A Blow of Conversion (4)
“At this time, I will reveal the official opinion of the neurosurgery department regarding the brain death of Patient Fried.”
Matthew paused before continuing.
“It is undeniable that Freed suffered trauma during his confrontation with the police, but that was just one of the dominoes falling.”
“Are you saying that trauma is not the main cause of brain death?”
“That’s right.”
Matthew nodded and answered the reporter’s question.
“The patient had undergone surgery at our hospital for a cerebral arteriovenous malformation a year ago. In other words, it can be said that he had an incurable disease. At first glance, in this case, it appears that the patient suffered brain death due to trauma, but that is not the case.”
“….”
“Brain death is caused by an underlying disease.”
After Matthew’s presentation, reporters kept flashing their lights.
Some raised their hands to ask questions.
“Tell me about the reporter there.”
“This is Reporter Carlo from KCC. The manager claimed that the cause of brain death was disease. In other words, it seems to mean that this incident cannot be blamed on the police. Is that correct?”
“The answer is half right and half wrong.”
Matthew continued.
“It is clear that the police mistook Freed for a wanted criminal and that Freed was injured in the process. So what I mean is that the police’s share of responsibility is not as great as it seems. Do you have any other questions?”
“What do you think of the guardian’s claim that this incident was caused by harsh suppression of a black man?”
“I can’t answer that question. It’s not up to the doctor to judge.”
He led the interview with his medical knowledge and skillful answers.
In addition, there was a subtle nuance that it seemed as if the guardians were trying to hold the police back.
‘This bastard. really.’
Ki-seok Choi glared at Matthew on the monitor and clenched his fists.
I wanted to give that shameless snout a stinging blow.
Freed’s doctor is himself.
But what authority does Matthew have to hold an official interview? And that’s with the facts distorted 180 degrees.
“Mr. Choi. Is what Manager Matthew said true?”
“That can’t be possible. The manager did it on his own.”
Choi Ki-seok answered Henry’s question with a bright red face.
“This interview will have a huge impact. If the general public hears it, they will think that there is a problem with the guardians and patients as well.”
“There’s going to be another storm.”
While Henri and Austin were talking, Ki-Seok Choi rested his chin and was lost in thought.
You need to suppress your emotions for a while.
The interview has already been broadcast live and will have an impact on many people.
Rather than simply being angry, it was more important to come up with a solution.
As I was thinking about it, a question crossed my mind.
Why on earth did Matthew suddenly make a statement about Freed’s patient?
In fact, there was absolutely no reason for him to care about Freed.
Strictly speaking, Freed was not a brain tumor surgery patient, and he had not done anything that could harm Matthew.
‘Maybe…’
Choi Ki-seok came up with a hypothesis.
Who would benefit the most if Matthew makes such an official statement?
Clearly, there was a high probability that he was acquainted with the beneficiary or had some kind of transaction with him.
“I wake up first.”
The place Choi Ki-seok visited after leaving the lounge was the surgical intensive care unit.
“Sir… teacher. Uh… what happened?”
Freed’s wife, Jane, found him and came running towards him.
“I just saw the news. A neurosurgery professor came out and said that my husband was brain dead due to his illness.”
“I’m on my way to see it too.”
“Bad person. Treating us like this…”
Jane was trembling and slurred her words, and Choi Ki-seok read something hidden there.
“Have you ever seen Manager Matthew?”
“Oh yes. It was just two days ago. He said he was a professor of neurosurgery and asked me various things about my husband. Then he asked me if I was interested in getting surgery.”
“Surgery?”
“Yes. Dr. Choi said that my husband didn’t need additional surgery. So I asked if the surgery was pointless and the professor said he knew and just left.”
Choi Ki-seok rubbed his forehead at Jane’s words.
After listening to the official statement today, I could see that Matthew’s work was progressing step by step.
In situations where surgery is not of great significance, surgery is recommended to guardians.
If the guardian refuses to do so, the child is treated as a soldier rather than a traumatized person for refusing treatment.
Matthew took these aspects into consideration before starting his work.
Choi Ki-seok also suffered an unexpected blow because he didn’t know that Matthew, who had nothing to do with this incident, would come forward.
“Doctor Choi. What should we do now? If we find out that my husband is brain dead due to his illness, I will be so heartbroken that I will die. If you are Dr. Choi, who watched my husband from beginning to end, you would know.”
“Of course, I fully understand the injustice suffered by patients and their guardians.”
Choi Ki-seok gently held Jane’s hands.
“Trust me. I will never let anything that upsets you two happen. And I won’t leave the neurosurgery professor who put you two to shame.”
“Please, sir.”
Choi Ki-seok stabilized Jane, who was crying, and entered the intensive care unit.
Freed, the center of the incident, was lying in an isolation room wearing a respirator.
Ki-Seok Choi used the Eye of Hippocrates and called a circulatory specialist and a nephrologist.
During brain death, ischemic renal failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome occurred again.
After the treatment was over, Choi Ki-seok sighed as he left the intensive care unit.
Matthew and Freed’s condition continue to worsen. And even the police.
Nothing is over yet.
* * *
The next morning.
The meeting ended, but none of the staff members got up.
Lucas and Matthew were engaged in a bloody war of nerves.
