You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 502

You Have Been Defended – Episode 502

The helicopter arrived at the Seoul Myungwoon University Hospital helipad 26 minutes later, two minutes behind schedule.

Medical staff, alerted in advance, were waiting, including Department Head Baek Chan-geun and Dong-jin.

Kang Min-jae was swiftly transferred to a mobile patient bed and rushed inside the hospital by the medical team.

Running alongside, Dong-jin gave my shoulder a reassuring tap without saying a word.

I knew it was meant to ease my worry, but it didn’t work.

Kang Min-jae was immediately taken for a CT scan.

While he was in the CT scan, I waited outside, and Dong-jin came over to me.

“I know Min-jae’s guardian is supposed to be here, but since they haven’t arrived yet, I’ll explain things to you. If he needs surgery and his guardian isn’t here, you’ll have to sign the consent form.”

“Is there a chance he won’t need surgery?”

“It’s too early to say. We’re starting with a brain CT scan. The paramedics mentioned possible signs of a brain hemorrhage, but if it’s minor, we might be able to treat it with medication instead of a craniotomy [surgical removal of part of the skull to access the brain]. However, given that he lost consciousness, medication alone seems unlikely… but we have to hope for the best. We’ll also consult with the Emergency Medicine (EM) department and other specialists based on the scan results. The brain hemorrhage is the most pressing concern…”

“Brain hemorrhages are dangerous. Depending on the severity, there could be lasting effects or disabilities. What’s your assessment?”

“We need to see the CT results first. He regained consciousness briefly after the accident, right? Did he slur his words or have trouble communicating then?”

I shook my head.

His communication was perfectly clear.

He was spouting nonsense about being more worried about me than himself, though….

Could he have been disoriented?

Maybe the brain hemorrhage made it difficult for him to think straight for a moment.

“The dump truck accident was meant for me. But Attorney Kang intervened and was hit instead. When I first reached Attorney Kang, he asked if I was okay, and then he said he was tired and wanted to sleep. I initially thought he was just trying to reassure me as his consciousness faded, but I’ve heard drowsiness is a symptom of brain hemorrhage. Maybe Attorney Kang’s sense of reality was impaired by the hemorrhage, making him more concerned about me…”

“Hmm, I don’t think that’s very likely. How was his pronunciation and everything else?”

“It was fine.”

“I see… Well, it’s hard to say definitively right now. I’m not trying to avoid responsibility, but I genuinely can’t know for sure. Do you understand?”

“I understand.”

“Anyway, once we have the CT results, if surgery is necessary, Department Head Baek will perform it, and I’ll assist. You know how skilled our department head is. So, try not to worry too much. And I’m not exactly inexperienced as an assistant either. I’ll be there with Min-jae, and both the department head and I will do our best. Okay?”

I nodded slowly.

I had heard so much about Baek Chan-geun’s expertise from Dong-jin that I had no doubts.

He had even successfully operated on Seol Hyung-seok’s glioblastoma [a highly aggressive type of brain tumor], a case so challenging that the previous department head hadn’t dared to attempt it.

That’s why I brought Kang Min-jae to Myungwoon University Hospital.

“The CT results are in. Just a moment.”

While Dong-jin went to review the results, I slumped into a chair and rubbed my forehead.

Regardless of the surgery’s outcome, I was most concerned about the potential aftereffects Kang Min-jae might experience.

The range of aftereffects I feared was vast.

From him not waking up from the coma to any minor inconveniences in his daily life.

These wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for me, so if he suffered even a slight setback compared to before, could I bear to witness it?

“Attorney Cha!”

While I was sitting, I heard Kang Soo-il’s voice in the distance.

I jumped up.

“How is Min-jae? I heard he’s getting a CT scan now…”

“The results are out, and they’re reviewing them.”

“How is Min-jae’s condition? I know it probably hasn’t changed much from what you said on the phone, but still…”

He had sounded surprised on the phone, but not overly shocked. Seeing him in person, however, Kang Soo-il’s face was etched with worry.

His face was flushed from running, yet pale at the same time.

He clutched his chest, catching his breath as he waited for my answer.

“There haven’t been any major changes. Nothing better, nothing worse. The medical staff on the helicopter didn’t mention anything new either.”

“I see…”

“The doctor said that depending on the test results, he might not need surgery.”

“What do you mean he might not need surgery? Are they giving up on Min-jae’s surgery?”

“Oh, no, that’s not it. It means he might be treatable with medication.”

“Ah… You startled me.”

Kang Soo-il leaned against the wall, finally catching his breath.

Although not blood relatives, he was family to Kang Kwan-woong and Kang Min-jae.

Kang Soo-il, like Kang Min-jae, must have grieved Kang Kwan-woong’s death for a long time.

And now, so soon after that, this had happened to Kang Min-jae, so it was no wonder he was so shaken.

“Oh, by the way, are you okay, Attorney? If you were with Min-jae, it seems like you were in an accident too…”

“I wasn’t in an accident. To be precise, the dump truck was targeting me, and Attorney Kang noticed and intercepted it. So Attorney Kang was injured, and I’m fine. But Attorney Kang even asked if I was okay…”

If I said this now, Kang Soo-il might blame me, but I didn’t care.

I even wished someone would blame me.

The person behind this accident was probably Onodera, who had publicly threatened to kill me.

They had made me their primary target.

It wasn’t Kang Min-jae.

But I was perfectly fine, and Kang Min-jae was unconscious.

Did that even make sense?

