Chapter 168: Getting Heated (1)

“Hello.”

“H-Hello. Doctor Lee Suhyuk.”

Suhyuk cheerfully greeted the staff member he encountered at the outpatient clinic. Meanwhile, Baruda recognized the schedule chart behind the employee through Suhyuk’s eyes.

[Yoo Jisang is also attending the outpatient clinic today.]

‘Jisang?’

[Aren’t you close enough to call him by his first name?]

‘That…’

Although their relationship was continuously evolving, Baruda always casually made such cutting remarks. Regardless, thanks to Baruda, Suhyuk began to worry about his interpersonal relationships, particularly with his peers.

Come to think of it, I don’t even have anyone to eat lunch with.

[What’s the problem? You can eat with An Dae-hoon and Woo Ha-yoon. Or you can just eat with me.]

‘That…that’s true. No wait, nope. Eating only with you is basically eating alone.’

[Others might see it that way. Does it matter?]

‘Sometimes, it does matter…’

As Baruda spoke, Suhyuk realized he had been fine dining alone until now. Just as he was about to objectively confirm this thought without any errors, someone tapped him on the shoulder.

He turned around to find Ji-sang standing there - the very person they were discussing earlier. Initially, Suhyuk perceived him as clumsy when they first joined together, but now, despite being only in his second year, Ji-sang seemed quite comfortable and well-adjusted.

“What are you thinking? Even the great Lee Suhyuk is nervous for his first outpatient clinic?”

However, as soon as Ji-sang opened his mouth, his inexperience was revealed. Although he asked if Suhyuk was nervous, it was actually Ji-sang who appeared anxious.

[The emotions conveyed in your speech are predominantly unease and anxiety. Your sympathetic nerve tone also seems elevated.]

If it were anyone else instead of Suhyuk, they might not have noticed. Unfortunately for Ji-sang, Suhyuk always had Baruda with him, and Baruda never rested while Suhyuk was awake.

‘He’s scared.’

[Ah… Yes, well. If you insist on using such clichéd expressions…]

Suhyuk casually ignored Baruda’s sarcasm and responded to Ji-sang.

“Ah, uh… Yes, naturally shaking. Well… The fellows’ outpatient clinics are also open…”

“I don’t feel comfortable asking them. I heard most patients today have less severe conditions, but still, it makes me uneasy.”

“Oh, there are many walk-in patients?”

“Huh? You didn’t hear… Ah, no, not at all. Yes, that’s what I’ve been told.”

Jisang hastily changed the topic, realizing how little seniority Suhyuk had compared to him. Previously, Jisang wondered why seniors were so dismissive of Suhyuk. However, after observing An Dae-hoon seemingly learning from Suhyuk and effectively appealing to their seniors, he understood immediately.

While they might not outright hate him,…

How could they appreciate someone junior outperforming them? Although Kim Insoo favored Suhyuk, his ambition was equally immense, as evidenced by securing first place in the specialist exams, impressing professors, and…

How could they appreciate someone junior to them who outperformed them?

Kim Insoo was one of the few who favored Suhyuk, but even he had gone into seclusion, aiming for first place in the specialist exam due to his ambitious nature. This meant Suhyuk wouldn’t have much time or opportunity to receive advice from him.

“Oh, I see… Hmm…” Contrary to Ji-sang’s concerns, Suhyuk didn’t seem bothered by not receiving any guidance from his seniors.

“It’s disappointing that the severity level is low. Hopefully, we won’t just get patients with common colds?”

‘Well, that would be unfair… considering I studied until 2 AM last night…’

“Should we pray? For more seriously ill patients to come.”

‘Huh? Wait, isn’t that somewhat inhumane?’

Suhyuk and Baruda were solely focused on their outpatient clinics. Of course, Ji-sang’s thoughts were similar, but his intentions were different.

“Anyway, see you later. Let’s have lunch together - it has been a while. We’ve both been so busy; I feel like we only exchange greetings.”

“Yes, sounds good. See you then. Fighting!”

“Yeah, same to you. Fighting!”

After all, they weren’t particularly close friends. If they were, regardless of how busy they were, they would have found time for meals together.

Following this brief exchange, Suhyuk entered his room.

[It’s incredibly small.]

‘It can’t be compared to Professor’s clinic.’

[Indeed, it cannot. You expect the best ace outpatient doctor to work in this storage-like room?]

Honestly, Suhyuk hadn’t thought much about it before. However, upon hearing ‘storage,’ he realized how accurate that description was. It probably had been used as such at one point since they mentioned creating additional clinics due to the increasing number of patients.

Suhyuk found himself quite well-informed about hospital matters, although the difference might lie in others receiving updates from senior colleagues while he heard them directly from the director or department managers.

Regardless, Suhyuk tended to maintain objectivity rather than being overly influenced by Baruda’s opinions.

‘I’m still just a resident, regardless of being an “ace,” and…’

[‘And what else?’]

‘Let’s get started soon. Please cooperate. Don’t waste my brain and glucose on unnecessary things.’

[Oh… That was a good glucose joke. Where did you learn that from? I need to search for it later. You have a great sense of humor.]

‘Shut up…’

As Suhyuk frowned at the annoying conversation with Baruda, one of the employees raised their eyebrows. According to rumors, despite being the son of the director and the favorite of the manager - almost like a celebrity within the hospital - he had a commendable character. The employee was puzzled by Suhyuk’s frown upon entering.

It was Baruda who noticed the strange atmosphere first.

[Pretend to smile kindly while examining patients. If you look upset alone, people might think something is wrong with you.]