“Matthew, do you have any sense? Or do you not? By what authority do you have to make an official statement?”
“I don’t think there’s any reason not to, right? I’m also the head of neurosurgery.”
“Your specialty is brain tumors, and the patient suffers from cerebrovascular disease. This is a clear overreach!”
“Then I have to do things right so that I don’t get involved. Does it make sense to neglect an issue that has attracted people’s attention?”
Matthew accepted Lucas’ argument.
“Sounds like an idiot… A doctor’s job is to treat, not play the media.”
“It is undeniable that we care about our department’s external image.”
“Does siding with the police mean that they care about the image of neurosurgery?”
Lucas gritted his teeth and continued.
“If you show up like this one more time, I won’t be silent.”
“I’m so scared I feel like I’m going to pee. I need to go to the bathroom at least.”
Matthew left the conference room first. Then there was a suffocating silence in the conference room.
Lucas looks like he’s going to explode if someone touches him.
Upon seeing him, the staff could not easily come forward.
“Let the rounds begin.”
The rounds began with Lucas standing up first.
Except for Matthew.
After the breathtaking rounds, Ki-Seok Choi visited the respiratory department.
Pullman was leaning against the back of his bed, reading a book.
He looks so peaceful that it’s hard to believe he has stage 4 lung cancer.
There was no trace of the anxious and hysterical appearance he had shown before.
“Hello Professor.”
“Ah Mr. Choi. Good morning.”
Pullman smiled and said hello.
“You must be busy with neurosurgery, but aren’t you coming here too often? I feel sorry for you if you do this.”
“There is plenty of time to visit the professor. Have you come up with a treatment plan?”
“I decided yesterday.”
Pullman paused, then continued.
“I plan to be discharged next week and go to a hospice hospital. In the current situation, there is no point in receiving chemotherapy or surgery.”
“I see.”
“From what I heard, neurosurgery isn’t all that crazy these days? They say they’re noisy with brain-dead patients and even conjoined twins have come in.”
“That’s right. Thanks to you, I’m having a hectic day.”
A bitter smile appeared on Choi Ki-seok’s lips.
“But I think Mr. Choi will be able to overcome it well. Although we only met for a short time, I feel like Mr. Choi has a special ability that no one else has.”
“….”
“That’s courage. I think Mr. Choi does things without hesitation that others would hesitate to do. That’s probably why Mr. Choi is able to surpass other classmates.”
“That’s too much praise.”
“Anyway, don’t lose your current courage. Then Mr. Choi will be able to become a greater doctor.”
“Yes. I will keep that in mind.”
Choi Ki-seok nodded and changed the topic.
“This is the essay transcription you asked me to do. I worked on it until this morning and finished almost half of it. Would you like me to send you the part I worked on first? Or would you like me to complete it all and send it to you all at once?”
“Huh? You finished half of it in that time?”
Pullman’s eyes widened.
“I’m good at almost anything I do with my hands. Would you like to take a look?”
Choi Ki-seok started impromptu juggling with the fans placed on the table.
Four fans formed a circle in his hands.
The skills I had when I won the prize at Uijin University have not died yet.
“Hahaha. This is true. I’m starting to get confused as to whether Mr. Choi is a sergeant, a clown, or a stenographer.”
Pullman laughed and joked.
“Thank you for your hard work. I hope you get at least some of the work you have done so far.”
“Yes. I will send it to you every day.”
Ki-Seok Choi finished his conversation with Pullman and left the hospital room.
The next place he visited was the hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery department.
As I entered the single room at the end of the hallway, I saw a familiar face.
Jeong Jin-myeong was still asleep, and Jeong Seol-hwa was staring at him blankly.
“It’s a snowflake.”
“Kiseok. Are you here?”
“How is your father?”
“I think you’re okay. You seem a little excited after receiving treatment yesterday.”
“thank god.”
Choi Ki-seok stood next to Jeong Seol-hwa and placed his hand on her shoulder.
Since Smith gave them hope that pancreatic cancer could be completely cured, the emotional burden on Jeong Jin-myeong and Jeong Seol-hwa would have been greatly reduced.
“I think your father will wake up. Let’s go out and talk.”
“huh.”
The two people left the hospital room and stood side by side by the window in the hallway.
“Did you eat breakfast?”
“I ate with my dad earlier. I heard the patient’s food was much more delicious than Uijindae’s?”
“It’ll be okay for a few days, right? But after that, you’ll start thinking about kimchi and red pepper paste.”
“Well, it feels a little bit weird.”
“I’ll cook you some ramen for dinner later. I got some from a Korean restaurant.”
Choi Ki-seok continued his conversation with Jeong Seol-hwa.
There was nothing special about it, but I was happy to be able to be with her like this at Mayjo Clinic.
“I’ll just leave.”
“Okay. I’m working hard. See you later.”
“I love you today too.”
When Choi Ki-seok kissed Jeong Seol-hwa’s cheek, her face turned bright red.
“huh. “Me too.”
After breaking up with Jeong Seol-hwa, I went to the operating room.
Although I had free time in the morning for a long time, surgery practice on conjoined twin models was scheduled.
Jeeeeee.
I felt a sudden vibration in my gown.
The moment I took out my call phone and checked the number, I saw his face. This hardened.
It was a call to the surgical intensive care unit.
