Chapter 7: The Genius Lee Suhyuk (1)

“You may already know this, but first-year resident Lee Suhyuk is considered a prodigy.”

Kim Insoo, a third-year Internal Medicine Resident and currently Chief Resident, opened his mouth with a serious expression to address the gathered people. Although they were urgently summoned, the number of attendees was not small. Almost everyone except those working in the emergency room or intensive care unit had gathered here. Naturally, Suhyuk himself was absent as he was being transferred to a hospital room under Baruda’s supervision.

“Isn’t he an incredible Royal? I just received a photo from my colleague showing Lee Suhyuk drinking coffee with the director at a cafe.”

“Really? At a cafe with the director? Let me see.”

“Here you go.”

“Wow… It’s true…”

The hospital was truly a boring place. Residents were immersed in this dull environment for 24 hours a day, every single day of the year. As a result, even minor disturbances tended to be exaggerated and spread quickly throughout the hospital. The rumor that Lee Suhyuk, once considered the epitome of a commoner, might actually be royalty sent shockwaves through the entire facility.

“You did see him patting Dr. Choi on the shoulder just now?”

“Yes. Dr. Choi isn’t usually so friendly; he tends to be quite cynical.”

“Didn’t you hear their conversation?”

“I’ll ask about it.” With a serious expression, the second-year resident started typing a message. From his demeanor, one might think he was discussing a patient’s case, but in reality, he was simply inquiring about gossip.

“Uh… Should I mention that you said to let you know if anyone bothered me?”

“He spoke so strongly about it? The director himself?”

“Yes.”

“Is he hiding something here? Does anyone have any information on Lee Suhyuk?”

It was nonsense, but these were words from the chief resident. No one could dismiss them lightly.

In response, Ji-sang, Suhyuk’s fellow classmate, cautiously raised his hand.

“Hmm, what’s your name again?”

“Yoo Jisang, sir.”

“Oh, right, sorry. Your name is still unfamiliar to me. Anyway, do you have anything to add?”

“I knew him as an orphan originally.”

“An orphan?”

“Yes. That’s why he worked part-time jobs and tutored during his undergraduate years. Even with scholarships, he struggled to cover living expenses.”

“Hm.”

Most students had tutoring experience during their pre-med days. Mothers from Gangnam were obsessed with Taehwa Medical School’s pre-med students. They received excellent treatment and high fees for tutoring. There was no reason not to do it.

However, during medical school itself? Tutoring while at risk of being held back could be seen as foolishness.

“But…as far as I know, he graduated fourth?”

Chief Resident Kim Insoo, true to his position, was well-informed about all applicants’ grades. As someone who could easily reject candidates, this knowledge came naturally to him.

“Oh, yes. He graduated fourth.”

“Have you seen him tutor before?”

“What? No, sir.”

During medical school, everyone was too busy studying themselves.

Of course, some residents had managed to let loose and have fun during their tenure, but after being held back multiple times or even serving in the military, they inevitably returned with renewed focus on their studies.

“How could he rank fourth while tutoring someone else? That doesn’t make sense! I heard his IQ is over two hundred.”

“Oh…”

“He must be Dr. Choi’s secret child. It also explains why our director has never married despite his age…”

If anyone there possessed a modicum of common sense, they would’ve spoken up: Chief, that’s going too far.

But this speculation was a welcome distraction from their otherwise monotonous hospital lives.

“You know, both their last names are Yoo!” chimed in Kim Jinyong, who was in his third year as head pharmacist.

Naturally, there was no mention of how common the surname ‘Lee’ is in Korea. The chief physician and pharmacist were among the most influential figures within Internal Medicine. Instead of wondering about potential disciplinary actions for contradicting them, it was best to keep quiet.

“Hey, just so you know. Don’t cause any trouble with Lee Suhyuk. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

Thus, the emergency meeting ended with the strange conclusion that first-year resident Lee Suhyuk was secretly the director’s son, and they should tread carefully around him.

‘Why do my ears feel itchy?’

Having just stepped out of the elevator, Suhyuk headed towards Kim Jinchul’s hospital room, unconsciously scratching his ear.

“Suhyuk, don’t dig your ears; it’s not a good habit.”

Then Baruda’s nagging started, which now felt awkward without it:

‘Who scratches their ears? What do you mean they’re itchy?’

[Do you really understand what you just did? The earwax you removed is composed of fats and proteins, serving to protect against invading bacteria or viruses.]

‘I know, I know. I got an A+ in Otolaryngology, remember?’

[Despite knowing this, you handle your ears so roughly…]

‘Why are you acting so shocked? Who cares if I scratch my ears or not?’

[Suhyuk is Baruda’s sole production proxy. It is my duty to manage your health.]

‘Duty, my ass…’

As he walked while seemingly muttering to himself again, he soon arrived at Kim Jinchul’s hospital room.

“Cough cough.”

Inside the hospital room, coughs reminiscent of phlegm echoed loudly. The tightly closed door had ‘Infection Warning’ prominently written on it.

[Please wear a mask and protective gloves.]

‘I already am.’

Although Suhyuk didn’t want to listen to Baruda’s words…

He disliked getting sick even more. Thus, he equipped the protective gear provided outside the room before entering.

