NOVEL WEB Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Intern Shin Seonhan (1)
I’m dreaming.
A very realistic dream at that.
‘Where… am I?’
I slowly looked around.
All the scenery before my eyes looked like a faded watercolor painting.
It was as if I had stepped into an old film.
After a moment, I realized where I was.
This is Yeonguk University Hospital, where I work as a resident.
I can’t tell the exact floor, but it seems to be the main building ward.
But can a dream be this vivid? It’s a bit disconcerting.
Apart from my blurry vision, all my other senses are acute.
For example, those urgent voices.
“Squeeze the ambu bag!”
“Turn the O2 to full!”
“Interns, get your act together!”
I looked towards the area where the commotion was happening.
That is, towards the bed surrounded by numerous doctors and nurses.
“Don’t stop compressions!”
“Yes!”
Thump, thump, thump!
An intern is straddling the patient, continuing CPR.
The patient’s life is hanging by a thread!
I moved closer to get a better look and was startled.
‘Gasp… Isn’t that me?’
The person wearing the white coat and pressing on the patient’s chest is none other than myself.
This is a strange feeling.
Is this what an out-of-body experience feels like?
Even if it’s a dream, observing myself from a third-person perspective is a chillingly unfamiliar sensation.
Thump, thump, thump!
The me in the dream is relentlessly pressing on the patient’s chest.
Judging by the sweat-soaked clothes of all the interns around, it seems they’ve been taking turns doing compressions for a long time.
“200 joules charge!”
Bang!
An electric shock is delivered to the patient’s chest.
But it already seems hopeless. Even to me, an intern, the situation looks very bad.
“There’s no return of spontaneous circulation!”
“Oh no…!”
And a moment later.
Beeeeep—
“Stopping CPR and pronouncing time of death. Patient Kim Jeongsu, 03:22… has passed away.”
After the attending physician’s words, everyone remained silent.
A heavy atmosphere, where no one could easily speak, lingered for a long time.
After a while, the professor, with a somber expression, patted the shoulders of the residents and interns.
“Good work. Don’t take it too hard.”
“Yes, Professor.”
“Clean up the lines, and what about the family?”
“I heard the family is on their way… I’ll explain the situation to them.”
The attending physician and the professor spoke.
A few more conversations followed, and a white sheet was draped over the deceased patient’s body.
Just like that, another patient died.
A great tragedy for someone, but also an everyday occurrence in a large hospital.
It may sound cold, but for doctors, it’s just part of the job.
“Good work, interns. You can come down now.”
“…Yes, Professor.”
The me in the dream, drenched in sweat, stepped away from the patient’s body.
And with a resigned look, I gazed at the patient’s final moments.
We couldn’t save him.
In a way, it was to be expected.
As a mere intern, there’s nothing I could do in this situation.
But the image of the patient’s coldly still form was etched in my mind and lingered for a long time.
***
“Hey, Shin Seonhan.”
“Huh?”
I was abruptly brought back to my senses by the voice calling my name.
My vision gradually cleared.
I slowly moved my gaze and looked around.
So… where was I again?
“What are you thinking about while eating?”
“Uh, yeah.”
Seeing the face of my fellow intern, Geun-uk, sitting across the table from me, I finally returned to reality.
6:00 AM.
This is the hospital cafeteria.
I lower my gaze and see the spoon I was just about to bring to my mouth frozen halfway.
As my senses gradually return, I grasp the situation.
So, I was in the middle of eating breakfast, and I suddenly had a dream.
Am I going crazy?
I mutter to myself.
“…I feel like I was just in the ward a moment ago.”
“What? The ward?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
At my answer, Geun-uk gives a short, dismissive laugh.
“This guy, he’s losing his mind after just a few days as an intern. Did you doze off while eating?”
“I guess so.”
I laugh and give a noncommittal answer.
But something feels strange.
Usually, when you doze off, don’t you have a distinct feeling of ‘Ah, I dozed off’?
Like nodding off or dropping your spoon.
