Chapter 68: Sometimes the Cause (4)

"Damn it."

Suhyeok inadvertently let out a curse.

Even though he was fully aware that Professor Shin Hyuntae was standing right next to him, he still did.

It was only natural.

He had just realized that the fungus that had led to the patient's death had also been transferred to three other unknown patients.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Naturally, Shin Hyuntae was very surprised.

Although at first, due to Lee Hyunjong's constant fussing, he had thought Suhyeok might be a bit strange.

But after that, he had realized that although Suhyeok was unusual, he was definitely not violent.

Suddenly cursing, though, was unexpected.

Not being surprised would have been even stranger.

[You're doing well, Suhyeok...]

Baruda, through a brief analysis, picked up on how surprised Shin Hyuntae was and clicked his tongue.

Suhyeok, however, didn't just stand there dumbfounded.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I just had a realization. It's about a patient."

"Hmm? The patients are all doing well, right? There are no other patients with issues at the moment."

In infectious diseases, correctly identifying the target is almost as important as the treatment itself.

Suhyeok was particularly good at this, which is why all the other patients in the ward were recovering smoothly.

There was no need to mention the patient, Son Geumsuk, who was lying in front of them.

He was wondering why Suhyeok was acting this way.

"Ah, no. I'm talking about the donor."

"Donor?"

"That person also donated organs to three other people."

"Oh."

But even after hearing this from Suhyeok, Shin Hyuntae couldn't remain calm.

"Damn it."

He repeated the curse Suhyeok had just uttered and pulled out his phone.

He then called Professor Ryu Jinsoo from the transplant surgery department.

"Operating Room 23 in the main building."

The professor was in surgery, so a nurse answered the call.

Under normal circumstances, she would have hung up to avoid disturbing the surgery, but this was an exceptional situation.

"Ah, yes. This is Professor Shin Hyuntae from the Department of Infectious Diseases. Is it okay to speak with Professor Ryu Jinsoo?"

"Um... He's looking through a microscope right now."

The nurse tactfully suggested calling back later.

But Shin Hyuntae couldn't wait.

After all, fungal infections can be fatal if treatment is delayed even slightly.

Someone might be dying right now.

Or perhaps they had already died.

It had been over a month since the transplant.

"Still, please connect me as soon as possible."

"Um..."

"It's a matter of life and death."

"Ah, yes."

In the operating room, the lead surgeon is treated almost like a god.

Since the patient's life is in their hands, every effort is made to accommodate their needs.

So, it's best not to disturb them during complex surgeries, especially when they're frustrated.

Even a normally calm person can become irritable in such situations.

But how many medical professionals can remain indifferent when it comes to saving a life?

The nurse bit her lower lip and approached Ryu Jinsoo.

"Professor."

"I'm connecting a blood vessel right now. Later."

"Professor Shin Hyuntae said it's a matter of life and death."

"Shin Hyuntae?"

"Yes."

"Hmm."

The name Shin Hyuntae made Ryu Jinsoo pause for a moment.

'Next head of the department... Already influential... And...'

He owed a favor to Shin Hyuntae's protégé, Suhyeok.

And according to rumors, Suhyeok was also Lee Hyunjong's son.

Shin Hyuntae was always talking about "my nephew, my nephew," so it was undoubtedly true.

Moreover, it was a matter of life and death.

A few minutes' delay in surgery wouldn't significantly impact the outcome, so it was best to take the call.

"Yes, Professor Shin Hyuntae. This is Ryu Jinsoo."

"Ah, Professor Ryu. I'm sorry to call during your surgery."

"No, it's fine. What's the matter?"

"Do you remember the patient, Son Geumsuk, we consulted on before?"

"Yes, I saw her yesterday... Her condition wasn't good, right? Has it worsened?"

Ryu Jinsoo's brow furrowed.

The thought of a patient he had operated on not doing well made him feel bad.

"No, no. She's much better."

"Ah... Then what...?"

"The causative agent in her case is Scedosporium."

"Scedo... What?"

Ryu Jinsoo's expression of relief quickly turned to confusion.

Scedosporium was a fungus he had never heard of before.

"It's a fungus. It's not commonly found in humans."

"Ah... How did you diagnose it?"

"Dr. Suhyeok, my attending physician, focused on the cause of death of the donor who provided the organ to the patient."

"Donor...?"

Ryu Jinsoo had now completely put down his instruments.

The story was becoming increasingly intriguing.

"Yes, the donor drowned. Scedosporium is a fungus that lives in dirty water."

"Ah, so..."

"Yes. The donor was infected first, and the infected organ was transplanted into Son Geumsuk."

"I see. No, wait. Then?"

"Yes. I believe other organs were also transplanted. Do you know the names of the recipients? Their lives are in danger."

"Damn it."

Ryu Jinsoo abruptly stood up.

He bumped his head on the overhead light, but it didn't matter.

All the transplants—heart, lungs, and liver—had been performed at Taehwa Medical Center.

"Ah, I'm sorry."

"No, no. I cursed too just now."

"Wait a moment. I need to check. Can you open the computer for me?"

