A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 94

The Martial Surgeon – Chapter 94

Chapter 16: The Fox (4)

Jun-hoo, accompanied by Mi-ho and Sang-hyuk, was on his way to the upper endoscopy room on the second floor of the main building.

Sang-hyuk was a third-year resident.

After receiving the notification from Mi-ho, who had received Jun-hoo’s notification, he ordered an upper endoscopy.

Sang-hyuk was also the one who would perform the upper endoscopy on the patient.

The hospital during work hours was, as always, crowded with people.

Patients and guardians, hospital staff, insurance company employees, and so on.

The complexity and population density of the hospital building were comparable to a large shopping mall.

‘There are so many sick people in the world.’

‘There must be as many kinds of pain as there are sick people, right?’

‘There must be as many stories as there are kinds of pain, right?’

Jun-hoo suddenly had such thoughts as he glanced at the countless people he encountered.

There was no place that showed the rawness and compression of birth, aging, sickness, and death as much as a hospital.

“Why is the atmosphere so cold? Did you two fight?”

Sang-hyuk asked, looking back at Jun-hoo and Mi-ho, who were walking behind him.

While heading to the endoscopy room,

Jun-hoo and Mi-ho hadn’t exchanged a single word.

“What would I fight with an intern about? I just have nothing to say. By the way, your hair looks nice, *sunbae* [senior]?”

Mi-ho’s tone suddenly brightened.

Unlike when she was arguing with Jun-hoo, it was like a nightingale.

“I had some free time last night, so I got it cut at the salon on the first basement floor. It’s called a dandy cut. Does it suit me?”

“Totally. I didn’t say it earlier, but I thought you were an idol!”

“Are you trying to mess with me right now? You’re being so sweet~”

Unlike his tone, Sang-hyuk replied with a pleasant expression.

The two of them talked for a while, completely excluding Jun-hoo.

Jun-hoo knew that this was Mi-ho’s intention.

Mi-ho’s nickname was *Gumiho* [Nine-tailed Fox, a mythical creature known for its cunning].

She was endlessly friendly to her seniors, subtly bossed around her peer Dae-jin, and treated interns and nurses condescendingly because she thought they were easy to handle.

The reason for excluding Jun-hoo from the conversation now.

It was highly likely that it was to make Jun-hoo feel alienated.

It was highly likely that it was to show off the fact that she was close to her seniors.

‘Mi-ho is a little different in personality from the villains I’ve met so far.’

‘She subtly manipulates the people around her.’

‘She’s the type to subtly engage in political maneuvering.’

‘I need to change my approach.’

Jun-hoo organized his thoughts inwardly.

‘When fighting with heretics in the Murim [martial arts world] world, flexible responses are necessary.’

‘It was necessary to make good use of the charm of that flexibility in hospital work as well.’

“I heard from Mi-ho that you’re not easy to deal with either, Jun-hoo?”

Sang-hyuk spoke to Jun-hoo for the first time in a while.

Mi-ho briefly showed a displeased expression when her attention was taken away.

This was a fact known only to Jun-hoo and Mi-ho.

“I heard you were running around the ward trying to confirm the hematochezia [the passage of fresh blood through the anus] and even looked at the CCTV?”

“Yes. I’m the type who has to confirm any suspicious parts to be satisfied.”

“You’re something else. Really.”

Sang-hyuk shook his head as if he was fed up and continued.

“But you know, just because there’s hematochezia doesn’t necessarily mean there’s gastrointestinal bleeding, right?”

“That’s what I’m saying! But Jun-hoo, I couldn’t stop him because he was acting so recklessly.”

Mi-ho added her opinion as if she had been waiting for it.

“Seo Jun-hoo, can you explain the causes of hematochezia?”

“Excluding gastrointestinal bleeding, there are hemorrhoids, anal fistulas, diverticular disease of the colon, and inflammatory bowel disease, among others.”

Jun-hoo’s answer was as clear as ever.

In addition to the knowledge he had studied in medical school,

The knowledge he was accumulating with his pocketbook came out smoothly.

“You know it well. If the causes of hematochezia are the factors you just mentioned, there may be nothing wrong even if you do an upper endoscopy.”

“Even if there’s nothing wrong with the endoscopy, there’s nothing wrong with it.”

“What do you mean?”

Sang-hyuk tilted his head at Jun-hoo’s answer.

