Chapter 178
Episode 178 Ready to Return (1)
“Director, please have a safe trip back.”
At the front entrance of Geoje Hospital, I bowed at a ninety-degree angle to show my respect.
With a soft electronic hum, the rear window of the black sedan slid down, revealing Director Lee Jae-yoon looking out at me with a warm gaze.
“Doctor Han, you’re coming back to the main hospital in a month, right?”
“Ah, yes, sir. That is correct. I will return to duty immediately after my dispatch period ends.”
“Right. Let’s meet up then and grab a cup of tea. For real this time, just to relax.”
I highly doubt it will be relaxing.
“Yes, sir! Understood! Safe travels!”
Lee Jae-yoon gave a brief wave before rolling up the window. As the black sedan departed, silence settled over the front of the hospital once more. I blankly stared at the retreating car before slowly lifting both of my hands.
Under the streetlamp's glow, I studied my palms. They were rough, blunt hands—yet today, they had worked a miracle. I turned them back and forth, examining them from different angles for no particular reason.
Could it be a placebo effect?
It felt as though the exact angles, force regulation, and control that Mes of the God had utilized were faintly imprinted into my muscles.
“Hmm, I guess the hardware wasn't the problem.”
A smirk slipped from my lips. It wasn’t that my hardware was terrible; maybe my software had just been lacking all this time. Surely, after today, my skills had leveled up by at least one.
“Let’s go. Time to work.”
Turning on my heel, I walked back toward the Emergency Room.
Ziiing—
The automatic doors slid open, and the familiar ER welcomed me. Professor Park Se-young, who had been on the day shift, had already gone home. Sitting in his spot was a woman with a sharp, piercing impression.
It was Professor Kim Su-rim from the Department of Emergency Medicine. She was the strict professor who had been on duty during the chamber incident on my very first day at Geoje Hospital.
Park Se-young for the day shift, and Kim Su-rim for the night shift.
It felt like a strange case of déjà vu. The lineup was identical to my first day here.
But things are still pretty awkward between that lady and me.
Unlike Professor Park, Professor Kim was not the friendly or laid-back type. She carried herself with the flawless precision of someone who strictly followed the manual. Her gaze was always fierce, making people feel instinctively intimidated.
With hesitant steps, I approached the Station.
“Hello, Professor.”
Professor Kim, who had been reviewing a chart, turned her head to look up at me.
“Oh? Doctor Han?”
With a look of bewilderment, she glanced back and forth between me and the shift schedule hanging on the wall.
“Tae-hyun is supposed to be the only resident on duty tonight. Weren't you on the day shift?”
“Ah… yes. Well, things turned out a bit complicated.” I scratched the back of my head. “I'm on a twenty-four-hour shift today. I volunteered for it.”
“Twenty-four hours? Why?”
“Well… I owe Professor Park a favor.”
I couldn’t bring myself to confess the embarrassing truth—that I had made a deal because I fainted after coming out of the Operating Room.
“Ah, right, I heard. I was told things were chaotic earlier this afternoon.” Professor Kim clicked her tongue.
Rumors really do travel fast.
“Still, the two of us can easily cover the ER tonight. Take a look at the status board. We only have three patients with fevers, and no trauma cases. Tae-hyun can handle this on his own just fine.”
She offered a suggestion in a tone that made it hard to tell whether she was worried about me or just found my presence bothersome.
“Why don’t you just go back and rest for today?”
It was tempting. However, Han Hyeonjae is a man of his word; I don't double-back on my promises. And above all else…
“Unfortunately, I’ve already clocked in. The record is already in the system.”
“Well, nothing we can do about that then. If that's the case, stay by the Station and keep an eye on the interns.”
I naturally took a seat in the resident’s chair. Professor Kim Su-rim was right next to me, while Yoon Tae-hyun was nowhere to be found.
It was awkward. Suffocatingly so. I wondered what kind of conversation I should try to start. If I cracked a terrible joke right now, I’d probably get kicked out.
Right then.
“Pfft.”
I caught the sound of a sharp exhale beside me. I snapped my head around to find Kim Su-rim staring at her monitor, the corners of her mouth twitching.
“Uh… Professor?”
