Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 146

146. 78, 79, 80.

“This is OO Hospital. Inquiry about transfer… Yes, I understand.”

For a long time, the three of them frantically made calls, but finding a hospital to accept the patient was not as easy as they had hoped.

“Hey! Chan-hee. I think I’ve called all the nearby hospitals.”

“How much time has passed?”

“It seems like it’s been about an hour since the patient was first reported.”

“This is driving me crazy. Let’s call the surrounding cities.”

“Ah, shit!”

Frustrated, Gu Dong-gyun cursed.

“No, how can there be no place that does intervention [a medical procedure to treat a stroke]?”

“I know… I don’t know if they can’t do it, if they don’t have the staff, or if they just don’t want to work.”

Lee Chan-hee was equally frustrated.

“Let’s get angry later and call again, thinking about the patient first.”

The three of them started making calls again.

“Hello, this is OO Hospital. I’m calling to inquire about transferring a stroke patient. Yes, excuse me, but it’s an emergency. Could I speak directly with the neurologist in charge?”

-I’m afraid that might be difficult.

“No, that’s… Hello? Just a moment. Hello? You son of a bitch.”

As rejection after rejection came back, curses involuntarily escaped from Lee Chan-hee’s mouth.

“I can’t take it anymore. Dong-gyun, call the Central Control Center!”

“What? The Central Control Center? What’s that?”

“See, this is why you need to do an internship. Hey! Do your internship again!”

“Why are you saying that here!”

Barely suppressing the frustration boiling inside, Lee Chan-hee immediately called the Central Control Center.

The Central Control Center was a national institution that facilitated transfers between hospitals. It was very helpful when it was difficult to make transfer calls one by one, like now.

-Yes, this is the Central Control Center.

“Thank you for your hard work. I’m calling to inquire about a transfer. Currently, the patient is…”

Lee Chan-hee explained the situation to the staff member on the other end of the phone.

-Well, sir. I’m afraid that will be difficult.

“Yes? What do you mean difficult?”

Lee Chan-hee openly showed his bewilderment at the unexpected answer.

“What are you talking about?”

-Since you’re a doctor, you may already know this, but we only handle emergency room patients. If the patient is currently hospitalized in the ward, I’m sorry, but it’s not our job.

“No, sir, how can you say that?”

-I’m sorry.

“This is an urgent emergency, but you can’t help because it’s not an emergency room patient… No matter what, this isn’t right.”

-But that’s the regulation. Then, goodbye.”

“Ha!”

Lee Chan-hee was dumbfounded. He was speechless with indescribable absurdity.

He knew that regulations had to be followed. But no matter what, this wasn’t right. The patient was in critical condition, but what was so important about those damn regulations?

He desperately felt the need for flexibility to just let things slide sometimes.

Before he knew it, an hour and a half had passed. Considering the transfer, it was already late.

‘Ah! What should I do?’

As the transfers continued to be unsuccessful, Lee Chan-hee paused to think.

“Dong-gyun? I don’t think this is going to work. Let’s call the hospital in OO.”

“Hey, that’s too far.”

“But it’s famous for its neurovascular center. We have to at least try.”

Unable to just stand by, Lee Chan-hee eventually called again.

“Hello, this is OO Hospital. I’m calling to inquire about a patient transfer. It’s a stroke patient, and the onset time was approximately an hour and a half ago. The patient’s past history… Yes. Yes. Ah! Really?”

The face of Lee Chan-hee, who was on the phone, brightened up instantly like someone who had found enlightenment.

“Yes, I understand. Thank you so much. Thank you.”

“Hey! What did they say? Did it work?”

“It worked! They’ll accept the transfer.”

“That’s such a relief.”

“I can’t believe how happy I am to hear that they’ll accept the transfer.”

Gu Dong-gyun and the nurse were as happy as if it were their own business.

“Let’s send the patient there quickly.”

“Chan-hee, I’m so grateful. But what kind of car should we send them in?”