But my case is different.
To put it accurately, it feels like time stopped, and I briefly went to a different space.
I’ve been experiencing this repeatedly for the past few days.
Moreover, the dream, which was initially blurry, is becoming increasingly vivid.
Now, I can even remember every single line and the expressions on people’s faces in the dream.
As I shake my head, trying to dispel the unsettling feeling, Geun-uk says jokingly,
“Maybe you should go to the neurology department?”
“Why?”
“You might have narcolepsy.”
“Hey, don’t say scary things.”
I shudder.
Narcolepsy, as Geun-uk mentioned, is a condition where you suddenly fall asleep during the day.
But what I experienced is completely different from narcolepsy.
I say nonchalantly,
“I guess I haven’t fully adjusted to life as an intern yet.”
“Agreed. That can happen when you’re too tired.”
“I wish someone would just knock me out. So I could get a good night’s sleep.”
“Haha, should I knock you out?”
“No way. I don’t want to die from your punch.”
As we exchange silly jokes, the other interns eating with us join in.
“But seriously, at this rate, it seems like we’ll be the ones kicking the bucket before we can even treat any patients.”
“I know, right? I think I’m going to lose all my hair.”
“Don’t make excuses. You’re clearly already balding.”
“Get lost.”
“Sigh, I miss the days when we were studying in college… Back then, I hated sitting at a desk so much.”
Seeing them competing to complain made me chuckle.
Of course, they’re not exaggerating. In reality, we interns are going through exhausting days.
Yeonguk University Hospital was known for being tough on interns, but honestly, I didn’t know it would be this bad.
Ring ring—
Ring ring—
Just then, my pager started ringing.
I quickly pressed the answer button, interrupting my meal.
“Yes, this is intern Shin Seonhan.”
— “Patient in room 1705 has chest pain.”
Oh dear.
I let out a sigh.
Patients’ pain knows no time or place.
Of course, I can’t complain.
Even though I’m still a newbie, I’m not a student anymore; I’m a proper doctor.
“I’ll be right up!”
I replied to the ward nurse and quickly finished my meal.
“I have to go first.”
“Why? We still have some time before the morning rounds start.”
“They said it’s chest pain. A quick ECG is crucial in the cardio ward.”
“You better run then.”
“Yeah, see you.”
Screech!
I roughly tidied up my tray and got up from my seat.
With the heart of a soldier going to war, I left the cafeteria.
Just then, I heard some grumbling from a few people sitting at a distant table.
“He’s working awfully hard.”
“Isn’t he overdoing it?”
“Leave him alone, what’s wrong with working hard? He’s from a local university, so he has to do that much.”
I pretended not to hear the whispers of a few cynical colleagues and headed for the escalator.
Let them gossip if they want.
I’ll work hard in my own way.
***
Thump thump!
I arrived on the first floor, my white coat fluttering.
Soon, the marble lobby with its high ceiling comes into view.
It’s still dawn, so it’s quiet, but it will soon be filled with people.
After all, 8,000 outpatients and over 2,000 inpatients receive treatment here every day.
Naturally, the number of medical professionals working here also reaches several thousand.
It’s amazing, even to me. To think that I’ve become a doctor working in such a large hospital…
“I still can’t believe it.”
I stop for a moment and gaze proudly at the hospital logo engraved on the marble wall.
Yeonguk University is known as the most prestigious university in Korea.
Naturally, the hospital also boasts a comparable reputation and is classified as one of the so-called “Big 5 Hospitals of Korea.”
Getting to work here was an opportunity I barely managed to seize after six years of persistent effort.
The arduous life of an intern?
Some friction with fellow interns?
Those are nothing.
If I remember the determination I had when I first entered this place, I can overcome anything.
The faces of my family rejoicing when I passed the Yeonguk University internship still flash before my eyes.
“Let’s do well today, too.”
Arriving at the elevator, I look at my reflection in the door.
