Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 407

408. Isn’t There a Doctor?

Choi Mona was slightly taken aback by the nonchalant answer, as if it were nothing.

“Of course, I could drive to the hospital and have it checked. But we don’t have time for that right now, and frankly, it’s not good to keep it open any longer. Even though we’ve installed the PAP device [Positive Airway Pressure, a ventilation device] and disinfected this place, it’s still a private home. If we close it up in less than an hour and see the child’s condition improve, we can reassure the guardian. Then we can do more for them.”

“Ah! I understand exactly what you mean.”

Choi Mona nodded, understanding, but frankly, it sounded like a plausible excuse.

It wasn’t a complete lie. Strictly speaking, what he said was correct. But there was another reason why he said that.

The reason was the fifth vital sign.

Tae-kyung could gauge how much cancer was left with his ability.

A moment ago, when he removed the cancer that looked different from normal tissue, the smell in the room changed.

To be more precise, the pungent odors emanating from the child’s body instantly changed their pattern.

The smell from Jin-yi was a dizzying, pungent fecal odor with a hint of formaldehyde.

But the formaldehyde smell was gone, and the pungent fecal odor had also subsided significantly.

The fact that the smell pattern had changed to this extent meant that the cancer had been successfully removed from the child’s body.

This was a fact that only Tae-kyung knew based on his experience. But he couldn’t tell Choi Mona the truth about this, so he said what he did earlier.

“Okay! Now all that’s left is to close it up, so let’s put in the drainage tube and close it quickly.”

“Yes. But, Doctor?”

Choi Mona, who was assisting Tae-kyung with the finishing touches, asked with a curious look.

“This is a private home, so what about Jin-yi not having a primary care physician?”

Usually, patients who undergo surgery in a hospital are observed by doctors to see how well they are recovering and are prescribed accordingly after the surgery.

It was important for the surgery to go well, but it was also important to ensure a good recovery after the surgery.

But since the child had surgery at home, she wondered what would happen in a situation where there was no doctor to monitor her progress after the surgery.

“Do we move her to the hospital after the surgery?”

“If we were going to move her after the surgery, we wouldn’t have done the surgery at home in the first place. We’ll have to monitor her progress at home for now.”

“But isn’t there a doctor?”

“Why isn’t there?”

“Yes!?”

“I’m here.”

“Does ‘here’ mean you, Doctor…?”

“I’m here, and Choi is here, and Lee is here, so what’s the worry?”

“Is that why the work schedule that came out today is like this?”

“That’s right.”

Choi Mona and Lee Chan-hee, who received their work schedules when they came to work today, received a more relaxed schedule compared to last week.

‘Mona, Mona, you crazy Mona! Is something strange about this? Am I the only one who feels this way?’

‘No. It looks a little strange to me too.’

Even after seeing the work schedule, which was different from usual, the two thought something was wrong and were planning to ask about it later.

“So the work schedule wasn’t wrong.”

“Why would it be wrong? It’s correct. I’ve adjusted the commuting hours to be flexible, so you can take turns checking on the child’s condition and treating her. And the father said he installed a camera in the room where the child will recover, so we can check in real time, and all the vital signs devices are linked to the phone, so it’s like having a primary care physician. Don’t you think?”

Tae-kyung had already thought about everything from the time he decided to have the surgery at home to the schedule after the surgery.

“That’s right. This is definitely like having a primary care physician.”

“Done!”

Tae-kyung, who had finished the final sutures perfectly, announced that the surgery was over.

“Everyone, thank you so much for your hard work. It’s not a hospital operating room, but a surgery at a private home, so the environment is different, and it must have been hectic to prepare in a hurry, but thank you for following along so well.”

Tae-kyung expressed his gratitude to all the staff who had worked with him.

“The director worked the hardest.”

“That’s right.”

“I never thought I would be doing surgery in a place other than a hospital operating room in my life, but today’s surgery was a unique experience.”

“Me too. Director, and everyone, thank you for your hard work.”

Tae-kyung and the staff, who had completed the surgery perfectly in an imperfect place, encouraged each other.

“Everyone worked hard, but I think the child worked the hardest. It must have been quite difficult until now, but I’m glad she endured it well and the surgery went well. Jin-yi, thank you for your hard work.”

Tae-kyung, who encouraged the child, left the operating room to meet the couple, and Euijin and the nurse moved Jin-yi to the prepared room.

Click-

“Director?”

“Director, how did it go?”

Lee Jae-san and Kim Yeon-joo, who had been waiting anxiously, called out to Tae-kyung, who was coming out of the room, at the same time.

“Did the surgery go well?”

“You must have been worried. The surgery went well. You saw Jin-yi leaving just now, right? She’ll wake up soon.”

“Thank…!”

“Oh! Honey?”

Kim Yeon-joo, who was relieved that the surgery went well, almost collapsed as her legs gave way.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m okay. I’m just so happy. Thank you.”

There were no better words for the couple, for whom every minute felt like an hour while their daughter’s surgery was going on.

“Thank you so much. Thank you for saving our daughter.”

“Thank you too, Director.”

The two shed tears, expressing their sincere gratitude.

“If it weren’t for you, Director, it might have been difficult for Jin-yi to have surgery. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. The child who has endured so well until now has worked hard. And for the time being, I and other doctors will stop by and take good care of Jin-yi.”

