Chapter 7: The Hidden Son (1)

“You might have heard, but it seems that first-year resident Lee Su-hyuk is a royal.”

Third-year resident Kim In-woo, the current chief resident, addressed the gathered group in the office with a rather serious expression.

Although it was an emergency assembly, the number of people was not small.

Everyone, except those who had gone to the emergency room or the ICU, had gathered.

Of course, Su-hyuk, the subject of the matter, was excluded.

He was on his way to a patient's room, being scolded by Baruda.

“Seems like a pretty big royal, right? I just got a photo from a classmate showing Su-hyuk and the hospital director drinking coffee at a café.”

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

“Here it is.”

“Wow... it’s really them...”

The hospital was a place where nothing interesting ever happened.

Residents were stuck in this uninteresting place 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Therefore, even the smallest commotion was bound to be exaggerated.

The rumor that Lee Su-hyuk, who was considered a symbol of the underprivileged, might actually be a royal was enough to shake the entire hospital.

“Did you just pat his shoulder?”

“Yes. The director isn’t usually so friendly. He’s quite cynical.”

“Didn’t you hear their conversation?”

“I’ll ask.”

The second-year resident sent a text message with a very serious face.

It looked like he was discussing a patient, but in reality, he was just asking about gossip.

“Um... I heard that someone told him to speak up if anyone bothered him?”

“Did he really say that strongly? The director?”

“Yes.”

“Is this some hidden child? Does anyone know Su-hyuk’s background?”

It was a silly question, but it came from the chief resident.

No one could dismiss it lightly.

At those words, Ji-sang, Su-hyuk’s classmate, cautiously raised his hand.

“Hey, what’s your name again?”

“I’m Yoo Ji-sang, sir.”

“Oh, right, sorry. I’m still not used to the names. Anyway, what do you think?”

“I know he was an orphan.”

“An orphan?”

“Yes. So he worked part-time and tutored during his clinical years. Even with scholarships, it wasn’t enough for living expenses.”

“Hmm.”

Everyone had the experience of tutoring during their preclinical years.

Being a preclinical student at Taehwa Medical Center meant that even mothers in Gangnam would be thrilled.

They would treat you well and pay you a lot.

There was no reason not to do it.

But during clinical years?

Tutoring while risking flunking was a crazy move.

“But... I thought he was fourth in his class?”

Chief resident Kim In-woo, as expected, knew the grades of all the applicants well.

As a chief resident, he couldn’t choose who to admit, but he had the power to fail them.

“Yes, he graduated fourth.”

“Have you seen him tutor?”

“No? No, I haven’t.”

Clinical years were a time when everyone was busy with their own studies.

Of course, some people did let go and play.

But after a few flunks and a stint in the military, they inevitably focused on studying.

“How does he manage to be fourth while tutoring? It doesn’t make sense. Is his IQ 200 or something?”

“Ah...”

“It seems like the director’s hidden child. It’s also suspicious that he hasn’t married until this age...”

If someone with a clear head had been there, they might have said, “Chief, that’s a bit too far.”

But it was a welcome distraction in the dull hospital life.

“By the way, they’re both surnamed Lee!”

Moreover, third-year resident Kim Jin-yong, who was in charge of the pharmacy, joined in.

Of course, no one mentioned how many people in Korea are surnamed Lee.

The chief resident and the pharmacy head were the real powers in the current internal medicine department.

It was better to keep quiet unless you were curious about how many night shifts you could get for crossing them.

“Hey, you guys. Don’t mess with Lee Su-hyuk. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.”

Thus, the emergency department meeting concluded with the strange conclusion that first-year resident Lee Su-hyuk was the director’s hidden son and should be treated with caution.

‘Why does my ear feel so itchy?’

Su-hyuk, who had just gotten off the elevator and was heading to the room of patient Kim Jin-cheol, unconsciously scratched his ear.

[Su-hyuk, don’t dig your ear. It’s a bad habit.]

Then Baruda’s nagging, which had become so familiar it felt strange without, began.

‘Who doesn’t know? It’s itchy, what can I do?’

[Do you really know? The earwax you just removed is a substance made of fat and acid, which serves to prevent bacteria or viruses from entering from the outside.]

‘I know, I know. I got an A+ in ENT, you know?’

[Knowing that, you still handle your ears so roughly...]

‘Why are you pretending to be so shocked? What does it matter if I scratch my ear or not?’

[Su-hyuk is Baruda’s only agent. You have the duty to manage your health.]

‘Duty, my ass...’

Walking in a way that made him look like he was mumbling to himself, he found himself in front of Kim Jin-cheol’s room.

“Cough, cough.”

A cough that made you think of thick phlegm echoed from inside the room.

The door was firmly closed, with a large sign that read “Infection Control Room.”

[Put on a mask and protective gloves.]

‘I already have them on.’

He didn’t want to hear Baruda’s nagging,

But he didn’t want to get sick either.

So he put on the protective gear provided at the entrance to the room and went inside.

