Chapter 13: Emergency Room

Description

It had already been quite some time since Kim Cheolsu came down to Hampyeong. More than a week had passed since he administered the injection to Go, a player of the Tigers Baseball Team, and now it was July 1st, 2001.

The summer was in full swing. It was truly hot.

Cicada… cicada!! Cicada!!!

Woken by the noisy cicadas in the morning, Kim Cheolsu took out some potatoes from a sack that still had half left after a week of eating them, put them in water, and boiled them thoroughly.

Then, he dipped them generously in the salt he had gotten from the Village Chief and ate them.

It felt as if they melted softly in his mouth—a delightful taste from the very morning. The crisp and crumbly texture inside was very pleasant, though the only downside was that it was hard to eat the hot potatoes in such heat… But Kim Cheolsu endured the heat by drinking sweet sikhye with floating ice cubes.

The dog with a half-cast was also clearly bothered by the heat, lying on its back on the porch, tongue out and panting drowsily.

Cheolsu smiled as he petted the dog’s head and said,

“Ah… this is nice. The sikhye is sweet. But you’re still crying here, huh?”

Everything else was great, but the sound of cicadas remained just as loud.

Still, was it less noisy than Seoul? Kim Cheolsu wasn’t sure. He quickly peeled the remaining potato skins and popped them into his mouth.

After washing it down with sikhye to cool his throat, he hurried to get ready for work.

After roughly washing his face, he put on his military uniform and stepped outside.

The first thing he saw was the village elders working in the rice fields… Surely, the rice had darkened in color and grown taller compared to when he first saw it.

“Really fresh. This is exactly why you should live in the countryside. If I were still in Seoul, I’d never see a sight like this. I like it!”

Feeling healed from the morning scenery, Kim Cheolsu passed by the rice field where the Village Chief was working.

“Village Chief. What are you doing? Draining water from the rice paddy?”

“In about a month, the first ears will form… so before that, we drain enough water to dry the bottom of the paddy to prevent ‘empty ears’—the ears that don’t develop. Also, draining water fully like this supplies air to the soil, making the roots healthier. We call this ‘mid-season drainage.’”

“Wow—filling the paddies with water is hard enough, but draining it all must be tough too. Still, I’m sure you’ll be able to harvest soon, so keep it up. I’d love to help, but I’m on my way to work, sorry.”

“What summer doesn’t belong to a farmer? I treat these rice plants like my own children. You take care too. Are there many patients these days?”

“It’s the heatwave season, so there are soldiers coming in with heatstroke, but nothing special. Actually, since it’s so hot, the army has cut back training, so fewer patients.”

“That’s a relief. Well, keep up the hard work. Come back for dinner tonight.”

“I have ER duty today, so I’ll have dinner at the hospital. But thanks for the invitation, Village Chief.”

“Oh? The military really has a lot on their plate. Alright, take care.”

“Yes, Village Chief. You too—make sure to drink plenty of cool water and take breaks if you feel hot, so you don’t get heat-related illness like last time. Got it?”

“Got it. Hurry up! You’ll be late.”

During the treatment of Go, the Tigers Baseball Team player, Kim Cheolsu had grown closer to the Village Chief. Unless something special came up, they ate together every day.

At first, Cheolsu hadn’t realized it, but the village wouldn’t run without the Village Chief.

Everyone was grateful to the Chief, who took the initiative to solve all the difficult and arduous tasks.

As Kim Cheolsu gradually learned more about Maol’s circumstances, he came to think of the Village Chief as someone close.

Shortly after, Kim Cheolsu greeted the familiar sentries at the guard post and went up to the orthopedic ward on the 4th floor.

There, Lieutenant Shin Seyoung was waiting for him and greeted him with a bright smile.

“Major! You’re here? Good morning. Salute! Have you eaten breakfast?”

“Salute. Lieutenant Shin, did you eat breakfast?”

“Yes. I had toast this morning.”

As Kim Cheolsu began treating patients in orthopedics and managing the ward, Shin Seyoung’s position became delicate.

She had originally been a nurse officer in general surgery but now took on the same duties in orthopedics.

Kim Cheolsu felt a bit sorry, as if he was piling too much work on her, but Shin Seyoung looked happier, as if feeling a sense of mission to treat more patients.

Having a comrade who shared the same mindset was always encouraging.

Kim Cheolsu spoke to her in a much more familiar tone than before.

“Patient Joo Kyungsik, hospitalized with an ankle cyst—he’s having surgery today, right? Let me see the chart.”

“Yes! Here it is! Captain Son Woohyun will be the surgeon, and the surgery is scheduled for 10 a.m. today. They’ll be moving him to the operating table soon.”

