¡»
-I can''t think of any other word. He''s the maestro of blood vessels. It''s a pity that I only watched the video.
As spectacr reviews came, ude sighed and found Dowooking out of the hallway.
¡ºMaestro Park is here. I''ll ask him directly.¡»
-Praise him!
* * *
The next day.
Dowook opened his eyes with a hangover headache at a hotel in downtown Shanghai.
¡®I drank too much.¡¯
A meal that arrived a littlete after the emergency surgery. As he was surrounded by doctors from all over the world and received a drink, he drank out of control.
He felt for the table, opened the bottle, and took a sip, and he could see ude falling on the floor under the bed and deep asleep.
He even called room service at his own expense, saying thank you for the work with Minister Kushner, but he drank two more bottles of wine alone and fainted.
"Ugh".
Dowook emptied half a bottle of water and felt more alive.
Looking at the clock, it was 6:03 am. The official schedule started at 8 o''clock, but he still headed to the bathroom because there was nothing bad about preparing in advance.
After washing up, Professor Lee Il-soo was also watching TV.
"You¡¯re awake."
"Good morning. Are you feeling okay?"
"I can endure it, but I won''t drink today."
"Watch out for that ude. I think he really likes you.¡±
Dowook and Professor Lee turned to ude on the floor.
Smacking his lips with a happy smile, he was a stylish middle-aged gentleman in Europe. It was just weird because he acted like a neighborhood big brother who was generous with alcohol. Yesterday, they were so swept away by his atmosphere.
"I should."
Drying his head with a towel, Dowook noticed news rted to the G20 meeting on TV.
A reporter for the BBC channel was standing in front of the hotel.
-On the second day of the G20 Joint Meeting of Health and Finance Ministers, Greenpeace protesters announced a street march. Even radical environmentalists called the Animal Liberation Line are known to have entered Shanghai, which is expected to cause a strong sh with security guards in China.
A video of protesters throwing water balloons at the bus followed.
-In a joint statement posted on the Inte, these groups strongly insist on putting the phrase "universal medical care for all living things" in the conference agreement, not "universal medical care for humans."
Dowook pointed to the screen.
"I''ve heard of Greenpeace from somewhere before."
"Was it in the 80s? It was probably those protesters who jumped into the Soviet nuclear weapons test site on a rubber boat and made a fuss. It was really famous then, too.¡±
Dowook clicked his tongue as he changed. The Soviet Union in the Cold War era was a more closedmunist country than any present today. It was understandable for a moment that they showed such boldness against the Chinese government.
"Open your eyes wide."
Minister Kim Jin-hoo opened his eyes wide at Dowook¡¯s direction.
After observing the distance between pupils, left and right movement, and tremors, the pen light was lowered.
"Could you focus on my finger this time?"
Dowook, who put his index finger close to the minister and pulled it far away to examine the contraction of the muscles in his eyes, withdrew from Minister Kim.
"I don''t see any abnormal findings. Do you have a headache?"
"I don''t have any.¡±
It was a formal checkup because he had not had a seizure for years, but he stillpleted the diagnosis after conducting it meticulously.
"There will be no possibility of fatal neurological symptoms for the minister today."
"That''s a relief."
When the vital equipment was removed, Minister Kim, reorganized his clothes and asked Dowook.
"Yesterday, you had an emergency surgery for the French minister?¡±
"Oh, yes. Your attendant suddenly asked me for a favor."
"The French side has expressed great gratitude through the Foreign Ministry channel. Thanks to this, the status of the Korean medicalmunity has risen significantly. You¡¯ll bepensated but let me offer my sincere gratitude first. When you return home, the government will pay you back enough."
Minister Kim, who bowed his head to Dowook, walked out of the clinic.
Today''s first andst patient disappeared outside the VIP emergency center with Chinese bodyguards waiting outside.
¡®Compliments make me feel good, but I''m already done with work at 8:15 a.m.¡¯
Dowook went back to the lounge. All he had left to do was to sit bored until evening. Unless there was a special situation like yesterday.
-Animal experiment! I''m totally against it!
-Change the agreement!
About 200 protesters holding pickets and shouting their own slogans.
Hundreds of security barriers were sagging in front of the Shanghai International Convention Center to stop them.
With a solid stic shield at the forefront, someone standing among the protesters threw a stic bottle with an open lid.
Ssh.
Yellow liquid flowed out of the stic bottle that touched the shield wall and rolled around.
Public security around him looked embarrassed when the strong vtile scent of mmable liquid blew out.
Thump, thud thud.
Dozens of bottles poured out. In an instant, a ming bunch of paper fell to the ground full of gasoline. Protesters rushed with cheers as the ranks of security guards were disrupted by the spreading mes.
The security guard immediately picked up the radio.
Whoosh.
¡ºViolent demonstrations urred. Violent demonstrations. Requesting backup at the convention center!¡»
The Korean minister''s vehicle and escort vehicle left the main gate of the People''s Hospital.
A masked man, who was looking at the entrance through a telescope from the roof of the apartment on the other side, immediately picked up his cell phone.
"Enter."
Dowook saw all the doctors in the lounge gathered in front of the TV and approached, wondering what was going on.
"Professor Lee."
"How was Minister Kim Jin-hoo?"
"There''s nothing wrong with him. Except for the high blood pressure."
"Look at that. The protesters must have thrown a bomb."
The sight of the protests being illuminated by the media around the world. It was being suppressed by the public security deployed in an instant, but it was shocking. He couldn''t believe they were really doing a violent demonstration.
"Risking your life for animal welfare."
Whether to recognize that as a diversity of values or to regard it as a crazy act.
While looking around for a long time, the door of the lounge opened and attendants with a lot of envelopes in both hands entered. Among them was the Korean interpreter Jin Daeyoung.
Jin Daeyoung greeted Dowook and put the boxes on the Korean table.
"It''s lunch. If it doesn''t suit your taste, I''ll go out to town and buy something else."
"Other countries have the same boxes. I guess it''s amon lunch for the attendants.¡±
Jin Daeyoung nodded.
Dowook looked at the strong Chinese spice-smelling boxes and asked Professor Lee.
"I think this is simr to the hotel food we had in the morning. Do you want to eat this for lunch? Daeyoung said you can change it."
"I''m fine."
Dowook turned to Jin Daeyoung.
"This is enough for me, too. Thank you."
"Don''t you need an interpreter?"
"The head of the center here speaks English well. I don''t think there''ll be a problem."
"Okay."
After greeting Jin Daeyoung, who was leaving after delivering lunch, all the lights and TV in the lounge suddenly turned off.
When Dowook looked out the window thinking it was a power outage, all the electronic devices in the emergency center were on.
"What''s going on?¡±
It was then.
The dim entrance to the emergency room opened wide, and dozens of people wearing masks flocked in.
The mask they wore was engraved with the clear phrase ALF, so Dowook could be seen at once. It was the group that had been talking on TV since morning.
-Get Minister Kushner out here!
At the shout of the leader, dozens of people jumped toward the stairs.
Chapter 104: Proving the process with results (7)
Chains were wound around the hospital''s three entrances and passages, and locks were attached. Among the ck masks, the only man wearing a red mask put a loudspeaker to his mouth.
¡ºFrom now on, this building will be upied by the Animal Liberation Federation. Everyone,e out to the hallway!¡»
People were flustered.
Jin Daeyoung, who was standing next to Dowook, suddenly crouched down and leaned against the wall.
"Oh my god."
Tingle.
Jin Daeyoung''s sense flooded into his fingertips. A strong impulse filled with a sense of crisis. Dowook couldn''t suppress it and stuck his body to the wall like Jin Daeyoung.
"The analyst''s concern was true.¡±
Jin Daeyoung, who was muttering, saw Dowook next to him. And he quickly spoke with a low voice.
"Doctor, I''m a special force dispatched by the Ministry of National Defense. At dawn, I received reports that environmental terrorists would act radically, and the target seems to be this hospital."
"What?"
Inrge-scale missions, there were special forces members who went undercover to participate just in case. Since nothing happened most of the time, the special forces called this "overseas vacation." Jin Daeyoung revealed that he was in such a situation.
¡®No wonder you did not seem like a professional interpreter.¡¯
"Can you look out for me for a second? I have to report to the intelligence officer¡¡.¡±
Crash!
The window in the lounge broke and an ALF member suddenly pushed his head in.
¡ºCome out!¡»
In a little bit.
Medical staff, clerks, doctors and attendants from each country gathered in the hallway of the VIP Emergency Center.
The man in the red mask revealed their purpose through a loudspeaker.
-Our goal is not you guys. If you stay quiet until things are resolved, no one will get hurt. From now on, put allmunication devices you own in that box.
An ALF member stood in front of the people with a box. A body search began for the people¡¯s phones.
Lee Il-soo, who was standing with an uneasy face, saw Dowook.
"I think he''s aiming for the French minister. How was the prognosis of the surgery?¡±
"I heard that he woke up from the anesthesia and recovered consciousness immediately, but I am not sure. What are those people up to?"
"They¡¯ll press him to revise the agreement of the meeting and submit it."
Jin Daeyoung, who was closely watching the ALF''s movements, said this. Dowook and Professor Lee''s eyes were on him, and he added in detail.
"They will try to take the minister hostage until the agreement is approved. But don''t worry. They''re making a mistake. The Chinese authorities are bound to be slow to respond to the issue of other citizens, but there are many nationals here. They¡¯re looking down on China too much¡¡.¡±
Before Jin Daeyoung''s words were finished, a sound came out of the loudspeaker.
-All the Chinese who gave theirmunication device can go outside through the door. We don''t intend to harm you. Tell the public security carefully.
As the Chinese began to go outside in a row, Jin Daeyoung''s expression hardened.
The ALF member with the box approached Dowook.