As I adjust the ID card hanging around my neck, the Yeonguk University Hospital logo stands out above the words “Doctor Shin Seonhan.”
Once again, I check my appearance in my gown and step out of the elevator.
“Good morning!”
“Good morning, Dr. Seonhan.”
I exchange greetings with the nurses at the ward station.
It was awkward at first, but getting along with the nurses wasn’t that difficult.
Perhaps because I grew up playing with my older sisters, I’m used to talking with women older than me.
The head nurse speaks to me.
“Tired, are you?”
“Tired? I’m full of energy.”
“Lies. Look how dull your once bright face has become.”
“Really? That’s a big problem… My dream is to be a doctor who gets by on his looks.”
As I touch my face with a serious expression, the nurses giggle, amused.
“Just kidding. You’re still young and fresh, Dr. Seonhan, so don’t worry.”
“That’s right. If only handsome interns like Dr. Seonhan came in, it would be a feast for our eyes.”
“Thank you for your kind words, even if they’re empty.”
I smile brightly and pull out a chair at the station to sit down.
6:30 AM.
The day of an intern begins.
First, I log onto the web and quickly check today’s to-do list. I prioritize urgent tasks and postpone some for later.
I go to take an ECG for the patient I received a call about, and I notice a change in the results compared to yesterday.
I put aside my playful demeanor and speak seriously.
“I think we need to notify the attending physician about this.”
“Oh, really? What is it?”
“It’s A. fib (atrial fibrillation)[mfn]a heart condition that causes the upper chambers of the heart to beat irregularly and often rapidly[/mfn], look at this.”
I point to the unstable waveform with my finger.
It doesn’t seem to be at a critical level yet, but it’s definitely something that needs to be checked and not missed.
The nurse in charge glances up at me with interest and says,
“Dr. Seonhan, you’re checking things very thoroughly even though it’s your first rotation? If you keep this up during your internship, you’ll be loved.”
“I hope so.”
I reply with a smile.
The “first rotation” the nurse is referring to means the new interns who started in March.
It’s a time when everything is still unfamiliar and lacking, so it’s common to be disregarded by senior doctors and even nurses.
Therefore, I need to be even more attentive and strive to make a good first impression.
Just then, as if on cue, the resident of our ward enters.
I take the initiative and greet him energetically.
“Good morning!”
“Uh, yeah.”
A lukewarm response comes back.
Kim Beomsu, a third-year internal medicine resident, commonly known as “Kim Snake.”
He’s famous for being particularly scary and strict with interns.
Not only his personality, but his sharp, narrow eyes make him an intimidating figure to approach.
There’s a reason he earned the nickname “Snake.”
He asks in a curt tone,
“What’s wrong with the patient?”
“Here it is.”
As if waiting for this moment, I hold out the ECG paper and say,
“It seems that the rhythm changed from normal sinus rhythm last night to A. fib this morning.”
“What about last night’s record?”
“I have it prepared here.”
“Really?”
Dr. Kim Beomsu’s eyes widen slightly.
He immediately checks the serial ECG I handed him and soon nods in satisfaction.
“Okay… This is how it should be. It’s good when interns organize things like this, even interpret the results, and report them.”
Whew, that was close.
I inwardly cheered. It was worth coming up early and preparing as soon as I received the call.
Residents are the ones who evaluate interns, so I have to try to make a good impression.
Dr. Kim Beomsu glances at me and says,
“Your name is Shin Seonhan, right?”
“Yes.”
“That’s a unique name. I don’t think you’re a junior from our school. Where did you graduate from?”
“I graduated from Ilun University.”
“Ilun University? Ah, that…”
His expression suddenly changes.
Everyone makes the same face when I mention my alma mater.
It’s because of its infamous reputation.
“I heard there was an intern who studied like his life depended on it at Ilun University to get here, so it was you.”
“Yes.”
“Well, well, I never thought I’d see someone from that rock-bottom school at our hospital.”
Kim Snake says that with a sneer.
His snide words make me feel a surge of anger.
What kind of person is this?