A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 135

The Martial Surgeon – Episode 135

Chapter 24: Training (5)

“I suspected based on the circumstances.”

“Circumstances, you mean…”

“Doctor, you said the only person who visited the patient in the ward was a friend, right?”

“Yes, I did.”

“And you also said the patient didn’t leave the ward.”

“That’s right.”

“Let’s make a preliminary assumption here. The patient drank a whole plastic bottle of soju [Korean distilled rice liquor] in 10 minutes, and the friend cleaned it up.”

“……”

“But I didn’t think it was right to make that assumption.”

“Why?”

“If he emptied the whole bottle, it would be too obvious that he drank alcohol, right? The patient also knows that the nurses come for rounds periodically.”

Jun-hoo continued his explanation.

Besides, the patient must be bored and lonely in the ward.

He said it would be more natural to drink soju little by little.

“Hmm… that makes sense when I hear it.”

Yoon-hee nodded.

Yoon-hee had been thinking this way until now.

That Jun-hoo was covering for her.

Or that he was emotionally inspecting belongings because he was frustrated with dealing with a rude guardian.

But it wasn’t.

Jun-hoo’s actions were all calculated from start to finish.

She thought he was just handsome and kind, but Jun-hoo was surprisingly meticulous.

No wonder he was so confident.

“Then how did you find the location of the soju at once?”

“I was watching the patient’s reaction after saying I would check his belongings.”

Jun-hoo shrugged and continued.

“The patient was looking at the pillow. He was touching the pillow with his hand. He was unconsciously trying to protect the pillow containing the soju. I was sure the game was over there.”

“Wow. I was just nervous in the ward… you were looking down on everything.”

“You could say that.”

“You can see people’s minds. You have good observation skills. Doctor, were you Sherlock Holmes?”

“Please call me Seo-lock Holmes instead of Sherlock Holmes.”

Yoon-hee burst into laughter at Jun-hoo’s joke.

The frustration she had suffered from the guardian had disappeared.

Her steps too.

Her heart was as light as a feather.

She felt reassured that Jun-hoo was by her side.

“Anyway, thank you so much, Doctor. You saved me today.”

“You’re welcome. I’ve received a lot of help when I was in trouble. I’m paying it back to others little by little.”

“Have you ever received help from others, Doctor?”

“Of course. I’m also human, so there are times when my body and mind are exhausted. I’ve been in trouble a lot too.”

Jun-hoo looked down at the bracelet on his wrist.

He recalled the most recent hardship he had experienced.

The day he heard the news of Sung-ho’s brain death.

Jun-hoo’s body and mind were severely damaged by the shock.

He fainted after forcibly using his internal energy to treat Sung-ho’s brain death.

He was overwhelmed with severe self-loathing, guilt, and sadness.

If Ah-young hadn’t been by his side.

Jun-hoo might not have overcome the ordeal at that time.

Fallen into a swamp-like sense of helplessness.

In the extreme, he might have quit being a doctor.

In other words, Ah-young’s help was significant in helping Jun-hoo recover.

“But what will happen to the patient in the future?”

Yoon-hee changed the subject.

“All that’s left is to be punished. He drank alcohol in the ward, and he also did drugs before that.”

“I don’t think he’ll be punished for drinking alcohol. Usually, they just let it go even if they catch him. Because of the hospital’s image.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll talk to the professors strongly. We need to make an example of him this time.”

Arriving at the station while talking.

Other nurses who were curious about the outcome of this incident pricked up their ears.

Listened carefully to Yoon-hee’s words.

Soon, a series of praises poured out to Jun-hoo.

“I knew Dr. Seo would do it.”

“You’re so cool. Brainiac.”

“That’s amazing, really. To boldly check his belongings there.”

Jun-hoo smiled awkwardly at the nurses’ compliments.

Compliments make whales dance [a Korean saying meaning people are easily swayed by praise].

Jun-hoo was so embarrassed that he wanted to hide in a rat hole whenever he heard compliments.

Because he was just doing his job.

He was about to go back after chatting with the nurses.

One person caught Jun-hoo’s eye.

The young drug patient.

And the guardian who had been acting like a jerk until just now was coming this way.

* * *

“Let’s put aside the alcohol, did you really do drugs?”

“……”

“It’s not something that will end just by keeping your mouth shut. Look at your mother’s face and tell me straight. Did you do it? Or not?”

Ga-yeon sat on the bed and questioned her son.

She knew her son’s behavior was not good, but drug use was beyond her comprehension.

“…I did.”

“How much?”

“About 8 months. I did some marijuana.”

Ga-yeon bit her lip at her son’s barely audible answer.

She was frustrated that she had been tricked by the doctor, and she was even more frustrated to hear about her son’s delinquency.

She felt like throwing everything she could grab.

“You’re smearing your parents’ names. You really…”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why did you do drugs when you didn’t even lack pocket money?”

“I was… bored.”

“You idiot. You call that an answer.”

Ga-yeon sighed and shook her head.

She felt suffocated, but.

She had to postpone venting her anger on her son.

It was a priority to resolve the situation.

The young doctor Seo Jun-hoo was holding the knife…

She had to win over that doctor at all costs.

She had to prevent her son from going to jail.

Even if the sky fell.

“Follow me. And just do what I tell you. Got it?”

“…Yes.”

Ga-yeon took her son to the station.

Fortunately, Jun-hoo was at the station. He was talking to the nurses.

“Doctor. I’m sorry for earlier.”

Ga-yeon bowed politely after standing face to face with Jun-hoo.

She had a hard time bowing her always stiff head.

