Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 159

Fifth Vital- Episode 159 (159/502)

159. Meaningless Repetition

-Code Blue~ Code Blue, Surgical Ward.

An in-house announcement signaling a patient’s emergency echoed through the doctors’ office.

-Code Blue~ Code Blue, Surgical Ward.

“……!”

Upon hearing the words ‘Code Blue,’ Tae-kyung’s body reacted instinctively, ahead of his mind.

No matter how tired he was or how focused on other tasks, unless he was in the operating room, the moment he heard ‘Code Blue,’ his first thought was to rush there.

Thump- Bang- Bang-

“Oh my!”

Tae-kyung, who had just taken a bite of his hamburger and dropped it on the desk, bumped his shin on the low table as he left the doctors’ office.

“Senior, are you okay?”

Ui-jin asked if he was alright, but Tae-kyung didn’t respond. He had hit it harder than he thought, but he didn’t even feel the pain because of the Code Blue.

“Be careful going.”

Clang-

Tae-kyung rushed out of the doctors’ office and started running like crazy.

‘Who is it?’

While running, he quickly thought about the patients in the ward, heading towards the second floor when it happened.

“……!”

A strong smell that had been absent from the ward for a while assaulted his sense of smell.

‘Formalin!’

The Rank 4 smell poured out relentlessly, like water overflowing a dam.

“Doctor?”

Nurse Lim Jeong-suk, who was working in the ward, raised her voice as she saw Tae-kyung coming up.

“It’s 75-year-old patient Park Ju-dang.”

The patient who triggered the Code Blue was the elderly Park Ju-dang, who had complained of abdominal pain after drunk cycling.

“He came to the emergency room after getting injured while riding his bike drunk. And…….”

Nurse Lim Jeong-suk quickly delivered the briefing on the patient.

“Check all the vitals.”

Tae-kyung said as he entered the group of medical staff gathered at the end of the second-floor ward hallway.

Park Ju-dang was lying on the floor, collapsed.

“The patient has a pulse.”

“He collapsed in the hallway just now, so we announced it, but the patient is only unconscious and has a pulse.”

“Connect the ECG [electrocardiogram] and start an IV right away. Give H/S (Hartmann’s solution) 500ml bolus [a rapid, single dose administered intravenously], and send out an emergency full lab and ABGA (arterial blood gas analysis, to accurately check oxygen saturation).”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“And get an ultrasound here quickly. Perform an abdominal ultrasound immediately while treating him.”

“Understood.”

As Tae-kyung’s orders poured out, the staff began to move quickly. The quiet ward, filled with sleeping patients, instantly turned into a busy battlefield.

“Vitals! What are the vitals?”

Tae-kyung asked, raising his voice.

“BP is 90/50, HR: 155, body temperature is normal.”

“Do an ABGA. Quickly!”

“Yes.”

“ABGB results are in.”

The nurse handed Tae-kyung the arterial blood gas analysis results as he got up after giving the orders.

“Ah! Damn it!”

Tae-kyung cursed as he received the results.

“It’s too bad.”

The results were quite bad.

‘Oxygen saturation is low, carbon dioxide is high, and lactate (a value that rises when oxygen supply is not smooth and is an absolute value for patient prognosis) is also high.’

As the numbers indicated, the intensity of Park Ju-dang’s fifth vital was also increasing.

‘This is not the time for this!’

After seeing the results, Tae-kyung decided that he couldn’t treat him here.

“Director, the ultrasound is here.”

“No. I’m sorry, but take it back and go straight to the operating room. We need to open the patient’s abdomen immediately. In this condition, there’s bleeding inside, and we can’t delay any longer.”

“I’ll contact Doctor Jung.”

Nurse Lim Jeong-suk, reading Tae-kyung’s decision, moved quickly to prepare.

“Tell them to open the operating room right away. And start supplying oxygen and go in immediately.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Excuse me! Wouldn’t that be a problem?”

At that moment, as all the medical staff were moving busily, a spirited question followed from a new employee who had recently joined.

“But the patient’s fasting time isn’t sufficient yet, is it?”

“Is that what matters now!”

Tae-kyung involuntarily raised his voice at the question. Even if she was inexperienced and didn’t know, this was not the time to worry about such things.

Of course, sufficient fasting time before surgery is very important.

Tae-kyung was more aware of that than anyone else. But when the patient’s life is severely threatened like this, there is no time to consider it.

