Chapter 96

Chapter 5 of Episode 96: I'm All Grown Up (1)

After finishing my routine, I headed to the ward where Nam Chorong was doing hers.

Nam Chorong was just preparing to draw arterial blood.

The patient was an elderly man in his 60s, with thin arms and fragile veins.

Even a slight misalignment of the needle could cause the vein to burst.

In simple terms, this is the type of patient interns most want to avoid for ABGA.

If Nam Chorong fails the ABGA, the patient's frustration and stress will fall entirely on her.

“Do you need help?”

“No, I'll try it on my own.”

Nam Chorong refused my help and held the syringe in her hand.

Her expression was as solemn as a surgeon about to perform a difficult operation.

My expression probably resembled that of a parent leaving a young child by the water's edge.

It has always been like this.

Whenever my juniors perform procedures or surgeries, I get more nervous and anxious than they do.

“It will sting a bit.”

Thud!

The needle in Nam Chorong's hand pierced the patient's skin, causing the patient to flinch in pain.

Unfortunately, no blood appeared at the tip of the needle.

She had not successfully punctured the vein.

Despite her ambitious attempt, Nam Chorong looked flustered by the failure.

Of course, it wasn't her fault.

The patient's veins were simply too challenging for an ABGA.

“This time, let me do it.”

“Huh? Yeah, but shouldn't you pull out the needle first?”

“No, I can do it without pulling it out. Sir, it might hurt a bit.”

The patient frowned and glared at me, as if to say, "How much more pain do I have to endure?"

“I'll make it less painful than starting a new injection.”

After reassuring the patient, I moved to where Nam Chorong had been and slowly pulled the needle back.

Then, I found the vein and inserted the needle again.

It felt like parallel parking.

Just because the needle missed the vein doesn't mean you always have to start over.

In some cases, you can adjust the direction and depth to find the vein.

However, this is a skill that only experienced practitioners can perform.

Click.

I felt a sensation like a rubber band snapping at my fingertips.

This was the signal that the needle had found the right path in the vein.

By slightly retracting the plunger, blood began to flow into the syringe.

I applied the right amount of pressure to collect a sufficient blood sample.

“Thank you for your patience. Please press firmly for 5 to 10 minutes.”

“Ahem, I'm sorry for glaring at you earlier. I was just being unreasonable.”

The patient, embarrassed, apologized.

Of course, I had no intention of blaming him.

After all, anyone who comes to the hospital seeks to treat or alleviate physical pain.

But if they end up in pain at the hospital, even during treatment, it's natural to feel resentful.

Understanding this, one can avoid being hurt by a patient's harsh words or actions.

This is a skill I've honed from my years in the hospital.

“No problem. It's understandable when you're in pain. Get some rest.”

After exchanging farewells with the patient, Nam Chorong and I left the ward.

“What did you just do? I always had to use a new needle when I failed, but you managed to fix it with the same needle?”

Nam Chorong was amazed by my ABGA skills.

It was only natural.

This is a skill that interns usually only attempt after 3 to 4 months.

“I pulled the needle back to near the skin and then found the vein again. You can do it too once you get used to it.”

“I should start practicing now.”

Despite expecting Nam Chorong to be disheartened by the failure, she showed unexpected determination.

She had momentarily forgotten that, while usually a reserved person, she becomes one of the most proactive when working in the hospital.

In fact, her ABGA success rate was higher than that of other interns at this stage.

Beep.

Just then, my pager rang.

Checking the number, I realized it wasn't from our ward but from another.

Why is a call coming from another ward?

Is there a shortage of interns in that ward?

Curious, I answered the call.

“This is Lee Minjeom from Cardiology.”

* * *

An hour before the morning conference.

With Oh Junhyun's permission, I was crossing the sky bridge to the Pediatrics ward.

The call came from a fellow intern, not a nurse.

- Minjeom, I heard you're good at ABGA. We have a 3-year-old boy in our ward, but we can't find his veins.

.

.

- We've already failed five times, and the parents are glaring at me. The child is in a complete state of distress. Can you come and help? Please?

Since we had become close through group activities, I readily agreed to help my friend.

It's not uncommon for interns to help each other with ABGA.

When you can't solve a problem on your own, there's no other option but to seek help from a peer.

Moreover, being called to another ward for ABGA is a matter of pride.

It means your ABGA skills are recognized.

I wished time would pass more quickly.

I want to be recognized for my surgical skills, not just for ABGA.

My heart was already racing toward the future.

As I passed through the sky bridge connecting the buildings, I looked around.

The hospital building and the bustling cityscape were clearly visible through the transparent windows.

