Chapter 36 – Starting Anew (3)

“Yes. Is it not allowed for me to be Lee Gil-sook?”

South Korea, turned to ruins after the war.

At a time when making a living was the most important thing, giving birth in an obstetrics clinic was extremely rare.

The vast majority of mothers gave birth at home.

Hospitals equipped with delivery facilities were extremely rare, and since a separate deposit had to be paid to use them, only some wealthy people could go to an obstetrics clinic.

People’s perception was also not properly established.

Even though an obstetrics clinic sign was hung, there were cases where fracture patients or patients with eye injuries came looking for treatment.

Around this time, Lee Gil-sook, who had just graduated from Seoul National University College of Medicine and is currently the chairwoman of the Ji-cheon-sook Foundation, opened an obstetrics clinic.

Later, along with the Jang Young-min and Park Yong-jun obstetrics clinics that led to Jang Hospital and Yeongji Hospital, she opened the era of the obstetrics troika.

The one who was one of the troika trio was this very person, Dr. Lee Gil-sook.

“Ah, no.”

“Are you just going to stand there blankly? Shouldn’t we move the patient quickly?”

“Yes. Please take good care of her, Doctor!”

Dazed, Ji-hyuk bowed.

“Did you eat something wrong this morning? I am indeed a professor, but I am not a doctor yet.”

‘Damn it, she’s like this sometimes.’

“Ah, yes. I’m sorry.”

“And what do you mean by ‘take good care’? You need to follow me into the operating room as well, you know? Right now, the only ones who can help me are you and that person over there.”

Lee Gil-sook gestured with her chin toward Yun-seok.

“Us?”

“Then who else? It’s urgent! Let’s move the patient to the operating room quickly!”

In an era when obstetrics clinics were not even properly recognized, how could there be many doctors?

“Yes? Ah, yes. Understood.”

“Hurry!”

In that way, Ji-hyuk and Yun-seok were dragged into the operating room in a daze.

* * *

Operating room.

There was no such thing as a dedicated operating room for obstetrics.

An anesthesiologist and two unfamiliar nurses had entered.

“Hello.”

Ji-hyuk and Yun-seok exchanged nods with awkward expressions.

“It’s fine. They are all medical staff with whom I have a connection. All three are veterans who cared for patients while hovering between life and death at the Eastern Field Hospital. So you don’t need to worry!”

At that, Professor Lee Gil-sook smiled slightly.

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

However, Ji-hyuk and Yun-seok still had awkward expressions.

“You two! Today is your first day at work, right?”

Then, the anesthesiologist Yong Tae-in joined the conversation.

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

“Hehehe, I received a message from Dr. Shin Jung-eun. She told me to treat you well when you came.”

“Senior Shin Jung-eun?”

“Yes! Jung-eun is my junior. Anyway, seeing you bring such a major accident from your first day at work, it seems our hospital won’t have an easy time in the future.”

“I’m sorry.”

This time, Yun-seok apologized.

“Well! It’s not in a bad way! It’s not strange for a patient to come to the hospital, so shall we begin now?”

“Yes!”

A moment later.

“Good! Then let’s start now! Currently, her oxygen saturation is 88. Her condition is not very good! I think we need to start two-lung ventilation!”

They certainly looked more refined and skilled than the Korean doctors at the Busan hospital.

‘Two-lung ventilation is possible? That’s a relief!’

Although it was an outdated model that could not even be compared to the medical devices before his regression, it was fortunate that there was a device that could be used in a pinch.

At least it seemed better than the facilities of the Busan UN Hospital.

Now it was Professor Lee Gil-sook’s turn to step in.

“We have no information about the mother, and no information about the fetus either. It seems it will be a very difficult surgery.”

Professor Lee Gil-sook’s expression was serious.

“Currently, the mother’s condition is…”

Then, Ji-hyuk calmly explained the information about the patient.

“We don’t even know how many weeks pregnant she is, right?”

“Yes. That is correct.”

“And yet we will have to take this baby out?”

