A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 286

Chapter 55: Suppression (1)

“What? You’re saying you want to take all the night shifts by yourself? Don’t be ridiculous. The dispatch period is at least six months.”

The Chief raised his voice, clearly not having it.

It was an extremely logical reaction.

If he were to work night shifts for six months, that would mean staying up all night for at least 180 days.

This was at least twice as terrible as the infamous 100-day shift that disappeared a few years ago.

Especially considering the shortage of neurosurgery staff.

But that didn’t apply to Jun-hoo.

Jun-hoo, hailing from the Murim [a fictional martial arts world], possessed wondrous recovery abilities.

“I’m fine. I can handle it.”

“Why? Are you going to act like you’re doing us a favor by taking the shifts, only to sleep through the night?”

Hyeok-jae, who had been silent, interjected with his arms crossed, sneering.

“Can you please just shut up?”

“Wow… is this bastard really crazy? He’s still talking down to me? Even in front of the Chief? Chief, please discipline this Jun-hoo.”

“Jun-hoo. I know you fought with Hyeok-jae during the day, but using informal language in a public setting doesn’t seem right, does it?”

The Chief sided with Hyeok-jae.

He seemed worried about the hierarchical order between residents being disrupted.

“Even if it’s the Chief’s request, I can’t do that. I don’t see Hyeok-jae as a senior. A senior should act like one. Should I respect someone who throws a punch at my face?”

Jun-hoo’s fact bomb turned Hyeok-jae’s face bright red.

Hyeok-jae glared at Jun-hoo, nostrils flaring. His eyes were sharp, like a well-honed sword.

Even when faced with Hyeok-jae, who seemed ready to explode like a bomb, Jun-hoo remained indifferent.

Jun-hoo had gained absolute freedom, at least when it came to force and violence.

“Then will the Chief choose?”

“Huh? Choose what?”

“Overlook my informal language, and I’ll take all the shifts for the duration of the dispatch, as promised. But…”

“But?”

“If you force me to use formal language, I won’t take any night shifts at all. Figure out the schedule yourself.”

“You son of a bitch. Are you threatening the Chief right now?”

“Stay out of this. What will you do, Chief?”

As Jun-hoo pressed for an answer, the Chief scratched his cheek, looking troubled.

He glanced at Hyeok-jae, who was jumping up and down, and then at Jun-hoo, whose eyes were as calm as a spring in a deep forest.

“Hyeok-jae.”

“Yes, Chief.”

“Just bear with it.”

“What? Are you serious, Chief? You’re abandoning me, who has trained with you for three years, and choosing that Jun-hoo?”

Hyeok-jae’s voice trembled, shocked.

His lips were also 벌어졌다 [beol-eo-jyeot-da – agape] open like an idiot.

“What you did was wrong. And it’s also nice and easy for both of us if we don’t have to work night shifts.”

“…….”

“And 겸사겸사 [gyeom-sa-gyeom-sa – while you’re at it] use this opportunity to practice controlling your temper.”

The Chief eventually yielded to Jun-hoo’s demands.

Like a sparrow unable to resist a 방앗간 [bang-at-gan – mill], the exclusion of night shifts was too great a temptation to refuse.

* * *

That night at 11 PM.

Jun-hoo, the night shift worker, was practicing 운기조식 [un-gi-jo-sik – meditative breathing] in a corner of the duty room.

쓰으읍, [sseu-eup – sound of inhaling] He inhaled.

Natural 진기 [jin-gi – spiritual energy] floating in the air meandered along the paths of his 혈맥 [hyeol-maek – meridians] and accumulated in his 단전 [dan-jeon – Dantian, energy center].

후우우, [hu-u-u – sound of exhaling] He exhaled.

Turbid energy accumulated in every corner of his body escaped.

While practicing 운기조식 meditative breathing, Jun-hoo enjoyed a sense of comfort as if he were lying on a cloud, floating around in the sky.

This was the unique effect of the 청운심법 [Cheong-un-sim-beop – Azure Cloud Mind Method], which was differentiated from other 심법 [sim-beop – mind methods].

The 청운심법 Cheongun Mind Method had the disadvantage of accumulating 진기 spiritual energy slowly, but it also had the advantage of purifying the body and mind.

In some ways, it was a more useful 심법 mind method in modern times than in the Murim.

After about 30 minutes of 운기조식 meditative breathing, Jun-hoo got up. He stretched 시원하게 [si-won-ha-ge – refreshingly].

The fatigue that had accumulated while handling 병동 [byeong-dong – ward] duties without Dae-hwi, who was in his first year, was now gone without a trace.

His mind and body were refreshed as if he had slept soundly for six hours.

Before sitting down at his desk.

Jun-hoo 펼쳤다 [pyeol-chyeot-da – unfurled] the 호월십이수 [Howol-ship-i-su – Howol Twelve Hands], which he had been steadily practicing since the second half of last year.

