Chapter 63 – Actress of the Century (2)

“What do you mean Marilyn Monroe collapsed?”

Kim Ji-hyuk asked, startled.

In Kim Ji-hyuk’s memory, there was no record of Marilyn Monroe collapsing during her Korean performance, so he could not help but be even more puzzled.

“I don’t know that either. Anyway, she suddenly collapsed on stage during the performance! You don’t know how shocked I was!”

Kim Yun-seok was still highly excited.

“Alright. So? What happened to Marilyn Monroe?”

Kim Ji-hyuk was flustered by the unexpected situation.

“First of all, I was right in front of the stage, you see? So I immediately ran up onto the stage!”

Kim Yun-seok said in a trembling voice.

Since he happened to be positioned right in front of the stage, Kim Yun-seok had run onto the stage instinctively as a doctor.

“What did you do after going up?”

“Sigh, I was so out of my mind due to the sudden situation that I don’t know what I did… For now, she showed symptoms of tachycardia (paroxysmal tachycardia), so I did perform emergency measures.”

Kim Yun-seok answered with a lack of confidence.

“Suddenly she suffered from paroxysmal tachycardia?”

“Yes. It was after she sang one song, during the interlude of the second song. She came down below the stage, shook hands with the soldiers a few times, went back up on stage, and held the microphone, when she suddenly collapsed. At first I thought it was a surprise event, but it wasn’t. She had truly collapsed!”

Kim Yun-seok nodded with a stiff face.

“So what did you do? If it is paroxysmal tachycardia, there is an emergency response manual, isn’t there?”

“Right. But there was no equipment… There was no way other than to maximize the vagal tone. First, I made her inhale as much as possible, and loosened her tight clothes. Well, there were no drugs or equipment, so that was all I could do.”

“No! You did well enough. When you inhale like when lifting a heavy object, it applies pressure to the aorta and raises the blood pressure. Doing just that is enough to pass the dangerous crisis. In that case, the influence of the vagus nerve increases and can arrest the tachycardia! You did well. What next?”

“Hmm… nothing special.”

Kim Yun-seok blushed slightly.

“Nothing? What do you mean by that? There should be follow-up measures.”

“I tried to, but I was kicked out.”

Kim Yun-seok had a disappointed expression.

“By whom?”

“Who else? The US soldiers.”

“Ah!”

At the mention of US soldiers, Kim Ji-hyuk let out a short sigh.

“A US military doctor came up immediately. They dragged me out recklessly. In that situation, what could I do? For now, I left her to the US military and came down. After seeing Marilyn Monroe being carried away, I came straight here.”

Kim Yun-seok shook his head in regret.

“Then where did Marilyn Monroe go?”

Shin Jeong-eun, who was beside him, asked.

“I don’t know exactly, but wouldn’t she have gone to the Far East Command medical unit? Since all treatments for the US forces in Korea are handled there.”

Kim Ji-hyuk answered Shin Jeong-eun’s question.

“Hmm, I see. What on earth happened? Why did tachycardia suddenly come during the performance? Could it be because she was excited by the large crowd?”

Shin Jeong-eun turned her gaze back to Kim Ji-hyuk.

“Well, there could be various reasons. First, the probability is high that there is an electrical signaling problem in the heart itself, but it could also be due to extreme stress, excessive caffeine intake, or drug side effects. However, it’s hard to make a diagnosis based only on Yun-seok’s words.”

“Indeed. Anyway, I hope it’s nothing serious. Since such a thing happened right after she came to our country.”

“Since the medical unit under the Far East Command has American doctors, there won’t be any big problem.”

“Yes. I hope so.”

Gulp, gulp—

Yun-seok swallowed water straight from the kettle. He was clearly still tense.

“Yun-seok, good job. For now, go up to the duty room and get some rest.”

Kim Ji-hyuk said, concerned about Kim Yun-seok’s pale complexion.

“Yes. My shocked heart still hasn’t settled down! I’ll go up and close my eyes for a bit.”

“Yes. Do so.”

“Yes. I will go up with you and give you a stabilizer.”

Shin Jeong-eun also spoke with a worried expression.

Trudge, trudge—

In that way, Kim Yun-seok walked powerlessly to the duty room.

A moment later.

‘Marilyn Monroe collapsed during her performance? That’s not in my memory…’

Kim Ji-hyuk searched his memory.

She toured the US military bases across the country for four days, finished her spectacular performances, and returned home safely.

In Ji-hyuk’s memory, there had never been an untoward accident while she was performing in Korea.

She passed away in August 1962, at the young age of 36.

Although there were various mysteries regarding her death, the cause of death was certainly sudden death due to drug overdose.

Since she usually relied on drugs due to extreme stress, paroxysmal tachycardia could have occurred because of that during the performance, but as far as Ji-hyuk knew, that seizure had never occurred during the four days she stayed in Korea.

‘What on earth happened? Did history change because I possessed Kim Ji-hyuk’s body?’

Kim Ji-hyuk was troubled by various thoughts.

* * *

The next day, Professor Chung Ki-ryeo’s research office.

Professor Chung Ki-ryeo, Chief of Surgery, urgently summoned Kim Ji-hyuk to his research office.

“Professor, what is it?”

At Professor Chung Ki-ryeo’s sudden summons, Kim Ji-hyuk immediately ran to his research office.

“First, sit down.”

“Yes.”

“By any chance, do you know that the American actress Marilyn Monroe performed yesterday at Yeouido Airport?”

“Yes. I heard it by rumor.”

“I see. Well, the news is that Marilyn Monroe collapsed during her performance.”

