Dr. Shin Seonhan: The Doctor Who Sees The Future [EN]: Chapter 230

Dr. A Doctor Who Sees a Fresh Future – Episode 230 (230/241)

Extra Story 12. A Report on the Correlation Between the Heart and Love (4)

When did it start?

Intern Kim Su-jeong started thinking about Ahn Gyeong-sik more often.

“Intern!”

“…….”

“Can’t you hear me? Intern!”

“Ah, yes, Doctor!”

Intern Kim Su-jeong suddenly snapped out of it.

Yeo Bong-cheol, a fourth-year resident in the emergency room, was staring at her.

‘What a surprise.’

‘I thought he was a mountain bandit.’

‘Why are there so many scary-looking doctors in this hospital?’

‘Compared to them, Doctor Ahn Gyeong-sik’s youthful face looks cute…….’

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Here, Hwang Min-gyu, 23-year-old male patient. He came in with chest pain, and it seems like he has a pneumothorax [collapsed lung] on the left side.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Take the patient’s history and notify TS (Thoracic Surgery). Can you do that?”

“I understand.”

It was already July.

She was working as an intern in the emergency room.

ER life is in 24-hour shifts, so it’s not easy to adjust to the lifestyle.

She quickly pulls herself together, carefully examines the patient, and looks up who the on-call thoracic surgeon is.

.

Soon, her expression brightens.

As soon as she makes the call, she hears the ringing, and then a familiar voice comes through.

—Oh, Su-jeong? What’s wrong?

“Doctor Ahn Gyeong-sik, were you sleeping?”

—Uh… I finished surgery at 3 a.m., so I was just trying to get some sleep.

“I’m sorry.”

—Uh, no, no, no! It’s okay.

It’s 6 a.m. now.

Ahn Gyeong-sik, who had fallen asleep around 3 a.m. after performing an ECMO [Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation – a life support machine] procedure, wouldn’t be happy to receive a call at dawn.

However, his diligent voice doesn’t show any complaints.

—What’s the patient’s name?

“Hwang Min-gyu, 23-year-old male patient. He has a history of chest tube insertion for a pneumothorax on the left side three years ago, and he came in with left chest pain that started this morning.”

Her thorough notification continues.

“The X-ray shows a pneumothorax on the left side, 4cm from the apex and 3cm from the lateral wall.”

—Wow, that’s a perfect notification… Haha.

After the pleasant compliment, she hears rustling sounds of him getting out of bed.

—Get ready to insert a chest tube and let me know.

“Yes, I understand!”

Soon, Doctor Ahn Gyeong-sik, wearing thick glasses, appeared.

Now in his second year, he skillfully performs the chest tube insertion.

After administering local anesthesia, he uses a scalpel to make a partial incision in the patient’s body.

“Ouch…….”

“Patient, please bear with it a little longer. You’ll feel better soon after it’s in…….”

Ahn Gyeong-sik reassured the patient. At the same time, he is focused on finishing the chest tube insertion.

Soon, he finishes the procedure by securing the chest tube to the patient’s skin with 3-0 nylon sutures.

“…….”

Intern Kim Su-jeong glanced at his profile.

‘He looks handsome in a new way.’

‘Actually, his appearance is far from my ideal type…….’

‘But the atmosphere is different when he’s working.’

‘She has started to feel attracted to him since some point because of his diligent work ethic.’

‘A man who is focused on his work is always attractive.’

A moment later, Ahn Gyeong-sik said as he came out of the treatment room.

“Please take an X-ray and put in an admission order for Professor Han Sang-gi.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Su-jeong, you’ve been busy since dawn? You should go home now, right?”

“Actually, my shift ended a little while ago.”

“Oh, really?”

Ahn Gyeong-sik quickly checked the time and spoke apologetically.

“Ah, your shift is until 7 a.m. You could have told another intern and switched shifts…….”

“No, it’s okay. I was the one who notified you.”

“I feel so bad. Should I buy you something to drink?”

“Ah, I have to hand over…….”

