Dr. Shin Seonhan: The Doctor Who Sees The Future [EN]: Chapter 6

#6 Intern Shin Seon-han (5)

“What?”

It was just as I expected.

The moment I finished speaking, Kim Snake’s face twisted into a scowl.

He raised his eyebrows and said,

“I gave you a little praise earlier, and now you’re trying to teach me something?”

“That’s not it….”

“An intern dares to lecture a third-year resident? How am I supposed to take that?”

“I’m sorry.”

I bowed my head.

Yeon-seo, who was next to me, also looked flustered.

I raised my head and glanced at Kim Snake’s face; he was staring at both of us in silence.

‘Damn it.’

He looked like he was trying to kill someone with his eyes.

I was worried that Yeon-seo had been dragged into this because of my meddling.

“Just because patients call you ‘doctor’ doesn’t mean you’re anything special. Who told you to start diagnosing patients on your own?”

“…….”

“As an intern, you’re doing well if you just do what you’re told! Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

I answered quietly.

I had expected this, but it still didn’t make things any better.

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air for a moment.

‘Damn, should I have just kept my mouth shut?’

Regret washed over me.

‘Yeah, let’s just quietly go back to the dorm. It’s not like I can actually see the future anyway…….’

At that moment, Kim Snake spoke.

“Shin Seon-han, is it?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me more about your opinion.”

“……Excuse me?”

I raised my head, surprised.

This was an unexpected reaction.

“You must have had some thoughts of your own. Why do you think that way? What should we do about it?”

Kim Snake looked at me sideways.

“Aren’t diagnosis and treatment the basic skills of a doctor? Or is our Shin Seon-han the kind of doctor who just points out problems without offering any solutions?”

Kim Snake’s characteristic sarcastic tone dripped from every word.

“Why? Are you scared that you can’t back up what you said now that you’ve opened your mouth? Tell me, Dr. Shin Seon-han!”

It felt like a viper was coiling around me, ready to strike.

‘Oh well, I can’t back down now.’

I straightened my posture and said,

“I thought the patient might need ECMO [Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, a life support machine].”

“ECMO?”

Kim Snake smirked.

It was as if he was saying, ‘Oh, an intern knows about ECMO. Where did you hear about that?’

ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation).

It’s a device that provides extracorporeal support, taking over the function of the heart and lungs.

In simple terms, it’s like connecting the patient to a machine that acts as an external heart.

“What was an intern thinking… Did you even see ECMO being used during your Ilun University internship? Well, I guess it’s been on the news a lot lately.”

Kim Snake said dismissively.

As he said, ECMO is a widely known treatment, especially in Korea.

It’s famous as the machine used by the chairman of a certain mega-corporation to extend his life.

In 2015, ECMO was used during the MERS [Middle East Respiratory Syndrome] outbreak and was widely reported in the news.

“ECMO is not a cure-all. It’s used as a last resort in extreme situations.”

“Still, wouldn’t it be better to prepare for the worst-case scenario?”

“What?”

“Considering the patient’s current health condition and the ejection fraction [percentage of blood pumped out of the left ventricle with each contraction] of 35 percent, I don’t think we can rule out the possibility of refractory V.fib [ventricular fibrillation that doesn’t respond to treatment] occurring.”

“Ha.”

Kim Snake laughed as if he was dumbfounded.

“A patient who had V. fib and came back is likely to have refractory V.fib again? Is that your expert opinion?”

“Yes.”

‘……Damn it, I really did it now.’

The other person is a resident with a huge ego.

I’m just an intern who acted out like this, so what kind of reaction is coming my way?

What’s certain is that I’m not going to get a good evaluation in internal medicine.

Kim Snake crossed his arms and seemed to be pondering my words for a few seconds.

A few seconds later, he spoke.

“……Well, it’s not entirely impossible.”

“……?”

“A doctor should have that much foresight.”

‘Huh? Is this really the Kim Snake I know?’

I was momentarily speechless.

While Yeon-seo and I were bewildered, Kim Snake picked up his cell phone and made a call.

“Dong-seop? Are you on duty today?”

He briefly explained the situation.

“It’s not a big deal, but our department’s intern gave us a very valuable opinion. Just in case, I’m asking the thoracic surgery department to prepare ECMO.”

He emphasized the word ‘intern’.

Listening to him openly mocking me to my face made my face flush.

Kim Snake finished the call and said,

“I’ve explained the situation to the thoracic surgery department, and we’ve decided to move him down to the intensive care unit for now.”

“Thank you.”

“Thanks for what? I just have to listen to what our intern says. And the intern will take responsibility, right?”

Kim Snake poked my shoulder while sneering.

He never speaks nicely until the end.

But…….

‘He’s not scolding me as much as I thought.’

I glanced at Kim Snake’s expression.

He wasn’t as angry as I expected.

Maybe he’s just twisted, but not truly vicious.

* * *

.

Intensive Care Unit, or ICU.

This place has more specialized equipment than general wards, making it easier to handle critical situations.

Unlike general wards, it’s filled with critically ill patients.

Therefore, the tension here is the highest in the entire hospital.

After the patient was transferred, Kim Snake said,

“Are you satisfied now?”

“Yes.”

“You’re the most arrogant guy I’ve ever met. I’ve never seen an intern like you.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Anyway, I’ll remember your name, Shin Seon-han.”

Kim Snake sneered and scolded me one last time before disappearing.

