Dr. Shin Seonhan: The Doctor Who Sees The Future [EN]: Chapter 127

#127 The Heart Beats (11)

“……”

The patient doesn’t respond.

Well, because there’s a thick endotracheal tube [a tube inserted into the trachea to assist breathing] in their mouth.

But I can see their eyelids are slightly open.

“If you can hear my voice, try to grab my finger.”

I touched the patient’s hand.

Twitch—

Their finger moves.

Then, they slightly spread their fingers and gently grabbed my index finger.

“……!”

I cheered inwardly.

They understood me and moved their body.

They obeyed (followed the doctor’s instructions).

It means the patient’s mental state (brain activity) has returned.

Tap—

I ran outside.

And immediately called Teacher Pung.

“Teacher, the patient is obeying!”

“Oh, really?”

Step, step.

Teacher Pung enters the resuscitation room with a delighted expression.

And immediately asks the patient a question.

“Patient, do you remember why you were brought here?”

“…….”

Instead of an answer, only the sound of the oxygen respirator, wheezing, came from the patient’s mouth.

“Are you in a lot of pain?”

Nod, nod.

The patient barely nods.

Seeing their face is all scrunched up, it seems like the surgical site hurts.

This is also a welcome sign.

Feeling pain?

That’s a sign that their mind is relatively clear.

“Well, it’s natural to be in pain. You almost crossed over to the afterlife, but we forcibly brought you back. Haha!”

Teacher Pung laughed heartily.

That’s how the patient gradually regained consciousness.

We gave them painkillers and adjusted the patient’s level of consciousness.

Soon, the guardian was also allowed to visit.

“Oh, honey!”

Dash!

The patient’s wife runs over, crying her eyes out.

It seems she had been anxiously waiting outside the emergency room.

Soon, the patient’s wife grabs Teacher Pung and starts asking questions.

“Teacher, what happened?”

“The patient is currently…….”

“No, why is my husband like this!”

“Okay, I’ll explain.”

“Ugh! Teacher, what about my husband!”

“Ma’am, first let go of my collar……!”

As expected, a fiery Gokdam citizen.

Before even hearing the story, she grabs Teacher Pung’s collar and shakes him.

Teacher Pung calms the guardian’s excitement and explains the patient’s condition for a while.

Now, I have no role to play.

I left the resuscitation room with my colleagues.

“Seon-han, Geun-uk. Now, you two go in and rest.”

“Yes, go quickly. Thank you for helping out today, but you must be so tired!”

So-dam and Yeon-seo pushed our backs.

I wanted to rest as soon as possible anyway.

But then, I heard a child’s cry from somewhere.

“Daddy…… Waaaaah!”

Where is that sound coming from?

We looked towards the hallway.

About five years old?

A young girl was crying alone, a little far away.

‘Is that the patient’s daughter?’

It seems she got scared being left alone in the hallway.

The mother is currently inside the resuscitation room, grabbing Teacher Pung’s collar and shaking him, so she’s out of her mind.

We knelt down in front of the child without anyone saying anything first.

“Hello?”

“Little one, what’s your name?”

But the child doesn’t listen to us and just keeps crying.

How should I soothe her…….

I thought for a moment, then smiled and said.

“Shall we go see your dad?”

Drip.

The child stops crying.

But she looks at us with tearful eyes, as if she’s about to burst into tears again any second.

“Is my dad sick somewhere?”

That’s how she asks in a lisping voice.

It’s so cute and pitiful.

I decided to put it as gently as possible.

“Dad got a little hurt and injured, but he’s okay now.”

“I want to see Dad.”

“Okay. Let’s go see him together. But what’s that in your hand?”

I diverted her attention.

The child has been holding a sketchbook tightly since earlier.

“I have to show my dad the picture I drew…….”

“A picture? What kind of picture is it?”

“I’m really good at drawing.”

“Can you show it to the teachers?”

“Yes.”

Soon, the child proudly opens the sketchbook as if she had never cried.

What is that?

Is it an octopus?

Anyway, some strange creature is drawn.

At that time, Geun-uk, who was sitting next to me, made a fuss, clapped, and reacted.

“Wow~ You drew it really well!”

“Right?”

“Yeah. It really looks like an octopus!”

“It’s my dad.”

“…….”

It was her dad.

Geun-uk had turned her dad into an octopus.

Yeon-seo and So-dam next to me bit their lips and barely held back their laughter.

“Can I go show my dad the picture?”

At the child’s question, I hesitated for a moment.

Of course, until just before, the patient’s condition was terrible.

But now, his consciousness has returned to some extent.

The surgical site is well covered, and all the bloody gauze around it has been cleaned up, so it should be okay.

“Okay, let’s go say hello to your dad.”

Then the girl spread her arms.

Does she want a hug?

I want to, but my clothes are a bit dirty.

I pointed to Geun-uk next to me.

“This big guy will take you.”

“Oh, me?”

“What are you going to do with your muscles?”

Then Geun-uk awkwardly picked up the child.

Oh.

It suits him better than I thought.

Holding the child with his sturdy arm muscles, it’s incredibly stable.

The child’s face also looks peaceful and comfortable.

It’s like being wrapped in a comfortable, unshakable bed?

Geun-uk might be more suited to pediatrics than I thought.

“Patient, we’ll show you your daughter’s face for a moment.”

