Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 495

Fifth Vital Sign – Episode 496

496. Shift!

“One, two, three, four…”

Ui-jin’s expression was solemn as he performed CPR on Kana, who had suffered another cardiac arrest.

He was more earnest than before, and in fact, the expression ‘earnest’ seemed insufficient.

His eyes overflowed with the desperation to save the patient, and a strong will could be felt in his tightly closed lips.

His slightly flushed face and forehead were noticeably covered in beads of sweat.

‘Please save her. Please, I beg you.’

Ui-jin repeated the same words over and over in his mind.

‘Please don’t give up, patient. I’m begging you like this. Please, just don’t give up.’

His mind, full of medical knowledge, was well aware of the consequences that the patient would face. But he couldn’t accept it.

His head and heart were playing separately.

Born as a human and living in the world, there are countless joyful moments.

For some, it may be getting accepted into the company or school they wanted, and for others, it may be making a lot of money.

Still, others may buy a house, and others may be with the person they love.

For Ui-jin, there have been many joyful moments in his life so far, but if he had to pick the happiest thing in the last few years, he would say one thing without hesitation.

It was Kim Tae-kyung.

A fellow doctor, a respected senior, and the head of our hospital. He was the most precious thing in his life and the person he loved most in the world.

And Ui-jin was in a relationship with Tae-kyung, promising a future together. Was that why? He couldn’t let Kana go like this.

Knowing that feeling, he was more desperate for this patient.

When Kana first came to the hospital for treatment, Ui-jin knew she was Japanese when he saw the name ‘Fujiwara Kana’ on the monitor.

She was a patient with a kind impression and a shy smile that remained in his memory.

He hadn’t treated her for a long time, nor had he encountered her with a serious illness.

However, through the everyday stories they exchanged each time she came for treatment, Ui-jin indirectly knew how happy Kana was now.

‘Isn’t Korean life difficult?’

‘It was hard when I first came, but since I met my boyfriend, nothing has been difficult.’

That was Kana’s answer when Ui-jin asked her while treating her one day.

‘Really? Your boyfriend must be a good person.’

‘Yes, my boyfriend is a really good person.’

‘Kana, you must be a good person, so you met a good boyfriend.’

‘No, doctor. I’m not as good as my boyfriend. My boyfriend is a really kind person. He always helps people in need, respects elders, is positive, and has a wonderful smile. He is so precious to me that I wouldn’t mind giving him the whole world.’

Unlike when she usually spoke quietly with a shy smile, she was different when asked about her boyfriend.

Unlike her usual short answers, she elaborated on her words, sincerely thought about him, and, above all, her loving eyes were impressive.

Even now, Ui-jin could see that smile in Kana’s appearance, who was injured in a hit-and-run accident.

More than anything, he knew better than anyone how Kana felt about her boyfriend.

That’s why he felt so sorry and heartbroken as if it were his own business.

He was sincere to all patients, but this time, that feeling was even greater than before.

The only two sentences that came to Ui-jin’s mind right now were:

I want to save her. I want to save her, and I must save her.

He did his best, adding the heart of Kana’s husband, Oh Si-won, who was waiting outside.

“One, two, three, four…”

The beads of sweat on Ui-jin’s forehead fell on his hand, which was performing CPR.

All the medical staff nearby were doing their jobs, but they all showed surprised faces.

Of course. It was because they had never seen Ui-jin like this before.

“Um, doctor…”

Choi Mona, who had been helping Ui-jin with CPR, called out.

Choi Mona also tried her best to save the patient. However, seeing the heart that wouldn’t return, she felt that it would be difficult anymore.

It was never a judgment made with simple thoughts.

Doctors should never give up on patients in any situation.

That was the greatest lesson he had learned under Tae-kyung, the head of our hospital.

Knowing that, he had been trying to help Ui-jin until now.

But not anymore. In fact, Choi Mona had known it for a while. No, all the medical staff would have known.

They had known for a long time that they couldn’t save this patient.

“Doctor, now stop the patient’s exp…”

“One, two, three…”

Choi Mona carefully tried to stop the CPR that was in progress, but Ui-jin put more strength into his voice.

All the medical staff were at a loss as to what to do in this situation.

Clang-

Tae-kyung, who had gone to the emergency room, entered the CT room with Nurse Im Jeong-suk.

“Doctor?”

“Director!”

The medical staff inside were also waiting for Tae-kyung.

“Choi Mona?”

“The patient’s current condition is…”

At Tae-kyung’s words, Choi Mona explained Kana’s condition in detail. In fact, Tae-kyung also knew.

He had already been informed by Nurse Im Jeong-suk, and more than anything, he knew more clearly than anyone else because he was directly seeing the numbers and the patient’s condition.

“One, two, three, four, five…”

“Doctor Jung?”

Tae-kyung approached Ui-jin, who was doing CPR with an expression that seemed like he was about to cry, and called her.

“Doctor, save the patient… Ha! I can do it. I can do it.”

Ui-jin kept counting the beats in his mind and said out loud not to stop him.

“I think there’s still time even though she had a cardiac arrest. I want to try until the end.”

“Doctor Jung Ui-jin!”