“Looking at the chart… there’s nothing concerning, and the surgery should go smoothly. Hmm… but…”

Even though there was no problem, Kim Cheolsu honestly felt worried.

No matter how simple the surgery, surgery is surgery. Having spent a long time in operating rooms himself, he understood the weight of it well.

He was aptly described as being anxious and overly cautious. He trusted Captain Son Woohyun but knew that nothing could go wrong, not even by chance.

Shin Seyoung reassured him.

“Don’t worry too much. Captain Son Woohyun completed his orthopedic specialization before joining. Since this is a routine surgery, there’s no problem at all.”

“… Shouldn’t we change the surgeon now? Ask Department Head Jang, or maybe I should step in…”

Kim Cheolsu spoke anxiously, but Shin Seyoung shook her head, telling him not to worry.

“Department Head Jang’s schedule is already full today. And Major, you’re not experienced with orthopedic surgeries. Captain Son’s success rate is higher.”

Of course, her words were partly true, but Kim Cheolsu was confident with such a simple surgery.

Still, he couldn’t tell Son Woohyun that he didn’t trust him, as they had become close colleagues.

Feeling stuck, Kim Cheolsu’s heart grew heavy, but in the end, Shin Seyoung was right.

He nodded in agreement.

“I guess I overreacted because it’s a friend’s surgery. Captain Son will definitely succeed. But Shin Lieutenant, call me if anything happens during surgery. I’ll be on standby with my pager.”

“Yes! Understood. Don’t worry. I’ll assist in the surgery as part of the team and will call you if there’s any issue. Then, just like on the first day, you’ll rush over and save the patient, right?”

“Of course. Though I have morning rounds, I won’t let go of my pager. Please take good care of Joo Kyungsik.”

“Yes!”

After that, he went down to the general surgery ward on the 3rd floor.

Kim Cheolsu did rounds alone, checking on the patients lying in their beds, asking about their condition today, and prescribing oral medicine.

Then, he stopped in front of the bed where Hong Jino was lying.

“Jino, how are you feeling today?”

“Good! The chemotherapy seems to be working well. I feel fine and I’m not in pain.”

Sadly, the bright smile on Hong Jino’s face was a lie. The harsh side effects of chemotherapy were already causing his hair to fall out.

Both his body and spirit were probably in their hardest state, but he was considerate not to burden Kim Cheolsu.

Kim Cheolsu fought back the swelling tears in his eyes and approached, placing his hand on Jino’s shoulder.

Compared to when he first got admitted, he was noticeably thinner. Was it the side effects of chemotherapy? His heart ached.

Tears threatened to fall for the misfortune of this young man.

Sniff!

Kim Cheolsu wiped his nose, steadying his emotions, and spoke to encourage him.

“The jaundice has improved a lot, so we’ll schedule surgery within this month. We’re almost there, so just hang in there a little longer. Okay?”

“Yes! Doctor! Don’t be too burdened. I’m really fine. Even if the surgery goes wrong… it’ll be okay. Really. My mom would be a little sad, but I’m really fine. So please don’t cry, Doctor. I want to cry too.”

Kim Cheolsu suddenly realized tears were streaming down his own cheeks. His vision blurred with moisture.

He blew his nose loudly with a handkerchief and wiped his tears.

Feeling ashamed to show such a weak side in front of a struggling patient overwhelmed him.

“Who’s crying? You must be mistaken. Jino.”

“Hehe—our Major is too kind, it’s a problem. I didn’t even realize I was sick and almost died while at the base. Now, I’m not afraid of dying during surgery. Really. Afraid… sob sob… But please, if possible, save me. Major. I’m still young and have so much I want to do… My mom can’t live without me. So… so… please save me. I want to live. I want to live. Save me… Major!! Sob sob—”

Before we knew it, we were crying together. Crying hard, releasing all the pent-up emotions.

Hong Jino, who was bravely enduring the harsh chemotherapy, broke down.

Kim Cheolsu cried with him and promised. No matter what, he would succeed in the surgery.

A little later, as he walked out of the general surgery ward, Kim Cheolsu muttered to himself.

“It’s a difficult surgery… The success rate of surgery for Bilateral Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma is markedly low. But if we don’t operate, Jino won’t live for more than a few years. We have to operate before the cancer grows bigger.”

No matter how skilled a surgeon is, this surgery is never a guarantee.

Ordinary doctors would have long given up, fearing lawsuits or damage to their careers.

But Kim Cheolsu never intended to give up on his patient.

Clenching his fists with a sad face, he vowed,

“I will save him… I will… I will save him no matter what.”

****

The first day of July began with quite a bit of tension, but in reality, nothing happened.

There were few patients, and the hospital was peaceful.