While giving up cell phones and being searched repeatedly, the number of people gathered in the hallway decreased to 30.
17 doctors from the other countries and 13 attendants ordingly.
Zhang Wen, the director of the center, who was walking out for thest time, looked sadly at the remaining people.
The man in the red mask with the loudspeaker looked like their representative. He constantly instruced others with a walkie-talkie as he looked out the window. Meanwhile, about 10 minutes passed.
¡ºHey. Let us out, too. You said we weren¡¯t your goal.¡»
The man in the red mask''s gaze moved toward them at Dr. Garrett''s voice.
¡ºWhere are you from?¡»
¡ºU.S. I''m sure you know what happens when you mess with Americans abroad.¡»
A smirk seemed to appear on the man in the red mask¡¯s face. And then he looked at the ALF members standing on one side.
¡ºRaise your hand if you have American citizenship.¡»
When four raised their hands, he pointed to Garrett.
¡ºShow us what happens when an American beats an American.¡»
Garrett was greatly embarrassed by this.
Arge member put the baseball bat in his hand on the floor and approached him with fists raised.
Garrett waved his hand and shouted.
¡ºStop! I''m a vegetarian! I love animals as much as you do!¡»
The man in the red mask asked Garrett.
¡ºOh, vegetarian? What''s your name?¡»
¡ºGarrett Greer¡.¡»
The man in the red mask held up his cell phone and typed something.
¡ºAmericans are very strange. They proudly disclose their lives as well as recording it carefully on Facebook. Like this.¡»
The man in the red mask turned the screen toward Garrett.
¡ºI don''t know when T-bone Steak Mania became vegetarian.¡»
¡ºThat, that¡¡»
As soon as Garrett, whose face had lost color, stepped back, the man in the red mask¡¯s cell phone rang.
¡ºStop.¡»
The man in the red mask signaled the member to stop scaring the doctor and put the cell phone to his ear.
¡ºYeah, say it. Yeah. The French doctor next isn''t in charge?¡»
The man turned to the people gathered around him.
¡ºIs there a doctor in here who operated on Minister Kushner? I''m going to go up to the second floor and check his health.¡»
Dowook¡¯s heart dropped.
The gray sky and red window that he encountered when he entered the country suddenly crossed his mind.
¡®I thought something felt off. Damn.¡¯
Jin Daeyoung grabbed Dowook''s arm as he tried to raise his hand.
"I¡¯ll go."
"What?"
"They only have clubs as weapons. It¡¯s possible to overpower them. We can secure a spectacr view and at least take the time to get out of here."
Professor Lee''s eyes also grew bigger at Jin Daeyoung''s confident words. Professor Lee did not hear that Jin Daeyoung was an undercover special force member.
"We ask for your cooperation in this operation."
The sensation of trained soldiers continued to flood in.
Dowook lowered the hand he was trying to lift. He couldn¡¯t help but believe what the special forces member said.
¡ºIf you don''te out soon, we¡¯ll have to resort to violence.¡»
¡ºI¡¯m here!¡»
Jin Daeyoung walked forward.
On the chin of the red mask, two ALF members took Jin Daeyoung up the stairs. His proud back as he walked seemed like the main character of an action movie.
¡®I wish you sess¡.¡¯
Maybe about two minutester.
Someone''s hand suddenly came up to the corner of the wall bent toward the stairs.
¡®Huh?¡¯
The blood-stained hand slipped and left a mark on the wall, so Dowook was surprised and watched.
Subsequently, the owner of the hand copsed and showed his face.
It was Jin Daeyoung.
The ALF members dragged him, who had passed out, in front of the man in the red mask.
-He made a fuss? What about injuries? Four people?
The man in the red mask looked around and turned toward the emergency center.
-It''s disadvantageous for us to be dispersed. Move the minister over there.
The man in the red mask put the loudspeaker to his mouth and gave instructions one after another.
-Everyone, move into the emergency center. And. The doctor who operated on Minister Kushner. Come out here we¡¯re being nice.
¡®Ugh¡''
Dowook walked forward with a sigh..
The man in the red mask looked at Dowook with a sharp look.
¡ºAre you sure it''s you? Are you trying to do something like him?¡»
¡ºThere¡¯s no one strong enough to lie even after they see that someone beaten to this point. I''m a normal person.¡»
¡ºIf you mess with me again, it won¡¯t end with just that. Let me know when the ministeres down. Got it?¡»
Fortunately, it didn''t seem like he would be beaten like Jin Daeyoung, but as a doctor and a Korean, he had to ask at least.
¡ºCan I see how he''s doing? He shows convulsions due to a concussion.¡»
The man in the red mask nodded while looking at Jin Daeyoung, who fell still.
¡ºHeal me. All the rest of you go in there!¡»
"Professor Lee!"
Dowook asked Professor Lee to hold Jin Daeyoung''s legs and put his hands under his armpits.
Jin Daeyoung wasid on the nearest emergency room bed, and Dowook cut his shirt off. When he lightly touched the side with the bruise, one ce was recessed.
"Number 8, rib fracture."
"What about bleeding?"
"The broken bone didn''t poke his lungs. The respiratory rate is in the normal category, so I hope nothing is horribly wrong with him."
He couldn¡¯t ask those people who were paranoidly watching over this ce to let him do an X-ray so he did the best he could.
Fortunately, when he attached Jin Daeyoung to the vital monitor and looked at the figures, he found that there were no other injuries.
After dressing the wound on the face and attaching gauze, the first aid waspleted.
Professor Lee looked at Dowook in front of the medical tool cab.
"I found a cervical spine splint here. Should I put this on too?"
"His neck is okay."
It was a small relief to see that the shock muscle cramps seen in Jin Daeyoung''s body had subsided. Except for the ribs, the rest of the injuries were minor.
¡®Sigh. What kind of mess is this?¡¯
He thought he could rest for a moment but a stretcher with the minister lying on it was pushed through the doors of the emergency center. The French doctor, ude, could also be seen among the ALF members.
ude sat down next to the treatment room where the minister was settled with a pale face.
-Doctor!
The man in the red mask standing at the entrance pointed to the minister while looking at Dowook.
"Professor Lee. If his blood pressure drops, please increase the dose of fluid."
"Okay."
As Dowook approached, ude looked at him with a teary face.
¡ºAre you okay, Dr. Cassel?¡»
¡ºI''m fine. The minister, please¡.¡»
ude, who stood next to him, seemed to have a hard time since the morning.
Dowook stood in front of Minister Bern Kushner.
With his head fixed like a cervical spine protector, he was in a deep sleep due to narcotic analgesics. The Chinese doctors seemed to have prescribed it because the headache would be severe after the surgery.
When he connected the vital monitor wire and looked from ce to ce, he could see an unstable condition.
¡®Stabilityes first.¡¯
The man in the red mask approached.
¡ºHow is it? Can we have a conversation?¡»
¡ºIf you stop prescribing painkillers, conversations will be possible, but there is a possibility of cerebral hemorrhage as soon as you overdo it. It''s been less than 12 hours since this patient''s head was opened¡»
¡ºThat''s why doctors exist. Make sure he wakes up in an hour. Oh, and¡¡»
The man in the red mask pointed at the entrance.
¡ºYou''re responsible for the wounds caused by your colleague, right? Treat them, too.¡»
ALF''s injured people came in holding their hands, arms, and sides. There were four people who suffered trauma while fighting against Jin Daeyoung.
Dowook sighed again and pointed toward the general clinic.
¡ºThis way.¡»
Four people sat on two beds.
A customized splint was ced on the person suffering from a finger fracture, the person with the dislocated elbow had it popped back at once, and the person with the torn forehead had their wound dressed quickly.
The man in the red mask standing behind asked.
¡ºAren''t you doing it half-heartedly? Why''s it so fast?¡»
¡ºIt was properly treated.¡»
Dowook inadvertently answered back while spraying disinfectant on the person with a long cut on his palm. He revealed his treatment findings to the moaning member.
¡ºHmm. This is a wound that needs to be sutured. If you anesthetize it, the wound will heal slower. Even if you don''t anesthetize, the pain will be less than the feeling of the disinfectant. What should I do?¡»
¡ºWithout anesthesia¡.¡»
Dowook held a needle tied to a suture thread with tongs and silently sewed through the torn skin.
Rubbing the wound with disinfectant cotton one more time after suturing ten times. After attaching the gauze, he stepped back.
The man in the red mask, who had been watching the treatment with suspicious eyes the whole time, asked the member who had even undergone suture surgery.
¡ºAre you okay?¡»
¡ºYes. It really doesn''t hurt. It''s stuck together.¡»
The man in the red mask tilted his head at the bright appearance of the member who raised his palm. No matter how hard he looked at it, it seemed to have been treated roughly, but all the treated people were moving well.
The man in the red mask looked at Dowook.
¡ºYou¡.¡»
Dowook pointed to the four patients with a slightly annoyed look.
¡ºEmergency trauma cannot be treated roughly. Even small wounds can cause infections and even life can be threatened. And what do you mean so fast? I didn''t have nurse assistance, so I did it slower than usual.¡»
Chapter 105: Proving the process with results (8)
Just when all the chaos had calmed down.
¡ºGet him! He has a smallmunication device!¡»
Someone dashed like lightning from among the doctors and attendants sitting in one ce.
Tingle.
Dowook felt a sense simr to that of Jin Daeyoung from a ck man running toward a window and paused.
¡®There was another one?¡¯
Whether he was a special force member or not, the movement of the ck man was very agile. ude was the most shocked, so it looked like the man was the French attendant.
¡ºBack! Block him! Block him!¡»
The response of ALF members chasing the ck man fleeing was also formidable. They immediately blocked the window and drove the man to a dead end as if catching a mouse. The leading member cleverly avoided even the deadly fists that asionally flew in.
In the meantime, an ALF member was hit in the face and passed out.
