Chapter 69
Hana was walking with men in suits. They looked like her colleagues at the company she worked for.
She came up to Suhyuk and spoke,
"Looks like you finished up work early today."
Saying so, she looked at Binna.
"Hello!"
Binna bowed her head. So did Hana.
"Hello, who is she…?" Hana asked him.
He agonized for a moment as to what to say, but it was only for a very brief moment.
He opened his mouth instantly, "She is my colleague at the hospital."
"Ah…"
She was really beautiful in Hana's eyes. In particular, her dimples looked so cute even to the eyes of a woman like her. And her small face too.
"Hello, I'm Suhyuk's friend. My name is Kim Hana."
"My name is Han Binna."
At that moment her colleagues called her from the back.
"Ms. Hana, our section chief is waiting. Come back quickly."
"I'm coming now."
Replying like that, she alternately looked at Suhyuk and Han.
Hana made a smile at them. Though they could not recognize that her smile was tinged with a hint of something like loneliness.
"I have a dinner meeting with my colleagues. So, have a good time!"
Suhyuk looked at her quietly.
"Your friend is really beautiful."
He nodded his head slowly at Binna's words.
"Actually she has good characteristics, and she is kind-hearted."
While looking at her disappearing among the restaurant guests, Suhyuk turned around instantly.
"Let's go in."
The two went into the pasta restaurant. A lady was looking at them from the distance.
She was none other than Hana.
"Ms. Hana, what are you doing? Come join us quickly!"
"Yes!"
Suhyuk and Binna moved, guided by the waitress at the restaurant.
Fortunately there was one table left, so they sat there.
"What kind of spaghetti do you like?"
Suhyuk looked at the menu at the sound of her voice.
Well, he has never had spaghetti before even up to now.
So many kinds of similar spaghetti, and the price was so expensive.
That was understandable. Binna could only stop by this place a few times per month.
The prices were so expensive, but the food was so delicious.
That's why she took him there. As it was the first time she met him, she wanted to treat him to delicious food.
Blinking her eyes, she was either looking at the menu, or stealing a glance at Suhyuk gently.
Even after reading the menu for some time, he seemed not to have picked any food.
"Bongole pasta is well known at this place."
Suhyuk, while staring at the menu, raised his head and said, "Let me have it, then."
Nodding her head, she made a little smile. A bright smile befitting her name Binna.
They soon ordered from the menu, and Suhyuk looked around. Young men and women having delicious food while gazing at each other. To him, he felt envious when he found them laughing at each other with a lovely look, but that kind of sentiment was felt only very brief.
He had so much work to do in the future. After his internship, he was to start residency, which he currently felt was something like a distant future. Of course, it was not something he could not accomplish if he walked step by step toward his goal. Yeah, for the sake of his dream.
He wanted to be the best doctor more than anything else.
"Your bongole is ready."
The waitress put down a dish of Bongole, before he realised, with steam rolling up from it.
"Enjoy the food!"
Mixed with plump clams and scattered parsley, it was a really appetizing pasta.
Binna, like the waitress, said, "Please enjoy it!"
"You too, Ms. Binna."
The two started eating. As if she were making a careful gesture of eating, she put in her mouth a few strands of pasta cautiously. Suhyuk was different. The pasta was gone with a few strokes of his fork. An expensive price for a small amount of pasta.
Though it was delicious enough, he felt it was not his kind of food.
'Is it because my taste is so cheap?'
A pot of hangover rice and soup came to his mind, plus soju to drink.
His thinking reaching at that point, Suhyuk suddenly felt he made a mistake.
Binna on the opposite side did not yet finish even half her pasta.
He ate it so fast. He needed to moderate his eating pace, but did not.
With an embarrassed look, he said, "I ate rather fast, didn't I?"
Binna shook her head hard, and showed a bright smile.
"I'm so glad that you liked it. Actually I was a bit worried…"
She dropped her head, while looking at him.
Though she met his eyes only briefly, she had a blush on her face.
"Shall we stand up?"
"You didn't have it all yet. So, please go ahead and enjoy it slowly. I ate too fast…"
With a surprised look, she waved her hands.
"I had a lot for lunch, so my stomach is full even now. I think I can stop here!"
Suhyuk smiled slightly.
"Shall we get up then?"
"Yes!"
Rising from the table abruptly, she grabbed the check. Then, Suhyuk held out his hand, and said, "The check is on me this time. Looks like you didn't eat it much because of me."
She shook her head from side to side.
"No, no. I ate my fill, and it's me who offered to eat first."
Going to the counter, she paid for it immediately.
They went out of the pasta house.
At the door Suhyuk said, "Are you going home?"
As a nurse she did not need to stay at the lodging.
"Yes."
Then she explained about the direction of her house. She did not know why she was talking about it.
"Your direction is in the opposite of mine. Are you coming to work tomorrow?"asked Suhyuk with a sorry expression.
She nodded her small face, and he smiled at her.
"Before it gets darker, please go home. I'll see you tomorrow then."
Binna smiled, bending her waist, and said, "Thanks for your concern. You too, take care then. See you tomorrow."
Suhyuk bent his head quietly and said goodbye, and then he moved to get on the bus.
