Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 408

409. Tae-kyung’s Big Plan

“How fascinating…”

“Excuse me? What’s fascinating?”

Tae-kyung, who was talking to himself, didn’t hear the staff member and gave a nonsensical answer.

“Never mind. What did you say?”

“I asked how you felt today.”

“Ah, I feel great because the surgery went well today. Everyone worked really hard.”

“Our director never seems nervous during surgery.”

“Have you ever seen the director nervous during surgery?”

“That’s true. But isn’t everyone hungry? Does anyone know what’s on the lunch menu today?”

“I asked Teacher Lee, and they said it’s soy bulgogi [Korean marinated beef] and spicy soft tofu stew.”

“Wow! My mouth is watering just hearing that.”

“Hearing the menu makes me want to eat quickly.”

“Me too. Sounds delicious.”

While the staff were talking about the lunch menu, Tae-kyung looked out the window, lost in thought.

Ignoring his rumbling stomach, he was thinking about the fifth vital [a unique, possibly supernatural sense Tae-kyung possesses].

More precisely, Jin-yi’s fifth vital.

Both when Kim Yeon-joo first came to the hospital alone to avoid her mother-in-law and when Lee Jae-san came to ask for treatment, Tae-kyung sensed the fifth vital in both of them.

It wasn’t the strong odor coming directly from the person in pain, but a faint scent.

The reason he kept thinking about this was that this pattern was new to him. He couldn’t stop wondering why.

‘What’s the reason?’

Now that the child’s surgery was successful, Tae-kyung tried to find the answer, but it didn’t come to him easily.

‘Is there really no answer?’

He wondered if trying to find the answer to the fifth vital, which suddenly appeared one day, was too much to ask in the first place.

As Tae-kyung seriously analyzed Jin-yi’s fifth vital, he decided not to think about it anymore. And just then, as he naturally turned his head to look out the car window, stopped at a red light…

“……!”

Seeing the sign ‘Sae-young Snack Bar’ on the street, something flashed through his mind.

‘Sae-young!’

The name ‘Sae-young’ on the sign was the name of a patient Tae-kyung had treated.

Sae-young was being abused by her stepmother, and because of that, she missed the treatment period, and her appendix had melted away due to inflammation, so she had to have emergency surgery.

Fortunately, the surgery went well, and the child recovered well from her physical and emotional wounds. He still occasionally keeps in touch with the child and her father.

Sae-young was a patient who was memorable to Tae-kyung in many ways, and one of them was that Sae-young’s fifth vital was also a bit unique.

When she first came to the hospital, the child had a terrible smell along with a sweet, candy-like smell.

Seeing the child’s name on the sign just now, he suddenly remembered the fifth vital at that time.

Frankly, Tae-kyung still doesn’t know why Sae-young had a candy smell along with the fifth vital.

‘That’s right!’

But now he could clearly see one thing.

‘There’s a common point.’

That’s right. As he had just thought, Jin-yi and Sae-young had something in common.

They were both children.

It might not seem like a big deal, but for Tae-kyung, who felt the fifth vital first when meeting patients, whether he liked it or not, it was definitely quite amazing and a big deal.

Since he gained the ability, the children who were seriously ill among the child patients were Jin-yi and Sae-young. And there was something unique about the two children.

Combining everything so far, the conclusion is that children don’t feel the fifth vital in the same way as adults, but there are other differences.

All patients are unfortunate, but when children come as patients, the feeling of regret is much greater.

‘It was different because they were children.’

Tae-kyung took out his cell phone and recorded in detail the characteristics of the fifth vital he felt from Jin-yi.

And he thought that in the future, he would be able to know for sure that the patient is a child in such cases and be able to respond more quickly.

“Director, is something good happening?”

“Yes?”

The staff member sitting next to Tae-kyung looked at him and said.

“No, I was wondering if you were suddenly smiling because the surgery went well today.”

“Yes, that’s right. I feel very good because the surgery went well today.”