“Ah, then…….”

Ahn Gyeong-sik’s expression becomes openly dejected.

Kim Su-jeong suppressed a smile and thought.

‘Sometimes, his timid side feels like a pure charm.’

‘They say ‘nerd men’ are trending, and he’s that type!’

“I’ll quickly finish the handover and come back! Please wait a moment.”

“Haha, okay… I’ll wait outside then.”

Ahn Gyeong-sik and Kim Su-jeong head to the hospital’s underground cafe after a long time.

They take their drinks and go outside the hospital.

The path out of the hospital was against the flow, cutting through the many people going to work.

“People are busy going to work, aren’t they?”

“Yeah, they are.”

That’s how the two of them started having everyday conversations.

The life of an emergency room intern.

New events in thoracic surgery.

Things they do on their days off.

And…….

“I think we run into each other quite often.”

“That’s true. Is it a coincidence… Haha.”

They were assigned to the same department by chance and spent a month together in May.

In June, they were able to see each other in the intensive care unit by another coincidence.

And now, in the middle of July, perhaps the last coincidence…….

She gets the feeling that they might not be able to see each other this often in the future.

“Then… I guess I should go back to the dorm and sleep? Do you have any plans after you wake up?”

“I don’t know. I should get a good night’s sleep and then eat, right?”

“What are you going to eat?”

“I don’t know, probably with my colleagues…….”

“Would you like to eat with me?”

“Pardon?”

At that moment, intern Kim Su-jeong, who had been drowsy after being awake for 24 hours, became clear-headed again.

“Eat with me.”

It wasn’t the usual timid Ahn Gyeong-sik.

Beyond his thick glasses, clear eyes were looking at her.

She paused for a moment.

Next to the Yonsei University Hospital building, the morning sun was shining on the two of them.

* * *

That evening.

Ahn Gyeong-sik is looking at the clock.

One minute feels like an hour. It feels like it’s been a long time since he’s looked forward to the evening like this.

‘Hehehe.’

Actually, his heart almost jumped out of his mouth when he asked her out on a date, but he’s glad she accepted.

‘I’m in good condition today too!’

A day with unusually few surgeries.

Surgery was only being performed in one operating room, and all the other operating rooms had finished their scheduled surgeries for the day.

In the intensive care unit, several thoracic surgeons are peacefully discussing the surgery schedule for tomorrow.

‘I’ve reserved a restaurant with a good night view… Today is the day of reckoning!’

However, contrary to Ahn Gyeong-sik’s expectations, the circumstances of the thoracic surgery department did not help him.

“They’re saying they’re doing Kim Pan-ho’s ILD [Interstitial Lung Disease] biopsy today?”

“Huh? That was supposed to be tomorrow.”

“They said there might be a lung transplantation tomorrow, so they’re doing it late today.”

“Oh, really? Gyeong-sik, please arrange the operating room.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Ahn Gyeong-sik picked up the phone and secured an operating room at the fellow’s request.

Clearly, this wasn’t a big deal. It’s common for the surgery schedule to be adjusted to fit the professor’s schedule.

But things started to go wrong.

“Let’s see, who’s on call today… Shin Seon-han? But he’s already in the operating room. It doesn’t look like it’ll be over soon?”

The fellow scratched his head while looking at the on-call schedule.

“If today’s on-call can’t go in, that means tomorrow’s on-call has to go in…….”

His hand, which was following the date on the on-call schedule, stops.

“Gyeong-sik, it looks like you’re on-call tomorrow?”

“Pardon?”

Ahn Gyeong-sik looked at the on-call schedule with surprised eyes.

The fellow’s words were correct.

That meant…….

When the on-call doctor is in another surgery, it was the day he had to go into the operating room.

“Ahn Gyeong-sik, you have to go in? Get ready quickly.”

“Ah…….”

“What’s wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Ahn Gyeong-sik stammered and adjusted his glasses.

Last winter, Ahn Gyeong-sik caused a major accident called .