We took the child to the patient.

Soon, the patient with the oxygen respirator slowly turned his head towards us.

“Daddy, does it hurt somewhere?”

Shake, shake.

The patient shook his head very slightly.

He looked a little tired, but he seemed to be trying to reassure his daughter.

I can see his eyes getting a little red.

Then the child opens the sketchbook she’s holding.

“Look at this. Daddy’s face!”

Then, a smile appeared on the patient’s face wearing the oxygen mask.

Trickle—

Tears that had been welling up in his eyes, about to fall, finally flowed out.

Whether it’s the relief of being alive or the joy of seeing his daughter again…….

Maybe it’s both.

“Teachers, thank you so much for saving my husband…….”

Bow—

The patient’s wife bows her head.

It seems that her excitement has finally subsided, and she is expressing her gratitude to Teacher Pung.

Teacher Pung, who had been unfairly grabbed by the collar for a while, laughed cheerfully as if he didn’t care.

“Thank the interns. These guys brought him to the hospital quickly and barely saved him. You’re lucky!”

Teacher Pung’s words felt particularly good.

* * *

Buzz—

Geun-uk and I opened the emergency room door and headed to the dorm.

As soon as I came outside, I took a breath.

“Hoo.”

Late at night.

The air was refreshing.

Was it because of the relief of saving the patient?

Even the humid summer air felt so refreshing.

Although my body was tired and felt like it was melting away, it was worth it.

“Seon-han, you worked hard.”

“Yeah, you too, Geun-uk.”

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“Ah, that’s right.”

Grumble—

Come to think of it, I haven’t even had dinner yet.

I was so out of it that I didn’t even think about it.

“Come to think of it, we went out to the fish market to have dinner, right?”

“Yeah, you idiot.”

“Shall we go have dinner now, even at this hour?”

“Where can we find a restaurant open at this hour? And I don’t really have an appetite.”

“Actually, me neither.”

We bought some snacks at a convenience store.

The last supper in Gokdam is cream bread and milk.

Geun-uk immediately grumbled.

“Thinking about it, if you hadn’t suddenly looked for snow crab, our dinner would have been peaceful!”

“That’s true.”

“Our Seon-han, you must have really wanted to eat snow crab.”

“Please don’t do the failed gag twice, Geun-uk.”

We went back to the dorm, sharing such trivial stories.

“You go in first. I’ll take a shower and go in.”

I said that and headed to the shower room.

Wobble—

My legs gave out.

I’m hungry and my throat is parched.

But more than that, I wanted to pour water on my body covered in sweat and fatigue.

“…….”

I stood in front of the mirror.

It’s a mess.

Having gone from the fish market to the operating room, there was blood splattered here and there on my clothes.

Not only that.

Once the tension was released, my whole body was complaining of muscle pain.

I wondered if I could even get up on my own two feet tomorrow morning.

‘This is something no human should do.’

No wonder doctors avoid surgical departments.

Should I rethink supporting the surgery side?

Thinking that way, I looked up at the mirror…….

‘Huh?’

I was surprised to see my own expression.

Why am I smiling?

Am I crazy?

Did I go crazy from an adrenaline overdose?

Even while thinking that, I couldn’t hide the laughter that was bursting out.

‘I’m going crazy. Was surgery this fun?’

Of course, as a doctor, the sense of accomplishment in saving a patient’s life is also great.

But what remains vividly in my head is the .

The process of saving a patient with momentary judgment and skill in extreme situations was all enjoyable.

‘And above all…….’

The first heart I ever touched!

The wondrous sensation when the stopped heart started beating again!

It was a first experience I will never forget in my life.

‘This is a big deal. I think I’m completely addicted to this?’

That’s how I took my first step into the world of a TS surgeon (thoracic surgeon).

* * *

The night was deep.

Haa—

On the last night in Gokdam, I was finally able to lie down in bed.

But, for some reason, my mind was wide awake.

Geun-uk must have been the same, he packed his clothes early and was preparing to go out alone.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to meet my girlfriend.”

“At this hour?”

“I don’t know when I’ll see her again, so I have to see her as much as I can tonight!”

He’s so passionate.

I thought they would break up soon, but he’s serious about dating until the last day.

I hope he doesn’t miss the time to go back to Seoul tomorrow.

“Friend. I’m going to spend a burning last night!”

Hurriedly!

Geun-uk ran away excitedly.

I chuckled.

He’s very excited.

“It’s youth.”

I can’t sleep either.

I changed into casual clothes and headed to the vending machine in the guardian waiting room.

Click—

Gulp, gulp.

I drank a can of ion drink [sports drink] and looked around.

‘I’ve grown fond of this place too.’

Gokdam Jeil Hospital.

It’s shabby, but it’s always full of patients.

A lot has happened in this hospital for a month.

It felt like I had been rolling around for half a year.

“Hey, smarty.”

Then someone called me.

Of course, there’s only one person who calls me that.

Teacher Pung in casual clothes was standing crookedly and looking at me.

“Do you know how many more hours I was stuck in the emergency room today because of you?”

“I’m sorry.”

Whack—

He threw the helmet he was holding towards me.

I inadvertently caught the helmet he handed me.

Teacher Pung smiled.

“Come on, you little rascal. It’s the last day, let’s have a drink.”