A competent doctor can cure everything

So, is this girl Shim Ji-seop’s… daughter?

‘Did something happen when he was young?’

I never thought Shim Ji-seop was the type for that.

It’s as unimaginable as a lion eating salad.

Anyway, this girl is just a patient here.

I focused on the girl in front of me, whose skin was so pale it looked almost transparent.

“Shim Ji-ah, what brings you here? What’s bothering you?”

“You’re an intern, right? Please call a resident, not an intern.”

“……!”

The little girl didn’t answer my question. Instead, she firmly and audaciously spoke to me.

I was slightly irritated but held myself back.

“There are rules in the hospital. The intern must see the patient first.”

Even with my explanation, the girl turned her head dismissively, clearly unimpressed.

This little brat… How did Shim Ji-seop raise her?

‘Did he teach her to ignore the intern?’

Suddenly, I longed to see Dong-soo, the village kid I met during my internship days.

The elderly guardian beside her stood up, looking embarrassed.

“Oh my, doctor, I’m sorry. But like the child said, you can call a resident right away. Today, the resident on duty in the Department of Oriental Rehabilitation is Shim Ji-seop.”

“…Please wait for a moment.”

What on earth is going on here?

I decided to hold off on answering and made my way to the corner of the ER, where the computers were set up.

It was the shared space for the Emergency Medicine (EM) doctors and other departments.

I went to an empty computer and clicked on the name “Shim Ji-ah” that appeared in the chart.

There seemed to be no problems with the blood tests or ECG (electrocardiogram) done during today’s visit.

‘Let’s take a look at the past medical records.’

Indeed, the records showed nearly monthly visits to the ER.

The chief complaint (CC) each time was chest pain.

I scrolled back through the chart until I found the first medical record for this child at Hanbit University Hospital.

Last year, she had been brought to the ER after getting caught in the door of the school bus.

Fortunately, it didn’t seem to be a major incident, as the EM department diagnosed it as a contusion and discharged her.

‘?’

But there is a note attached beneath the initial chart.

The author is Shim Ji-seop, written when he was a first-year resident in the Department of Oriental Rehabilitation.

– Chest X-ray showed suspected fracture of the 4th rib; requested re-interpretation from EM’s Kim Jin-su.

– EM’s Kim Jin-su replied, “Acupuncturists shouldn’t interfere with diagnoses,” and closed the case.

– Kim Jin-su advised that if a new diagnosis was desired, the patient should visit another hospital’s emergency room for re-examination and a diagnosis.

– The patient was discharged and transferred to another hospital’s ER for re-evaluation.

Wow. I found traces of a major conflict.

It seems that Shim Ji-seop believed there was a rib fracture visible on the chest X-ray, but the EM resident saw no problem.

Shim Ji-seop requested a re-interpretation of the X-ray, but the doctor refused.

The doctor then suggested that if the patient wanted another diagnosis, they should go to another hospital.

In response, an angry Shim Ji-seop detailed the situation and even mentioned the doctor’s name.

This means he left evidence in case he wanted to press charges later.

I can imagine how tense the situation must have been.

‘Then what happened when they went to the other hospital?’

Just then, someone appeared, looking around.

The man, panting, was Shim Ji-seop.

As I approached, he quickly and urgently asked me,

“My family is here. I got a call.”

“Over here.”

I led him to the bed.

As soon as the little girl saw Shim Ji-seop, her face lit up.

“Daddy!!”

‘Cough.’ So he really was her dad.

The elderly man, holding Ji-ah’s hand, awkwardly corrected her.

“Ji-ah, you should call him ‘older brother,’ not ‘dad.’”

Shim Ji-seop, undisturbed, stroked Ji-ah’s cheeks and comforted her.

“My little bird, did your chest hurt again?”

“Uh-huh, I tried to hold it in, but it kept hurting. It wasn’t pretending; it really hurt, so I came.”

“Who says you’re pretending? If it hurts, don’t hold it in. Say it out loud.”

‘?!’

This is the first time I’ve seen Shim Ji-seop like this.

His eyes, which always seemed a bit off, now had life in them.

