Dr. Taesoo Choi

When Tae-su saw the old man’s body covered in cloth, his expression became heavy.
“Hmm. Over here.”
The doctor pointed toward a corner of the emergency room, likely to avoid the gaze of other patients.
The body was soon moved to a quiet part of the emergency room, and Tae-su followed.
Once they reached a secluded spot, the attending physician started to remove the sheet.
Shh!
About an hour had passed since death. The rigor mortis had progressed significantly, and the body felt as stiff as a log.
The pale face now had no trace of blood.
However, when Tae-su looked at the old man again, his expression was surprisingly calm.
As Tae-su locked eyes with the old man, the attending physician turned to the paramedic and asked,
“What happened?”
“He had already passed before we arrived.”
“What do you think the cause of death was?”
“Based on the circumstances reported, it seems to be a fall-related death.”
The physician confirmed a few things while listening to the paramedic.
Then, with a bitter smile, the doctor shook his head.
“This must have been a tough one for even the grim reaper to handle. The ribs completely ruptured his insides.”
“Yes, it appears his lungs and liver were ruptured.”
“Really? You mean you’re just making an assumption?”
“Yes, based on the observations of that person.”
The paramedic pointed at Tae-su, and the doctor’s gaze followed.
With a look of confusion, the doctor asked Tae-su,
“Are you a doctor?”
“No, I’m an intern.”
“An intern? Well, an intern….”
The doctor’s face and tone were filled with a sense of resignation, as if it was only natural that a life couldn’t be saved.
Perhaps his judgment was correct.
Tae-su didn’t react and simply turned his attention back to the old man.
Meanwhile, the doctor declared the time of death. As he wrote the death certificate, the police, having been notified, arrived.
“We were told there was an unclaimed deceased.”
“Oh, we’re just finishing up the death certificate. The witness is this person.”
The doctor pointed to Tae-su, and the police approached him.
“You’re the witness?”
“Yes.”
“It must be difficult, but we’ll need to hear your statement.”
“I don’t think it’s appropriate to speak in front of the deceased. Please step outside.”
At Tae-su’s calm demeanor, the police hesitated before escorting him outside.

After answering a few questions from the police, Tae-su left the emergency room.
There was no issue with him.
Given the circumstances and cause of death, it was concluded that the old man had died from a fall.
Before leaving, the police even saluted Tae-su for his efforts.
However, as soon as he left the hospital, the image of the police officers had faded from his mind.
The Hippocratic Oath.
For some reason, today, that oath weighed heavily on his mind.
How had he viewed his job as a doctor up until now?
Was it just a way to make money?
Of course, earning money was important.
That thought wouldn’t change.
But something had shifted.
If he was going to make money, he wanted to save lives while doing so.
There were times when saving lives wasn’t possible.
But at least he had made a decision not to run away from it.
Now that he had chosen to be a doctor and work in a hospital, that resolve wouldn’t change.
Tae-su suddenly looked down at his hands.
He could almost feel the blood of the nameless old man staining them.
But he didn’t find it dirty or repulsive.
Instead, he gently pressed his hands to his chest.
Thump. Thump.
Through his hands, he could feel the beating of his own heart.
A beat that only the living could feel.

That night, Tae-su had a dream.
It was a dream where various people of different ethnicities were participating in a bright operating room.
The lead surgeon seemed to be Tae-su himself.
His sharp eyes confirmed that suspicion.
“We’ll begin.”
The lead surgeon, speaking through his mask, began to move his hands.
As Tae-su watched himself cut open the abdomen and move his hands, he felt as if he were observing from a third-person perspective.
It was such an uncanny and almost surreal motion that he was amazed by his own skill.
Throughout the long surgery, the lead surgeon showed no signs of wavering.
The patient fell into shock several times, causing complications.
Still, the surgery didn’t stop.
The sole resolve was to save the patient.
That determination was the only thing that could be felt in the complex and skilled movements of the hands.
When the surgery was finally completed, the lead surgeon stepped away from the patient.
At the same time, everyone in the operating room bowed deeply toward the lead surgeon.
Not only the people in the room but also the many doctors watching from above.
The lead surgeon looked around at them, then removed his surgical gloves.
Then, as he took off his mask, his face was revealed.
In that moment, Tae-su, observing from a third-person perspective, was struck with shock.
The lead surgeon was not him, but a nameless old man.
Despite his wrinkled face, the old man wore a healthy, smiling expression.
And the old man’s gaze turned directly toward Tae-su, who had been watching like a third party.
“Do you think you can do it?”
Without waiting for a reply, the old man turned and walked out of the operating room without hesitation.

