Never-ending challenge (6)
“If you are a relief pitcher…”
Choi Ki-seok tilted his head and trailed off.
No matter how hard I racked my brain, no one came to mind.
If you look at the teacher’s confidence, he probably isn’t an ordinary person.
“The thoracic surgery department is busy with EOB (Evaluation of Best Thoracic Surgery), right?”
Song Myung-jin changed the topic.
“There is nothing particularly busy just because there is an EOB. Patient-centeredness is the core value of MHC and we are always moving according to that. I don’t think there will be any problems if we continue as usual.”
“Mr. Choi is right.”
Song Myeong-jin nodded.
“I’m hungry, so I order a late-night snack. I haven’t eaten anything since the day, so I feel sick.”
“What should the menu be?”
“I’m most attracted to the Samgyetang that I ate at Uijin University before, but I can’t expect that from here, right?”
“Yes. I’m sad too.”
“If we have any choice, let’s eat pizza.”
Choi Ki-seok continued his conversation with his teacher over a late-night snack.
I thought it was my duty to my teacher to complete the new surgery as quickly as possible…
* * *
The next day.
After the morning meeting and rounds, Choi Ki-seok visited a hospital room.
“Hello Teacher.”
“Are you here?”
Jamie and Samuel, who suffer from Williams Syndrome, said hello at the same time.
“Good morning. Jamie, how are you feeling today?”
“It’s not good. My chest hurts and it’s hard to breathe.”
Jamie’s answer was different from usual. If it were like before, I would have laughed it off and said it was okay.
As I looked at Jamie through the eyes of Hippocrates, his condition changed to an emergency.
As the waiting period for surgery became longer, the disease worsened.
Even if he had had the surgery just two days ago, he wouldn’t have gotten to this point, but Choi Ki-seok swallowed his sadness inside.
“You know today is your surgery day, right?”
“yes.”
“Are you not scared or nervous?”
“It’s okay. I think it’ll be over after I take a nap.”
“It’s amazing. Isn’t our Jamie braver than his father?”
Samuel stroked Jamie’s head and said something.
“Dr. Choi. Today’s surgery will be uneventful, right?”
“It won’t be easy, but I’ll do my best.”
“Please take care of Jamie. I can see that he is having a lot of trouble these days. I hope he undergoes surgery quickly and makes a full recovery.”
Samuel held Choi Ki-seok’s hand, and Choi Ki-seok gently wrapped his hand with his other hand.
It’s not just Samuel and Jamie who have been waiting for this day.
Choi Ki-seok also wanted to quickly resolve the pain of the two people.
I wanted to see mother and daughter smiling brightly as soon as possible.
The next hospital room I found after talking with the mother and daughter.
This is the hospital room where Rahul, who suffers from dilated cardiomyopathy, and his parents Sanjay and Rai are located.
Rahul was sleeping soundly with his eyes closed, and the couple was praying with their hands together.
Choi Ki-seok exchanged a quick greeting with the couple and looked down at Rahul.
No one would know that this child had a heart disease just by looking at him sleeping peacefully.
“We officially registered Rahul at the transplant center yesterday.”
“Oh. Thank you. Then when can I get a heart transplant?”
“Rahul is in critical condition, so the waiting list is high… but that doesn’t mean we can find a donor in a short time. It may be difficult, but it’s better to wait calmly.”
“…Okay, but please do it as quickly as possible.”
“I only trust Dr. Choi.”
The couple’s earnest eyes weighed on my heart.
Choi Ki-seok barely added another word and left the hospital room.
“Mr. Choi. Professor Benson wants to see you. He’s in the break room now.”
As I was walking down the hallway, an intern coming from across from me waved his hand.
“I’ll be right there.”
When we arrived at the break room, Benson was having tea time with a member of Team Heartbeat.
“I’m here, Professor.”
“You guys just leave.”
With the Team Heartbeat staff leaving, only two people remained in the break room.
The heavy silence that follows.
Benson stared at Choi Ki-seok in silence.
“You know that today is Jamie’s surgery day, right?”
“Yes. I have completed my studies well, and I am confident that I will be able to help the professor well.”
“I like your answer, but.”
Benson paused before continuing.
“Let’s pretend there was no surgery today.”
His words hit me hard on the back of my head.
Choi Ki-seok was so surprised that he just opened his mouth and blinked.
What on earth does this mean, that they will cancel the surgery on the day of the surgery?
“Professor. Jamie’s condition is not very good. He must undergo surgery today.”
“I know that.”
“Then why…”
“What I’m saying is, let’s do balloon dilatation instead of surgery. In the current situation, that seems much better than surgery.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand your decision.”
Choi Ki-seok’s voice rose slightly.
“Balloon angioplasty is only possible if the pulmonary valve is narrow. However, Jamie has narrow pulmonary artery branches and the upper and lower parts of the pulmonary valve annulus. He also has cardiac hypertrophy. The only fundamental treatment is surgery.”
“….”
“Moreover, wasn’t it the professor’s will that you decided to have surgery?”
“I changed my mind.”
Benson continued speaking in a subdued tone.
“It would be better to do balloon angioplasty and wait and see how it goes.”
“Why has the direction of treatment suddenly changed?”
“As you know, EOB is in progress. If the child dies after surgery, it will have a negative impact on the hospital’s evaluation. So there was a directive from Deputy Hospital Director Parker to refrain from surgeries with a high risk of death for the time being.”
