Chapter 41

Episode 41 Aftermath (1) (4)

Meanwhile, inside the Training Committee Meeting Room that Han Hyeonjae had just stepped out of.

Professor Oh Man-seok, who was sitting in the center, took off his glasses with a deep sigh and set them down on the table.

“Ha… What do you all think?”

At that question, the first to open his mouth was Choi Jeong-gil, the head of the hospital’s legal team.

“Professor, there is no room for discussion here. This is a clear violation of regulations. An unqualified resident performed an invasive surgery without the patient’s consent and without a superior's instructions in a non-sterile environment. This is just crazy. We must hand this over to the official Disciplinary Committee and hand down a heavy disciplinary action of at least suspension or higher.”

At his firm words, Section Chief Lee Seon-young from the Administration Department immediately stepped in to refute.

“Isn’t that assuming the worst-case scenario? The reality is the exact opposite. The patient survived. And a very successful one at that. What do you think would happen if the fact that we disciplined this guy leaked to the outside? The media will have a field day tearing us apart. ‘Hero Doctor Who Saved a Patient Disciplined by Hospital’—that’s exactly what the headline will be. It’s clear as day what will happen to our hospital’s prestige.”

“Is prestige what matters right now? The hospital’s system and regulations are what matter!”

“That system and those regulations could have very well left the patient to die in that situation!”

The temperature in the Meeting Room rose sharply. Law and reality, regulations and results clashed head-on.

“No, in the first place, didn't they say that Laparotomy in Trauma Surgery was perfect? I heard Professor Kang Hyun-joon was full of praise too. If so, isn’t this a talent rather than a mistake? I’m saying shouldn't he be a talent we protect and nurture, rather than someone we punish?!”

At the defense of Professor Ahn Jae-seon from the Orthopedic Clinic, Team Leader Choi of the legal team scoffed.

“Talent? A crazy bastard with talent is far more dangerous than just a regular crazy bastard. He saved a patient today, but who knows what kind of accident he'll cause with that talent tomorrow?”

“Even so, as a result, didn't he save a person!”

Voices were raised, and just when the meeting was about to turn into a total mess.

A man who had been sitting in the corner with his arms crossed, silently listening until now, opened his mouth quietly. It was Yoon Tae-ryong, the Deputy Director of Clinical Affairs, who used to be a General Surgery professor.

“No, but.” He opened his mouth. “I heard that Packing was art?”

He continued his words while looking at the head of the legal team.

“Regulations are important. The system is, of course, important. But what is the essence of our profession? It’s saving patients. I also don't know what that 2nd Year guy was thinking when he picked up the blade. He might be crazy, or he might have really shown superhuman strength. But one thing is for sure. Thanks to that crazy act, the patient survived and is lying in the ICU. While we are here having a desktop discussion, that friend went out to the field and produced results.”

As Vice Director Yoon finished speaking, the atmosphere in the Meeting Room completely flipped. The legal team leader’s momentum weakened significantly, and distress washed over the expressions of the other committee members.

‘How should we punish a hero who broke the rules?’

The debate continued that way for a good while longer. The opinion that punishment for the abuse of authority was unavoidable clashed sharply with the opinion that extenuating circumstances should nevertheless be taken into account.

And finally, they reached a single conclusion.

Let's give him a very, very small disciplinary action.

Holding him accountable for breaking the regulations, but within a line that wouldn't leave a scratch on his Doctor's Life. It was a conclusion like an exquisite tightrope walk—one that protected the hospital’s system while not breaking a crazy talent who might become a master doctor in the future.

How much time had passed since I slumped down on the cold hallway floor, blankly staring into the void? My head had become a total junkyard, full of all sorts of worst-case scenarios.

A three-month suspension? A six-month salary cut? If not, a one-year extension of the training period? Just imagining it was horrible.

Just then.

Clack.

The heavy door of the Meeting Room opened. Startled, I stood up from the floor almost reflexively and bowed my waist at a 90-degree angle.

Huh?

Heavy, expensive-looking dress shoes. Keeping my head bowed, I only rolled my eyes to check who it was.

Deputy Director of Clinical Affairs, Yoon Tae-ryong.

Fuck, what is this? He surely wasn't in that seat earlier when I walked in. Did he come in midway through? No, in the first place, did the hospital's deputy director actually attend a meeting discussing the training of a mere 2nd Year resident? Was the scale of my fucked-up situation giant, even beyond what I had imagined? My mind went completely blank.

Someone tapped my shoulder lightly.

“?”

Startled, I turned around to find Vice Director Yoon already standing right behind me, looking down at me with a smile that was hard to tell whether it was gentle or sly.

“Hehe, so you are that friend from Emergency Medicine.”

I thought my heart was going to stop. Barely managing to soothe my body, which was on the verge of having a fit, I bowed my waist again.

“Yes, that is correct. I am a 2nd Year Resident in Emergency Medicine, Han Hyeonjae.”

“Yes, yes. Let’s have a look at your face. You're going through a lot.”

He patted my shoulder a few more times and laughed heartily like a neighborhood Mr., saying, “Let’s hear the result from the chairman. Don't worry too much.”

With those final words, the deputy director walked away.

…What is this? A 2nd Year resident in his own hospital sliced open a person's stomach in the Emergency Room, and he says I'm going through a lot? Tells me not to worry? Wow, I really don't know.

It was right when I was scratching my head in confusion.

“Teacher Han Hyeonjae!”

Professor Oh Man-seok’s voice called me from the crack of the Meeting Room door.

What was coming had come. Swallowing my dry saliva, I moved my feet again toward the room where my fate would be determined.

