LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 10
Chapter 10
I Can See the Future (3)
“Dr. Seonhan, you’re really good at drawing blood now.”
“Really?”
“Of course, I can tell just by looking. You can roughly tell if someone has a talent for procedures during their first rotation.”
She praises me with those words.
What are procedures?
It’s a general term for the medical techniques doctors use.
From small things like drawing blood or inserting catheters to major surgeries like gastrectomies and lobectomies, they all fall under the category of procedures.
Accurate and delicate procedural skills can completely change a patient’s treatment outcome.
It’s absurd to think that someone who isn’t proficient in minor procedures can perform major surgeries well, and this process starts from the internship.
Of course, you can improve your procedural skills through countless practice sessions, but everyone has their limits.
Not everyone can become Messi just by kicking a ball diligently.
I cautiously ask,
“Am I good at it?”
“Dr. Seonhan…”
The head nurse looks around and then gives me a thumbs up, whispering,
“Honestly, you have the best hands I’ve ever seen on a doctor.”
“…!”
For a doctor, being told “you have good hands” is the highest compliment.
Especially for a doctor like me, who aspires to be a surgeon.
These words coming from the head nurse, who has seen countless doctors, must be sincere.
“And you seem to be good with patients too. I think you’ll become a good doctor no matter what specialty you go into.”
“Wow…”
I’m overwhelmed by the sudden shower of compliments.
I cover my eyes with both hands.
“What’s wrong?”
“I received compliments from the head nurse… I’m so touched that I’m tearing up.”
“You’re such a liar.”
I remove my hands and grin.
I’ve become quite close with the ward nurses.
It makes me a little sad to think about moving to another department.
“Dr. Seonhan, what’s your next rotation?”
“I’m going to EM (Emergency Medicine).”
“Emergency medicine right after internal medicine? You’re choosing all the tough rotations from the start.”
“Indeed.”
“Good luck! Let’s see each other from time to time.”
“Yes!”
I bow deeply to express my gratitude.
I’ll soon be thrown into a new battlefield.
As I exchange farewells with the nurses and leave the station, someone calls out to me.
“Hey, Shin Seonhan.”
“Yes?”
“Follow me for a second.”
It’s Kim Snake.
I can’t let my guard down just because it’s the last day.
Even though he’s calmed down a bit, he’s still the guy who’s been harsh to the interns all month.
There’s no telling what he might say to torment me now.
I follow him nervously, and he finally speaks.
“What do you want to eat?”
“Excuse me?”
“What’s your favorite food?”
…I didn’t expect this.
Why is he suddenly asking me that?
It’s not like he’s asking me out on a date.
Seeing my blank stare, Kim Snake explains,
“You know we have a farewell party today, right?”
“Ah, yes.”
I nod.
The intern farewell party.
It’s a wrap-up party held at the end of every month.
Interns rotate to different departments every month, and residents also rotate between different teams.
During this time, interns and residents gather for a meal, and sometimes fellows or professors attend as well.
In short, it’s a farewell party for the interns.
“Have you found someone to cover your backup duty?”
“Yes, I’ve asked a friend.”
“Okay. Anyway, I’m in charge of reservations for the farewell party this time, so I need to book a restaurant…”
Before Kim Snake can finish, I quickly ask,
“Should I make the reservation?”
“No, no, your attitude is commendable, but I’ll make the reservation. Just tell me what you want to eat.”
“I can make the reservation.”
“No, it’s fine. What do you want to eat?”
“Since we’re all going together, we should choose something everyone likes…”
“Just. Tell. Me. What. You. Want. To. Eat.”
Kim Snake’s tone is laced with irritation.
I have no idea why he’s acting like this, but in times like these, it’s best to just answer quickly.
“I enjoy all kinds of meat.”
“So, out of all the many kinds of meat, what do you like best? Beef, pork, chicken, fish, there’s so much!”
Kim Snake’s patience is wearing thin.
I quickly reply,
“Wouldn’t steak be good?”
“Fine.”
Finally, Kim Snake’s outburst subsides.
…Is he perhaps looking out for me?
Like when he threw me that can of juice before.
Seeing his awkward expression, I think that’s the case. He sure makes life complicated.
If only he’d fix his unnecessarily harsh tone, he’d be much better off.
“What are you looking at?”
“Nothing.”
I smile faintly.
I find myself amused because I think I’m starting to understand the personality of the person in front of me.
Before getting on the elevator, Kim Snake asks,
“You said you wanted to go into surgery, right?”
Huh? Has the rumor already spread?
It seems like there are no secrets in this hospital.
“That’s good. If you had said some nonsense about coming to internal medicine, I was going to half-kill you.”
“After experiencing internal medicine, I think it’s quite fascinating.”
“Get out. Don’t come here. We’re not accepting you.”
Kim Snake glares at me as I smile.
Then, he hesitantly pats me on the shoulder.
“Work hard in other departments too.”
“Yes!”
“I’ll tell my colleagues to work you hard, so be prepared.”
Kim Snake growls and disappears.
I chuckle.
Life is full of surprises. I never imagined I’d have a friendly relationship with Kim Snake.
***
Just like that, March comes to an end.
On the day of the farewell party, the first spring rain of the year falls.
