A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 322

Chapter 62. Flying Through the Sky (2)

After using internal energy to destroy part of the skull, Jun-hoo rechecked the patient’s intracranial pressure.

‘Okay! That should do it!’

Jun-hoo’s face brightened.

If the brain had been like a balloon about to burst, now it was less dangerous, like a balloon with a slightly loosened knot, allowing air to escape.

Brain herniation, the worst-case scenario, he had cleverly dealt with it using martial arts and internal energy.

Even though the skull was shattered, there was no need to worry too much. He could reconstruct it using artificial bone.

“How’s the abdominal stab wound?”

Jun-hoo asked urgently, staring at Sung-min.

Although the brain was important, a person couldn’t live by the brain alone. If the abdominal wound wasn’t taken care of, the patient would die.

“Judging from the location of the stab wound, there seems to be damage to the hepatic portal vein [the main vein carrying blood from the digestive organs to the liver]. If we don’t operate quickly…”

Sung-min trailed off. His face was as gloomy as if dark clouds had gathered.

“Is the bleeding under control?”

“About 80 percent? But I don’t know what will happen if I let go.”

Sung-min had wrapped the patient’s abdomen with bandages several times and was pressing down firmly with both hands. Direct pressure was quite effective; the spread of red blood had subsided.

Jun-hoo’s gaze shifted to nurse Ji-hye. She was mixing a new injection into the IV fluid connected to the patient’s vein, struggling to save the patient, even if it meant pumping in drugs. As the medication was added, the IV fluid momentarily turned cloudy. Ji-hye vigorously shook the bag containing the IV fluid to adjust the concentration of the fluid and medication.

Tick. Tock.

Jun-hoo heard the sound of the clock ticking in his head. How much golden time was left? Unlike usual, he couldn’t grasp it. Everything was unclear. It was Jun-hoo’s first time treating a patient with multiple traumas.

Jun-hoo shook his head from side to side to shake off the anxiety and embraced the patient with both arms. He bit the IV line connected to the patient with his mouth.

“What are you doing, Dr. Jun-hoo?”

Ji-hye asked with wide, surprised eyes. “Are you going to move him alone? It’s too much. If you fall, it’s really irreversible. Let’s move him with a stretcher.”

“No. I’m going to the helicopter first.”

His pronunciation was awkward because he had the IV line in his mouth, so Jun-hoo kept his words short and immediately headed towards the helicopter, running back the way he came.

“Hey! Do you think I’m a pushover? Are you going to keep doing whatever you want? If you came to help, then help.”

Sung-min’s curse was heard from behind, but he ignored it. If he could save the patient, he didn’t care if he was buried under a truckload of curses.

Jun-hoo’s figure, stepping on the Blue Breeze Steps [a martial arts technique for swift movement], was like a car. The surrounding scenery whizzed by. A strong wind blew head-on, shaking Jun-hoo’s hair mercilessly. His face was stinging, and his ears were even going numb. Jun-hoo was resisting the wind and, at the same time, he was resisting the patient’s impending death.

To avoid losing something precious, you had to fight the enemy with all your might.

Moyong Pyeong, although I couldn’t save you, I will definitely save this person who is similar to you. I’ll show you that I’m different from before.

Thanks to the Blue Breeze Steps, Jun-hoo returned to the helipad in the blink of an eye. He laid the patient on the bed and prepared for treatment. The most basic thing was to connect the patient monitoring device to check the vitals.

“You transported that huge patient alone?”

The helicopter pilot turned his head and looked towards the treatment room. His voice was filled with surprise.

“Yes.”

“What about the others?”

“They’re cleaning up and coming. Please prepare for takeoff as soon as they arrive.”

Connecting the wires to the patient, Jun-hoo stared at the monitor.

Blood pressure was 160/140 mmHg. Body temperature was 37.7 degrees Celsius. Pulse was 130 beats per minute, tachycardia [abnormally rapid heart rate]. Respiration was 14 breaths per minute. Oxygen saturation was 92 percent. The electrocardiogram showed prolonged QTc interval waves [a measure of the heart’s electrical recharging time].

The overall results clearly indicated bleeding. In fact, the vitals weren’t serious compared to the patient’s condition, but that didn’t mean he could let his guard down. Hadn’t he injected the patient with various drugs? There was a limit to how long he could last with the drug effect.

‘Hepatic portal vein rupture, was it?’

Jun-hoo looked down at the patient’s upper abdomen, which was wrapped in blood-soaked bandages. The subcutaneous bleeding might have stopped, but the internal bleeding would still be there. Fundamental hemostasis [stopping blood flow] was needed to safely get the patient to the operating room.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Jun-hoo’s index finger stabbed various parts of the patient’s upper abdomen like lightning. At first glance, it looked like he was playing around with a critically ill patient, but Jun-hoo was using acupressure to stop the bleeding. The target was the hepatic portal vein, where the blood from the stomach and spleen flowed into the liver. The hepatic portal vein was an extremely important blood vessel; it accounted for 75 percent of the blood flowing into the liver. If bleeding occurred, a major disaster was inevitable.

As Jun-hoo’s finger stabbed the abdomen located in the hepatic portal vein, the torn blood vessels shrank as if they were withering. He had constricted the blood vessels with internal energy. Acupressure wasn’t a panacea [a solution for all difficulties]. The blood vessels would eventually expand again and cause bleeding. However, there was no better method than hemostatic acupressure for buying time for surgery.

While Jun-hoo was re-examining the patient’s condition, Sung-min and Ji-hye belatedly joined him. The two people who boarded the helicopter were panting heavily. The faces covered in sweat were glistening as if they had applied grease.

“Please take off, doctor. As quickly as possible.”

“Yes. We’ll depart immediately.”

Bang!