Professor Lee Gil-sook had a serious expression.

“Yes. Professor, please only save the baby!”

Ji-hyuk said firmly in a low tone.

“Only the baby? Then? That means you two will save the mother?”

“Yes!”

This time, Kim Yun-seok joined in.

“You both are romantic doctors.”

Fufu, Professor Lee Gil-sook smiled slightly as she prepared for the surgery.

“I want to save her!”

“Yes. We must! I want to save her.”

“Fufufu, that goes for me too. So let’s not act like you two are the only doctors here, okay?”

When Ji-hyuk and Yun-seok showed their fighting spirit, Professor Lee Gil-sook pouted.

“Okay.”

“Yes.”

“This is a very serious situation. If we deliver the baby like this, shock is a given, and we’ll have to keep in mind hypoxia, retinopathy, and necrotizing enterocolitis. Both the patient and the baby could lose their lives. Do you still want to do it? Or will we give up on the baby and only save the mother?”

Professor Lee Gil-sook stared sharply at Ji-hyuk.

“No. Even if we leave her alone like this, both the mother and the baby are in danger. Since the result is the same anyway, I think we must try whatever we can!!”

Kim Ji-hyuk showed a strong will to perform the surgery.

“…….”

“That’s right. Professor, we want to perform the surgery! Even if it leads to a regrettable outcome. We have no choice. Saving them is the doctor’s only choice!”

At that, Yun-seok also joined in, speaking in a strong tone.

‘Right! That’s my grandfather!’

Ji-hyuk felt a lump in his throat looking at Yun-seok like that.

“Yes. Since I entered this room, we are a community of destiny, right?”

Professor Lee Gil-sook stared blankly at the two of them.

“Please just deliver the baby safely. We will do our dead level best to save the mother!”

Kim Ji-hyuk also had a look of determination.

“Yes. Let’s give it a try.”

Finally, Professor Lee Gil-sook seemed to have made up her mind.

“Thank you!”

“Thank you!”

Kim Ji-hyuk and Kim Yun-seok looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief.

“The baby is showing strength! Let’s somehow save this wriggling little one. Although South Korea is currently collapsed in ruins, shouldn’t we save them and raise them to be workers for the reconstruction of South Korea?”

Professor Lee Gil-sook carefully placed her hand on the mother’s abdomen.

“That’s right, Professor! Our South Korea will rise again brilliantly. I guarantee it!”

“Good!”

“Yes, Professor!”

With that, Professor Lee Gil-sook’s sudden surgery began.

* * *

It was obvious that the surgery would be difficult.

Since Ji-hyuk and Yun-seok had no experience with obstetric surgeries, even doing their best would be insufficient, and furthermore, because it was not a specialized obstetric ward and the equipment was inadequate, the surgery was bound to be even more difficult.

However, no one complained, and everyone tried their best to save the mother.

“Let’s start the intubation!”

“We will induce anesthesia with pentothal!”

Along with etomidate, it was an anesthetic used even in modern medicine.

Anesthesiologist Yong Tae-in!

He had a round, good-natured, and naive look, but as soon as the surgery started, the look in his eyes seemed to change.

“Good!”

“Curare is going in!”

A moment later, as the anesthetic and muscle relaxant were injected, all preparations for the surgery were completed.

Now was the time for the actual surgery to begin.

“General anesthesia is complete!”

Whew, Yong Tae-in breathed a sigh of relief.

Intravenous catheter for blood transfusion, and even a urinary catheter.

Yong Tae-in calmly went through the surgical procedures.

Once the anesthesia was complete, Professor Lee Gil-sook immediately started the emergency Caesarean section.

“Dr. Yong Tae-in, how are the patient’s vital signs?”

“She can still hold on. I’ll somehow keep the vital signs stable!”

Yong Tae-in’s eyes flashed quite sharply.

“Good. I will begin. Scalpel, please!”

Then, Kim Yun-seok placed the scalpel in her hand.

Slice, slice.

