You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 237

“Hey, the meat’s burning. Eat quickly.”

Lost in reminiscence, I gradually returned to reality at Dongjin’s urging.

The culprit behind that incident was former Manager Jeon, driven mad by the desire to seize both the Director and Hanyoung Group.

He is currently under investigation by the prosecution for issuing false medical certificates and has naturally been dismissed from Myungdae Hospital.

Every incident has a fundamental cause.

And when the cause disappears, the incident also does not occur.

Just as I prevented the release of Antrozol Alpha before people started dying because of it.

“But why are you suddenly talking about ghost surgeries? Did you hear something?”

“I just heard they’re doing it secretly in the hospital.”

Dongjin groaned in disbelief at my words.

“You’re well-informed. That’s something we only whisper about among ourselves. It’s not the doctors at university hospitals like us, but private practitioners sometimes do that. Seriously, it’s not just nursing assistants they’re making do surgeries, but also medical device sales reps!”

Dongjin clicked his tongue and began to tell the ghost surgery [surgeries performed by unqualified individuals] stories he had heard.

The cases he mentioned were mostly instances where someone without specialist qualifications had performed the surgery, and I responded with appropriate laughter.

I only added that I had heard that even people with specialist qualifications sometimes get into big trouble while performing ghost surgeries.

“Anyway, you won’t be involved in the Hanyoung Group’s second son’s surgery, right?”

“Well, if I had to say, I could go in as an assistant, but other than that, not really?”

“Is there a chance of recovery if he has surgery?”

“It’s glioblastoma [an aggressive type of brain cancer], so it’s very tricky, but it’s not like there are no cases of complete recovery.”

“Does that mean the cases of complete recovery are extremely rare?”

“That’s right. Even after the surgery, he has to continue radiation therapy, and after radiation, he has to do chemotherapy, but even after all that, it often recurs.”

“Is the surgery difficult?”

“Extremely. And in that patient’s case, the tumor’s location is so wicked that he could fall into a vegetative state or brain death if we’re not careful. Honestly, when former Manager Jeon said he would schedule the surgery, I wondered why he would schedule that surgery. That guy has almost no experience with glioblastoma surgery.”

I nodded slowly.

Being in a vegetative state or brain death is usually diagnosed when they don’t wake up after closing the skull.

But in my previous life, the patient died during surgery.

“Then is there anyone at your hospital who can do that surgery? What about you?”

“Hey, what am I? I don’t even want to touch something in such a wicked location. But who knows about the new director? I heard he’s good at surgery?”

As a non-medical person, I couldn’t fully understand, but I know that in my previous life, the patient died in the process of removing the tumor.

If the new director takes on the surgery of Hanyoung Group’s second son and finishes it well, nothing will happen to Dongjin.

Or, the new director may give up the surgery.

“But why are you asking in such detail?”

“I’m just worried about you.”

“Why are you worried?”

“I’m worried that if something goes wrong, it might affect you.”

“Aigoo [an expression of worry or annoyance], don’t worry, nothing will ever affect me. The only one who might be affected is the director. The surgeon in charge takes responsibility. And well, we’ve already warned the patient’s family that the tumor’s location is bad, so the surgery is quite difficult, and even if it’s successful, the risk of recurrence is high.”

He replied casually.

I also felt my tension gradually easing.

If the new director is so good at surgery, he will perform it himself.

He, who came from a provincial university, became the head of the neurosurgery department at the main campus of Myungdae Hospital this time.

Considering that all the directors of Myungdae Hospital are from Seoul National University, American medical schools, or Myungwoon University at the very least, it was an unconventional appointment.

It would be impossible unless he was incredibly skilled.

* * *

I felt much more at ease after parting with Dongjin.

Because it was the second incident that I had been preparing for with tension in this life, I wouldn’t be able to completely relax until that surgery was over.

“Lawyer, good morning!”

“Oh, Lawyer Kang.”

I parked my car in the office parking lot and was smoking a cigarette when Lawyer Kang approached, tapping his cigarette pack on his palm.

“About the consultation scheduled for today. The person who lost 2 billion won due to fraud.”

“What about it?”

“Are you just going to send this person away too?”

Kang Minjae said with a dissatisfied expression.

I remember what Manager Oh said yesterday.

I’m worried that if I keep teasing them like this, they might revolt, even though there are only two members.

Since Dongjin’s case doesn’t seem to be a big problem anyway, wouldn’t it be okay?

“Let’s decide after the consultation today.”

“Oh! A new case, a new case.”

“I said we’ll decide after listening.”

“Still.”

Well, there’s no reason not to take it if Lawyer Kang takes care of everything.

We have to do business, and Kang Minjae has to make money.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Kang Minjae is contracted as a freelancer, not as a salaried employee like Manager Oh.

If he doesn’t work, he can’t earn money.

* * *

Time flowed like water.

