Chapter 85, Part 2: I Am an Intern (5)

‘Ha... C-turn has arrived. And it’s a quirky one at that.’

Kang Soo-jung clicked her tongue inwardly.

While confidence was good, excessive confidence was worse than none.

This was exactly the case with Eum Jin.

Why was he so arrogant when he had just started his first day as an intern?

Not only that, but he was making promises to already sensitive patients that he couldn’t keep.

ABGA was one of the most basic tests, but it was also one of the most challenging.

Human veins were not like those of a robot, rigid and set.

They varied greatly depending on the patient’s age and health condition.

Among them, the blood draw difficulty of the patient in front of Eum Jin was top-notch.

The elasticity of the veins had decreased, and due to long-term hospitalization, it was hard to find usable veins.

No wonder even a senior intern (a final-year intern) had made mistakes three times.

‘There’s going to be another commotion.’

Kang Soo-jung shuddered, imagining the patient causing a fuss and Eum Jin being caught by the resident like a mouse.

She was a nurse who disliked chaos.

“Don’t worry so much.”

Eum Jin, completely unfazed by Kang Soo-jung’s concerns, exuded confidence.

He removed the packaging from the syringe and began the blood draw.

Swoosh.

Swoosh.

Despite the patient’s glaring eyes, Eum Jin remained calm.

He wiped the radial artery (wrist artery) with an alcohol swab and held the syringe.

“It will sting.”

Pop.

The needle pierced the vein at a 45-degree angle, and red blood began to collect in the syringe’s head.

This was a sign that he had found the vein on the first try.

‘He did it in one go?’

Kang Soo-jung blinked in surprise.

The patient’s left wrist radial artery was not a good site for a blood draw. The elasticity of the veins was worse compared to the right wrist.

Yet, Eum Jin succeeded in one attempt.

Kang Soo-jung was utterly amazed by his skill, which was even more proficient than the senior intern.

His confidence had a solid basis.

“You need to press for five minutes. You know that, right?”

“Of course. But I must say, the new young doctor has good skills.”

The patient chuckled and pressed the blood draw site with the alcohol swab Eum Jin had given him.

“I’ll only let you do my blood draws from now on, got it?”

“If you wish, sir. However, I hope you get discharged sooner rather than having me do your blood draws.”

Eum Jin joked, a far cry from the typical intern.

He seemed more like a resident in an intern’s disguise.

After completing the ABGA blood draw in the patient’s room, Kang Soo-jung and Eum Jin headed to the next room.

“Doctor, you said I didn’t need to worry, right?”

“Yes, but you have quite a steady hand, don’t you? Most interns shudder at the thought of ABGA.”

“I was actually a professor of thoracic surgery in my previous life. So ABGA is nothing to me.”

“You really are...”

Eum Jin’s joke made Kang Soo-jung laugh.

She had fallen for his unexpected humor.

Regardless, the fact that Eum Jin was a capable intern was good news for the nurses.

There was no need for them to get involved in unnecessary conflicts between interns and patients.

During the rounds, Eum Jin successfully completed the ABGA blood draws without a single failure.

Thanks to this, both the patients and Kang Soo-jung were happy.

The shorter the rounds, the more time she had to handle tasks at the station.

“Teacher Soo-jung, are the rounds already over? Weren’t you with the new intern?”

“I think this month will be easier. The new intern is amazing. He’s got good skills and a great attitude. He even did the ABGA...”

Kang Soo-jung was busy raving about Eum Jin’s performance.

* * *

ABGA Blood Draw.

After completing the dressing of surgical sites and catheters, I returned to the on-call room.

Although it was my first time doing intern work in a while, I finished it quickly without any issues.

It felt like a math professor solving elementary school math problems.

It was absurd to think that a former associate professor of thoracic surgery would struggle with intern tasks.

“Eum Jin, what are you doing? Haven’t you done the rounds yet?”

Kim Seul-gi, looking as if she had just woken up, frowned at me.

“I’ve already done them.”

“You’ve already done them? Did you finish the routine tasks too?”

“Yes.”

I shrugged, showing no concern.