I was stunned internally, but Shim Ji-seop turned to me and waved his hand dismissively.

“Ah, you’re still here? We don’t need any help, so you can go upstairs.”

“……”

“Why the long face? Oh, she’s my younger sister. There’s quite an age gap. About twenty years?”

And then, he provides information I didn’t even ask for.

“‘Jongdal’ is the nickname. He said she’s like a ‘Jongdal’ bird.”

Not even ten years old, and he’s saying his younger sibling is twenty years younger than him?

I was stunned but tried my best to act normal as I stepped back.

“Then I’ll go upstairs.”

When I arrived at the Oriental Medicine ward, I immediately headed to the intern training room, not the on-call room, and turned on the computer.

The answer to what happened to Shim Ji-ah was found in the next chart.

Shim Ji-seop had neatly organized the following medical history.

Shim Ji-ah, while on her way to another hospital, had developed “traumatic pneumothorax.”

Pneumothorax is a condition where a hole in the lung causes air to leak, and air collects in the pleural cavity.

In Ji-ah’s case, a fractured rib had created a hole in the lung.

If the condition isn’t serious, oxygen can be given while waiting for recovery without surgery.

However, since the damage was significant, Ji-ah had to undergo surgery for the pneumothorax.

What’s even worse is that once pneumothorax occurs, it has a high chance of recurring.

‘So Ji-ah actually had pneumothorax relapse twice.’

On top of that, as a complication, Ji-ah occasionally complained of unexplained chest pain.

When chest pain occurred at night, like today, she would go to the ER and request treatment from Shim Ji-seop in the Oriental Rehabilitation department.

Then, simple acupuncture, moxibustion, and cupping treatments would be applied, and there were records indicating that her pain would improve afterward.

This…

Now, I somewhat understand Shim Ji-seop’s cynical attitude.

‘The Oriental Rehabilitation department specializes in trauma and musculoskeletal disorders.’

Residents in the Oriental Rehabilitation department study musculoskeletal X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans as part of their training.

Of course, the official interpretation is left to the radiology department, but they must know how to interpret them at a basic level.

But it seems Shim Ji-seop’s opinion was dismissed by the EM resident, who probably said, “What would an acupuncturist know?”

‘He must have been really frustrated.’

Moreover, if nothing else had happened after that, it would have ended as just an unpleasant incident.

But in the end, Shim Ji-seop was right, and the little girl ended up suffering from complications.

If I try to imagine his feelings…

‘He must have felt helpless.’

He probably felt his pride wounded in front of his family.

Most of all, he wouldn’t have been able to face Ji-ah.

So, was that the reason the promising resident trainee turned cynical?

I bitterly turned off the computer.

* * *

“Ta-da~!”

Three glasses filled with ice clinked cheerfully together.

It was hard to coordinate the schedules of the three interns.

‘It took more than a week, and we finally managed to get together on Sunday evening.’

Wonil had asked me about where Min-hwa and I live, so instead of going to a bar, we ended up here.

When he first entered the apartment, his expression was definitely worth seeing.

“Wow~! Is this a hotel or something? The living room alone is bigger than my entire studio!”

Wonil’s eyes were wide as he looked around the place, dropping all kinds of comments.

Well, I guess my expression was probably like that when I first saw it.

Anyway, he’s still making half-joking, half-serious comments while drinking.

“Can I live in the living room here? Or the entrance works too.”

“No.”

“That’s so stingy, it’s not even your house.”

I pretended not to hear and took a refreshing sip of my highball.

He then changed his target to the homeowner and started begging.

“Rilla~, do you need a housekeeper, by any chance?”

“Uh, huh…?”

Sorry, but there’s already one.

I asked Wonil, who was trying to charm me with a strategy that wouldn’t work.

“By the way, why do you keep speaking informally to Min-hwa?”

“Eh? Well, we’re the same age, right? Rilla, aren’t we the same class year…?”

“I… I’m older by one year! I entered the Oriental Medicine College after taking a gap year, so our class year is the same, but I’m older by one year!”

“Whoa.”

Ye Wonil cleared his throat and made a fake cough.

Did you not know that until now?

