A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 163

Chapter 30: Courage (3)

Nerve decompression and device fixation for cauda equina syndrome were successfully completed in two hours.

The nerve bundles, spread out like a horse’s tail (cauda equina refers to this arrangement of nerves), and the vertebrae compressing them were all addressed.

A metal plate was also inserted to firmly fix the patient’s fractured and weakened lumbar vertebrae.

The surgery was flawless.

That’s why Si-hoo felt twisted inside.

Even when he came out of the operating room to inform the patient’s guardian about the surgery’s progress, Si-hoo’s expression was stiff.

In fact, Si-hoo had secretly wished to worsen the patient’s back.

He wanted to revel in watching the patient suffer from back pain.

Si-hoo derived pleasure from inflicting pain; he loved sadism.

Half the reason he became a doctor was because of that dark desire.

What other profession allows you to witness the suffering of others so intimately and frequently as being a doctor?

And what other profession is so respected while doing something like that?

As far as Si-hoo knew, there was none.

“Everyone worked hard. How about a cup of coffee?”

“I’d love one.”

“I have a call from the ward, so I think I’ll have to head up right away. I’ll go on ahead.”

Jun-hoo readily replied.

Intern Jin-tae bowed his head apologetically and hurried to the ward.

Si-hoo walked down the hallway with Jun-hoo and arrived at the lounge.

It was a simple room with four stiff, wide four-person sofas.

The lounge contained a beverage vending machine and a trash can.

Other residents from different departments who had arrived earlier were already chatting.

“Jun-hoo, sit here.”

“Yes, senior.”

Si-hoo gestured for Jun-hoo to sit on the sofa and then retrieved two canned coffees from the vending machine.

He sat across from Jun-hoo and handed him a coffee.

“I’ve heard rumors that Min-kyung is skilled, but I didn’t realize she was *this* good.”

“There are so many talented professors and senior doctors; I’m still far behind.”

“You might be closer than you think.”

“Senior is amazing too, though. I think you’re the first resident I’ve seen who’s truly ambidextrous.”

“Being ambidextrous is rare.”

“Senior, you were originally right-handed, right?”

“That’s right. I’ve worked hard to improve my proficiency with my left hand.”

After answering, Si-hoo sipped his canned coffee.

Si-hoo had been diligently practicing with his left hand since elementary school.

It wasn’t something his parents forced him to do.

He had only tormented stray cats with his right hand, but when he tried it with his left, the sensation was different.

While torturing wild animals and insects with his left hand, Si-hoo’s left hand became as skilled as his right.

During a moment of silence, Si-hoo stared at the germanium bracelet on Jun-hoo’s wrist.

The bracelet sparkled under the lounge’s lights.

According to Jun-hoo, the bracelet was a memento from a colleague who had died from brain death.

*I thought he was an easygoing guy, but he’s not. I can’t let my guard down too much.*

Si-hoo’s hand, holding the canned coffee, tightened.

The can became grotesquely crushed.

Jun-hoo had disrupted Si-hoo’s plan to deliberately worsen the patient’s back.

He had pointed out that the range of nerve decompression was excessive.

Usually, a first-year resident wouldn’t criticize a senior’s surgical technique.

Because, in terms of knowledge and experience, a first-year resident is typically no match for a senior resident.

But Jun-hoo was different.

He clearly understood the principles of nerve decompression.

He adhered to his own standards without regard for the opinions of those around him.

So, Si-hoo had no choice but to revise his assessment of Jun-hoo.

From a fool who only cared about patients and medical skills to a fool who cared about patients and medical skills, but also was good at his job and had strong opinions.

“Senior, do you usually test your juniors like that?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You were testing me when we were doing the nerve decompression earlier, weren’t you?”

“Ah, that?”

Si-hoo chuckled and continued.

“Not often, but sometimes. To make the juniors wake up.”

“Then you succeeded properly. I was really surprised.”

“I was surprised too. You confronted me so seriously. I thought it was a bullfight.”

Si-hoo mixed in witty jokes, but his inner thoughts were completely different.