“What do you mean? Don’t you have an ambulance here?”

“No.”

“Ah… Then let’s call a private ambulance. What’s the number for a private ambulance?”

“I know the number. But a guardian has to accompany them if we go private, right?”

“I’ll go.”

At Gu Dong-gyun’s words, Lee Chan-hee said that he would go with them.

“You’re going?”

“Yeah.”

“What are you talking about? Why are you going? You’re not a staff member here, and you’re definitely not a guardian.”

“The guardian can’t go. And even if there is a guardian, I have to go with them.”

“What are you talking about?”

“If the patient needs intubation [insertion of a tube into the trachea to assist breathing] or their BP [blood pressure] drops or their vitals become unstable on the way, who’s going to handle it then?”

“That’s…”

“It’s not that I’m ignoring you, Dong-gyun, but I’m the only one who can do it right now. That’s why I’m going.”

“That’s true, but I was just wondering what you would gain from going to all that trouble.”

“I have to do it because I’m the only one who can. I’m a doctor.”

“You son of a bitch, giving me feels when you’re just here to hang out. Thanks.”

“What are you talking about? Why are you thanking me? It’s not for you, it’s for the patient. It’s the right thing to do.”

Lee Chan-hee said it casually, as if it were the most natural thing to do, but in fact, it wasn’t. The person who would think only of the patient and act in this situation was Tae-kyung.

That’s what he had seen and learned under Tae-kyung, and it had naturally become the right thing to do.

Contributing his time and energy to the patient for hours without any benefit had become a natural thing for his junior, Lee Chan-hee.

“Director, Doctor? I just got a call saying the private ambulance will be here soon.”

“Okay, let’s get the patient downstairs right away.”

“Oh? But what about the discharge procedures and other necessary documents…”

“Dong-gyun, you stay and take care of that. Can you do it?”

“Okay, I’ll do it. And I’ll contact the guardian and call them.”

“You can just give them my number.”

“I will if I need to. Let’s get going first.”

Gu Dong-gyun, who had been at a loss and frozen until now, seemed to have finally come to his senses.

Creak-

Pushing the mobile bed with the patient lying on it, they went straight down to the first floor, where the private ambulance had arrived.

“Hello.”

“Hello. Please take good care of them.”

“Don’t worry.”

Opening the back door and pushing the patient in, Lee Chan-hee naturally got into the car and took a seat next to the patient.

“Dong-gyun, leave this patient to me. Don’t worry too much and take care of the patients inside. I’m going.”

“Okay, you bastard. Be careful.”

Thud-

“That guy! He’s more worried about the patient than about me, even as he’s leaving.”

“Your friend is a really great doctor, Director.”

“I know, he’s a really great guy. Let’s go inside and finish the rest of the preparations.”

“Yes, Director.”

Gu Dong-gyun went back into the hospital with the nurse to prepare the necessary documents for the patient.

The private ambulance carrying Lee Chan-hee traveled at a very high speed on the highway.

“Transfer patient has arrived.”

As soon as they arrived at the destination, the university hospital, the procedure was quickly performed. As expected of a place with a neurovascular center, the speed was very fast. Still, it was already late for the patient, but the hospital’s prompt treatment was a stroke of good luck.

“Is everything finished?”

“Yes, you can go now.”

Lee Chan-hee finished the necessary handover and completed the remaining patient procedures until the guardian arrived.

Two hours later, the guardian arrived, but the guardian, shocked by the sudden situation, was not in the right state of mind to talk.

“Oh my! What is all this? Good heavens.”

The guardian spoke with the attending physician and then hurried to the patient’s side after the procedure. Lee Chan-hee eventually just gave a light greeting and left the hospital.

“Ha! I ended up spending the whole holiday. Let’s go home now.”

Lee Chan-hee, leading his stiff body from being in the same position in the narrow ambulance, headed home.

* * *

The Next Day-

“78, 79, 80. Good.”