The hospital room was originally designed for two patients, but due to the risk of airborne infection, only Kim Jinchul occupied it.

“Hello.”

“Ah…you came. Cough.”

Kim Jinchul, aged 49 this year, continuously coughed.

[Male, 49 years old. Experienced difficulty breathing and coughing starting four days ago. Admitted through the emergency room yesterday with a fever around 39 degrees Celsius.]

[Currently undergoing antibiotic treatment with amoxicillin, but there is no improvement. The chest X-ray suggests pneumonia.]

Baruda immediately displayed basic information about Kim Jinchul. However, it seemed impossible to provide a diagnosis yet. It didn’t even mention any suspected diagnoses.

“Has your cough worsened?” Suhyuk asked.

The caregiver next to him nodded. Wearing vinyl protective gear and a mask, Suhyuk recalled her as Kim Jinchul’s wife.

“Yes. He seems more uncomfortable than before admission.”

[His oxygen saturation has decreased from 95% to 90% since his initial visit. This objectively indicates a worsening of his condition.]

Baruda highlighted the drop in oxygen saturation as evidence that the patient’s health was deteriorating.

“Hmm… The medication is being administered correctly…” Suhyuk briefly examined the IV line connected to the patient’s arm vein. Amoxicillin prescribed by Manager Shin Hyun-tae was infusing without any issues.

[Blood test results show white blood cell count at 9.97x10^9 with neutrophils at 86.2%, lymphocytes at 8.9%, and monocytes at 4.4%. Apart from elevated inflammation levels, there are no other remarkable findings.]

Baruda shared his opinion while displaying the blood test report.

‘The high neutrophil count indeed suggests a bacterial infection…’

[The blood culture test has been sent out of the emergency room, but it typically takes around ten days for the results.]

‘By then, something drastic might happen.’

‘What will happen before then?’

Emergencies requiring immediate attention were not common in Internal Medicine. However, ten days was too long of a wait. It was sufficient time for even a healthy person to succumb to death. Moreover, this patient was already 49 years old, which could no longer be considered young.

Without appropriate antibiotics, he would inevitably die.

‘What is causing this infection?’

Suhyuk recalled what Manager Shin Hyun-tae had mentioned during rounds earlier. If the fever did not subside over the weekend, they should switch to levofloxacin.

Levofloxacin belongs to the quinolone class of antibiotics and has a broad spectrum of activity. While it might improve his symptoms,

Broadening the scope without knowing the cause could be seen as akin to bombing indiscriminately. Ultimately, he needed to find the root cause to save the patient.

[I believe using levofloxacin will buy us some time.]

‘Do you really have no idea?’

Suhyuk asked again with faint hope that Baruda might know something.

[There is insufficient information. Apart from pneumonia diagnosis, I cannot provide anything else.]

Suhyuk raised his eyebrow and placed the stethoscope on the patient’s chest. The lung sound near the lower left lobe, which appeared inflamed on the X-ray, had changed.

‘Even with auscultation?’

[This is my first auscultation. What were you expecting? I will store this data in the database.]

‘Damn it.’

When he was joking around, his system had been relentless, but now with a patient before him, it seemed to be of little help. Despite this, it did provide real-time results and records for all tests.

“Ahem.”

At that moment, Suhyuk heard an unfamiliar coughing sound. It wasn’t from the patient but rather from their guardian.

“Huh? Are you okay?” Suhyuk asked, puzzled, directing his question at the guardian.

“I’ve been experiencing coughs for a few days now.”

“Could it be… How long have you been here? Have you been doing this continuously? Please come outside first.” Suhyuk pointed at the guardian’s mask, which looked brand new to him.

Judging by how securely it covered the nose, it appeared as though a nurse might have assisted the guardian in putting it on.

The guardian continued coughing even after Suhyuk led him to the hallway.

“It has been 10 minutes. During the day, my daughter… was with me.”

“Ten minutes. Hmm.”

It seemed difficult for the infection to have occurred at this moment.

‘Did he get infected while at home?’

“[He may have been infected before arriving here since he was already coughing. It would be good to check your daughter’s symptoms as well. This bacterium is likely highly contagious.]”

Baruda’s words made sense, and Suhyuk immediately took action.

“How long were you together?”

“Our house is…in a rural area… After she started feeling sick, I came from her place. She lives nearby. That’s why I told her to go to the hospital.”

“Hmm.”

If she had been with her father continuously, it was clear that she would be in danger as well.

“Is your daughter okay?”

“Now…she should be arriving soon. Ah, there she is.”

Following the guardian’s gaze, Suhyuk turned to see a young woman approaching. She appeared healthy and showed no signs of illness.

“Cough cough.”

Meanwhile, the guardian’s coughing worsened over time, while his daughter seemed unaffected.

“Cough cough.”

The patient Kim Jinchul’s cough echoed throughout the hospital room,

“Cough cough.”

and the guardian’s cough resonated in the hallway.

With these coughs serving as background noise, Suhyuk momentarily lost himself in thought.

There were two individuals who had contact with the patient, yet only one exhibited symptoms. The severity of the symptoms suggested more than just a difference in incubation periods.

‘Something…something seems to be missing.’