Dr. Shin Seonhan: The Doctor Who Sees The Future [EN]: Chapter 4

Dr. Fresh Future – Episode 4 (4/241)

#4 Intern Fresh (3)

I stared at the patient’s information on the screen, my eyes wide.

Kim Jeong-soo.

A 63-year-old male patient.

He was scheduled for a PCI (Percutaneous Coronary Intervention) [a non-surgical procedure to open blocked coronary arteries] today due to suspected ischemic heart failure and coronary artery stenosis [narrowing of the arteries].

‘How strange. What’s going on?’

It wasn’t like I had any precognitive abilities.

Lost in thought, I felt eyes on me.

I snapped back to reality and saw a dozen doctors, including the professor, staring at me with strange looks.

“Intern, what’s wrong?”

“Yes?”

Sensing the chilly atmosphere, I finally realized my mistake.

Shit… I’m screwed!

I must have shouted out loud in surprise.

Again, in the conference room, an intern should be invisible. There’s no benefit to standing out.

Kim Viper glared at me, shooting daggers from his eyes, as if he wanted to kill me.

Feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, I quickly replied.

“Ah… it’s a procedure I’ve always been interested in.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I’ve heard that Yonsei University Hospital is the best in Korea for PCI procedures, and I’d love to observe one someday!”

“It’s good to see an intern so motivated.”

The professor smiled and moved on.

Whew, thankfully, I avoided being labeled a weirdo.

‘I need to pull myself together.’

I rubbed my cheeks.

Don’t have unnecessary thoughts.

It’s probably just a coincidence. There’s no other explanation.

‘Precognition my ass!’

I shook my head.

Don’t get caught up in delusions. I’m too busy focusing on what’s right in front of me.

* * *

A hectic time passes.

Electrocardiogram (ECG) testing is a typical intern job.

Doing the same task for dozens of patients every day, my mind goes numb, and my body moves on autopilot.

If the work starts to pile up even a little, the interns are immediately reprimanded.

Of course, that’s not all the work.

Drawing arterial and venous blood for testing.

Filling minor prescriptions when the attending physician is busy.

Moving equipment needed for treatment.

Inserting urinary catheters or administering enemas to help patients defecate.

Inserting needles into patients to draw pleural fluid [fluid around the lungs], ascites [fluid in the abdomen], or bone marrow for testing.

In short, I have to do all the work that others don’t want to do.

It’s no wonder interns call themselves laborers.

Clearing the endless stream of tasks leaves me with little time to eat.

“How many minutes have passed?”

“Fifteen. Let’s eat quickly and go.”

“Are we doing this right? I’ve been doing ECGs all day; I’m not sure if I’m a doctor or an ECG technician.”

“Who says you’re not?”

“Ah, if I skip meals, I’ll lose muscle mass….”

“Is this the time to worry about that? Every day is a war.”

“I hate losing muscle mass more than anything in the world.”

After quickly finishing our meal at a convenience store with Geun-wook, who was grumbling, we hurried back to the ward.

As we got off the elevator, I saw Yeon-seo rushing somewhere in a fluster.

I asked.

“Yeon-seo, did you have lunch?”

“No, I still have four consent forms to get. The work is never-ending.”

Yeon-seo looked like she was about to cry, holding a stack of consent forms she had printed out.

One of the essential parts of an intern’s daily routine is obtaining consent forms.

It seems like a simple task, but it requires a lot of attention since it involves dealing with patients and their guardians.

I held out my hand.

“Give them to me. I’ll get a few.”

“Really?”

“Go eat something, even if it’s just a snack. I heard you have a paracentesis procedure [draining fluid from the abdomen] this afternoon.”

“Ugh, thank you. You saved me. I’ll buy you a meal later!”

Yeon-seo was as happy as a puppy wagging its tail.

I took the consent forms from Yeon-seo and was immediately taken aback.

―Registration Number: 300―25―21―0

―Name: Kim Jeong-soo / M

‘Kim Jeong-soo?’

It was the patient I saw in my dream and at the morning conference.

I felt like I was intertwined with this patient all day.

Did I get cursed?

I felt like I had been wandering in a dream since this morning….

I tilted my head and headed to the patient’s room.

“Kim Jeong-soo, I’m coming in.”

Whoosh!

I pulled back the curtain.

And I stood there rooted to the spot.

Graying hair, sunken, drooping eyes, and dark skin!

It was the same face as the patient I saw in my dream.

I could understand the name being a coincidence, but how could even the appearance be similar?

‘I’ve never seen this patient before yesterday…?’

I stood there dumbfounded, at a loss for words.

Soon, the daughter next to the patient tilted her head and asked.

“Doctor, what’s wrong?”

“Ah… I came to explain the procedure you’ll be receiving today.”

I barely regained my senses and handed over the consent form.

“The coronary angiography [an X-ray to see blood vessels] and angioplasty [procedure to widen blocked arteries] that the patient will be receiving is…”

I started explaining calmly.

I tried to explain the concept as easily as possible without using too much technical jargon, and the patient and guardian nodded.

Then, the guardian, who was carefully examining the consent form, asked with a worried expression.

“Excuse me, doctor.”

“Yes.”

“Will my dad be okay?”

“Okay?”

“It says here that he could die….”

As she said that, the guardian cautiously pointed to the consent form.

―Adverse reactions to radiocontrast agents

―Blood vessel damage

―Arrhythmia [irregular heartbeat]

―Cardiac complications

―Cerebrovascular disease [disease of the brain’s blood vessels]

―Emergency surgery

―Death

―Other

Doesn’t it look terrifying at first glance?

The consent form that the guardian pointed to listed numerous risk factors for each item without omission.

This is because we must inform them of every possible scenario.

Therefore, it is true that patients and guardians are often frightened.