If I hadn’t kept reminding myself, I would have forgotten even the worry that Dongjin’s incident might happen, as everything passed without incident.

In my previous life, Dongjin was sent to the prosecution in February 2011.

It was two months after the incident occurred at the end of December 2010.

And now it’s December 31, 2010.

Although the time to be anxious has passed, I’m still monitoring the situation today, just in case.

If today passes without incident, I can assume there will be no problems.

“I hope the office will be even more prosperous next year!”

We rented a room at a nearby Chinese restaurant to have a year-end party.

Originally, Jo Bongjoon and Choi Jonghyun were supposed to join us, but they said they wouldn’t be able to make it because they were going to count down the New Year with their viewers.

It was amazing that there were people who would count down the New Year with internet broadcasting BJs [Broadcasting Jockeys, similar to streamers or YouTubers] when there were so many things to see, places to go, and people to meet, especially at the end of the year.

Anyway, Manager Oh, Kang Minjae, and I were holding our glasses, preparing to send off the eventful year of 2010.

“Don’t you hear a vibration sound from somewhere?”

I was listening to Kang Minjae’s chatter for a while when he suddenly stopped talking and asked.

Manager Oh checked her phone and shook her head.

I wondered if it was me, so I put my hand in my pocket, and my smartphone, which I was using as a secondary phone, was vibrating.

The caller was Dongjin.

“It’s me. I’ll take this call for a moment.”

As soon as I went outside to a quiet place and answered the phone, a disgruntled voice came from the receiver.

-Hey, you. Why are you answering the phone so late?

“I was at a year-end party. I was going to call you anyway since it’s the end of the year, but you weren’t answering the phone today either?”

-I was in surgery. It just ended. I almost welcomed 2011 in the operating room. I thought it would take 13 hours, but thankfully it ended in 12 hours.

Dongjin said, indignant that he couldn’t allow that, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“What kind of surgery takes 13 hours?”

-Neurosurgery usually takes a long time. And the tumor’s location was so bad that it took a long time.

“The tumor’s location was bad? Could it be,”

-That’s right. It’s the Hanyoung Group’s second son’s glioblastoma surgery.

At the sudden words, I shouted without realizing it.

“You said you wouldn’t be involved in that surgery! Why are you telling me now?”

-Hey, why are you shouting?

“Did you perform the surgery?”

-No, the director did. I was the assistant.

“It ended well, right?”

-Yeah, it ended well, so the patient is in the recovery room. Wow, the director is really good at surgery. I heard he has a GS [General Surgery] and CS [Cardiothoracic Surgery] triple board, and the director was so proud because there are only about 40 triple board holders in Korea, but honestly, I didn’t think it mattered. But it’s definitely different.

Judging by the leisurely sound of his voice, the surgery seems to have ended well without any worries.

I sighed deeply.

The incident that happened in my previous life was clearly a table death [death during surgery].

That incident did not happen.

“That’s a relief.”

-Huh? What is?

“I’m relieved the surgery went well.”

-Of course, it went well.

“Still, we have to watch the patient’s prognosis, right?”

-That’s true, but the surgery was so well done that he’ll regain consciousness soon.

I felt relieved that Dongjin was so confident that there would be no problems.

After that, the praise for the director continued, and I felt so good that I could even listen to that with a smile.

-I think I need to sleep today, so I won’t be able to see you, but let’s meet before the Lunar New Year.

“Okay. Go in quickly. Your wife is waiting.”

-Okay. Happy New Year. I hope the office will be more prosperous next year. Hehe.

“I hope you become a professor next year too.”

-What, a professor already, you rascal. You’re saying nonsense. I’m hanging up now.

Nothing happened.

That was the only thought in my head.

The surgery went well, there was no ghost surgery, and there would be no false accusations against Dongjin.

My steps were light as I crossed the hallway and entered the room.

“Lawyer, sit down quickly. The food is here.”

Manager Oh said, pulling out my chair.

“…Wait a minute, Lawyer.”

I was about to sit down when Kang Minjae suddenly stood up and approached me.

“Lawyer.”

“What’s wrong.”

“Isn’t this a smartphone?”

And he picked up the smartphone in my hand and looked at me with a firmly sulky expression.

…Ah, I was so happy to hear the news from Dongjin that I came in with the phone in my hand without putting it in my pocket.

“You said you didn’t have a smartphone! You didn’t even show up in my KakaoTalk friend recommendations!”

But I still felt good.

“Oh, lawyers. It’s 12 o’clock! Happy New Year, both of you.”

“Manager, Happy New Year to you too.”

I chose to respond to Manager Oh’s New Year’s greetings rather than answering Kang Minjae.

“…What about me?”

“Happy New Year to you too, Lawyer Kang.”

It was a happy New Year, so much so that I could listen to Kang Minjae’s whining without any annoyance.