Just thinking back to that moment made Si-hoo’s heart sink.

*-Whether it’s orthopedics or neurosurgery, the principle of preserving the lumbar structures as much as possible remains unchanged.*

*-Should I contact the chief or professor?*

Si-hoo felt a great sense of crisis at Jun-hoo’s rebuttal.

It was clear that Si-hoo had violated established principles.

In a situation where he was cornered, Si-hoo managed to come up with the excuse of a ‘test’.

He masked his secret transgression with the guise of a skill assessment between seniors and juniors.

Even he thought his response was remarkably witty and brilliant.

“Senior, are you going to rest more? I think I should head back up soon because of ward work.”

“Okay. Go on ahead. I feel strangely tired today.”

“Then I’ll see you later. Get some rest.”

Si-hoo stared intently at Jun-hoo’s back as he left the lounge.

For a moment, Jun-hoo’s absurd image of driving a screw into a metal plate with his bare finger flashed in his mind.

Jun-hoo’s flawless assistance throughout the surgery also replayed in his thoughts.

*It’s frustrating, but he was several levels above me.*

*It’ll be difficult to overwhelm him with skill…*

*Did I meet a worthy opponent for the first time in a while?*

Si-hoo licked his lips with his snake-like tongue.

*Seo Jun-hoo. I’ve found an interesting prey for once.*

Si-hoo took out his notebook and wrote Jun-hoo’s name in red pen.

* * *

*I still feel uneasy.*

*He’s definitely hiding something.*

While returning to the ward, Jun-hoo couldn’t stop thinking about Si-hoo.

Whenever he was around Si-hoo, a chilling feeling would occasionally surge up. It was as if he was facing a demonic master from the martial arts world.

Si-hoo claimed that he had deliberately widened the scope of nerve decompression to test him.

But he doubted that was his true intention.

It was rare to use a patient’s body as collateral to educate a junior.

If it were a typical educational exercise, it would have taken the form of a question-and-answer session.

For now, Jun-hoo decided to be wary of Si-hoo and observe him carefully.

If they spent enough time together, his true colors would eventually be revealed. There was no need to be impatient.

Jun-hoo took the emergency stairs for exercise.

He soon arrived at the 6th-floor neurosurgery ward.

Walking along the hallway and looking out the window, the scenery around the hospital was revealed at a glance.

It felt like only yesterday that he had chosen neurosurgery as his major, but the season was already autumn.

The trees planted for landscaping were displaying colorful autumn foliage.

*Come to think of it, tomorrow is my day off.*

*I’ve already made plans and appointments.*

Step. Step.

Jun-hoo, who had been standing by the window, started walking again.

“Nurse, how is the famous patient doing?”

Jun-hoo asked the nurse while standing at the station.

“Are you talking about the pianist patient?”

“Yes.”

“He’s resting quietly in the private room. But that patient seems to have a very sensitive personality.”

“In what way?”

“I went to check his vitals about an hour ago, but he suddenly asked me to come back in 30 minutes.”

“Why?”

“The patient was working on a song while looking at sheet music. He said he didn’t want to be disturbed.”

“The vital check is over quickly, though.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

The nurse continued in an excited voice.

“I also have something to notify you about that patient. He’s refusing to have his blood drawn. Could you take care of it, doctor?”

“It never ends. I didn’t see him that way… If you’re having trouble, I’ll have to take care of it.”

“Thank you. You’re the best, Dr. Seo.”

Jun-hoo gathered supplies from the station’s supply room and placed them on the dressing cart.

Then, he pulled the dressing cart to the private room where Myung-han was staying.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

When he knocked, Myung-han looked towards the door and nodded.

It was a signal that he could come in.

As Jun-hoo approached the bed, Myung-han, who had been sitting propped up, placed the sheet music notebook he was holding on his lap.

“How is your hospital life going?”

“It’s uncomfortable in many ways. The food is terrible, I feel like I’m trapped in a prison, and the nurses come in and out all the time, so I don’t have any privacy.”