¡ºAim for the legs!¡»
Professional martial arts did not mean much when the two big yers who saw their teammates copse tackled you at the same time and the members rushed from all sides. The ALF was not even embarrassed about how familiar they were with violent actions.
The ck man, who quickly rolled on the floor and began to be beaten, soon slowed down.
Seeing that scene, Dowook understood how Jin Daeyoung suffered.
The man in the red mask looked back at the people after removing a finger-sized wirelessmunication device from the ears of the fallen ck man.
¡ºIs there still someone in here who wants to be a hero? Think carefully and act. If you don''t want to suffer like these two.¡»
People''s eyes stayed on the ck man and Jin DaeYoung.
Tingle~
¡®?¡¯
Dowook felt a simr sense again among those who were gathered. A middle-aged man next to the Spanish doctor Ellie. It was him.
¡®Oh my god¡¡¯
Being an attendant in charge of chores in the diplomatic mission seemed to be a very good ce to disguise special forces.
Just in case, Dowook reached out his hands here and there. That Spanish attendant was thest one to be detected.
Copper-skinned, he was the most cautious of the three. He didn''t even feel the urge to overpower the hostile opponent from the man like the other two.
¡ºDoctor!¡»
The man in the red mask called for Dowook. And he pointed to his colleague who passed out.
¡ºWill you treat him?¡»
Somehow, Dowook felt like he became the attending physician for the minister but Dowook pointed to the ck man who was lying down.
¡ºYou''re telling me to treat that person as well, right?¡»
The man in the red mask gazed contemtively for a while and nodded.
¡ºHelp me move them to beds.¡»
The trampled ck man and unconscious ALF member wereid side by side on the bed next to Jin Daeyoung.
The diagnosis was quickly made because he witnessed all the injuries. The ck man suffered a general bruise and neck bone injuries. The member had a concussion and a fractured nose.
"Professor Lee".
Lee Il-soo, who was near Jin Daeyoung, failed to adapt to the series of situations and seemed to be in shock. Dowook called him again.
"Professor Lee?"
"Huh? Yes, Dr. Park."
"Where''s the splint of the cervical spine? This person''s neck bone is twisted."
"Oh. I''ll bring it to you."
He was putting a cervical splint on the ck man, and the man in the red mask approached him.
¡ºWhy are you treating him first?¡»
¡ºBecause he¡¯s in worse condition.¡»
¡ºOur guy¡¯s also unconscious. Don¡¯t lie.¡»
He wanted to argue that he only decided on the treatment priority based on the severity of the injuries but he stopped himself and looked at Prof. Lee.
"Please take care of this patient''s dressing.¡±
"Okay."
He approached the patient next to him and put his hand on the mask he was wearing.
When he peeled off the fabric with dark red blood, the face of a South American man was revealed. He was much younger than he thought he would be.
¡®He¡¯s probably just be a college student.¡¯
He couldn¡¯t understand the idea of taking hostages for the welfare of animals but he could fully sympathize with the extreme pain he would feel due to the twisted nose and torn skin.
As soon as he sprayed disinfectant and touched to realign the nose, the patient''s body convulsed.
¡®I haven''t polished the delicate bone alignment of orthopedic surgeons yet. I''m sorry.¡¯
After hurriedly treating the wounds of the two patients and adding fluids, sweat formed on their backs. How many patients did he take care of in a few minutes? This was no different from working in the emergency room of Myeong Sae hospital.
-Put your hands together! If you rebel when you¡¯re tied up, you know what will happen to you!.
¡®Erase that thought. It''s different. It''s very different.''
One of the ALF members approached. The member fixed both hands and feet of the ck man on the bed frame with a cable tie and ced a cable tie on Jin Daeyoung in the same way. And he nced at Dowook.
¡ºIs the treatment over?¡»
Dowook nodded.
Even Dowook, Professor Lee, and ude were mixed among the people with their hands tied together.
-Go in there!
The door to the lounge was opened and all the hostages from each country were trapped inside.
About 30 minutester.
As the inside of the emergency center was quickly cleared up, ALF''s hostage situation was clearly revealed.
Dozens of surveince members who were located throughout the entrances and windows checked what was happening outside.
The man in red mask and key members who seem to be trying to contact the outside by installingptops and cameras around the French minister.
Dowook sat in the lounge, looked out the window for a different reason than yesterday and watched the vital monitor from between people.
¡®The power seems unstable.¡¯
Electricity went out earlier, and a temporary generator inside the hospital was operated. There seemed to be a little problem with it now.
He didn¡¯t know about the other injured people, but he couldn''t take his eyes off the vital monitor because monitoring vital signs was essential for the minister¡¯s health.
¡®I''ll have to talk to them if it turns off.¡¯
Although they were radical, considering that they allowed all the injured to receive treatment regrly, it was unlikely that they would harm the personnel in here.
Although his hands were tied up, since they haven¡¯t paid much attention to the lounge after they were locked up here, he was less anxious than before.
People seemed to feel the same as they started to talk to each other.
¡ºWhat the hell is our intelligence office doing?¡»
At Garrett''sment, British doctor James Grant asked in a quiet voice.
¡ºWouldn''t CIA do something?¡»
¡ºNaturally. Even an allied minister ended up like that, so it''s not like the United States to stay still. And this is China. How dare you do that in front of a Super Power? Crazy bastards.¡»
Some nodded at the conversation between the two, and some could not get rid of their concern.
¡ºDr. Ellie. Rx. The team leader of the Health Bureau who came with me when I left the country was a former general of the army.¡»
In the meantime, Garrett, who did not let go of his interest in beauty, was consistent. It seemed he had already erased the events of a moment ago where he was almost beaten up for pretending to be a vegetarian from his memory.
Perhaps because an organization recognized by the world, the CIA, was mentioned, the conversation continued with Garrett''s lead.
Dowook, like Professor Lee, sat leaning against the wall and listened to the conversation with one ear.
Then
The Spanish attendant, who had been quiet all along beside Dr. Ellie, moved toward Dowook.
¡ºDoctor Park.¡»
¡ºYes?¡»
¡ºThis may sound sudden, but I''m Interpol investigator Jon Miguel.¡»
A soft voice that could not be heard by those around them. Thest of the attendants who hid themselves was an international detective.
¡ºThe man in the red mask over there. He is Samuel Samson, who leads the ALF guerri. A zoologist, from Sweden. He¡¯s the ring leader of ALF, which acts as an organization around the world. He is a crazy author who has already been wanted a long time ago.¡»
¡ºAh¡¡»
¡ºI reported this to the government just before that French bodyguard was caught, so there will be some way to deal with it.¡»
In summary, the Interpol Detective had obtained intelligence and was undercover. The ck guy was from the secret service. Jin Daeyoung was special¡¡ seemed like just a soldier.
He listened to every word of information Jon revealed, and unexpected words continued.
¡ºThe fact that a person who has not appeared outside so far appeared like this means that the impact of this act of terrorism is significant. Normally, I wouldn''t even ask people who aren''t trained to do this, but¡¡.¡»
An unidentified electronic device the size of a nail was held at the fingertip of Jon, who turned his back.
¡ºIt is possible tomunicate in both directions, and if you put it in your ear, it is a hearing aid that ispletely invisible from the outside. When you go to the Ministerter, can you wear this? Just by listening to what is happening here, the outside response team will be able to make clear decisions.¡»
The voice of the red mask, which was threatening not to do nonsense, suddenly shed through his head.
Special forces and secret services lying side by side with injuries. If caught, he could be like that.
¡®Hmm¡''
The Minister''s vital monitor caught his eye as he wondered whether he should take the receiver or not.
It was also blinking with power anxiously.
The patient, who he¡¯d operated on, was lying alone in the most unstable ce at the time when he needed the most stability.
Not as a hero but as a doctor. It seemed that the best he could do was not just treatment.
¡ºEven if I wear this, I can''t y a big role. I''m going to put my safety first.¡»
¡ºIt''s enough to let us know the internal situation as it is. The rest of the experts will solve it, so leave it up to them.¡»
¡ºGive it to me.¡»
Dowook took themunicator in his hand.
The hour the man in the red mask mentioned quickly came.
nk.
"Doctor!"
The doctor they shouted was referring to one person, so the eyes in the lounge headed for Dowook.
¡®Oh, I''m nervous.¡¯
Sweat formed on his hand holding themunication device. It would be over if he got caught, so he went outside as calmly as possible, but the ALF member who opened the door flicked and grabbed Dowook.
The ALF member asked Dowook, who flinched.
¡ºMy palm has been tingling for a while now. Is something wrong?¡»
When he looked up, it was the one whose palm he¡¯d sewn up earlier. Relieved, Dowook answered.
¡ºIf you touch it for no reason, it will get worse, so leave it alone. It''s amon pain in the process.¡»
-Why aren''t you bringing him?
At the urging of the man in the red mask, the ALF member hurriedly cut off the cable tie that tied Dowook¡¯s hands.
¡ºFollow me.¡»
Dowook stretched naturally after his hands were untied and put themunication device in his ear. When it settled into ce, it tickled but it was still bearable.
-Trying tomunicate. If you hear this voice, please cough twice. Attempting tomunicate. If this voice¡¡.
It was a repetitive Korean sentence.
Although he felt d to hear something familiar in this situation, he only replied with a cough as many eyes were watching his movements.
-Communication attempt¡ Oh? Finally! Nice to meet you, Park Dowook. I''m Lieutenant Yu Na Yeon of the KNCB International Cooperation Team.
Dowook diagnosed the French minister in front of the ALF members, listening to the voice transmitted like a radio.
-Currently, the Shanghai Public Security Command and liaison officers from each country are in the joint task force here. Not all of them were delivered because the wiretapping was intermittently cut off, but we also heard about Lieutenant Miguel''s n.
