Chapter 94
I left the consultation room.
I don't know.
Right now, I should just stop thinking about the paper and focus on how to survive until quitting time.
“I'm back!”
…
***
And so, abstract writing began.
Of course, it wasn't really some hellish ordeal.
Because I had a bunch of foul-tempered dead medical geniuses attached to me 24/7.
I worked in a corner of the ER station, handling patients with colds and drunks in between, while frantically gathering material with the gallery window open.
Hell Joseon Slave 1: Can someone find me a case report on an ER laparotomy!!!! Even better if they just sliced them open right there in the ER!!! URGENT!!!!!
ㄴ Back in my day: Tsk-tsk. There's no way some crazy bastard like that is anyone other than you. Just search for Damage Control Surgery in Austere Environments (damage control surgery in harsh environments)
toward that keyword. It'll sound more plausible.
ㄴ Hell Joseon Slave 1: Then what changes?
ㄴ God of the Scalpel: You'd get cases where surgery was done on a battlefield or where somebody got carved up at a disaster site, idiot.
ㄴ Hell Joseon Slave 1: OK OK
It was while I was scooping up those scattered bits of info and cramming them into a Word file.
“Oh, Hyun-jae. Working hard.”
Professor Cheon Eun-jeong stopped beside me as she passed by with a coffee in hand.
“How's the abstract coming?”
“Ah, yes, Professor. I'm looking through some reference material right now.”
I quickly showed her the trauma journal I had pulled up on the monitor.
“Could I use something like this as a reference?”
Professor Cheon looked at my monitor for a moment.
“Pre-hospital Thoracotomy... That's a thoracic surgery paper. Hmm, not bad.”
Professor Cheon thought for a moment, then nodded.
“Right. If opening the chest outside the hospital or in the ER is possible, there's no reason you can't open the abdomen. Good angle. Work out the logic well.”
“Yes, Professor!”
Phew.
First hurdle cleared.
That night.
Just as I was about to clock out, I ran into that giant silhouette in front of the elevator.
It was Professor Kang Hyun-jun from Trauma Surgery.
“Ah, hello, Professor!”
“Mm. Dr. Han.”
Professor Kang gave me a quick glance and tossed out a casual remark.
“So you're really writing that thing up for real now. The laparotomy.”
“Ah... yes. Professor Cheon...”
“Don't put in useless stuff.”
Professor Kang cut me off.
“Pardon?”
“During the presentation, don't write it like some bragging piece about what you did and what I did. In other words, don't make the write-up revolve around the procedure itself.”
Professor Kang said that as he pressed the elevator button.
“Emphasize that there was a delay before the trauma surgery specialist arrived, that the patient was dying, and that the only thing the ER could do was that.”
Ding.
The elevator doors opened.
“What I'm saying is, stress the inevitability that the patient would have died if you'd left it as it was. If you write it like some EM doctor bragging about cutting someone open, the surgeons will come charging in and tear you apart. That's just an old man's advice.”
Professor Kang left those words of advice and stepped into the elevator.
So that's what he meant.
In any case, it was already decided that an emergency medicine doctor had performed the laparotomy and would be presenting it.
If we were going to present it, that meant building every bit of the defense around the inevitability of the situation.
Thank you, Professor.
***
Five days later, all the time Professor Cheon had given me had passed.
I had just finished an overnight shift, but I put off going home and knocked on the professor's office door.
“I finished it, Professor.”
“Oh? You finished?”
Professor Cheon turned on her tablet PC.
She opened her email and brought up the attached file, 'EmergencyLaparotomyAbstract_Final_ReallyFinal_ThisOne122.docx'.
Professor Cheon's eyes began to scan the screen.
At first, her expression was calm.
Then came a slight nod.
Then a furrow between her brows.
And finally, the moment she reached the Discussion section packed full of Professor Kang Hyun-jun's unsolicited advice.
Professor Cheon's scrolling came to a stop.
“Mm... hmm... okay.”
Without taking her eyes off the screen, Professor Cheon asked me,
“Did you write this by yourself?”
“Huh? Yes, of course. I worked hard all night. Of course, Professor Kang did offer a few small suggestions.”
“Are you some kind of paper-writing machine? An AI? Is there anything even worth nitpicking...”
