Before lunchtime, Kim Cheolsu arrived at Cadolic Hospital.
The hospital director immediately took him to the restaurant right in front.
After finishing their meal, the director spoke.
“Let me get straight to the point. Honestly, I was quite surprised. The Army Military Police contacted a civilian hospital like ours… but today, I’m even more surprised. The person who wanted to meet me is none other than the now-famous Army medical officer, Kim Cheolsu.”
“Famous?”
Kim Cheolsu asked with a puzzled look. Certainly, reporters covering the S.E.A. Dawn had come to Hampyeong before.
He had briefly appeared on TV back then, but not enough to be considered famous.
“Yes. Aren’t you known as the ‘Mad Dog of Hampyeong’? You performed gallbladder cancer surgery without reporting to the higher-ups and saved the patient, and you even opened a civilian emergency patient’s chest to save their life, right? By now, hardly any hospital would be unaware of your name.”
If the surgery on the general’s brain tumor was also known, it would have caused even more commotion. But that was likely a military secret unknown to outsiders.
Kim Cheolsu thought this to himself and replied nonchalantly.
“I’m just one doctor saving lives. There are many doctors struggling on the frontlines besides me. It’s a bit overwhelming.”
“Anyway, we’re well aware of your skills. So what’s the reason for contacting me today? Surely it’s not that the genius doctor from S University wants to join Cadolic Hospital, right?”
The director sent a meaningful glance. Of course, if Kim Cheolsu decided to come, he was prepared to replace the current general surgery chief.
But Kim Cheolsu shook his head.
“I don’t plan to go to a civilian hospital anytime soon. The reason I wanted to meet you today is to ask for a favor.”
“A favor? Please, tell me.”
The director looked at him curiously. Originally, a military medical officer had no reason to ask a civilian hospital for anything. So he focused on the handsome officer in front of him.
“Please let us use Cadolic Hospital’s emergency room and operating rooms for just one day.”
“What? That makes no sense. A military medical officer wants to operate on civilian patients in our hospital? That’s impossible.”
“It’s difficult in principle, which is why I’m asking you personally. Starting tonight… for 24 hours. Just 24 hours, please allow us to perform surgeries.”
“You say ‘us’… so you’re not alone?”
The director asked in disbelief. Kim Cheolsu nodded.
“The Intensive Care Surgery Team directly under the Medical Command will be performing surgeries at Cadolic Hospital. Please grant permission.”
“Hoo… a team directly under the Medical Command? You’re making things difficult for me…”
Only now did the director realize that this officer wasn’t joking. He didn’t know the exact departments in the military, but the name alone was terrifying.
The Medical Command supervises all military hospitals; its direct surgical team was a formidable force. The director shuddered. If he refused, he wouldn’t end up well.
He sighed and said, “Fine. Let it be. But only for 24 hours. After that, leave the hospital. I also have to appease our doctors, and there may be medical staff who refuse to cooperate. How will you handle that?”
Kim Cheolsu smiled and said, “Don’t worry about that. I’ll handle it.”
“Phew—too many extreme things happening would be troublesome, but this time, I’ll trust you, military medical officer.”
“The military won’t forget the help you’re providing.”
“Haha! Thank you for your kind words.”
The smooth progress of the conversation was largely due to the reputation of the Medical Command.
Recently, military hospitals had been expanding their facilities and recruiting civilian doctors, so their influence was not small.
To be honest, many doctors wanted to work at military hospitals to become generals rather than remain civilian doctors for life.
For example, the Cadolic Hospital director was also aiming for a hospital director position in a military hospital after retirement, which made him accept Kim Cheolsu’s request easily.
Footsteps
Footsteps
Footsteps
Kim Cheolsu walked slowly out of the restaurant, deep in thought.
Though the soon-to-retire Cadolic director had been cooperative, the hospital’s medical staff might respond differently.
To be sure, he called on his phone.
“Major Hong Sewoong. This is Lieutenant Colonel Kim Cheolsu.”