Mi-ho also stared at Jun-hoo with a puzzled expression.

“Because I was able to rule out one of the suspected diseases. I know that diagnosis is originally a process of opening up numerous possibilities and ruling them out one by one.”

“…….”

“If gastrointestinal bleeding isn’t the cause, you can comfortably do a colon-related examination.”

Jun-hoo’s eyes and voice were unwavering.

Although the people talking were gastrointestinal surgery residents, Jun-hoo was not intimidated in the slightest.

Because he was doing what they couldn’t do.

Because he was seeing what they hadn’t seen.

“Wow, anyone would think you’re the chief instead of an intern?”

Sang-hyuk chuckled at Jun-hoo’s answer.

The upper endoscopy room, which they arrived at while chatting.

The endoscopy room was packed with outpatients and inpatients waiting, along with their guardians.

This was despite the fact that there was a separate endoscopy room dedicated to the health checkup center.

Recently, endoscopy was usually done under sleep anesthesia.

Therefore, the waiting time for the examination often became longer as patients waited for the anesthesia to wear off.

However, the three of them cut through the waiting line and went straight into the endoscopy room.

This was because they had ordered an emergency examination.

Meanwhile, the patient who had arrived at the endoscopy room first was lying on bed 1-3.

“Because of you, *sunbae* had to come to do an endoscopy without even resting after surgery.”

“…….”

“If there’s nothing wrong with the patient, you’re going to get your ass kicked by me and *sunbae*. Are you ready?”

Mi-ho came up to Jun-hoo and whispered a warning, but Jun-hoo didn’t feel it was worth responding to.

‘Yes. No.’

‘The patient does have gastrointestinal bleeding.’

‘And I won’t get my ass kicked by a third-year.’

* * *

Beeeep. Beeeep.

A regular mechanical sound was heard from the patient monitoring device.

The patient, who had inhaled propofol gas, was slumped over and curled up like a shrimp.

Fortunately, the patient had fasted from last night until lunch today, so an endoscopy was possible right away.

He had only seen hematochezia during lunchtime.

He hadn’t eaten lunch at lunchtime.

“Scope (endoscope).”

Sang-hyuk took the endoscope that Mi-ho handed him and inserted it into the patient’s throat.

The light source lens on the endoscope brightly illuminated the dark throat.

The structure around the patient’s neck was displayed on the monitor facing them.

Sang-hyuk slowly pushed the endoscope into the esophagus while watching the monitor.

So that the endoscope insertion part does not scratch the surrounding tissue.

So that the endoscope does not enter the wrong airway.

‘-Nothing will happen, but I’ll do it just in case.’

Sang-hyuk was proceeding with the endoscope with that thought in mind.

Like Mi-ho, Sang-hyuk also thought that Jun-hoo was making a fuss.

Gastrointestinal bleeding rarely occurs in hospitalized patients.

“Jun-hoo, hold the rope. The rope shouldn’t get tangled. It goes in well when it’s straight and taut.”

“I’m already holding it.”

Jun-hoo replied as if he had been waiting for it.

With the help of Mi-ho and Jun-hoo, Sang-hyuk inserted the endoscope into the patient’s stomach.

He turned the camera and examined the lesser and greater curvature of the stomach wall, but there were no signs of bleeding.

The patient’s stomach wall was a healthy pink color.

“*Sunbae*, it doesn’t look like there’s anything wrong?”

“It looks that way to me too.”

“Anyway, Jun-hoo made *sunbae* suffer for nothing.”

Mi-ho subtly blamed Jun-hoo for making things bigger.

It was a doctor’s duty to examine patients thoroughly.

But Sang-hyuk was also exhausted because he had come down without resting and hadn’t gained anything.

“*Sunbae*. You haven’t checked the pylorus [the distal part of the stomach connected to the duodenum] yet, have you?”

“Why?”

“I think the bleeding will be there.”

“Oh, really. Are you a psychic or something? If you knew that, you should have used some recovery magic?”

Mi-ho retorted sharply to Jun-hoo’s words.

Sang-hyuk felt the same way.

But what?

As the saying goes, ‘If you see a rice cake, you want to hold a memorial service,’ when he pointed the endoscope towards the pylorus, an amazing sight unfolded.

There was red blood on the wall above the pylorus.

The blood was spreading out in all directions like streams.