Binna was quietly looking at him disappearing into the crowds.
How could they part like this after eating…
She murmured to herself, looking at him barely seen in the distance,
"I know a cart bar on the street that serves terrific side dishes. Shall we go there?"
'Why didn't I say that to him?'
She hit her head with her own hands. 'Stupid! Stupid!'
At that moment a man approached her, saying, "Well.. you're my ideal type. Can you give me your contact number…?"
"Sorry, I have a lover…"
She left the scene right away.
***
At the pasta restaurant where Suhyuk and Binna left behind, two women were entering inside. They were Hana and her company friend.
"You had meat already, and then want pasta too?"
"Yes, I hear it tastes so delicious here!"
Inside the restaurant she looked inside closely.
At that moment a waitress came up and asked, "Welcome. How many are you?"
"Sorry, let me come next time," said Hana.
Hana left the place right away. Her friend looked at her with a suspicious look.
"I thought you said you want pasta?"
Hana showed a sorry expression.
"Instead of pasta, shall we have another drink?"
A sigh came out her mouth, which nobody could understand.
-----
Oh Byungchul was grinning at Suhyuk in the hallway, and then looked at the other two interns.
"Glad to meet you. Some of you know me, some are seeing me for the first time. I'll spend the next one month with you. My name is Oh Byungchul. Right now the chief is busy, so let me introduce him later. Welcome to the Emergency Medical Department!"
To the interns, his voice sounded like that of the angel of the death.
In some way, life at the emergency medical department was much harder than at the surgery department.
It was because they had to take care of those taken into the emergency room for all 24 hours of the day, and thus they had no sufficient time to themselves compared to any other department.
Looking at the interns with a calm expression, Oh smiled a bit.
He thought that though they looked calm on the surface, they were screaming in their hearts.
Except for only one person. Lee Suhyuk. He got two nicknames from the surgery department. CT genius and Alien.
Shaking his head a bit, Oh opened his mouth again.
"You just do what you're instructed to do. Personal opinion or questions are allowed only when you're free, okay?"
"Yes, sir!"
With such a vigorous reply, they went into the emergency room along with Oh.
And there they could not help but stand blankly.
A patient was swearing, complaining about abdominal pain, and there was a man bleeding profusely from his leg bones laid bare.
They felt dizzy and at a loss of what to do.
During their internship at other departments all they did was to follow the resident, and they did not get any big scolding if they did an errand well. But they really could not figure out what to do here.
"Doctor, it looks like this patient needs to have a CT as soon as possible!"
At the nurse's voice Oh looked at the interns in the back.
"You know where the shooting room is, right?"
"Yes!"
One intern, understanding Oh's words, went to the patient quickly.
Oh called a nurse passing by.
"Ms Lee, here is an intern newly assigned to our department. Please give him some work to do."
Oh smiled slightly, but the nurse hardened her face a bit.
She was already very busy, and even worse, she now had to take care of an intern.
"Did you ever disinfecting before?"
"Yes."
The nurse and intern disappeared, and now only Suhyuk was left alone.
Oh, touching his chin, looked at him and said, "You…"
"Sir!"
At the nurse's voice, Oh turned back his head.
The nurse among the ambulance crew was laying a patient on the bed.
Oh approached them quickly. It was a woman patient in her late 40s.
Though she had no external injury, she was making a big frown.
"Where do you feel pain?"
"I feel so painful as if my belly is splitting. Ooops, my belly!"
Oh raised her upper clothes and put the stethoscope on her.
"It seems like the main artery."
Oh looked at Suhyuk as if he was asking what he is talking about.
Suhyuk pointed to the patient's belly.
The spot right above the navel was pounding a bit as if it were hung with a heart.
Only with a careful examination could he notice it, and it lasted very briefly.
The pulse of the belly that bulged like a convex lens grew bigger.
It showed that the main artery swelled up as much as it could.
Oh called somewhere quickly. It was the emergency artery surgery team.
The patient was handed over to the team.
Oh said to Suhyuk, "Don't go away from me."
Suhyuk nodded his head, and that was the beginning of his internship.
***
"I suspect that the patient had pulmonary embolism. So oxygen should be given first of all."
"The patient is breathing well. What are you talking about?"
"The veins need to be expanded without causing hypoxia."
Suhyuk moved continuously. Carrying a patient to the shooting room directly, and handing over an emergency patient to another department team with the name of the patient's disease. He alone was carrying out the work of two persons without any problem.
He was doing the same thing at the same moment.
Checking the ultrasound of an emergency patient, he approached Oh, saying,
"I noticed about 1.5 cm of heterogenerous mixed echoiclesion. Looks like it was a gallstone. I think you can check it with a laparoscopic rather than doing laparotomy."
Oh just nodded his head blankly.
"Yeah, just as you did before, just hand the patient to the surgery team."
"Yes, sir."
Suhyuk was turning back.
Looking at him, Oh murmured before he knew it,
"What kind of star has he come from?"
Chapter 70
Oh Byungchul kept shaking his head, glancing at Suhyuk.
He carried out all the work he was instructed to so. Nothing he could not accomplish.
