A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 479

“Damn it.”

Choi Jin-gu cursed under his breath, something he hadn’t done in a while.

He was just returning from apologizing to Ahn Byeong-tae about the misdiagnosis and the botched surgery.

-Doctor, aren’t you going too far? I clearly said my back hurt *more* after the surgery. But you said I’d be fine!

-I’m sorry. I have no excuse.

-Is this something that can be solved with a few words of apology? You’ve ruined my back!

-…

-How are you going to take responsibility?

-If you’re willing, I’ll take responsibility and perform the surgery again.

-Another surgery? I’d rather trust a cat to run a fish store [meaning, I wouldn’t trust you at all]. If you were in my position, would you want to have another surgery?

The patient yelled at the top of his lungs.

Choi Jin-gu lowered his head slightly and couldn’t say anything.

He’d thought Ahn Byeong-tae was a docile patient, but that was a complete miscalculation.

Once his anger exploded, he was like a tiger.

The patient’s daughter, who looked to be in her late 20s and was acting as his caregiver, had been wearing a cold expression and keeping her mouth shut since earlier.

The daughter was scary in her own way.

Imagine if she spread this incident on community forums or social media.

The incident would snowball.

Public opinion would turn against Choi Jin-gu, and he would likely face a barrage of criticism.

The caregiver was holding her phone, and it seemed like she was recording the conversation.

That’s why he couldn’t speak confidently.

If they caught him on something, it would be a disaster.

-I’m sorry.

-Are you a doctor? Or a parrot? Can you only say you’re sorry?

-What can I do to ease your anger?

-I don’t need anything. Just get out.

The patient pointed at the door and chased Choi Jin-gu away. Choi Jin-gu had no choice but to leave dejectedly.

As he walked across the hospital hallway, Choi Jin-gu felt an uncontrollable urge to destroy something.

If there was a pebble on the ground, he would want to kick it with all his might…

But there was no way there would be a pebble on the hospital floor.

‘One loach [a type of fish] is muddying the entire medical staff pool.’ [Meaning, one bad apple spoils the bunch.]

Choi Jin-gu felt complicated emotions as he thought of Jun-hoo.

One was hatred.

If it weren’t for Jun-hoo, his misdiagnosis and botched surgery wouldn’t have been exposed, and he wouldn’t be suffering this humiliation today.

It was all Jun-hoo’s fault.

On the other hand, he was also curious about Jun-hoo’s future actions.

‘He who breaks it, fixes it.’

Jun-hoo seemed to want to regain the patient’s trust through the reoperation.

But that was realistically impossible.

Even if Choi Jin-gu were the patient, he would never get surgery in their department.

Why would anyone get a second surgery at a hospital with a previous misdiagnosis on record?

The deeper he thought, the deeper his worries became.

Choi Jin-gu frowned deeply and rubbed his face with both hands.

He moved to the Second Conference Room, where the professors were having tea time.

“Associate Professor. Are you here alone?”

Choi Jin-gu tilted his head as he entered the conference room.

“I sent everyone home early. I wanted to talk to you alone.”

“You’re the only one who understands me, Associate Professor.”

Choi Jin-gu flattered Kim Han-sang as he sat across from him.

Kim Han-sang was one of only two associate professors in the department.

But he was older, more experienced, and had a wider network than the other associate professor.

In fact, he was the real power broker who held the Busan medical department firmly in his grasp.

Even though Jun-hoo was the head of the department.

That was just a superficial title.

No one followed Jun-hoo anymore.

The boss of the department was Kim Han-sang, no matter how you looked at it.

“What took you so long?”

“You know the back surgery patient? I went to his hospital room to apologize.”

“That’s good.”

“Good? I was showered with abuse!”

“If you get cursed a lot, you’ll live a long life, right?”

Kim Han-sang laughed heartily.

It was obviously a joke to cheer him up, but Choi Jin-gu didn’t feel any better.

