The miracle you hope for (2)
That afternoon.
After finishing lunch, Jang Hyuk-pil took Ji Seok-hoon down to the cafe on the first floor.
As I drank the warm coffee, thoughts of the tetralogy of Fallot surgery I had done in the morning flashed through my mind.
It was a surgery with many dangerous moments.
I think this was the first time this year that I felt this nervous during surgery.
“Professor. Why am I telling you this…” “
…”
“Aren’t you looking at this guy too much, Ki-seok? He’s an intern at best.”
There were thorns in Ji Seok-hoon’s words.
“How about being an intern? As long as you do a good job, that’s it.”
“The professor seems to like it, but he’s a soft-spoken guy who got his license less than a year ago. Wouldn’t it be better to leave most work to Joo-hyuk?”
“Joo-hyuk doesn’t have a small bowl.”
Hyukpil Jang shook his head.
Even though he suggested a heart massage, Minjoo-hyuk said he was afraid and backed out. He may be able to avoid responsibility if a problem arises, but he is the type of person who is not helpful when it really matters.
Doctors are also a type of gamer.
To overcome illness, you must also know how to be bold.
In that respect, Jang Hyuk-pil valued Choi Ki-seok more highly than Min-joo Hyuk.
“But isn’t a guy like Ki-seok the type of person to catch people? I think sooner or later he’ll start poking around and get into big trouble…”
“Don’t make things happen that don’t exist.”
Jang Hyuk-pil’s voice contained power.
“And seeing you belittle Kiseok earlier, why is it suspicious?”
“yes?”
“Is Joo-hyuk in your line? Are you already trying to take care of him?”
“Well… it’s not like that.”
Ji Seok-hoon vehemently denied it, and Jang Hyuk-pil did not inquire further.
Because Ji Seok-hoon’s attitude alone was already a sufficient answer.
As the silence continued, Jang Hyuk-pil took another sip of coffee.
The uneasy feeling did not go away.
As it happened, on a day when the surgery was a complete mess, an old man ended up attending.
This may cause a setback in his plan to completely control the heart part.
Jiiiing.
My cell phone, which I had placed in my gown, trembled.
The moment I checked the number, I frowned without realizing it.
“Yes. Nothing special happened and I was just resting for a bit. I’ll go up right away.”
“Are you the manager?”
“Uh, go up first.”
Hyukpil Jang nodded and headed to the cardiothoracic surgery department.
My steps were particularly heavy today.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
When I knocked and went in, Jo Ji-hwan raised his hand and pretended to know.
“Sit there.”
“yes.”
Jo Ji-hwan and Jang Hyuk-pil sat on the sofa and faced each other.
Rather than a comfortable and friendly atmosphere, it is an atmosphere of exploring others. The two were silent for a while.
“I found out later that you were coming to observe the surgery. If I had known you would be coming, I would have paid more attention.”
Hyukpil Jang opened his mouth first.
“One of the seminars was canceled.”
Jo Ji-hwan spoke calmly, and Jang Hyuk-pil straightened his back.
If you see an opportunity from the fox-like old man, you will be immediately attacked.
You must always be alert.
“Anyway, today’s surgery was a bit bad. Everyone watching made me nervous.
“I have no shame.”
“Are you not confident about pediatric heart surgery?”
Jo Ji-hwan asked directly.
“No. I just wasn’t feeling well today. I can do better next time.”
“Hmm…”
Jo Ji-hwan rubbed his chin with an expression of disapproval at Jang Hyuk-pil’s answer.
“Professor Jang, what do you think is the problem with our thoracic surgery department?”
Jo Ji-hwan’s question. It spread softly.
For a moment, I wondered what the purpose of asking such a question was. My head ached.
“Why?” No answer? There must have been something you felt during your life there.”
Under Jo Ji-hwan’s pressure, Jang Hyuk-pil carefully organized what he wanted to say.
“I don’t think there are any problems in our department. Since we have a manager, what problem could there be in our department? Aren’t there only good things left to do in the future?”
“That’s a 50-point answer,”
Jo Ji-hwan continued.
“I’m relieved that Professor Song is leaving, but you know very well that we have to fill the void.” ”
Yes. That’s right.”
“So, I’m planning to reorganize the heart clinic soon.”
“Reorganization?”
Jo Ji-hwan nodded slightly in response to Jang Hyuk-pil’s question.
His plan was none other than to brand special surgery.
