Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 58

58. The Collaboration of a Madman and a Madwoman

“Seriously. How long has it been since he went to the bathroom? Why isn’t he back yet?”

As Tae-kyung’s absence stretched on, Ui-jin lost interest in the game.

“Wow! Home run, home run!”

“Wow! It’s a comeback.”

Even though the team they were cheering for hit a home run, turning the cheering section into a festival atmosphere, she remained indifferent.

“Could he really be lost again? Nah, no way.”

She started to worry that Tae-kyung might have gotten lost again.

“Actually, he’s only perfect when he’s treating patients. He’s surprisingly clumsy in everyday life, so it’s totally possible.”

Ui-jin took out her phone and called, but Tae-kyung didn’t answer.

* * *

“What did he get admitted for?”

– Tae-kyung, is that you?

The colleague, who had been leading the conversation with delight, immediately changed his tone when Kim Gun-hyung’s diagnosis was mentioned.

– Still, this isn’t right. Do you think I’m a joke?

“Of course not. Why would I make fun of you, *hyung* [older brother or male friend]?”

– Tae-kyung, even though it’s been a while since we talked, I still think we’re close. But no matter what, you can’t just blurt out patient information like that.

It was a natural reaction. One of a doctor’s duties was to protect patient confidentiality.

– This is illegal. You know that. Don’t ask about things like that. Are you free today? Let’s grab a stiff drink later. What do you say? I’ll pay.

“*Hyung*! The chairman is acting strange.”

Tae-kyung shouted urgently before his colleague could finish speaking.

– Strange? What do you mean?

“His respiratory rate is increasing, and he’s showing cyanosis on his lips [a bluish discoloration due to lack of oxygen].”

With a hurried voice and even mentioning the diagnosis, the colleague on the other end of the line sensed something was wrong.

– What are you talking about? Explain it clearly. Where is the chairman?

“I came to see the Blue Moon baseball game and saw him by chance. He’s near me right now.”

The caller was Tae-kyung. His colleague knew very well that he was the type to help patients no matter what. Moreover, the colleague also knew about Kim Gun-hyung’s baseball game schedule. That meant Tae-kyung’s words were 100% true.

– Ha! Stubborn old man. I told him not to do it…

“*Hyung*, tell me. I know it’s illegal. I’ll throw away my phone after this call. And I’ll never tell anyone what you told me. Will you believe me if I say it’s for the patient?”

Of course, he believed him. If someone else had made this call, he would have thought they were trying to seize an opportunity, but not Tae-kyung.

In a general hospital, everyone tries to get in the good graces of VIPs. But Tae-kyung was a stubborn guy who treated patients equally, prioritizing life over money.

“He looks really bad. *Hyung*!”

– Ugh! I don’t know anymore. Don’t you ever say I told you.

“Don’t worry about that.”

– Actually, he had an abdominal surgery about ten days ago. It was really severe at the time. He also had a bowel perforation, and his inflammation levels remained high, so he was on antibiotics for a long time. He only started eating again two days ago. So, we can’t be sure yet, and the medical staff, including me, told him not to go out. But that stubborn old man went there anyway. That’s just how he is.

“If something happens to the chairman, I’ll treat him immediately. Is there any medical equipment nearby?”

– Medical equipment?

“I’ve never been to a baseball stadium before, so I don’t know.”

– I’m not sure about that either. More importantly, how is the chairman doing?

“Just a minute, *hyung*! I’ll call you later.”

– Suddenly? If you hang up like this…

There was a shout from his colleague on the other end of the line, but Tae-kyung hung up in a hurry.

Kim Gun-hyung had moved. He stood up from his seat, staggered for a moment, and then started climbing the stairs with the help of his bodyguards.

‘His condition is worse than before.’

Tae-kyung also started to move. He naturally went down the stairs, maintaining a certain distance as he followed Kim Gun-hyung’s group.

Of course, if something happened to Kim Gun-hyung, the bodyguards next to him would probably take him to the hospital. And typically, they would go to Sae-hee-mang Hospital, not a nearby hospital. But there was a problem.

It would take about 50 minutes to get from the baseball stadium to Sae-hee-mang Hospital. And it might take even longer because it was the weekend.

In an emergency, the key is how much golden time you can secure.

The reason Tae-kyung was following them was that there was a high possibility of something going wrong before they arrived at Sae-hee-mang Hospital.

Especially if a patient who hasn’t been operated on for long doesn’t have proper blood circulation, it’s definitely not a good sign.

‘It could be a problem with the surgical site or a sudden increase in bleeding.’

Just as he was listing various circumstances in his head, it happened.

“……!”

Tae-kyung’s steps began to move toward them, and he eventually started running like crazy, shouting.

“Excuse me!”

Kim Gun-hyung’s fifth vital sign jumped four stages in an instant.

“Just a moment!”

The bodyguards and Kim Gun-hyung, who were walking ahead, were surprised and turned around at the almost screaming voice.

“Hello. I’m sorry to startle you…….”

Just as Tae-kyung was about to explain why he had followed them,

Thud!

Kim Gun-hyung collapsed helplessly, like a weed swaying in the wind.

“Chairman! Chairman! Get him out of here quickly!”

One of the bodyguards who had been waiting in the car quickly ran over to help support him.

“Yes, Team Leader.”

“Quickly, get him to the car.”

The bodyguards picked up Kim Gun-hyung and carefully moved him to the back seat of the car. As they were about to close the door, Tae-kyung rushed over and grabbed the handle.

“Who are you!”

The head of the security team snapped back, annoyed by the urgent situation where every second mattered.

“I’m a surgeon. Excuse me, but please let me check the chairman’s condition for a moment.”

“What did you say!?”

“Just a moment.”

It was crazy to anyone who heard it. The bodyguards, including the team leader, were frowning.