The helicopter door closed and the helicopter took off into the air, heading straight to the hospital along the skyway.

* * *

‘Damn it, there’s nothing to nitpick.’

Sung-min frowned as he examined the patient. In fact, he thought Jun-hoo would recklessly transport the patient alone and drop him. The patient was a giant who looked to be at least 100 kilograms. Wasn’t it strange if an accident didn’t happen while carrying him in his arms and sprinting along a steep mountain path?

But that strange thing actually happened. Jun-hoo safely transported the patient to the helicopter. There were no signs of falling. If he had fallen, there would have been dirt on the patient’s and Jun-hoo’s clothes.

“The patient’s vitals are unexpectedly stable.”

Ji-hye said, looking at the patient monitoring device monitor.

“Is there any additional medication we should add?”

“No. Let’s maintain the current state for now. Too much medication can cause overload.”

Sung-min gently placed the bandage he was holding in the first aid kit.

Another strange thing happened. He was worried that the patient’s upper abdominal bleeding would continue for a while because the hepatic portal vein was suspected of being ruptured, but the bleeding had stopped at some point. It was a ghostly phenomenon. Perhaps that’s why he was even starting to doubt whether the patient’s hepatic portal vein was really ruptured.

“Doctor, I apologize if my actions were unpleasant.”

Jun-hoo suddenly apologized.

“Suddenly?”

“When I think about it, I thought that my actions might have seemed reckless from your perspective—jumping off the cliff and transporting the patient alone.”

“You did that knowing all that?”

Sung-min scolded Jun-hoo, but his voice was much softer. “What if Dr. Jun-hoo had fallen off the cliff and got hurt, or fallen while transporting the patient? Who would take responsibility for that?”

“……”

“I’m the one who gets all the blame. I’m the one who takes all the heat. So how can I not nag?”

“That’s why I’m apologizing. Sincerely.”

Unlike in the mountains, the ferocity in Jun-hoo’s eyes was gone. The current Jun-hoo was like a gentle lamb. It was hard to believe that he was the same person as before.

“I understand your eagerness to save people, but you still have to draw the line. Just because you’re brave doesn’t mean the results will always be good like today,” Sung-min continued calmly. “You’re not going to keep doing this in the future, are you?”

“No. I’m going to keep doing this.”

“Seriously? Weren’t you reflecting?”

Sung-min clicked his tongue at Jun-hoo’s absurd answer. ‘Is this guy teasing me right now? He’s playing with me?’

“You saw my abilities with your own eyes. It’s hard for me to say it myself, but I was born with an extraordinary physique.”

“……”

“Do you see my actions as mere coincidence?”

Jun-hoo asked back, and Sung-min was speechless. Looking at it without prejudice, it was hard to dismiss Jun-hoo’s performance as a simple coincidence. From transporting the patient to rescuing him, Jun-hoo showed an amazing and perfect performance.

“Dr. Sung-min, don’t scold Dr. Jun-hoo too much. If it weren’t for Dr. Jun-hoo, the patient would still be at the bottom of the cliff, right?”

Ji-hye, who had been silent, joined the conversation. At this, Sung-min’s eyebrows shot up high.

“Are you taking Dr. Jun-hoo’s side right now?”

“Hey, it’s not a matter of taking anyone’s side. I’m just stating the facts.”

“……”

“Think about the slope and height of the cliff. It was impossible to rescue the patient with our strength alone. The 119 mountain rescue team would have had to be dispatched additionally.”

Sung-min shut his mouth at Ji-hye’s point. He didn’t want to admit it, but it was true.

But it was at that moment…

“Oh? Something fell here.”

Jun-hoo bent down and picked something up from the floor. It was a crumpled piece of paper. It seemed to have fallen out of the patient’s pants pocket during treatment. Jun-hoo unfolded the paper and scanned it with his eyes.

[To Hye-in’s mom, and I’m sorry to Hye-in. I’m also sorry to my parents and friends.

I am a piece of trash who no longer deserves to live.

I’d rather die.

How long do I have to watch the people around me suffer because of my business debts?

What crime have other people committed?

I will gladly accept my sins and leave this world.

Please don’t harass my family anymore.]

After reading the patient’s suicide note, Jun-hoo’s heart ached. Taking one’s own life was a difficult thing; it was against the laws of nature. Attempting that difficult thing meant that it was that much harder to endure life. Jun-hoo couldn’t even fathom the mental anguish the patient must have gone through to make this choice.

Jun-hoo bit his lip tightly and handed the suicide note to Sung-min. While enduring the rising sadness, an unexpected sensation was transmitted to the back of his hand. With wide eyes, Jun-hoo looked at the patient.

“Ugh…”

A faint groan flowed from the patient’s parted lips. The patient had already opened his eyes wide.

“Wh… Where am I?”

“You’re in a helicopter. We’re on our way to the hospital.”

“Doctor…?”

“Yes. I’m a doctor. Can you recognize us?”

The patient nodded weakly. Then he put strength into the hand he had placed on the back of Jun-hoo’s hand. However, that grip was weaker than a newborn’s.

“Doctor… I want to live… I miss Hye-in and Hye-in’s mom… and Gaeul. I think I did something stupid for a moment…”

In an instant, the patient’s face brightened like sunlight. The patient made his intentions clear with a fairly clear voice. It was a fairly positive sign, but Jun-hoo felt fear instead.

Flare of life [a temporary burst of energy before death], a phenomenon in which the sunlight shines strongly temporarily just before the sun sets. In addition, a phenomenon in which a person temporarily regains vitality just before death. He felt the flare of life from the patient.

As expected.

The patient soon closed his eyes and his limbs drooped. The electrocardiogram graph spread out in a straight line.

Beeeeeeep. Beeeeeeep.

The patient monitoring device poured out urgent beeping sounds. The air froze coldly again.