I stood in front of the chair in the center of the Meeting Room once more. After reviewing the documents one last time, Professor Oh Man-seok opened his mouth toward me.

“Teacher Han Hyeonjae. The committee members' discussion has concluded.”

It felt like my heart was stopping. I squeezed my eyes shut.

“I will state the conclusion first. Regarding this matter, the Training Committee…”

Please. Please. Just let it end with a salary cut. Please, anything but an extension of the training period.

“…orders the disciplined resident, Han Hyeonjae, a reprimand and a one-month salary cut.”

…

“The committee has decided to close this case by its own decision and not refer it to the official Disciplinary Committee.”

…Pardon?

I doubted my ears. My brain failed to comprehend the situation and hit a buffering lag. Seeing my dumbfounded expression, Professor Oh touched the bridge of his nose and said it once more.

“A reprimand and a one-month salary cut. That’s the end of it.”

At that moment, a giant firework exploded inside my head.

…FUCKING YES!!!!!!!! I DID IT!!!!!!! I DID IT!!!!!! I SURVIVED!!!!!! MY DOCTOR'S LIFE!!!! EXTENDED!!!!!!!

The legend who ruined a Laparotomy as a 2nd Year and still survived is none other than me!!!! Who cares if my salary gets cut a bit! I can just eat ramen next month! I didn't get fired! My license! My career! I survived, you bastards!!!

While the inner me was roaring, the reality me suppressed all the ecstasy and replied in a very calm, polite voice.

“Yes, I understand. I will humbly accept the committee’s decision.”

At my robot-like reaction, Professor Oh let out a chuckle and stood up from his seat. The other committee members also began packing their things one by one.

“I don’t need to explain the reason at length, right? It was certainly a crazy thing to do and a dangerous action… but as a result, the fact that Teacher Han saved the patient played the biggest role. We can't exactly fire a doctor who brought a dying person back to life.”

Professor Oh paused for a moment before adding.

“Well, of course, the opinions of Professor Kang Hyun-joon from Trauma Surgery and Vice Director Yoon Tae-ryong also played a big part. What could we do when those gentlemen made up their minds to shower you with compliments? Teacher Han, you must have learned a lot from this incident. You've worked hard.”

With those words, Professor Oh and the other committee members left the Meeting Room one by one.

“It’s finished….”

I let out a hollow laugh and stepped out of the Meeting Room. Walking down the hallway, I stood in front of the Elevator. A text message flew in telling me to return to the Emergency Room starting tomorrow.

I walked across the hospital lobby and stepped outside through the Automatic Door. A rush of cool air hit me. Only then did it feel real that I survived.

Let's go home. I wanted to take a shower with warm water, drink a can of beer, and just fall asleep without thinking about anything.

It was right when I was trudging toward the bus stop like that.

Vroooom.

A black sedan approached silently beside me and came to a stop. Then, the passenger side window rolled down smoothly.

“Hey kid! Get in!”

The face visible past the window was our department's Section Chief, Park Woong.

“Oh, Section Chief! I’m fine! I can just take the bus…”

“Quiet. Just get in, you rascal! I have something to say.”

Left with no choice, I bowed quickly and opened the passenger door. As I buried my body into the plush leather seat, all the fatigue that had accumulated during the whole day rushed in all at once.

After a long silence, Chief Park finally opened his mouth.

“Why did you do it?”

“Pardon?” I asked back like an idiot.

“I asked why you did it.”

“No… that… I had no other thought than that I had to save the patient.”

At my answer, the chief let out a short chuckle. Then, looking ahead again, he murmured quietly.

“Right, that’s EM for you. Whatever.”

But that recognition ended there. The light changed, and the car started moving smoothly again.

“But.” His voice turned heavy again. “The system doesn't just exist for no reason. Your seniors are also people who have been through all sorts of hardships on this Emergency Room floor. The regulations and procedures we built were made with the blood of countless patients and the tears of doctors. If you just go reckless trying to be a hero on your own, you're not just killing yourself, you're putting the whole team in danger. You were lucky this time, but there's no guarantee you'll be lucky next time. You didn't do well.”

I lowered my head.

“Yes, Section Chief. I will keep that in mind.”

‘Fuck, because it wasn't me who did it… It was the work of the crazy ghost bastard inside me….’

The scream inside my heart could not dare come out of my mouth.

After a long silence passed and the car had almost arrived near my Officetel, Chief Park brought up a completely different topic.

“Ah, come to think of it, isn't it about time for you to gradually get your KTAT provider certificate too?”

“Pardon? Ah, yes. I need to prepare for it soon.”

“Right. Since you're going to get it anyway, why don't you go over to the trauma center for dispatch training altogether to prepare properly?”

At that suggestion, my heart slumped down. The trauma center? Go to that absolute front line?

“Pardon? No, no! I’m fine! I still have a lot to learn… I like the Emergency Room here better!”

I refused while waving my hands as if screaming. At my desperate reaction, the chief looked at me as if surprised, but soon burst into a very pleasant, loud laughter.

“Hahahahaha! Right. Our genius 2nd Year teacher still finds the dynamic regular Emergency Room a bit more fun, eh? Then again, the trauma center gets boring because you see nothing but blood every day.”

I could only follow along with an awkward laugh.

“Haha… A genius? What do you mean….”

The car came to a stop at the entrance of the Officetel.

“Go on in. See you tomorrow.”

“Yes, Section Chief. Thank you for dropping me off. Goodbye.”

I bowed and got out of the car. The black sedan disappeared smoothly into the night.

I looked up at the sky with a deep sigh. A cool wind brushed past my cheek. Before I knew it, the autumn wind had become quite chilly.