Lee Chan-hee, who had come to work a little earlier than usual, was sitting at his desk in the medical office, wrestling with his tie.

“Just twenty more and I’m done.”

The day before, Lee Chan-hee, who had been busy transferring a patient at his friend’s hospital, had returned home and immediately fallen asleep.

He had definitely set an alarm, but perhaps because his tension had been relieved, he hadn’t heard any of the more than 10 alarms.

As soon as he opened his eyes in the morning, he had been working on his homework and tie practice until just before work, but he hadn’t been able to complete 100, so he was finishing the rest.

“But what’s Doctor Lee been doing since he got here? Oh, he’s practicing his tie?”

Ui-jin, who had been talking with Choi Mona, said, looking at Lee Chan-hee, who was concentrating.

“I believe that a doctor’s attitude is to always care for and prepare for the patient. So, I am practicing my tie today as well. It’s for the patient.”

“Wow! The words sound like lines from a medical drama, but the expression looks like someone is forcing him to do it?”

“That’s right. Doctor Lee is doing Doctor Kim’s homework.”

Choi Mona said, taking out a gummy worm from her drawer.

“Homework?”

“He’s been making us tie ties unexpectedly these days, and I lost to him 1:1 yesterday, so I got 100 ties as homework.”

“Oh, really? So Doctor Kim told the person who lost to do 100 ties?”

“That’s right.”

“I find it hard to think about work-related things when I get off work. That’s amazing.”

“That’s because if he doesn’t complete 100, he’ll get 50 more added.”

“That’s just like Doctor Kim. There’s no mercy in his homework.”

“That’s what I’m saying. Our doctor has no mercy. So, about that…”

Lee Chan-hee, who had been concentrating on his tie without moving, suddenly picked up the thread and approached the two of them.

“My beloved friend, Doctor Choi Mona. And Doctor Jung Ui-jin, whom I want to emulate as a doctor.”

“Don’t do it. I won’t do it.”

Choi Mona refused outright, as if she knew what Lee Chan-hee was going to say.

“I’m telling you in advance, I won’t help.”

“Why? Are you asking me to help with a few?”

“As expected, Doctor Jung is the only one who understands my heart. My fingertips are a little sore from holding the thread so much… Please help me, Doctor.”

“What should I do? My heart is in it, but I’m afraid I’ll get scolded by the doctor if he finds out I helped with the homework. I’m sorry.”

“You must never help him, Doctor.”

“Choi Mona, you’re too much.”

“I know, you should have done it at home. Why didn’t you do it when you were off?”

“Hey, Doctor Choi? You shouldn’t say that.”

At Choi Mona’s words, Lee Chan-hee, who had been wrestling with his tie, put down the thread he was tying and spoke with force in his voice.

“If you hear about the great thing I did yesterday for a patient, the staff at our hospital will probably be shocked.”

“Seeing the strength in his shoulders, it looks like something really happened to Doctor Lee yesterday.”

“Doctor Jung is quick to notice things as always.”

“Lee Chan-hee, stop joking around and hurry up. There’s not much time left.”

“My friend, how much I did for a patient yesterday…”

At that moment, the urgent events of yesterday flashed through Lee Chan-hee’s mind as he was about to explain.

Clang-

“Lee Chan-hee!”

Suddenly, the door to the medical office opened and Tae-kyung appeared.

“D, Doctor!”

As soon as he saw Tae-kyung, Lee Chan-hee was startled and folded his hands politely, making the most pitiful expression he could.

“No. No. I still have time left.”

“What are you talking about? What’s wrong with Doctor Lee?”

“It seems like the thief is feeling guilty.”

“What are you talking about?”

“No. I misspoke for a moment. Haha!”

Lee Chan-hee, whose feet were sore because of the homework, quickly changed his attitude when Tae-kyung didn’t bring up anything.

“Doctor Lee hasn’t woken up yet.”

“If you haven’t woken up yet, go wash your face and go to the yard quickly.”

“Why suddenly to the yard?”