Chapter 68: Cause (4)

“Damn it.” Lee Suhyuk inadvertently swore despite being aware of Professor Shin Hyun-tae’s presence next to him.

It was understandable as he had just realized that Jinkoon, who caused one patient’s death, visited three other unidentified patients.

“Huh? What happened?” Naturally, Shin Hyun-tae appeared quite surprised.

Initially, due to Lee Hyunjong’s outburst, Shin Hyun-tae wondered if there might be something odd about Lee Suhyuk. However, over time, he concluded that although Suhyuk could be peculiar, he wasn’t violent by nature. So hearing Suhyuk suddenly curse caught him off guard; it would have been stranger if he hadn’t reacted with surprise.

“Well done, Suhyuk…” Baruda muttered after quickly analyzing Shin Hyun-tae’s shock.

Baruda quickly analyzed Shin Hyun-tae’s surprise and clicked his tongue.

Of course, Suhyuk didn’t remain stunned for long.

“Ah, my apologies. I just realized something about the patient.”

“Huh? The patient is fine, right? There aren’t any issues with this or other patients at the moment.”

In infectious diseases, correctly identifying the target was crucial, almost determining the success of treatment. Due to Suhyuk’s expertise in this area, all the patients in the hospital were recovering smoothly, including Son Geumsuk lying before them - no further explanation needed.

“But…why is it happening like this?”

“Oh, no, not her. It’s about the donor.”

“The donor?”

“Yes, organs from that donor were transplanted into four others besides Ms. Son.”

“Ah.”

However, after hearing Suhyuk’s words, Shin Hyun-tae could no longer remain calm.

“Damn it.” He echoed Suhyuk’s curse word and picked up his phone to call Professor Ryu Jinsu of the transplant surgery team.

“This is Operating Room 23.”

The professor was likely in the middle of surgery, so the nurse answered instead. Normally, they would have declined calls to avoid interruptions, but this situation required immediate attention.

“Oh, yes. This is Professor Shin Hyun-tae from the infectious diseases department. May I speak with Professor Ryu Jinsu?”

“Well…he’s currently using the microscope.”

The nurse subtly hinted that he should call back later. However, Shin Hyun-tae couldn’t afford any delay. After all, jinkoon infections could lead to death if not treated promptly, regardless of whether someone was under a microscope or not.

At this very moment, someone might be dying or perhaps already dead. It had been over a month since the transplant surgery.

“Regardless, please connect me to him quickly.”

“Um…”

“It’s a matter of life and death for a patient.”

“Oh, yes, sir.”

In the operating room, surgeons were often treated like gods due to their responsibility for patients’ lives. Everyone accommodated their needs accordingly. Moreover, it was best not to disturb them during intricate procedures such as microsurgeries, which could be incredibly frustrating. Even the most composed surgeon could become irritable under such circumstances.

However, when matters involved saving a life, few medical professionals could remain indifferent. The nurse bit her lower lip nervously as she approached Ryu Jinsu.

“P-Professor.”

“I’m currently working on blood vessels now. Later.”

“Professor Shin Hyun-tae said it is a matter of life and death for a patient.”

“Shin Hyun-tae?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.”

The name ‘Shin Hyun-tae’ caused Ryu Jinsu’s hands to pause momentarily.

He is the next director candidate… Already influential within the hospital. Moreover…

Ryu Jinsu owed a debt to Lee Suhyuk, who was Shin Hyun-tae’s beloved disciple. Additionally, according to rumors, Lee Suhyuk was also the son of Lee Hyunjong. It was confirmed since Shin Hyun-tae openly referred to him as “our nephew.”

Furthermore, this involved a patient’s life at stake. Even if the surgery was delayed by a few minutes, it wouldn’t significantly impact the overall outcome, so answering the call seemed appropriate.

“Yes, Professor Shin Hyun-tae. This is Ryu Jinsu speaking.”

“Oh, Professor Ryu. Apologies, I didn’t realize you were in surgery.”

“No problem. What’s the matter?”

“Do you remember patient Son Geumsuk, where we previously cooperated on her case?”

“I do. I saw her yesterday, but…her condition wasn’t good? Has she worsened further?” Ryu Jinsu frowned. The thought of his patient deteriorating saddened him.

“Oh no, not at all. She has improved significantly.”

“Ah… Then what…”

“The cause for this patient is Scedosporium.”

“Sce…what?” Ryu Jinsu initially looked relieved before confusion creased his brow.

Scedosporium - he had never heard of such a fungus before.

“It’s a jinkoon type. It isn’t commonly found in humans.”

“Ah… But how did you diagnose it?”

“My primary physician, Dr. Lee Suhyuk, focused on the cause of death for the donor who provided the organ to his patient.”

“The donor…?” Ryu Jinsu completely forgot about the equipment as he became engrossed in the conversation.

“Yes, the donor died from drowning. Scopidosporium thrives in dirty water.”

“Ah, then…”

“Correct. The donor was infected first, and the transplanted organs carried the infection. Mrs. Son Geumsuk…”

“I see. Wait, what does that mean?”

“As far as I know, other organs were also transplanted during surgeries. Do you have a list of recipients? Their lives are at risk.”

“Oh, damn.” Ryu Jinsu abruptly stood up.

In his haste, he bumped his head against the shadowless lamp hanging from the ceiling, but it was no concern for him. The heart, lungs, and liver transplants had all been performed at Taehwa Medical Center.

“Ah, my apologies.”

“No, no. I also cursed earlier.”

“W-Well then, please wait a moment. I need to verify this as well. Can you open the computer mail here?”