Amidst 발재간 [bal-jae-gan – footwork] resembling the elegant flight of a butterfly, various 권법 [gwon-beop – fist techniques], 장법 [jang-beop – palm techniques], and 수법 [su-beop – hand techniques] unfolded like a 종합 선물 세트 [jong-hap seon-mul se-teu – variety gift set].

후우우웅. 후우우웅. [hu-u-u-ung – sound of wind]

The air split and wind blew with his hand movements.

The doctor’s gown that Jun-hoo was wearing fluttered in the blowing wind. His bangs also swayed from side to side.

The 호월십이수 Howol Twelve Hands was 무변화무쌍 [mu-byeon-hwa-mu-ssang – ever-changing].

Sometimes the 무공 [mu-gong – martial arts] were as sharp and fierce as a 초승달 [cho-seung-dal – crescent moon].

Sometimes the 무공 martial arts were as soft and flexible as a 보름달 [bo-reum-dal – full moon].

-13th Form: 폐월수화(閉月羞花) [Pye-wol-su-hwa – Closed Moon, Ashamed Flower]

This form, which contains the principle that the moon and flowers hide their faces in shame….

…was a form that struck upwards to lift the opponent’s chin like lightning.

It was a 무공 martial art specialized in surprise attacks.

However, while 펼치다 [pyeol-chi-da – unfolding] 폐월수화 Closed Moon, Ashamed Flower, Jun-hoo suddenly stopped his movements.

Like a puppet whose spring had run out.

“……!”

Jun-hoo was blankly staring at his hand.

A 은은한 [eun-eun-han – subtle] aura like moonlight was surrounding his hand.

It was 태평광(太平光) [Tae-pyeong-gwang – Taepyeong Light], which could only be seen when the principle of the form was perfectly 녹여 냈을 때 [nog-yeo nae-sseul ttae – melted into] the form.

Jun-hoo realized that the day he would master the 호월십이수 Howol Twelve Hands was not far off.

And that if he mastered the 호월십이수 Howol Twelve Hands, then in future surgical operations.

There would be no more cases of ruining surgeries due to a lack of dexterity.

What he could see but couldn’t touch.

It would also be possible to 봉합하다 [bong-hap-ha-da – suture] with 11-0 봉합사 [bong-hap-sa – sutures].

Yes. Let’s just do exactly as we are now, no more, no less.

Let’s train steadily and diligently with a heart for the patient.

Time is ultimately on my side.

Amidst tasting the sweet accomplishment.

띠리리링. Ring ring. [ddi-ri-ri-ring – sound of a phone ringing]

The duty room phone rang noisily.

Jun-hoo used 허공섭물 [heo-gong-seop-mul – telekinesis] to pull the receiver over. These days, Jun-hoo was using 무공 martial arts comfortably when he was alone.

“Yes. Neurosurgery.”

-Doctor. This is the station. Are you good at securing lines [IV lines]?

It was a ward call, not an emergency room call.

An elderly patient who had fallen into a light sleep had accidentally pulled out their IV line.

The nurses were trying to re-establish the IV line, but they couldn’t find the blood vessel.

“I’ll be right there.”

Jun-hoo used 허공섭물 telekinesis to return the receiver to its place and left the duty room.

Since bedtime was at 10 PM, the ward was quiet.

The empty hallway was eerie.

The rooms were dark, and the light from the 수면등 [su-myeon-deung – sleeping lights], like moonlight, poured down from the ceiling.

The place Jun-hoo arrived at was room 505.

Two nurses who had arrived earlier were whispering by the bedside near the window.

“Hey. Why are you calling the on-duty doctor? It’s a hassle.”

The nurse wearing glasses scolded the short-haired nurse next to her.

The nurse with glasses was named Hyun-ah.

The short-haired nurse was named Yu-na.

Jun-hoo quickly recognized the two because he had briefly spoken with the night shift workers before.

“Maybe he’s good at securing lines.”

“How good can a doctor be at securing lines? Unless he’s a first-year, he probably hasn’t secured a line in a long time.”

“Dr. Seo. I heard he’s rumored to be good at his job.”

“He’s probably just good-looking, so he seems like he’s good at his job. How would you know that when you just started your shift today?”

Since his ears were sharp, Jun-hoo heard everything the two said.

But he pretended not to hear and made his presence known.

“Doctor. You’re here?”

Yu-na greeted Jun-hoo.

On the other hand, Hyun-ah stared at Jun-hoo with a reluctant expression.

“This is patient Yoon Myung-sook. Her blood vessels are so thin and easily rupture. I’ve tried to secure a line about three times, but I’ve failed every time.”

“It’s okay. It happens.”

Jun-hoo moved closer to the patient. The patient was looking out the window, ignoring the staff.

Her forehead was wrinkled, and her lips were pouting.

She was just not saying it.

She looked annoyed that the nurses had failed to secure the IV line.

Jun-hoo fully understood the patient’s feelings.

