Dr. Shin Seonhan: The Doctor Who Sees The Future [EN]: Chapter 71

#71 Breath (2)

Could it be because the subway is so crowded?

Just a little while ago, when I was shouting and having fun, I don’t think it was like this…….

‘It’s probably nothing.’

Songyi became engrossed in her smartphone screen again.

Already, the community was flooded with testimonials from fans who had seen their idol.

―The solo concert was amazingㅠㅠㅠ I have no regrets even if I die.

―This is supposed to be the last activity for the time being…… How am I supposed to wait until the next activity?

―That’s why everyone was desperate to go to this final concert. It was really hard to get tickets.

―I came from LAㅋㅋㅋ I’m stepping on Korean soil for the first time in 3 years, and it’s all because of Carbonic Boys.

―My boss suddenly told me to work overtime, so I told him to screw himself and ran awayㅋㅋㅋ Everyone was going crazy.

Songyi looked at the posts on the community and typed on her smartphone, not wanting to be left out.

―I’m a senior in high school, and I skipped a special class to run thereㅠㅠ

―헐 [Korean slang for “OMG” or “WTF”] ㅋㅋ Songyi Mushroom, are you okay though?

―Didn’t you say your parents were really scary last time?

Online friends showed concern with worried tones.

―It’s okay ㅠㅠ I have no regrets even if I die because I saw Carbonic Boys!

Songyi sighed after typing the text.

She felt a pang of conscience.

She knew that today’s special lecture was quite expensive.

Because it was a special lecture by the top instructor in Daechi-dong [a district in Seoul known for its high concentration of private educational institutions and intense competition for academic success].

‘I disobeyed my parents and acted as I pleased for the first time…….’

Thump, thump.

Her heart pounded once she had done it.

Like a hamster running on a wheel, repeating the routine of home and school, home and academy.

Carbonic Boys were the only escape from the suffocating daily life.

Of course, she thought about getting permission from her parents.

But…….

There was no way she could get permission.

A year ago, a Carbonic Boys poster that had been put up in her room had already been torn to shreds.

If she had told those parents that she was just going out to play for one day?

A scolding more terrifying than thunder would have been obvious.

‘Mom, I’m sorry…… I know that there won’t be another time to study like now. But the concerts of *oppas* [term used by females to refer to older male friends or idols] that have passed once don’t come again!’

Songyi thought so and closed her eyes tightly.

Yes, it’s okay.

I can study hard again from tomorrow, right?

I only deviated for one day today, so I have to study hard again.

I’m going to Seoul National University.

And I’m going to be successful.

I have to be successful and marry our Ban Jin-ho *oppa*.

Hehehe.

Delusions bloom.

Right now, Songyi’s mind was all about ‘Introduction-Development-Twist-Carbonic Boys’.

But the discomfort in her chest is getting worse.

Something’s wrong?

Soon, she began to feel chest pain, and Songyi’s mind became faint.

It was as if someone was squeezing her chest, making it difficult to breathe properly.

‘Heok, heok…… Something’s wrong…… Why is this happening?’

Could it be that words have power?

Because I said I would have no regrets even if I died after seeing the concert?

Ah, damn it…… I didn’t mean I wanted to die!

As she was panting with her head down, the woman next to her on the subway asked worriedly.

“Are you okay, student?”

“I, I’m okay.”

“You don’t look good at all. Should I call someone? You should get off now and go to the hospital……”

“Ah, no.”

Songyi shook her head, her lips turning blue.

Not here!

Still Sadang Station.

I have to go to Gangnam at least.

Because she skipped the special lecture that was scheduled at the academy in Daechi-dong.

‘If I go to a hospital near here, I’ll definitely get caught later.’

She even asked a friend to attend on her behalf to create a perfect alibi.

But, what if my mom and dad find out that I skipped class and went to a concert?

The thought alone made her break out in a cold sweat.

‘Let’s bear with it…….’

Songyi endured it for over 30 minutes.

By the time she arrived at the shuttle bus stop in front of the academy, she was almost like a zombie.

The friend who attended on her behalf was surprised and asked.

“Hey, Yang Songyi! Why do you look so pale!”

“Oh, I’m a little sick…….”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks for attending instead…… I’m going home…….”

But her condition is not good at all.

Her friend said worriedly.

“Hey, I don’t think this is going to work. You should go to the hospital. Let’s call an ambulance.”

A moment later.

Wee-ooh―

The ambulance rattled and sped away.

Each time, Songyi, who was lying inside, screamed.

The pain seemed to intensify each time the car shook.

“Patient, the nearest hospital is YeonGuk University Hospital. We’ll transport you there.”

After that, the paramedics kept asking questions from the side.

“Patient, what is your name and date of birth―”

“Patient, how exactly is the pain―”

“Patient, do you have any pre-existing conditions or medications you’re taking―”

Songyi groaned and answered.

Her chest hurts, and it’s hard to breathe.

Has she ever been this miserable in her 17 years of life?

She just wants to go to the hospital quickly and feel better.

“We’ve arrived at the hospital. Are you able to move? Can you get up and walk?”

“Yes…….”

Creak―

Soon, the ambulance door opened.

Even in the midst of her pain, Songyi was startled.

Because the first impression of the emergency room doctor she encountered was so strong.

“Where does it hurt?”