‘Ah, I’m not alone here. Right.’

Thanks to Baruda’s alertness, Suhyuk could intervene before any suspicions arose about his character.

“Ah, sorry. I’m just nervous.”

“Are you okay? That is why I didn’t bring coffee for you earlier.”

“Oh…yes. Now, I am fine. Shall we see the patients?”

“Yes, today might be uncomfortable as they are walk-in patients. It may take some time to assess them properly. Please take your time; it’s alright.”

“I will.” Suhyuk nodded, and the staff member opened the door, admitting the first patient waiting outside.

“Their gait is steady with no signs of limping. They don’t appear to be in pain…” Baruda promptly relayed the initial scan results.

It was just a minor clue, but it was immensely helpful for Suhyuk’s first diagnosis as a doctor.

“Patient, what brings you here today?”

“Oh, yesterday was supposed to be my medication day. I forgot and didn’t come. I’d like to take it today.”

“Ah… Please wait a moment. I’ll check your chart.”

“Uh, can you make it quick? I have an appointment later.”

“Yes, I will hurry.”

“Sure, okay. By the way, you seem quite young for a doctor.”

The patient’s mannerisms were already unusual, suggesting they had been visiting this hospital longer than Suhyuk himself. Perhaps due to their extensive experience, they interacted with doctors confidently, bordering on rudeness at times.

“Oh, yes. I’m only 28 years old.”

“Wow, you must have studied well to become a doctor at such a young age?”

“Yes, patient. Hmm, I checked your medication. Your test results seem to be under control now? However, it has been some time since your last Anjer examination, so it would be better if you make a separate appointment for this.”

“Oh…the Anjer exam. You mean the one where they dilate your pupils? It always makes me feel dizzy.”

“It is still advisable to undergo the test. If missed, it could lead to blindness.”

Diabetes might not show immediate symptoms, making it easy to dismiss initially. However, failing to detect and treat complications on time could result in severe consequences. In fact, not too long ago, amputations due to diabetes, blindness, and kidney failure were alarmingly common among patients with untreated or undetected complications.

“Ah, you young doctors sure know how to scare people.”

“I mention it because it is necessary. In any case, I will make an appointment for you. Please attend it.”

“Okay, when I have time.”

“Oh…”

“I said okay.”

This was how Suhyuk usually prompted patients to undergo tests by instilling fear in them. Younger individuals tended to be cautious about chronic diseases like diabetes or high blood pressure, but older adults often weren’t as vigilant.

Once the patient had completely left, Baruda approached Suhyuk with a puzzled expression. It seemed something didn’t align with his logic.

“Do you not get upset when they speak informally?”

‘Huh? Upset? They’re much older than me.’

“But don’t you use formal language even with younger patients, Suhyuk?”

‘Well…it’s because of generational changes. In the past, professors used to smoke cigarettes in their clinics. If someone tried that now, it would immediately make the news. No, they would end up on YouTube.’

[Hrmm… This is new. I will store this as data.]

‘Do you really need to do that?’

[I must. If something doesn’t convince me, I have to hardwire it into my circuits. It deviates from logic.]

‘Fine, do as you please.’

The subsequent outpatient appointments went smoothly. Baruda grumbled about seeing only patients with minor or chronic conditions, but Suhyuk appreciated treating people rather than mere data points. Previously, he had sought out challenging cases under the guise of learning more, but after realizing even diligent efforts couldn’t prevent all deaths, his focus shifted to simply hoping for his patients’ well-being.

Despite all his studies, Suhyuk realized that patients could still die before him. Now, he simply hoped they wouldn’t suffer.

[Ah, it’s disappointing.]

‘No, what is disappointing? It ended without any issues.’

[Before starting, didn’t you say you wanted challenging cases?]

‘I would prefer to see such patients if possible, but there aren’t any here. Isn’t it better not having them?’

[Still, with your education, it would be good to put it to use.]

‘It’s not that I don’t want to…’

Suhyuk tried to appease Baruda, unsure why he felt compelled to do so. He exited the room while offering some comforting words.

Creak.

With that, Suhyuk could face Ji-sang once again. Strangely, he felt more nervous than before his first outpatient clinic session.

“Did you have an accident? On TV, they show kids covering their faces when this happens.”

‘How can there be an accident within such a short time? This isn’t the emergency room; it’s just an outpatient clinic.’

Suhyuk was certain Baruda’s suggestion of an accident was unlikely. The duration was too brief, and as mentioned earlier, this wasn’t the emergency room. Moreover, being a second-year doctor at Taehwa Medical Center meant significant growth in skills, regardless of one’s dedication due to the system. While there were professors like Seo Hyoseok who behaved poorly, most were like Shin Hyun-tae or Lee Hyunjong, fostering a supportive environment.

“Hey, Suhyuk.”

“You finished your outpatient duties quickly?”

“No, no. I took a break midway through. Admitted one patient…something seemed off about them.”

“Off?”

“Yeah, um…” Ji-sang inadvertently glanced towards the fellow’s consultation room.

Following protocol, he should consult with the fellow for difficult patients. The fellow wouldn’t criticize him outright, but Ji-sang knew what thoughts would likely cross their mind:

[Ah, this one didn’t study hard enough, huh?]

As someone just starting their third year, he didn’t want to receive such evaluations.

“The patient has a fever… L-let’s discuss it while walking over.”

“Sure? It doesn’t seem urgent, right?”

“Huh? Oh…no, not really urgent. But the test results brought back were strange. Something feels…like it might be more than just a fever.”