“Pahaha.”
There was no mistake this time. It was definitely a laugh.
This person actually knows how to laugh?
I was astounded. From my very first day until now, I had only ever seen her forehead creased in a frown. To think she was capable of such a human expression.
“Why… why are you laughing? Is there something on my face?”
“No, it’s nothing.” Kim Su-rim turned her chair toward me. “You know, news travels incredibly fast in a hospital. Bad rumors and crazy rumors especially travel at the speed of light.”
“I suppose so.”
“I knew it from the moment you ran that chamber on your first day. I thought to myself, ‘That guy is no ordinary crazy bastard.’”
“…”
Hearing her use the words 'crazy bastard' in such a calm, intellectual voice gave the insult a much heavier impact, purely because it didn’t match her sophisticated appearance at all.
“That was because I had to save the patient’s leg—”
“But with the chamber, there was a manual to follow, wasn’t there? Whether it was the US military tables or something else, you had a guide to look at and copy. So I just figured you were a highly educated, stubborn contrarian.” Kim Su-rim crossed her arms and leaned forward. “But I was wrong. Out of all the residents I’ve seen in my entire career, you are the absolute top-tier lunatic.”
Was that a compliment or an insult? I felt myself shrinking back again. Professor Kim always gave off the vibe of a strict, unyielding principled worker. She seemed like the exact type of person who would despise an ER resident barging into a Thoracic Surgery operating room to assist while completely ignoring protocol.
Is she going to scold me?
“Hey.”
Tap.
Kim Su-rim lightly nudged my shoulder.
“Yes, Professor?”
When I lifted my eyes, I saw her smiling broadly at me.
“Good job.”
“Ah…”
“You saved them. In the end, saving the patient is all that matters. Was it an unlicensed procedure? No. Did you perform the surgery as the lead? No.”
“Thank… thank you.”
“Keep acting like that in the future. Just make sure you only go crazy when you can take responsibility for it. Got it?”
“I will keep that in mind.”
That was the second time I had ever seen Kim Su-rim smile. Having received her answer, she smoothed her expression back to its usual composure and turned her head toward the monitor.
The night shift.
Night at Geoje Hospital was remarkably tranquil. Statistically speaking, the numbers reflected a much more peaceful state of affairs.
There were fourteen mild patients in total, one patient claiming to have severe symptoms, and zero actual severe patients. The nighttime ER was so quiet that the chaotic events of the afternoon felt like a distant illusion.
Professor Kim Su-rim went into the Duty Room to catch some sleep, while Yoon Tae-hyun dozed off repeatedly while trying to organize charts. During that time, I quietly slipped into a chair in the corner and stared out into the void.
[Dead Medic Gallery]
Why hasn't this bastard posted a review of his possession this time?
Author: Korean Slave 1 (Male)
Usually, this guy is so excited after running a surgery that he's the first one to spill the details. What's wrong with him today?
The moment I uploaded the post, the view count climbed rapidly. Truly a bunch of restless spirits with nothing better to do.
[Comments]
Pediatric Ghost: Who are you talking about?
└ Korean Slave 1 (Male): Mes-God.
└ Bone Nerd 88 (Male): Who is that?
└ Korean Slave 1 (Male): Mes of the God.
└ Bone Nerd 88 (Male): Don't use abbreviations.
└ Latte is Mine: Why not? It makes me feel young, I like it.
Mes of the God (Male): What-what-what do you want from me? It was a success. The patient lived, so that's all that matters. Why do I absolutely have to leave a review?
└ Korean Slave 1 (Male): What's up with this guy's reaction? How was the lead surgeon today? Did you guys have good chemistry?
└ Mes of the God (Male): I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT PERSON!!!! I DON'T KNOW THEM!!!! STOP ASKING ME!!!!
“Tsk.”
His reaction was far too volatile.
Is he terrified that I'll find out his real identity?
Wait a minute. Didn't he mention on the gallery before that he had thrown a fit and laid down in front of the Minister of Health and Welfare?
└ Mes of the God (Male): I laid down in front of the Minister of Health and Welfare.
At the time, I had dismissed it as mere bluffing or drunken bragging. But what if it was a fact? A university hospital professor going wild inside the Minister's office? That would undoubtedly make the news.