Oh felt all the more need to test him.
There were not many patients, and he had some free time.
At that moment, a patient with a wry face was taken to the emergency room.
Oh signalled his eyes to Suhyuk, "Can you take care of him?"
Suhyuk's eyes became wide. No resident has ever let him take care of a patient before.
That was only natural because he was an intern.
It was like giving up a patient to let an intern treat him or her.
Suhyuk understood that he would normally not be asked to do such a thing, but the opportunity now came along to him.
He has been waiting for that kind of instruction all this time.
"Thank you."
With a short answer he approached the patient sitting on the bed.
Oh shook his head once more at his attitude.
'Thank you? Isn't it normal for an intern to get so nervous or tremble just like an intern?'
Besides, his eyes seemed to twinkle.
Oh followed him because he wanted to prevent him from making any trouble in advance.
A man with a wry face. He looked like a man in his early 20s.
Anybody looking at his behavior could figure out immediately that he had pain in his hand.
For he was supporting his right hand with his left one as if it were a splint.
Suhyuk opened his mouth, "Did your hand get hurt?"
He nodded his head.
"How did it get hurt?"
"When I fell, I supported myself on the ground with my left hand. I wonder if the bone was fractured."
"Let me briefly take a look."
Suhyuk held his hand cautiously. No signs of swelling.
"Were you okay in the past?"
"Yes, I think it hurts because I fell down."
Suhyuk nodded. He had no symptoms of edema.
This time he examined the figure of his hand. Given that there was no distortion, did he have a fracture?
"Can you move your fingers?"
His trembling fingers moved.
"Just turn your wrist."
The patient's wrist turned with effort. Given his grim face, it seemed he barely managed to turn it.
"Good job."
Saying so, Suhyuk pressed on the back of his hand with his thumb gently. When he pressed on one area, a painful moaning came out from the patient's mouth.
It was the area of anatomical snuffbox, a triangle-shaped concave seen when one raises his thumb with the palm open.
The name of a disease came to his mind. 'Scaphoid fracture.'
Where there is a scaphoid fracture, one feels a pressure and ache on their anatomical snuffbox, an area that connects the carpal bones. Whenever one uses their wrist, the scaphoid supports it. Because it is used constantly, it receives a lot of stimulation. Fractures can be common when one falls with one's hand supporting one's weight or when one's wrist is broken
Suhyuk opened his mouth, looking at Oh.
"Looks like it is scaphoid fracture."
A dubious expression was formed on Oh's face. How can he determine it's a bone fracture just by pressing the patient's one finger?
"Are you sure?"
Suhyuk nodded his head.
"I guess so."
"Take an X-ray shot."
At his instruction, Suhyuk took the patient to the shooting room, and then he came back to the emergency room and showed Oh a shot uploaded on PC.
Oh closely looked at the shot. He could not figure out anything though.
At that moment Suhyuk pointed to one area with his finger.
"Here…"
Oh opened his mouth immediately.
"You're right..."
Suhyuk nodded his head slowly.
He could understand easily what Oh could not figure out.
A scaphoid fracture is so small that even an X-ray can not catch it.
Ironically, an intern was generous enough to understand the sorry circumstances of a resident.
Of course, Oh could not know it even in his dreams.
Suhyuk spoke to him still fixing his gaze on the PC.
"Fortunately, he had no displaced fat pad. As his fracture is not severe, we can fix it with a plaster."
If one is seriously injured, it is difficult to recover from that injury, and if the blood circulation is not good in the scaphoid fracture, it can lead to the bone disintegrate. Accordingly, one diagnosed with a scaphoid fracture needs to go to the hospital quickly.
"How did you see it?"
At Oh's asking, he pointed to the X-ray shot.
"Don't you notice it here?"
Oh shook his head, and murmured to himself,
"Maybe you're right…"
Then he was speechless.
-----
Two weeks were passing since Suhyuk had been assigned to the emergency medical department. He was hectically busy during that time, and sleeping only three to four hours a day, he stayed there. He deserved it because it was his actual clinical practice. Oh stood by him faithfully, though. Though he trusted him, Oh was a bit worried. That's understandable because the label 'intern' accompanied Suhyuk. However skillful he was, a human being was supposed to make a mistake.
Suhyuk actively roamed around the hospital like a fish in water. As time went on, he looked like a superman. It was because of his way of speaking to and because of his glaring eyes at the patients, above all.
Three to four hours of sleep per day might have made him pooped out, but once he saw patients, he received the patients warmly as if they were his family.
However, when he spoke to himself, he could not be icier. He was like that from the beginning.
His attitude is still the same, and especially so when compared with his attitude towards patients.
1am. Bending his knees, he was matching his eyesight with that of a 9-year-old boy's.
Such an attitude showed how kind he was to patients.
"Do you still feel hurt?"
The boy, with watery tears in his eyes, nodded.
"You said the name of the dog that bit your fingers was Poppi?"
"Yes, sir."
"If she bites you again next time, bring her here. Let me punish her, so she can never do it again."
Suhyuk stroked his hair several times, and talked to his parents next to him,
"As you said she is a pet and she has been vaccinated, I didn't give him a preventive shot against rabies. I'm afraid though that he will lose a fingernail. You don't have to bring him here anymore because you can do disinfection easily at home."
