Chapter 187: What is this? (3)

“Yes… Soohyuk, please ask your question.”

Slowly, Shin Hyun-tae stood up and picked up the microphone placed next to him. Unlike earlier when he had worn a grim expression, now there was a faint smile on his face. He had figured out Lee Hyunjong’s scheme.

“Uh… Yes, Professor.”

On the other hand, Suhyuk couldn’t hide his discomfort.

‘What is going on here? It feels weird.’

[Still… I still need more time. There is insufficient information.]

‘Damn it.’

[Let’s buy some time by asking questions. Suhyuk, aren’t you good at that?]

‘Hmm.’

It was because they hadn’t found the perfect answer yet. However, as Suhyuk mentioned before, he was an expert at stalling convincingly.

However, as Baruda mentioned earlier, Suhyuk had become an expert at stalling, and he could do it convincingly.

“Lee Suhyuk, second-year resident. Your presentation was excellent. May I ask you a few questions?”

He started conventionally, just like every questioner before him, including Professor An Guk-tae from Chilseong Hospital.

‘Ha… Suhyuk…’

Ji-sang’s face gradually darkened with each recollection of how sharp Suhyuk’s questions used to be. It felt satisfying when these queries were directed at someone more senior or from another hospital, but experiencing them firsthand left Ji-sang feeling conflicted.

It’s said that someone who was a reliable ally becomes terrifying when they turn enemy. This perfectly described Lee Suhyuk.

‘I want to tell him not to ask any questions.’

Despite this strong temptation…

I am about to complete my third year as a resident. While I could provide medically incorrect answers, I shouldn’t engage in such nonsense.

“Yes, Doctor Lee Suhyuk. Please go ahead with your question.”

“Alright… regarding the patient’s symptoms, it says difficulty breathing.”

“Yes, yes.” Despite being questioned by a fellow peer, Ji-sang stumbled. Even though the question wasn’t particularly challenging yet, he struggled. However, no one present found Ji-sang’s reaction unusual.

‘It makes sense…’

‘Isn’t he the one who defeated An Guk-tae during his first year in March?’

‘Ah, it’s him! I didn’t know since I was in the army at that time.’

‘Wow, amazing. Afterward, he also…wow, he truly broke all records.’

Ji-sang had already become a legend within Taehwa Medical Center, causing him to nervously swallow repeatedly.

Suhyuk observed Ji-sang and opened his mouth, “What words did you use to describe the patient’s shortness of breath?”

“Pardon me?”

“Didn’t you mention it progressed from NYHA Class II to III?”

“Oh, yes.”

Ji-sang bowed deeply as if addressing a senior professor.

Suhyuk felt slightly sorry for Ji-sang, but he couldn’t help it as Lee Hyunjong had firmly grasped his hand with anticipation.

‘You’re just unlucky.’

To present a case that caught Lee Hyunjong’s attention… What bad luck!

“Your statement implies you judged the patient’s main problem to be their heart. What is your basis for this conclusion?” Suhyuk made up his mind and asked the first question.

“I see.” Lee Hyunjong nodded vigorously at these words. It was the same question he posed to Shin Hyun-tae yesterday. Although feeling somewhat uneasy realizing his beloved disciple, who also served as his surrogate son, was approaching his level, deep down, he was proud of him.

In any case, he felt proud of his student. This guy was truly a genius - not just someone labeled as such, but genuinely blessed with talent from heaven.

“Uh…” Shin Hyun-tae also appeared quite surprised.

He is following what that fellow said to the letter.

It became clear after hearing this. Ji-sang had been unaware of the real issue due to underlying conditions.

However, Ji-sang could only stare blankly.

‘My heart… It’s not my heart?’

If it wasn’t his heart, then what else could it be?

“The person being questioned disappeared. If the primary physician isn’t available, at least a professor should step in.”

At that moment, Lee Hyunjong crossed his legs and shouted loudly. Despite his age, he had a powerful voice, making a microphone unnecessary.

‘Where is this hyung? He always gets excited at these moments.’

Whether it was teasing someone or winning golf bets, he would only get animated during such times and shout loudly.

‘Oh boy…’

It wasn’t easy for Shin Hyun-tae to express himself like that. He was generally more reserved and composed, especially now with the weight of his managerial position. Of course, despite being even higher-ranking as the director, Lee Hyunjong continued to act recklessly.

What could be done? It didn’t matter because Hyunjong possessed exceptional skills regardless of his behavior.

“Yes, due to underlying heart issues… We primarily focused on examining and treating the patient’s heart first. However, apart from diuretics, we also administered antibiotics considering the possibility that the symptoms originated from lung complications. Does that answer your question?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“I think there will be more questions, but let’s direct them to Yoo Jisang since he is the presenter.”

“Understood, Professor.”

Feeling somewhat relieved by Shin Hyun-tae’s warm smile, Suhyuk looked back at Ji-sang again.

“Uh…”

Ji-sang groaned, forgetting that he was holding the microphone. He felt like a mouse confronted with a snake.

‘This is just his first question.’

