Chapter 92
Chapter 92
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Spring Conference (3)
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It was Friday before I knew it.
The digital clock on the station wall blinked indifferently.
[12:41 PM]
Yeah, this morning was truly the best.
It was so bizarrely peaceful that I wondered if this was really the emergency room.
My mental state was strangely serene.
Normally, by this time, I'd be battered from facing the first wave of the day shift.
There were multiple reasons for it.
First off, there weren't many emergency patients, and the walk-ins all clearly described their symptoms, so I could handle everything cleanly without unnecessary guesses or tests.
On top of that, not a single jerk in sight!
That was the key.
No Dr. Googles, no VIP boomers.
What a blissful morning.
The god of the ER must have taken pity on me.
And to top off this perfect morning perfectly...
“Grr...”
A satisfied fullness rose from my stomach, and I let out an involuntary sigh of contentment.
Lunch today was osam bulgogi.
There are a few GOAT dishes at the cafeteria.
The sole salvation and joy in life for us jaded hospital docs.
Those brilliant friends that perfectly blend salty, sweet, and spicy flavors.
Like spicy pork stir-fry, the occasional special of insane-quality noodle dish, or osam bulgogi that only shows up on days blessed by the gods, like today.
Heh heh.
Chewy squid soaked in spicy, salty marinade paired with tender pork.
The perfect combo made to steal bites of your white rice.
As my belly warmed and my blood sugar rose, the world started looking beautiful.
This is life.
The walk back to the ER after eating was pure bliss.
I was humming a tune without realizing it.
Just endure the afternoon shift, and it's quittin' time.
Nothing's gonna happen today.
Why?
Because I ate a damn good lunch.
“I'm back!”
I returned to the station, still humming.
“Yeah, I'll head out too!”
Choi Soo-min, the fourth-year chief who was handing over charts at the station, stood up just in time.
Clap!
Our palms met with a crisp smack.
We'd just done a sticky camaraderie-filled high-five baton pass.
I sat down with the face of the happiest second-year resident in the world.
Yeah, may this peace continue into the afternoon.
Alright, back to hell...
Nah, heaven today.
I brewed a fresh cup of instant coffee and took a sip.
But the god of the ER wasn't entirely merciful.
The peace lasted about five seconds.
Riiing-
The station phone rang.
It wasn't the 119 ambulance line or the all-staff hotline, but a phone ringing in this serene moment was never welcome.
Our ER veteran, Nurse Jeong, picked up the receiver from where she sat closest.
“Yes, Emergency Medicine. Yes. Yes.”
Nurse Jeong's gaze swept the air before locking onto me precisely.
She looked at me with an odd expression.
Her eyes were a 50-50 mix of “What trouble did you cause now?” and “What's this fresh new craziness?”
“Dr. Han Hyun-jae.”
“Ah, yes! Nurse Jeong! What's up?”
I shot up reflexively, flashing my professional second-year resident smile.
“Take the call. It's Trauma Surgery outpatient.”
At her words, the happiness I'd filled up with osam bulgogi drained away like the tide.
‘...Ah!’
It finally hit me.
A fragment of memory buried in the rotten corner of my brain.
A few days ago, when I met Professor Cheon Eun-jeong about the conference presentation.
“Professor Kang asked if you have time for that patient's next outpatient visit...?”
“He said he wants to show you how that guy's been living.”
‘Today was Friday. That guy's outpatient day.’
I cursed my memory.
The shock from the presentation thing was so huge that this absurd follow-up promise had evaporated somewhere in my brain.
Professor Cheon's words to me were real.
Well, no reason for a professor to lie anyway.
But still, I figured she wouldn't actually call me?
She did.
A busy Trauma Surgery professor summoning a second-year scrub like me.
I grabbed the phone quick.
Cold sweat beaded on my palms.
K-slave mode, ON.
“Emergency Medicine second-year, Han Hyun-jae speaking.”
[Hey, yeah! Han! You know who I am, right?]
That booming, charisma-packed voice came through the receiver—one I couldn't forget even if I tried.
Last year, the day of the emergency laparotomy that shook my entire doctor life.
Professor Kang Hyun-jun of Trauma Surgery, who descended into the blood-soaked resuscitation room.
[It's Kang Hyun-jun from Trauma Surgery, who finished the packing you did on that rebar patient last year!]
‘The packing wasn't me, it was the Black Flame Dragon inside me... no, God's Scalpel.’
I couldn't say that out loud.
“Yes, Professor! Of course! How have you been? I've heard so much about you.”
[Anyway, you heard from the EM prof?]
“Yes, yes. Professor Cheon Eun-jeong passed it along.”
[The patient's here now. If you're done with lunch, come on up?]
“Yes, Professor! Should I head up right now?”
Damn it.
My instant coffee.
I just brewed it.
[Come to the Surgical Outpatient Center now. Third floor of the main building. Trauma Surgery's in the far corner, FYI!]
“Yes, Professor! I'll be right up!”
Click.
I hung up.
“Haa...”
I flashed Nurse Jeong the world's saddest smile.
“I gotta step out for a bit. Trauma Surgery outpatient called me...”
“Huh? Trauma Surgery outpatient? What's that about? Go ahead.”
And so I started walking toward the main building.
Should've just gone up after lunch.