When his parents nodded, Suhyuk waved his hands at the boy.
And then Suhyuk said, with a scary expression, "Don't get hurt and come back here. Okay?"
As if he understood his remarks, the boy grabbed his mother's hand quickly.
Watching them, Oh just shook his head because he looked like the boy's real older brother.
Did he tell the boy not to come to the hospital? A doctor would tell him to disinfect even a little wound and come back again to the hospital, because it would lead to monetary gains for the hospital. Can he say the same thing when he opens his own clinic later? Maybe not.
Suhyuk waved his hands at them leaving the hospital.
Then Oh came close to him.
"Let me tell you again, man. You should not overwork yourself. You're clearly doing this because you love it."
Other interns are so anxious to take a break, but he would come out even if he was not asked to do so.
"I'm alright," said Suhyuk.
"You don't look alright to me."
Actually his eyes looked drowsy, as if he would fall asleep instantly when he closed his eyes.
Like he said, Suhyuk was so tired. He felt his mind would clear if he could sleep for just one hour. But he could not. What if a new patient comes in during his sleep? He could not sleep, otherwise he would not be able to treat the patient.
"Hey, Oh Byungchul."
At someone's sharp voice Oh turned his head to the side, and Suhyuk too.
He was the chief of the emergency medical department.
Approaching Oh, he made a frown, and then he looked at Suhyuk standing a short distance away.
"Even though you're so busy, how could you let the intern take care of the patients? Are you crazy?"
Actually the chief could not take care of the interns because he himself was busy. Then he heard a strange rumor yesterday. It came from the nurses: an intern was treating patients in the emergency room. It turned out that the instruction was given by Oh, and the intern was Lee Suhyuk.
"In my eyes, he was so smart…"
At his words the chief's voice became even sharper.
"What? Are you going to take responsibility if he makes a smart mistake? Huh?"
"I'm sorry."
At his screaming Oh could not raise his head.
"Hey, intern!"
Suhyuk approached at the calling.
"Yes, sir."
The chief was staring at him sternly.
"An intern is only a trainee. An intern has a long, long way to go when it comes to learning. Then…"
"Who is raising their voice like this in the emergency room?"
They turned their heads. He was the professor at the emergency artery department. He was Prof. Kim Jinwook.
The chief bent his head and bowed. So did the other two.
"What happened?"
At Kim's asking, the chief looked at Suhyuk.
"I heard this intern consulted with patients and even treated them."
Kim, looking at Suhyuk, nodded his head slowly.
"Consultation and treatment… So? Did he cause any medical accident?"
"I don't mean that, but an intern's untrained action might cause the patient…"
Kim asked Suhyuk, "What kind of patients did you…"
He scratched his head. He treated so many patients to the point that he could not remember well. He spoke about one that came to his mind first.
"A patient with pseudoaneurysm…"
"Ooops, it was you who sent the patient to our team? I'd forgotten completely, but now I begin to remember it. How did you find the cause of the disease? As the patient doesn't feel pain usually, it's hard to find its cause."
"He was involved in a traffic accident. He had light bruises, but I had an X-ray taken of him, and found it out then."
Kim nodded his head, "What a strange chance that patient met!"
An aneurysm was a very dangerous disease when the treatment timing was missed. Because the patient does not appeal of any pain, doctors often missed it. Since Suhyuk found it out, did he not turn a coincidence into a strange chance?
Suhyuk and Prof. Kim were on speaking terms already, so the chief could not cut in.
Kim's glaring eyes were as if he were looking at gold bars.
Kim, while looking at Suhyuk with a laugh, said to the chief,
"Mr. Lee. This man is quite capable. If someone can treat a patient, regardless of rank, is it only right to assign him to actual clinical practice?"
"Still, professor… what if something wrong happens to the patient…"
"Well, let me take responsibility for that. I've known Mr. Lee for very long. Right, Mr. Lee?"
Suhyuk nodded his head, while the chief and Oh opened their eyes wider.
When they were being surprised like that, the nurse watching the patient's condition touched her cell phone, and thought to herself, "He told me to contact him when Prof. Kim approached Suhyuk." She sent the text message to him.
In no time at all did another professor arrive at the emergency room, fluttering his white gown.
He was none other than Prof. Lee Mansuk.
At his appearance, Kim smiled bitterly. How did he know to come here?
"I haven't seen you for a while in the emergency room," said Prof. Kim.
At his words, Prof. Lee made an expression as if he did not understand it all.
"Well, I've come in and out of this place often for a long time," said Prof Lee.
Prof. Lee then looked at Suhyuk and said, "You're having a hard time late in the night. Have you eaten?"
"Not yet, sir."
Prof. Lee and Prof. Kim replied at the same time, "Let's go."
Chapter 71
Sauces stimulating the appetite were sizzling away. The dish was bulgogi, barbequed beef.
Suhyuk sat before them. He was brought to this place from the emergency room by Prof. Kim and Prof. Lee.
Kim, filling Prof. Lee's glass with soju, spoke, "Strangely enough, you appear whenever I am meeting Suhyuk."
