A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 117

The Bracelet (2)

The next day, afternoon.

Jun-hoo was heading to the cafeteria for lunch.

Food is simply necessary for survival.

It’s enough to have a meal.

In the Murim [martial arts world], Jun-hoo had such a mindset.

However, after mostly eating ramen and sandwiches, he was particularly craving a proper meal today.

Pork cutlet. Miso soup. Salad. Kimchi. Stir-fried fish cakes.

He filled his tray with food.

Jun-hoo ate at a table.

He had finished his rounds in the ward and got permission from a first-year resident, so there was no one to eat with.

But it was fine.

Food that felt warm.

Food that felt sincere.

Food that tasted unprocessed made him feel good.

“You’re going to choke if you eat so fast.”

Jun-hoo looked up at the familiar voice.

A-yeong sat across from him.

A-yeong had also come to the cafeteria alone.

“A-yeong, you seem to have some free time today too?”

“Yeah. There weren’t as many orders as I thought.”

Jun-hoo had lunch with A-yeong and moved to the outdoor休息室 [rest area] on the first floor.

He drank canned coffee for dessert.

Midwinter.

The weather was chilly, but it was nice to get some fresh air.

“I’m so envious of you these days, A-yeong.”

“Suddenly?”

“You have a clear major. I still haven’t decided on mine.”

Jun-hoo naturally confided his worries. It had already been a week since he couldn’t figure out his major.

His thoughts grew deeper and deeper.

His thoughts branched out like a chain.

Jun-hoo was still wandering.

Jun-hoo was still lost.

“I think it’s because you’re too greedy, Jun-hoo.”

“Greedy?”

Jun-hoo tilted his head, surprised by A-yeong’s interpretation.

“Isn’t it because you want to be proficient in all surgeries that you can’t choose just one department?”

“Hmm… now that I hear it, it seems like that might be the case.”

“Jun-hoo, you could even become a triple board surgeon, right? Don’t feel too pressured and choose the one you’re most drawn to right now.”

“……”

“You can get a specialist in one subject and then get another specialist in another subject.”

Like a smart cookie, A-yeong’s advice was spot on.

His seniors were all making a fuss, telling him to come to their department.

A-yeong’s interpretation was different.

First, she saw through Jun-hoo’s fundamental desires.

She even relieved Jun-hoo’s burden by mentioning the triple board.

“Or how about choosing from the departments you trained in?”

“Departments I trained in…”

Jun-hoo muttered to himself and sipped his canned coffee.

Ten months into his internship.

Jun-hoo had only trained in three surgical departments so far.

Orthopedic surgery.

Gastrointestinal surgery.

Plastic surgery.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t been to neurosurgery and thoracic surgery.

He wouldn’t be going during the remaining month of his training period.

The subjects that interns train in are random, so interns can’t choose directly.

Orthopedic surgery. Gastrointestinal surgery. Plastic surgery.

If I narrow it down to three.

It would definitely be easier to decide.

“Your advice is the best I’ve heard so far. Thanks.”

“I’m glad I could help.”

A-yeong smiled brightly.

Jun-hoo fleetingly thought that A-yeong’s smile was very pretty.

“I’m going to go up now…”

Jun-hoo couldn’t finish his sentence.

He felt a vibration in his gown pocket.

But the vibration was felt not from his pager but from his cell phone.

“……!”

After checking the text message on his cell phone, Jun-hoo doubted his eyes.

No way.

This is a lie, right? Is this a joke?

“Jun-hoo, did you get a text too?”

A-yeong also checked the text and stared at Jun-hoo with wide eyes.

Jun-hoo just nodded with a blank face.

* * *

Jun-hoo didn’t even know how the day he received the text message passed.

When he came to his senses, a day had passed.

Jun-hoo explained the situation to his seniors and took a day off.

He hurriedly boarded the KTX [Korean high-speed rail] to Daejeon.

A-yeong was sitting next to Jun-hoo.

“……”

“……”

It was a situation where friendly conversations should have blossomed, but neither of them could easily open their mouths.

It was because of the shocking text message they received yesterday.

[This is Seong-ho’s mom. I’m contacting you with Seong-ho’s number because it’s unavoidable. Actually, last night our Seong-ho…]

Jun-hoo stared at the train window with a dazed expression.

He recalled the long text message he received yesterday.

The content was this.

Seong-ho was driving down to Daejeon when he collided with a truck coming from the opposite lane.

At the time of reading the text.

Jun-hoo’s heart sank with each sentence.