I smiled and said.

“Don’t worry too much. We’ve listed all the complications that could happen, even if it’s only a 0.001% chance.”

“Ah….”

“This is Yonsei University Hospital, right? There are the best doctors in Korea, so nothing will happen.”

“Thank you… When I asked other doctors, they didn’t give me a proper answer, but I feel relieved that you explained it so kindly.”

The guardian nodded and said to the patient.

“Dad, did you hear that? Don’t be too scared.”

“Yes, yes.”

Patient Kim Jeong-soo coughed a few times and raised his hand to sign the consent form.

However, I felt uneasy in one corner of my heart.

In the dream I saw, patient Kim Jeong-soo died.

What if that becomes a reality….

‘Wait. What am I thinking? Don’t have such ridiculous thoughts.’

I slapped my cheeks.

PCI is a procedure performed more than 10 times a day, and all the patients who have undergone the procedure in the past week have been discharged without any problems.

Unless I really have precognitive abilities, there is almost no chance of an accident occurring.

“Well, doctor, please take good care of my dad.”

“Yes. Rest comfortably.”

Before returning to the station with the consent form, I glanced back.

The sight of them holding hands tightly to reassure each other reminded me of my sister and father, making me feel strange.

* * *

8 p.m.

The end of work was slowly coming into sight.

Of course, this is not the end. Because I’m on night duty today.

“Hoo.”

I returned to the dormitory looking like a deflated balloon.

The intern dormitory is a double room, with a structure reminiscent of a cram school dormitory during my re-sitting year [a year spent re-studying for university entrance exams].

A bunk bed and a table are perfectly arranged in a space that is narrow yet cozy.

“You’re back?”

Geun-wook, who was lifting dumbbells, raised his head.

“Working out already?”

“Of course. No matter how busy I am, I’ll do anything to prevent muscle loss.”

“Amazing, amazing.”

I stuck out my tongue.

Geun-wook is the first friend I made while sharing a dormitory.

We are the same age and from different universities, so we have a lot in common.

And he is a so-called health addict and the owner of monstrous biceps.

There is a reason why he is called ‘Geun-wookmon’ [a play on ‘Pokemon,’ implying he’s obsessed with building muscle] among his peers.

“Seon-han, you haven’t looked good since this morning.”

“Don’t even mention it. I’ve been working like an ant because of the sudden call explosion.”

“Hehe, and you’re on duty on a day like this?”

“I know.”

“You need to exercise more than ever in times like these. Should I help you with your posture?”

“No, you Geun-wookmon.”

I collapsed on the first floor of the bed.

Interns take turns on night duty every two to three days.

We must be on standby at all times because we don’t know what kind of tasks will arise, such as blood tests, various procedures, consent form explanations, and dressings.

Anyway, it was fortunate that we could rest in the dormitory unless there were any major issues.

As I lay in bed trying to rest, I heard Geun-wook’s voice.

“By the way, did you hear about that?”

“What?”

“The seniors were saying that a big accident always happens at the hospital in March when new interns come in. It’s a long-standing tradition at Yonsei University Hospital.”

“Don’t jinx it.”

Geun-wook chuckled at my retort.

“Well, what could happen? At least I hope tonight is a sweet duty [an easy, uneventful shift].”

“I hope so.”

I replied with a prayerful heart.

Being on night duty today does not mean taking a break the next day.

In other words, after working for 36 hours, I can finally take a break off after 6 p.m. again.

Therefore, a sweet duty where you can sleep without any major events is essential to work in good condition.

It is good for both doctors and patients if nothing happens at night.

‘Still, it’s bothering me.’

There was a face that kept popping up in my head since earlier.

Patient Kim Jeong-soo.

I tried to ignore it, but why does it keep bothering me?

I tried to sleep, but I sat down at my desk and opened a textbook.

Geun-wook’s eyes widened.

“Are you studying?”

“Just trying to look something up.”

“What book is that? Coronary Heart Disease? Wow, there’s a guy who opens a textbook and studies during his intern life. Legend, legend.”

I chuckled at Geun-wook’s words and focused on the contents of the book.

I reviewed the items related to PCI complications in the internal medicine textbook and searched for related papers on my tablet PC.

Even in a busy intern life, I need to acquire as much knowledge as possible while my brain is still flexible.

Geun-wook yawned.

“Study hard. I’m going to sleep first.”

“Should I turn off the lights?”

“No, I can wear an eye mask.”

Geun-wook went up to the second floor of the bed, and soon a loud snoring sound echoed.

Koo-roo-roo-roong—

……How can a person’s nose make the sound of an excavator?

No wonder he’s called a monster.

I should definitely write a paper on the relationship between muscle mass and snoring decibels (dB) later.

As I focused on studying for the first time in a while with Geun-wook’s snoring as background music, I gradually felt tired.

I sat in my chair and slowly fell asleep.

* * *

I jumped up!

I woke up to the broadcast coming from the ceiling speaker.

Damn it, what time is it?

I hurriedly picked up my call phone to check the time.

2:30 a.m.

I dashed out like lightning and put on my gown. No, I was trying to put it on.

Thud!

“Ouch!”

I hit my knee on the table and shed a few tears. It seems it’s not a dream since I can feel the pain.

Bang!

“Ouch!”

I looked to the side at the loud noise and saw Geun-wook also getting up in a hurry and hitting his head on the ceiling.

There’s no dumber duo.

But without any time to hesitate, we just started running.

CPR (CardioPulmonary Resuscitation) [emergency procedure to restore heart and lung function].

Literally, a situation where cardiopulmonary resuscitation is needed!

It is the biggest emergency that can occur in a hospital.

In other words, the patient’s life can be at stake in a matter of seconds!

“Let’s run!”

We kicked open the dormitory door and rushed into the hallway.