Dr. Taesoo Choi

It was certain that thoracic surgery was part of both the major and curriculum.
I had read all those thick medical textbooks.
I don’t remember everything, but I must have unconsciously absorbed some terms back then, and at some point, they began to spill out.
Thinking this way was better for my mental health.

As I thought, Taesu, who had finished the disinfection, entered the SICU.
He walked over to Im Taekjin’s side, where Kim Seokdong was guarding the patient.
“I’m here.”
“Did you bring the coffee?”
“Coffee… Ah!”
Taesu looked down at his hands and suddenly remembered.
He had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he had forgotten to bring the coffee.
Kim Seokdong’s face twisted immediately when he saw Taesu’s darkened expression.
“You’re just an intern, and you’re ignoring what a resident says?”
“…”
“So, you think just because I’ve been nice to you, you can start bossing me around? Don’t even think about sitting down here.”
Snarling, Kim Seokdong stood up abruptly and walked off. It seemed that Taesu had blown the chance of being in his good graces.
Taesu sat down weakly next to Im Taekjin, giving a bitter smile.
“I’m marked now.”
It was clear from Kim Seokdong’s reaction.
He wasn’t sure how long he’d stay in the SICU, but he had a feeling the time would be far from pleasant.

Taesu’s prediction was spot on.
For the next few days, he couldn’t escape the SICU for more than 20 hours a day.
He was granted exactly four hours of freedom.
And he never knew when those four hours would come.
It was entirely up to Kim Seokdong whether he was allowed to leave.
He had to sleep, eat, and even use the bathroom within those four hours.
It was no surprise that his once strong physique began to deteriorate gradually.
However, Taesu wasn’t idle.
In fact, it was an opportunity for him.

Im Taekjin’s post-surgery recovery had been slow, with a lot of sedation to avoid pain and promote self-healing.
Im Taekjin had been asleep for nearly 18 hours a day due to delayed recovery, and Taesu, standing by his side, was faced with a complicated situation.
A patient who lies down for long periods is prone to developing bedsores.
It was a basic fact everyone knew.
But Taesu’s perspective was slightly different.
Turning the patient over recklessly could be dangerous.
Since the patient had undergone chest surgery twice, special care was required.
As Taesu pondered, a solution came to mind.
He hesitated for a moment.
The method that came to him was completely different from what he had learned from textbooks.
‘Is it really okay to do this?’
But he was confident that the theory in his mind was correct.
Still, his formal training in the standard methods prevented him from acting impulsively.
He had to choose between the two approaches.
After a brief pause, Taesu made his decision.
To follow the traditional method from his training would require at least two people.
However, the new method that came to him could be done alone.
With Kim Seokdong watching him closely, it wasn’t easy to ask anyone else for help.
Since he had to do it alone anyway, it made sense to go with the method he could perform by himself.
Taesu immediately put the theory into practice.
He placed a pillow under one leg to let fresh air circulate around the thigh and calf.
At the same time, his gaze shifted to the patient’s head.
Beep, beep.
He closely observed the ECG changes.
After about five minutes, there were no significant issues.
He had raised one leg above the heart, which could hinder blood flow, but since only one leg was elevated, there didn’t seem to be any major problem.
‘It’s working?’
Taesu began to trust the memories of new methods that had come to him.
Using the same approach, he alternated other parts of the body, raising them briefly to allow airflow.
There were no significant movements, and Im Taekjin’s heart never showed any problems.
The only downside was that it took nearly an hour to complete the process.
Taesu quickly evaluated the pros and cons in his mind.
If he moved quickly, he could change the position of three patients at the same time.
There were definite advantages, but also some downsides.
The biggest problem was that, as an intern, he had to be cautious when deviating from established protocols.
From that point on, Taesu continued to provide care for Im Taekjin, applying the new theories that had come to him.
It wasn’t an experiment.
He was confident in these methods, even though they felt strange. He secretly carried them out.
He made sure to stretch the patient gently and adjust his posture regularly.
As an intern, he only did what was within his limits and didn’t overstep.
As he continued his dedicated care, Taesu started to feel that Im Taekjin was almost like his first patient.
His efforts seemed to be paying off, as Im Taekjin showed slow but steady improvement.
Four days had passed since the initial arrest, and throughout that time, Im Taekjin hadn’t shown any further complications.

A week had already passed since Taesu had been unable to move in the SICU.
His condition had deteriorated to the point where he could truly feel the phrase “weight is dropping.” Even the nurses, who had never been fond of him, had started to defend him. While he appreciated their kindness, he still prioritized the orders of the residents, so he silently endured.
Of course, his frustration with Kim Seokdong had already reached its peak.
Today, he was once again by Im Taekjin’s side. The care methods that had come to his mind seemed effective, as there were no signs of bedsores.
‘One thing learned.’
He wasn’t sure how useful it would be in different situations, but it was better to know than not.
While muttering to himself, Taesu had the patient chart open beside him.
He made sure to fill it out on time, and even small changes were carefully noted.
He was staring at Im Taekjin for what felt like an eternity when he heard Kim Seokdong’s voice from behind.
“Choi, you there?”
Taesu’s expression automatically twisted, but he forced himself to remain calm and asked with a neutral face.
“Did you call for me?”
“Go down to the café on the first floor right now.”
“The café?”
Taesu tilted his head in confusion, but Kim Seokdong just sneered.
“Seriously. An intern getting sent off because someone’s visiting? The world’s really changed.”
“…”
As Taesu remained silent, Kim Seokdong added another comment.
“What are you waiting for? Go.”
“I’ll be right back.”
Taesu didn’t ask any more questions and left his seat.
To be honest, he was curious about who might have come to visit him.
However, since it was Kim Seokdong asking, it was better to avoid asking and causing unnecessary stress.
Taesu walked out of the SICU and headed to the café, still pondering the mystery.
“Who could it be?”
His parents and sister hadn’t visited the hospital.
His friends didn’t even know he was at Yeonseong University Hospital.
So, a visit?
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t figure it out.

With curiosity in his mind, Taesu arrived at the café.
There were specialists in their lab coats, as well as patients and visitors.
He still couldn’t tell who among them might be there for him.
As Taesu scanned the room, a man in his mid-40s, dressed in a suit, approached and asked first,
“Are you Dr. Choi Taesu?”
“That’s me. Are you the one looking for me?”
Taesu asked, still confused. The man shook his head.
“No, it’s not me. It’s that person over there.”
The man gestured, and Taesu’s gaze followed.