NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8 - Worst future
“So, you’re saying that Lee Hyun-Seung told you to observe (observation, monitor without any specific action) the patient for now?”
The third-year resident asked several times, grinning as he made notes in the chart.
“Okay, since the CV (Cardiovascular) fellow said to observe.”
He seemed pleased, perhaps because he now had something solid to report during the professor’s rounds in the morning. Then, with a wide yawn, he disappeared into the on-call room.
As I was about to head off to bed, the nurses looked at me with sympathetic eyes.
“Dr. Lee Seon Joon! Did the CV fellow get really mad at you?”
“No, she was actually quite kind.”
It was too much of a hassle to explain everything that had happened, so I just gave a simple response.
“Oh, really? That’s surprising!”
“Maybe it’s because Dr. Lee Seon Joon is so handsome~.”
The nurses giggled among themselves, teasing me.
‘They’ve found something to latch onto.’
I forced a smile, but suddenly, Choi Jin-seong returned to the station, huffing and puffing. He frantically looked around before grabbing something from the desk.
‘A light green envelope?’
As people stared at him in confusion, Choi Jin-Seong turned red and stammered,
“I… left something behind. Did anyone read it?”
“No. We didn’t even know it was there~.”
When a senior nurse in her 40s waved her hand dismissively, Choi Jin-seong bit his lip and quickly disappeared again.
“What was that about? What’s with him?”
“No idea. Maybe he found a love letter or something.”
The nurses started laughing again. I tilted my head in confusion but soon lost interest.
“Nothing like caffeine after a meal~.”
“Ever since we became interns, it feels like there’s more caffeine than blood in our veins.”
After lunch with Wonil and the other interns, we were all heading to the café on the hospital’s first floor.
“Uh, Dr. Lee Seon Joon, I think that Western medicine professor has been looking at you for a while now.”
Wonil nudged me cautiously.
“Oh no, she’s coming this way.”
“What’s going on? Did we do something wrong? Is it because we didn’t greet her when we made eye contact?”
CV Fellow Lee Hyun-Seung was walking toward us, holding a cup of coffee. My fellow interns were all making a fuss, and I, too, could only think of the worst.
‘Could it be because of what happened yesterday…?’
Was she going to throw that coffee at me?
As she approached with an intimidating aura, that thought crossed my mind. But then, Lee Hyun-Seung handed me the coffee.
“…?”
“Take it. It’s for the acupuncture yesterday. I didn’t know what you liked, so I just got what I liked. It’s an iced café latte.”
‘What is this? A gesture of reconciliation?’
I decided to accept it.
“Well, I’m more of an iced Americano person, but thanks anyway.”
My fellow interns looked at me like I was crazy, their eyes wide as saucers.
“And, uh, if you want acupuncture for your sprained ankle, you should go to the Department of Acupuncture and Pain Management, right?”
“Yes, make sure to book an appointment in advance.”
“Okay.”
As soon as the fellow walked away, my colleagues, who had been holding their breath, surrounded me, bombarding me with questions.
“Dr. Lee Seon Joon, what was that just now?”
“Do you know her personally?”
Could I even call this an acquaintance? But saying I don’t know her would seem strange, too.
“Yeah, well, a little.”
My colleagues then started looking at me with admiration.
“Wow, amazing. You even know a Western medicine professor?”
“As expected from Dr. Lee Seon Joon! The ace intern!”
‘These guys have been teasing me nonstop since our special day off.’
I just laughed it off lightly.
Meanwhile, Lee Hyun-Seung was also being questioned by the residents. One resident, who was holding her coffee, looked wide-eyed.
“Professor, did you just buy coffee for that intern from the Oriental Medicine department? Why?”
“Oh, I had something to ask.”
Lee Hyun-Seung casually replied as she took back her coffee.
“About what?”
“I asked which department to go to for acupuncture for a sprained ankle.”
“What? You must be joking, right?”
Usually, Lee Hyun-Seung made disparaging remarks about Oriental Medicine, so everyone thought she was joking. However, Lee Hyun-seung didn’t laugh.
“No, I’m serious.”
“Professor, why not just go to the orthopedics department instead of the Oriental Medicine department?”
Another resident commented with a hint of sarcasm, causing Lee Hyun-Seung to turn serious.
“Hey, do you know what percentage of Japanese doctors prescribe herbal medicine?”
“…What?”
“You don’t, right? Then keep quiet.”
She said coldly before walking ahead.
“What’s with her all of a sudden?”
The resident who had been scolded muttered in frustration, while the others just shrugged their shoulders.
At the far end of the Korean Medicine Ward, where the research offices of the Korean Medicine professors are lined up, I happened to run into Professor Kim from the Acupuncture and Moxibustion department as I was passing by. I bowed in greeting, and the professor smiled and spoke to me.
“Dr. Seon Joon, I gave you time off to rest, but it seems you went out and treated a patient instead?”
I could easily guess what he was referring to. It seemed that the CV fellow actually went to the acupuncture outpatient clinic. I lowered my head slightly.
“It just happened that way.”
“That young professor from Cardiology spoke highly of you.”
Did she really praise me? Not curse me for being impudent? I responded with a bit of confusion.
“Is that so?”