Late at night, amidst the forest of buildings, vaguely frozen droplets, somewhere between rain and snow, dance in the air.
I follow their trajectory with slightly intoxicated eyes, wandering aimlessly through the streets for the first time in a while.
Life as a doctor?
It’s just another human society.
All sorts of things will happen, but I’ll manage somehow.
140 interns and over 1,000 doctors…
This is the beginning of my journey to find my place among them.
I wonder how my future will unfold.
Even if I can see the future, there’s so much more that remains unseen.
After all, a picture with a corner slightly revealed is much more intriguing than one that’s completely hidden.
There’s a Malignant Among Us (1)
The Emergency Room.
This place is called the “gateway to the hospital.”
This is because it treats the most urgent patients and then directs them to other departments within the hospital.
Therefore, doctors with a broad knowledge of all clinical fields are always on standby here.
He was one of those specialists.
He’s just over thirty, but with his face full of stubble, he looks much older than his age.
“Doctor, there’s a patient with a fibular fracture in Zone B asking when they can see a doctor.”
“There’s a mountain of patients to see… Are the OS (orthopedic surgery) guys still not here?”
“Five TA (traffic accident) patients just arrived from Geosinsa Intersection! What should we do?”
The last day of March.
The emergency room was a battlefield.
It was much busier than usual because four trauma patients were suddenly brought in from a nearby accident.
In times like these, the role of the leader is crucial.
Amidst the bloody patients, Yeo Bongcheol, with his sleeves rolled up, says,
“We’re short-handed with the CPR patient in the resuscitation room. Interns and nurses, please stay in the resuscitation room and keep an eye on things!”
“Yes!”
“We’ve arranged for the MI[mfn]A blockage of blood flow to the heart muscle.[/mfn] (myocardial infarction) patient in Zone A to go to the Cath Lab, so monitor them carefully until they’re transferred!”
At Yeo Bongcheol’s command, the ER staff move in unison.
Just then, nurses rush over and say urgently,
“Dr. Yeo Bongcheol.”
“Yes?”
“A doctor came down from PS (plastic surgery) to suture this patient, but they’re short-handed…”
“Doctor, there’s a patient here who needs their dressing changed, but it hasn’t been done yet. They’re complaining…”
“Hey! Where the hell did those interns go!”
Yeo Bongcheol added a supplementary explanation in his awkward Seoul dialect. Despite his young age, his thick, strong Gyeongsangdo accent was his trademark.
The chief resident laughed and handed him a paper.
“Tough luck. Looks like you’ll have to work even harder this month.”
“Why?”
“Take a look at the list. You’ll see some familiar names already.”
“…?”
Yeo Bongcheol took the paper.
His eyes widened as he scanned the intern placement list.
“Whoa… This is a total disaster, isn’t it?”
“Told you.”
Their eyes landed on the first name on the list.
The guy who crawled into the ER with a hand injury after drinking a while back.
Bad rumors about him were already circulating in the emergency medicine department.
“How the hell is that idiot supposed to work in the ER with a cast?”
“Exactly.”
“That brainless punk, maybe I should break his neck instead of his wrist.”
Yeo Bongcheol spat out a harsh curse.
He was planning to give him a hard time once he was under his supervision.
And next,
“Who the hell is this guy?”
“Don’t call him ‘this guy.’ He might be older than you.”
“Huh?”
It happens sometimes.
Older interns.
From a resident’s perspective, older interns are generally more difficult to handle.
“I hear he’s quite the slacker. Since he’s older, he seems to subtly push the tough tasks onto other interns.”
“Oh dear.”
Yeo Bongcheol sighed and scratched the bridge of his nose.
Out of the frying pan, into the fire.
“And this one? Is it a man or a woman?”
His finger moved to the next name.
“Don’t you know Ham Sodam?”
“No, I don’t.”
“She’s the daughter of Professor Ham Gyeongil and Professor Son Eunju.”
“Ah, that famous royal?”
Royal.
While it literally means “noble” or “aristocrat,” it has a slightly different meaning among doctors.
When someone’s parents or relatives are professors at a university hospital, their children are often referred to as “royals.”
Among them, Ham Sodam, whose parents are both professors at Yeonguk University Hospital, is a super royal among royals.
“I hear she’s terrible at her job.”
“Huh?”
“Apparently, she’s a bit slow. It’s gotten to the point where people are saying she got into medical school through her parents’ connections.”
“Oh…”
“But don’t be too hard on her. You know how powerful Professor Ham Gyeongil is in our hospital, right? It’ll be a headache if she complains to her dad.”
“That’s true.”
Yeo Bongcheol sighs deeply.
His eyes scan the paper.
“But at least one of them should be decent… And this one? What a unique name.”
“Ah, him?”
The chief resident chuckles.
“He graduated from Ilun University.”
“Ilun University?”
“Yeah, that crappy school where they couldn’t even hold major classes because they didn’t have any professors to teach them. What could he have possibly learned there?”
“Oh dear…”
Yeo Bongcheol stares at the four names with a despairing expression.
The useless Jo Jinki.
The slacker Oh Joongwon.
The frustrating royal Ham Sodam.
And Shin Seonhan from the crappy university.
“What a great team. Are they the Avengers or something?”
Yeo Bongcheol sniffles and wipes his nose.
—————–
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