After that, most of the professors and fellows were lenient and understanding, but in fact, some were still watching him with fire in their eyes.

In that atmosphere, he couldn’t say, ‘I have a date?’

‘Ah… What about today’s date… I didn’t even think about being on call tomorrow…….’

He becomes anxious.

Only one hour until the appointment time.

It would take at least two hours for the patient to enter and exit the operating room.

It was physically impossible to make the appointment time.

‘Why did the professor have to move up the surgery schedule today… Why today of all days…….’

Ahn Gyeong-sik’s insides were burning.

Should he tell Kim Su-jeong about this, or is she still asleep?

His heart was crushed, and his head started to ache.

‘Ah……. Heavens, why this trial to me…….’

There’s no other way.

He has no choice but to cancel the appointment.

There may not be a second chance… But what can he do?

But then.

Ma Dong-seop, wearing casual clothes and heading to the elevator, caught his eye.

‘Maybe……!’

Should he ask Ma Dong-seop if he can switch on-call duties?

He feels scared for some reason.

Even if they’re close, it’s not easy to dare to ask a chief resident who’s on his way home to ‘switch on-call duties.’

But Ahn Gyeong-sik’s feet were already moving busily.

“Doctor… Could you possibly switch on-call duties with me tomorrow……?”

“What?”

“Just once.”

“I’ll check the schedule and text you later.”

With those words, Ma Dong-seop gets on the elevator.

No!

Ahn Gyeong-sik quickly reached out his hand.

Normally, he wouldn’t have dared to stop him on his way home.

But today’s Ahn Gyeong-sik was different. He didn’t even know where this courage was coming from since earlier.

Ahn Gyeong-sik grabbed the back of his neck.

“Cough.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“Hey, what is it, you punk?”

“Well… Today’s on-call is in surgery, so if it’s tomorrow’s on-call, you’ll have to go into surgery soon.”

“This guy?”

“Hehe…….”

“Can’t you see I’m changing clothes and going home? And how dare you grab my collar?”

“No, it’s not the collar, I just grabbed anywhere in a hurry… Anyway, Doctor… Please, I beg you. If you go into this surgery today, I’ll cover two more of your on-call shifts.”

“What is it? Do you have a date today? You’re not usually like this.”

“I… I actually made a date today… Please, just save me today.”

Ma Dong-seop’s expression changes upon hearing Ahn Gyeong-sik’s answer. He smiles, revealing his gums, and says.

“A date?”

“Ah, please lower your voice.”

“Who is it?”

“It’s that intern, Kim Su-jeong…….”

Ma Dong-seop’s gums are even more exposed. He puts his arm around Ahn Gyeong-sik’s shoulder and says.

“Since when?”

“Pardon?”

“Since when have you been dating?”

“Not yet……. Maybe today…….”

“Okay. While you’re at it, come back as dating from today. Otherwise, you’ll be on full on-call for a month!”

Thump!

He raises his thumb.

The two men nod silently. A resolute will between men is communicated.

With that, Ahn Gyeong-sik was released from the intensive care unit and ran to the locker room to change his clothes.

* * *

In front of the hospital’s main gate.

A silver car with its hazard lights on is parked on the road that circles in front of the lobby.

A woman runs out of the revolving door of the lobby, visible among several taxis.

“Ah, I’m sorry I’m late!”

“It’s okay, Su-jeong. Get in quickly.”

Vroom—

The car drives out of the hospital.

Come to think of it, it’s the first time the two of them have gone outside the hospital together.

Meanwhile, Gyeong-sik glanced at the passenger seat. It smells nice.

“When did you wake up?”

“Two hours ago. But I thought I should at least look presentable, so I put some effort into it.”

“Haha…….”

“It’s our first date, after all.”

“First da…….”

Thump, thump.

His heart almost jumped out.

The hand holding the steering wheel tightens.

Maybe love is really felt with the heart?

Thinking that, Ahn Gyeong-sik stepped on the pedal with an excited expression.

On the summer evening road, the heated air was enveloping the two of them.