“Yes, she said her ankle got better after getting acupuncture from you. She mentioned that she hadn’t planned on getting acupuncture, but she ended up visiting our outpatient clinic because of it.”
“Oh… I’m glad to hear that.”
“And what else did she say? That you’re remarkably calm and articulate for an intern, and that she learned something from you.”
Professor Kim laughed heartily, and all I could do was respond with an awkward smile.
“It seems that people have a similar eye for talent. Among this year’s interns, you stand out to me as well.”
“Thank you for thinking so highly of me.”
“So, what’s your next rotation?”
“In about two weeks, I’ll be moving to the Oriental Internal Medicine department.”
“Alright then, I’ll be sure to speak highly of you to Professor Lim from that department. Keep up the good work.”
The professor smiled kindly and walked past me.
Ah… There’s no need for that.
Though the professor meant well by “looking out for me,” as an intern, it just added to the pressure.
I stood there in a bit of a daze before regaining my composure.
‘Right, I was on my way to see Hwang Byung-man.’
I turned my steps back toward Room 5234.
Mr. Hwang had seen the CV outpatient clinic this morning and had started taking new blood pressure medication around lunchtime. His blood pressure was still high, so I was on my way to check his condition after receiving the afternoon vitals call.
“Doctor, why is my father’s blood pressure still high?”
His son, in his early 40s, was staying by his bedside as a guardian. He frowned worriedly as he asked me.
“Blood pressure medication usually takes some time to take effect. It doesn’t lower the pressure immediately after taking it.”
“Oh, I see.”
Only then did the guardian’s face relax. He hesitated for a moment, as if there was something more he wanted to say, and then cautiously spoke up.
“Uh, Doctor, could you check my pulse as well?”
Sometimes guardians made such requests. It’s hard to outright refuse, so I usually agree.
“Sure, I’ll take a quick look.”
“Thank you, I know you’re busy.”
“No problem. Are you concerned about something?”
“There’s nothing major, but lately I’ve been having some digestive issues, and I’ve been feeling more tired, probably from stress. I get short of breath when I climb stairs, which didn’t happen before.”
“Your blood pressure seems a bit high as well.”
I noted the reddish tone of his complexion as I spoke.
“That’s right. When I check my blood pressure with my father’s, it often reads higher than normal.”
“Hypertension can be hereditary, so it’s important to manage it early. Do you smoke or drink?”
I asked, noticing the smell of cigarettes on him. As expected, he sheepishly scratched his head.
“Yes… I do both. I know I need to cut back.”
Based on the questioning so far, he seemed like a typical middle-aged Korean man—at risk of high blood pressure, with declining digestion and stamina. But there was one thing that bothered me.
‘If I run the worst-case scenario in my head, there is one possible condition…’
It wouldn’t hurt to recommend a health checkup. As I mentally prepared what to say, I reached out my hand.
“Alright, could you please extend your wrist? Try not to talk for a moment.”
I gently placed my fingers on the inside of his wrist.
“…!”
Then, at an unexpected moment, “that sensation” took over my mind. Fortunately, this was my third time experiencing it, so I was barely able to maintain my composure.
However, this time, it wasn’t just a vision that flashed through my mind.
‘A light…!’
A brief flash of light crossed my vision, and when it faded, I saw the man’s curious face in front of me.
“Doctor? How am I?”
“Ah, well…”
I was at a loss for words.
‘Damn! I was imagining the worst, but it turned out to be true.’
The future I had just witnessed was far more terrifying than anything I’d seen before.
‘You’re going to die in a week.’
I couldn’t exactly say that, could I? He’d think I was insane.
In the vision, this man…
He would die of a myocardial infarction in a week.
‘So it really was angina.’
Angina is when the coronary arteries are narrowed, and myocardial infarction is when those arteries become completely blocked, cutting off blood supply to the heart. In other words, angina is a precursor to a heart attack.
And the hallmark of angina is a heavy, pressure-like pain in the center of the chest.
‘Generally speaking, that is.’
However, there are cases like this man’s where instead of pain, they just feel bloated. Bloatedness, shortness of breath when climbing stairs, smoking, high blood pressure, stress… These are common situations, but they are also warning signs of angina.
This was why I had planned to recommend a heart examination.
‘In the vision, this man only took antacids from the pharmacy until it eventually led to a heart attack…’
I slowly opened my mouth, choosing my words carefully.
“I think it would be a good idea to get a health checkup, just in case. Especially for your heart.”
“Huh? Is there something wrong with me?”
I carefully explained to avoid scaring him but still made him feel the need to get checked.
“…So, I noticed some risk factors for angina, so it might be a good idea to see a cardiologist.”
“Oh, okay. How do I schedule an appointment?”
“If you ask the nurse at the station over there, she’ll help you set it up.”
“Ah! Thank you, Doctor.”
If I hadn’t seen the future, I would have just guided him this far and ended it.
‘But I need to make sure he actually books the appointment.’
I naturally followed the man to the station. However…
“The earliest available appointment is in two weeks.”
“Oh, really? Well, I guess that’ll have to do. Please book it for then.”
The man nodded in agreement, though with some disappointment, after the nurse kindly explained the situation.
Internally, I was screaming.
…How am I going to fix this?