Tae-kyung said Ui-jin’s name more firmly than before and continued.

All the medical staff, including Ui-jin, thought that Tae-kyung would declare her death. But it wasn’t.

All the medical staff were surprised by the one word that followed.

“Shift!”

“…!”

“What are you doing! Aren’t you going to shift!”

Tae-kyung didn’t tell him to stop CPR, but told Ui-jin to shift.

“I, I will shift!”

Ui-jin quickly took his hand off and stepped aside, and Tae-kyung took over the baton and continued Kana’s CPR.

He clasped his hands together in a very orthodox manner, put constant force, and accurately compressed the heart.

“One, two, three…”

Tae-kyung was now focused only on the thought of perfectly performing CPR at this moment.

However, the fifth vital sign [referring to the heart monitor], which was filled with the large CT room, seemed to mock their efforts, and it became increasingly erratic.

Beep— Beep—–

Not long after Tae-kyung started CPR, Kana’s heart started beating again.

To be exact, Kana’s heart returned after a little over 4 minutes after Ui-jin started CPR.

“Ha!”

Ui-jin exhaled as if letting out a long sigh. In a way, it was thanks to Ui-jin’s efforts that Kana’s heart was revived now.

He didn’t even know how many times he had done CPR.

He had managed to revive the heart that had been turned off again with difficulty, but as before, no one had a bright expression.

Kana’s heartbeat, which was appearing on the monitor, felt very fragile.

How many hours are left for Kana? No. In fact, it will be shorter than that.

Tae-kyung could see it clearly, and so did the other medical staff.

Honestly, Kana’s current condition was not suitable for surgery.

Maybe she will have one or two more cardiac arrests here. And that will be Kana’s last.

“Doctor Choi?”

“Yes, doctor.”

Tae-kyung called Choi Mona.

“Now we have to tell the guardian the truth, so let’s cover the patient with bandages so that they don’t get shocked when they see her. That would be good.”

“Ah, yes. I will do that, doctor. What if the guardians unconditionally ask for surgery then?”

The condition of all patients is always accurately notified to the guardian as it is. Then, after listening to the medical staff’s story, the guardians discuss among themselves and tell them what to do.

“Then let’s do it.”

“Yes?!”

Choi Mona reacted in surprise to Tae-kyung’s answer and asked again.

“Doctor? But if we go into the operating room, she won’t even be able to open it and will expire (die).”

No one in this place didn’t know that.

“That’s right. But we have to do it if the guardian wants it.”

It was Tae-kyung’s somber answer.

In this case, even if the guardian wants surgery, they may not recommend it because the result is obvious.

This is because surgery that does not need to be done must be done. It would not be good for the medical staff or the remaining guardians.

But Tae-kyung’s thoughts were a little different.

He decided to only think about the guardian’s heart who is asking for surgery for a patient who is already hopeless.

Straw.

For guardians who cannot let go of their loved ones, surgery will be the last remaining straw.

Tae-kyung decided that surgery should be performed if the guardian wants it because he knows that hope is to grab that straw, even if it is a straw that will break.

Tae-kyung’s order was issued, and the gathered medical staff came to Kana’s side with bandages.

They carefully covered the places where there were no intact parts all over the body with bandages.

It was impossible to show Kana’s current appearance to the guardians as it was.

Medical staff working in hospitals are professionals.

Terrible accident scenes that are sometimes depicted in movies or dramas are actually the tip of the iceberg compared to reality.

Medical staff face the unfortunate 모습 [Korean word for ‘appearance’ or ‘state’] of patients that cannot be described in words every day of the year.

It is a natural routine for them, but if the guardians see this 모습, they may have difficulty escaping from that memory for the rest of their lives.

Tae-kyung, as a doctor, did not want the guardians to live with such a situation.

“Where are the guardians now?”

“They are in the waiting room.”

“Okay.”

After talking with Nurse Im Jeong-suk, Tae-kyung told them to move Kana to the treatment room when the bandage work was finished and left the CT room. And he headed to the waiting room where Oh Si-won and Kyoko were.

* * *

At that time, the faces of the two people sitting in the waiting room were as pale as snow falling in midwinter.

Oh Si-won and Kyoko, who were sitting a little apart, did not say anything special to each other.

They were just praying for Kana’s safety in their hearts.

Oh Si-won looked calmer than before.

In fact, his heart could not be calm. He was not in his right mind, and his 속도 [Korean word for ‘speed’ or ‘pace’ but here implying ‘inner turmoil’] was not right.

But when he saw Kyoko, Kana’s younger sister, he felt like he had to come to his senses.

He realized that Kyoko, who had been relying on her sister in another country, had no one to rely on now but himself.

“Sister-in-law…”

Oh Si-won got up from his seat, took out a warm canned coffee from the vending machine, handed it to Kyoko, and sat next to her.

“Drink this.”

Kyoko forcibly opened her hands, which were clenched and trembling as if a strong wind was blowing in the waiting room where not a single breeze was blowing, and grabbed the can.

“Brother-in-law…”

“Don’t worry. Your sister is okay. She’ll be okay.”

Oh Si-won comforted Kyoko, who was crying, and braced himself.