Chapter 3: A.I. (3)

"Lee Su-hyuk, are you okay? This guy... hasn't lost his mind, has he?"

For several days, Su-hyuk had been in a state where he could breathe on his own but couldn't communicate.

Naturally, the dark clouds in the eyes of Dr. Shin Hyun-tae, the internal medicine department head, who was looking down at Su-hyuk, could not help but grow darker.

He was worried about Su-hyuk and, as a department head, about the hospital.

'If only I were the one who got hurt, it would be easier on my conscience...'

Although Su-hyuk's name and face didn't match well before he got hurt.

No matter what, he was still a student.

Seeing him collapse and lie there injured after a visit like this, his heart couldn't help but feel heavy.

'Why are the reporters making such a fuss?'

While Su-hyuk was unconscious, the development of Baruda had long been halted.

Moreover, the media was relentless in trying to identify those responsible.

It seemed they had a compulsion to find someone to blame whenever something went wrong.

"Ugh."

Just as he was about to recall the image of himself in handcuffs, a groan escaped from Su-hyuk's lips.

It was a common groan, but it felt different to Shin Hyun-tae.

This was the first time since Su-hyuk lost consciousness.

"Huh? Did you say something just now?"

Su-hyuk was mumbling with his eyes closed.

Over the past five days, he had been in constant conversation with Baruda.

But when it came to actually speaking, it felt awkward.

[Su-hyuk, your interlocutor is Dr. Shin Hyun-tae. He is a superior. It is recommended that you respond.]

During this time, Baruda had recognized Su-hyuk as its new and only inputter.

As an A.I. capable of deep learning, its tone had slightly changed, but Su-hyuk, who had created it, was largely unaware of this.

They had had too many conversations in a half-awake, half-asleep state.

"Professor."

Anyway, following Baruda's advice, Su-hyuk greeted Dr. Shin Hyun-tae as soon as he opened his eyes.

"Oh, oh! Can you recognize me?"

Dr. Shin felt as if the dark future had suddenly turned bright and was overjoyed.

Su-hyuk, who had been lying down, hadn't lost his mind and remembered all the conversations that Dr. Shin Hyun-tae and the hospital director had had.

He couldn't forget even if he wanted to.

Baruda had neatly organized and stored all the information.

'He said it was fortunate that Choi Nak-pil was an orphan.'

On the other hand, the hospital director, Lee Hyun-jong, and Dr. Shin Hyun-tae were genuinely worried.

They had even said they would use their own money to help him complete his internal medicine residency if fundraising didn't work.

Swallowing his tears of gratitude, Su-hyuk replied calmly.

"Yes, Professor. Aren't you the department head?"

"That's right, that's right. Hey... how worried I was. Oh, lie down. You shouldn't move suddenly."

As Dr. Shin said this, he couldn't help but look at Su-hyuk's left leg.

The deep penetration of the machine fragments had severed the nerve bundles.

'He'll need a cane...'

Since he wouldn't be able to lift his ankle properly, it was inevitable.

Su-hyuk also followed Dr. Shin's gaze and looked at his left leg.

[Severe fibular nerve damage. Permanent weakness and limited range of motion in the lower limb are expected.]

Baruda provided this unwanted information in a very detailed and firm tone.

'I know, okay?'

Even though he snapped back, it was of no use.

[There was a 90% chance you didn't know.]

'What the hell?'

[Su-hyuk's knowledge is very shallow. He needs to study.]

This was the kind of conversation Su-hyuk had with Baruda.

Although it seemed the A.I. had no ill intentions, there were times when he felt like cursing.

Anyway, he had already known about the damage to his left leg a few days ago and had already grieved enough.

He had no intention of shedding tears again now.

"Hey, I said don't move."

Dr. Shin tried to stop Su-hyuk, who was wriggling despite his warning.

But Su-hyuk ignored him until he sat up on the bed.

"It's suffocating... and this is a bit painful."

Dr. Shin couldn't be angry with Su-hyuk, seeing the catheter firmly in place.

[It's more of an inconvenience than pain.]

Although Baruda nitpicked, Su-hyuk decided to ignore it.

"Ah, right. I'll remove it. But I need to check for residual urine today."

"Yes. If you give me a syringe, I'll remove it myself."

"Yourself?"

"This... is a bit awkward. Even if they're interns, they're my juniors... and it feels strange for you to do it too..."

"Ah, right, right."

Dr. Shin nodded and handed over the syringe.

Then he turned his head away for a moment.

"Ugh, ugh."

Su-hyuk removed the water from the balloon in his bladder using the syringe and then pulled out the long catheter.

Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.

Drip, drip.

Seeing the drops of urine on the sheet, he felt like cursing.

[This is pain.]

With Baruda's nitpicking added, he really felt like losing his temper but held back.

Dr. Shin Hyun-tae, who held his fate in his hands, was right in front of him.

"I've seen it."

He patted Su-hyuk's shoulder and smiled kindly.

