NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Intern Shin Seonhan (5)
“What?”
It was as expected.
Kim Snake’s face contorted as soon as I finished speaking.
He raised an eyebrow and said,
“I gave you some praise earlier, and now you’re trying to teach me?”
“That’s not what I…”
“An intern who dares to lecture a third-year resident? How exactly should I interpret this situation?”
“I apologize.”
I bow my head.
Yeonseo, standing next to me, looks flustered.
I glance up and see Kim Snake silently glaring at the two of us.
Damn it.
He could kill someone with that look.
I worry that I’ve dragged Yeonseo into this mess with my unnecessary meddling.
“Just because patients call you ‘doctor,’ you think you’re something special? Who told you to judge a patient’s condition on your own?”
“…”
“If you’re an intern, just do the tasks you’re given, and you’ll be halfway there! Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
I answer quietly.
I expected this, but as predicted, my words had no effect.
An uncomfortable silence lingers for a while.
Damn, I shouldn’t have said anything.
Regret washes over me.
‘Okay, let’s just quietly go back to the dormitory. It’s not like I can see the future…’
Just as I think that, Kim Snake opens his mouth.
“Your name is Shin Seonhan, right?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me more about your opinion.”
“…Yes?”
I raise my head.
This is an unexpected reaction.
“You must have some reasoning behind your concerns. Tell me why you think that, and what you think should be done.”
Kim Snake looks at me with a skeptical gaze.
“Diagnosis and treatment are basic skills for a doctor, aren’t they? Is our Dr. Shin Seonhan the type to raise an issue without any solutions?”
Kim Snake’s signature sarcastic tone follows.
“Why, are you scared of taking responsibility after speaking up? Say something, Dr. Shin. Seon. Han!”
It feels like a viper is coiling around me.
Oh well, at this point, there’s no turning back.
I lift my head and say firmly,
“I think the patient might need ECMO.”
“ECMO?”
Kim Snake scoffs.
His expression seems to say, “An intern, spouting things you’ve barely heard of.”
ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation).
An extracorporeal life support machine that replaces heart and lung function.
Simply put, it’s like connecting a machine outside the body to act as a substitute for the heart.
“I was wondering what an intern like you could possibly be thinking… Did you even see ECMO being used during your Ilun University practicals? Well, I guess it’s been on the news a lot.”
Kim Snake says mockingly.
As he said, ECMO is a widely known treatment.
In Korea, it’s famous for being the machine used to prolong the life of the chairman of a supergiant conglomerate, S Corporation.
In 2015, ECMO was also featured in the news during the MERS outbreak.
“ECMO is not a panacea. It’s a last resort used in extreme situations.”
“But shouldn’t we be prepared for any possibility?”
“What?”
“Considering the patient’s current health status and his ejection fraction of 35 percent, I believe we can’t rule out the possibility of refractory V-fib.”[mfn]a complication of cardiac arrest that occurs when ventricular fibrillation (VF) persists after multiple defibrillation attempts.[/mfn]
“Ha.”
Kim Snake laughs in disbelief.
“You think a patient who had V-fib[mfn]is a rapid, life-threatening heart rhythm starting in the heart’s lower chambers. A heart attack can trigger it.[/mfn], recovered, and is now stable will have refractory V-fib again? Is that really your opinion?”
“Yes.”
…Damn it, I went and did it.
He’s a resident with a strong ego.
What kind of reaction can I expect after acting like this as a mere intern?
One thing’s for sure, I’ve ruined any chance of getting a good evaluation in internal medicine.
Kim Snake crosses his arms and seems to ponder my words for a while.
A few seconds later, he speaks.
“…Well, it’s not entirely impossible.”
“…?”
“A doctor should have that level of judgment.”
Huh? Is this the Kim Snake I know?
I’m momentarily speechless.
While Yeonseo and I are bewildered, Kim Snake picks up his pager and makes a call.
“Dongseop, is that you? You’re on duty today, right?”
He explains the situation.
“It’s nothing much, but our intern here has given us a very valuable opinion. Just in case, he wants us to have the thoracic surgery department prepare for ECMO.”
He puts a strong emphasis on the word “intern.”
My face flushes red as I hear him openly mock me to my face.
After finishing the call, Kim Snake says,
“I’ve explained the situation to the thoracic surgery department, and we’ve decided to move the patient to the ICU for now.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. It was our intern’s suggestion, so we should listen carefully. And our intern will take responsibility too, won’t he?”
Kim Snake smirks and pats my shoulder.
He can’t say anything nicely until the very end.
But…
‘He’s scolding me less than I expected.’
I steal a glance at Kim Snake’s expression.
He doesn’t seem as angry as I anticipated.
Perhaps he’s just twisted, but maybe he’s not that malicious after all.
***
Short for Intensive Care Unit.
This place has more equipment than a general ward, making it easier to respond to various situations.
Unlike general wards, there are also many critically ill patients here.
Therefore, the tension in this place is the highest in the entire hospital.
After the patient is transferred, Kim Snake says,
“Are you satisfied now?”
“Yes.”
“You arrogant little jerk. I’ve never seen an intern like you before.”
“I apologize.”