¡ºDoctor, I think your mind is somewhere else.¡»
The man in the red mask gazed at him sharply. Dowook didn¡¯t panic and pointed to the blinking vital monitor.
¡ºThe device is unstable, so it is impossible to urately determine the state of the minister.¡»
¡ºSince when did the doctor rely on machines to treat people? Just do it.¡»
Dowook pointed to the long scar on the man in the red mask¡¯s left arm.
¡ºYou would have received the help of an X-ray when you performed the surgery for that. There are traces of dozens of ss debris embedded. If I had sutured this without an imaging examination, I would have to cut off the entire arm because of a piece of ss that I couldn''t take out.¡»
At once, the man in the red mask took a step back acknowledging Dowook¡¯s point.
¡ºThe existing power lines arepletely cut off and cannot be restored.¡»
¡ºThe hospital where I work has a simr emergency power system. Even if the power line for the entire building is pulled to the emergency center, it won''t be this unstable.¡»
The suspicious gaze of the man in the red mask, which was looking at Dowook, eased to some extent.
¡ºI''ve been thinking about this for a long time. You''re pretty smart, you''re a good talker.¡»
¡ºIt''s a basic characteristic for someone who can legally ce a knife on someone.¡»
The excited man in the red mask sent two people down to the underground power room.
Officer Yoo''s voice continued to talk in Dowook¡¯s ear as he overcame the crisis.
-You did a good job dealing with it. Shanghai Public Security is coordinating the timing of deploying agents. The Chinese authorities'' position is that they will ignore the urrence of some injuries and suppress them quickly and strongly, a group with no firearms. Don''t be surprised if suppression forces are suddenly deployed. Hide yourself in a safe ce as much as possible.
A clean situation in which tear gas bursts on shlights and armed forces rush in at once to suppress criminals.
As Dowook imagined what would happen, he saw an ALF member approaching the French minister and opening the bag on his back.
In it was a rectangr stic case that looked simr to a pencil case. There was an electronic timer on top of it.
With themon sense Dowook knew, there was only one object with such an appearance. He could be certain to some extent because it was stuck to the bottom of the bed the minister was lying on.
Time bomb.
The man in the red mask asked with a smile when he saw Dowook¡¯s stiff expression.
¡ºIs it your first time seeing TNT?¡»
¡ºWhy is there a bomb¡.¡»
¡ºIt¡¯s the basic characteristic of someone like me who puts a knife on someone illegally, doctor.¡»
The man in the red mask was not a nutcase that was easy to deal with.
-Do they even have TNT explosives? Oh my god¡Sir! We need to discuss our operation!
Chapter 106: Proving the process with results (9)
Inside the emergency center where the power supply had stabilized.
The monitor disyed the results of standard brain waves and electromyography through electrodes connected to the French minister.
Dowook read the information and told the man in the Red mask.
¡ºThe pain after surgery is still severe. Even if I wake him up, I need to continue administering beta blockers to suppress the convulsions.¡»
¡ºHe can¡¯t be half-conscious.¡»
¡ºYou can¡¯t talk to him if he faints from the pain either, right?¡»
¡ºHey, Doctor.¡»
The man in the Red mask openly pointed under the bed.
¡ºIf that explodes, then he won¡¯t feel a thing.¡»
A heart-stopping threat. Dowook knew it wasn¡¯t wise to talk back but he habitually kept talking.
¡ºWill this shoot end in 15 minutes? If it takes more than that, minimal measures should be taken asionally.¡»
¡ºYou''re persistent.¡»
¡ºI''m just thinking about the bestpromise for the patient.¡»
¡ºWhether it will be 15 minutes or 15 hours depends on the Minister''s will. Wake him up.¡»
Dowook put the anesthetic reversal agent in a syringe and held it in his hand. Then he reflected on his constant actions that were antagonizing the other man.
Rather than being driven by the doctor''s sense of mission, it was probably because the two senses that supported his recent skills werergely influencing each other.
Last Choi and Commander Ji neverpromised when it came to patient care.
¡®I should be more careful. We can''t lie down like Jin Daeyoung.¡¯
The reversal agent that went through the infusion line was soon absorbed into the minister''s body.
Bern Kushner, who opened his eyes, looked around and made eye contact with Dowook.
How much of the situation did he know? Dowook quickly informed the minister of the current situation.
¡ºYou''ll feel like someone is crushing your head from the inside. It''s because the blood flow has not yet controlled the brain pressure smoothly.¡»
When he said this in English, the minister also spoke in English.
¡ºThis is not the hospital room where I fell asleep. Who are you¡?¡»
Dowook, who shone a penlight into the eyes of the minister and looked at the nerve response, replied.
¡ºI''m Dr. Park Dowook, who performed surgery on the Minister, and this is¡.¡»
Before exining that he was a hostage-taker, the man in the Red mask suddenly pushed his head in.
¡ºDon''t you remember? I think you''ve seen this mask parade in front of the U.N. general assemblyst year. You led the high-level meeting in the health sector that day, Minister.¡»
¡ºYou¡¡»
The Minister''s eyes, who noticed that it was the ALF, became fierce at the moment.
¡ºIf you understand, please stay alert. The Inte broadcast will start soon.¡»
¡ºI can¡¯t believe you took over the hospital. Crazy bastards. Do you know what you are doing right now¡.¡»
The minister couldn¡¯t finish his words as he grimaced due to the pain.
¡ºCalm down, minister. That doctor has been pretty worried for a while now.¡»
Dowook ced the beta-blocking analgesics and syringe on the medical cart so he could grab them at any time if the pain got too much.
¡ºTaking me hostage won¡¯t change the internationalmunity¡¯s stance.¡»
¡ºBut I can send a warning message to people around the world.¡»
¡ºA violent message will not be sympathized by anyone.¡»
¡ºDo you think we are doing this for sympathy? When we¡¯re crazy like you said?¡»
The man in the Red mask continued with an angry look.
¡ºMinister, the antibiotic resistance joint research agreement you are promoting is not universally beneficial. It only increases the interests ofrge pharmaceuticalpanies and certain countries. People don¡¯t know these points. No, they¡¯re turning a blind eye.¡»
¡ºThat¡¯s dangerous sophistry.¡»
¡ºIt¡¯s more vicious to study drug resistance by experimenting on animals. We are the spokespeople for the animal poption that would be sacrificed in the process. Minister, who are you speaking for? Humanity? Pharmaceuticalpanies?¡»
The man in the red mask lifted a small device and pointed it to the minister, who kept his mouth closed looking as if he would not cooperate.
¡ºThis is the switch to the TNT installed under you. It will explode even if you press it lightly. It will also explode if it isn¡¯t reset every hour. We are determined. What about you?¡»
¡ºWhat?¡»
With the man in the red mask¡¯s instructions, an ALF member pulled the time bomb out from under the minister¡¯s bed then put it back.
Sweat began to flow from the minister¡¯s forehead.
¡ºWhat do you want?¡»
¡ºSimple. You can support our campaign. First, read this deration and submit it to the plenary session. From now on, we will be an organization that will participate in the G20 meeting through you. UN, WHO and ALF.¡»
The man in red mask put a piece of paper in the minister¡¯s hand and shook the trigger.
¡ºHurry up and decide. I¡¯m not a very patient guy.¡»
-Dowook. Just listen.
The voice of Inspector Yu from the task force came from themunicator in Dowook¡¯s ear.
-The intelligence agencies of each country are currently trying to track the source of the TNTs but there is no trace of one. The US analyst strongly argued that ALF has never used bombs in their operations and that this is merely a bluff.
¡®Fake?¡¯
-You can determine if it¡¯s real or not from the appearance of the device to some extent. If the interior of the installed bomb is exposed, please cough.
Since it was under the bed, he couldn¡¯t check. When he didn¡¯t answer, the inspector continued speaking right away.
-They¡¯re hiding it. From now on, an EOD agent from the UK will give you a detailed exnation about explosives. If you can listen to the exnation and determine whether it¡¯s real or fake, give me a signal. That way, we can respond ordingly.
Subsequently, the voice of a soldier with a full British ent was heard through themunicator.
-Do I just speak into this? Ah, ah. I¡¯m Captain Marting Lang. The timer of a time bomb never consists of something simr to a clock. Amateurs, in particr, use simple chemical corrosive devices such as construction.
From then on, Dowook had to listen to a lecture from an explosive expert from the SAS.
¡¶BBS Special News¡·
¡ºThe G20 conference has been overturned by a radical group of environmental protesters called the Greenpeace. The confrontation happened in front of the International Convention Center in Shanghai, China. Over to Christina Pimenova who is currently at the scene. ¡»
The anchor spoke to a female reporter who appeared on therge screen next to him.
¡ºHow are things over there?¡»
-The fire caused by dozens of bottles containing gasoline is currently under control. Some of the protesters were caught by the Chinese authorities but some managed to escape in the chaos.
A video of the sh between the security guards and the protesters was yed following the reporter¡¯s words.
-The head of the Chinese branch of Greenpeace, who spoke on behalf of the group said that humans are responsible for bird flu and livestock fever in each country, so they are leading violent protests to raise people¡¯s awareness.
The anchor, who was listening to the coverage, hurriedly read the message on the prompt suddenly delivered.
¡ºThis is breaking news we just received. French Minister Bern Kushner, who copsed due to a stroke, is issuing a deration from the hospital. It¡¯s a partial eptance of Greenpeace¡¯s argument. Let¡¯s take a look at the live broadcast from the hospital.¡»
The screen switched and the French minister¡¯s haggard appearance as hey on the bed was shown.
-I, Bern Kushner, believe that antibiotic research should include benefits to animals and not animal experimentation. ordingly¡
The minister, who was sweating profusely, continued to read the deration with some difficulty.