“Are you saying that hospital evaluation is more important than the patient’s life?”
“That’s it…”
Benson hesitated, avoiding Choi Ki-seok’s gaze.
“Don’t argue any further. All you need to know is that today’s surgery has been cancelled.”
“….”
“Let’s improve the patient’s progress a little with balloon dilatation and then proceed with the surgery once the EOB is over. What do you think? Are you satisfied?”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not satisfied with even a fingernail. If the professor had seen the patient in person, he would never have said this.”
“I don’t want to argue, so leave.”
“Professor! Please reconsider again.”
“Get out.”
At Benson’s firm refusal, Choi Ki-seok had no choice but to leave the break room.
Something boiled deep inside my heart like lava.
* * *
A few hours later.
Choi Ki-seok was circling around the MHC building.
The moment I saw people smoking in the smoking area, I suddenly had the urge to smoke. Wouldn’t it make you feel a little better if you inhale even the strong cigarette smoke?
“Haa…”
I sighed and leaned back on the bench.
I had just met Yasada and was on my way back.
The problem was that even Yasada could not come up with a clear solution.
It is said that Yasada called Benson and persuaded him, but Benson never listened to him.
Currently, Benson is the only place where pediatric heart surgery is possible at MHC.
It was just sad that no one could stop him if he acted boldly. The good news is that Yasada prevented Benson’s balloon dilatation surgery.
‘If possible, there is only one person…’
Choi Ki-seok thought of his teacher Song Myeong-jin and shook his head.
The teacher gave up the scalpel a year ago and has not gone out to do surgery even once since then.
It is not an ambiguous retirement, but a perfect retirement.
Moreover, I did not want to hand over the burden to my teacher who was busy with the work of the vice director.
While I was thinking about this and that, I jumped up from my seat.
There is nothing I can do now. There is only one way left.
On my way back to MHC, I ran into Jeremy in the first floor lobby.
“What’s going on here?”
“There was an emergency transfer patient. The treatment was completed, but the patient wanted to be admitted to another hospital.”
“It’s a unique case, isn’t it?”
“He said he had an acquaintance at the James Hopkins Heart Clinic.”
Jeremy shrugged.
“Wait! James Hopkins? If it’s okay, can I go?”
“It doesn’t matter. Why?”
“I have business to run there. The pulmonary artery stenosis surgery has been canceled, so it won’t be a problem if I leave.”
“Do whatever you want.”
“thank you!”
Ki-seok Choi explained the situation to Jeremy and headed to the emergency room. And while on the move, I called Wang Jin-pyeong and asked if there was a schedule for pulmonary artery stenosis surgery.
The answer is yes.
For a moment, I felt as if light enveloped my entire body.
After hanging up the call, I loaded myself into the ambulance with the patient.
About an hour passed like that.
The ambulance stopped in front of the James Hopkins Heart Clinic emergency room.
Ki-Seok Choi got out of the passenger seat and looked up at the James Hopkins building. The sophisticated design and atmosphere are not inferior to MHC at all.
‘You finally came.’
To sum up the current situation in one word, it’s like stepping into the tiger’s den.
If you don’t come to your senses, you might get bitten by the other person.
slap!
I lightly tapped my cheek and gathered my fighting spirit. Then, together with the ambulance staff, we dragged the stretcher car that the patient was lying on to the emergency room.
“Mr. Choi. Are you here?”
Wang Jin-pyeong, who was waiting, approached with joy and pushed the stretcher car.
“It’s nice to see you at James Hopkins.”
“Well, I’m not sure.”
“Hey, don’t be so cold. We haven’t seen each other for a day or two.”
We arrived at the thoracic surgery ward after talking.
While Wang Jin-pyeong was going through hospitalization procedures, Choi Ki-seok told the staff about the situation and sent him back to MHC first.
You must stay at James Hopkins for a short period of time.
I couldn’t harm other staff.
“I’m finished being hospitalized. Since I’ve already come this far, shall we talk?”
“Please.”
Choi Ki-seok and Wang Jin-pyeong sat in the lounge.
“Yesterday’s phone call ended so rudely… I guess you had some lingering feelings for James Hopkins?”
“No, not at all.”
“Then why did you send the staff away first?”
Wang Jinpyeong asked, his eyes shining.
“I have work to do here.”
“I’m not sure, but it looks like there’s a problem. Well, no matter how MHC you are, problems are bound to arise. Well, in the end, it’s all done by humans.”
“….”
“Mr. Choi. Think again. If you say that you need help from James Hopkins, it means that James Hopkins is worth it. Think seriously about changing jobs.”
“As I said yesterday, I will continue to train at MHC. No matter how much I tempt you, it is of no use.”
Wang Jin-pyeong frowned at Choi Ki-seok’s sharp refusal.
“You’re still stubborn.”
“There is good stubbornness and bad stubbornness. This is good stubbornness.”
“Oh, that’s right. I lost. I raised both hands and feet. So, my business is done now? Shall I disappear?”
“Before that, let me ask you one favor.”
“What?”
“I want to see Head Chief Clara. That’s why I came to James Hopkins.”
“Really? If that’s the case, let’s talk about it sooner. Follow me.”
Wang Jin-pyeong smiled and stood up first.
After a while, I passed through a long hallway and saw Clara’s office at the end of the hallway.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Professor. We have a guest from MHC.”
I listened to Wang Jinpyeong’s words . A voice told him to come in.
Choi Ki-seok took a deep breath and entered the tiger’s den.