“Ri, Rilla hyung, I’m sorry…”

“Ah, ahhh, it’s fine! Just call me comfortably.”

Watching this dumb and dumber conversation, I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.

“Rilla hyung, why didn’t you say that earlier…?”

“Well, actually… I grew up in the U.S. when I was younger, so I don’t really care about that kind of thing.”

“Whoa~ You grew up abroad! Hyung, you must be really good at English. So, are you dual-national? Military exemption?”

“Ah, no…! I chose Korean citizenship when I was 18, so I’m not a dual citizen anymore… but I am exempt from the military.”

“Hmm? How?”

“Umm, well, that…”

Min-hwa fiddled with his glass and awkwardly opened his mouth.

“Actually… I lived in a state with a lot of racial discrimination in the U.S. When I was a kid, I was bullied… and because of that, I tore my knee ligaments.”

“……!!”

“Damn, that’s crazy. Those bastards.”

Wonil, excited, cursed in a thick accent.

I was at a loss for words and looked at Min-hwa.

“……”

So that’s why Min-hwa finds it hard to interact with people.

Min-hwa, who easily blushes and can’t make eye contact with others.

I had always wondered why such a big guy was so shy.

“Well, still, if you’re careful and walk around, it’s okay. It’s fine, everything’s fine…!”

How many times does he have to say “it’s fine”?

“And… since coming to this hospital, I think I’m lucky to have met good people…”

Min-hwa took a deep breath and said resolutely. Maybe it was the alcohol kicking in, but his voice became a little louder.

“I know I’m always trailing off and speaking uncertainly, but I’m trying to fix it little by little. The things hyung Seon-Joon said really helped a lot. I think I’m becoming stronger while doing my internship… no, I am.”

“Yeah! Hyung, you’re the best. Rilla hyung is cool! Cheers!”

We toasted again.

Wonil put down his glass and spoke up.

“Oh, right. But hyung Seon Joon has something to say too, right? You’re the one who told us to drink.”

“Well, it’s nothing big. I haven’t had a chance to say it, but I think it’s about time to talk about it.”

Feeling the gaze of both of them on me, I started speaking.

“Wonil, you asked if my father was also an acupuncturist, right?”

“Yes, hyung!”

“He… was. He passed away. Both my parents are gone.”

“……!”

“When I was young, my parents and I were driving when we collided with a drunk-driving truck. At this time, the acupuncture clinic my dad ran is operated by someone else.”

“Ah… I see.”

Wonil looked curious about the rest of the story but didn’t ask any further.

I, too, ignored it and took another sip of my drink.

I didn’t want to talk about it any more than that. Not yet.

“Hyung…”

“It’s okay. It’s all in the past now.”

I answered calmly and turned my head to Min-hwa.

He looked sympathetic, but unlike Wonil, he didn’t seem shocked.

“But Min-hwa, you knew, didn’t you? How did you know?”

“Ah, yes… Actually, I had a feeling. You only ever talked about your grandmother, but you never mentioned your parents.”

Wonil teared up and picked up his glass again.

“Ah~! Why are you guys making my heart hurt like this~? Drink, drink!”

Ah, right.

I suddenly remembered this guy’s drinking habits.

I had seen it at a summer volunteer after-party for our club… it was horrifying.

“You’re banned from drinking now.”

When I snatched away Wonil’s glass, Min-hwa looked at me, puzzled.

“Hyung, why…?”

“This guy has a three-step drinking habit. The first step is crying, the second is hugging, and the third is…”

“Seon-Joon hyung~~!”

At that moment, Wonil jumped at me, trying to kiss my cheek.

“!!”

I panicked and pushed him away, and Min-hwa, for once, laughed out loud.

In the end, we locked Wonil in a room to calm him down, and the commotion died down.

Min-hwa and I stayed behind, drank a bit more, and then cleaned up.

‘It was a mess… but it was fun.’

I honestly admit it. It was fun.

This is the first time I’ve had friends open up to me this much about their parents. Of course, I left out the rest of the story.

Thanks to that, even though I don’t really enjoy drinking, I probably overdid it.

And… the next day, the three of us showed up at the hospital looking pale, which might have been the natural result.