¡ºordingly, the existing agreement is repealed and a new provision is added to the plenary session. I hope for the support of the participating members.¡»
The man in the red mask stood in front of theptop and sent an OK sign then disconnected the broadcast.
¡ºVery good. The first step went well.¡»
¡ºNone of the state members will believe this argument.¡»
¡ºWhat¡¯s important is that our cause has been revealed to the outside world. You and I are pioneering new territory that no organization has ever done before.¡»
¡ºAfterying a person on top of a bomb like this?¡»
¡ºI think some risk should be taken for the cause.¡»
Dowook continued to listen to the lecture about explosives as the two battled with their words.
-¡if the trigger is electronically induced, it must be equipped with a load of gunpowder that responds to sparks.
From the look of the bomb to how the switch worked.
The exnation was so detailed and clear that he thought he would be able to make one if he had the materials.
Considering the bomb he saw a while ago, the structure didn¡¯t fit the expert¡¯s exnation.
¡®I¡¯m not sure so I can¡¯t say anything.¡¯
The man in the red mask took the deration away from the minister.
¡ºWe have nothing to lose even after the meeting ends with just some measures being discussed as long as you have recognized our cause. It prevents an unreasonable agreement.¡»
¡ºThe meeting is until tomorrow. Will you be able to endure until then? With only this many people?¡»
¡ºIt¡¯s enough. We¡¯re not the only organization invited here after all.¡»
Kzzt.
-Protesters areing in.
Shortly after such a message was heard from the walkie-talkie the man in the red mask had ced beside theptop, a chant like this was heard from outside the window.
Oppose animal experiments.
¡ºThey¡¯re here. Will you wee them? They¡¯re Greenpeace protesters who are associated with us.¡»
Outside the window, people with pickets continued to gather in front of the hospital.
-Dowook, it¡¯s Yu Na Yeon again. Their intentions have be clear. To take the minister hostage in order to interfere with the G20 meeting and create controversy. There are more than 100 protesters gathered in front of the hospital. This means they¡¯re going to sit-in until the end.
Dowook roughly understood the situation with Lieutenant Yu¡¯s words.
-It¡¯s much more likely that it¡¯s not a real bomb. If even the Greenpeace members are injured, their argument loses validity. By any chance, can you check the parts that the EOD agent exined about the bomb?
Dowook made up his mind and turned to Jin Daeyoung who was lying on the bed beside him. Special forces might have a better sense for bombs than Interpol detectives or secret service agents.
He reached out his hand to ept his sense.
At first, there was no response but once he focused, the sense he had felt earlier prated his fingers.
¡®Ok.¡¯
Dowook held the beta-blocker and looked at the man in the red mask.
¡ºDue to the minister¡¯s condition, he needs to be sedated. Is there anything else you need to ask him to do?¡»
¡ºExactly 15 minutes, doctor. You¡¯re quite consistent.¡»
The man in the red mask, who had gotten what he had wanted from the minister, nodded in permission.
Dowook deliberately slipped while peeling the sterile cover from the syringe.
¡°Oh.¡±
Pretending to make a mistake, he bent down and looked for the syringe that rolled under the bed. Then, he checked the bomb attached there.
A bundle of colorful wires that seemed to make one think about whether to cut the red or blue wire. And a crude LED timer.
¡®He said that if there¡¯s no time limit, it can¡¯t be a time bomb, right?¡¯
The simplicity mentioned by the expert was nowhere to be seen and there was only an exaggeratedposition. Earlier, he was scared and couldn¡¯t focus properly but this was just a toy that couldn¡¯t be called a bomb.
¡ºWhat are you doing?¡»
At the man in red mask¡¯s question, Dowook immediately stood up.
¡ºI¡¯m trying to save on medical supplies.¡»
After lifting the syringe, he removed the wrapper.
The minister¡¯s pained expression rxed slightly when he injected the blocker.
¡º¡thank you.¡»
¡ºIt¡¯s only a temporary improvement. There are a lot of ¡®fake¡¯ Chinese medical supplies. If you feel something is wrong, you must tell me.¡»
¡ºI think I¡¯m ok right now.¡»
Did the Interpol Lieutenant, who was listening in, catch that he intentionally added the word fake?
Chapter 107: Proving the process with results (10)
¨C You''ve confirmed it. Thank you. The task force''s operation was all stopped because the inside information was unclear. With this, we will be able to start a proper operation. It will take some time to discuss how to deal with the protestors, but please don''t worry. I''ll keep you posted.
Dowook was relieved to hear Lieutenant Yu¡¯s hopeful words.
Now, all they had to do was check the minister''s health and wait for experts to suppress the extremist group.
Hefortably checked the Minister''s EEG chart.
tter
Several members of the Greenpeace protesters rushed into the main entrance of the emergency room, which had been left open for a while.
-Here! There''s someone hurt!
Dowook¡¯s gaze naturally turned to them because they were carrying in a bloody patient.
A patient suspected of fracturing his ankle bone due to a shoulder woundy on an empty bed.
¡ºDoctor!¡»
The man in the red mask pointed at the patient.
¡®Really.¡¯
He was being very frugal even though he did not have to pay a penny for the medical treatment.
Since it was confirmed that it was not a bomb, he approached the patient lying on the bed with a light heart.
A woman, who was looking at the fallen patient with a sad look on her face, shouted as soon as she saw Dowook.
"Red alstublieft deze man!"
¡®Whatnguage is this?¡¯
When Dowook tilted his head, one of the ALF members interpreted it.
¡ºIt''s Dutch. she''s asking for help.¡»
When the bleeding shoulder was exposed, a broken bone was sticking out.
The mark of being struck by a heavy, angr object.
It was like an injury suffered in violent demonstrations seen on TV.
A vital monitor was attached to determine the bleeding shock, and disinfectant was sprayed on the protruding shoulder des.
Thanks to the patient who fainted while groaning in pain, the people standing with him, especially the woman who appeared to be his lover, looked the most surprised.
¡ºCan you trante this for me?¡»
The ALF members nodded at Dowook¡¯s words.
¡ºFrom now on, I''m going to suture the wound with his shoulder des aligned inward, but if you don''t want him to be crippled, he has to receive professional treatment. Orthopedic surgery. Do you understand?¡»
The Dutch woman kept nodding, only beckoning to the patient. She didn''t seem to have any intention of visiting an orthopedic clinic separately, so Dowook sighed and started treatment.
It was not up to him in the end.
He gently pushed the bones inside with his gloved hands. Since the thickness of the skin was arbitrary, a thinyer of the dermis was pulled up and sutured to match the thick skin.
When the height was adjusted, the tissue was normally an esoteric wound, but the Commander¡¯s sense was excellent.
He finished dressing the sutured wound and wrapped the bandage tightly. Dowook, who stepped back after attaching an IV line, turned to the three Greenpeace protesters who brought in the patient.
¡ºEmergency treatment is over. Can you see the blood pressure? It''s a positive sign that it''s higher than before.¡»
The Dutch woman was relieved by the noise and pped her hands.
"Well,"
"Bedankt Doctor!"
¡ºThank you, Doctor,¡»
The other two have also patted Dowook on the shoulder and thanked him. Their facial expressions were typical of the patient''s guardian especially when they were violent protesters who rushed to the Chinese police.
What could he say about this?
Should he say that it was humanity¡¯s sensibility that went beyond individual beliefs in the face of life and death?
¡®Why take this so seriously? Today''s work is just a crazy experience. Let''s wait until the crackdown begins.¡¯
Dowook , who was about to return to the minister after finishing emergency treatment, stiffened.
Near the entrance.
This time, there were around 20 injured peopleing in.
¡ºDoctor!¡»
The call of the man in the red mask.
When Dowook realized what he meant, he felt a migraine starting to brew in his head.
¡®Erase what I said a while ago about it being different from the emergency room of Myeong Sae Hospital.¡¯
Since he also figured out that the bomb was false, Dowook strode up to the man in the red mask.
¡ºAre you kidding me? You want me to handle all those people by myself? The hospital I work for is very strict, but even they won''t do this! What do you want me to do with dozens of people at once? I can''t do it here. Do I need to protest?¡»
The man in the red mask, who saw people suffering from major and minor injuries from the violent shes keep on entering, groaned and said,
¡ºWhat can we do for you?¡»
¡ºDoctors! Call out the doctors who are locked in over there!¡»
Beep. Beep.
Jin Daeyoung opened his eyes wide listening to an unfamiliar machine signal. Then, as he turned his head, he realized that his hands and feet were all tied together.
As soon as he thought, ¡®What''s going on?¡¯ he remembered the scene just before he fainted.
The moment he tried to push the bed after overpowering the two men guarding the French minister''s ward, he was attacked unexpectedly. There seemed to be a trained ex-military among them.
Jin Daeyoung, who was looking around after understanding the situation, looked at the crowd of patients and doctors and became suspicious.
He couldn¡¯t understand what was happening.
Why were doctors from all over the world freely walking around when ALF members were guarding the surroundings?
¡ºHey! There''s not enough beds, so let him sit on that chair! Dr. Garrett! The examination of the damaged lower extremities over there! Dr. Grant! Can''t you see the people in line? Let''s just let the patient go with the dislocation injury! If you hear a groaning noise, call the ALF members next to you and kick them out!¡»
It was surprisingly Park Dowook who controlled the emergency center with his loud shouts. The man in the Red Mask, the head of the enemy, stood aside and did not interfere.
What the hell was going on here?
"Umm¡"
"Oh, you''re awake."
A passing Dowook saw Jin Daeyoung was awake.
"Are you alright? You must feel quite ufortable.¡±
"Will you release me? Earlier, I secretly packed my walkie-talkie while fighting in front of the office on the second floor. It''s in my suit pocket."
"What?"
Jin Daeyoung whispered slowly to Dowook, who seemed flustered, so that nearby ALF members could not hear him.
