Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 9

Fifth Vital Sign – Episode 9 (9/502)

9. Emergency Patient Before Work

“Work hours are from 6 PM to 6 AM. It’s a night hospital, so this is reasonable.”

Taekyung, who woke up early, sat at his desk and took out the external hard drive that Kim Cheolgi had given him the day before. The hard drive contained detailed records of the neighborhood’s characteristics and everything about the hospital.

“What on earth does this mean?”

While looking through the employee records, an incomprehensible word caught his eye.

‘Lee Chanhee is a restorative dentist, Choi Mona is a disease controller.’ Restorative dentist and disease controller, huh? Well, I’ll find out when I meet them.”

After that, Taekyung tilted his head again as he looked at the memo left by Kim Cheolgi.

-To Mr. Kim. There are two turtles I’ve been taking care of at the hospital, and I’d like you to take care of them.

“Turtles?”

-One of them is quite prickly, and the other is lively but sometimes trembles and hides at the bottom. Please help them grow well with love and care. I ask you this favor.

“Am I so free that I have to take care of turtles?”

Once he got hooked on something, he would see it through to the end. After examining all the data, he finally got up from his seat well after lunchtime.

“Wait, that’s strange. He said it was a small hospital.”

As Taekyung left the rooftop to get some food, he tilted his head while counting the number of employees.

“Employees, nurses, even doctors… Is this really a neighborhood hospital?”

Contrary to Kim Cheolgi’s words, who emphasized that it was a small and cozy neighborhood hospital, no matter how he thought about it, it didn’t seem like a small hospital.

* * *

“Thank you for the meal. Have a good day.”

Taekyung, who had dinner at a Baekban restaurant [a Korean diner serving multiple side dishes with rice], walked back to the bus stop he had passed.

“There’s nothing to do even if I go home.”

His first day of work was two days away. However, the sudden break was boring for Taekyung, who had been living in the hospital almost every day.

“Should I familiarize myself with the area? Yeah, let’s go.”

Full of curiosity about his new workplace, he eventually headed to the hospital.

* * *

Taekyung, who got off the bus, looked around the neighborhood as he headed to the hospital.

He saw old residential complexes and apartment complexes, and across a bridge, he could see industrial complexes and a prison on the mountainside behind them.

“You can see the prison from here.”

Arriving at the hospital following the address, Kim Cheolgi’s words naturally came to his mind.

‘It’s a small neighborhood hospital, so don’t feel pressured.’

Contrary to what he said about it being a small hospital, the building in front of him was not that small.

“Sir, how is this a small hospital?”

The three-story hospital was an intermediate hospital between a university hospital and a neighborhood clinic.

Come to think of it, it was natural that it wasn’t a small hospital if it was capable of surgery, as he had seen in the external hard drive earlier.

“Is there a doctor on duty? The lights are on.”

Taekyung was looking at the lit first floor and was about to pick up a discarded beer can on the bench when it happened.

“Hey! Mister. Freeze!”

A middle-aged woman with her hair neatly tied up in a net approached Taekyung, shouting like a lion.

“Are you here to poop again, mister? Why do you keep drinking and pooping in front of other people’s hospitals? I’m going to smear poop all over your face…”

“Excuse me? Poop?”

She was wearing rubber gloves and holding a broom. She paused as she saw Taekyung picking up trash.

“Oh my goodness. You’re not the poop mister.”

“I’m not the poop mister, I was just trying to throw away some trash.”
“Are you perhaps… Dr. Kim Taekyung, who’s supposed to be new at our hospital?”

“That’s right.”

* * *

“Were you surprised earlier?”

After a while, she brought tea to the office. She was Lim Jeongsook, a veteran nurse at our night hospital.

“A drunk man has been making a mess on the bench for the past few days. Since you were in that spot, I thought you were the same person.”

“It’s okay.”

“The hospital’s been in a bad situation lately, so I’ve been a bit sensitive. I’m really sorry.”

“Don’t mention it. But how did you recognize me?”

“It was written all over your face. After being a nurse for over 20 years, I can tell just by looking at your face whether you’re a doctor or not.”