“I’m so anxious that things will blow up. I can’t laugh at your jokes, Associate Professor.”

“What does the head of the department say?”

“He told me to sincerely apologize to the patient and offer a reoperation.”

“Then you don’t need to worry about it anymore. Step away from this.”

“I’m the one involved, though?”

Choi Jin-gu was greatly surprised, his shoulders shaking.

Kim Han-sang’s statement was too unconventional.

“I can see what the head of the department is planning to do.”

“What’s his intention?”

“He offered a reoperation, but he probably didn’t mean for you to do it. He’ll end up doing the surgery himself.”

“I’m Ahn Byeong-tae’s attending physician, so why would the head of the department operate?”

“That’s just the kind of person he is. When he thinks he’s doing the right thing, he jumps in without considering the consequences.”

“…”

“Have you searched for articles about the head of the department?”

“Ah… No, I haven’t.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. You need to know your enemy to win every battle [a reference to Sun Tzu’s *Art of War*].”

Kim Han-sang handed Choi Jin-gu his phone.

The phone was already filled with articles about Jun-hoo.

His training at the Mayo Clinic.

Performing emergency treatment on the street.

Treating a patient bitten by a snake in the mountains.

Being involved in a shooting incident in the United States, and so on.

At this point, it seemed like Jun-hoo wasn’t just present where incidents occurred, but that he was creating them.

Jun-hoo had lived such a turbulent life.

“He’s always involved in patient-related incidents. He’s like a moth to a flame.”

“Exactly. That’s what I’m trying to say!”

Kim Han-sang laughed cheerfully and clapped his hands.

“It’s a shame you were humiliated. But the head of the department will handle this his own way anyway.”

“…”

“And whatever the head of the department does, we benefit.”

“Why do we benefit?”

Choi Jin-gu asked with a puzzled expression.

Kim Han-sang’s thoughts were moving too fast for him to keep up.

“How easy is a back reoperation? There’s a high chance he’ll mess it up if he does it himself.”

“That’s true.”

Choi Jin-gu nodded.

One of the reasons he felt so frustrated was that he was overwhelmed by the thought of performing the reoperation himself.

Once someone has surgery, their back structure weakens, making reoperation a high risk.

“But Associate Professor, if the patient refuses the reoperation, won’t I end up taking the blame?”

“…”

“The patient doesn’t seem to have any intention of getting another surgery.”

“Then I’ll use my influence with the Director of Medical Affairs. If the reoperation doesn’t happen, there’s another way to make the head of the department look bad.”

Choi Jin-gu felt like he had gained a thousand soldiers upon hearing Kim Han-sang’s words.

The heavy feeling he had earlier became as light as a feather.

Choi Jin-gu bowed 90 degrees to Kim Han-sang.

“Thank you, Associate Professor. I will continue to be loyal.”

* * *

Before going to the outpatient clinic.

Jun-hoo first visited the neurosurgery intensive care unit.

He went to So-hyun’s bed, who had been in critical condition due to a fall.

Surprisingly, So-hyun had already regained consciousness. The oxygen respirator had been removed.

So-hyun was looking up at Jun-hoo with a slightly dazed expression.

Perhaps it was thanks to the internal energy infusion he had been giving her whenever he had the chance.

So-hyun’s recovery was faster than expected.

“Nurse, when did So-hyun regain consciousness?”

Jun-hoo asked the nurse who was passing by.

“An hour ago. Her vitals are normal.”

Jun-hoo nodded and moved closer to So-hyun’s bed.

“So-hyun, how are you feeling?”

“My head hurts a lot.”

“That’s because you had surgery. You’ll be fine soon.”

“Surgery is bad.”

“Huh?”

“Surgery is like alcohol. My mom always drinks at home.”

Jun-hoo bit his lip at So-hyun’s answer.

He was filled with anger at the heartless woman who abused such an innocent child and pushed her off the balcony.

“Surgery isn’t bad alcohol. It’s like saying ‘hoo~’ [a gentle blowing sound] to someone who’s sick.”

