Dr. Shin Seonhan: The Doctor Who Sees The Future [EN]: Chapter 55

#55 Isn’t Thoracic Surgery a First? (3)

‘Wait… where have I seen this person before?’

Ah, right!

There’s no way I could forget this person.

Song Yu-ju from the Department of Thoracic Surgery.

The doctor who skillfully inserted the ECMO [Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, a life support machine] during the PCI [Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, a non-surgical procedure to open blocked coronary arteries] incident in my first month as an intern!

She was known as the best genius at Yonsei University, not only during her student days but also during her internship.

I heard she is famous among the residents of Yonsei University, where only elites gather.

But this person is the ‘boss’ that Ma Dong-seop is talking about?

“Hello!”

I greeted her energetically.

But Song Yu-ju ignores me and speaks to Ma Dong-seop.

“Ma Dong, who is that little shrimp next to you?”

A little shrimp, seriously…

Her way of addressing me is unconventional from our first meeting.

As I was momentarily speechless, Ma Dong-seop points to my shoulder and says,

“He’s the most promising intern.”

“Promising?”

“Didn’t you see the news? He became famous for performing pericardiocentesis [a procedure to remove fluid from around the heart] in the middle of Gangnam Station. Even now, if you search for Yonsei University Hospital intern online, this guy’s face will be the first to pop up.”

Ma Dong-seop introduces me with an enthusiastic voice.

He’s as passionate as if he’s introducing a new product on a home shopping channel.

However, Song Yu-ju’s reaction is lukewarm.

She glances at me with an indifferent expression and says,

“He’s too skinny. Can he even do his job properly?”

…Excuse me?

I may not be as burly as Ma Dong-seop, but I’m not *that* skinny, am I?

Besides, isn’t she the smallest and skinniest person in this room?

Of course, I didn’t say these things out loud.

Ma Dong-seop speaks for me.

“He’s the real deal this time! He’s the best intern I’ve ever seen. When I saw him helping with intubation last time, he was quite skillful!”

“Interns are all the same. Don’t exaggerate and just have him sit down. Let’s finish this quickly.”

Song Yu-ju’s reaction is consistent.

Her tone is as cold as cold water.

I sat down awkwardly.

There were already interns sitting in the conference room, and I could see Ryu Myung-in’s face among them.

As I sat next to him, he whispered quietly,

“That’s great. You’re recognized as a promising intern from the first day.”

Are you trying to size me up from day one?

You’re a very unique guy.

Next to him, another intern colleague is sitting upright with a stiff posture.

He looks very tense, probably because it’s the first day.

“One, two, three… where’s the other intern?”

Song Yu-ju says, counting heads.

The time is a little past 6 o’clock, which was the agreed time.

Then, the remaining intern hurriedly came in.

“Hello!”

“One minute late.”

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

The intern smiled awkwardly, trying to smooth things over.

Then Song Yu-ju stares at him intently.

“Are you smiling?”

“Yes?”

“I asked if you’re smiling.”

Shivers.

It’s chilling.

It feels like a dagger is flying and stabbing me.

Although her tone wasn’t agitated, the force that Song Yu-ju exudes is no joke.

The intern panicked and answered with an almost tearful expression.

“I was finishing up my work as an OS (Orthopedic Surgery) intern…”

“Shut up and sit in the corner.”

“Yes…”

The intern must be feeling wronged.

Right now, interns from other departments are gathered here. Strictly speaking, the thoracic surgery internship hasn’t started yet.

But without paying attention, Song Yu-ju started to speak.

“Okay, everyone, pay attention!”

Thump!

With her hands in her gown pockets, Song Yu-ju closes the door with her foot and says,

“This June, the 4th-year doctors are assigned to the pediatric heart and adult heart departments, so I’ve decided to take on the chief of the pulmonary and esophageal department. My name is Song Yu-ju, nice to meet you.”

Ma Dong-seop is standing next to her like a bodyguard, and Song Yu-ju is speaking with a forceful voice.

Is this a scene from a movie…?

It feels like I’ve been dragged in front of gangsters.

Our interns are all frozen and can’t answer.

“I’m Ma Dong-seop. Don’t be too scared and let’s have a good month together.”

Ma Dong-seop shows a warm smile.

He seems to be doing his best, considering his intimidating appearance.

Seeing that, I suddenly think of the bad cop, good cop routine that I often saw in movies.

It refers to the detectives taking turns playing the kind and mean roles when interrogating a suspect.

Just by looking at him, I thought Ma Dong-seop would definitely be the bad cop…

I guess you can’t judge people by their appearance.

“The reason we’re gathered here today is to divide the teams. From now on, the interns will be divided into two main teams and spend a month together.”

Tap, tap.

Ma Dong-seop starts drawing a ladder on the whiteboard.

His explanation continues.

“I will be in charge of Team A, Professor Kim and Professor Jung’s team. And Team B, Professor Hwang and Threshing Machine… no, Professor Han’s team will be in charge of Song Yu-ju.”

In other words, the interns will be divided into two groups of two in this place.

Whether to go to Song Yu-ju’s team or Ma Dong-seop’s team…

It’s an important turning point.

Depending on where you go, your life for a month can change 180 degrees.

Then, Yeon-seo’s words suddenly came to mind.

Then, is it more advantageous to go to Ma Dong-seop’s team?