“I’m sorry.”

As I lowered my head, Kang Soo-il grabbed both of my shoulders.

“It’s not your fault. It was Min-jae’s choice.”

“Even if it was Attorney Kang’s choice, I should have been the one lying there, but Attorney Kang got into the accident instead. The elder also asked me to take care of Attorney Kang before he died, but I seem to be causing him trouble in many ways.”

“Attorney, don’t think like that…”

“Kang Min-jae’s guardian!”

At that moment, a nurse approached us.

It seemed the test results were in, so Kang Soo-il and I followed the nurse without delay.

“The CT scan shows what we suspect is a traumatic subdural hemorrhage. A traumatic subdural hemorrhage is when blood collects between the dura mater, which is the outermost of the three membranes surrounding the brain and is in contact with the skull… this part here.”

Baek Chan-geun pointed to a section of the CT scan.

“The dark area here is blood that has pooled between the dura and the brain due to a ruptured blood vessel. This puts pressure on the brain, and in the patient’s case, the bleeding is significant enough to require surgery. Fortunately, thanks to Attorney Cha’s quick thinking, we can proceed quickly. The surgery will involve drilling a hole in the skull at the site of the largest hematoma to remove the blood, and then inserting a catheter [a thin tube] to drain any remaining blood. This is called a burr hole evacuation. Fortunately, we don’t need a major surgery that involves removing part of the brain.”

“Is there a chance of death during the surgery?”

Kang Soo-il asked as soon as Baek Chan-geun finished his explanation.

“I can’t say for certain that there’s no chance of death.”

“Can you give me a percentage?”

“Traumatic subdural hemorrhages vary in severity, but even with surgery, the mortality rate should be considered to be over 50%. Moreover, the patient’s level of consciousness was not good before the surgery, so in that case, I think the mortality rate is a little higher. We should assume it’s over 60%.”

“So Min-jae… is in very serious condition.”

“Unfortunately, yes. Subdural hemorrhages are classified as acute, subacute, or chronic depending on when they occur, and the patient’s case is classified as acute because he came in immediately after the bleeding. An acute subdural hemorrhage usually means the symptoms appeared severely in a short period, making it the most dangerous of the three.”

“Is it possible to have a traumatic subdural hemorrhage without losing consciousness?”

“With mild bleeding, some people simply complain of a headache. Others experience impaired cognitive function, difficulty breathing, or even hemiplegia [paralysis of one side of the body]. However, in the patient’s case, Attorney Cha said there was no cognitive or language impairment, and the medical staff and paramedics on the helicopter reported no breathing difficulties or paralysis, so there’s reason to be hopeful.”

“…Then, assuming he survives and the surgery is successful, what kind of aftereffects should we expect?”

“At worst, he could have paralysis, language impairment, or memory impairment… At best, it could be just a headache. Since it’s a brain issue, there are so many possibilities that it’s hard to list them all. But with a very good recovery, there may be no aftereffects.”

“Then, Doctor, should we… prepare ourselves? For the possibility of death, or major aftereffects, like a disability…”

“We will do our best. The bleeding is ongoing, so we need to operate quickly. Our medical staff is preparing for surgery now, and we’ll begin as soon as the guardian consultation is complete. I’ll help you fill out the surgical consent form.”

Kang Soo-il’s hand trembled slightly as he signed the surgical consent form.

I wasn’t in a much different state.

I had expected it to some extent, but Kang Min-jae’s condition was not mild, even if it wasn’t the most severe.

When Kang Min-jae said he was tired and wanted to sleep, should I have slapped him or done something to wake him up?

Was it my fault for not responding properly at the beginning?

My head was filled with complicated thoughts.

“Doctor, please take good care of our Min-jae. I’ve heard a lot about your reputation. So, please…”

After signing the consent form, Kang Soo-il stood and bowed deeply to Baek Chan-geun.

Baek Chan-geun approached Kang Soo-il, straightened his back, and held his hands in both of his, looking him in the eye.

“We will do our best. Dr. Yang Dong-jin, who is assisting me, is also an excellent doctor, as Attorney Cha knows. We will all do our best, so please don’t worry too much and wait.”

The nurse led Kang Soo-il and me to the operating room.

Before we could even catch our breath, we saw Kang Min-jae lying on a bed at the end of the hallway, being wheeled toward us.

Kang Soo-il rushed to him.

He carefully checked Kang Min-jae’s condition and held his hand tightly.

“Min-jae, do well. Hyung [older brother or close male friend] will be waiting. Okay?”

Kang Soo-il said desperately, but there was no response.

Kang Min-jae passed us and disappeared through the open operating room door.

The operating room door closed, swallowing Kang Min-jae whole, and Kang Soo-il and I stood blankly in front of the operating room, as if abandoned.

Looking up at the operating room sign, Kang Min-jae’s name was displayed.

I believed that Baek Chan-geun and Dong-jin would, of course, do their best.

But I suddenly felt uneasy that I hadn’t thanked them.

And at that moment, Baek Chan-geun’s words that he couldn’t guarantee survival flashed through my mind.

If Kang Min-jae died, could it be that the last words he heard from me were when I curtly told him not to talk at the accident site?

Why was I so stupid and unable to learn?

In my previous life, I was tormented by not answering my father’s call at the end, and that the last thing I said was a curt reply that I was busy, so why was I repeating the same mistake with Kang Min-jae….

“…”

I stared blankly at the closed operating room door and shuddered at my unchanging foolishness.