"The model is GP-37. This is a long-distance walkie-talkie that covers a radius of 5km. I think I can contact outside if I match the open channel of the Chinese response team. For the sess of the talks and the safety of the French minister, I would like to inform you¡¡.¡±
As if he had a headache, Dowook, who pressed the middle of his forehead, suddenly held a medicine bottle and a syringe.
"Mr. Daeyoung,"
"Yes, sir,"
"Emergency centers are basically equipped with wide-area radios tomunicate with local firefighters. On the reception desk over there. Can you see the size? It''s much better than 5km, right?¡±
"Oh, then that would be more certain."
"I''ll do something about it, so please stay calm. Your ribs are broken right now.¡±
"No, I''ll do my best to help you.¡.¡±
Jin Dae-young''s head gently lowered because of the medicine that came through the infusion line.
"I don''t have time to exin everything. I''m sorry, sir.¡¡ºHey! Get out! You''re treated!¡»"
Across from the hospital surrounded by Greenpeace protesters.
The ALF members, who were closely watching the situation with telescopes on the roof of the building, put a walkie-talkie in their mouths when they saw a Chinese security bus arriving at the entrance.
¡ºThe Public Security Guard has arrived. About a hundred people were dropped off.¡»
-I see.
Just as he finished the report.
"Don''t move."
An eerily cold metal touched the back of his neck.
¡ºIf you don''t want to be the first casualty between operations, do as I say. Put your hands up.¡»
At the wolf-like fierce growl, he reflexively raised his hands and the other person took his walkie-talkie.
¡ºTie him up.¡»
Five or six military shoes caught the eyes of the ALF member who was tied up by a special rope and fell on the floor.
Kzzzt.
¡ºThis is Wolf team. The watcher has been captured. We¡¯re moving.¡»
-Received. Stand by after moving.
The ALF members groaned when they saw fully equipped multinational special forces quickly rope down the building.
-Here''s the n. While the Shanghai Public Security Agency is leading the Greenpeace protesters to a confrontation, a team from the ceiling, a team from the stairs, and a team from the underground will enter. The operation to neutralize internal personnel will be over in an instant, so Mr. Dowook should hide as soon as the ceiling explodes.
Atst, the response team seemed to have started moving.
Dowook looked at the still chaotic situation where several injured people were being treated and stood close to the minister.
A Greenpeace protester ran toward the entrance of the emergency room.
¡ºThe police are on their way!¡»
With this cry, all those who could move their bodies escaped.
Garrett, exhausted, sat down on the floor. That American doctor was an emergency surgeon, so the workload he got was considerable. He was continually allocated severely injured people, but considering that he treated them neatly, he wasn¡¯t all hot air.
¡®Now I don''t know what''s going on.¡¯
When it became known that proper treatment was avable inside, almost all protesters were treated for nearly an hour.
¡ºSir, I''ll put on an oxygen respirator. We will induce hyperventtion to reduce pain.¡»
The minister''s weak gaze, who had to stay awake and deliver the ims demanded by the man in the red mask, was directed at Dowook.
Just nodding his head seemed to have taken all of his energy, so Dowook couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for him.
This respirator couldn¡¯t reduce pain. It was just to prepare for the bitter pain of CS bullets that the special forces would soon throw in.
¡®Huh?¡¯
Dowook felt a tingling sensation from the ceiling and noticed that they had arrived.
Dozens of trained soldiers were detected on the stairs beyond the entrance and on the underground side, simr to Jin Daeyoung.
-Experiment on animals! I''m against it!
-Throw it! Throw it!
The expected sh began outside.
¡ºDr. Park, drink water.¡»
Ellie brought a bottle of water and held it out to Dowook. He opened the cap and as he drank, she asked him in a quiet voice.
¡ºJon is curious about the progress.¡»
Even during the hectic treatments, Dowook delivered relevant information to Jon who was still trapped in the lounge.
Dowook turned his head toward Jon and nodded lightly. It was about to start. Jon was seen spreading the signal quickly to the attendants gathered in the lounge.
¡ºDr. Ellie, hold on to this.¡»
Dowook shoved a portable respirator to Ellie.
¡ºWhy this¡¡.¡»
¡ºUse it instead of a gas mask.¡»
The man in the red mask who had been watching what was happening outside walked toward Dowook.
¡ºWhat is that on the minister¡¯s face?¡»
¡ºI prescribed it temporarily because of the limitation of the anesthetics. He¡¯s already at his limit.¡»
¡ºLimit or not, take it off immediately. Minister, you¡¯re going to have to tell the Chinese authorities to back off.¡»
After looking at the protesters throwing rocks and bottles of oil, Dowook spoke calmly.
¡ºThere¡¯s something I¡¯m curious about. Shouldn¡¯t we ask veterinarians and not a health minister to take the lead in saving animals in the medical field?¡»
¡ºWhat nonsense are you spouting? Did you forget that I have control of a bomb?¡»
-Dowook, 5 seconds before the operation begins.
¡ºThink about it carefully in prison, Prof. Samson. I think a vet should be the one no matter how I think about it.¡»
The man in the red mask flinched at the sudden mention of his name.
-3, 2¡¡.
Sensing the abnormality of Dowook suddenly putting on a respirator, the man in the red mask immediately shouted.
¡ºEveryone, secure the minister! Grab the doctor!¡»
Dowook epted the strongest sense he could feel from all the special forces members from different countries into his hands.
He easily grabbed the man in the red mask¡¯s arm and twisted it behind him as he tried to run over to the minister.
-¡¡1!
The man in the red mask was lying on the floor.
Then¡
Crash!
Some parts of the ceiling copsed and shes apanied by a loud sound swept through the emergency center at once.
With the respirator on, Dowook grabbed Ellie, who staggered back due to the intense light and roar of the re, and sat her down on a chair.
FwiiiishÒ»!
The tear gas burst.
Threerge men who rushed forward to secure the minister screamed and grabbed their faces.
The only ALF member who forced himself to the minister¡¯s side with tears running down his face looked up at Dowook.
¡ºDoctor, stand aside.¡»
Looking closely, it was the member whose palm Dowook had sutured 2 hours ago.
¡ºYou should be the one to stop. If you don¡¯t want to get hurt again.¡»
Despite the warning, the member still aimed for the minister so Dowook hit him at the back of the neck.
As his opponent stopped moving with a cough, Dowook kicked him in the knee to knock him down. Dowookughed awkwardly when he saw Ellie watch his movements with surprise beside him.
¡ºDon¡¯t move! If you resist, I¡¯ll activate the bomb!¡»
Special forces soldiers descended neatly from the ceiling and joined those who hade in from the stairs and underground.
* * *
Inside the emergency conference room in Shanghai City Hall.
Foreign ministers from the G20 country members did not look good even though they were informed that they had secured the minister safely.
US Undersecretary, John Davidson, said bitterly.
¡ºThe conference¡¯s image has been tarnished due to the environmental terrorists. Greenpeace is making a fuss over the intense crackdown by the Chinese public security and there are even those in favor of the ALF on the Inte.¡»
John turned to the French Foreign Minister, deMont
¡ºCan¡¯t Minister Kushner appear in person during thest meeting? It would be helpful if he showed up personally.¡»
¡ºording to the doctor who treated the minister to the end, if he doesn¡¯t restpletely for the next 36 hours, his blood vessels may burst. The G20 Health Conference can¡¯t be held at the expense of the minister¡¯s life. If he loses consciousness in the middle. Things would only get worse.¡»
¡º36 hours, huh. What do you think about extending the meeting be one more day?¡»
Several ministers shook their heads and expressed reluctance to this suggestion. From the cost to their schedules, there were more than a couple problems for each country.
When everyone looked upset at the fact that the conference would be evaluated as a failure, Seo Jung-Hee, director of the Asia-Pacific Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Korea, spoke from where she had silently been looking at herptop.
¡ºThere is a solution.¡»
Everyone turned to Seo Jung-Hee.
¡ºThis is a video that was secured as evidence after the arrest of the ALF leader Samuel Samson. I received a request from the Interpol.¡»
The video that had been shown on theptop appeared on therge monitor in the front of the conference room.
¡ºWe haven¡¯t checked everything but there was a very interesting scene.¡»
Inside the chaotic emergency center, where bright shes of light and tear gas were everywhere.
A man wearing a respirator was seen on the screen carefully examining the minister¡¯s condition, regardless of all the chaos.
¡ºThat man, isn¡¯t he that doctor? The one who confirmed the situation inside and took care of the minister.¡»
When Minister deMont asked, Seo Jung-Hee nodded and gestured for everyone to keep watching.
An ALF member and a SOF approached while fighting but after easily dodging them, the doctor found some medicine from a cab and stood beside the minister.
-This blocker will make you feel much better. You¡¯ve worked hard, sir.
Minister Kushner weakly reached out and covered the doctor¡¯s hand in thanks.
¡ºWhat a surprise. How can he be so calm? Does Korea require special training from its doctors?¡»
All the other ministers agreed at someone¡¯s admiring exmation.
¡ºThe video isn¡¯t over yet.¡»
When Seo Jung-Hee said so, everyone turned back to the monitor.
The camera fell during the operation.
A doctor approached an ALF member whoy fainted on the floor while holding a neck brace.
The doctor quietly put on the brace and changed the bandage on the man¡¯s hand then headed to another patient lying on a bed.
In the midst of a fight, the non-lethal rubber bullets broke windows and screams rang out from everywhere, making it hard for someone to hold on to their senses.
But that doctor was taking care of other people in all that chaos and noise.
All the ministers became speechless.
Seo Jung-Hee stopped the video and continued speaking.