As stated in the employee information, Lim Jeongsook was straightforward and cool as she was.

“The director said you looked like him, so I was curious, but you’re tall and handsome, so you don’t look like a nasty person at all.”

“A nasty person?”

“I heard you have three board certifications?”

“Ah, yes. That’s right.”

“I know, right? How nasty do you have to be to get three specialist certifications when even one is difficult? Director Kim Cheolgi is also triple board certified.”

“Really?”

It was the first time he had heard of it. Come to think of it, he had been entrusted with the hospital without much thought, but Taekyung didn’t know much about Kim Cheolgi.

“You didn’t know? He doesn’t talk about himself much. He’s a director in a suburban neighborhood now, but he used to be a very great person in his younger days.”

“I don’t know much about the director.”

“Me neither. He has a lot of secrets. But he’s a really good person. Anyway, welcome Dr. Kim Taekyung. Please take care of me.”

“I’m the one who should be asking for your help. Please help me a lot.”

“Of course. But why are you at the hospital at this hour when you haven’t even started working yet…?”

“I came to check the way, but the lights were on.”

“We have inpatients, so we were taking turns on duty. Oh, right. Dr. Lee Chanhee is here right now…”

“Hello…”

Before nurse Lim Jeongsook could finish speaking, a young man slipped next to Taekyung with hurried footsteps and greeted him.

“Hello.”

“You can’t be a nobleman [a Korean expression for someone clumsy or accident-prone]. Are you okay, Chanhee? Why are you running so fast?”

“I’m not sick at all. I’m fine.”

“Then I’ll go do dressing with the ward manager, so Chanhee, please introduce the hospital and answer any questions he has.”

“Yes, leave it to me.”

Lee Chanhee stared intently at Taekyung. It was like the eyes of a fan facing their favorite celebrity.

“Director… no, Dr. Kim Taekyung. Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Chanhee.”

“Nice to meet you too, Dr. Lee Chanhee.”

“I thought it was a dream when I heard that you were coming to our hospital. Actually, you’re my role model.”

Lee Chanhee was from Shinhwa University. He had seen Taekyung often during his internship and admired him for his skills.

“You’re one of the doctors I respect.”

“No need for respect. I’m sorry I don’t remember you, even though you say we’ve run into each other several times.”

“No, I was just one of the interns.”

“Do well.”

“Yes, I’ll learn hard.”

Taekyung toured the hospital with Lee Chanhee’s guidance.

* * *

“What’s going on in the middle of the night?”

People began to gather one by one at the sound of the 119 ambulance siren echoing through the quiet residential area.

“Why did the 119 come? Huh?”

“I don’t know either. I was watching a drama and was surprised by the sound of the fire truck, so I came out and it was an ambulance. But that’s Hooni’s house over there.”

“That’s right. They’re going into Hooni’s house. Is someone sick? I hope it’s nothing serious.”

While the neighborhood residents were worried, the 119 paramedics were coming out of the house with a patient on a stretcher.

“The patient is going to the hospital now.”

“Ugh…”

“Honey, is Hooni’s mom very sick?”

“Ugh. I don’t know, it hurts so much, don’t talk to me.”

The woman in her 50s was grimacing, pressing her chest tightly with her hand.

“You got sick from that diet or whatever you were doing. You got sick because you suddenly ate after not eating for so long.”

“Ugh. Be quiet, I don’t want to hear it.”

“Excuse me, the patient is in a lot of pain right now, so please don’t agitate her.”

“Ah, yes. I’m sorry.”

“The guardian should also get in and we’ll move to the hospital.”

“Honey, just hang in there.”

The paramedics checked the patient’s condition and arrived at the nearest emergency room. However, they got back in the car in less than 5 minutes.

“Ugh! It hurts.”

“Damn it! How can they refuse a patient when someone is sick? Honey, just hang in there.”

“I’m sorry. It seems like an emergency patient suddenly rushed in. We’ll leave for another hospital right away.”

“Team leader, I heard that the emergency room at Seodae Hospital is full of TA (Traffic Accident) patients. What should we do?”