Surgery that is not often performed at other hospitals. The goal is to specialize in thoracic surgery at Uijin University.
“Which can you do better, Batista or Saber?”
Batista surgery and Saber surgery are surgeries that can be chosen as an alternative to heart transplant, and are surgeries to shrink and reshape the dysfunctional left ventricle. .
“I’m confident in both of them.”
“Still, take your time and think about it. This will be the first plan attempted under my name.”
Jo Ji-hwan smiled with satisfaction at Jang Hyuk-pil’s answer.
“Ah. And I didn’t say that. If Professor Song goes, the position of associate professor will be empty.”
“Yes.”
Jang Hyuk-pil swallowed dryly as he answered.
Deep down, he was hoping that Jo Ji-hwan would promote him, who was an assistant professor, to associate professor. Originally, it was not long after he joined Uijin University. It’s not easy to move up in rank again.
But with Jo Ji-hwan’s influence, nothing is impossible.
“I plan to leave the position vacant for now.”
“Huh? But that would mess up the surgery schedule.”
“Just leaving it vacant doesn’t mean they won’t hire someone.”
Jang Hyuk-pil’s face crumpled at Jo Ji-hwan’s words.
He intuitively knew that Jo Ji-hwan had a plan.
The old fox Are they trying to play some kind of prank again?
“I’m thinking of bringing Professor Il-soo
Kwon to the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Jejong University.” Il-soo Kwon is one of the authorities in the pediatric cardiology department in Korea. He
has successfully performed numerous high-level surgeries and is recognized by Hyuk-pil Jang both internally and externally. “ What
that means is….”
“It means that the position of associate professor will be left vacant, but two people will be used as joint assistant professors. The associate professor position should be given to the person who showed better results through friendly competition. What do you think?”
“As expected, you have the insight of a manager.”
Jang Hyuk-pil smiled softly.
“Thank you for understanding. “I completely trust Professor Jang, but if I blindly push him, I might face backlash.”
“It’s okay. I will prove the rest with my skills.”
“Then go now.”
“I heard your good words.”
Jang Hyuk-pil said hello and left the manager’s office.
Boom! As
the door closed, his well-worn business smile disappeared.
He He stared at the door of the manager’s office and left.
* * *
That evening.
Ki-seok Choi finished his work day and visited the neonatal intensive care unit.
The place where his steps stopped was Lee Joo-hee’s bed.
Lee Joo-hee was in a deep sleep with a patient monitoring device attached to him. I was lost.
His gaze looking down at Lee Joo-hee was soft and warm.
I was grateful that the child survived the difficult surgery and lived safely.
‘I’m glad.’
Examined with the eyes of Hippocrates, the condition was good.
I thought that the ventricular fibrillation that occurred after the surgery was probably a side effect of the heart-lung machine stopping.
Choi Ki-seok looked down at Lee Joo-hee for a long time.
Just looking at the child sleeping soundly was heartbreaking. I feel like I am being healed.
“Teacher. Thank you.”
As I was leaving the intensive care unit, Jihee Kim approached me and spoke to me.
“Thanks to the doctor, the surgery was completed safely.”
“The attending doctor did the entire surgery. I only helped a little.” ”
But… the nurse said that the intern cured the seizure that occurred before the surgery.” ”
It wasn’t a big deal.”
Choi Ki-seok scratched the back of his head with a sheepish expression. .
As the two people were talking, the staff member from the administrative department whom they had seen a while ago reappeared. He
was holding a hospital receipt in his hand, as always.
“Hello.”
“Ah. Yes.”
“Guardian. It may be difficult, but you must make the interim payment within this month. Otherwise, it will be difficult for us too.”
“We will try our best.”
Kim Ji-hee received the receipt with a dejected look
on her face. Since the surgery fee was added and there were quite a few non-covered items that arose, the hospitalization fee jumped up.
Kim Ji-hee’s face flashed in an instant. A dark cloud formed.
“There’s no need for you to be sullen, teacher.”
Kim Ji-hee smiled as she looked at Choi Ki-seok.
“This is my responsibility.”
“That’s true, but….”
“Anyway, thank you very much. What’s really strange is that I think of this every time I see the teacher. Thanks to you, Joo-hee and I are getting through our hospital stay well.” After
Ji-hee Kim finished speaking, she walked away quickly.
Ki-seok Choi knew very well that she left to hold back her tears.
So, he couldn’t bear to catch her. I couldn’t do it.
