Dr. Shin Seonhan: The Doctor Who Sees The Future [EN]: Chapter 76

#76 Breath (7)

Internet?

I made a puzzled expression.

Of course, I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t been myself.

A daily routine of endlessly repeating ‘wash, sleep, and work.’

As a result, I naturally became distant from worldly affairs.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“You haven’t watched your own videos lately, have you?”

Videos?

Ah…….

That video taken at the Gangnam Station accident site?

Of course, I didn’t even bother to look at it.

Because it’s embarrassing to watch again.

I couldn’t stand seeing myself from a third-person perspective.

“Shall I show you how many views that video has now?”

“Huh?”

I widened my eyes at the screen Sodam showed me.

Clearly, the last time I saw it, it had just over 20,000 views.

But…….

I can’t believe what I’m seeing.

2.3 million views.

Is this real?

“Why did it increase so much?”

“Once you get on the algorithm, the number of views increases exponentially.”

“No, even so…….”

“This scene is especially popular.”

Sodam skips through the video.

The scene where I shout, “I’m a doctor!” and appear, parting the crowd like the Red Sea.

This scene has become a ‘gif’ [a short, looping video clip] and is circulating everywhere.

“These days, when you browse the internet, Seonhan, your face is everywhere.”

“I’ve seen it several times too.”

“I’m going crazy.”

I covered my face.

I’m so embarrassed!

Why don’t people know moderation?

No wonder it felt like more people were recognizing me lately…….

I hope they’ll just forget about it now.

“Why? Don’t you like becoming famous? I think I’d feel good if I were you.”

Yeonseo asks with a smile.

Of course, I don’t dislike becoming famous itself.

But, maybe after I become a great cardiac surgeon like Baek Ui-sin…….

The fame given to me by chance like now is not welcome at all.

‘To be worried about becoming famous…… I never imagined such a thing would happen to me in my life.’

As I was thinking that, Sodam suddenly clapped her hands and said.

“Come to think of it, I thought of a way to boost Yeonseo’s channel subscribers.”

“What is it, Unnie [term for older sister or female friend]?”

“Film a video with Seonhan.”

“Oh, right? If we feature Seonhan Oppa [term for older brother or male friend], we’ll get a lot of views. Will you help us out?”

Yeonseo’s eyes sparkle.

No way.

I refused faster than the speed of light.

“No way.”

“Ah, why? Let me ride the Seonhan coin too!”

“Just eat your food.”

“Tch.”

Yeonseo pouts.

I shoved the last spoonful into my mouth and got up from my seat.

“Then I’ll go ahead!”

“What? You’ve already finished eating?”

“Did you eat it, or drink it?”

Yeonseo and Sodam stared at me with astonished eyes.

Breakfast is just a one-bite meal.

This is a habit that started after becoming a cardiothoracic surgery intern.

After experiencing running to the ward in the middle of a meal several times, the lesson was engraved in my body.

!

I guess this is how people gradually change.

* * *

Tap―

I headed to the cardiothoracic surgery station.

I start the daily routine as always.

Listing patients.

Checking vitals.

Checking for overnight events.

In the meantime, Ryu Myeongin’s nonsense continues as always.

“Hyung [term for older brother or male friend]. Isn’t the order I put in beautiful? Now, I’m not just putting in orders, but I’m thinking about how to arrange them more beautifully.”

“Yeah, sure.”

I answered absentmindedly while checking the patient list with a pen.

Now I just let this guy’s words flow by.

Like background music?

I feel strangely empty if I don’t hear his nonsense for even a day.

I recalled the calls I received last night and checked the charts that the nurses had recorded overnight.

‘Let’s see…… I hope there were no problems with Songi overnight?’

As I was thinking that.

Beep―

The glass door opened, and Doctor Song Yuju appeared.

She always comes to work at the same time, as if timed with a timer.

Sometimes it seems like she’s not a person but a machine.

“Hello!”

“I heard you inserted a chest tube yesterday?”

Doctor Song Yuju asks me as soon as she comes to work.

A voice without emotion.

A unique way of speaking.

There should be an introduction, body, and conclusion in a conversation, but Doctor Song Yuju’s way of speaking only has the body.

“Yes. Doctor Ma Dongseop watched me from the side yesterday. After that, I checked the X-ray…….”

“Let’s see.”

Thud―

Doctor Song Yuju pulls out a chair and sits down right before I finish speaking.

This is also Doctor Song Yuju’s habit.

She extremely hates long talks.

Click, click―

As Doctor Song Yuju moves the mouse to view the medical records, an X-ray image soon appears on the monitor.

“…….”

I feel nervous for some reason.

It feels like I’m getting my homework checked?

If the chest tube I inserted was inserted poorly, it might look strange on the X-ray.

But fortunately, it wasn’t.

“It went in without any problems towards the apex.”

Song Yuju said, nodding her head.

Of course, it’s not a compliment.

She just stated the facts calmly.

But I was happy.

Given Song Yuju’s personality, this level of reaction is like a very big compliment.

“You did the tie well, right? I’ll go check later.”

“Yes.”

I replied with a proud smile.