This was a clear sign of gastrointestinal bleeding.

Estimating the amount of bleeding revealed on the current monitor, along with the hematochezia the patient had seen, the amount seemed to be at least 500CC [cubic centimeters] or more.

“…….”

“…….”

As Jun-hoo’s words became reality, the surrounding air turned chilly.

What if Jun-hoo hadn’t suspected gastrointestinal bleeding?

What if he hadn’t done an endoscopy?

The patient might have fainted from hypotension [low blood pressure] and tachycardia [rapid heart rate].

As a result, the residents who failed to manage the patient would have been held responsible.

“……There really was gastrointestinal bleeding. *Sunbae*, what should we do now?”

Mi-ho stared at Sang-hyuk with a worried expression.

“Of course, we have to stop the bleeding. Jun-hoo, do you know how to stop the bleeding in this case?”

Sang-hyuk asked Jun-hoo instead.

Unlike Mi-ho, Jun-hoo’s expression was so calm that he seemed to know all the subsequent treatments.

“There are many ways to stop the bleeding. You can cauterize with electricity or laser, suture the bleeding site with an automatic stapler, or use a rubber band, etc.”

“So, which hemostasis [the process of stopping bleeding] method is needed now?”

“Looking at the bleeding site and the bleeding pattern, I think spray-type hemostasis would be good. Wouldn’t it be okay to spray epinephrine [a medication used to treat allergic reactions]?”

Sang-hyuk nodded instead of answering.

The best hemostasis method Sang-hyuk had in mind was the hemostasis method Jun-hoo had just mentioned.

‘Is he really an intern?’

‘How can he be so perfect, not only in diagnosis but also in treatment?’

Jun-hoo was in a different class from the interns Sang-hyuk had met so far.

“Did you study gastrointestinal surgery separately? I didn’t know you’d be so knowledgeable.”

“I’m studying from time to time anyway. I might major in gastrointestinal surgery later.”

What Jun-hoo took out of his gown pocket was a gastrointestinal surgery pocketbook.

‘He must be busy handling the orders given by the residents, but he even studies on his own in his spare time…’

‘Looking at the medical knowledge that comes out right away, it doesn’t seem like he’s just studying casually…’

Sang-hyuk could only admire him.

“Mi-ho. Go to the treatment room with Jun-hoo and get some supplies. Spray and epinephrine spray.”

“Yes. *Sunbae*.”

Sang-hyuk blankly watched the backs of Jun-hoo and Mi-ho as they left.

* * *

“No way. It really was gastrointestinal bleeding?”

Mi-ho, who was walking one step faster than Jun-hoo, grumbled.

She had no idea that this result would come out.

Clearly, Mi-ho was immersed in a sweet dream of establishing discipline for Jun-hoo, using the fact that the endoscopy result came out normal as an excuse.

Of course, from Jun-hoo’s point of view, it was an absurd delusion.

“Like a cow stepping back and catching a rat [idiom for succeeding by luck]. Seo Jun-hoo. You better know you’re really lucky.”

Mi-ho said in a sulky voice.

“Luck is right, but one letter is missing at the end.”

“One letter is missing? What letter?”

“Destiny.”

“Luck… Destiny?”

“Yes. This situation was all destiny. It may sound cheesy to *sunbae*, though.”

Jun-hoo shrugged and replied.

30 minutes ago.

Jun-hoo put his palm on the patient’s abdomen.

Then he performed Internal Energy Fluoroscopy.

He confirmed the sensation of internal energies scattering like a spider web in the patient’s pylorus area.

This meant that bleeding had occurred.

Thanks to internal energy, Jun-hoo was a living, breathing, walking examination device.

He could perform most examinations himself and even check the examination results.

In that he already knew the results that others didn’t know.

In that he knew the results and followed the process.

The patient’s gastrointestinal bleeding diagnosis could be seen as destiny.

In fact, the reason why he was so obsessed with hematochezia was because he needed a justification for the endoscopy.

Because the results of Internal Energy Fluoroscopy were only known to Jun-hoo.

“Ugh. You’re so annoying. Let’s see how long you can keep acting so high and mighty.”

Jun-hoo didn’t budge at Mi-ho’s jealousy.

Rather, he showed the composure to fight back. There was no need to be humble in front of villains.

“You see, I’m not acting high and mighty, I’m really great.”