Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Aftermath (3)
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Meanwhile, in the trauma ICU.
Trauma Surgery Professor Kang Hyun-jun stood by the patient's bedside, reviewing the post-op CT scans.
"Jun-hyuk."
He called over the fellow standing next to him, Lee Jun-hyuk.
"Yes, Professor."
"That packing they did in the ER? It's a work of art. Perfectly blocked blood flow to the splenic main artery while minimizing damage to surrounding organs. Made our surgery a hell of a lot easier. Probably shaved off at least thirty minutes."
Lee Jun-hyuk could only manage an awkward smile at Professor Kang's praise.
"But you know."
The professor set down the tablet and stroked his chin.
"Is there supposed to be a professor that young in Emergency Medicine? First time I've seen the face. Skills were the best I've ever seen in an EM doc, hands down. Though the attitude left a bit to be desired."
He recalled the mysterious doctor he'd met in the ER.
Too young for a professor, and far too rude to even consider a fellow.
But those hand skills and that judgment? Better than any EM physician he knew.
"Huh?"
Lee Jun-hyuk blinked.
"Oh. The packing..."
"Yeah. The doc who pulled off that insane stunt in the ER. Who the hell is he?"
Lee Jun-hyuk hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth very carefully.
"Well... I asked the nurses, and..."
"And?"
"They're saying he's an EM R1?"
"What?"
His eyes widened to a size he'd never known in his life.
"What did you say? R... what?"
"First-year resident. Emergency Medicine."
"What? Come on, man, that doesn't make any sense."
Professor Kang let out a near-hysterical laugh.
Lately, Jun-hyuk's pranks had been getting out of hand.
"I double-checked with them three times because I couldn't believe my ears. Han Hyun-jae. The first-year who started this year."
"..."
Professor Kang was speechless.
A first-year. Fresh out of internship, barely taking his first steps as a real doctor.
And this guy had led a complex damage control surgery?
In the chaos of the ER resuscitation bay, no less?
"...Is he insane?"
Pure shock burst from his lips.
"A first-year leading the procedure? In the resus bay? Come on, that's not even remotely reasonable. What were the senior docs doing? There was a fellow there, and a fourth-year too, right? They just stood around watching?"
"Well..."
Lee Jun-hyuk continued with a troubled expression.
"They said there wasn't even time to stop him."
"...Jesus."
Professor Kang looked up at the ceiling in disbelief.
This wouldn't even happen in a medical drama.
"If that's true, what the hell do we do about it?"
The professor pressed his temples, his head spinning.
One mad genius had ignored every rule and procedure to save the patient.
Was this something to praise? Or did the whole hospital need to crack down to restore discipline, making an example of him?
After a long silence, Professor Kang posed the most practical question.
"So, is that guy gonna get disciplined or what?"
***
East Wing, 14th floor, Education and Training Department conference room.
Several people sat across the table.
Most prominently, at the center was Oh Man-seok, Professor of Neurosurgery and head of the Education and Training Department. To his right sat Lee Chul-young, Professor of Gastroenterology, representing Internal Medicine. And to his left, our department director Park Woong, head bowed so low he couldn't even look my way.
My palms were slick with sweat.
The incident report—barely completed with "help" from God's Scalpel—was in the committee members' hands.
Would the superhuman focus and image training bullshit actually fly?
Professor Oh adjusted his thick glasses, looked up from the documents, and fixed his gaze on me.
"Alright, we'll now convene the 34th Education and Training Committee meeting."
His voice cut through the heavy air in the room.
"The agenda is the disciplinary matter regarding Emergency Medicine first-year resident Han Hyun-jae's performance of an emergency laparotomy in the ER. Respondent Han Hyun-jae, are you present?"
"...Yes."
My throat was parched, voice cracking as it came out.
"Hey, no need to be so tense."
Professor Oh suddenly flashed a gentle smile.
"This isn't a formal disciplinary committee. It's just an advisory body to discuss whether Resident Han's actions can be tolerated as part of the training process and to relay our opinions. If we deem it a major infraction, it goes to the actual disciplinary committee then. We don't decide anything ourselves. So relax and just tell it like it is. The facts, nothing but."
Professor Oh tapped my incident report with his finger.
"I read the report. Very detailed and logical. Well-written. But papers only tell so much. That's why we're here today."
He leaned forward.
"Resident Han Hyun-jae. Straight to the point: Why did you make a unilateral decision to incise the patient's abdomen in the ER resuscitation bay without consulting or receiving orders from a senior physician? Were you unaware of the potential consequences of your actions?"
All eyes turned to me.
I began reciting the answer I'd simulated dozens of times with God's Scalpel.
If I faltered here, it was over.
"Before I answer, I must state clearly that I violated hospital regulations and procedures, and there is no excuse for that."
I bowed my head first.
Old-school types eat this up.