Prof. Lee made an expression as if he did not understand what he was saying.
"Well, it depends on your wording of the expression. Lee Suhyuk was just at the place where I went, and you were at the same place too."
The two men's eyes were strangely entangled in the air.
It looked like a spark would come out in the middle of them, but fortunately it did not.
"Please let me refill your glass," said Kim.
The two swallowed down their soju at once, and Kim spoke first, "These days, we have messy weather. It's warm sometimes and then cold. On such weather many patients with vascular diseases visit the hospital often, and at that, drunk. They need to drink moderately."
Prof. Lee's brows furrowed, but soon disappeared.
Vascular disease usually came to senior men. Clearly Kim was referring to him.
To him, Kim's remarks were taken as meaning that he should go back home quickly instead of doing harm to his health with drinking. Yes, Prof. Lee took it like that.
'After sending me home, you guys would have a great time.'
With a gentle smile, Prof. Lee filled the glass for Prof. Kim, saying,
"Well, I increased the amount of exercise I do these days, so I feel so good about my health. Thanks to that, I can drink more than before."
"Hahaha... That's good. Actually I was thirsty for a drink. As I saw you for the first time in a long while, I think I'd like to drink with you until we get totally drunk."
Prof. Lee looked at Kim with a suspicious look.
"By the way, is it okay for a professor of the emergency artery team to have a drink like this? As far as I know, you have to live at the hospital 24 hours of the day."
"Oh, I've got two smart fellows, so I don't worry. I can relax like this for one day, and that day is today."
Prof. Lee nodded his head.
"Okay. It's good for us to treat patients, but we're all doing this for a living, aren't we? Cheers!"
Prof. Lee offered the glass, and Prof. Kim clinked it with his right away. Did they not realise it?
Suhyuk was already asleep, leaning against the chair.
When the tension in the emergency room he felt was released, he fell into a sleep that he could not get enough of. It seemed like he slept for two hours when they were drinking. Rather he felt that he just blinked once during that time. In other words, he slept like a log.
After waking from sleep, Suhyuk could not help but sigh.
The two professors fell into a drunken sleep, with their heads down. Besides, each of their hands, with glasses put on the table, were frozen like a stone statue.
"Professor Kim!" Suhyuk shook his shoulder.
Though his body moved from side to side at his shaking, there was no reaction from him.
It was the same for Prof. Lee. Sweeping up his hair, Suhyuk's head moved to one side.
As many as 10 empty bottles of soju were piled up on the table.
At that moment the bar owner, cleaning up the tables, spoke to Suhyuk gently,
"Looks like they've had a lot to drink."
He felt like the owner wanted them to get out.
Suhyuk took out his cell phone to contact someone, because he could npt carry them both on his own.
"Hi, is this the emergency artery team? Prof. Kim is very drunk at the moment…"
He also contacted the surgery department.
-----
The next day Suhyuk was heading for the doctors-only restaurant with a light gait. After a sound sleep yesterday, he felt good. Walking in the lobby, he checked his cell phone.
Suhyuk did not think over it long. Anyway he was supposed to eat alone, as the other interns were not done yet with their morning assignments.
Suhyuk waited for her on the bench, and at that, briefly.
With a short breath she came to him. She was holding something in her hand.
It was a lunch box with five colored layers of side dishes.
"Hi."
Bending her waist for greeting, she swept up her hair, showing a cute dimple.
"Please have this."
Binna presented the lunch box to him.
"Did you pack it yourself?"
"Yes… I was afraid you could not have lunch well as you're assigned to the emergency medical team."
Without meeting her eyes with his, Binna opened her mouth again, "Enjoy it."
Then she turned back abruptly. When she was about to run away, Suhyuk grabbed her.
"Didn't you say you want to share it with me?"
"Oh, you're right…"
She slowly turned her body back to him, and he said with a gentle smile,
"How about eating at the Sky Park?"
Folding her two hands, she nodded.
She just did not care as long as she was with him.
The Sky Park on the rooftop of Daehan Hospital was crowded with people as it happened to be lunch time. Though it was crowded, Suhyuk and Binna could find a spot they could sit down at for lunch. Oh, only one bench was left. Approaching the bench, Suhyuk made an embarrassed expression. Someone poured coffee there, leaving some sticky marks on it. Looking around, he could not find another bench. Suhyuk decidedly covered it with his white gown fluttering in the air, and sat on the bench.
"Have a seat."
He had some spare gowns in his lodging anyway.
"Oh, thank you."
With a blush on her face, she sat on it quietly. He was such a fantastic guy for anything.
Maybe she could not find such fine man on this earth, except for only the one man right before her eyes.
"It may not taste good, but…"
Saying so, Binna carefully opened the lunch box.
First came out fruits. Baby tomatoes and chopped banana, kiwi, melon. Besides, there was also bulgogi which he had missed out on at the restaurant yesterday evening with the two professors because he fell into sleep.
The soup she poured from a Thermos bottle was warm miso soy bean soup.
"Thanks for the lunch."
At his words she also said, "Me too!"
Though she said so, she just pecked at it with chopsticks, even not knowing whether she was putting it in her mouth or nose, and she kept checking his expression.