“Damn it? It’ll take too long to go all the way to Yeouldong. This is a problem.”

“Should we go to Yeouldong for now?”

“Ah! That’s right. There’s our hospital. It’s a night specialist.”

“But we received a notice that our hospital will be closed for a few days due to our hospital’s circumstances.”

“Still, there must be a doctor on duty. Call them first.”

“Yes, I understand.”

* * *

“How is it? The building is old, but it has everything inside, right?”

“That’s right. The treatment rooms and operating rooms are clean, and the testing equipment is well-equipped. It’s good.”

“Right? Every department that needs to be there is there.”

Taekyung toured the hospital with Lee Chanhee. Unlike the shabby impression of the hospital, the interior was impeccable.

“We replaced everything from the inpatient beds to the old equipment two years ago. But the problem is that the good equipment is not being used these days.”

“The equipment is not being used? What does that mean?”

“A general hospital opened in a nearby new city a year ago.”

Come to think of it, Taekyung had also seen the hospital while taking the bus earlier. It was a hospital built in a new city about an hour away from our hospital.

“It was okay at first, but a few months ago, they focused on attracting patients with aggressive marketing, and these days, the number of patients visiting our hospital has noticeably decreased.”

The fact that there were no patients in the hospital was a serious problem. The continued absence of treatment is linked to the hospital’s survival.

“I’m talking too seriously to someone who hasn’t even started their first day of work. Doctor, please sit here for a moment.”

“Why? If you have to go see a patient, don’t worry about me and go.”

“It’s not that, I’m going to get some coffee. Just a moment.”

“It’s okay, Dr. Lee?”

Despite his refusal, Lee Chanhee, who was a Taekyung admirer, headed to the staff lounge.

Rrrrrrr Rrrrrrr

Taekyung, who was sitting in the central waiting room, got up from his seat at the sound of the phone ringing endlessly at the reception desk.

“Yes, this is our hospital.”

He thought about calling Lee Chanhee, but he picked up the phone thinking it might be an urgent call.

-This is a paramedic. A female patient in her 50s is complaining of severe epigastric pain and we are trying to transport her to our hospital.

“Paramedic, our hospital is currently closed due to hospital circumstances.”

-I know. I’m sorry, but is the person answering the phone a doctor?

“I’m a doctor.”

-Doctor, I’m sorry, but the emergency rooms at the two nearby hospitals are full, so this is the third call I’m making.

The paramedic continued speaking in a desperate voice.

-The patient is having a very hard time, so please.

It was a patient who had already been turned away from the emergency room twice. If he refused here, the patient would have to spend a painful time in the car until they found a hospital that would accept them.

“Okay, come to our hospital.”

Taekyung, who had come back to life, knew the patients’ situation better than anyone else, so he couldn’t ignore the patient’s pain.

-Thank you.

“How long do you think it will take?”

-It will take about 30 minutes.

“And the patient has a smell… Never mind. See you later.”

For a moment, Taekyung almost asked what kind of smell the patient had.

“Here’s your coffee. The bean aroma is really good.”

“Rather than that, Dr. Lee, do you know the anesthesiologist’s contact information?”

“Anesthesiologist? Yes, I know.”

“Give them a call.”

Taekyung put the coffee cups in Lee Chanhee’s hands on the desk and handed him the phone.

“Yes? At this hour?”

“Yes. We’ll have an emergency patient coming in soon.”

“What!? An emergency patient? That can’t be. We sent out an official notice that we’re closed for the time being.”

“I told them to come. I’ll explain the details later, so call them first.”

“Ah… yes.”

There was a good reason why Taekyung was looking for an anesthesiologist. It was because of a possible surgery.

Not all patients who come to the emergency room have surgery, but if surgery is necessary after treatment, anesthesia is essential above all else.

-Hello.

“Hello, this is Lee Chanhee.”

-Oh, Chanhee, what’s going on at this hour?

As Lee Chanhee cautiously asked a doctor who was senior to him, Taekyung took the phone.

“This is the hospital.”