Professor Lee Gil-sook held the scalpel and carefully began to open the abdomen. Not long after the surgery started, a problem occurred.

Although it was a difficult surgery from the start, the surgical team hit a barrier right away.

“Wh-what is this? Abruptio placentae?”

Abruptio placentae!

Normally, the placenta should detach after the fetus is born. However, for the current fetus, the placenta had detached first due to the extreme trauma.

If this happened, the baby could be in danger as it could not receive oxygen from the mother.

In other words, it was an emergency where the fetus had to be taken out within ten minutes, or else it would suffer from severe sequelae.

“It’s a more serious situation than I thought.”

Although the situation was critical, Professor Lee Gil-sook’s voice was calm.

“Wh-what should we do?”

It was Kim Yun-seok who was tense instead.

“What do you mean, what should we do? You didn’t think there wouldn’t even be this much of a problem, did you?”

Surgery was a battle of mentality.

When encountering an unexpected situation, even the most skilled surgeon’s mentality was bound to shake. If that happened, what was normally visible would not be seen.

Knowing this all too well, Professor Lee Gil-sook tried to maintain her composure as much as possible.

“It hasn’t detached completely. It’s still attached. That means if we supply enough oxygen to the mother, there won’t be a problem. We still have time, so there’s no need to look so miserable.”

Instead, Professor Lee Gil-sook reassured Kim Yun-seok.

“If this happens, wouldn’t the mother also suffer from complications like consumption coagulopathy and acute renal failure?”

Kim Yun-seok still had a tense expression.

“Yun-seok, let’s leave all of this to the professor. We just need to do our best to assist her!”

“Ah. Got it.”

Kim Ji-hyuk nodded as he looked at Kim Yun-seok.

“I will focus only on the fetus, as promised. The mother is your responsibility, okay?”

“Yes. Understood!”

“Now it’s time for you to show your strength. From now on, squeeze the blood bag hanging on the stand with all your might!”

“Yes. Understood!”

The main surgery began immediately.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Ten minutes was not a long time.

The second hand moved without rest.

Finally, the promised ten minutes were almost up.

At that very moment.

“It, it’s out!”

Cheers erupted from here and there.

Finally, the baby revealed its form outside the mother’s womb.

The baby came into the world after going through all kinds of hardships.

The mother could not see this child yet, nor could the child be held in the mother’s warm embrace.

But that was not the problem. From now on was what was important.

“Oh my goodness!”

The eyes of the nurses who received the baby from Professor Lee Gil-sook were already bloodshot.

They skillfully received the baby and wrapped it in a clean cloth.

“Now is not the time for that! Quickly! To the NICU!”

Then, Kim Ji-hyuk immediately shouted.

“Yes? The NICU?”

‘Ah! There’s no way there’s a neonatal intensive care unit here right now, is there?’

“Ah, sorry! The recovery room! Please move the baby there quickly.”

“Yes. We’ll do that!”

Taking the baby out was not the problem. Just because it was safely taken out of the mother’s womb didn’t mean they could rest easy.

Furthermore, compared to a baby born normally, the current fetus was incredibly weak.

The heartbeat could barely be heard, and it was a weak lump of flesh that could not breathe on its own.

This child, having barely faced the world!

It was a situation where the child’s life could not be guaranteed yet.

“You did a great job, Professor!”

“It seems the surgery isn’t over yet, is it? We need to suture.”

As Kim Ji-hyuk offered his thanks, Professor Lee Gil-sook tilted her head.

“Suturing will be done by me and Dr. Kim Yun-seok. Since we have to operate on the mother anyway, I think that would be better.”

“Will it be okay?”

“Yes. It’s fine. Professor, please go to the recovery room and make sure to save the baby.”

“Then let’s do that! Dr. Kim Ji-hyuk, I certainly kept my promise. So, you must keep yours too!”

“…….”

“Please don’t ever make this child an orphan. I beg of you!”

“Yes! I will save her no matter what!”

“Yes, I believe you. You two here!”

Professor Lee Gil-sook made eye contact with each person and left the operating room.