Ryu Jinsoo asked for the professor's understanding and called over a resident.

The fellow, who was the first assistant, was already waiting idly because the fellow was working with the microscope.

He quickly took off his gloves and went to the computer.

He could always wash his hands and return to the microscope later.

There was no need to hesitate.

"Over there, over there. No! It was a month ago, so it's further back. Back! Not forward!"

"Okay, okay."

Ryu Jinsoo nagged the resident until he found the record of the transplant surgery from a month ago.

"Right, that one. Open it."

"Okay."

Unlike other large hospitals, Taehwa Medical Center, which was directly linked to the Korean Organ and Tissue Donation Center, kept very detailed records of all organ transplants.

This case was no exception, so the records were still intact.

"Professor Shin Hyuntae, are you listening?"

"Yes."

"Yes. All three surgeries were performed at our hospital. The heart was transplanted to patient 20180809, Go Misun. The lungs to patient 20190826, Yoo Suyeon, and the liver to... patient 20170922, Pyo Eunju. Did you write them down?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Yes. Please confirm as soon as possible. I'll check as soon as the surgery is over."

"Okay."

Shin Hyuntao hung up, and Suhyeok, in the meantime, entered the numbers and names Shin Hyuntae had written down to access the personal information.

Since these were patients with serious illnesses who had undergone transplants, their personal phone numbers, not just their home numbers, were all in the database.

"Hello, are you the guardian of Go Misun?"

"Yes..."

When he called, the voice on the other end sounded dark.

Suhyeok, sensing something was wrong, lowered his voice.

"This is Dr. Suhyeok from the Department of Internal Medicine at Taehwa Medical Center. Where is Go Misun now?"

"Ah, Taehwa..."

The guardian hesitated for a moment, then spoke slowly.

"She passed away a week ago. She went back to her hometown after the surgery and was admitted to a nearby hospital with a fever..."

"Ah."

"Damn."

Shin Hyuntae, standing nearby, looked disappointed.

'After all, it was a diagnosis we missed...'

It was a diagnosis that even the giant Taehwa Medical Center had overlooked, and it was a fungal infection.

In a smaller hospital, they might not have even properly dealt with a superbug.

'No... I... I...'

Shin Hyuntae, blaming the size of the hospital, suddenly looked at Suhyeok.

If it weren't for this young man in front of him, the diagnosis might not have been made here either.

Patient Son Geumsuk would have been dying quickly.

They wouldn't have even thought to make these calls.

"Hey, the call was disconnected."

Suhyeok, looking at the disconnected call, immediately dialed another patient.

One patient had already died, and the thought that the others might have died too made him feel very uneasy.

At that moment, a voice came from the phone Shin Hyuntae had been holding.

"Hello?"

"Hello. Are you the guardian of Yoo Suyeon?"

"Yes? Who is this?"

"This is Professor Shin Hyuntae from the Department of Internal Medicine at Taehwa Medical Center. I have some questions about the patient."

"Ah...?"

The guardian sounded confused.

Shin Hyuntae, on the other hand, was in a hurry.

"Is the patient still alive?"

"Excuse me?"

He asked a rather strange question.

Shin Hyuntae only realized his mistake when he saw the guardian's strange reaction and Suhyeok's puzzled look.

"No, no. Is everything okay?"

"Ah... No. She's in the emergency room. She has a fever."

"Emergency room? Which one?"

"Taehwa Medical Center."

"Ah! I'm coming down right now!"

"Excuse me?"

Like other emergency rooms, the emergency room at Taehwa Medical Center was always crowded.

Being a large hospital that treated many severe cases, this was to be expected.

A fever might not be taken seriously.

Patient Yoo Suyeon was waiting, sitting in a chair because no bed was available.

When the professor suddenly called and said he was coming down, the guardian was confused.

"Hello, are you the guardian of Pyo Eunju? Ah, the emergency room? I'm coming down right now."

In the meantime, Suhyeok had also successfully made a call and learned that the patient was in the emergency room.

So, Suhyeok and Shin Hyuntae headed to the first-floor emergency room together.

"I'll go to Pyo Eunju, and you go to Yoo Suyeon."

"Okay, Professor."

"Once we get there, let's start with voriconazole."

"Okay."

With determination, they both rushed out as soon as the elevator doors opened.

Calling out different names.

"Yoo Suyeon!"

"Pyo Eunju!"

If they were ordinary people, security might have stopped them.

But they were doctors, and quite well-known at the hospital.

No one interfered, and some even offered to help.

"Looking for a patient? Yoo Suyeon!"

"Pyo Eunju!"

"Ah, here!"

This way, they quickly found their respective patients.

The condition of Yoo Suyeon, who had received a lung transplant, was much worse.

She not only had a fever but was also having difficulty breathing.

Of course, Pyo Eunju, who had received a liver transplant, was in a similar condition.

The liver is a large and important organ, so it was to be expected.

'Still... They're alive.'

Shin Hyuntae and Suhyeok were grateful for the opportunity and prescribed the treatment.

"Voriconazole, give it immediately."