NOVEL NEXT Chapter 22 - Triage (7)
Chapter 22
Triage (7)
『 Translator – Divinity 』
Jo Jin-gi.
He was a master at sucking up to his seniors.
As a graduate of a prestigious high school and Yeonguk University, his relationships with his seniors were of utmost importance.
With Yeonguk University Hospital full of alumni, he naturally thought his internship would be smooth sailing.
But at this moment…
Jo Jin-gi was trembling with anxiety.
Emergency exit stairwell next to the ER.
Yeo Bong-cheol had called him aside and had been staring at him silently.
The atmosphere felt as if he might grab him by the collar at any moment.
Jo Jin-gi cautiously opened his mouth, gauging Yeo Bong-cheol’s mood.
“Um… what’s this about…?”
“Jo Jin-gi.”
“Yes?”
“Tell me what you did wrong.”
Yeo Bong-cheol said, emanating a chilling aura.
Was he going to scold him again for the mistake in the ER?
‘Damn it, what a pain in the ass. Over one mistake…’
Although he was full of complaints inwardly, Jo Jin-gi put on a remorseful expression and said,
“With the influx of TA patients, it was so chaotic that I missed checking the X-ray. I apologize.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes?”
“I heard everything.”
“I don’t understand what you…”
Sigh—
Yeo Bong-cheol sighed as if to calm himself down and said,
“You suggested we turn a blind eye to your mistake with the patient.”
“Gasp!”
Jo Jin-gi gasped.
His mind went blank as he was confronted with something he had even forgotten about.
“Is it true that you said we should ignore the patient’s pneumothorax because it was small?”
“Th-that…”
“You crazy bastard!”
Bang!
Yeo Bong-cheol kicked the emergency exit door where Jo Jin-gi was standing.
Flinch!
Jo Jin-gi cowered.
Yeo Bong-cheol already had a stern look, but when he got truly angry, his face became truly terrifying, as if he could kill someone.
“D-did… Seon-han tell you that?”
“You think there are secrets in a hospital? The nurses passing by heard everything, you punk.”
“T-the nurses?”
“It’s one thing to embarrass the doctors, but how could you say such a thing?! Huh?”
Jo Jin-gi’s mind raced.
‘Damn it, I’m screwed. Of all people, the nurses had to hear that…!’
His vision darkened.
At this point, all he could do was make excuses and try to escape the crisis.
He spoke quickly,
“I-I was just flustered at that moment. People say things they don’t mean when they panic.”
“You didn’t mean it?”
“Of course not! I’m a doctor too; how could I leave a patient to die! Even without Seon-han, I would have handled it myself!”
He desperately defended himself.
Yeo Bong-cheol sighed deeply, seeing him making excuses instead of reflecting on his actions.
“Yeah, right. You wouldn’t have meant it if you’re human.”
“Of course!”
“Okay. I won’t tell the professor about this.”
“Thank you.”
Jo Jin-gi’s face brightened.
But Yeo Bong-cheol wasn’t finished.
“But you have the lowest evaluation score this month.”
“The… the lowest score?”
Jo Jin-gi’s face turned pale again.
Interns’ monthly evaluations were usually divided into A, B, and C.
But at Yeonguk University Hospital, known for its strict evaluations, there was also a D.
It was given to interns who were deemed completely unqualified by the residents.
Of course, even for an incompetent intern, getting a D was rare.
If he received a D, the news would spread to other departments, and his damaged reputation would be irreversible.
“I wasn’t the only one who made a mistake. Why am I the only one with the lowest score?! So-dam made far more mistakes than me!”
Jo Jin-gi exclaimed in frustration.
Faced with the imminent disadvantage, his true colors were revealed.
But Yeo Bong-cheol’s reply was cold.
“Of course, doctors are human, and they can make mistakes. The problem is what you do afterward.”
His voice became low and steady.
Jo Jin-gi shrank back under the completely changed atmosphere.
“So-dam, as soon as she realized her mistake, contacted the other department and tried her best to take responsibility for the patient. But you didn’t even try to do the bare minimum.”
“…”
“I hear you had good grades at Yeonguk University… but I don’t care how well you did in school. In my book, you’re a zero as a doctor.”
“…”
“Anything to say for yourself?”
Jo Jin-gi hung his head.
He had nothing more to say.
It seemed like any excuse wouldn’t work on Yeo Bong-cheol, who had already made up his mind.
“I wanted to punch you in the face, but seeing your expression, I don’t think I can.”
“…”
“It’s still early in your internship, so you have a chance to get good evaluations in other departments. Reflect on yourself during the remaining time and think carefully.”
Yeo Bong-cheol said and disappeared through the emergency exit door.
A moment later.
Jo Jin-gi was left alone, biting his lip.
Instead of regretting his actions, he was filled with resentment.
‘Damn it…’
A certain someone came to mind.
Shin Seon-han.
He hated him.
It was Seon-han who discovered his mistake and helped him.
He should be grateful, but Jo Jin-gi didn’t feel that way.
He felt like it was all Seon-han’s fault that things turned out this way.
His pride was hurt.
More than anything, he couldn’t stand the fact that he received a lower evaluation than that guy, a mere graduate from a local university.
“Ah, seriously. This is bullshit!”
Bang!
Jo Jin-gi punched the emergency exit door.
Of course, his outburst only resulted in pain as he clutched his still-healing hand.
“Ugh…”
Jo Jin-gi groaned strangely, clutching his fist.
Another two weeks of medical leave for his wrist.
His internship for the next month was also ruined.
Gangnam Station (1)
The last week of April, in the morning.
I received a text message from my grumpy second older sister.
