Legend (2)
The next morning.
Choi Ki-seok, who was off, slowly visited the ward. Then, he walked around the hallway and examined the patient with the eyes of Hippocrates.
At least it seemed like there wouldn’t be any trouble in the ward today.
“good morning.”
Larry, who I met across the hallway, waved.
“Good morning. There wasn’t much to talk about during the morning meeting, right?”
“I guess there was nothing. Except for one minor problem.”
“Minor trouble?”
“Chief Lucas and Manager Matthew got into a heated argument. Usually, when there is a conflict of opinion, Manager Lucas laughs it off. But today was different. He rushed at me with lights in his eyes.”
“….”
“Because of that, the staff completely turned around. Manager Lucas changed.”
“It’s a good change.”
Choi Ki-seok nodded slightly.
I felt rewarded for mentioning political power yesterday.
Doctors who are patient-centered. You too can become poisonous!
“Anyway, you are still the same. How have you been able to go to work without missing a single thing during your off time? Are you a human?”
“Yes, I am human. I am neither a robot nor an alien.”
Larry burst out laughing at his playful answer.
“By the way, did you introduce Professor Pullman during today’s meeting?”
Choi Ki-seok changed the topic.
“How do you know that when you’re offline? I’m a professor of spinal neurosurgery starting today.”
“I first saw you in Director Lucas’ office yesterday. Where are you now?”
“Perhaps you are going to clean up the treatment room at the spinal neurosurgery outpatient department? I am seeing the outpatient treatment starting tomorrow.”
“Thank you. Good luck.”
After breaking up with Larry, Choi Ki-seok visited the neurosurgery outpatient clinic on the second floor.
Along the long hallway, brain tumor clinics, cerebrovascular clinics, epilepsy clinics, and pediatric neurosurgery clinics were lined up.
There is an overflow of patients waiting in each department.
Rather than the neurosurgery department having an unusually large number of patients, Mayjo Clinic is essentially overflowing with patients.
Even if you make a reservation in advance, it often takes more than a month to see a doctor.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
When I knocked, I heard a voice telling me to come in.
“Hello, Professor. My name is Ki-seok Choi, who I greeted you yesterday.”
“Welcome, Mr. Choi. By the way, what happened this morning?”
“I had some work to do abroad, so I stopped by.”
After a short greeting, there was a long silence.
Choi Ki-seok looked at Pullman’s eyes and his lips twitched.
I came to talk about his disease, but I couldn’t get my mouth shut. Looking at your calm appearance so far, it seems like you didn’t go to the emergency room yesterday…
“Mr. Choi. If you have something to say, please speak comfortably without hesitation.”
“Um… Professor. I was wondering if you saw a cough and cold clinic yesterday.”
“I have a cold…”
A bitter smile appeared on Pullman’s lips.
He lowered his head and placed his hand on his forehead.
Amid the heavy silence, the two did not open their mouths even once.
As if the person who opens their mouth first loses.
“Ugh… speaking of the emergency room, I had a very scary experience yesterday.”
Pullman barely opened his mouth.
“Mr. Choi. They said I have severe lung cancer. It’s also stage 4 lung cancer. Can you believe it?”
“….”
“Fucking! That’s ridiculous. I have lung cancer. Why on earth!”
Pullman let out the anger he had been holding in.
In fact, yesterday I went to the emergency room with a light heart, thinking I could take some cough medicine. However, the emergency room resident was reluctant to just prescribe medication and suggested only x-rays and blood tests.
Although Pullman was annoyed, he accepted it.
The problem occurred there.
As a result of the X-ray examination, abnormalities were found in the lungs.
A pulmonology resident read the X-ray and was diagnosed with lung cancer.
This is absolutely absurd.
Because my cough and cold suddenly developed into lung cancer.
In the subsequent CT scan, Pullman was eventually diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.
Meanwhile, Choi Ki-seok calmly listened to Pullman’s complaints.
Yesterday, with the eyes of Hippocrates, I knew in advance that he had lung cancer…
Lung cancer is a silent killer.
Even if lung cancer has progressed significantly, symptoms may not appear at all.
There is no established method to detect lung cancer early.
“I don’t know what to say to the professor.”
“Tell me it’s a dream, Mr. Choi. Tell me this situation I’m in is all a dream.”
Pullman gave him an earnest look, and Choi Ki-seok could not bear to make eye contact with him.
This is Pullman, who came to the hospital with big dreams.
However, before I could even start work, I was sentenced to death with stage 4 lung cancer.
How can I put into words that horror?
“Have you told Manager Lucas?”
“No. I can’t tell the manager something I can’t accept right now. I originally didn’t plan on telling Mr. Choi, but I suddenly got emotional…” “Of course you will. I understand how you feel, professor.
”
“You understand? Me?”
Pullman shot a sharp look.
It almost makes me think that if a person could be killed with a look, it would probably be the look they have now.
“I’m sorry, Professor. That’s not what I meant…”
“No, I’m sorry. I became sensitive after finding out it was lung cancer…” The
two people apologized to each other at the same time.
“Has there been any comment from the respiratory department?”
“They said I need to be hospitalized right away. They need to do a biopsy and come up with a treatment plan.”
“…”
“But I didn’t come to this hospital to get treatment. I came to this hospital to test out a newly developed spinal surgery. But being hospitalized…” Pullman’s shoulders slumped
.
“What do you think Mr. Choi would do if it were me?”
“….”
Choi Ki-seok could not easily answer his question.