I don’t know.

Actually, it doesn’t matter where I go.

Since the internship is a period to accumulate experience, there will be things to learn no matter which side I go to.

What’s more important is something else.

I glanced at the seat next to me.

‘I want to stay away from this guy as much as possible.’

Ryu Myung-in.

Somehow, he’s bothersome.

The more I get involved with him, the more annoying it will be.

As I was thinking that, Ryu Myung-in whispers as if he’s reading my mind.

“I hope I get in the same group as you, *hyung* [older brother/term of endearment for older male friends].”

Hope so?

I don’t want to.

I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be stuck with you for a month.

“Okay, choose one of these: Thor, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Thanos.”

Tap, tap, tap.

Ma Dong-seop puts the magnetic character faces on the whiteboard.

Somehow, these cute props don’t fit.

No, it’s not important whether they’re cute or not right now…

What should I choose?

“What are you going to choose, *hyung*?”

Ryu Myung-in asks slyly.

It’s a very ordinary question, but somehow it sounds like he’s trying to keep me in check in everything I do.

I was annoyed by him constantly whispering next to me, so I tried to answer appropriately.

“I’m going to…”

At that time.

Flash!

Suddenly, I saw the future before my eyes.

* * *

Chirp, chirp.

I hear birds chirping.

The dim dawn sky is before my eyes.

‘Where is this?’

I regained my senses and looked around.

The back of the hospital.

This is the only smoking area in the hospital.

It’s usually crowded with people, but it seems like there’s no one here right now because it’s early dawn.

And in the middle of it, a woman wearing a loose doctor’s gown is lighting a cigarette alone.

“Hoo.”

Song Yu-ju exhaled cigarette smoke like a sigh.

There’s still almost no change in her expression.

But I could feel a complicated feeling in her sunken eyes.

I wonder if she has any worries…

Then, a hand as big as a pot lid suddenly appears next to her.

It’s Ma Dong-seop.

“Give it to me.”

“…”

“Didn’t you say you quit smoking? When you said that you wouldn’t even think about smoking after seeing the lungs of lung cancer patients every day?”

“I just lit it.”

Song Yu-ju grumbled and returned the cigarette case and lighter.

There was a clear sign of fatigue in her eyes.

But it doesn’t seem like just physical fatigue.

I don’t know why, but she seems to be in a very bad mood.

Ma Dong-seop asked carefully.

“I heard the story. Something happened in your team?”

“Hypoxic brain injury [brain damage due to lack of oxygen].”

“How did that happen?”

“It happened when all the residents were in the operating room and only the interns were left in the ward.”

Tsk.

Song Yu-ju clicked her tongue nervously in the middle of her words.

I became an invisible man next to her and focused on the story.

I don’t know well, but judging from the general atmosphere, it seems that something bad is happening to the patient again.

‘This hospital really never stops having accidents.’

In a way, it’s a natural thing.

Tens of thousands of medical procedures are performed at Yonsei University Hospital every day.

In particular, thoracic surgery deals with diseases of organs such as the heart and lungs, which are directly related to life, so fatal situations can occur at any time.

Song Yu-ju’s words continue.

“That’s why you shouldn’t leave only interns in the ward.”

“Don’t be too hard on them. They must have tried their best.”

As Ma Dong-seop said consolingly, Song Yu-ju nodded.

“Well, the intern’s judgment itself wasn’t wrong. The patient’s life was in danger. But…”

“But?”

“They just lacked the ability compared to their ambition.”

“Yeah. Maybe it would have been the same no matter which intern you put there.”

I frowned.

In summary…

A life-threatening situation arises for the patient.

However, the patient’s condition worsens due to the intern’s unskilled actions.

‘Which of the four of us did what? Do I have to find the culprit again this time?’

As I was thinking that.

Ma Dong-seop adds a word.

“Maybe they made a mistake because they were excited because the people around them were praising them as promising.”

“I guess so.”

What?

Wait. Is this about me?

I feel like my hair is standing on end.

‘Oh my god. Was I the decisive culprit among the interns?’

Judging from the word promising, it’s almost certain.

It seems like I’m going to take some unskilled action.

What did I do, you guys? You have to tell me properly so I can prepare for it.”

As I was thinking that and getting impatient…

Whoosh.

The next moment, I was moved to another space.

This is…

Inside a bar.

I can see a dart machine in the center.

Judging from the familiar scenery, it seems to be the place where I had the farewell dinner before.

Looking around the noisy surroundings, I can see some faces of people from the Department of Thoracic Surgery.

But where am I?

“Hoo…”

Soon, I was able to find myself at the entrance of the bar.

I’m sitting on the landing of the stairs, drunk and with a flushed face.

My expression is not good.

Perhaps I’m weighed down by the guilt of causing the patient to suffer brain damage.

“I finally won this month?”

Ryu Myung-in.

He comes up and says as if he’s boasting.

“I was lucky enough to have no accidents in Teacher Ma Dong-seop’s team. I think I’ll get a good score too.”

The me in the dream doesn’t answer.

Maybe I’m too drunk to hear.

“Don’t think it’s too unfair. Luck follows competition anyway, right?”

Ryu Myung-in raises the corners of his mouth and adds a word.

“You should have chosen a character well from the first day. You should have chosen Spider-Man like me. Why did you choose Thanos of all things…?”