“I thought it would take at least 30 minutes on your first day. You’re pretty quick.”

“I just happened to finish quickly.”

“Good timing. Let’s prepare for the conference. First, clean the meeting room, print out the conference materials, and place them on the table.”

The conference was a daily morning meeting where the staff in the department gathered to discuss patient progress, treatment schedules, and resident case studies.

However, what bothered me was that Kim Seul-gi was treating me like a servant.

I had done the ICU rounds last night and written the progress notes for the inpatients.

Now, she was even making me prepare for the conference.

-If you pronounce Seul-gi quickly, it sounds like 'trash.' So, the first-year resident Kim Seul-gi is trash.

The reality of the handover from the senior intern last night was revealed in just half a day.

Although my stomach was boiling, I held back.

If I confronted Kim Seul-gi on the first day, my reputation would suffer.

Interns are at the bottom of the hospital’s food chain.

Therefore, I needed a strong and solid reason for revenge.

I shouldn’t finish the routine tasks too quickly in the future.

Otherwise, I’d just be doing Kim Seul-gi’s work.

While cleaning the meeting room, I was lost in thought.

There were more ways to get back at Kim Seul-gi than I thought.

* * *

20 minutes before the conference.

I was placing the printed materials with patient conditions and treatment schedules on the table.

Nam Chorong was helping me.

“Tired from the on-call shift?”

Nam Chorong asked with concern.

“Not really.”

“I knew you’d say that. I’ve never heard you complain about being tired.”

Perhaps because we were best friends throughout our six years of medical school.

Nam Chorong knew me inside and out.

“Here, have this. It might help you focus.”

Nam Chorong handed me a can of coffee from her lab coat pocket.

A legal doping drug for doctors.

I was grateful for her consideration, as she had gone to the break room to buy coffee for me.

“Thanks.”

“If you’re grateful, promise me you won’t play rock-paper-scissors anymore.”

Nam Chorong chuckled, joking about the rock-paper-scissors we played to decide the on-call shift yesterday.

It seemed to still bother her.

“Can’t I refuse since I’ve been bribed?”

“Yeah, if you have a conscience.”

“Wow, it’s a sight to see. Two interns chatting instead of preparing for the meeting. I never imagined this.”

Kim Seul-gi, who had entered the meeting room, sneered.

Had she come in quietly to see what we were doing?

Kim Seul-gi was unexpectedly meticulous.

“Have you finished preparing for the meeting?”

Kim Seul-gi approached us, squinting her eyes.

“Yes, I’ve cleaned the room, connected the projector, and distributed the materials.”

“That’s your opinion.”

Kim Seul-gi scrutinized the meeting room, trying to find any fault but found none.

It was inevitable...

I had left no room for criticism.

Though I was a lower rank than Kim Seul-gi, in terms of skills, political acumen, and social skills, I was far superior.

“Hmm, you did a good job. Don’t slack off and keep it up like today. But why are you so thirsty in the morning?”

Kim Seul-gi muttered, eyeing the coffee in my hand.

Was she trying to take my coffee since she couldn’t buy one for me?

I inwardly clicked my tongue at her nasty attitude.

Click.

I opened the can of coffee and... didn’t hand it to Kim Seul-gi.

I drank it all in one go.

Why would I offer the coffee Nam Chorong gave me to Kim Seul-gi?

“Eum Jin, are you really clueless?”

“Me? What do you mean?”

I feigned ignorance.

“Can’t you tell me where you’re clueless?”

“Sigh, the fact that I have to explain it means you’re clueless. Forget it, let’s go.”

I watched Kim Seul-gi leave the meeting room, smirking.

“Eum Jin, are you sure this is okay? You might get on her bad side.”

Nam Chorong, seeing the tension between me and Kim Seul-gi, was worried.

“Will she hold a grudge over a can of coffee? And it’s funny to give the coffee you gave me to a first-year senior.”

I shrugged.

“Still, Seul-gi is... quite a character.”

“I’m not just anyone, you know?”

I joked, reassuring Nam Chorong.

The conference began shortly after.

There was no introduction for Nam Chorong and me, as interns in the ward didn’t need formal introductions.

During the conference, I