She got up at 4am to pack the lunch box. She had never done something like this before. For one week she practiced packing the lunch box again and again.
"I wonder if you like it."
While she was eating a bit, Suhyuk's voice was heard in her ears,
"You make really nice food."
Binna's eyes became wide a bit.
"Well, I did my best to make it…"
"It really tastes good."
Her eyes, not yet meeting with his eyes, began to move cautiously.
"I'm relieved to hear that."
Binna smiling at him. Suhyuk thought her dimple was really pretty.
***
2am. After a busy day at the emergency room, he was in pensive mood while going back to his lodging. It was because of what the chief said to him.
"Tomorrow the faculty has a conference, and they want you there. It's at 9am, so don't be late."
He did not inform him about the reason. No, he said he did not know it either.
'Why me?'
He could not find out why, however hard he thought it over.
'Because I treated patients as an intern? That's out of the question, because the professors didn't need to be involved directly. They could tell their residents to stop me.'
When he thought that far, he blew away all the suspicions that came to his mind.
Anyway he would know the reason tomorrow.
Back at the lodging he covered the blankets for his fellow intern who was sleeping soundly.
Snoring from such a quiet guy who barely moved in bed suggested how hard his internship was.
Taking off his gown, he lay on the bed, and his eyes closed slowly.
***
At the next day break, wearing a gown, Suhyuk tidied up his attire.
He got on the elevator to head for the conference room. It was 8:50am.
He opened the locked door and went in.
Then all the professors' heads turned to him at once.
Suhyuk greeted them calmly.
"Hello, sir. This is intern Lee Suhyuk."
The faculty nodded slowly.
"Welcome!"
Prof. Lee Mansuk welcomed him with a satisfactory look. So did Prof. Kim.
"Have a seat here."
Kim beckoned him to take a vacant seat beside him.
When he moved there, Prof. Lee looked at him nastily.
Suhyuk sat on the seat and looked around.
The conference room was big, but there were many vacant seats.
Including him, there were seven sitting in the room.
Those he knew were Prof. Lee and Prof. Kim, but Prof. Han was not seen.
Suhyuk asked Kim quietly, "Any reason why you called for me…"
Then a professor, wiping his glasses, said, "Looks like everybody is here. Mr Lee Suhyuk?"
Suhyuk, rising from the seat, replied, "Yes, sir"
The faculty fixed their gaze on him.
The professor wiping his glasses opened his mouth again.
"I saw a patient yesterday, and he had compartment syndrome. Do you know about it?"
Suhyuk was embarrassed at the abrupt question.
That professor looked at Prof. Lee and Prof. Kim as if he was asking what's so special about Suhyuk.
Then Lee and Kim were looking at Suhyuk sharply like a laser, as if they were pressing him to answer quickly as he knew about it.
"Yeah, I thought as much."
Then, the professor who threw the question rose from the seat to leave.
"As the tissue pressure inside the closed compartment surrounding the fascia increases, the capillary perfusion is reduced and the muscles and other soft tissues are necrotic."
The professor, who rose from the seat, opened his eyes wider, but his surprise was gone instantly. He could learn a summary of a disease well if he studied it.
Sitting back on the seat gently, the professor opened his mouth again, "And…"
Suhyuk knitted his brows a bit. He was thinking it over. He replied to his question about the disease. Then what did he want to add?
"Are you talking about compartment syndrome?"
"Yes."
"How did he get hurt?"
"31-year-old patient. He had his legs laid under a marble while working. While he was hospitalized at another hospital waiting for treatment, he was handed over to us because he had acute edema and pain."
At his explanation, Suhyuk visualized the patient's condition at the time, and then said,
"In my opinion, vital signs showed blood pressure was 112/73. The pulse would have risen, of course. Physical examination showed tenderness during passive exercise. The feeling in his feet was depressed. The measured compartment pressure was likely to be about 54mmHg.
Suhyuk's explanation was over. When their eyes were becoming wider, Suhyuk continued to explain,
"As for treatment, you may consider fasciotomy if the compartment pressure continues to rise from 30 to 50."
Suhyuk was looking around cautiously. The professors were looking at him quietly.
'Do I have to add more?'
Actually there was nothing more he could add, because he narrated about the condition, his opinion and treatment methods. Oh, did he miss one thing?
"As for fasciotomy, I can take care of it."
Chapter 72
Prof. Lee and Prof. Kim wore a satisfactory smile.
The conference was quiet, but Kim broke the silence first,
"This is an intern assigned to the emergency medical department. These days I hear that he's treating patients directly. Even the resident in charge has shown surprise at his skills."
At his praise, Suhyuk made an embarrassed expression.
At that moment another professor asked, "Did you ever volunteer yourself for medical activities?"
It was a totally unexpected question. The topic suddenly changed from disease to volunteer activities. Suhyuk suddenly recalled his volunteer activities involving deliveries of briquette.
The memories of his taking care of the old men and women's wounds were so vivid to him as if he did it just yesterday. Suhyuk opened his mouth,
"I did many other things, but not volunteer activities."