The surgery was over, but mother and daughter didn’t have a bright future waiting for them.
They didn’t know when heart disease would strike again.
Not only that, raising a child by Ji-hee Kim alone would be no different from war. There was
a way to help the two . It would be nice to have it.
Choi Ki-seok returned to the thoracic surgery ward without being able to erase his bitterness.
After drinking coffee to calm his mind, he started studying with the English book he bought yesterday.
Pure English study, not medical study.
Preparing for the college entrance exam. I feel like I’m back in high school.
Grrrr.
The door opened and Song Myeong-jin came into the conference room. But Choi Ki-seok was so busy studying English that he didn’t notice that Song Myeong-jin had come in.
‘He’s really amazing.’
Song Myeong-jin held out his tongue as he looked at Choi Ki-seok.
In the past, even he could not study as passionately as Choi Ki-seok.
Even after finishing his daily work perfectly, he studied for papers, practiced housework, and even studied English…
How can he handle a schedule like this ? This is impossible for any doctor.
If Choi Ki-seok keeps up this pace, he will soon catch up.
Provoked by his student, Song Myeong-jin quietly left the position.
How much time had passed?
Choi Ki-seok took off his earphones and stretched out coolly. I turned it on.
My whole body felt tired.
Suddenly, I noticed that my physical strength was 5, two levels lower than before studying. It was funny that my physical strength was lower when studying English than when assisting in surgery or providing treatment. He was cleaning up the conference room
. Then I called Jeong Seol-hwa.
“Did you sleep well?”
[Yes, I just woke up.]
Jeong Seol-hwa had half an afternoon off today. So, as soon as my shift was over, I fell asleep soundly.
“The weather is nice. Should we take a walk outside?”
[Good.]
Jeong Seol-hwa answered in a bright voice.
Ki-seok Choi hung up the phone and left the ward.
But the moment I arrived at the park near the dormitory, my footsteps stopped.
Jeong Seol-hwa was arguing with Nam Kang-jun.
“I’m sorry, but I have nothing to say.”
“I said it would only take a moment.”
The moment Nam Kang-jun roughly grabbed Jeong Seol-hwa’s wrist, a fireball rose up in his chest.
Choi Ki-seok approached with great strides, shook off Nam Kang-jun’s arm and blocked Jeong Seol-hwa’s path.
At this, Nam Kang-Jun frowned deeply.
As the two people’s gazes clashed tightly, an atmosphere was created as if fists were going to be exchanged.
“Don’t interrupt. I just want to talk to Seolhwa.”
“They say they don’t like folktales.”
“So why are you joining in? How much do you know about the folktale?”
“At least I know more than you.”
“Don’t you know that Seolhwa and I are high school classmates?”
Nam Kang-Jun snorted.
“That doesn’t really matter. I’m dating Seolhwa right now.”
Nam Kang-joon was shocked by Choi Ki-seok’s bombshell statement.
Even Jeong Seol-hwa couldn’t say anything and just blinked.
“Is the snowflake real?”
Jeong Seol-hwa nodded in response to Nam Kang-jun’s question.
Nam Kang-Jun lowered his head helplessly. Then he left without saying anything.
“What happened?”
“That’s it…”
Jeong Seol-hwa explained the situation.
On my way out to see Choi Ki-seok, I met Nam Kang-jun at the park.
However, it is said that Nam Kang-jun persisted and insisted on talking.
“But will it be okay? If Kangjun spreads the news that we’re dating…”
“Maybe that’ll make me feel better.”
“why?”
“If word gets out, other male doctors won’t care about you.”
Jeong Seol-hwa’s cheeks turned red at Choi Ki-seok’s answer.
“That’s cool. Our Kiseok.”
“Do you know that now?”
“Let’s go there instead of walking. I want to be alone without worrying about other people.”
“okay.”
Choi Ki-seok headed to the hideout with Jeong Seol-hwa. Then we lay side by side on the sofa and listened to the radio.
These days, listening to the radio together like this is the greatest happiness.
“There will be a fall special outdoor concert next month. I hope many listeners will participate.”
DJ’s words suddenly hit me in the head.
I don’t know if it will work, but I came up with a way to help Lee Joo-hee.
Choi Ki-seok jumped up and picked up his cell phone.
“Why all of a sudden?”
“There is such a thing.”
He kissed Jeong Seol-hwa’s forehead and connected the phone.