.

I’ve only just mastered one advanced skill.

However, I felt like I had leveled up several stages.

It felt like the knowledge I only knew in theory was finally starting to connect with my hands?

‘And…… it feels like I’ve gained a new ability.’

I still remember it vividly.

When I held the scalpel―

The light that shone brightly.

The images that unfolded before my eyes.

It was clearly a phenomenon that showed me the future in another way.

Where is the end of this ability that I have?

How far can I grow with this ability?

My head was full of imagination.

As I was thinking that.

Suddenly, I feel a gaze burning like fire from the side.

When I glanced over, Ryu Myeongin had a shocked expression.

“I haven’t even inserted a chest tube yet…… to do it before me…….”

Shaking.

Ryu Myeongin mutters as if he’s upset.

It seems like he’s aware that I’ve gone ahead of him.

Are you jealous?

You childish guy.

Ignoring such Ryu Myeongin, Doctor Song Yuju said.

“Anyway, it seems like the lungs have expanded enough overnight, so let’s take a CT scan today and come back to see.”

“Yes.”

“Any other special notes?”

Special notes?

There is one, but.

I hesitated for a moment whether to speak or not, then opened my mouth.

“It seems like Yang Songi’s mother has a slightly unique personality.”

“Guardian?”

“Yes. She was giving her daughter a back slap in the emergency room.”

“……She slapped a pneumothorax patient on the back?”

I explained the general situation.

Then Song Yuju clicked her tongue.

“There are sometimes guardians like that. No matter how close they are, they don’t know about other people’s pain unless they’re in their position.”

That’s right.

[collapsed lung] is a common symptom, but it should never be taken lightly.

Depending on the patient, they may experience various pains and fears.

The main symptoms of pneumothorax are pain in the back, shoulders, and solar plexus, and difficulty breathing.

Sometimes, it is mistaken for muscle pain and left untreated as ‘muscle strain’…….

In Songi’s case, one of her lungs was almost completely crushed, and she was taken to the emergency room.

She probably suffered a lot.

“Explain the patient’s condition sufficiently to the guardian so that such a thing doesn’t happen again.”

“Yes.”

“Sometimes, communication with the guardian is more important than with the patient.”

Doctor Song Yuju’s added words particularly stuck in my ears.

“Then the next patient is…….”

That’s how the morning rounds ended.

I decided to approach the guardian a little more, as Doctor Song Yuju said.

Smooth communication with guardians is also a necessary process to becoming a doctor.

However, I was overlooking something.

As much as medical skills, ‘dealing with people in the hospital’ is by no means easy.

* * *

“CT scan?”

After a while.

I went to Songi to get the CT scan consent form.

Songi’s mother asked me with a defensive posture, as if she was protecting her daughter from evil doctors.

“Doctor. I’ve been seeing a lot of news lately about how being exposed to radiation a lot when you film those things…… is it okay? Our Songi is only 17 years old now.”

CT (Computed Tomography) scan [a medical imaging technique that uses X-rays to create detailed cross-sectional images of the body].

A test that takes several ‘cross-sections of the human body’ through a large machine.

It is true that it uses more radiation than a typical X-ray.

“Yes. What you said is correct, but it’s not at a level that would cause problems with just one test.”

I understood the mother’s worried heart, so I took enough time to explain.

“Currently, we need to take a CT scan of Songi to find out the exact cause of the pneumothorax.”

“No, I understand what you’re saying, but.”

But even after listening to my explanation, Songi’s mother has an unsatisfied expression.

“You know our child is a senior in high school, right? She has a lot of important exams to take in the future, so I’m worried that her brain cells will be destroyed and her grades will drop.”

Huh?

Brain cells?

I felt a sense of helplessness.

Where should I start explaining this from…….

Of course, it’s understandable to be worried about being exposed to radiation.

But I’m amazed by Songi’s mother’s idea of connecting even that to her senior year grades.

I smiled again and explained.

“It has nothing to do with brain cells. It is true that she will be exposed to radiation, but there will be no problems unless she takes CT scans repeatedly and frequently.”

“How can you guarantee that?”

“Excuse me?”

“Doctor, you still look young for a doctor…… aren’t you an intern? If something happens to our child, will you take responsibility?”

……It’s a repeat.

It feels like I’m talking to a wall?

I explained calmly.

There will be no problems unless you take dozens of scans in a row every year!

There are many research results too!

We have to take it!

But Songi’s mother still kept asking questions and didn’t trust me.

‘What’s the quickest way to say it?’

I hesitated and said the last resort.

“Mother. We need to do the test and find the cause so that Songi can go back to school and study quickly.”

Then Songi’s mother reluctantly signs.

‘I should have said that earlier.’

Of course, that wasn’t the end of it.

Even after signing, Songi’s mother carefully read the consent form again from beginning to end, and I had to wait quietly next to her.

‘It’s going to take a while.’

There are sometimes people like that.

Patients or guardians who don’t trust the doctor’s words easily.

“Um, Doctor.”

At that time, Songi, who had been sitting quietly without saying anything, quietly pulled on my sleeve and asked in a whisper.