“Yes! Lieutenant Colonel. The Military Police Company has been deployed around the station. What are the next orders?”
“Send just one platoon to the Cadolic Hospital emergency room to register. Our medical staff will arrive shortly.”
“Understood. What about the rest of the troops?”
“The rain is getting heavier. The rest of the Military Police Company will wait near the express bus terminal station. If the rain gets too heavy, they will block entry into the station. And if anyone falls into the water, they’ll rescue and bring them to the emergency room.”
“Yes! Understood! Sir!”
Hong Sewoong, commanding a company waiting at the site, nodded.
He had wondered why the Military Police were being deployed unnecessarily, but it was clear Kim Cheolsu had a plan.
He wondered how Cheolsu predicted the weather, but now wasn’t the time for that.
After ending the call, Hong Sewoong put on his helmet and shouted to the rain-soaked Military Police soldiers.
“From now on, begin civilian rescue operations! Everyone, move to all exits of the express bus terminal! If the station floods, block entry and rescue anyone trapped in the water!”
“Yes! Understood!”
Looking up at the torrential downpour as if the sky had opened, Hong Sewoong bit his lip.
“Will the rain really cause casualties? I don’t know. I just follow Lieutenant Colonel’s orders.”
He stopped thinking and marched toward one of the exits at the terminal station to take charge.
*****
“W-What is going on? Why are soldiers in the emergency room?”
Park Il, an emergency medicine specialist overseeing the quiet emergency room, shouted at the Military Police.
He had never experienced anything like this. Soldiers had taken over the emergency room at gunpoint.
But the Military Police platoon leader, ordered by Hong Sewoong, removed his rain-drenched helmet and said, “We’re only following orders from above. From now on, all medical treatments in this emergency room will be under our control.”
“Then let me leave! Why are you stopping me?”
“I don’t know. The person in charge will arrive soon, so please wait.”
The Military Police entered the emergency room with water dripping from their helmets and heavy boots thudding on the floor, looking intimidating.
Most medical staff didn’t resist; only Park Il puffed up and awaited the person in charge.
Two hours passed, and the rain grew heavier.
Whoosh…!!!
The torrential rain outside startled the medical staff.
“Wow! It’s raining so hard. Could this be serious? Low-lying areas might flood—”
“Yeah, it’s really heavy. This is bad.”
The worried nurses whispered among themselves.
Since they couldn’t leave the emergency room anyway, they simply sat and waited for the military officer in charge.
Footsteps
Footsteps
Footsteps…
At that moment, a soldier caught everyone’s attention as he entered the emergency room.
It was the young, 37-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Kim Cheolsu.
He had just received a call from Hong Sewoong reporting a rescue of someone pulled from the water and finally appeared.
“You’re the person in charge? What the hell is this? Let me leave immediately!”
Specialist Park Il furiously shouted, but Kim Cheolsu towered over him, speaking coldly and authoritatively.
“Specialist? What’s your specialty?”
“Um… emergency medicine. Why?”
“Useful. From now on, I’m in control of this emergency room. Follow my orders.”
“What? Who do you think you are? How dare a soldier order a doctor around? Do you even know who I am? Where the hell do you think this is? Soldiers running wild in a hospital? I’m a doctor! A specialist doctor!”
Kim Cheolsu considered using the Military Police if needed but held back for now.
He didn’t want to escalate the conflict and needed as many hands as possible.
No one knew how many patients would die today. So it was better to get this staff to cooperate.
To the arrogant doctor who acted fearless, Kim Cheolsu spoke with eyes colder than ice.
“Fine. Act like a doctor then. Patients drowning will soon flood in. If you’re truly a doctor, you won’t abandon dying people and leave the emergency room, right?”
“……”
Park Il roughly understood the situation. The officer in front of him wasn’t just any soldier.
Grinding his teeth, he asked,
“Who are you? You’re not just any soldier, are you?”
“Military medical officer. Here’s your doctor’s coat.”
At that moment, Shin Seyoung approached from behind and put a white doctor’s coat on Kim Cheolsu.