“Gasp!”

Tae-su opened his eyes in surprise and quickly sat up.
A dream?
It had felt so real.
It was as if he had truly been in an operating room.
His heart was still racing from the old man’s impressive hand movements, and his hands were still drenched in sweat from watching the patient’s rapidly changing condition.
What could this mean?
Could it be that the deceased old man was a doctor, which caused him to have this dream?
The confusion didn’t fade easily.
As Tae-su shook his head, his gaze landed on the desk clock.
Without thinking, he checked the time, and his eyes widened in shock.
It was late.
He had to get there by the designated time, and even if he left right now, it would be tight.
“Damn it!”
With a jolt, Tae-su leaped out of bed, hurriedly getting dressed and preparing to head back.

In the hallway of Yeonseong University Hospital’s cardiothoracic surgery department, hurried footsteps echoed.
Tat tat tat
As Tae-su rushed toward the resident on-call room, he heard the loud voice of Chief Park Seong-min.
“Damn it, you little shit! What’s this? Is that all the speed you’ve got?”
Tae-su’s face twisted at the sound of the angry shout.
In the distance, he could see Chief Park Seong-min and his fellow interns standing there. Tae-su was already running at full speed, but he gritted his teeth and pushed himself harder.
Thud!
As soon as he arrived, Tae-su immediately bowed his head toward Chief Park Seong-min.
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? You’re late, and you’re saying sorry? You little shit, I should just shut your life off right here! Why were you late?”
“I overslept.”
Tae-su’s straightforward tone made Chief Park Seong-min flinch.
“You’re so confidently straightforward, it’s making me nervous. My heart’s beating fast here.”
“I won’t be late again.”
“You can be late. It doesn’t matter, because there’s no more time off anyway. And it’s the same for your fellow interns.”
At Chief Park Seong-min’s words, the faces of the other interns stiffened. They couldn’t express their dissatisfaction right away, but they glared at Tae-su.
Tae-su slightly parted his lips.
“At least let my fellow interns go.”
“Why should I? There’s already a shortage of staff, and it pains me to send interns on their days off.”
“I’ll double my effort.”
“Double? That’s still weak.”
Seeing Chief Park Seong-min waver slightly, Tae-su pressed harder.
“I’ll take the SICU.”
“The SICU? You’re going there? On your own?”
The SICU is the cardiothoracic intensive care unit.
There are only about 10 beds, but it’s a place where you have to maintain a state of extreme tension 24 hours a day.
There are many variables and emergencies that can occur, which is why interns typically avoid it.
It was understandable that Chief Park Seong-min was surprised, but Tae-su didn’t waver and continued.
“I’ll work hard.”
“Oh, I see. With that spirit of sacrifice and dedication, I guess I should let it slide this time.”
“Thank you.”
Tae-su wrapped up the conversation and quickly moved on.
At the same time, the other interns’ expressions softened with relief.
However, Chief Park Seong-min was not done.
“Mr. Choi. Is that all?”
“Huh?”
“Aren’t you going to run?”
As Chief Park Seong-min’s face twisted, Tae-su had no choice but to move.
Without answering, his feet started moving.
Running through the hospital corridor for about 300 meters, he finally spotted the SICU.
The SICU was not immediately accessible.
He had to go through a disinfection process, including sterilization.
Whew!
Strong wind hit his body, followed by a spray of disinfectant, before he could enter.
After finishing the disinfection, Tae-su stood in front of the nurses’ station.
Since he was already familiar with the nurses, they exchanged warm smiles.
While waiting for the assigned resident to arrive,
Beep beep!
A sudden alarm blared from somewhere, striking Tae-su’s ears.
At the same time, the SICU switched to emergency mode.