“You said ‘hoo~’ but why does it still hurt?”

“It takes time to get better, so I’ll help you.”

Jun-hoo used his martial arts instead of painkillers.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Jun-hoo’s index finger rapidly poked various spots on So-hyun’s head. He was relieving the pain by unblocking the major acupoints [specific points on the body believed to control energy flow].

“How do you feel now?”

“Hmm… Good.”

A faint smile appeared on So-hyun’s face.

“Is there anything else that’s bothering you besides your head?”

“No. But…”

So-hyun hesitated before continuing.

“Where’s my dad? I want to see my dad.”

So-hyun’s words pierced Jun-hoo’s heart.

It was too much for a child to endure the bleak and miserable atmosphere of the intensive care unit alone.

“Can you wait a little bit? I’ll help you see your dad soon.”

“Is that a promise?”

“Then let’s make a promise.”

Jun-hoo linked fingers with So-hyun.

So-hyun’s fingers were white, thin, and fragile.

Jun-hoo moved to the station where the nurses were working.

“Nurse, let’s move So-hyun to a regular room.”

“Shouldn’t we keep an eye on her for another day? She just regained consciousness…”

“I examined her, and her condition is better than I thought. Leaving her alone is bad for her mental health.”

“Okay. Let’s see. We happen to have a room available.”

“Please proceed with that.”

After speaking, Jun-hoo left the intensive care unit.

As he looked around the patient waiting room, he noticed a face he hadn’t seen before.

It seemed he had just come back from the restroom.

“Hello, Doctor.”

“Yes, hello.”

Jun-hoo greeted him first, and Gwang-hyun returned the greeting warmly.

Gwang-hyun was So-hyun’s father.

His face was covered in fatigue, as if he had spent the night in front of the waiting room.

His hair was also disheveled.

“Please stand still for a moment.”

Just like he did with the residents, Jun-hoo gave Gwang-hyun a blood-pumping massage and an internal energy infusion.

Gwang-hyun’s face brightened.

“Wow. I don’t know what it is, but it’s amazing. I feel refreshed.”

“Well, it’s nothing much. More importantly, I have good news for you. So-hyun has regained consciousness. We’re planning to move her to a regular room now.”

“…! Thank you, Doctor. Thank you.”

Gwang-hyun said, clasping Jun-hoo’s hands roughly.

Tears welled up in Gwang-hyun’s eyes.

Jun-hoo almost cried too.

Gwang-hyun thanked Jun-hoo profusely before finally letting go of his hands.

“Doctor, have you thought about what I mentioned last time?”

“You mean about publishing a book?”

“Yes.”

Jun-hoo paused for a moment before continuing.

“I’m embarrassed, but let’s do it. This is all experience anyway.”

“You made a good decision. Then I’ll schedule something separately and contact you.”

After parting ways with Gwang-hyun, Jun-hoo immediately headed to the outpatient clinic.

He was relieved that So-hyun was safe.

It was already terrible that she was abused by her parents, but how much more difficult would So-hyun’s life have been if she had died or been left with a disability?

I need to start paying attention to my own livelihood now.

The moment he arrived at the first-floor lobby.

Jun-hoo’s heart began to beat faster.

Today was his first outpatient clinic since coming to Busan.

And since becoming the head of the neurosurgery department.

It wasn’t that he was burdened by the clinic itself.

What was weighing on Jun-hoo’s shoulders was the pressure regarding the number of outpatients.

They had even put up banners outside the hospital, but no outpatients came to see Jun-hoo?

That would be very embarrassing.

Few patients = the doctor lacks skill.

Also, don’t people often make the above mistake?

If there were few patients, Jun-hoo might be labeled as an incompetent doctor.

The other professors in the department might ignore Jun-hoo.

Should I have announced the clinic news on NewTube or social media in advance?

While he was lost in various thoughts.

The neurosurgery outpatient clinic was right in front of him.