"But if you'll allow me the chance to explain the circumstances that left me no choice, I would be grateful."
Professor Oh nodded. Go on.
"The patient arrived in ATLS Class IV shock. Systolic BP down to the 50s, pulse over 140. It meant his body could no longer tolerate further blood loss—he was on the brink."
I stripped out all emotion, listing only the medical facts.
"We tried every means to raise his blood pressure. But there was no improvement. Signs pointed to massive intra-abdominal hemorrhage—like pouring water into a bucket with a hole. He was losing blood faster than we could replace it with fluids and transfusions."
The room's atmosphere shifted subtly.
"In my judgment, he had about five minutes left. Metabolic acidosis, hypothermia, coagulopathy were already setting in. Without intervention, cardiac arrest was inevitable, unresponsive to any measures."
I paused for breath.
"Follow regulations and wait for certain death? Or break them and bet everything on a slim chance of survival? I chose the latter."
"So you picked up the scalpel?"
Professor Lee Chul-young interjected from the side.
"Why did you decide that was the only option? You're not a surgeon. What made a first-year EM resident think he could make that call?"
I recalled what God's Scalpel had told me.
"I judged it as emergency damage control, not formal surgery. Not to treat or cure, but the only way to buy a few minutes until he could reach the OR."
I recited verbatim the concept God's Scalpel had taught me last night.
"I didn't remove the spleen or anastomose vessels. Just packed the ruptured spleen to temporarily staunch the bleeding and buy the minimal time needed for the OR."
Heavy silence fell over the room as I finished.
"Reports say your technical skill far exceeded a first-year's level. Performed every step perfectly, without hesitation. How do you explain that?"
Professor Oh's pointed question.
Here it comes.
I decided to trot out the most brazen, absurd excuse I'd prepped with God's Scalpel last night.
"Driven by sheer desperation to save the patient, I drew on countless mental image trainings and in-hospital simulations I'd run in my head, unleashing superhuman focus I didn't even know I had."
At my response, both Professor Oh and Professor Lee flashed the same look: *Is this punk messing with us?*
But they couldn't counter it.
No other explanation fit.
"My actions were clear overreach, absolutely unacceptable for a resident in training. But if thrust back into that moment, I'd make the same choice. Because I was taught no regulation supersedes a patient's life."
I finished and bowed deeply.
"I'll take full responsibility for the consequences."
The only sound in the room was the awkward tick of the clock.
Professor Oh's gaze turned to my face.
"Damn... Resident Han, you know how unbelievable this is, right? Where the hell did you practice that technique... Ah, forget it. You probably didn't practice illegally anywhere."
Professor Oh sighed.
"...Before we conclude, step out and wait."
"Yes, sir."
I rose from the creaky chair, head bowed like a criminal.
As I stepped into the empty hallway and the heavy door thudded shut behind me, I slumped against the wall and slid to the floor.
My legs gave out.
It was over.
I'd done everything I could.
Now, all that remained was waiting for the judgment from the old guard beyond that door.
I opened the blue window in my mind. I had to vent this shitty feeling somewhere.
> Title: At the training committee and it feels like I'm totally screwed lol...
> Author: HellJoseonSlave1
As soon as my self-deprecating post went up, comments poured in like they'd been waiting.
> God's Scalpel: Did you answer like we prepped?
> └ HellJoseonSlave1: Yeah, thanks to you. Spelled out logically why I'm a lunatic. Of course, it's on you to take responsibility.
God's Scalpel's next reply was shockingly meek to my sarcasm.
> └ God's Scalpel: Anyway, sorry. Sorry, so please let me possess you from now on too... I even posted that groveling meme yesterday.
I smirked at the comment.
Looks like my extreme measure in the gallery yesterday—"No possession if you trash my social cred"—had worked wonders.
I still chuckled thinking about it.
After finishing the incident report, I'd issued a gallery decree.
*''If today's mess tanks my medical career, your real-life peeking ends too. Want to borrow my body again? At least pretend to have basic social skills. No more half-assed insults to my seniors or professors, or possession skill permanently banned that day. Got it?''*
My threat had crushed the arrogant God's Scalpel's pride.
He'd posted a crude stick-figure meme—somewhere-sourced image of it groveling with text ''I'll never act antisocial again, please just let me do surgeries...''—and begged pathetically.
The unyielding obsession to wield a scalpel even in death had broken his ego.
*Yeah, if only you'd done this sooner.*
Now other ghosts started crawling out one by one to check on me.
> LatteIsJustWords: So how was the vibe? Old farts' faces super sour?
> Anonymous (118.235): Don't get fired plz. If you do, we'll be so bored we'll die again.
> BoneFan88: Beautiful!! Bone marrow slide collection!!
Yeah, we're all in the same boat now.
If I sink here, their one source of entertainment goes down with me.