All seven medical staff members surrounding Park Ju-dang were aware of this.

That’s why they agreed with Tae-kyung’s words and were just focused on their respective tasks.

All seven medical staff members gathered here agreed with and deemed Tae-kyung’s decision reasonable.

“Okay! Move the patient quickly.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

Tae-kyung headed to the operating room at a rapid pace with Park Ju-dang, who had been transferred to a mobile bed.

“The patient is the priority right now.”

“Ah, yes……. I guess I was just overzealous because I remembered what I learned in class.”

“No. It’s understandable since it’s your first time. And theory and practice are very different. It’s okay.”

The station nurse warmly comforted the embarrassed newcomer.

* * *

An apartment in Incheon.

Beep-beep-

Clang-

“Is that you, Seon-yeong?”

“Yes, Mother, I’m here.”

Park Seon-yeong, Park Ju-dang’s daughter, entered her in-laws’ house next door.

“Mom’s here?”

“Oh my! Are you guys watching a movie at this hour? Have you finished your workbooks? I told you not to trouble your grandparents, didn’t I?”

Seeing her two children watching a cartoon movie late at night, Park Seon-yeong felt a surge of annoyance.

“Just leave them be. I told them to watch it.”

Her father-in-law came out of the master bedroom, defending his grandchildren.

“The kids finished all their workbook assignments and each read a book, so I was so proud of them that I showed it to them.”

“Jin-yeong, Jin-sol, did you really finish all your homework?”

“Yes. We finished it.”

“What Oppa [older brother, used by younger females] said is right. We even finished the homework Mom gave us.”

“It’ll be over soon, so just watch it all and go. You’ve worked hard. Have you eaten? I’ll fix you a meal.”

“No, Mother. My husband and I ate kimbap [Korean seaweed rice rolls], so I’m not hungry.”

Park Seon-yeong had been staking out with her husband to catch a con artist and was coming home first.

One of her husband’s friends, with whom he was preparing a business with three other friends, had run away with the money, which was an absurd situation. It turned out that he had meticulously planned and approached them from the beginning to commit fraud.

Because of that, her husband lost all the money he had saved for years. Despite the police’s dissuasion, he and the remaining friend had been searching for the runaway friend for a week.

With this situation, Park Seon-yeong wasn’t really in the right state of mind to talk properly when she received a call from the hospital about her father’s situation earlier.

Since her father had a habit of going to the hospital to get IV drips whenever he drank, she honestly wasn’t too concerned.

“Anyway, how did it go? Is your husband staying up all night again?”

“Yes, Mother. I was going to come home with him today, but the detective in charge called and said they received a tip that he was in Paju, so Hyun-joong went there with him.”

“Ugh! Why go there when the police went? Foolishly, just come home.”

“I tried to stop him, but he said he couldn’t just stand by. He’s probably the most frustrated.”

“When your husband said he was going to start a business, you should have stepped in and stopped him. It’s not just a small amount of money, what are you going to do with all that money…….”

Park Seon-yeong didn’t say anything because she knew her mother-in-law didn’t mean it. In fact, she didn’t have the energy to respond.

She had been out since dawn and wandering around all day, so her body and mind were exhausted.

“Hey! Who are you venting to right now? You should be angry at your son, why are you doing that to an innocent child?”

“Ugh! I’m just so frustrated. Seon-yeong, I’m sorry.”

“No, Mother. It’s okay. Jin-yeong, Jin-sol, let’s go home.”

“Ah! Mom, can’t we watch this all the way through?”

“That’s right. It’s almost over.”

The young children didn’t know about the serious situation at home. That’s why they didn’t understand their upset mother’s feelings, and the movie they were watching was more important to them right now.

“You must be tired too, just let the kids sleep here.”

“No. You and Father need to rest. And the kids need to go to school tomorrow, so I need to put them to bed quickly……. Yes, hello?”

Park Seon-yeong, who was packing the children’s things and preparing to go home, quickly answered the ringing phone in her bag.

“Is that your husband?”

Park Seon-yeong, who didn’t hear her mother-in-law asking if it was her husband’s call, turned around, and her expression instantly hardened.

“Yes? Surgery? Is he very bad? I understand. Um……. Could you send me the address to my phone? Yes.”

“Surgery? What are you talking about?”

“Honey? Is your father hurt?”

“No, not him, but Fath…….”