“Yes. I know.”

“You know? How did you know that?”

Professor Chung Ki-ryeo asked in surprise.

“I heard it from Dr. Yun-seok.”

“Dr. Kim Yun-seok?”

“Yes. Dr. Kim Yun-seok was also at the performance venue yesterday.”

“Ah! I see! I heard there was a Korean doctor who performed emergency measures on the collapsed Marilyn Monroe. By any chance, is that doctor Dr. Kim Yun-seok?”

“Is such a rumor going around?”

“Yes, it is. I heard she seems to have passed a big crisis because the Korean doctor performed emergency measures well. The Far East Command also seems to be looking for who that doctor is!”

“If so, it seems to be Dr. Kim Yun-seok. He told me yesterday that he performed emergency measures himself.”

“Haha, this is very encouraging. Dr. Kim Yun-seok did a great job.”

Professor Chung Ki-ryeo smiled brightly, as if in a good mood.

“Yes. That’s right. It seems Dr. Kim Yun-seok did his best according to the manual.”

“Right! It seems to be a good opportunity to show the medical capability of South Korea. If so, Marilyn Monroe will be transferred to our hospital!”

“Pardon? What do you mean by that?”

“Ah, currently the facilities of the Far East Command medical unit are poor, and above all, Marilyn Monroe is desperately looking for the Korean doctor who saved her. She seems to insist on receiving treatment from that doctor. If that doctor is Dr. Kim Yun-seok, won’t she eventually be transferred to our hospital?”

“Ah, I see.”

“Anyway, they said a cooperation official letter was also sent to Seoul National University Hospital and Severance Hospital with the same content. We have to consult first, but it seems highly likely that Marilyn Monroe will be transferred to our hospital.”

“I see.”

“For now, it seems everything must be kept in top secret, so keep that in mind and prepare. Dr. Ji-hyuk, consult well with the chiefs of other departments and prepare.”

“Yes. Understood.”

‘What? Marilyn Monroe is being admitted to our hospital?’

Kim Ji-hyuk was startled by Professor Chung Ki-ryeo’s unexpected instruction.

A moment later, the department office.

“Wh-what? Ma-Marilyn Monroe is being admitted to our hospital?”

Kim Yun-seok, who heard the news from Kim Ji-hyuk, was startled.

“Yes. It seems she passed the dangerous crisis because you did the emergency measures well. You are truly amazing!”

“N-No. I didn’t do much, you know? As I said before, I just did the emergency measures for paroxysmal tachycardia, and since there was respiratory failure…”

“Since there was respiratory failure, what?”

Kim Ji-hyuk narrowed his eyes and stared at Kim Yun-seok.

“I just did mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.”

In an instant, Kim Yun-seok’s face turned as red as a tomato.

“Wow! Is… is it true? You did mouth-to-mouth?”

“Uh? Yes. It was an unavoidable situation. What other way was there than that.”

Kim Yun-seok twisted his body shyly.

“Wow! It’s true!”

“Yes. Don’t imagine strange things. She is a married woman!”

“Hmph, who said anything? Why does a married woman come up here?”

“Ahem, I-I mean it’s just like that. Anyway. Since I just did what I had to do as a doctor. That aside, why is Marilyn Monroe coming to our hospital?”

“Why? Because Marilyn Monroe is looking for you.”

“Me? Why?”

“There is a reason. Anyway, since she is being admitted to our hospital, and it’s the professor’s instruction to prepare, you must prepare without any setback.”

In that way, they came to prepare to transfer and treat Marilyn Monroe from the Far East Command medical unit to the National Medical Center.

* * *

National Medical Center.

It was revealed that the doctor who performed the emergency measures was Kim Yun-seok, and in the end, Marilyn Monroe decided to receive treatment at the National Medical Center as she wished.

Marilyn Monroe arrived at the hospital under tight guard.

Kim Ji-hyuk and Kim Yun-seok, who heard the news of her arrival, were waiting in front of the hospital’s main gate.

Finally, the transport vehicle arrived at the hospital, and the figure of Marilyn Monroe lying on a gurney began to be revealed.

“We will handle the transfer from now on.”

Just as Kim Ji-hyuk and Kim Yun-seok, who had prepared everything, tried to take over the patient.

“No! From now on, we will handle all treatment processes. You just need to guide us to the ward!”

However, an unexpected situation unfolded. The US military doctors, who blocked them strongly, refused to hand over the patient while maintaining strict security.

“What do you mean by that? This is a Korean hospital. If she receives treatment here, naturally a Korean doctor…”

“Move aside, please! This is the policy of the Far East Command!”

“What policy? We didn’t receive any such words. If a patient comes to our hospital, isn’t it logical that we treat her?”

Even so, Kim Ji-hyuk was not one to back down easily.

“We have already finished consultation with the National Medical Center! We cannot trust the medical staff of the National Medical Center! We will do the treatment! So do not interfere any further, and please just guide us to the ward.”

The US military doctors pushed Kim Ji-hyuk and Kim Yun-seok away with a high-handed attitude.

“What kind of impolite behavior is this? If that is the case, we cannot accept the patient either! I can no longer stand and watch such an insulting attitude.”

Kim Yun-seok showed his displeasure without filtering.

“Are you going to keep interfering like this? Didn’t I say it is a matter already agreed upon with the director of your hospital?”

Despite that, the US side showed no willingness to change their minds even a little.

It was at that very moment.

Marilyn Monroe, who was lying on the gurney, wriggled and swept away the blanket that had been pulled up to her forehead with her hand.