“Yes, Director. Thank you.”

Click-

“Jin-yi is awake.”

A moment later, Euijin, who was with the child, opened the door and called the guardians while the three were talking.

“Come in.”

“Yes.”

“Go in quickly.”

“Yes, Director.”

“Jin-yi…”

The two sat down next to the bed and quietly called their daughter’s name so as not to startle her.

“Mom… Dad…”

“Our daughter had a hard time, right? I’m so proud of you. Thank you for your hard work.”

In response to her mother’s question, Jin-yi shook her head slightly, indicating that she was okay.

Even though it hadn’t been long since the surgery, and she must still be tired, the child tried not to show her parents that she was having a hard time.

“Jin-yi. The doctor said the surgery went well.”

“Re…ally?”

“Yes. Really.”

“The surgery went well because Jin-yi bravely underwent the surgery. Jin-yi is the best!”

As Tae-kyung spoke from the back, the tension that had been felt on the child’s face, who had been curious about the surgery results, gradually disappeared.

“Thank… you.”

“Thank you, Doctor, for enduring the surgery well.”

Tae-kyung, who received the child’s greeting, left the room with Euijin so that the family could talk.

“Excuse me, Director…?”

As the two went outside, Madam Go, who had finished her consultation, quietly called out to Tae-kyung.

“Yes, Grandma.”

“I heard from the nurse that the surgery went well. I don’t know how to thank you… Even if I had ten mouths, I wouldn’t have anything to say, but I’m sorry and thank you so much.”

“No. We just did what we had to do. Did you have a good consultation?”

“Yes, I think I met a good doctor thanks to you, Director. I realized today that I’m a person with a broken heart. I’m planning to receive counseling steadily in the future.”

Madam Go, who sincerely engaged in the consultation, was able to recognize her problems that she had been ignoring one by one during the consultation.

One consultation today won’t change many things at once, but she decided to slowly abandon her wrong thoughts and correct her problems in the future.

“That’s great. But why don’t you go in?”

Now that he thought about it, he was curious as to why Madam Go, who should have seen her granddaughter already, was standing outside without going into the room.

“I feel sorry for my son and daughter-in-law, and for Jin-yi. I can’t bring myself to go in.”

“Don’t think like that now, and first of all…”

“Mother?”

Just as Tae-kyung was about to speak, Kim Yeon-joo, who came out of the room, called out to her mother-in-law and approached her.

“Why aren’t you coming in and staying here? Jin-yi was looking for you anyway.”

“Jin-yi was looking for me?”

“Yes. Go in quickly.”

Madam Go, hearing Kim Yeon-joo’s words, slowly entered the room.

“Grandma…”

“Our puppy worked hard to have surgery.”

The sound of the family’s conversation coming from the room felt more affectionate than before.

While the family was taking care of Jin-yi, the medical staff finished cleaning up the operating room and loaded the equipment and instruments they had brought into the car.

After that, Tae-kyung informed Lee Jae-san of the precautions and finished preparing to return to the hospital.

“Excuse me, Director. Actually, I have something to tell you. Do you have a moment?”

Lee Jae-san, who had been in a good mood because Jin-yi’s surgery went well, seemed to have lost his smile and was only hesitating.

“Yes, of course.”

“That’s, I’m really sorry.”

“Sorry? What are you suddenly sorry about…?”

“It’s about having our Jin-yi’s surgery.”

“…?”

Tae-kyung couldn’t understand what Lee Jae-san was talking about.

“Is it okay to have surgery at home?”

“Ah! Are you talking about having surgery at home?”

“Yes. Actually, I was going to ask you when you said you were going to have surgery at home, but I couldn’t. Because it’s my child’s business, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything because I wanted to save my baby first.”

Lee Jae-san felt relieved after hearing that Jin-yi’s surgery went well, but then he felt worried.

It was a concern for Tae-kyung, who had prepared this surgery.

He wanted to say it several times from the beginning. But he didn’t say it on purpose because he was afraid that his daughter wouldn’t be able to have surgery if he did.

“I see. Don’t worry too much about it. You can’t be picky in a child’s urgent situation. And I’ll take responsibility even if something happens, so don’t worry.”

“No. If something really happens, I will take all the responsibility.”

“Strictly speaking, it was an emergency situation for the patient, and there was a reason why we had to have surgery at home, so it’s okay.”

Tae-kyung said reassuringly, looking at Lee Jae-san’s expression, as if he would say something right away if something really happened.

“Then that’s a relief, but please let me know if anything happens.”

“Yes, I will. Then I’ll go now, and I’ll come again this evening.”

“Yes, Director. Thank you. Be careful going.”

Lee Jae-san, after saying goodbye to Tae-kyung, went to the car with the medical staff and said goodbye to everyone before going home, and the car carrying the medical staff departed.

“I’m only saying this now, but I was so nervous until the surgery started.”

“Me too.”

As the nurse spoke in the car heading to the hospital, everyone took turns saying a word.

“I wasn’t nervous at all because I was so focused when the surgery started.”

“Oh! Choi, you’re amazing? How about you, Director?”

“Amazing…”

“Yes? What’s amazing?”

Tae-kyung, who was talking to himself, didn’t hear the employee’s words and gave a strange answer.