¡ºI think the actions of this doctor are much nobler than us who gathered to discuss universal health policies or those groups that protested for animal welfare. Let¡¯s make this public to the media. More than any discussion, I think this will have a positive effect. What do you think?¡»
¡ºFrance fully supports the motion.¡»
¡ºThe US also agrees.¡»
¡ºRussia also¡¡.¡»
¡ºMexico as well¡¡.¡»
Chapter 108: Proving the process with results (11)
Dowook, who was taking a nap leaning against a chair, flinched awake at the rm of his cell phone.
Inside a hospital room containing precision medical devices.
At the familiar sight of the intensive care bed, he turned to look around because he thought he was in a private hospital.
¡®It''s still Shanghai.¡¯
He was able to quickly figure out where he was due to the Chinese characters attached to the walls and windows.
He greeted the morning of thest day of the joint meeting in the intensive care unit of the First People''s Hospital because of Minister Kushner''s prognosis.
Professor Hu Xiao, the doctor in charge of the hospital, was also able to manage the patient, but Dowook could not refuse since the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs desperately requested his help.
The sense of nationalism had been weighing on his shoulders for days. He would also be liberated from it this afternoon.
While looking at the condition of Minister Kushner, Dowook further reduced the amount of painkillers being injected. The absence of an intense pain response seemed to indicate the disappearance of the aftereffects of postoperative surgery.
It was worth the careful overnight examination.
¡ºDr. ude, I''m going to get some fresh air.¡»
ude, who was dozing off on one side, was startled and straightened up. Then he nodded to Dowook.
¡ºCome back quickly.¡»
As soon as the door of the hospital room was opened, two armed special forces members bowed briefly.
¡ºThe whole seventh floor is clear, Doctor.¡»
¡ºYou''ve been through a lot.¡»
¡ºNot as much as you, doctor.¡»
Those who arrested radical environmentalists by turning the VIP emergency center into a battlefield were in charge of the minister''s security duties.
¡®I think they said they were from Delta Force and somewhere else?¡¯
The United Kingdom and France, led by the United States, participated in the operation. He heard that the troops were waiting somewhere in East China Sea in preparation for possible international terrorism between meetings.
Dowook, who came down to the lobby floor, found special forces members sitting around resting.
Seeing a few who had been conversing raise their hands, Dowook bowed his head slightly.
Anyway, he didn''t think any madman woulde into this hospital right now.
He pulled a Chinese drink from a nearby vending machine and left the main gate. After taking a sip of a sweet-scented drink, Dowook turned to the dim sky of February when the cold wind blew.
There was not a cloud.
Today''s Shanghai seemed to wear a refreshing look instead of a dull one.
Dowook stretched and let the slight breeze blow away his fatigue. Then he turned his gaze to the VIP emergency center where all the chaos had taken ce the day before.
Windows that were broken. And arge hole in the inner ceiling.
¡®It won''t be easy to repair.¡¯
Dowook gulped down the leftover drink at once and put it in the trash can. Then he found a man walking around the parking lot in front of the hospital.
Foreigners with digital cameras around their necks.
He looked closely at whether he was a patient at this hospital, and the other person also turned to him. Seeing him reflexively waving "Hi," the eyes of foreigners grew tremendously wide.
"¡¡Dr. Park?"
"Huh?"
Click, click.
The foreigner who started clicking crazily at his camera, shouted loudly.
"Park is here!"
Suddenly, people burst out of the dark parking lot. In an instant, English poured out of their mouths around the hospital''s main entrance.
¡ºDr. Park! This is the Le Monde paper! I''d like to ask you something about the miracle medical practice you disyed during the operation to arrest environmental terrorists!¡»
¡ºThis is Charles Hoffman from Reuters! The whole world is surprised by Dr. Park''s heroic behavior of treating protesters and colleagues without distinction during the suppression of terrorism! Do you have any strict rules to prioritize symptoms?¡»
¡ºI''m the special correspondent in Shanghai for Russia Today!¡»
¡ºPlease, just one interview!¡»
Reporters from various media outlets raised their voices in the order of arrival.
¡®What the hell¡.¡¯
It was a sight that he seemed to have experienced somewhere.
Even though it was English, the words were so fast and the intonation was so diverse that he couldn''t understand the questions at once.
¡®Why are they like this so early in the morning? Is the minister¡¯s prognosis that worrisome?¡¯
Dowook tilted his head and immediately remembered what would happen if he made a fuss in front of this hospital.
¡ºStop!¡»
As expected.
In an instant, special forces rushed out from behind Dowook¡¯s back and blocked the reporters with their ring guns.
Reporters, who were pointing with microphones and cameras, raised their hands in surprise.
¡ºDr. ¡¡»
¡ºQuiet!¡»
In the meantime, a reporter tried to ask a question, but he shut up quickly. The leading Special Forces member spoke.
¡ºEveryone needs to present their ID cards and be examined. As soon as you say a word, I would like to inform you that you can be arrested in immediately for unauthorized ess to this hospital on first-ss alert.¡»
¡ºWell, isn''t that illegal? We have the freedom to cover!¡»
¡ºSay the same thing to the furious Chinese government. I don''t know if you''ll be respected or deported. Do you want me to call the police?¡»
¡º¡¡A passport would suffice, right?¡»
The majesty of the elite forces, which firmly blocked reporters'' rush of questions, made Dowook feel somewhat proud.
"Dowook!"
When he turned to the back of the crowd, an employee from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea stood there.
"Mr. Kushner is looking for you."
"Is he awake?¡±
He thought it was because he reduced the painkillers, so he hurried into the hospital.
"Why are the reporters so crowded like that?¡±
"Oh? You haven''t seen the news yet?"
"News?"
The Foreign Ministry official pointed to arge TV set on one side of the lobby.
CNN breaking news.
The anchors had a conversation with his face in the background.
Dowook interpreted the caption flowing below.
¡®Even sudden environmental terrorists are impressed by the Korean Schweitzer¡¡ Praise? The Korean what?¡¯
Bern Kushner sat up leaning against the bed.
Dowook asked while approaching him.
¡ºHow''s your head?¡»
¡ºIt¡¯s fine thanks to you.¡»
ude, who stayed up all night with Dowook, stood next to the bed, with all the minister''s aides standing side by side.
Naturally examining the minister''s pupil response, Dowookmented on his examination.
¡ºI don''t think there''s any more problems for me to help you with. The treatment is over and all you have to do is rx.¡»
¡ºBut there''s one more problem I hope you would help me with.¡»
¡ºWhat kind of¡¡»
The minister opened his mouth with a faint smile at Dowook, who looked suspicious.
¡ºI want Dr. Park to read the deration for me.¡»
Dowook wondered if he had heard it wrong.
¡ºI can''t move anyway, and someone has to act for me, but I wonder if there''s anyone else as symbolic as Dr. Park.¡»
¡ºThe Minister and I are of different nationalities, how can we¡¡.¡»
At the minister''s nce, the secretary gave Dowook a luxurious leather file.
¡ºIt is a procedural agreement prepared in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea.¡»
When he opened the file, there was a document with the words "Agreement on Acting French Minister of Health and Welfare" written in twonguages.
¡ºYesterday''s ident has now be a concern for all member states. Among the G20''s top-level meetings, health issues have never been such a hot topic. Would you be able to attend thest meeting on my behalf as acting minister?¡»
Kushner''s earnest voice.
Dowook turned to ude. ude gestured for him to sign the document with a smile. Not only the minister''s aides but also the foreign ministry staff who came with him. They were all waiting for his consent.
He thought he''d be free from a sense of duty, but now he felt like he had France on his back.
¡ºI just have to go and read this, right?¡»
¡ºYes.¡»
¡ºIt can''t be helped. If I refuse here, the patient''s headache will get worse.¡»
Kushnerughed.
The secretary held out a pen to Dowook. The secretary, who took back the signed file, pointed to the side.
¡ºThese two will assist Acting Minister Park Do-wook. Ivan, Pierre.¡»
Two aides greeted Dowook.
¡®It''s embarrassing to be called an acting minister.¡¯
How did he get to this point? Just like working in the emergency room of Myeong Sae Hospital, he just grabbed a patient who seemed to need treatment and took action. This was why habits were so terrifying.
9:30 a.m.
Dowook got into the back seat of a protocol vehicle prepared in front of the hospital. Pierre, in the passenger seat, ordered the departure, and the car soon left the hospital and entered the boulevard.
As he only looked around downtown Shanghai, which he had not had a proper tour in the past three days, the car stopped in front of the International Convention Center.
-Experiment on animals! Say no!
Dowook, who was getting out of the car door, hesitated.
There was arge crowd in the square in front of the center. The protesters of environmental groups could be noticed by the signs they had seen for days.
Pierre spoke next to Dowook, who began to walk toward the building.
¡ºGreenpeace has dered that it will never demonstrate violence. That''s why some of the square''s demonstrations have been approved.¡»
A group of people who raise their voices toward the security guard who stood like a bull''s-eye.
Someone suddenly raised their hand behind Dowook, who was about to walk past them.
-Doctor!
Because it was a call from the protesters, Dowook turned his head reflectively. Then, he saw the Dutch woman who came to treat her lover yesterday.
The woman whose eyes met Dowook¡¯s shouted something to the surroundings. Surprisingly, the voices of the protesters, who were shouting slogans, died down instantaneously.
A sudden silence filled the square.
The Dutch woman beckoned him to enter with a bright smile.
¡®Because of me?¡¯
After sending a gesture of thanks, Dowook headed into the building.
When the heated protesters looked at only one person and became quiet, the security guard, who was blocking them, turned back, wondering what was going on.
A minute of respect from a radical environmental group to a doctor.
The media around the world, standing on the sidewalk line at the entrance to the convention center, rushed to record and broadcast the unusual scene.
G20 Health and Finance Ministers'' Meeting.
Dowook sat among the ministers of each country with a little nervousness. A wireless earphone connected to an interpreter was plugged into his left ear, and every time someone spoke, an urate Korean trantion came out of it.