A thick Gyeongsang-do dialect [a regional dialect spoken in the Gyeongsang region of South Korea].

A face like a mountain bandit.

Yeo Bong-cheol, the mascot of the YeonGuk University Hospital emergency room, looked at the girl with a worried expression.

* * *

Beep, beep―

“Umm…….”

Thoracic surgery on-call room.

The sound of the phone bell echoes.

A large, bear-like doctor tosses and turns while lying down.

Today’s on-call is Ma Dong-seop.

The call phone keeps ringing next to his head as he lies on the on-call room bed after surgery.

Beep, beep―

Ma Dong-seop barely opens his eyes.

Then, he presses the call button on the phone and closes his eyes again.

A folksy dialect is heard over the phone.

Ma Dong-seop answers while lying on the on-call room bed with his eyes closed.

“Yes, this is thoracic surgery.”

Somehow, the tone and voice are familiar.

There can’t be many people in our hospital who use such a folksy dialect…….

Ma Dong-seop thought for a moment and said.

“Is that Bong-cheol?”

As expected, the protagonist of the dialect was Yeo Bong-cheol.

A peer and close friend.

But at this moment, that voice is not very welcome.

Ma Dong-seop yawned and said.

“A pneumothorax patient came?”

“Don’t even mention it. I was passed out after doing surgery for ten hours today.”

“I worked hard.”

“It’s an on-call duty once a week. I thought it would pass quietly today…… Let me rest, Bong-cheol.”

Yeo Bong-cheol growled over the receiver.

Dong-seop chuckled and tossed his heavy body, saying.

“What kind of patient is it?”

Ma Dong-seop, now fully awake, began to ask for detailed information about the patient.

“Her chest?”

“How much? How many centimeters are the lateral and apex separated?”

Ma Dong-seop asks how far the apex of the lung and the chest wall are separated on the X-ray.

Total collapse.

It means that one lung is almost crushed.

Ma Dong-seop realized that he needed to insert a chest tube.

“Yeah…… Tell her. I’ll go to the emergency room soon.”

Beep―

Ma Dong-seop hangs up the phone.

Then, he closes his eyes again to get some sleep until the emergency room nurse calls.

Beep, beep―

At that time, the call phone rings again.

“Oh, man…… I was just going to close my eyes for a bit, but who’s looking for me like this.”

Looking at the call phone, it’s Shin Seon-han.

Hmm? What’s wrong with this guy?

“Hello.”

“Doctor, I’m calling to ask you to take a look at the X-ray of the patient who came to the ward after the last surgery today. Doctor Ahn Gyeong-sik, who performed the surgery, told me to contact the on-call doctor to confirm.”

Ahn Gyeong-sik, who was excited about having a date with his girlfriend for the first time in a while today, seems to have left the hospital as soon as the surgery was over.

Ahn Gyeong-sik, a first-year resident in thoracic surgery, had a girlfriend who was working as a first-year resident in otolaryngology.

They were both busy, so the days when they could match their days off for a date were really rare, and today was that day.

‘That’s what Ahn Gyeong-sik was asking me to do when he left earlier.’

Ma Dong-seop got up from the bed and said.

“Hmm…… Is that so? Hold on for a second. I’ll check it.”

Ma Dong-seop came out of the bed and walked unsteadily to the monitor on the desk next to him.

Ma Dong-seop, who had been focusing on the X-ray for a while, said.

“Hmm. It’s okay at this level.”

Just as Shin Seon-han was about to hang up the phone, something suddenly flashed through Ma Dong-seop’s mind.

‘Should I teach Shin Seon-han how to insert a chest tube?’

Chest tube insertion is mainly the job of a first-year resident in thoracic surgery, but interns are sometimes given the opportunity to do it.

“Hey, Shin Seon-han.”

“Are you busy right now? I’m going to the emergency room to insert a chest tube, so come with me.”

After telling the story, Ma Dong-seop waited for a response for a moment.

As expected, a bright voice soon answered.

“Let’s meet in front of the emergency room.”

Ma Dong-seop hung up the phone, listening to Shin Seon-han’s energetic answer.

‘He’s a really hard-working guy…… He should be starting to slack off after four months as an intern.’

It’s good to have an energetic newcomer.

When someone gains strength, the people working together also gain strength as a ripple effect.

Sleep was already gone.

Ma Dong-seop put on his gown and left the on-call room.

* * *

First experience.

Everyone has a memorable first time.

The day you first succeeded in riding a bicycle, the first time you took a plane, the first time you started dating, etc…….

And today was a day that would be recorded as a first experience for me in its own way.

“Doctor.”

“Oh, Shin Seon-han.”

I ran into Ma Dong-seop on the way to the emergency room.

We walked to the emergency room together and talked.

“I’ve seen the patient’s chart.”

“Yeah, it seems like a simple primary spontaneous pneumothorax, so I’m going to insert a chest tube and take a CT scan.”

Chest tube insertion to treat pneumothorax.

It’s like eating rice in thoracic surgery [a very common and essential procedure].

“I can assist you, right?”

“Assist? How long are you going to be satisfied with assisting? You’ve seen it a lot from the side.”

“Yes?”

I tilted my head.

The nuance is strange.

Surely, he didn’t ask me to come with him just hoping for a simple assist?

As if noticing my puzzled expression, Doctor Ma Dong-seop smiled and said.