Actually his briquette delivery was not volunteer activities. The faculty nodded their heads.
"Okay, go and do your work."
At the professor's words, Suhyuk was a bit embarrassed. They called for and questioned him, and now let him go. Well, there was nothing he could do to resist. He had to go as he was told to do so. Though he was curious about the reason they called for him, he bowed his head to say goodbye. Then Prof. Kim, smiling softly, said, "Can you wait a bit outside?"
So out Suhyuk went and the professors stayed in the room.
"I think I've met a smart boy for the first time in a long time. And he is bold enough. Did he say he can take care of fasciotomy? Hahaha…"
At his feigned laugh, Prof. Kim said calmly, "He really could do so. He's a very capable guy."
"As Prof. Kim said so about him, I think he could do it," a professor said.
Though he answered like that, the professor did not believe it in his heart. How can an intern do the surgery? Even a resident would laugh it away. Nonetheless, he's smart and he's got good sense. He correctly understood compartment syndrome, and he could figure out the exact condition of the patient. That was a bit surprising. His surprise was only brief because he might have answered it correctly by sheer luck. How can any doctor infer vital signs from the history and symptom of the patient's disease?
"I think Mr. Lee Suhyuk is the right candidate."
Everybody nodded at Prof. Lee's statement. It was proved from the situation a moment ago that Suhyuk was much better than other interns. Now they had only one thing to do.
Who among the professors would agree to participate?
"Let me go," Kim said.
Then, Prof. Lee spoke too, "You are an emergency room guy. And busy too. Let me go."
"As I told you yesterday, I have two smart fellows at the department."
Then, the professor who threw the question to Suhyuk, added, "Let me go this time, because the hospital director said it directly to me…"
Momentarily Lee and Kim frowned their eyes, If that's true, the reason why they called for Suhyuk to come here was just meaningless. They could not change the assigned professor just because they recommended Suhyuk as the right candidate.
"Alright," said, Prof. Kim as he rose from the seat feebly. So did Prof. Lee.
Going outside, the two professors could see Suhyuk sitting on the bench.
He cautiously asked them, "Why did you call for me?''
Frowning his face, Prof. Kim said, "After lunch today, you're supposed to go for volunteer activities. The hospital director, professor and you, all three."
Once a year the hospital director went out for volunteer activity, and it was the same with other hospitals. They met at the same place at the same time for the activities.
Hospital director, professor, intern and a nurse. Only these four went, because sending a lot of medical staff can be a burden to the hospital. And it was very unusual for several professors to gather like today and select an intern for the volunteer activity. The reason was simple.
One year ago the hospital director fell into disgrace because an intern who went out for the volunteer activity made a big trouble. So, they decided to take an intern with some more medical knowledge to the activity.
Even though they had such a trouble last year, a resident or more experienced medical staffer could not accompany the hospital director because other hospital directors would bring an intern to the activity. In other words, it was a matter of pride for them.
Prof. Lee, looking at Suhyuk quietly, soon opened his mouth,
"The professor you're going with is Prof. Lee Sukki. He is very wicked, and puts money before the patient. So let what he says goes in one ear and out the other."
Who knows if he would decide to snatch away a golden boy like Suhyuk? So, Prof. Lee wanted him not to trust Prof. Lee Sukki. Prof. Kim agreed.
"Did you hear Prof. Lee? I don't know him well, but I hear some bad rumors about him."
Suhyuk just nodded his head.
'Even though he is weird, I would have no trouble if I just do what I'm asked to do."
"Is there anything I need to prepare?"
At his asking, the two professors said at the same time, "Cellphone."
***
Suhyuk went to see resident Oh Byungchul who was in charge of him, and told him about the volunteer activity. He patted him on the shoulder, wishing him well, and thought to himself,
'I'm going to be busy today.'
That's true. Suhyuk's response to treating patients was speedy. Presenting his own opinion about emergency patients and handing them over to the relevant medical team was a very quick process for him, like a flash of lightning. And now, he would be going out for a volunteer activity all day long today.
Suhyuk had been doing his share until now, but he's out for volunteering, which meant he might not be able to find time to sleep.
Unaware of Oh's such concerns at all, Suhyuk went out of the back door of the emergency room. An ambulance was waiting, with its back door open wide. It was mobilized for the volunteer activity. Holding a first-aid box, Suhyuk moved to the back of the ambulance. At that moment his eyes met with a woman's sitting inside the ambulance.
The surprised nurse opened her eyes wide. She was Han Binna.
The two said at the same time, pointing their fingers toward each other,
"Volunteer activity?" asked she.
Suhyuk smiled slightly, saying, "Yes, I was in…"
Suddenly, she scooted over to him and sat quickly. Suhyuk got in and sat next to her.
Binna held the first-aid box tightly.
'If I had known I would see him like this, I should have put some makeup on my face.'
She was hectically busy with taking care of her morning work, so she was all sweaty over her body.
She began to move to the side a bit. She wanted to sit a bit of a distance away from him for fear her body would smell of sweat.
"Are you uncomfortable?"
She shook her head at his asking.
"Oh, no."
"Are you really okay? Your face is reddish, and looks like you have some temperature."