After obtaining permission from Professor Shin Hyun-tae, Ryu Jinsu called over a nearby resident. As the first assistant fellow was currently using the microscope, Ryu Jinsu had been waiting helplessly on the side. He briefly debated whether to use his hands before removing his gloves and approaching the computer. After all, he could simply wash his hands again when reconnecting blood vessels under the microscope.

There was no need to linger around aimlessly.

“Over there, over there. No! It is one month ago, so go back further. Backwards! Not forwards!”

“Yes, yes.”

Ryu Jinsu urged on the resident to go back one month, the day when organs from the donor were transplanted.

“Yes, that’s it. Open that up.”

“Okay.”

Unlike other large hospitals, Taehwa Medical Center had direct links with the Korea Organ Donation Network, and thus, they maintained detailed records of all organ transplant surgeries. This case was no exception, as comprehensive data existed for this instance.

“Professor Shin Hyun-tae, are you listening now?”

“Yes.”

“Yes. All three recipients underwent surgery at our hospital. First, the heart went to Goo Misun, number 20180809. The lungs went to Yoo Su-yeon, number 20190826, and the liver…went to Pyo Eun-joo, number 20170922. Have you noted these down?”

“Yes, yes. Thank you.”

“Please check it as soon as possible. I will also look into it after finishing surgery.”

“Yes.”

Shin Hyun-tae hung up the phone, and during this time, Suhyuk entered the numbers and names written by Shin Hyun-tae to acquire their personal information. Since they had serious illnesses and underwent transplant surgeries, their database included not only home phone numbers but also personal contact details.

“Yes, may I speak with Goo Misun’s guardian?”

“Yes…”

When Suhyuk called, the voice on the other end sounded somber. Sensing something was wrong, Suhyuk lowered his tone as well.

“This is Lee Suhyuk from the Internal Medicine Department at Taehwa Hospital. Do you know where Ms. Goo Misun is currently located?”

“Oh, Taehwa…”

The guardian hesitated for a moment and then slowly began to speak, sounding close to tears.

“She passed away last week. After her surgery, she returned home but was hospitalized nearby due to a high fever…”

“Oh.”

“Ah.”

Next to him, Shin Hyun-tae made a disappointed expression.

‘Well, we missed it too…’

Even Taehwa Medical Center, a large organization, had overlooked this diagnosis, which ultimately led to Jinkoon’s death. In a smaller hospital, they might not have been equipped to handle the super bacteria at all.

‘No, wait… It’s also my fault…’ Shin Hyun-tae initially blamed the scale of the hospital but suddenly turned to look at Lee Suhyuk.

Without this young doctor before him, the diagnosis likely wouldn’t have been made here either. Patient Son Geumsuk would have rapidly deteriorated, and he probably wouldn’t have thought to make these phone calls.

He hadn’t considered transferring the call to someone else.

“Uh, it was disconnected.”

Suhyuk stared at the phone which his guardian had hung up and then proceeded to call another patient’s guardian. Already one person had died, and he couldn’t shake off the thought that everyone might perish, causing him immense distress.

At that moment, Shin Hyun-tae heard a voice from the phone he had been holding onto all this time.

“Hello?”

“A-Are you the guardian of Yoo Su-yeon?”

“Pardon me? Yes. Who is this?”

“This is Professor Shin Hyun-tae from Taehwa Medical Center’s Internal Medicine department. I am calling because I have some questions about your patient.”

“Oh…?” The guardian sounded perplexed.

On the other hand, Shin Hyun-tae grew increasingly impatient.

“By any chance, is the patient still alive?”

“What?”

Seeing the guardian’s strange reaction and Suhyuk’s puzzled gaze, Shin Hyun-tae realized his mistake.

“No, no. That… Is she okay?”

“Ah… No. She is currently in the emergency room. She has a fever.”

“The emergency room? Which hospital?”

“Taehwa Medical Center.”

“Oh! I’ll be right there!”

“Huh?”

Like other emergency rooms, Taehwa Medical Center’s ER was always bustling with people. It was inevitable given its size and reputation for handling severe cases. A fever wouldn’t typically raise much concern here.

Patient Yoo Su-yeon was also waiting her turn. Due to the lack of beds, she had to sit in a chair.

However, when the professor suddenly called and requested to see her, Pyo Eun-joo’s guardian couldn’t understand what was happening.

“Oh, you’re the guardian of Ms. Pyo Eun-joo? Yes, the emergency room? I’ll come down right away.”

Meanwhile, Suhyuk successfully reached someone on his call, learning that the patient had arrived at the emergency room. Consequently, both Suhyuk and Shin Hyun-tae hurried towards the first-floor emergency department simultaneously.

“I will go to Yoo Su-yeon while you handle Pyo Eun-joo.”

“Yes, Professor.”

“Upon arrival, administer boriconazole immediately.”

“Understood.”

With their determination set, they rushed out as soon as the elevator doors opened, each calling out a different name:

“Yoo Su-yeon!”

“Pyo Eun-joo!”

If they were ordinary individuals, security guards might have intervened, but since they were renowned doctors, no one dared to stop them or cause any trouble. Instead, people even assisted them.

They were doctors and quite famous within the hospital. Naturally, no one interfered with them, and some even assisted their search.

“Are you looking for patients? Yoo Su-yeon!”

“Pyo Eun-joo!”

“Oh, here they are!”

In this manner, it didn’t take long for Shin Hyun-tae and Suhyuk to find both patients. Patient Yoo Su-yeon, who had received the lung transplant, was in much worse condition. She not only had a high fever but also difficulty breathing. Of course, patient Pyo Eun-joo faced similar issues due to the liver being a vital organ as well.

‘Nevertheless… she is still alive.’

Grateful for the opportunity to help, Shin Hyun-tae and Suhyuk prescribed medication:

“Bori… Give her boriconazole immediately.”