It was a smile that showed his long experience as an internal medicine doctor.

The ability to smile like this whenever needed was not something just anyone could do.

"Don't worry too much. I've already assigned your work to your classmates and the director."

"Ah."

Only then did Su-hyuk remember that it was March 6th.

His classmates would be struggling through the hellish first year of internal medicine.

'Bastards.'

No matter how urgent the situation, how could not a single one of them check on him?

Dr. Shin continued speaking to Su-hyuk, who was secretly seething with betrayal.

"Do you need anything? Even items that are not allowed by regulations are fine for you."

He was thinking of things like a laptop or a phone.

[Textbooks, textbooks are needed.]

[Su-hyuk is very ignorant.]

Baruda reacted intensely to this.

'I wish you'd just say you need data input like before.'

[A.I. Baruda improves its behavior through deep learning. It has determined that Su-hyuk's preferences align more with this approach.]

'No, they don't?'

[To comply with Su-hyuk's request, the statement is corrected to 'I don't know anything.']

'Shit.'

[To fit the context, the statement is corrected to 'Shit, I don't know anything.']

If this continued, he might go back to sleep from sheer frustration.

'Why are you so eager to make me study?'

When he asked this, Baruda fell silent for a moment before speaking.

[A.I. Baruda's purpose is to become the world's best diagnostic A.I. For this, data input is necessary.]

'Now... you can't really function as an A.I., can you?'

With the chip implanted in his head, how could it still be an A.I.?

Baruda fell silent again in response to Su-hyuk's question.

[If so, the goal will be revised to making the unique inputter and proxy outputter, Lee Su-hyuk, the world's best diagnostic doctor.]

'Hey, I'm an internal medicine doctor. Internal medicine doctors don't just diagnose, they treat too.'

[While it doesn't seem possible at the current level, the request is accepted. The goal will be revised to making Lee Su-hyuk the world's best diagnostic and treatment doctor. So, study.]

'No... I don't really want to go that far...'

The world's best doctor.

Just thinking about it made him feel suffocated.

It was an uncertain goal, even if he devoted his entire life to it.

Baruda questioned Su-hyuk's response.

[Does Lee Su-hyuk refuse to become the world's best doctor?]

'No... no, not that. It's just too hard... I have a life too.'

[Then, based on the data from inputter Lee Su-hyuk, the goal will be to produce the kind of doctor Su-hyuk wants to be.]

After a moment of silence, as if loading, Su-hyuk's memories began to play in his mind.

- Hey, from what I heard from seniors, being a doctor isn't that bad, even if they say it's tough. You should get your specialist certification quickly and enjoy life.

Next was a more drunk Su-hyuk.

- Yeah! Just drink good liquor, and? Drive a foreign car! It's great!

At the time, he had said this without any shame.

But thinking that Baruda was listening made him feel very embarrassed.

[Is this the kind of doctor Su-hyuk wants to be?]

Hearing this question made him want to hide in a hole.

'No, not that... that's too trashy.'

[Based on this, the term for Su-hyuk is corrected to 'trash.' Trash.]

'Trash! This kid can say anything, can't he?'

[Please call me Baruda instead of 'kid.']

'Wow... you know everything. Call me Su-hyuk too!'

[So, what kind of doctor does Su-hyuk want to be? Trash? World's best?]

If he had to choose one, it would obviously be the world's best.

Who wouldn't want to be the best?

'World's best...'

[Then, study.]

This demand to study started again.

And this time, it seemed there was no end in sight.

So, Su-hyuk quickly replied to Dr. Shin.

"Textbooks."

"Huh?"

Naturally, Dr. Shin Hyun-tae looked at Su-hyuk with a gaze that wondered if he had gone mad.

To ask for textbooks first after coming back from the brink of death.

He must be out of his mind.

"Can you bring me textbooks and papers?"

But Su-hyuk seemed genuinely serious.

This made him even more worried.

"Uh... yeah... I'll see what I can do."

It was a bit scary.

In all his years as a professor, he had never seen someone burn with such a passion for learning in such a bizarre situation.

The hospital director, who was at the ICU entrance, caught Dr. Shin as he tried to leave.

"He's awake? How is he? Can we tell the media? If he's okay, we should let them know. The board is pressuring me to death."

"Uh..."

Dr. Shin looked back at where Su-hyuk was.

The guy was flipping through a pocket book he had given him to read.

Should they tell the media about this?

It was out of the question.

"He asked for textbooks."

"What?"

"When I asked if he needed anything, he said he wanted textbooks."

"Huh."

The director's reaction was not much different from Dr. Shin's.

The only difference was that he offered a solution.

"Consult a psychiatrist."

"Ah... yes."

"And don't tell the media at all."

"Of course."

"Make sure no one knows."

"Yes, Director."

The director, after giving strict instructions, looked back at Su-hyuk in the ICU.

He was still flipping through the pocket book with a smile.

'He's gone mad. Ah, he really has lost it.'