Park Seon-yeong couldn’t speak for a moment at the sudden news and patted her chest.

“My father collapsed and is undergoing emergency surgery right now.”

“What?”

“Your father-in-law collapsed? What are you talking about?”

“Actually, I got a call from the hospital earlier. My father said he wanted to be admitted and get checked, so the doctor asked me to persuade him, but I…….”

The news about her father, which she received in an already exhausted state, was a shock to Park Seon-yeong. She didn’t even know what she was saying.

“Mother, Father. I’m sorry, but could you watch the kids? I think I need to go to the hospital right away.”

“Of course. Don’t worry about the kids.”

Her mother-in-law, who had been worried about her son’s news, stroked Park Seon-yeong’s back and comforted her.

“Honey, take my car. I’ll take you.”

Her father-in-law, who had immediately changed his clothes after hearing the news of Park Ju-dang’s surgery, was already walking to the front door.

“Yes, take Father’s car.”

“No. It’ll take quite a while, so I’ll take a taxi.”

“What are you talking about? It’s dangerous for a woman to take a taxi alone at this hour. Don’t worry about the kids and quickly follow your father. I’ll make sure they get to school okay.”

“Thank you. Mother.”

“What are you thanking me for……. Just go quickly.”

“Jin-yeong, Jin-sol, Mom’s going to see Grandpa for a bit. Listen to Grandma.”

“Mom. Is Grandpa sick?”

“He’s a little unwell, so Mom has to go. Jin-yeong, don’t fight with Jin-sol.”

“Okay. Don’t worry. I’m Oppa [older brother]. We’ll be good. Mom, Grandpa will be okay. I’ll pray.”

The nine-year-old eldest son hugged Park Seon-yeong tightly with his small hands before she hurried out of the house.

“Father, I’m sorry, it’ll be hard for you to go to work tomorrow if you go now.”

Park Seon-yeong felt sorry that her father-in-law, who drove a private taxi, would have trouble going to work tomorrow because of her.

“What are you talking about? Just think of it as doing my father-in-law’s duty and taking a day off. And honey?”

“Yes, Father.”

“Don’t think about anything else right now, just think about your father.”

“Yes. Thank…… you.”

Her father-in-law handed Park Seon-yeong a tissue, who was quietly wiping away tears of worry for her father, and increased the speed.

* * *

“Ha! You crazy bastard.”

Lee Chan-hee was scrubbing furiously, pouring out all sorts of curses at himself.

“I’m going crazy. Really.”

Originally, Choi Mona was supposed to be the assistant. But Lee Chan-hee, who was treating a patient, belatedly realized that the protagonist of the Code Blue was Park Ju-dang, and at his request, the assistant was changed.

“I’m really a crazy bastard.”

Although one corner of his heart was uneasy, he thought, ‘What could happen during the admission process?’

‘Illness doesn’t wait……. I should have persuaded him more if I suspected something.’

Meaningless regrets, like a repeating loop, kept coming to mind that he should have immediately had Park Ju-dang examined, even if he was cursed at and fought with. Moreover, the fact that he collapsed while coming out of the hospital room to get the examination made his stomach churn even more.

Lee Chan-hee quickly entered the operating room after finishing scrubbing.

Beep-

“I’m really sorry. I should have been more certain earlier…….”

Tae-kyung cut off Lee Chan-hee’s words, who was bowing his head as if he were a sinner from the moment he came in.

“Don’t say a word. Surgery! From now on, focus on the surgery.”

Since the patient was the most important thing right now, it was better to abandon thoughts outside of the surgery. No matter how sorry he was, nothing would change.

Rather, it was more important to pour all his attention into saving the patient.

“Yes, understood.”

“Doctor, the patient is anesthetized.”

Ui-jin announced that the anesthesia was done quickly and accurately. Fortunately, the anesthesia went well without any problems.

“Is the patient’s name Park Ju-dang?”

“Yes, it is.”

“The patient is scheduled for an exploratory laparotomy (a surgical procedure to open the abdomen and find the cause) due to an unspecified abdominal trauma.”

Tae-kyung’s eyes, who had been going in and out of the operating room due to today’s emergency and scheduled surgeries, were as serious as someone who had visited the operating room for the first time today.

“Are the surgical tools and video ready?”

“Yes, Doctor. They are ready.”

Even the cold air unique to the operating room felt tense today.

“Then, let’s begin the surgery.”