“I’ll remember your name. Shin Seonhan.”
Kim Snake continues to sneer and scold me before leaving.
Finally able to breathe freely, Yeonseo sighs and says,
“Oppa, you’re really bold, huh?”
“Why?”
“I’ve never seen an intern look our seniors in the eye and talk back to them, especially not to one of the three biggest villains.”
“Villains?”
This is the first time I’m hearing this.
It’s not like they’re villains from a superhero movie.
Listening to Yeonseo, it seems there are people with notorious reputations within the hospital.
Apparently, Kim Snake has been known for being harsh to his juniors since his university days.
As someone who didn’t attend Yeonguk University, this is all new to me.
“But it was kind of cool.”
“What was cool about it?”
“You answered the questions well during the test earlier. And you confidently voiced your opinion as a doctor.”
Yeonseo grins.
Well, I guess so.
I don’t know what came over me, but now that I’ve done it, I feel relieved.
“Let’s go now.”
“Let’s stay a little longer.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll observe the patient a bit longer.”
Yeonseo’s eyes widen.
Her expression seems to ask why I’m so worried.
What should I say? That I’m concerned because I saw this patient in my dream?
If I said that, they’d think I’m crazy.
Anyway, I still haven’t resolved the lingering doubts in my mind.
“Excuse me, would it be alright if I stay a little longer?”
“Go ahead.”
After getting permission from the ICU attending physician and nurses, I pull up a chair and sit down.
Yeonseo also reluctantly prepares a chair for herself.
“Why are you staying?”
“I feel uneasy leaving while you’re still here.”
“Go back and get some sleep.”
“No way. I’m a doctor too. I need to see how my patient is doing until the end! Don’t you agree, Dr. Shin. Seon. Han?”
Mimicking Kim Snake’s tone and gestures, Yeonseo stands her ground.
She’s quite stubborn too.
I say nothing and turn my attention back to the patient.
***
Beep, beep.
The rhythmic beat of the heart monitor continues.
Time is now past 3:00 AM.
My mind is tangled like a ball of yarn.
An ominous feeling keeps creeping in.
I can’t be sure of anything until I see it with my own eyes.
‘If the dream is accurate…’
Patient Kim Jeongsu’s second Code Blue will happen soon.
But no matter how long I wait, there’s no sign of it.
Was I just worrying over nothing?
Of course.
Precognitive abilities can’t possibly exist, right?
And even if they do, there’s no way I would suddenly develop them.
‘This is a ridiculous delusion.’
As I’m thinking these thoughts…
Thud!
Yeonseo crashes into my shoulder, her forehead colliding with mine.
…Ouch.
She has a pretty hard head.
I was so tense, and this unexpected situation completely throws me off.
Yeonseo hurriedly wipes her lips and says awkwardly,
“Did I doze off?”
“Yeah.”
“…I didn’t drool, did I?”
“No drool, but I think you might have broken my shoulder blade.”
“Oh my gosh, don’t tease me when I’m already embarrassed.”
Yeonseo glares at me.
I chuckle and get up from the chair.
“Tired? Let’s go back and get some sleep.”
“But you said you were going to observe the patient longer.”
“It’s okay now. I think I’ve seen enough. It seems like I was just worried over noth…”
Just as I say that to Yeonseo…
Beeeeeep—
“V-fib!”
The nurse shouts urgently.
I look at the clock, stunned as if struck by lightning.
It’s almost the same time as in my dream!
“CPR!”
Soon, the Code Blue announcement echoes through the ICU once again.
Without a moment to think, I spring into action.
“Yeonseo, you take the ambu bag!”
“Got it!”
I tear off my gown and climb on top of the patient.
Damn, so the dream was true after all?
How should I make sense of this?
My mind is reeling, but my body doesn’t have time to hesitate.
One, two, three!
I press down on his chest with all my might.
Thump, thump!
Just then, the ICU resident on duty rushes in.
“What’s going on!”
“V-fib!”
“Damn it… Switch!”
Kim Snake, who has reappeared, climbs on top of the patient, his face pale, switching places with me.
One, two, three!
The ICU quickly descends into chaos.
Interns take turns climbing on top of the patient, and the familiar phrases echo through the room.
“Squeeze the ambu bag!”
“Turn the O2 to full!”
“Interns, get your act together!”
Damn it…
I’ve seen this scene somewhere before.
It’s not much different from the scene in my dream.
“Interns, stop compressions for a moment!”
“Checking the rhythm, still V-fib. 200 joules charge!”
“Shock!”
Bang!
An electric shock is delivered to the patient’s chest.
But the situation is desperate.
The heart rhythm doesn’t return to normal, and there’s no sign of improvement.
The patient’s face is visibly turning ashen.
This isn’t good.
Everything is exactly the same.
If this continues, he’ll die.
In the end, nothing will change from what I saw in my dream.
Is this truly the limit?
Could I not change the future with my own power?
I grit my teeth in frustration.
Just then, a loud voice booms from somewhere.
“Make way!”
Thump, thump, thump!
I turn my head and see several doctors rushing in, pulling a large machine.
The only people who can save the patient in this desperate situation.
The thoracic surgeons.
—————
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