Joo Kyungsik’s minor surgery ended successfully, and Kim Cheolsu sighed in relief, finally able to set down his pager.

While eating dinner, Shin Seyoung opened her eyes wide and asked,

“Did you have duty today? The emergency room too?”

“Yes. That’s what I was told. Is there something wrong?”

“No. Usually, they don’t assign duty for a month after deployment, but I guess the hospital is short-staffed. Don’t get too nervous just because it’s the ER. Almost no one comes to the military hospital ER these days. There’s no training going on either…”

True, Kim Cheolsu had only just learned that there was an ER in the military hospital.

Usually, people go to civilian hospitals for emergencies, not the military hospital.

Still, since it was an ER, he had been a bit tense, but he was relieved to hear that nothing serious would happen.

“It’s best if there are as few patients as possible. The more sick people, the worse it is. Then I’ll head to the ER. Thanks for your hard work today, Lieutenant Shin.”

“You too! Good work today, Major. Do your best on duty.”

Kim Cheolsu headed to the ER just in time for his shift.

For the first few hours, Lieutenant Shin had been right.

It was truly an ER that no one came to.

The nurse officer in charge of emergency medicine who was on duty alongside him kept nodding off.

Captain Bang Noeul. She seemed to think she was senior and merely nodded her head when Kim Cheolsu arrived before dozing off again.

Though it was surprising that a captain treated a major so coldly, Kim Cheolsu let it slide.

The quiet ER’s atmosphere changed abruptly when the old wooden clock on the wall chimed midnight.

BONG!!BONG!!

The ancient wooden clock struck twelve, and an ambulance with a sinister-looking tint arrived blaring its siren.

BEEP! BEEP!! BEEP!!

Two paramedics hurriedly unloaded a patient on a stretcher.

In the sudden chaos, a paramedic with a blood-smeared face shouted,

“Doctor!! Where is the doctor?! Save this patient right now!! They were in a traffic accident at the intersection just ahead, and the patient is on the verge of cardiac arrest!!”

“This is a military hospital. Why are you bringing in a civilian patient all of a sudden? Send them back. Tell them to go to another civilian hospital. And surely you can perform CPR yourselves, can’t you?”

Captain Bang Noeul snapped irritably, pushing the stretcher back.

The paramedics panicked and shouted in response.

“We’ve done everything, including CPR. We even administered 1 mg of epinephrine injection to restart the stopped heart!! Please bring the patient in and save them immediately! They need emergency trauma surgery! The chest has to be opened to revive the heart! Otherwise, this person will die! Really die!!”

“What… what did you say? Open a chest in a military hospital? Are you crazy? Put the patient back in the ambulance right now! What are you waiting for?! Hurry up! There’s no surgeon here who can perform such major surgery! If something goes wrong, who’s going to take responsibility? You? Huh?! This person is seriously…!”

Captain Bang’s tone grew harsher, but the paramedics, drenched in anxious sweat, couldn’t put the patient back in.

Whether a cardiac arrest patient lives or dies is decided in a matter of seconds.

Everyone here, including the nurse officer, knew this. If the patient leaves this hospital now, they will die.

Finally, the paramedic clasped his hands together and pleaded desperately.

“… Please, isn’t there really nothing you can do? You know this patient will die if we leave now… Please, do something!! Please!!! Isn’t this a hospital?!! Do something!”

“I’m just a nurse officer. And this hospital currently has no trauma surgery specialist. What do you want me to do? This is so frustrating!”

“Sigh… alright. Hey! Let’s put the patient back in. Gwangju is far, but we have to rush there.”

The paramedics’ hearts were crushed as they loaded the patient back into the ambulance, a patient they might have been able to save.

No matter how fast they brought the patient, without a surgeon to operate, it was useless.

Why else would a civilian injured in a traffic accident come all the way to a military hospital? There were no civilian hospitals in this rural area.

The paramedics felt heavy knowing that once back in the ambulance, this vehicle would no longer be an ambulance saving lives, but a hearse carrying a dead person to the afterlife.

“Ugh… another life lost because the ER is too packed.”

“Exactly. It’s so sad… Let’s just rush to a hospital in downtown Gwangju as fast as we can.”

“Going to Gwangju at this hour? No matter how fast we go, it’ll take at least 30 minutes. It’s already over. Damn… Let’s give up. Load the stretcher again.”

As the exhausted paramedics, with dead eyes, were about to load the stretcher back, a figure suddenly appeared, dressed in a white gown over military uniform.

Screeech…!!

Kim Cheolsu forcibly stopped the moving stretcher with his hands so it couldn’t be loaded into the ambulance, and said with blazing eyes,

“I will perform this surgery!”