I quickly fired up the computer and opened an internet browser.
[Minister of Welfare protest]
[Lying down in Minister of Welfare office]
[Ministry of Health and Welfare lying down protest]
Click.
Clack, clack.
Countless articles popped up, but none matched what I was looking for. I quickly scrolled down, searching for something more provocative. Something that screamed 'crazy bastard'.
Click.
“…!”
Found it. An article with a striking title caught my eye immediately.
[Exclusive] Surgery Professor from a Certain University Hospital Protests by Lying Down for 4 Hours in Front of the Minister of Welfare's Office
2012. 11. 02. 17:10
| Shock as a certain university hospital in the Chungcheong region, heavily favored for selection, fails the final evaluation for the Regional Trauma Center.
“Hmm. This looks like it.”
The date was in the year 2012. Around that time, the Regional Trauma Center project was just beginning to take shape in South Korea. It was a period when the government started pouring money into the field due to surging public interest in trauma centers and trauma surgery.
Did the current Southern Gyeonggi Center fail back then too? At any rate, the competition must have been fierce.
I knew that prestigious hospitals across the country had fought hard to secure government funding and claim the title of a trauma center. Yet, they failed? And a hospital that was heavily favored to win, no less?
I clicked the mouse to open the full text of the article.
[Hanseo Ilbo = Seoul] At around 2:00 PM today, a movie-like chase broke out in the first-floor lobby of the Ministry of Health and Welfare building in Gye-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.
? A chase?
I adjusted my glasses.
A man dressed in blue surgical scrubs suddenly leaped over the security access gate in a single bound…
Professor 'A' shouted that they should call the police because he would not leave on his own accord. Fearing a physical altercation, the Ministry officials backed off, marking the beginning of a bizarre four-hour silent protest in the hallway…
Professor 'A' is known as a domestic authority in the fields of trauma and cardiac surgery, but is reported to have frequent friction within the hospital due to his hot-tempered personality…
“…”
I stared at the monitor with my mouth wide open. This went far beyond my imagination. Leaping over a security gate? Engaging in a chase?
This guy isn't just a regular lunatic, he's completely out of his mind.
He hadn't just laid down; he had practically staged a riot. With that level of sheer audacity and madness, the nickname 'Mes of the God' was fully justified. Honestly, 'God of Intermittent Explosive Disorder' might suit him better.
Scroll.
I rolled the mouse wheel down to check the bottom of the article.
Meanwhile, a Ministry official clarified, "The evaluation was conducted fairly, and there was no intention to exclude any specific hospital." Professor 'A' was later led away and sent home by representatives from his hospital…
“Even after scrolling all the way down, the name doesn't appear.”
It only used placeholders like 'Mr. A' or 'Professor A'. It was treated anonymously. While it might have been a major issue at the time, it seemed to have been buried as the years passed.
“Yaaaawn…”
Fatigue suddenly washed over me.
“I'll just look into it next time.”
A surgery professor from a certain university hospital in the Chungcheong region who failed the trauma center bid in 2012—with these keywords, discovering his real name would be a piece of cake once I dedicated some time to digging through old communities or newspapers. There was no real benefit to finding out right this second anyway.
It won't take much effort to find it later.
I closed the news tab, shut down the monitor, and stood up from my seat.
“Tae-hyun.”
“Ugh… Yes! Yes, sir!” Yoon Tae-hyun, who had been dozing off, snapped awake and wiped the drool from his chin.
“I'm going to the Duty Room to close my eyes for a bit. Wake me up if a patient arrives. Unless they're actively dying, handle it within your power.”
“Ah, yes! Please go ahead! I will guard the station!”
I trudged heavily toward the Duty Room.
Click.
The narrow room was swallowed by darkness. The bunk bed gave a loud creak as I threw myself onto the mattress without even taking off my gown.
The image of a madman in blue scrubs lying in the Ministry hallway lingered like a phantom in my mind. A strange curiosity stirred within me, wondering what kind of connection that lunatic might share with Director Lee Jae-yoon, whom I had met this afternoon.
…Well, I'll probably find out once I wake up.
With that final thought, I closed my eyes.