Myung-han unloaded a barrage of complaints.

As the nurse had said, Myung-han seemed to have a sensitive and delicate personality.

*What if Myung-han was in a six-person room?*

*He would realize that the complaints he just made were luxurious.*

The personal space in a six-person room was extremely narrow.

So narrow that even the infamous studio apartments would seem spacious in comparison.

The noise pollution was also considerable.

If a snoring patient or guardian was in the same room, it was common to spend sleepless nights.

But perhaps it was because of this sensitive side that Myung-han became a world-renowned pianist.

“Did your guardian go out for a while?”

“Yes. He went out to buy some snacks.”

“How is your body feeling?”

“I had a headache and nausea, but I feel a little better after taking medicine.”

“If you have any discomfort, tell me everything now.”

“Then you’ll have to stay up all night listening?”

Myung-han smiled bitterly and turned his gaze to the dressing cart.

“Are you now coming to draw blood yourself, doctor?”

“Yes. You need to have your blood drawn. It’s a very basic test.”

“Can’t I skip it? I’m getting brain surgery anyway. And I’m really afraid of needles…”

“I don’t want to do anything that the patient dislikes, but I can’t avoid drawing blood.”

“Haa… If that’s the case…”

Myung-han reluctantly held out his arm and squeezed his eyes shut.

There were surprisingly many cases of adults being afraid of needles like Myung-han.

And the reason was usually due to trauma experienced in childhood.

“I’ll do it without pain. I’ll do it in one go.”

“Please.”

Before the blood draw, Jun-hoo attempted pain-relieving acupressure.

Pat! Pat! Pat!

Jun-hoo’s index finger shot out like a bullet.

The finger, imbued with internal energy [qi or vital energy], partially paralyzed Myung-han’s medial brachial nerve.

The mechanism was to dull the nerve, preventing pain signals from reaching the brain.

Jun-hoo tied Myung-han’s arm with a tourniquet (rubber band).

After disinfecting the skin where the blood vessels protruded, he boldly inserted the needle.

Jun-hoo was performing various high-level surgeries.

Internal energy tumor angiography.

Even internal energy tumor resection.

Drawing blood was a piece of cake.

Poooook.

The needle pierced through the skin layer and blood vessel.

As he pulled the syringe plunger, red blood rushed into the syringe barrel like a tide.

“It’s all over. Open your eyes and press the injection site with cotton.”

“Huh? Already? I didn’t feel anything?”

Myung-han looked down at his arm with a surprised expression.

Meanwhile, Jun-hoo removed the tourniquet that had been tying Myung-han’s arm.

“It wasn’t painful, and it was quick, right?”

“…Yes. I wish someone like you had drawn my blood before, doctor. I don’t think I would have been so afraid of needles if that were the case.”

“Maybe so. If you have time, would you like me to give you a head massage?”

“You can do that too?”

“Of course. I can do everything except what I can’t do.”

Myung-han burst out laughing at Jun-hoo’s joke.

After receiving Myung-han’s permission, Jun-hoo massaged Myung-han’s head.

He pressed firmly on both temples.

He pressed on the Baihui [crown of the head], Amen [nape of the neck], and Tianshu [beside the navel] acupoints in order.

But this was all bait.

Jun-hoo’s real goal was internal energy tumor angiography.

He wanted to check if there were any ultra-fine tumors that had not been detected on the MRI.

Internal energy tumor angiography was the ultimate brain tumor test.

No matter how small the brain tumor was, it could sense the tumor’s unique suction power and accurately identify its location.

“Doctor, it’s so refreshing! It feels like my head is clearing up.”

“I’m naturally good with my hands. Just stay still like this.”

After massaging enough, Jun-hoo placed his palm on Myung-han’s head.

Of course, there was no resistance from Myung-han.

*It’s already a difficult awake surgery; it would be troublesome if there were even micro-cancers.*

*Let’s go easy this time, please.*

Jun-hoo desperately prayed inwardly as he sent internal energy into Myung-hoon’s head.