Chapter 100 – No, Surely… (6)

‘Something is definitely wrong.’

Sensing the chaotic atmosphere of the hospital, Kim Ji-hyuk realized that something was going awry.

“What is it? We are busy, so get out of the way!”

When Kim Ji-hyuk grabbed a man who was moving busily, the man glared at him fiercely.

“It seems like there is a problem. What is going on?”

“Is this guy crazy? Where do you think you are to come and make a scene? We are busy! Get out of the way!”

The man shook off Kim Ji-hyuk’s hand in annoyance.

“Nurse! Blood! We are short on blood! Quickly! Quickly!”

The man then ran to the nurse and shouted, the veins on his neck bulging. Judging by the splatters of blood all over the surgical gown he was wearing, he seemed to be the operating surgeon.

“We don’t have much of what we drew though?”

“Why not? We secured five bottles yesterday too, didn’t we? When Mr. Kim brought people in!”

“Ah, right! There was some we drew yesterday!”

“The patient is Type B. Don’t bring the wrong one, bring the right one!”

The nurses and doctors moved about so busily.

Whisper, whisper—

“Damn it! The patient looks like he’s going to die. What should we do?”

“Is it that dangerous?”

“I don’t know! I just did what the director told me to do. By the way, where did the director go?”

“He said he was going to play tennis with the Yeonju county magistrate.”

“That’s ridiculous! Contact the director right away! At this rate, the patient is really going to die!”

“A-Ah, okay.”

Several doctors went in and out of the operating room, grumbling. There was no doubt that some problem had arisen with the patient undergoing surgery.

Although the conversation they were sharing was strange in some ways.

‘Something must have happened to the patient!’

Having grasped the situation to some extent, Kim Ji-hyuk made his way to the nurse’s station along with the police officers.

“Is the director of this hospital Mr. Jo Dong-ki?”

The police officer asked, pointing at the medical license hanging on the wall.

“Yes, he is, but… what brings you here?”

The nurse scanned the faces of the police officer and Kim Ji-hyuk.

“Police! We received a report and came to verify a few things. Is the director inside?”

The police officer showed his identification to the nurse.

“Ah, no. He is out at the moment. But what is this about?”

At the mention of the police, the nurse answered with a slightly frightened expression.

“Where did he go?”

“He went out because he had an appointment with the county magistrate.”

“I see. Then we will wait here for now.”

“Yes. Well, that is fine, but sometimes it takes a few hours, and sometimes he just goes straight home after going out.”

“That is fine. We will wait here.”

“By any chance, is a patient undergoing surgery right now?”

Then Kim Ji-hyuk stepped forward and asked the nurse.

“Well, yes… why?”

“Could you tell me what kind of surgery it is?”

“That is impossible. It goes against hospital rules.”

“Does someone who values hospital rules so much practice unlicensed medicine?”

Then Kim Ji-hyuk retorted sharply.

“Pardon? W-what do you mean by that?”

The flustered nurse stammered.

“We have already verified everything before coming. The director of this hospital, Jo Dong-ki, is an unqualified doctor whose medical license has already been revoked!”

“What?? O-our director?”

The nurse did not seem to know about Jo Dong-ki’s identity yet.

“That is correct! However, that is not the issue right now; what matters is what is happening in the operating room! Can I see the patient’s chart?”

“Y-yes. Alright.”

As Kim Ji-hyuk questioned her with the police officer present, the nurse hurriedly retrieved the patient’s chart.

“An appendectomy??”

Looking over the chart, it was indeed an appendectomy. The attending doctor was listed as Jo Dong-ki.

“Yes.”

“You said Professor Jo Dong-ki is out? Then who is the operating surgeon? Who went into the operating room?”

“W-well…”

The nurse hesitated, unable to speak properly.

“Hurry! Who is the surgeon performing the operation right now? If it is not Professor Jo Dong-ki!”

Then Kim Ji-hyuk pressed the nurse for an answer.

“W-well…”

With the color drained from her face, the nurse trembled like an aspen leaf.

“Answer the doctor quickly. Who is performing the surgery?”

Then the police officer stepped in and questioned her.

“Kim Do… Young, the offic… No, I mean, Doctor Kim Do-chul.”

“Nurse Bang! What is going on?”

‘Did she just almost say office manager?’

Kim Ji-hyuk glared at Nurse Bang with hawk-like eyes.

At that moment, a man wearing surgical scrubs approached the desk and spoke to the nurse.

“This is Doctor Kim Do-chul!”

As if seizing the opportunity, the nurse pointed her finger at the man.

“Are you Kim Do-chul?”

“Yes. I am Kim Do-chul, but what is the matter?”

As the police officers in uniform caught his eye, Kim Do-chul rolled his eyes around as if to assess the situation.

“Are you a surgeon?”

“Pardon?”

“You seem to have just come out of the operating room, so I asked if you are a surgeon.”

Kim Ji-hyuk pointed to the surgical scrubs Kim Do-chul was wearing.

“W-well, yes, but why do you ask?”

“I see. Could you show me your medical license?”

“W-well…”

In an instant, a flush of red rose from Kim Do-chul’s neck. Judging by his attitude, there was a very high probability that he was not a licensed doctor.

“Why are you hesitating so much? Aren’t medical licenses supposed to be displayed in a highly visible place? It seems there is only Mr. Jo Dong-ki’s license over there.”

“W-well, it’s about time to renew it…”

“Is that so? Then we can just check with the Ministry of Health. Nurse, may I use the phone for a moment…”

“Hey! What do you think you are doing? I am in the middle of an urgent surgery! The patient is in critical condition, so I must go right back in…”

Slam!