The room was originally a double, but due to the risk of droplet infection, it was being used by Kim Jin-cheol alone.

“Hello.”

“Oh... you’re here. Cough.”

Kim Jin-cheol, 49 years old, was coughing continuously.

[49-year-old male, respiratory difficulty and coughing started four days before admission, and he was admitted through the emergency room yesterday with a fever of about 39 degrees.]

[Currently on amoxicillin antibiotic treatment, but no improvement has been seen, and chest X-ray shows signs of pneumonia.]

Baruda immediately displayed the basic information about Kim Jin-cheol.

But it seemed that making a diagnosis was still premature.

Even a suspected diagnosis was not mentioned.

“Has your cough gotten worse?”

At Su-hyuk’s question, the caregiver beside him nodded.

She was wearing a plastic protective gown and a mask, and from Su-hyuk’s memory, she was Kim Jin-cheol’s wife.

“Yes, it’s worse than before admission.”

[The oxygen saturation has dropped from 95% on the day of admission to 90%. This objectively indicates that the disease has worsened.]

Baruda also pointed out that the patient’s condition was deteriorating, citing the drop in oxygen saturation.

“Hmm... The medication is being administered correctly according to the dosage...”

Su-hyuk briefly checked the IV line connected to the patient’s arm vein.

The amoxicillin prescribed by Dr. Shin Hyun-tae was being administered without any issues.

[The blood test shows a white blood cell count of 9.97×10^9, with 86.2% neutrophils, 8.9% lymphocytes, and 4.4% monocytes. Apart from elevated inflammation markers, there are no other significant findings.]

Baruda displayed the blood test results and shared his opinion.

‘The rise in neutrophils suggests that it is indeed a bacterial infection...’

[The blood culture test was taken in the emergency room, but it will take about 10 days for the results.]

‘What will happen before then?’

Emergency situations in the internal medicine department didn’t often arise, but 10 days was far too long.

It was enough time for a healthy person to die.

Especially for a 49-year-old, who was quite old to be considered young.

Without the right antibiotics, he would certainly die.

‘What is the causative agent?’

Su-hyuk recalled what Dr. Shin Hyun-tae had said during the rounds.

If the fever didn’t subside over the weekend, change the antibiotic to levofloxacin.

Levofloxacin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic in the quinolone class.

While it might improve the symptoms,

Using a broad-spectrum antibiotic without knowing the cause is like carpet bombing.

Ultimately, the cause must be identified to save the patient.

[Using levofloxacin will buy us some time, I believe.]

‘Do you really have no idea at all?’

Su-hyuk, with a faint hope that Baruda might know, asked again.

[There is not enough information. I can only diagnose pneumonia.]

Su-hyuk tilted his head and placed the stethoscope on the patient’s chest.

The lung sounds in the left lower lobe, which showed inflammation on the X-ray, had changed.

‘Even with auscultation?’

[This is my first auscultation. What do you expect? I’ll store it in the database.]

‘Damn it.’

When it came to joking, Baruda was relentless.

But when it came to helping the patient, it seemed to be of little use.

Still, it did provide all the test results and records in real-time.

“Cough, cough.”

At that moment, a strange cough caught Su-hyuk’s attention.

It wasn’t from the patient, but from the caregiver.

“Are you okay?” Su-hyuk asked the caregiver, puzzled.

“I’ve had a cough for a few days now.”

“Don’t tell me... How long have you been here? Have you been here continuously? Come out for now.”

Su-hyuk pointed to the caregiver’s mask, which looked brand new.

It seemed to have been put on properly, covering the nose, possibly with the help of a nurse.

The caregiver continued to cough even after being led out to the hallway by Su-hyuk.

“I’ve been here for 10 minutes. My daughter was here during the day...”

“10 minutes. Hmm.”

If that was the case, it was unlikely that the infection had occurred here.

‘It must have been transmitted at home.’

[Since you had a cough before admission, it’s possible. It would be good to check your daughter’s symptoms. The bacteria could be highly contagious.]

Baruda’s words seemed reasonable, and Su-hyuk took immediate action.

“How long has your daughter been with you?”

“Our home is in a different region... After she started feeling unwell, she stayed at her place. She lives nearby. We told her to come to this hospital.”

“Hmm.”

If they had been together continuously, it was clear that her daughter was also at risk.

“Is your daughter okay?”

“She’s... on her way. Ah, there she is.”

Following the caregiver’s gesture, Su-hyuk turned his head to see a young woman approaching.

She looked very healthy, with no signs of illness.

“Cough, cough.”

Meanwhile, the caregiver’s cough had worsened over time.

In contrast, her daughter showed no symptoms.

“Cough, cough.”

In the room, Kim Jin-cheol’s cough echoed,

“Cough, cough.”

In the hallway, the caregiver’s cough echoed.

Su-hyuk, with the coughing as background noise, fell into thought.

Two people had been in contact with the patient, but only one showed symptoms.

The symptoms were too severe to be just a matter of incubation period.

‘There’s something... I’m missing something.’