“Mmm…Mmm..”
Although she was already unconscious, the patient still cried out in pain. Dowook was startled as he was removing his hand from the patient’s neck. A bumpy feeling.
This is a scar.
He opened his phone’s camera and pointed it behind the patient’s neck. Snap. He took pictures continuously. Then he checked them.
“Ms. Secretary, this patient has signs that display she had cervical spine surgery in the past.”
“What do you mean?”
“It might be due to her past medical history. You must ask about it once, can you contact her family right now?”
“O…ok.”
The patient’s body rolled once again. Anyone in the buzzing crowd could tell there was a big problem by looking at her shaking limbs.
Fainting, convulsion, neural abnormality, headache.
Dowook recalled the training for diagnosis and treatment he’d undertaken in the past 4 years as a neurosurgeon.
‘She’s experiencing pain due to an increase in the intracranial pressure. Let’s try to fix that first.’
Dowook looked around and gave an order to the person wearing a manager’s uniform.
“Please bring as much ice as you can. The first-aid kit as well.”
“The first-aid kit is here!”
The nurse stationed at the hotel who had quickly run over when she’d heard of the patient’s situation placed a box marked with a red cross beside him. It was a relief that 5-star hotels were so thoroughly prepared.
“Does that box contain mannitol by any chance?”
“There’s only anesthetics ….”
“Then please hang up a saline solution.”
Dowook took out the respirator and put the mask over the patient’s mouth. He then squeezed the ambu bag and forced air into her lungs. The kitchen staff who’d heard the news came out and handed bags of ice over to Dowook.
“Here’s the ice.”
“I need some help. We need to lower the patient’s temperature. Please slowly rub the ice on her arms and legs so we don’t stress her heart.”
About a minute passed in that manner. Once the increased intracranial pressure that suddenly appeared was relieved, the signs the patient was in pain also slowly went away.
“Phew”
Dowook, who finally felt reassured, looked around and realized that his blind date had disappeared.
‘I guess that’s how it is.’
He had been so focused on giving emergency treatment, he had forgotten to ask her to wait. But even so, he had no thoughts on going after her. While he’d been interested in getting a supercar, he had no interest in her at all.
“…..Hmmmm.”
The unconscious woman slowly returned to consciousness.
Although his blind date was finished, his work as a doctor was still ongoing. Dowook tried to calm the patient down in a low voice.
“The ambulance will be here soon. Even though the ice is cold, please try not to move around too much.”
“……The …..”
“You have to keep calm.”
She suddenly focused her sight on Dowook.
Clear dark pupils that one wouldn’t believe in belonged to the person who’d just lost consciousness as she scanned Dowook. He felt a chill for some reason.
“…..Jisi…..”
Seeing as she kept trying to say something, Dowook had no choice but to remove the respirator and place his ear near her.
“What is it? Are you in pain anywhere?”
Word by word, whenever she said something, Dowook’s eyes became bigger. When the secretary saw this, she came closer.
“What is the director saying?”
“That’s ….”
In front of the many eyes locked on him, Dowook scratched his chin and said.
“Is there a beverage section chief here?”
The cafe’s general manager who had been watching fretfully was surprised at being called and stepped forward.
“Me?”
“She said you’re fired. On the charges of corruption.”
The general manager was startled.
“She said you should also return the ₩40,000,000 that you’ve embezzled.”
“Th-that’s ridiculous! There must have been a mistake!”
Tap tap.
Dowook turned to listen to the patient once more when he felt her weakly tapping his hand. Then, he conveyed the next message.
“If you were going to manipulate the accounts, you should have done so not only of the hotel’s but also of the five beverage companies you’ve received rebate from and the 12 subcontractors as well. Numbers don’t make mistakes like humans. That’s the advice she gives.”
Once he realized that there was clear evidence, the general manager’s face changed color.
Tap, tap.
“And from the day you started embezzling to today, the interest rate of ₩5,000,000 will be retroactively…. Oh, tell him the exact number? You have to pay ₩5,479,330 more if you don’t want her to sue you.”
The general manager’s jaw dropped at how accurately she had estimated the figure. The cafe workers who suddenly heard of their manager’s corruption could only look at the situation in confusion.
‘Can something like this happen in this kind of situation? She probably has a terrible migraine right now.’
To faint due to increased intracranial pressure, her migraine must be putting her through unimaginable pain. How could she keep such a clear consciousness when she wasn’t even able to move her arms properly? Somehow you could feel how dignified the patient was.
Dowook placed the back of his hand to the patient’s forehead.
“It’s finished now right? Your fever is back so you need to relax.”
Dowook placed the respirator back on when she nodded.
Looking at the general manager who was about to cry and Dowook who was lost in thought, she closed her eyes in comfort.
Wee woo wee woo
The ambulance stopped in front of the emergency center.
Dowook, who had been continuously squeezing the ambu bag, was shocked to see the person waiting when the doors of the ambulance opened.