Wearing the white coat over his uniform, Kim Cheolsu opened his eyes wide and replied to the question.
“I’m a doctor, just like you. Now get your act together. Lives depend on us medical staff.”
*****
It’s true that life is unpredictable.
The first patient brought in was a pregnant woman near death.
She had been swept away by water and seemed to have sustained traumatic injuries.
“Ah… the bleeding… the bleeding is too much. What do we do, Lieutenant Colonel?”
While performing CPR, Shin Seyoung sobbed as she spoke.
It looked like the woman’s arm had been completely severed, causing massive bleeding.
There was no chance for the mother to survive, so at least the baby had to be saved.
Watching from behind, Specialist Park Il shouted in panic.
“A pregnant woman? You never mentioned that! There’s no OB/GYN specialist here, and the mother is dying. We can’t do anything. We have to send her back immediately!”
Kim Cheolsu ignored him and carefully laid the patient on her left side on the stretcher.
If she lay flat on her back, the inferior vena cava would be compressed, reducing cardiac output.
Lying on her side fully opened the inferior vena cava, improving venous return to the heart.
She was over 25 weeks pregnant—the fundus of the uterus had risen above the navel, indicating gestational age.
A mother who should only experience happiness was tragically facing this disaster today.
At least the baby had to be saved…!
Though not a trauma surgeon, Kim Cheolsu’s brilliant mind recalled the surgical techniques he’d studied during medical school long ago.
He couldn’t leave her like this; both mother and fetus would soon die.
Tense, Kim spoke urgently.
“Give me an oxygen mask! To maintain oxygen supply to the fetus, the mother’s oxygen saturation must stay above 95%! Use a 10L mask!”
They barely placed the mask on her.
At that moment, Specialist Park Il grabbed Kim Cheolsu’s arm and spoke loudly,
“Didn’t you hear me? I don’t know if you’re a soldier or a doctor, but surgery here is impossible! What if both mother and baby die? You didn’t get consent from the family and are going to operate? Are you crazy? Damn it…!”
Dr. Park Il’s harsh outburst stunned Shin Seyoung and Oh Hajin, causing chaos and confusion.
They all wanted to work together, but this wasn’t helping. Delay meant both would die.
Slap!!!
In the end, a furious Kim Cheolsu slapped Dr. Park hard across the face.
He shouted at the stunned emergency doctor,
“You bastard! The mother and baby are dying now, and you’re just trying to dodge responsibility? Where is there time to get consent? They’ll both be dead in minutes! Listen up, everyone! From now on, I take full responsibility. Move the patient to the operating room immediately. We’ll perform an emergency cesarean to save the fetus! Time is running out, so move quickly!”
“Yes! Understood!”
With the loud response of the surgical staff, the stretcher carrying the mother began moving swiftly.
The golden time to save the fetus was ticking away.
Clatter!!!
Kim Cheolsu pushed the stretcher urgently and soon arrived at the operating room.
“Everyone, prepare for surgery! We’re about to begin an emergency cesarean to save the fetus! Before the main incision, I’ll administer 1 gram of Cefazolin to prevent bacterial infection!”
Kim Cheolsu injected the drug into the patient. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead, sensing the difficulty of the surgery ahead.
He quickly shaved the pubic hair and inserted a catheter.
Shin Seyoung applied a tourniquet to control bleeding from the severed arm.
After disinfecting the surgical site on the abdomen and confirming that Oh Hajin had administered general anesthesia, Kim Cheolsu hurried on.
They had to deliver quickly to minimize anesthesia effects on the fetus. Otherwise, neurological damage could occur.
“Scalpel!”
Time was more urgent than ever.
Kim Cheolsu took the scalpel and made an incision in the patient’s lower abdomen.
Snap…!
Snap…!
He made a vertical cut below the navel, starting at the pubic symphysis, to enter the abdominal cavity.
The uterus was visible with the naked eye.
Now, he had to cut into the uterus and deliver the fetus…!