Repeatedly poking the vein with a needle was painful, and it felt bad, like being a test subject.

Regardless of the staff’s intentions.

“Doctor. This patient is having surgery tomorrow, so we need to use an 18G [gauge needle].”

“I know. I’m the one who put in the order, so how would I not know that?”

“But… wouldn’t it be better to change the needle to a 22G? I’m also good at securing lines, but an 18G is too much for this patient.”

Hyun-ah said bluntly.

The gauge of the needle was thinner as the number increased.

And, of course, the thinner the needle, the easier it was to secure the IV line.

But the reason why a thick needle was needed.

That was because, in an emergency, a thick needle could inject more drugs or blood into the patient’s body.

“No. We have to use an 18G. Tomorrow’s surgery is brain tumor surgery. Anything could happen.”

“Still….”

“I can just succeed, right?”

“That’s not as easy as it sounds.”

“Originally, I specialize in difficult tasks.”

Before securing the IV line, Jun-hoo examined the patient’s left arm.

The relatively thick and clear blood vessels had already been used by the nurses.

Places like the back of the hand or where the elbow bent.

Jun-hoo shifted his gaze to the patient’s right arm. The blood vessels in the right arm were even less impressive than those in the left arm.

The blood vessels weren’t protruding at all.

It was flat like a monitor.

“Patient, are you perhaps left-handed?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Then I’m going to connect the needle to your right arm.”

“We would have put it on her right arm if we could. It’s not like we wanted to put it on her left arm, which is inconvenient since she’s left-handed.”

“Teacher Hyun-ah. Can you please be quiet? You’ll wake up the other patients.”

Hyun-ah frowned at Jun-hoo’s remark.

She had an expression that said, ‘Okay, let’s see how well you do.’

Hyun-ah still seemed to be 착각하다 [chak-gak-ha-da – mistaken] that she was better at securing lines than Jun-hoo.

Jun-hoo tied a tourniquet (rubber band) around the patient’s right arm.

Even though the blood vessels should have protruded as 울혈 [ul-hyeol – blood congestion] occurred, the patient’s arm was still flat.

He couldn’t feel the three-dimensionality of the blood vessels. The veins seemed to exist only as blue lines.

Before starting the 본격적인 [bon-gyeok-jeo-gin – full-scale] work.

Jun-hoo felt the patient’s blood vessels with his fingers.

He couldn’t feel the blood vessels well even when 촉지 [chok-ji – palpating] them.

So Jun-hoo used 내공 [nae-gong – internal energy].

우우우웅. 우우우웅. [u-u-u-ung – humming sound]

The 내공 internal energy that stretched out from the tips of his fingers began to feel the patient’s 혈맥 meridians and blood vessels.

Information such as the width and depth of the blood vessels was transmitted to Jun-hoo’s fingertips through the 내공 internal energy.

‘Good. This will do.’

The place Jun-hoo finally chose was 2 centimeters below the elbow joint.

As a 혈맥 meridian, the 공최혈 [Gong-choe-hyeol – Gongchoe Blood] existed, and as a 정맥 [jeong-maek – vein], the 주정피정맥 [Ju-jeong-pi-jeong-maek – Jujeongpi Vein] passed through the location.

Only this location could 소화하다 [so-hwa-ha-da – handle] an 18G.

Furthermore, Jun-hoo was the only one who could recognize this 황금 스폿 [hwang-geum seu-pot – golden spot].

스으으윽. [seu-eu-euk – sound of swabbing]

스으으윽. [seu-eu-euk – sound of swabbing]

After disinfecting the blood vessels with an alcohol swab, Jun-hoo held an 18G catheter in his hand.

He firmly fixed the lower part of the blood vessel with his left hand so that the blood vessel would not move.

Jun-hoo inserted the needle into the patient’s vein at a 30-degree angle.

The needle pierced the skin.

That subtle sensation was transmitted to his hand.

Jun-hoo was now becoming the needle itself, 침투하는 중이었다 [chim-tu-ha-neun jung-i-eot-da – penetrating] the patient’s blood vessel.

Tuk! [Tuk – sound of something snapping]

As the needle passed through the epidermis of the vein, he felt a feeling like a clothesline breaking.

Jun-hoo lowered the angle of the needle further.

He slowly but delicately pushed the catheter into the blood vessel.

The gray needle was sucked into the patient’s skin.

It gradually disappeared.

Soon, dark red blood gathered towards the mouth of the catheter.

“…….”

“…….”

The bedside became silent for a moment.

With a single attempt, he succeeded in securing the right arm vein, which was several times more difficult than the left arm.

A situation that not only the patient but also.

Hyun-ah and Yu-na had not expected at all!

Jun-hoo removed the stylet and connected the IV line.

Tuk. Tuk. Tuk. [Tuk – sound of dripping]

Hartmann’s solution fell coolly from the drip chamber.

“How is it? Easy, right?”