Kim Do-chul snatched the receiver Kim Ji-hyuk was holding and slammed it down.

“You are not a doctor, are you!”

“W-what did you say?”

“If you were a surgeon, you wouldn’t touch something like this with that hand. Even just due to contamination risk.”

Kim Ji-hyuk glared at Kim Do-chul fiercely.

“We have already grasped all the circumstances before coming, so do not make any more excuses and answer this gentleman’s questions truthfully! Otherwise, I will place you under arrest immediately!”

Finally, as the police officer stepped forward.

“I-I am sorry! I was just doing what the director ordered me to do!”

Tremble, tremble—

Kim Do-chul began to tremble like an aspen leaf. In the end, he confessed everything.

A moment later.

“What! Do you call that an excuse right now?”

Kim Do-chul’s testimony was something that should not and could not ever happen.

Kim Do-chul was an office manager who had worked at the hospital for five years. Despite that, he had entered the operating room as the lead surgeon.

‘Even if a school dog can recite poetry after three years, isn’t this going way too far?’

Although he had heard of military medics or maternity clinic staff performing medical acts, this was the first time in Kim Ji-hyuk’s life that he had heard of an office manager holding a scalpel.

“…”

Kim Ji-hyuk was so flabbergasted that he could not close his open mouth.

“Because I went into the operating room with the director a few times.”

“Then? This is not your first time?”

“No, it is not.”

“What? Do you call that an excuse right now?”

“It was a simple surgery… Nothing has happened until now. Truly! Please believe me.”

Kim Do-chul raised his voice in protest.

“Do you call that an excuse! Are you in your right mind?”

Kim Ji-hyuk was appalled by the absurd situation.

“Sigh, we did fine up until now…”

“Shut your mouth! Do you even know what you have done? You! I will absolutely never forgive you!”

Kim Ji-hyuk’s eyes smoldered with rage.

“I am sorry!”

Only then did Kim Do-chul bow his head.

“So, the patient’s current condition… Ah, who am I even asking about the patient’s condition? Officer! Please handcuff this man so he cannot escape… First, I think I must enter the operating room. No matter how I look at it, the patient seems to be in critical condition.”

“Yes, understood! I will keep watch here, so please go inside quickly.”

“Hey! Are there nurses inside?”

“Yes. The nurses are certified nurses!”

“Sigh, this is driving me crazy! Where is the scrub station?”

“I-I will guide you there. Follow me!”

At Kim Ji-hyuk’s words, Nurse Bang volunteered to guide him.

Thus, a situation arose where Kim Ji-hyuk had to urgently enter the operating room.

* * *

The operating room.

After carefully examining the patient’s chart and quickly finishing scrubbing, Kim Ji-hyuk entered the operating room.

However, the operating room was in the worst possible state.

‘What if contamination occurs at this rate?’

The operating room was a mess. Even to the naked eye, the surgical table looked highly contaminated, and the surgical team, excluding the two nurses, clearly did not look like doctors at a glance.

Murmur, murmur—

Since someone other than Kim Do-chul had entered the operating room, they could not help but be flustered.

Then.

“Everyone! This gentleman is a real doctor who came from the Moeundong clinic! He is here to operate on the patient!”

Absurdly, Nurse Bang, who had followed Kim Ji-hyuk inside, introduced Kim Ji-hyuk as a real doctor.

“Nurse Bang! Then are we, like, fake doctors…”

“We’re all caught!”

Nurse Bang shook her head repeatedly toward the surgical team.

Murmur, murmur—

The quick-witted surgical staff whispered among themselves while exchanging glances.

Then.

“Are you all doctors?”

Kim Ji-hyuk questioned the surgical team, casting a cold gaze over them.

“…”

“…”

Kim Ji-hyuk asked the two men in surgical scrubs, but there was no response, as if they were mute.

“You are all unlicensed, aren’t you!”

Kim Ji-hyuk glared at them fiercely.

Ahem, ahem—

The men cleared their throats and avoided Kim Ji-hyuk’s gaze.

“Are you a nurse?”

Kim Ji-hyuk asked the nurse this time.

“Yes. That is correct. I am a nurse.”

“Yes. That is a relief, at least. Who anesthetized this patient?”

“Mr. Ahn over there did it.”

The nurse then pointed to a man. His name was Ahn Sang-jun.

“You did the anesthesia? What drug did you use?”

“W-well… just as the director directed…”

Ahn Sang-jun hesitated.

“Have you ever done anesthesia before?”

“Yes. I did it when I was in the military.”

“In the military?”

“Yes. Because I served as a medic…”

‘An office manager holding a scalpel, and a medic administering anesthesia?? Sigh, nothing surprises me anymore!’

Kim Ji-hyuk’s head felt dizzy.

“So I am asking you what drug you used, how, and how much!”

Kim Ji-hyuk shouted, raising his voice.

“Well, just as the director wrote down… what was it again?”

‘Someone who doesn’t even know the name of the anesthetic participating in surgery! Jo Dong-ki! How low are you going to sink? You beastly piece of human trash!’

Kim Ji-hyuk found it difficult to hold back his rising anger.

“Bring me the medicine bottle. Quick!”

“Y-yes, okay.”

A moment later, Ahn Sang-jun brought over the anesthetic.

It was a narcotic anesthetic used during World War II in the 1940s, which was so highly toxic that it was rarely used in clinical practice now.

Moreover, it had even passed its expiration date.

“Y-you used this?”

“Yes. Just as the director directed…”

Hesitatingly, Ahn Sang-jun unfolded the instruction sheet Jo Dong-ki had written.

“Except for those who have official medical qualifications, everyone get out right now!”

Then Kim Ji-hyuk, unable to hold back any longer, exploded.