Because I knew that no matter what answer I gave, it couldn’t heal Pullman’s wounds.
“If I were to dare say this… I think you should first tell the people around you that you have lung cancer, even if it hurts your heart.”
“To my wife and my daughter and the hospital staff? Oh my God.”
Pullman shook his head as if he didn’t want to even imagine it.
“You can’t just hide lung cancer. I think it would be better to have the courage to tell your friends and prepare for the future.”
“…In reality, that might be true. But I… I… still don’t feel it.”
“….”
“Mr. Choi. Thank you for listening to my story, but now I want to be alone.”
“I understand, Professor. I won’t tell anyone what you said today.”
Choi Ki-seok left the treatment room with a heavy heart.
How would you feel if you were diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer?
It was difficult to even imagine.
After leaving the clinic, I immediately went to the neurology outpatient clinic.
Among the waiting patients, I saw some familiar faces. These are Kim Doo-jin and Lim Jin-hee, whom I met at a restaurant yesterday.
“hello teacher.”
“hello.”
Choi Ki-seok stood in front of the two people while exchanging greetings.
“I spoke to the administration team yesterday and applied for a reduction in medical expenses. You will be able to receive the benefits starting from today’s treatment.”
“Thank you. If it weren’t for Dr. Choi, I wouldn’t have even dared to think of seeking treatment at Meijo.”
“Wouldn’t it be such a waste if a child like Dujin couldn’t develop his talent? It’s only natural to help him.”
His gaze suddenly became fixed on Kim Doo-jin.
“Dujin. When your brother gets married later, you will have to play the piano for him. Understood?”
“Yes. I promise. Absolutely!”
Kim Doo-jin held out his little finger with a smile, and Choi Ki-seok linked his finger.
After a while, the two people who finished the treatment came out into the hallway.
His expression looked brighter than before.
“What did the teacher say?”
“I was told that surgery was not necessary because it was still in the early stages. They suggested that I take medicine, apply hot compresses, and receive physical therapy twice a week.”
“They say it’s good to stretch out your hands and massage them often.”
Kim Doo-jin added a word to Lim Jin-hee’s words.
“That’s good. So have you heard about the recovery period?”
“They said it would take at least two weeks and at most a month. They said you shouldn’t overdo it in the meantime.”
“That’s right, Dujin. Take this opportunity to get some rest.”
“I don’t want to. But I’m going to practice.”
Kim Doo-jin stuck out his lips sharply.
“Are you still going to do that even after listening to what the doctor says?”
“All you have to do is not move your hands. I can play the piano with my imagination. It’s not much different from actually playing it.”
Choi Ki-seok burst into laughter at Kim Doo-jin’s words.
The genius pianist was different no matter what.
“Let’s go store it. I’ll help you.”
“Phew… I’m nervous for no reason.”
Choi Ki-seok left the outpatient clinic with the two people and helped them pay the medical bills.
The amount has been reduced considerably due to employee benefits.
“Oh my! I didn’t know there would be such a big discount.”
“I told you, right? I’ll make it as light as possible for you.”
“If I had known this would happen, I would have come a long time ago.”
A smile appeared on Jinhee Lim’s lips.
“Hey Dujin. Can I ask you a favor?”
While walking through the first floor hall while chatting, Choi Ki-seok’s steps stopped.
“What is it?”
“I know you’re in therapy, but could you play that piano over there just for a little while?”
“great!”
Kim Doo-jin ran towards the piano like lightning. Then, after adjusting the chair and sitting down, he placed his hands on the keyboard.
Even though it was a simple action, I had expectations that he would show me something.
Dudududududu.
The performance began.
Kim Doo-jin danced on the piano like a fish in water. The fingers flowed as if oil had been applied to the keyboard, and the entire body shook violently following the melody being played.
It is as if one has become one with the music.
The tone flowing from the piano seemed harsh and tense at first.
My heart felt tight the whole time I listened to the melody.
However, as time passed, the tension eased and a warm and cozy performance continued.
Isn’t this what it feels like to look at the blue sky on a sunny spring day?
Choi Ki-seok opened his mouth without realizing it. My body and mind were taken away by Kim Doo-jin’s performance. Amid the
lively
music, people in the hall gathered near the piano one by one.
Soon, people started shaking their bodies to the music.
His playing had a magic that did not make the listener sit still.
match. match. match. match. When the
performance
ended, the audience applauded and whistled.
“It’s embarrassing to have it done in a hospital.”
Kim Doo-jin stuck out his tongue next to him.
The charisma he showed while playing was gone and he returned with a mischievous appearance.
“Dujin is really cool, isn’t he? “I didn’t know you could play this well.”
“Hehe. Really?”
Kim Doo-jin scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed expression at his praise.
While Choi Ki-seok was talking with Kim Doo-jin, a wheelchair approached.
That person was none other than Carter.
He was admitted to the neurosurgery department after a car accident and then returned to the neurology department. He is a famous pianist undergoing rehabilitation treatment.
The reason Choi Ki-seok went out of his way to ask him to play
was to introduce Kim Doo-jin to Carter.
“Is this the friend that Dr. Choi mentioned?”
“Yes. “I am Dujin Kim, the youngest person in Asia to enter Berklee College of Music.”
“Heh heh. I’ve met a lot of youngjaes in the meantime, but this is my first time with a friend like this. Doo-jin.”
Carter’s gaze was fixed on Kim Doo-jin.
“Was the song you just wrote your own?”