“I was immature, and my son was immature too.”

“Did you just realize that now?”

Jun-hoo retorted in a cold voice like a knife.

“I’m sorry if you were upset. I sincerely apologize. You bow quickly too.”

“I’m sorry. Doctor.”

Ga-yeon bowed again, and her son bowed too.

“Can I have a conversation with the doctor in a quiet place for a moment?”

“Why? Are you going to slip me some money and ask me to turn a blind eye to your son’s drug use?”

As if he had telepathy.

Jun-hoo read Ga-yeon’s mind like a ghost.

‘This young man is quick-witted.’

“No. Not that…”

“I won’t listen if it’s something you can’t say here.”

“That’s… actually… I was going to ask if you could generously overlook my son’s case.”

Ga-yeon stammered.

“My son… is still a young man in his early 20s. He can’t even tell right from wrong, so if you give him one more chance…”

“Guardian, you’re saying something interesting.”

Jun-hoo continued with his arms crossed.

“It’s okay for your son to take drugs. And when the nurse has a legitimate suspicion, you throw a fit. Aren’t you being too petty?”

“I’m sorry for that incident.”

Unlike her answer, Ga-yeon gritted her teeth inwardly.

‘If her son hadn’t caused an accident,

She wouldn’t have had to bow down to this young doctor…’

Today’s incident seemed like it would be an indelible disgrace in her life.

“I’ll ask one last time. Are you really sincerely repenting?”

“Yes. Of course.”

“Then I will forgive you both.”

Ga-yeon’s eyes widened at Jun-hoo’s unexpected change of attitude.

She had been clinging to Jun-hoo with the feeling of grabbing a rotten rope, but an unexpectedly good result came out.

‘Is he more tender-hearted than he looks?

Or did he judge that there was no benefit to be gained by making the matter bigger?’

It didn’t matter to Jun-hoo which one it was.

Ga-yeon had achieved her desired goal. Her heavy shoulders became as light as a feather.

“Then let’s go now.”

“Doctor. Then I’ll believe that today’s incident has passed well and go back.”

“What are you talking about?”

Jun-hoo asked back with a serious face.

Ga-yeon felt that something was wrong.

“Yes? You just said you forgave us…”

“Ah, forgiveness. Of course, I forgave you both. But I don’t know if the law will forgive you.”

“……”

“Try to get legal forgiveness from the judge.”

Ga-yeon trembled at Jun-hoo’s cold answer.

Ga-yeon finally realized.

That Jun-hoo had been mocking her all along.

She wanted to say something, but Ga-yeon was so angry that her lips wouldn’t move.

So she gritted her teeth and went back to the ward.

The sound of nurses laughing behind her.

Ga-yeon’s face was flushed with humiliation.

* * *

That night, in the on-call room.

“The ward is buzzing with your story? You screwed over a troublemaker patient and guardian?”

Kyung-soo, who was looking at the chart next to him, said a word to Jun-hoo.

Jun-hoo was also entering a lot of overdue orders.

“Yeah. It’s that case that you told me not to meddle in.”

“The result is good, so I can’t argue. But, you know.”

“But why?”

“If you keep getting involved in things around you, something will happen that will hurt you and the people around you. Someday.”

Jun-hoo looked at Kyung-soo.

Kyung-soo was also staring at Jun-hoo with a serious look.

“You’re worried about me, aren’t you?”

“It’s not worry, it’s a warning. I know. Because there was a type like you around me.”

“Who is it?”

“I don’t want to talk about it. Old stories.”

Kyung-soo avoided his gaze, showing a fleetingly affectionate expression.

He was engrossed in typing as if he didn’t want to continue the conversation.

Tap tap tap.

Whenever Jun-hoo tried to help others, Kyung-soo used to cause a morbid rejection.

As if he had trauma from helping others.

He was curious about the inside story, but Jun-hoo didn’t ask. It wasn’t Kyung-soo who would answer if he asked.

It seemed best to wait for him to tell him himself over time.

“I’m done entering my patients, can I help you?”

“It’s okay. I’ll do my work.”

Kyung-soo drew a line again this time.

He showed that he would not receive help or give help.

“Suit yourself.”

Jun-hoo shrugged and grabbed a textbook on neurosurgery.

Pot. Pot. Pot [onomatopoeia for acupressure sounds].

After stimulating Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas [brain regions] in charge of language with acupressure, he began to study.

The part he was recently studying was the brain tumor part.

Brain tumors were not as common as other tumors.

It was estimated to be about 10-13 people per 100,000 population.

Excluding thyroid cancer.

The incidence rate was low considering that stomach cancer, which competes for 1st and 2nd place in cancer incidence, was about 50-60 people.

However, brain tumor surgery was much more difficult than other organ surgeries.

Because the space inside the skull was limited.

And because the brain was such a complex and fragile organ.

Flutter.

Flutter.

Pages flipping like reading a comic book.

Jun-hoo, who was studying quickly with the help of acupressure, suddenly had such a thought.

What kind of reaction would it cause if internal energy [qi/spiritual energy] was injected into a brain tumor?

Would the brain tumor weaken more?

Or would the brain tumor worsen more?

The deeper he thought, the greater his curiosity.

Whether it was the former or the latter.

Internal energy would definitely be helpful in treatment or diagnosis.

Wee-ing [onomatopoeia for notification sound].

Jun-hoo printed out a list of brain tumor patients and held it in his hand.

He was itching to check the results quickly.

“Take care of the house. I’m going on rounds, bro.”

Jun-hoo hurriedly left the on-call room.