Then, he was greatly relieved at the part where the surgery went well.

This was a premature delusion.

The last sentence mercilessly cut through Jun-hoo’s heart like a sword wielded by Jeok Il-do [a famous swordsman].

[Our Seong-ho has brain death.]

He said brain death.

Seong-ho said brain death.

As a doctor, he had encountered the word brain death several times.

But when he attached Seong-ho’s name next to brain death, it felt endlessly unfamiliar.

Was that really possible?

Just yesterday, he was having everyday chats with Seong-ho.

Laughing and joking.

He even received a bracelet as a gift.

Seong-ho suddenly has brain death…

This was clearly a trick, a mischief, a mistake of the heavens.

Perhaps that’s why.

Jun-hoo kept denying the news of Seong-ho’s brain death.

He wasn’t going to believe it until he saw Seong-ho’s condition with his own eyes.

Wouldn’t the doctors have made a mistake in the brain death determination?

Wasn’t it too hasty a judgment?

Jun-hoo was thinking that.

Even though he was sitting in a chair.

Jun-hoo felt like his body was floating in the air.

He still didn’t feel a sense of reality.

Yeah.

This is a nightmare.

* * *

A regional trauma center hospital located in Daejeon.

Jun-hoo and A-yeong passed through the lobby and moved to the intensive care unit.

A middle-aged couple was sitting on chairs in the waiting room.

“Are you Seong-ho’s parents?”

“Ah. Yes. That’s right. Are you Seong-ho’s friends?”

Seong-ho’s mother looked at Jun-hoo and asked.

The mother’s eyes were red.

Tear marks were smeared under her eyes.

“Thank you. You must be busy working at the hospital, but thank you for coming in one step.”

“……”

“I felt like I had to contact you two, so I contacted you.”

“Thank you.”

Jun-hoo bowed his head with a mournful expression.

Through his parents, Jun-hoo also heard the truth of the incident outside the text message.

The biggest cause that drove Seong-ho to brain death.

It was said to be due to the poor trauma medical system.

Was it because it was a rural area?

At the time of the traffic accident.

There was no university hospital where Seong-ho could urgently receive brain surgery.

So Seong-ho wandered around several general hospitals.

It is said that he was barely transferred to the trauma medical center two hours after the traffic accident occurred.

Because the golden time had passed, even the neurosurgeon couldn’t do anything at that time.

There was no tragedy like this.

There was no farce like this.

While listening to Seong-ho’s parents’ story.

Jun-hoo’s heart was boiling.

“Can I see Seong-ho?”

“You can tell the nurse.”

“Yes. I’ll see Seong-ho first and then tell you the details.”

Jun-hoo deliberately did not comfort Seong-ho’s parents.

Because he still didn’t believe in Seong-ho’s brain death.

Because he still didn’t acknowledge Seong-ho’s brain death.

By pleading with the nurse.

Jun-hoo was able to enter the intensive care unit with A-yeong.

Seong-ho was lying on a bed near the entrance.

In a 모습 [appearance] that Jun-hoo saw for the first time.

Because he had brain surgery.

Seong-ho’s head was shaved like a monk.

He was wearing an oxygen mask.

Various IV lines connected to the central venous catheter were hanging down.

He was literally like a living corpse.

Forcibly swallowing the sigh that soared up his throat.

Jun-hoo took Seong-ho’s hand.

Seong-ho’s hand was still warm.

“Doctor. Is the brain death determination certain?”

Jun-hoo asked the nurse next to him.

“Yes. The brain death determination committee members made the determination this morning.”

“Is there a possibility that they made a mistake? It could be a vegetative state, not brain death.”

Jun-hoo asked aggressively.

Brain death and vegetative state were different.

In a state of brain death, spontaneous breathing and recovery were impossible.

It could be seen as forcibly keeping a person alive with mechanical devices.

On the other hand, vegetative people were capable of spontaneous breathing.

There were cases where they recovered consciousness.

“Our doctors are all experts. There’s no need to doubt them. I know you’re very upset because your friend had an unfortunate incident, but…”

“What kind of expert is someone who can’t save people?”

Jun-hoo got angry at the nurse without realizing it.

He knew that the nurse was innocent, but he did it anyway.

He was scared.

The fact that Seong-ho was really brain dead.

The fact that he had to let Seong-ho go helplessly.

“Jun-hoo. Don’t be like this. This isn’t like you.”

A-yeong, who had been silent, stopped Jun-hoo.

“…I think I was too excited. I’m sorry. I’ll apologize, doctor.”