"Ah, it looks like it's too hot today."
Suhyuk nodded his head. It's fine weather today.
The ambulance left after about 10 minutes.
Come to think of it, he did not know the destination. All he heard was it would take him about one hour to get there. He wondered if his feelings now might be the same as if when being kidnapped comfortably.
"Do you happen to know the destination?"
"I only heard we're going out for a volunteer activity… I'm sorry."
'What is she sorry about?'
"We'll know when we get there. By the way, the lunch you made really tasted good. Really delicious. Next time let me treat you."
Come to think of it, he was always treated to a meal by her, ranging from pasta to now a lunch box.
Now it's his turn to treat her back.
At his words, she waved her hands and said, "No... I just treated you because I wanted to."
He smiled at her appearance. She was the type of woman whose inner heart was revealed to the outside naturally, and he felt it was warm.
The ambulance kept driving and finally arrived at the destination.
When he opened the door, Prof. Lee was exchanging greetings with some people. They were all in white gowns, apparently from other hospitals. They were divided into three groups.
When Suhyuk and Binna approached, Prof. Lee turned his head and said, "You're here!"
That was it. He was busy again greeting other people.
Then a middle-aged man in a suit and gown approached him.
With a pot belly but generous impression, he was none other than the hospital director.
"Hello?"
When Suhyuk and Binna said hello, he nodded his head and said, "I heard about you on the TV several times."
He had seen on TV a few times that Suhyuk in his middle school days cut the cricothyroid membrane and found out the secret of a cadaver.
At his words, Suhyuk wore an awkward expression.
"I happened to be on news…"
The hospital director showed a good smile. When he watched the news at the time, his action seemed rather reckless on the one hand, and spectacular on the other.
He wished Suhyuk did not act recklessly today… Well, he could order him not to examine patients or have him do on an errand.
Then Prof. Lee came to him, saying "We have reporters here, sir."
Then he spoke to Suhyuk and Binna,
"Stand beside me, and what's your name nurse?"
"I'm Han Binna, sir"
"Okay. You stand beside the director."
The four stood around the director in a row. Suhyuk turned back.
It was a shantytown on the brink of collapse.
They wanted to take a picture with it as the background.
A reporter lifted a camera to take the picture, saying,
"You are really great, given that there are not many people who take time out for a volunteer activity like this. Now, let me take a picture of you."
Click, click.
***
Those staff from different hospitals were scattered, and visited one house after another to examine the people. Holding a notebook, each reporter followed each team.
"This way, director!"
Prof. Lee, walking ahead, guided the director. He skillfully moved his body as if he had been there before. Soon they arrived at the red gate of a house, and Lee knocked on the door.
"Is anybody in?"
"Who is it?"
A middle-aged man in slippers opened the door. Confirming who they were from their white gowns, he said,
"You doctors are here for an examination!"
At his words, Lee said, "Can we come in?"
"Of course, please. It's rather shabby though.
The Daehan Hospital team went into the house.
The room was small, so Suhyuk and Binna decided to wait outside. Ironically, the reporter was brought in by Prof. Lee. The director examined the man. He touched on the man's body with a stethoscope, and checked his blood pressure with a blood pressure device. On such occasions camera flashes went off.
"Do you happen to have high blood pressure?"
At his asking, the man nodded.
"It's fluctuating in temperature these days. So those with high blood pressure should take more caution on cold days like this. Also stay away from food that contains natrium and red meat…"
The director's explanation was simple. As he has high blood pressure, he has to avoid certain food and take certain food. That's it. And then he moved to another house.
It was the same this time. Prof. Lee used a stethoscope, checked the blood pressure and said almost the same thing as the director, and then left.
Looking at their activities like that, Suhyuk frowned his face. Why did they ask him to follow when they were doing a half-hearted job like that. Just holding their baggage? That seemed true.
"Let's go."
When the director and Prof. Lee went out, Suhyuk stepped aside and looked inside the room.
A grandfather with a bent back almost touching his navel. When he was trying to rise to see them off, Suhyuk said, "Don't come out, sir."
Suhyuk gently closed the door without hearing his reply.
Getting out the room, Suhyuk briefly saw them looking around leisurely.
Then he heard something, "Ooops…!"
A boy, who fell down, was stroking his knee with an expression as if about to cry.
"Does it hurt a lot?"
Going down on one knee, Suhyuk opened the first-aid box, and took out gauze and disinfection medicine.
"Who are you?"
Suhyuk smiled at the boy casting a watchful eye.
"I'm a doctor."
The boy's face hardened more at hearing the word 'doctor'.
Rather he was more afraid of the disinfection medicine Suhyuk was holding.
When the boy raised his head, feeling a sting, Suhyuk was already done with disinfecting and put a bandage on it. He split the boy's hair and said, "Next time hold your balance when you're running around, okay?"
Then, Prof. Lee, walking ahead, called out to him, "What are you doing? Follow us quickly!"
After breathing out a sigh without realising, Suhyuk joined the team.
"When is the volunteer activity over, sir?"
At Suhyuk's asking, Prof. Lee said, "It'll be over pretty soon. So be patient even if it's boring."
"If we're done, please let me go back home right away."