Tae-kyung gave a good-natured expression to the staff member’s question and made an appropriate excuse.

“We’re almost there.”

“Ah, I’m hungry.”

A little later, the vehicle carrying the medical staff arrived at our hospital parking lot.

“Welcome back!”

Team Leader Choi greeted the medical staff getting out of the car with other staff members.

“Everyone worked hard.”

“Leave the cleanup to us and go eat quickly.”

“Thank you, Team Leader.”

“Please do.”

Team Leader Choi and the other staff members organized the medical devices and equipment they had loaded, and the remaining staff members entered the hospital.

“Dr. Park?”

Tae-kyung called out to Park Ji-shin, a psychiatrist who was walking ahead.

Park Ji-shin was the type of person who said what he had to say, but he wasn’t a very talkative type except when counseling patients.

He was the type to only say what he needed to say, without saying unnecessary words. He was passionate about his work and skilled in this field.

“Yes, Director. Did you want to say something?”

“Thank you for taking the time even though it’s not your work day today. I’m so out of it that I’m only saying it now.”

“You’re giving me overtime pay, so there’s no need to thank me.”

The two continued their conversation as they entered the hospital.

“Was it difficult counseling earlier?”

“No, not at all. Many people who think counseling will be quite difficult actually do a good job of sharing their inner stories once they start counseling. The patient I met today was one of those cases, and I think it will go well without any major difficulties in the future.”

“That’s good.”

“I don’t know much, but I don’t think there’s anyone like the director in Korea.”

Park Ji-shin said in amazement, watching Tae-kyung genuinely happy that Ms. Go’s counseling went well.

“Is that so?”

“Of course. To be honest, I had only heard rumors about you before coming to the hospital, but I didn’t know it would be this much. But seeing you in person, you’re really amazing.”

“Rumors?”

“Didn’t you know, Director? The rumors about you are quite widespread in our field.”

“Our field as in?”

“Of course, doctors.”

“Really? What kind of rumors?”

“Don’t you usually check the internet, Director?”

“For theses or materials…”

“I’m not talking about when you’re looking at theses and materials.”

“Yes, I don’t really go online often unless I need something.”

“Didn’t you know that you’re known as a ‘good deed generator’ in the doctors’ community?”

“A good deed generator? What good deeds can someone who’s stuck in the hospital do…”

“You only see patients at the hospital, so many good deeds come out. People have posted many reviews of you on the internet.”

Among the patients who received treatment at our hospital, many posted reviews of Tae-kyung on their personal blogs.

Of course, they didn’t directly mention his name, but most of them could tell it was Tae-kyung by reading the reviews.

The reviews were similar, saying that he was kind, meticulous, and sincerely treated patients, and that all the hospital staff were good people.

“When I decided to work at our hospital, I searched for various things, and there were really many good deeds about you, Director. One person even expressed that they were so touched that you were a doctor who healed not only their sick body but also their heart.”

“It’s not something to be praised that much, and it’s a natural thing to do, so I’m embarrassed.”

“The people who should be embarrassed are not you, but those who can’t do that.”

“Yes?”

“This is just my personal opinion, but I think hospitals are similar to restaurants. Have you ever been to a restaurant to eat?”

“Of course.”

“If you go to a restaurant to eat and the owner doesn’t guide you to your seat properly, and when you ask about the menu, they don’t explain it well and are rude, what would you do?”

“I don’t think I’ll go there next time.”

“Oh, come on, Director!”

Lee Chan-hee, who was passing by, heard Park Ji-shin’s story and answered.

“That’s obvious. I’m paying money to eat, so if the service is unsatisfactory for no reason, I have to say something.”

“Dr. Lee Chan-hee is right. There may be differences in how they speak, but most people will say something. It’s not free, but I’m paying my money, so I demand it with confidence.”

“That’s right. Dr. Park is right.”

Lee Chan-hee nodded and agreed with Park Ji-shin.