Only then did Yeon-seo breathe a sigh of relief and say,

“Oppa, you’re really brave.”

“Why?”

“I’ve never seen an intern make eye contact and talk back to the three biggest villains among our seniors.”

“Villains?”

This is the first time I’ve heard of it.

It’s not like the villains in superhero movies.

According to Yeon-seo, there are some notoriously difficult people in the hospital.

In particular, Kim Snake has been known for being picky with his juniors since his university days.

As someone who didn’t graduate from Yeon-guk University, it’s just an unfamiliar story to me.

“But it was kind of cool.”

“What’s so cool about it?”

“You answered well during the test earlier, and you confidently expressed your opinion as a doctor.”

Yeon-seo smiled.

‘Yeah, I guess so.’

I don’t know exactly what I did, but I feel relieved after doing it.

“Let’s go now.”

“Let’s watch a little longer.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll watch the patient a little longer before I leave.”

Yeon-seo’s eyes widened.

She looked like she was asking why I was so worried.

What should I say? That I’m worried because it’s a patient I saw in a dream?

If I did, she would think I was crazy.

Anyway, I still haven’t resolved the doubts in my head.

“I’m sorry, but can I stay a little longer?”

“Go ahead.”

After asking for permission from the attending physician and nurses in the intensive care unit, I pulled out a chair and sat down for a while.

Yeon-seo also prepared a chair, as if she couldn’t help it.

“Why are you staying?”

“I feel uneasy because Oppa isn’t leaving.”

“Go in and sleep.”

“I don’t want to. I’m a doctor too, so I have to see what happens to my patient until the end! Isn’t that right, Dr. Shin Seon-han?”

Mimicking Kim Snake’s tone and gestures, Yeon-seo stubbornly stayed in her seat.

‘She’s stubborn too.’

I turned my gaze back to the patient without saying anything.

* * *

Beep, beep.

A regular heartbeat rhythm continued.

The time was already past 3 a.m.

My head felt tangled like a skein of thread.

A bad feeling kept nagging at me.

I couldn’t be sure of anything until I saw it with my own eyes.

‘If it’s like the dream…….’

Soon, Mr. Kim Jeong-soo will have his second CPR.

But no matter how long I waited, there were no signs of it.

‘Was I just worrying for nothing?’

Well, that’s probably it.

There’s no way precognition actually exists, right?

Even if it did exist, there’s no way it would happen to me overnight.

‘It’s a ridiculous delusion.’

I was thinking those thoughts when…

Thud!

Yeon-seo’s head crashed into my shoulder, hitting my forehead fiercely.

‘……It hurts.’

Yeon-seo’s skull is really strong.

I was so nervous, but I felt a strange sense of relief from the unexpected situation.

Yeon-seo quickly wiped her lips and said embarrassedly,

“Did I doze off?”

“Uh.”

“……I didn’t drool, did I?”

“You didn’t drool, but I think my shoulder bone is broken.”

“Ugh, don’t tease me, I’m already embarrassed.”

Yeon-seo glared at me.

I chuckled and got up from my chair.

“Aren’t you tired? Let’s go back and sleep.”

“You said you were going to watch the patient more?”

“It’s okay now, I think I’ve seen enough. I think I was just worrying for nothing…….”

The moment I said that to Yeon-seo.

Beeeep―――!

“V.fib!”

The nurse shouted urgently.

I was shocked, as if I had been struck by lightning, and looked at my watch.

It was almost the same time as I saw in my dream!

“CPR!”

Soon, the CPR announcement echoed once again in the intensive care unit.

Without even having time to think, I moved.

“Yeon-seo, squeeze the ambu bag [a manual resuscitator used to provide ventilation]!”

“Okay!”

I took off my gown, threw it aside, and climbed onto the patient’s bed.

‘Damn it, was the content of the dream actually true?’

How am I supposed to accept this?

My head was a mess, as if it would explode, but my body had no time to hesitate.

One, two, three!

I pressed down on his chest diligently.

Thud!

At that time, the intensive care unit doctor on duty rushed over.

“What’s going on!”

“V. fib!”

“Damn it…… Switch hands!”

Kim Snake, who had returned, quickly switched hands with me, his face pale, and climbed onto the patient.

One, two, three!

Soon, the intensive care unit became a chaotic mess.

Interns took turns switching hands and climbing up, and familiar lines were repeated.

“Squeeze the ambu bag!”

“Turn the O2 to full!”

“Interns, aren’t you paying attention?!”

‘Damn it…….’

I feel like I’ve seen this scene somewhere before.

It’s not much different from the scene I saw in my dream.

“Intern, stop compressions for a moment!”

“Checking the rhythm, it’s still V. fib. 200 joules charge!”

“Shock!!!”

Bang!

An electric shock was applied to the patient’s chest.

But the situation was desperate.

The heart rhythm did not return to normal, and there seemed to be no possibility of improvement.

It was clear to see that the patient’s face was turning gray.

‘This won’t work.’

Everything is the same.

At this rate, he will die.

In the end, it will be no different from the situation I saw in my dream.

Is this the limit after all?

Was I unable to change the future with my power?

I gritted my teeth in frustration.

At that time, a loud voice echoed from somewhere.

“Move!”

Thud thud thud!

When I turned my head, I saw several doctors pulling a large machine and running towards us.

The only people who can save the patient in this desperate situation.

It was the thoracic surgeons.