It was 6:00 AM, and the March morning was still shrouded in darkness.

The sun and people had yet to wake up.

Despite being an intern for only a few days, I already felt isolated from the world.

The outside world felt as unfamiliar as a foreign country.

This feeling would likely intensify over time, not diminish.

Until I complete my internship and residency, it would be difficult to even get a breath of fresh air outside.

When you gain something, you also lose something.

No one can have everything.

I moved forward resolutely.

I knew exactly what I wanted to do and what I had to do.

And I knew what I would have to give up along the way.

Knowing this, I was confident I wouldn't regret my life in the distant future.

“……”

“……”

Upon arriving at the Pediatric Respiratory Ward, I unexpectedly encountered a familiar face in the hallway.

It was Lee Minho.

I didn't know he was making rounds in the pediatric ward at this time.

We approached each other to a point where we couldn't fail to recognize each other, but we didn't exchange a single word.

We passed each other with a cold air, as if we were strangers.

I had nothing to say to Lee Minho.

I imagine he felt the same way.

“Minjeom, thank you so much. You're already busy with your routine, but thank you.”

Entering the ward, Yang Hyeol, my fellow intern, greeted me as if he had met a savior.

I understood his feelings better than anyone.

I had also asked a peer for help with ABGA before.

“Is this the patient for the ABGA?”

“Yeah.”

I confirmed the patient and his guardian, who was lying by the window, and stood beside the bed.

The child had stopped crying, but tear marks were still visible on his face.

The mother, his guardian, was consoling him with a sad expression.

“Doctor, can we stop now? It's just a blood test; it won't be a problem if we skip it for a day, right?”

“……”

“The child is in so much pain……”

The guardian expressed her intention to refuse the ABGA. I understood her concern for her child's pain, but the test couldn't be postponed.

The patient was suffering from acute pneumonia.

ABGA was necessary to assess the course and improvement of the treatment.

I managed to calm the guardian and performed the ABGA.

Pediatric patients are as challenging as elderly patients for blood draws.

Their veins are not fully developed.

While the guardian distracted the child with a toy, I examined both of his arms.

The marks from Yang Hyeol's previous attempts and the child's pain were clearly visible on his arms.

It seemed better to give up on the arms.

I found a relatively good vein on the ankle and started the blood draw.

The child tried to kick in pain, but Yang Hyeol held him firmly, and I completed the procedure without any issues.

“Phew, if you had failed too, it would have been a disaster. Thanks to you, we're saved.”

Yang Hyeol's expression was relieved as we left the ward after the procedure.

I felt good knowing I had been helpful.

In my previous life, I was the one receiving help, not giving it.

“Don't hesitate to call me if you need help in the future. Struggling alone will only make things harder for you.”

“Indeed, Lee Minjeom. I trust you. Let's go to the staff lounge; I'll buy you a coffee.”

We immediately headed to the staff lounge.

We drank canned coffee, the only doping drug allowed for doctors.

It contained 30% of the daily recommended sugar intake and 90mg of caffeine.

After drinking the coffee, my head cleared, and I felt more alert.

“Do you work with Lee Minho? What's he like?”

I casually asked about Lee Minho.

In my previous life, I didn't pay much attention to Lee Minho, but in this life, he has been on my mind.

I know about the terrible deeds he will commit in the distant future.

In my previous life, after completing his fellowship in plastic surgery at Shinwon University Hospital, Lee Minho opened a plastic surgery clinic in Gangnam with the help of his wealthy family.

There was nothing wrong with that.

Choosing plastic surgery as a specialty is not a crime, and being from a wealthy family is not a crime.

The problem is that a series of horrific incidents occurred at the clinic he opened.

Patient deaths during surgery.

Adverse effects from surgery, and so on.

All the bad things that could happen at a plastic surgery clinic happened at his.

Considering the high probability that he is a psychopath, this might be expected.

In any case, to save potential victims in the distant future.

If possible, I want to take preemptive action against Lee Minho.

To do this, I need to gather information about him in advance.

“Lee Minho? Don't even mention him.”

Yang Hyeol shook his head in disgust.

“He's so unpredictable; it's hard to tell if he's an intern or a superior. Even the residents cower in fear like dogs.”

“……”

“Almost all the ward calls go to me. I don't even know what he's doing.”

“Is it because of his father's influence?”

I stroked my chin thoughtfully.

Lee Minho's father was the head of the medical department at Shinwon University Hospital, a position just below the hospital director and deputy director, making him one of the top three in the hospital.

With a father in such a high position, he probably feels entitled.

“There's no other reason. Anyway, please pray that you don't run into Lee Min