Golden Time (JungYong)

“Don’t you think Suhyuk is a good person?”

Though Hana did not say it directly, her message was pretty clear.

Binna, in a blush, nodded her head slowly.

“Yes, he seems to be a very kind-hearted person.”

Hana could know her feelings clearly from her look, and the way she was now looking at the coffee shyly.

‘She likes him a lot…’

Hana’s face made a bitter expression. She just thought about one thing.

‘It’s late. Very, very late for me.’

Then Suhyuk came back in.

“I’m so sorry, but the professor is calling for me.”

Hana stood up with a smile.

“I was going to leave anyway.”

And she looked at Binna, saying, “See you next time, Ms. Binna.”

They all went out of the coffee shop.

Binna, bowing to Hana, went back the patients’ wards.

“It’s not a sin that one likes someone else.”

Saying words of comfort to herself, she too moved.

“You said the professor called for you. Go now.”

At her words, Suhyuk walked ahead with a smile.

“Let me take you to the bus stop nearby.”

Hana looked at him walking ahead of her.

Was his back always so broad like that?

It was broad enough to hide her if she stood behind him.

“What are you doing? Come on!”

When Suhyuk said that, turning to her, Hana began to move.

The bus stop was not that far as it was located at the main gate of Daehan Hospital.

“Looks like your anger hasn’t melted away yet.”

Hana shook her head, with a smile.

She was not angry from the beginning. Actually her head was occupied with all sorts of other thoughts.

An announcement came.

Hana, sitting on the bench at the bus stop, stood up.

She searched her bag and took out a square box wrapped beautifully.

“I just bought it on the way here. Let me go now.”

“What is this?”

“Pen. I see doctors with a pen in their gowns, but you don’t seem to have one.”

Having said that, she got on the bus. When she stepped onto the bus, she turned her head, saying, “Suhyuk.”

Suhyuk looked at her with a gesture, which seemed to ask, ‘Yes?’

“Hey, Miss, aren’t you going to get on?” asked the driver.

At the bus driver’s annoying voice, Hana made a bitter smile.

“Never mind. Take care!”

Then the bus she rode on closed it’s doors and left.

Quietly watching the bus go, Suhyuk opened the box.

Inside was a high-quality pen that looked very expensive.

Looking at the bus disappearing until it looked just like a dot in the horizon, Suhyuk said with a smile, “Thanks.”

Suhyuk went to see Prof. Han.

It was already approaching 10pm.

Why did he call for him?

There was nothing particular that he said on the phone, because they could not hear each other well.

When he knocked on the door, he heard a voice come from inside.

“Come on in.”

Going into the office, he bowed his head.

“I think I have to change my cell phone. I’ve used it for 5 years.”

With a smile, Suhyuk thought of his cell phone. He’d actually been using it for seven years already.

“Sit down instead of standing like that.”

When Suhyuk sat down, he was offered a cup of juice.

“Thank you, sir.”

Suhyuk, putting down his juice cup, looked at Han drinking coffee.

Though he was smiling peacefully, he could feel fatigue on his face.

“Actually, I called you to ask you something.”

It was not about patient Lee Jinhan.

Han opened his mouth again,

“Did you know that I also split my time between seeing thoracic surgery patients and those with heavy injuries?”

Taking a sip of coffee, Han continued,

“I have never told anyone about this.”

Suhyuk quietly waited for his next words.

“Won’t you work together with me?”

Suhyuk’s eyes became wider at that.

It meant Han was helping him grow professionally at his side.

Other residents would have thought it was just that, and welcomed the opportunity with open arms.

But Suhyuk took it differently.

Together.

That was the only word that he thought of.

Genuine doctor.

A genuine doctor like Prof. Han reached out to him.

“Why? You don’t like it? Well…”

With a bitter smile, Prof. Han lifted his coffee cup.

He could fully understand why he was hesitant.

Who would want to work with him with only three to four hours of sleep a day?

As he had been working like that, anyone working with him would have to follow suit.

“Thank you, sir.”

At his voice, Han cast his eyes at him who was smiling.

Han said calmly, as if he heard what he wanted to hear,

“You’ll find it tough.”

“I’m young, sir.”

Shaking his head, Han replied, “Oh, I hadn’t thought of it.”

Seated in his chair, Han reached out his hand.

“Let’s do great work together!”

Standing from the seat, Suhyuk grabbed his hands cordially, and bowed his head.

A new day was breaking gradually.