—Are you still alive?
I was buried in my bed in the dormitory, and with sleepy eyes, I replied half-heartedly.
— Seems like I’m not dead yet?
—Come home sometime.
— Too tired.
—Stop messing around and show your face. You’re acting all high and mighty just because you became a doctor!
“I’m not acting high and mighty.”
I muttered, yawning.
Life in the ER was a cycle of working one day and resting the next.
Everyone was diligent at first.
They planned to exercise and enjoy outdoor activities on their days off.
But that was just a hopeful plan for the first week!
The reality was different.
In the end, when their day off came, they ended up being stuck in the dormitory, doing nothing but sleeping.
This was because they had worked a 24-hour shift the day before!
To exaggerate a little, it was like experiencing jet lag every other day, as if they had traveled to the other side of the world.
—Come home and have a meal. Dad and your sisters miss you.
“Okay. I should show my face sometime.”
I got up.
Come to think of it, I hadn’t been home for two months since starting my internship.
Since it was Saturday, I decided to visit my family after a long time.
***
I washed up quickly and got on the bus.
I had left in the morning right after my overnight shift ended, so I had 24 hours of free time.
Vroom—
I leaned my head against the window and enjoyed the scenery outside for the first time in a while.
It felt refreshing, like ventilating a stuffy room.
‘It’s been a while since I felt this relaxed.’
The midday scenery flashed by outside the window, and soon familiar buildings came into view.
The old apartment complex.
Nothing had changed in 20 years.
My family wasn’t poor, but we weren’t wealthy either.
We were just an average family.
I had never felt dissatisfied with our modest circumstances.
However, I hoped for a little more financial stability in the future.
Now that I was a doctor, my grand dream was to buy my father a new car with the money I earned.
If possible, I also wanted to contribute to my niece’s upbringing.
And buy my own house.
And…
“…I need to earn a lot of money.”
It hadn’t been long since I received my first paycheck, but my mind was already racing ahead.
Was this what it felt like to be a young professional?
Lost in these thoughts, I soon arrived at the door.
“I’m home.”
“My brother is here?”
Whoosh!
As soon as I opened the door, my eldest sister greeted me warmly.
It had only been two months since I started working at the hospital, but it felt like I had returned from a long journey.
I smiled, looked around the living room, and asked,
“Where’s my brother-in-law and Yoon-a?”
“They’re home. I just stopped by for a bit to have lunch with you since you were coming.”
“You didn’t have to.”
“It’s nice to see my brother’s face after so long. Oh my, your face has become half its size!”
“My face was always small.”
“Oh, you.”
My eldest sister gently stroked my cheek.
Heehee.
It felt good to be treated like the youngest sibling again after a long time.
Just then, my second older sister approached, dressed in sweatpants.
“You haven’t shown your face for two months. Are you too good for us now?”
My second sister pinched my cheek roughly.
Ouch!
My cheeks experienced the two extremes.
My second sister was in a “weekend marriage.”
Her husband worked in Changwon, and she lived with our father, helping out at the raw fish restaurant.
It had been over a year since they got married, but they hadn’t moved out yet… or rather, couldn’t, probably because of the housing prices in Seoul.
I rubbed my sore cheek and asked,
“Where’s Dad?”
“In his room.”
I peeked into the room.
He was engrossed in something, wearing headphones and glued to the monitor.
“Dad!”
“Oh, my son is here!”
My father took off his headphones and turned around with a welcoming smile when I called out to him.
Trot music flowed from the headphones.
“What are you watching?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. Just a music video…”
“Oh, don’t even get him started. I’m worried Dad might join Hong Ga-yeon’s fan club soon.”
“Hong Ga-yeon?”
Who was Hong Ga-yeon again?
Ah, I had heard of her.
The trot goddess who became famous through an audition program.
She was known for having a massive middle-aged and older fanbase, comparable to any idol.
It seemed like my father had recently become a devoted fan.
Seeing their chance, my sisters started teasing him.
“Dad, is Hong Ga-yeon that pretty?”
“Ahem, ahem, it’s not about her looks. I just like her songs.”
“I don’t think so. I saw her on a music show the other day, and Hong Ga-yeon has a pretty good figure…”
“Oh, come on, that’s not it!”
Seeing my father bickering with my sisters made me laugh.
After being confined to the battlefield-like hospital, it felt peaceful to be with my family again.
***
We sat together and had brunch.
It was a peaceful everyday scene.
Eating.
Watching TV.
Eating fruit.
I reached out to my eldest sister, who was about to peel an apple.
“Here, let me do it.”
“No, it’s okay. What if the doctor hurts his hand?”
“Have you ever seen me hurt my hand while using a knife?”
I said with a hint of bravado.
It was a kind of pride.
I couldn’t allow anyone else to peel fruit in our house.
“Alright, let’s see your skills after a long time.”
My eldest sister smiled and handed me the apple.
Slice, slice, slice—
I peeled the apple skin thinly in one long strip with almost acrobatic speed.
Ah, satisfying.
I marveled at my own perfect skills.
Perhaps this was the vibe that came with experience.
“Wow.”
“Our youngest still has the magic touch!”
My family’s amazed compliments made me feel proud.
I couldn’t wait for the day when I could fully utilize these hand skills in the medical field.
As an intern, the tasks I could perform were still very limited.
‘Just you wait until I get my hands on a scalpel in the operating room. I’ll show you what I can do!’
As I was indulging in self-admiration, my second sister nudged my thigh with her foot.
“Hey, isn’t that your hospital?”
She said, pointing at the TV with her other foot.
Oh, it was.
A familiar scene was playing on the screen.
Why was our hospital on the news?