No need to stuff myself with osam bulgogi, get all happy, and brew coffee to lounge around.
‘But why do I keep crossing paths with Trauma Surgery?’
First year: emergency laparotomy with Professor Kang Hyun-jun.
Second year hits, and REBOA procedure with Professor Jeon Tae-jeong.
Am I some trauma magnet?
Or is that crazy ghost bastard sniffing out blood?
Honestly, I was curious too.
That patient who flipped my hospital life upside down that day.
Wonder how the guy whose belly God's Scalpel sliced open turned out.
Of course he's alive if he's at outpatient.
Ding.
The elevator stopped at the third floor.
The outpatient center was a different kind of madhouse from the ER.
Reserved patients and guardians lined up, waiting their turn.
I followed the signs down the hall to the end.
[General Surgery]
Not it.
[Colorectal Surgery]
Nope.
[Trauma Surgery]
Found it.
Before I could even open my mouth, the nurse at the desk spotted the [Emergency Medicine Han Hyun-jae] name tag on my gown and smiled brightly.
“You're Dr. Han Hyun-jae, right?”
‘Word's spread here already? How'd she know? Does my face say “second-year slave summoned by the professor today”?’
“Yes! I'm Han Hyun-jae...”
“The professor's waiting inside. Patient's in there too, so go on in.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
I swallowed dryly.
With heavy steps, I stood before door of Exam Room 1.
‘Whew.’
Deep breath.
It's fine.
I didn't do anything wrong.
Knock knock.
I gave a perfunctory knock.
“Yes, come in!”
Professor Kang Hyun-jun's booming voice came from beyond the door.
Whoosh-
I swallowed again and turned the knob.
The exam room was the polar opposite of the ER's brutal vibe.
Warm sunlight streamed through the window, and the air was quiet.
Professor Kang Hyun-jun of Trauma Surgery sat at the desk.
Not in scrubs, but a neat button-up shirt.
It felt strangely unfamiliar.
And in the patient chair opposite him...
‘...He's alive.’
A man sat there.
The patient from that day, spilling blood everywhere.
He looked a bit pale, but he was sitting upright on his own two feet, perfectly fine.
Beside the patient, a young woman in her twenties supported him with a worried face.
Daughter, probably.
Professor Kang saw me and gestured with a gentle smile instead of his usual hearty laugh.
“You're here. Han.”
He introduced me to the patient and guardian.
“Ah, say hi. This is Dr. Han Hyun-jae from Emergency Medicine, who handled the initial treatment for Mr. Kang Young-sik.”
I cranked my inner K-slave instinct to max and bowed a full 90 degrees, nearly folding at the waist.
“Ah, hello, patient! Guardian! Good to see you, Professor!”
“Yeah, yeah, come sit here. Han.”
Professor Kang nodded toward the auxiliary chair beside him.
I shuffled over awkwardly and sat.
I felt the patient and guardian's eyes focus on me.
Especially Mr. Kang Young-sik's gaze—it was intense.
Staring right through me.
‘He remembers. That look.’
Cold sweat trickled down my back as I forced a smile.
“Is it true?”
The patient finally spoke.
His voice rang out loud and clear.
“Pardon? What?”
“They say this young doc sliced open my gut in the ER to save me?”
“Gasp.”
I sucked in a breath.
‘Wait, hold up. Is this okay?’
I fidgeted like mad inside.
‘Am I screwed? Laying groundwork to sue? Getting testimony that I cut him open?’
I shot Professor Kang a shocked look, but he just chuckled like my reaction was hilarious.
...?
Should I make an excuse?
“Yeah, I cut you open!”
Like that?
Or...
“No! Misunderstanding! I just assisted!”
Something like that?
As I stood there brain-dead, mouth agape...
The young woman beside me—probably his daughter—suddenly clapped a hand over her mouth.
Her shoulders started trembling faintly.
‘She's crying. Starting to cry.’
I despaired.
‘Yup, lawsuit. My second-year career ends here. God's Scalpel, you bastard. My license is gone because of you...’
“Thank you.”
“...Pardon?”
I made a dumb noise.
The woman shot up from her seat and bowed 90 degrees to me.
Her face was streaked with tears.
“Really, truly... thank you... If it weren't for you, my dad... sob...”
“...Ah.”
I stared blankly.
Initial guess right.
Not lawsuit.
Gratitude.
Patient Kang Young-sik cleared his throat awkwardly and patted his daughter's shoulder.
“Hey, quit crying. Dad's alive and kicking.”
The patient looked at me again.
Even in those rough eyes, a faint sheen of moisture glistened.
“Yeah, living like this, seeing my daughter, wife, and son—it's all thanks to you, Doc. Thank you. Truly.”
Mr. Kang Young-sik tried to stand from his chair.
I reflexively moved to help, but he waved me off.
Though his face twisted like the wound tugged, he stood firm on his own two legs.
Then he bowed deeply to me.
“No, really, it's fine. You don't have to. I was just doing my job...”
I panicked, bowing even deeper in return.
I didn't do it.
I just lent my body.
This thanks belongs to that damn old ghost, God's Scalpel.
Professor Kang watched the whole scene with arms crossed and a deeply pleased expression.
That's when I finally got it.
Why Professor Kang called me here.
And why I went berserk that day.
‘To see this. Just this once.’