Suhyuk’s questioning style… or rather, Lee Hyunjong’s taught style came to mind. It wasn’t about delivering a knockout blow immediately; instead, it involved building up pressure gradually until leading the opponent into the swamp of destruction.

“Let me rephrase my question. Did you consider the lungs as well when using antibiotics?”

“Um… Yes.”

While Suhyuk’s colleagues were feeling uneasy, he continued his questioning. The other internal medicine doctors leaned forward, sensing something significant was unfolding.

“So from the first day of admission to yesterday…the X-rays show it continuously worsening, right? Or let me rephrase that. The disease is progressing. Isn’t that correct?”

“Yes…that’s true.”

“We used broad-spectrum antibiotics, both for an appropriate duration and dosage, yet this occurred?”

“Yes…”

“Why did you administer antibiotics?”

“Well.”

Although a simple question, it wasn’t easy to answer. It felt like being interrogated by a colleague.

This guy is really going too far with someone at the same level.

Feeling irritated, but what could he do?

The question was posed to me, but this wasn’t a private setting; it was public. Moreover, Lee Hyunjong’s eyes were blazing as he stared at me. I couldn’t let Manager Shin Hyun-tae take credit again.

“I… prescribed antibiotics considering pneumonia.”

This time, I knew the correct answer. In fact, even a student should be able to provide an appropriate response. With a high fever and a messy X-ray, what could be the reason for prescribing antibiotics? If I couldn’t answer here, I wouldn’t deserve to call myself a medical student anywhere else. Consequently, my face showed a slight sense of pride. However, Suhyuk’s expression seemed somewhat peculiar, almost conveying a look of “I expected that from you.”

“Really? Is it still like that now?”

As expected, Suhyuk asked another question without any delay. The questions seemed more significant compared to before.

‘Still like that? Um… is it not like that now?’

The patient was severely unresponsive, making me suspect viral pneumonia. However, Professor Shin Hyun-tae had stated it was unlikely. He mentioned that if it were viral and the lungs looked this bad, the patient would already be in critical condition requiring intensive care. It made sense when I thought about it. As a doctor, one should never underestimate viruses just because they are smaller than bacteria. In most cases, with no effective treatments available, nothing is more frightening than a virus when the host’s immune system is weak.

“What do you think? Should we still suspect pneumonia?” Seeing Ji-sang’s hesitation, Suhyuk asked again.

Fortunately, this time Suhyuk subtly changed his expressions, seemingly giving hints.

‘No… Is he implying I should say no?’

Yes, Suhyuk!

Ji-sang wanted to shout but barely managed to restrain himself. Instead, he shook his head slightly at first, and after seeing Suhyuk’s encouraging nod, he vigorously shook it harder.

“No, not pneumonia. It’s time to consider other possibilities.”

“What possibilities, and what is your rationale?”

“Uh…” His newfound confidence quickly deflated.

If it was a yes/no question, I could have continued receiving hints and answered accordingly.

‘This question is too open-ended… Suhyuk…’

It was incredibly difficult to answer this type of question.

Fortunately, Ji-sang wasn’t alone in thinking that the level of these questions far exceeded those typically asked on earth. Others shared this sentiment, especially Shin Hyun-tae.

In his opinion, Ji-sang wasn’t a bad doctor, but he also wasn’t exceptionally skilled. He knew better than to expect such ordinary doctors to uncover insights they themselves were unaware of.

“Oh, let me handle that.”

The problem was that Shin Hyun-tae wasn’t sure what exactly caused this issue yet. It might be due to Lee Hyunjong’s actions yesterday when he had left him with a ringing headache before dismissing him. The hint provided by Hyunjong’s promise to fix it during the conference remained vague.

‘If only I knew the cause, treatment would be straightforward.’

Damn, but what could it be?

Internally cursing, Shin Hyun-tae maintained a gentle smile on the outside as he continued speaking.

“If there is evidence… Let’s proceed with an X-ray unrelated to antibiotic usage. As for the heart… Considering it seems unlikely to be solely cardiac-related, let’s focus more on lung issues.”

“Thank you. Then what could be the cause? Autoimmune?”

“Hmm.”

Autoimmune…

It was a good option. However, something bothered me.

‘He clearly said it would be fixed during the conference.’

Lee Hyunjong wasn’t exactly a good person, but he wasn’t someone who spoke incorrectly about medicine either. This should be seen as a decisive hint. Thus, autoimmune disorders were ruled out. These damned autoimmune diseases were usually incredibly difficult to treat. Identifying the cause was important, but most of the time, it was just the beginning. As I tried not to open my mouth, Suhyuk started speaking.

“[Amiodarone, amiodarone can cause drug-induced lung disease. The pattern is identical. Uniform infiltration of both lungs with relatively good clinical findings compared to radiological images. If there has been a recent increase in dosage, it’s 100 percent certain.]”

I recalled Baruda’s conclusion just now.

“Is lung damage due to medication possible? For example, amiodarone?”

“Wow!” At that moment, Lee Hyunjong burst out laughing and clapped his hands enthusiastically, giving me a standing ovation. He had unknowingly risen from his seat. Not only did he clap loudly, but he also looked around, making others nearby feel compelled to join him in applause.

“Wow…” They awkwardly cheered along.