Getting up from the bed Suhyuk wore a gown, with the pen, Hana’s gift, in it.

The tip of the pen was shining from the ray of sun coming through the window.

Looking in the mirror briefly, Suhyuk soon went out of the lodging.

After having bread and milk for breakfast, as usual, he headed for the surgery building.

“You know we have to make the rounds today, right? Don’t make any mistakes.”

“Yes, sir.”

Then Kang Mingyu asked him, “Are you ready?”

Nodding his head, Im handed him a chart.

Kang checked his patients’ records carefully.

All of the five patients on the chart underwent surgeries performed by him.

When Kang nodded his head, looking over the chart, Prof. Han came.

“Let’s go.”

Kang said, heading for the hospital wards.

“37-year-old patient with lung abscess. An X-ray was taken at the time of the patient’s arrival, and a shade in the joint was found.”

Nodding, Han turned his head to Suhyuk following behind, asking him,

“What is the cause of the lung abscess?”

“There are various causes, but the biggest factor is aspiration of infectious material.”

This time Han asked Im, “What is the most common cause of a lung abscess?”

Stunned, Im suddenly opened his mouth, “Alcoholism and epilepsy, or…”

Han, with a pleasant smile, shook his head. Im knew how to deal with the disease, but was kept in the dark about its cause. For he mechanically learned about medical science without fully understanding the human body.

Han looked at Suhyuk, as if he wanted to hear his answer.

Suhyuk spoke in no time,

“Dysphagia, cerebral trauma, cerebral palsy, epilepsy and other symptoms occur in a dim state. Also, it is not always good to look at the oral status of the patients.”

Most of the time, when the patient’s consciousness is absent, bacteria is breathed into the respiratory tract. The lung abscess is a disease that often occurs in patients hospitalized by pathogens.

Hearing Suhyuk’s reply, he walked onwards again.

Kang, following Prof. Han, recited the prescriptions he administered to the patients.

“As there was no response to hemoptysis and medical treatment, I proceeded with lobectomy.”

Soon Han went into the room of the patient who had lobectomy, checking his condition carefully.

And he said, “You can get up soon.”

There was no better news than this.

Han checked four more patients, and on such occasions Prof. Han praised Kang.

After making a diagnosis, Kang coped with the disease very well.

At Han’s praise, Kang felt as if all his fatigue was blown away.

“This patient had caustic stricture…”

While he was explaining about it, Han slightly turned back and gestured toward Suhyuk.

With a smile, Suhyuk was nodding his head.

“I’m going to insert a tube into the patient’s thoracic chest. Do you know how to do it?”

Suhyuk opened his mouth, nodding his head, “Yes, I know about the sequence of the surgery..’

Suhyuk barely could suppress the urge to answer, because Im looked bad.

If he had replied, it would certainly have made Im’s expression turn much more pale.

Was he still upset about him?

No, Suhyuk thought that such a reason like that was wrong..

Some sort of envy was growing in Im’s mind.

He felt as if he became the subject of comparison between himself and Suhyuk.

He could not be more miserable in the presence of Kang and Prof. Han.

But it was only momentary, as Suhyuk was not a guy with nasty temper, he was polite.

“I hope you can teach me a lot, sir, as I’m still learning.”

With a feigned cough, Im patted him on the shoulder, saying,

“If you learn hard, you will be taking my place before you know it. Follow me.”

Having said that, Im turned back, and made a hearty smile before he knew it.

Suhyuk followed him, when his cell phone buzzed.

It was a call from Han.

“Yes, it’s me, sir.”

“Go down to the emergency room. A traffic accident patient is on the way to our hospital. Let me join you soon.”

After the call, Suhyuk caught Im, saying “Sir.”

“Uh? Yes?”

“I think I have to go to the emergency room now.”

“Why do you have to go there?”

“Prof. Han asked me to take care of a patient.”

Im scratched his head and said, “Okay, then…”

Suhyuk, who just came into the emergency room, asked for Oh Byunchul.

“Long time, no see. How about the surgery department? Is there time for you to be here?”

Suhyuk nodded and said,

“I heard a traffic accident patient was being transported here.”

Oh shook his head from side to side.

How can a resident in his first year see an emergency patient?

Because he is an alien resident?

“It’s about time the patient got here.”

As soon as Oh said that, the door of the emergency room flung open.

There was a patient carried on a stretcher.

His clothes were soaked with blood. There was more than one patient taken into the room. Another patient on a stretcher was also bleeding severely.

Suhyuk ran, shouting, “Blood type!”