The event, which began at 10 o''clock sharp, was a gathering to finalize all discussions that had been held during the G20 period.
This was a meaningful event that he never imagined participating in. The problem was that he had no idea what they were talking about.
¡®It''s not my ce, Never. When will the ordere?¡¯
His throat kept feeling dry.
From now on, we will read the derations of each agenda and have the questions and answers rted to them.
¡®Finally.¡¯
Dowook once again looked through the file containing the deration prepared by his French aide. Practicing English pronunciation with his mouth, he watched the British finance minister question-and-answer on Brexit-rted coordination issues.
After India, Turkey and Canada, France''s turn finally came.
-Acting Minister Park Dowook will read the deration instead due to Bern Kushner''s health problems.
The host''s introduction helped him get up.
When he stood on the podium, he could see the people who made up the conference hall at a nce. Ministers and directors from more than 20 countries. Working-level officials from more than 10 countries who were participating in the event.
With the attention of officials, Dowook put the microphone to his mouth.
¡ºFirst of all, Mr. Kushner''s health is fine. You''ll be able to see him again at next year''s meeting.¡»
Dowook made eye contact with South Korean Minister Kim Jin-hoo, who sat on the left. He didn''t have time to make a diagnosis today because of the deration, but hisplexion looked fine.
¡ºJoint Deration of the Third Health Conference. In order to cope with health threats such as universal medical care and infectious diseases in G20 member countries, the following agenda is selected¡¡.¡»
He calmly mentioned the financial management of the WHO Emergency Response Fund, encouraging vine research, humanitarian aid in Congo, which dered a public health emergency, and antibiotic issues.
¡º¡¡that concludes the announcement of the deration jointly agreed upon at the Ministerial Conference on Health.¡»
After that, it was a question-and-answer session, but he thought they would let it slide because he was not French.
-I have a personal question for the acting minister.
However, U.S. Health Secretary Howard spoke up.
-Environmental groups that actively opposed the meeting, rather silenced the protest slogan when the acting minister entered the venue, showing a significant change in perception. In what ways did they show respect for the acting minister? I would like each country to refer to this.
It was a question of how he gained the environmental groups¡¯ attention.
Dowook thought it over and answered.
¡ºJust as ALF and Greenpeace wanted to save animals in crisis, as a doctor, I only wanted to save people in critical condition. I think they just sympathized with me on this part.¡»
Secretary Howardughed. Then he asked.
-Will you be able to attend the meeting next year on behalf of our U.S. Minister? ALF is based in the United States¡¡.
¡ºWhat?¡»
-The UK makes the same proposal. Environmental hooligans that are iparable to Greenpeace are overflowing everywhere.
¡ºWhat?¡»
-If everyone¡¯s lining up, Canada will as well.
-It''s not firste, is it? Then Russia, as well.
¡ºUh¡.¡»
When ministers from all over the world opened their microphones and asked for favors out of the blue, Dowook was embarrassed.
* * *
That afternoon.
The entry was made at Hongqiao Airport, but the departure was made at Pudong Airport.
Dowook was waiting for his flight for Korea to be ready, drooping on the bench in the airport lounge.
"Dr. Park Dowook."
Turning at the gentle voice, Dowook smiled at a woman he had never seen before.
"Do you remember my voice?"
"What?"
It was the voice of the task force''s Yu Yeon-eun, who delivered the information for hours yesterday. Her face was round and cute, but this was an Interpol Detective.
"Are you going back to Korea?"
"No, I''m helping with the transfer of international criminals. I think I''ll probably go to Sweden.¡±
"Sweden, is it¡.
"That''s right, Dr. Dowook. He''s the one who you fooled quite well. Please pretend that you don''t know, as it''s a secret.
-Detective Yu!
Lieutenant Yu''s head turned at the call of Jon, who was far away.
"They must be here. Nice to see you, Dr. Park Dowook. Thank you for your hard work yesterday.¡±
"And you, Inspector."
Jon recognized Dough and smiled and waved.
While watching the two move, Professor Lee Il-soo, who had been to the bathroom for a while, approached.
"Dr. Park."
"Yes, professor,"
"On the way to the bathroom, I saw many doctors from other countries gathered in the east lounge. I''m going to say goodbye. Do you want toe with me.¡±
Since they suffered as hostages and suffered together as doctors at some point, Dowook also wanted to see their faces for thest time.
"Yes.¡±
Walking to the lounge on the other side, he saw some happy faces. Among them, ude first rejoiced at seeing Dowook.
¡ºDr. Park!¡»
¡ºWill you be returning home, ude?¡»
¡ºI''m just a physician. Dr. Liam is flying in to clean up the mess, but we still have more than three hours to get there. He¡¯ll be really disappointed to miss you. Shall we take a picture? I''ll show it offter.¡»
While drawing a V-shape in front of ude''s cell phone, American doctor Garrett approached.
¡ºAre your fists all right?¡»
¡ºFist?¡»
¡ºI saw you fighting yesterday. I was making a bet with Dr. Grant. Please answer me. No matter how much I don''t look like it, I think you''ve had special training. But Dr. Grant said that it is possible because Korean men are required to serve in the military. What the hell is right?¡»
They were both wrong, so Dowook only gave an awkward look.
While saying goodbye to doctors from all over the world one by one, Spanish doctor Ellie approached Dowook.
¡ºI saw the video of you reading the Deration. It was amazing.¡»
¡ºAny doctor here could do that. I think I did it as a representative.¡»
¡ºNo, sir.¡»
Ellie''s cool gaze turned briefly toward Garrett, who still nced at her with lingering regret.
¡ºIt was possible because it was Dr. Park. Jon''s colleague is a Korean police officer, so I learned Korean earlier. It''s an evaluation for someone as great as you. Respectful. Amazing. I heard it means something like this.¡»
A Spanish beauty suddenly spoke in Korean.
"It''s¡ real. No. Is this for real?"
"Whoa!"
It was a buzzword in Korea that had some meaning, so he didn''t know how to correct it.
-Passengers of A370 flight to Madrid, pleasee to Gate 7.
Ellie greeted Dowook and Professor Lee at the notice of departure for Spain.
¡ºGood-bye. Can I see you both next year?¡»
¡ºIf I''m chosen,¡»
¡ºOh, I''ve also learned how to say goodbye.¡»
Ellie, holding a carrier in her hand, looked at Dowook.
"Do you want to eat ramen? Is that right?" T/N: Korean version of ¡®Netflix and chill?¡¯
Professor Lee, who was drinking a drink next to him, spat out the drink.
Seeing her disappear to Gate 7 leaving shocking Koreans, he became speechless. He thought he knew Lieutenant Yu¡¯s sense of humor from the words she taught Dr. Ellie..
Professor Lee put his hand on Dowook¡¯s shoulder.
"Dr. Ellie seems to respect you very much. She learned Korean, too.¡±
"I think she learned a lot wrong".
"Why not? It''s all right if we can understand each other."
After a while, an announcement of a flight to Korea came out.
-Passengers of B750 flight to Incheon¡¡.
Dowook moved to the rally gate with Professor Lee. As the general attendants pulled out their boarding tickets from the back of the line, a loud call came in.
"Dr. Park."
When he raised his head, Jin Daeyoung, who could be seen wrapped in a bandage, stood inside the cor.
"Oh, Daeyoung,"
"Can I talk to you for a second?"
"Yes,"
Jin Daeyoung came close to him and said very quietly:
"My unit motto is to represent logic by action and prove the process as a result. Please forget that I participated as a member of the camouge team. As if nothing had happened."
"Do I have to keep it to myself?"
"No, I just want you to erase it from your memory. As far as the result is concerned, the doctor has done everything. I was so ashamed that I couldn''t even report to my superiors. I''m sorry for all the mistakes I made."
After Jin Daeyoung said this, he held out a gift box that seemed to have been bought at a duty-free shop to Dowook.
"And thank you for the treatment."
"You¡¯re wee.¡±
"Well, then¡ "
The back of Jin Daeyoung, who quickly disappeared, looked very contrary to his first impression.
Professor Lee, who dragged his carrier in front of the bench, pointed to Jin Daeyoung.
"What were you talking about?"
"Well,"
Not thinking it was important to reveal the truth, Dowook replied.
"I guess he was sorry for pushing the professor when leaving the country.."
"Really, so serious. His ribs would have to heal well if he wants to keep being a soldier."
"Yeah."
* * *
D-Rosette, Myeong Sae Hospital.
Fshhhhh!
Ha Sang Joong, who was washing his hands under running water, sighed deeply.
How many operations did he perform in the three days Dowook was dispatched by the country? Even when he was active, it wasn''t this bad. The onlyfort was that this surgery was thest one.
"Choi Hoo, how hard have you been working Dowook?"
The workload was just crazy. To the point where he felt sorry for swearing at Dowook¡¯s attitude of leaving the office every time.
Drrrrrrrrr
When he entered the operating room, nurses greeted with nods.
"Come on, keep it clean! I don''t want to be med again.¡±
An Hosan, the anesthesiologist who was watching the patient''s condition, spoke to Chief Ha, who was preparing for the final assist.
"Sir, have you read the article?"
"What article?¡±
"Dr. Dowook became a total star in China."
"What do you mean?"
Ahn Hosan told him the news of the G20 meeting in the morning.
Chief Ha looked shocked.
"What are they calling Dowook?"
"The Schweitzer of the 21st century."
Park Dowook, you punk.
He sent him to build a line of experience in the mission, but he fell down after acting as acting minister. It was the French Minister at that.
"The phone¡¯s gonna be on fire again¡.¡±
¡ª¨C
sync: A special force member¡¯s coping mechanism
Action: You can do your job on a battlefield full of bullets and fights.
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continue reading tomorrow, everyone!