“In fact, there are few people who are unkind in the service industry these days, so there are not many cases like this. What I want to say is that hospitals are also a type of service industry, and patients come to receive treatment by paying money, so we shouldn’t provide them with uncomfortable treatment. Even if doctors are cold, there aren’t many people who say what they have to say like in a restaurant. To be blunt, we are also people who make a living from the treatment fees that patients pay, so at least we shouldn’t let those people get hurt when they come to receive treatment.”

“Dr. Park is right.”

“I’m also a mother raising two children, so I was honestly touched to see the director go to the patient’s house to perform surgery today.”

“You’re putting me on too high a pedestal.”

“I’m not saying anything that’s not true. I’m not the type to approach people first, and I’m not a kind type, but that doesn’t mean I’m heartless or cold. I haven’t worked here for long, but I’ve learned a lot from watching the director. So, I’m telling you this, I’ll keep working here.”

“Yes? Is that really true?”

“Yes. I make a living with words, so I know how important words are, so I don’t say empty words.”

Park Ji-shin was not someone who applied for the psychiatry recruitment notice at our hospital.

Tae-kyung had been thinking about opening a psychiatry clinic and wanted to bring in a good doctor.

Then, he heard that Park Ji-shin, whom he had been watching for a long time for writing good papers, was looking for a hospital to work at after finishing his leave of absence, so he got her contact information and contacted her first.

Tae-kyung asked Park Ji-shin, who had received several offers and was going to think about it slowly, to work comfortably for a month or two and decide after seeing the hospital atmosphere, and she agreed to the offer after much deliberation.

“There’s still some time left, are you okay with that?”

“Yes, there’s nothing more to see.”

“Thank you for making a good decision.”

“You’re welcome. I’m more grateful. Director, I look forward to working with you in the future.”

“If you have any inconveniences or improvements, please tell me anytime. Then, let’s talk in detail on Dr. Park’s work day.”

“Yes, Director. I’ll go in first.”

Park Ji-shin finished what she had to say and left the hospital with a clean greeting.

“Wow! Dr. Park seems like a really cool person with a strong cool vibe.”

“I know. She’s a cool person.”

“Did you originally know Dr. Park?”

“No, I asked the teacher I know for her contact information.”

“Urologist Dr. Na Seong-gi?”

“Yeah.”

“I knew Dr. Na was secretly an ‘insider’.”

Tae-kyung had recently made a big plan.

That was to grow our hospital one step at a time, properly and slowly.

After finishing the specific plan, he immediately informed Kim Cheol-gi, who was happier than anyone else and encouraged him to spread his dreams as much as he wanted, saying that he would be a source of strength.

Growing the hospital was not just about increasing its size. It was also important to find good people and work with them.

He wanted to find doctors who were needed by patients rather than famous doctors, and Park Ji-shin was such a person.

Tae-kyung was proud that another good doctor had joined our hospital and that the blueprint of the hospital he had drawn was being filled in one by one.

“Director, aren’t you having lunch?”

“I should eat.”

Tae-kyung headed to the cafeteria with a lighter step and a better mood than ever before.

“Thank you for the meal.”

A little later, Tae-kyung, who had finished his delicious meal, went to the examination room to write a chart about Jin-yi’s surgery, checked the emergency room situation, and then went up to the ward for rounds.

“There were no problems in the ward, right?”

“It’s not a big deal, but the ward seems to be a bit hot these days?”

“Is it because the ward heating is a bit strong…”

“Oh my! Our director!”

Nurse Im Jeong-sook laughed and continued, as Tae-kyung, who didn’t understand the joke, spoke seriously.

“It’s not that the heating is hot, but the overall atmosphere is hot. It means there’s a small issue among the patients.”

“Is that what it means? But is there anything to talk about among the patients? They didn’t fight, did they?”

“Fight? No. It’s not like that, and you’ll know when you make your rounds, Director.”

Tae-kyung tilted his head and started his rounds.