Professor Cheon scanned the screen from top to bottom once more.
“Mm, not really.”
Then Professor Cheon broke into an incredulous laugh.
“The logic is perfect. The evidence is exact. And that title is amazing. So we're submitting it like this?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
I decided to act a little more confident now.
'I've got someone behind me, you know. Heh heh heh.'
Hundreds of dead geniuses were coaching me in real time, chewing up my peace and quiet and all that, so this much was nothing.
“Good. Then submit the abstract now?”
“Yes! Understood!”
I answered in the boldest, most self-confident voice of my life.
“Okay, go on! You're off!”
“I'm off!!!!”
I dashed out of the professor's office and shouted for joy.
And just like that, the grueling abstract-writing that would mark my second-year spring came to an end.
***
Rrrrring.
The ringtone echoed through Professor Cheon Eun-jeong's office.
She had just skipped lunch and was about to soothe her stomach with coffee.
“Ah, damn it.”
Professor Cheon frowned and picked up the receiver.
She quickly figured out where the call was coming from.
A Seoul number starting with 02.
“Yes, this is Cheon Eun-jeong from Emergency Medicine.”
[Yes, Professor. Hello. I'm calling regarding the abstract submissions for the spring conference~]
It was a very polite, businesslike young woman's voice.
“Yes, yes. Thank you for your hard work. What can I do for you...”
[I was calling to confirm the abstract you registered as the corresponding author.]
“Confirm? Was there some problem with the paperwork?”
Professor Cheon's voice sharpened slightly.
Five days to finish, and it was a file she'd submitted yesterday with surgical precision.
[Ah, no! There are no problems with the paperwork at all! It's just, uh, to confirm the submitted contents...]
“Yes, go on.”
[Could I ask whether the title of the abstract submitted to the oral presentation trauma section was... just a moment...]
Through the receiver, she could faintly hear typing and the rustling of papers.
[Ah, found it. The title is... <Emergency Resuscitative Laparotomy and Damage Control Packing Led by an Emergency Medicine Physician in a Delayed Surgeon Arrival Situation: A Case Report>. And the corresponding author is Professor Cheon Eun-jeong, correct?]
“Yes, that's me.”
Professor Cheon turned on her tablet PC and brought up the file she had submitted herself.
[Yes. And the author... I mean, the first author is Dr. Han Hyun-jae, correct?]
“Yes, that's right, but...”
Professor Cheon answered casually.
Then there was a three-second silence on the other end of the line.
[…]
“...What's wrong? Why aren't you answering?”
Professor Cheon set down her coffee cup.
[Um, Professor. Excuse me, but is this Dr. Han Hyun-jae actually a resident...?]
In the end, the staff member couldn't beat around the bush and got to the point.
A thin smile appeared at the corner of Professor Cheon's mouth.
Here it comes.
“Yes, he's a resident, second-year. Is there a problem?”
[Ah, no! Not a problem, really! It's just that while reviewing the abstracts submitted to the academic committee, a case in which a second-year resident performed a laparotomy in the ER is, as you know, extremely unusual... haha.]
An awkward laugh.
In that laugh was the suspicion of, 'This isn't fake, right?' 'The professor isn't the first author and didn't just hand the first-author spot to a first-year, right?'
“It is unusual.”
Professor Cheon leaned back in her chair.
[Ah, yes! Thank you for confirming! We were just calling to confirm! Thank you for the excellent case report, Professor!]
“Yes, goodbye.”
Thud.
Professor Cheon set down the abruptly ended call and stared blankly into space.
…Heh.
A hollow laugh slipped out.
Right. Even the academic committee staff didn't believe it. Probably the people who were there that day, and even Han Hyun-jae himself who actually pulled it off, still don't fully realize what he did.
Professor Cheon read the title of the abstract she had approved out loud once more.
“Emergency resuscitative laparotomy led by an emergency medicine physician in a delayed surgeon arrival situation....”
She shrugged.
'Well, it's not wrong.'
The surgeon was late, the EM doctor did it, and the patient lived.
It was a perfect case report.
She imagined the countless questions, the shock, and the complicated looks the professors would have when this abstract was presented on conference day.
Ding-
[We would like to inform you that the abstract you submitted has been accepted for the spring conference oral session - Trauma presentation.]