“Do you even know who this man is!?”

None of the bodyguards saw Tae-kyung as a doctor. Moreover, the man had rushed in when the chairman’s life was in danger. They couldn’t trust him or feel safe; they just saw him as a crazy madman.

“How do we know if you’re a doctor or not!?”

“I am. But saving the patient is the top priority right now. I’ll stay next to the chairman in the back seat.”

“Hey! What are you doing? Get this bastard out of here.”

“Yes, Team Leader.”

“Hey, move.”

“Let me see the patient. He’s in critical condition right now. I’m not a weird person.”

“What kind of crazy bastard is this? We don’t have time. Get out of here, you son of a bitch!”

The angry bodyguard grabbed Tae-kyung by the collar with harsh curses.

“Cough! Now… is not the time… cough.”

Even with his collar grabbed, Tae-kyung kept his eyes on Kim Gun-hyung and tried to persuade the bodyguard.

“Hurry up, you filthy crazy bastard is interfering. Get lost.”

Just as the bodyguard was about to throw Tae-kyung to the ground, a diaphragmatic breath drawn from the core of his being was heard.

“YAH!!!!!!!!!!”

“What’s that now!?”

“You big oaf, can’t you let go of that hand!!”

The owner of the diaphragmatic breath was Ui-jin. She had been searching for Tae-kyung, who hadn’t come back, and saw the situation from afar. She grabbed a fire extinguisher from the hallway and ran over, kicking the bodyguard who was grabbing Tae-kyung’s collar in the groin.

Ui-jin didn’t come to play.

“Ugh!!”

The large bodyguard writhed in excruciating pain and collapsed to the ground.

And at that moment, Tae-kyung, who had been freed with Ui-jin’s help, went to the back seat next to Kim Gun-hyung, who was lying down, and quickly locked the car door.

“Hey! You’re crazy.”

“You’re the ones who are crazy.”

“Hey! You crazy bastard, do you know who this man is? Open the door now. Hey!”

The head of the security team was angry at Ui-jin and Tae-kyung, and the other one was still sitting on the ground.

“Hey! Find something to break the window with.”

“Yes, Team Leader.”

And the other one, who had received the team leader’s instructions, looked around to find something to break the car window.

“Find it quickly.”

“Team Leader, this is all we have.”

“Hey, you crazy bastard, do you think that plastic will break that glass?”

The team leader, who shouted in anger when he brought a large blue trash can, saw the fire extinguisher that Ui-jin was holding.

“Hey! Miss, give me that quickly.”

“No way! I can’t give it to you.”

“Give it to me nicely.”

“Here, take this!”

Knowing that she couldn’t do anything by force, Ui-jin pulled the pin from the fire extinguisher and started firing it at the bodyguards.

Screech!!!

“Ugh! What’s with this crazy bitch!”

“*Sunbae* [senior colleague], are you okay?”

While the bodyguards were rubbing their eyes in confusion, Ui-jin stuck close to the car window.

“Ui-jin, this man had abdominal surgery ten days ago, and he had bowel perforation and high inflammation levels at the time. His current condition is not good.”

“Don’t worry about the big guys.”

“I need to lay him down, but there’s not enough space here.”

“*Sunbae*, if you fold down the security seat across from that car, there will be more space, making it easier to lay him down.”

Kim Gun-hyung’s car, equipped with bulletproof facilities, was a Maybach S600 Pullman Guard, and the interior was quite different from ordinary cars. With the help of Ui-jin, who somehow knew the inside of the car well, they were able to lay Kim Gun-hyung down.

“Hey! Take that woman’s fire extinguisher.”

“I can’t see because she keeps spraying it and there’s powder everywhere.”

“These guys are a crazy duo!”

“Stay still, or I’ll spray it again. *Sunbae*, don’t worry about here and focus on the patient.”

The bodyguards were overwhelmed by the fantastic collaboration of a madman and a madwoman who suddenly appeared from nowhere.

“I won’t let you two get away with this.”

* * *

Tae-kyung, oblivious to the noisy situation outside, began to focus on the patient.

“Damn it! His complexion is not good.”

In the meantime, Kim Gun-hyung’s cyanosis worsened, and his breathing became faster.

Rip-

Without even having time to take off his shirt, Tae-kyung tore it open with all his might.

A surgical scar was revealed between the opened shirt. The stitches were still in place.

“Why is it so bloated?”

Strangely, his stomach was too bloated.

“……!”

When he pressed on his stomach to palpate it, it was so hard that he couldn’t even press it. The intra-abdominal pressure was rising.

Looking at the chairman’s abdomen from side to side, there wasn’t much blood coming out of the hemovac (a portable device about the size of three fingers that uses negative pressure to drain bleeding from the surgical site in the abdominal cavity) that was inside the abdominal cavity.

In cases where the abdomen becomes hardened like this after surgery and blood circulation is suppressed, an increase in intra-abdominal pressure can be suspected.

“The amount of blood in the hemovac is low.”

Since the amount of bleeding coming out of the bag was small, it was presumed that it was not due to internal bleeding but due to severe edema [swelling] of the organs due to another problem.

“Let’s control the pressure first.”

Whatever the reason, the intra-abdominal pressure must be reduced quickly. If the internal pressure continues to increase, the return flow of the abdominal vena cava [a large vein that carries blood from the abdomen and lower body to the heart], etc., becomes impossible, and cardiac arrest can occur.

“Kit! There must be one…….”

Such ceremonial vehicles were likely to have an emergency kit.

“Ui-jin?”

When he turned his head, he couldn’t see her, so Tae-kyung called out to Ui-jin.

“Jeong Ui-jin!?”

Clang!

Instead of Ui-jin’s answer, a dull metallic sound of something hitting the car window was heard brutally.

Clang clang clang!