“No. I understand. But I can’t give you a long visiting time…”

“I’ll be out soon.”

After the nurse left.

Jun-hoo carefully lifted Seong-ho’s eyelids.

There was no unique playfulness that could be felt in Seong-ho’s eyes.

Seong-ho’s pupils were fixed and dilated.

The brainstem reflex was lost.

Although he didn’t want to admit it, Seong-ho’s brain death seemed certain.

But Jun-hoo didn’t give up.

No, he couldn’t give up.

Hyung [older brother/male friend]. You can’t do this.

You can’t leave like this.

There are manners and procedures for parting.

You can’t do this in just one day.

Jun-hoo placed his right hand on Seong-ho’s head.

He drew up the internal energy from his dantian [energy center] and sent it flowing towards Seong-ho’s brain.

Internal energy had natural healing abilities.

Then wouldn’t it be possible to recover brain death with internal energy?

Without needing to worry.

Jun-hoo concentrated all the internal energy in his dantian on Seong-ho’s brain.

Wake up.

Open your eyes.

Talk like before.

I can’t accept this result.

Jun-hoo’s face, who started internal energy treatment, gradually turned pale.

His whole body started to convulse.

Thud!

“Kyaaaa! Jun-hoo!”

Jun-hoo, who was recklessly operating his vital energy, fainted.

* * *

“Ugh.”

Jun-hoo groaned and opened his eyes.

Looking around with blurry vision, it was the emergency room.

“Jun-hoo, are you feeling better?”

Turning his head towards the voice, he saw A-yeong with a worried expression.

“How’s Seong-ho hyung?”

“Why suddenly Seong-ho oppa [term of endearment for older brother/male friend]?”

“Didn’t he get out of brain death?”

“There’s no way… is there?”

A bitter smile lingered on A-yeong’s lips.

Ah…

A sigh escaped from Jun-hoo’s lips in an instant.

The idea of treating brain death with internal energy had failed.

Internal energy was clearly a transcendent power.

But that didn’t mean that all miracles were possible.

Perhaps it was because the last resort had become a bubble.

Jun-hoo’s heart was empty as if a hole had been drilled through it. He didn’t even have the confidence to fill this hole in the future.

“Jun-hoo. Are you really okay? You seem unusually anxious today. You got angry at the nurse, and you suddenly put your hand on Seong-ho oppa’s head.”

“……”

“Of course, I know the reason, but.”

“Sorry. I showed you an unsightly 모습 [appearance].”

Jun-hoo smiled bitterly, placing his hand on his forehead.

To protect precious people.

He dreamed of becoming a surgeon.

A precious person was diagnosed with brain death.

Of course, Jun-hoo didn’t do anything wrong, but it was still painful.

Seong-ho’s brain death.

It even made Jun-hoo recall the lives of his colleagues he had lost in Murim.

So Jun-hoo was several times more painful.

Jun-hoo, who had regained consciousness, immediately went through the emergency room discharge procedure.

It was not the body that was sick now, but the heart.

No amount of IV fluids or injections could make Jun-hoo feel comfortable.

“Shall we get some fresh air for a while?”

“Let’s do that.”

Jun-hoo obediently followed A-yeong’s suggestion.

While walking through the park prepared in the hospital after leaving the main building, Jun-hoo looked up at the sky.

The sky in Daejeon was dark.

It was already pouring down sleet.

It snowed yesterday too, when I last talked to Seong-ho.

The snow in Daejeon was one beat slower than the snow in Seoul.

-So I hope you don’t keep worries or anxieties in your heart in the future, but tell me, A-yeong, or other seniors.

-The thing that can withstand a really big typhoon is not a giant tree, but grass. Giant trees break trying to withstand the typhoon, and grass lies down and gets up again.

Jun-hoo suddenly recalled the advice Seong-ho had given him yesterday.

Seong-ho was gone far away.

Seong-ho’s words still remained in Jun-hoo’s heart.

“A-yeong, you’re having a hard time too, right?”

“…Yeah. My chest is so stuffy. I’m angry too. I’m also sad.”

A-yeong replied in a tearful voice.

“I’m having a hard time too. I think this is the first time I’ve felt like this.”

Jun-hoo showed A-yeong his weak side for the first time.

He wanted to lean on A-yeong because he couldn’t accept the current situation alone.

“It’s okay. Jun-hoo. It’s okay.”

A-yeong hugged Jun-hoo and patted him on the back.

Only then did Jun-hoo burst into tears that he had been holding back.