“Mr. Vice Dean?”
The hospital’s second-in-command whose face you might only see maybe once a year unexpectedly showed his dignified personage.
“Are you the one who performed the rescue? Your name is…?”
“It’s Park Dowook.”
“Right, Dr. Park. You’ve worked hard.”
There was someone who ran over like lightning to stand beside the vice dean's side and move the cart.
“Chief?”
The grey-haired and sleek person was the neurosurgery department’s Ha Sang Joong. He was also the person with the highest authority in Dowook’s department.
‘…… What on earth?’
“What are you doing? Aren’t you getting off?”
“We are!”
Behind the ambulance, he could also see the professor and nurses who were responsible for the VIP ward.
‘What a grand welcome party!’
Although knowing there would be people waiting, he still couldn’t help himself from being shocked.
“Welcome, Director. We will take utmost care of you.”
The patient was quickly moved to the VIP ward with the help of skillful medical personnel.
After making sure that the cart was gone, the vice dean turned his sight to Dowook.
“How did you do the first-aid treatment, Dr. Park?”
The question made his back stiff. Even Chief Ha was showing interest and turned to look at him. Dowook calmed his beating heart and recalled everything that happened at the hotel.
“…. and so I focused on reducing the pain from the increased intracranial pressure.”
The vice dean who had heard of the response process slowly nodded his head.
“Hmm. Right. Even I, probably couldn’t have done more in that situation. You did a great job of trying to lower her temperature.”
Hearing the positive reaction, Dowook secretly sighed in relief.
“Chief Ha.”
“Yes, Mr. Vice Dean.”
“You have a good student. I’m looking forward to the future of the neurosurgery department.”
“You praise me too much.”
The vice dean patted Chief Ha on the shoulder and disappeared into the hospital.
Chief Ha, who had been staring at the vice dean while bowing, suddenly stood up straight. Then he smiled with his eyes.
“Did you hear? He said I have a good student.”
Chief Ha showed his pleasure by elbowing Dowook’s side. Dowook relaxed and smiled like Chief Ha.
“Who do you think I learned it from? Do you think it would be too arrogant to say that doing this much is basic if you work with chief Ha?”
“This guy. You’re amazing for being able to learn all of that.”
“It’s because you taught me well.”
“You’re the one who learned well.”
The two kept praising each other happily for another 3 seconds.
Dowook stared at the direction the vice dean had disappeared into and asked.
“I called the emergency department directly, so how come the vice dean arrived in person?”
“The VIP’s diagnosis chart was probably processed. I was also pretty surprised since they suddenly told me to head out.”
While loosening his tight necktie, Chief Ha suddenly tilted his head.
“Just a sec. Weren’t you in the middle of a blind date? Right? What happened?”
Since Chief Ha was the one who’d introduced his blind date, Dowook spoke carefully.
“The thing is. I don’t think we have anything in common…..”
“Hey, you!”
The angry scolding came right away.
“I found you a woman who could bring light to your weary life and what?!”
Dowook bowed his head at the loud scolding.
“The situation also wasn’t all that great.”
“This b*stard. I forcefully created that position for you by mentioning that you were the best in the neurosurgery department and you return holding another woman’s hand?”
“At least I was holding something.”
“Joking? This b*stard!”
Chief Ha made Dowook cower by acting as if he would hit him and sent Dowook a complicated look.
“That’s right. Never mind the blind date, just focus on meeting patients. I don’t care anymore.”
“I’ll try to find a nice young lady.”
“It’s your last year of residency. Where would you get the time?”
“How can you ask me that? Chief, you’re the one responsible for making the schedule.”
“This guy, aren’t you asking for too much?”
Chief Ha’s phone rang. After checking the name, he made a gesture telling Dowook to keep quiet.
“Yes, Mr. Vice Dean.”
-Come to my office once the CT results are out. This patient is very important so you take care of her personally. Think of it as doing me a favor.
After ending the call, Chief Ha stood still.
“Take care of the patient personally?”
Chief Ha who had suddenly received a call from the vice dean and had to come to work on a precious Saturday now realized that he couldn’t even leave work early and his expression became dark.
Dowook saw the dark expression and instinctively took a few steps back.
“Chief, you don’t have to care about me anymore today. I’m not on shift so I’ll ….”
“Stop right there.”
A bleak cry. Chief Ha turned his head with a tight expression.
“If I can’t leave, you can’t leave either. We’re all part of the neurosurgery department.”
“Sir, you also know that I was on duty for three continuous days so I could get time off for my blind date.”
“Hey! I can’t even remember what my daughter looks like! Run over right now and check the result of the CT scan!”
The day he’d refused a shiny new Ferrari.
He only gained an angry scolding and more work.
Whatever. He’d chosen this path a long time ago.
Dowook looked up at the hospital.
The sign saying ‘Myeong Sae University Affiliated Hospital’ looked particularly high up today.
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