“Let's do this.”
Professor Cheon took a sip of her mix coffee.
“Our hospital's lunatic.”
***
Before I knew it, I was riding in a car bound for Daegu.
I didn't know whether the hospital was flush with money or whether, by dragging me along to a place like this, they were at least trying to keep some conscience, but thanks to that I had a very comfortable seat to myself.
Because we left early in the morning, my eyes were gritty, but my mind was strangely sharp.
I gave a faint smile at my rotten face reflected in the window.
I was nervous, but I wasn't afraid I'd bomb.
Why?
Because I'd already put together an insane amount of prep.
***
The day before
Last night, instead of sleeping, I opened my laptop.
For the presentation that might define my entire hospital life.
I opened a Word file and started typing.
=======
[Gallery of Dead Medical Geniuses]
Is this okay?
Author : Hell Joseon Slave 1
[Image: Expected Questions List and Sample Answers]
=======
And with that, I uploaded my overnight masterpiece to the gallery.
The comments exploded.
[Comments]
Back in my day: At this rate, he probably won't break down crying halfway through.
Heart Dept. Ghost: Q3 is definitely going to come up.
God of the Scalpel: Why is this kid actually good at this?
Descendant of Hippocrates: Rejoice, O living one! In the hall of learning, you are ready to show off your knowledge!
Okay, the question list is about this much, then...
And one more thing.
The thing I'd forgotten.
The shop.
I had completely forgotten it because I was too busy.
My LP.
I should check my LP too.
I opened the drab shopping cart icon.
[Owned LP: 30,160]
...
"...What is this."
Did I seriously go through possession and not use LP even once?
What is the admin doing?
Why hasn't this been nerfed?
The number 30,000 was making my brain go numb, but first I had to put out the fire right in front of me.
[Memory Palace (Single-Use)]
[Price: 800 LP]
[Description: Recall everything you saw and heard over the past 24 hours with perfect, photo-like clarity. Find the clues you missed.]
Hmm, let's buy this first.
I need to perfectly remember all those dozens of anticipated answers the gallery ghosts were pestering me with last night, and all the contents of the papers Professor Cheon told me to use as references.
[Purchase Complete]
For now, let's use this to prepare for the presentation.
Okay.
And then, as I scrolled, a new item I'd never seen before came into view.
[Possession Upgrade]
[Price: 30,000 LP]
[Description: For 30 minutes, a designated gallery user can possess your body, or float in midair beside you for 1 hour and guide you in real time.]
[Penalty: After using the skill, you will suffer severe full-body muscle pain for 6 hours.]
...Oh?
1 hour? The possession part stays at 30 minutes, but the hovering-guidance option increases from 30 minutes to 1 hour?
And the penalty.
6 hours instead of 12?
Cut in half?
'This actually works.'
Let's think about this.
***
Back to today.
Anyway, after a night like that, my brain was spinning at an absurd speed now.
“Hyun-jae.”
Then Professor Cheon Eun-jeong, who was sitting next to me looking at something on her laptop, called me.
“Are you ready for the presentation?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Are you nervous?”
Professor Cheon adjusted her glasses and glanced at me.
I was trying to act calm, but I couldn't do anything about my pounding heart.
Holding a microphone in front of hundreds of people is a different kind of fear from cutting open a patient's belly.
“...Yes. Honestly, a little.”
Professor Cheon snorted and nodded toward the seats in front of us.
“It'll pass. See Lee Min-jae over there?”
“Yes, I do.”
In the seat two rows ahead, Lee Min-jae was asleep with a neck pillow on, his mouth hanging open.
Even after becoming a specialist and a fellow, that man's slovenly habits hadn't changed one bit.
“He's sleeping with his mouth open and drooling, isn't he?”
“...Yes.”
The drool around his mouth was so bad even tissues couldn't handle it.
“Sigh. Even after becoming a fellow, he's still like that. When he was your age, he got that nervous too and even took herbal calming pills. Anyway, this is your first oral presentation, so don't get too worked up. Just say exactly what you experienced and exactly what you did. You've got this.”
“Yes! Understood, Professor!”
I answered cheerfully.
After all, I'd have a legion of ghosts behind me.
For now, just go headfirst into it.