Chapter 125

Daman escorted Suhyuk and Han around the building and introduced them to the medical staff there. Some of them already knew Han, and some did not because of change in the medical faculty.

Suhyuk said h.e.l.lo to them, with the greeting, “I hope I’ll be in good hands.”

He did not know how many times he exchanged greetings like that with the staff, because there were so many medical staff, especially compared with Daehan Hospital.

Surely this was a good hospital.

While escorting them around the building, Daman suddenly stopped before a patient’s room, casting a mystical eye at Han.

“What’s the matter?”

At Han’s asking Daman smiled, and looked at the patient’s nameplate on the door.

“He was taken here one week ago. I accepted him.”

Then a nurse came over to hand him the chart.

Daman glanced at Suhyuk, thinking to himself,

“Did Han say he was very good? Better than my disciple Philip?”

Daman went into the patient’s room after he cast a curious look at Suhyuk, and Philip also followed him automatically.

Han turned his head to Suhyuk, standing outside, “What are you doing there? Come on in!”

Nodding his head, Suhyuk moved.

It was a one-bed patients room, where there lay a 42-year-old man on the bed.

Daman went to him, saying, “You’ll be okay. Your condition has gotten much better. Your lung is also getting better naturally…”

Phillip and Suhyuk were looking at the patient quietly.

“When you feel unwell, please give me a call immediately.”

“Thanks, Daman. Cough, cough.”

Checking the patient’s condition lightly, he went out of the room.

He asked Phillip who also came out, “He is a patient who had one of his ribs broken.”

And he handed Phillip a chart.

“Why do you think he had it broken?”

Phillip kept silent a moment at his asking.

On the chart, there was information that the ribs punctured the lungs, and that the patient had taken medication.

Phillip did not think for too long.

“It looks like the rupture has been caused by cardiopulmonary resuscitation or bruising.”

Nodding his head, Daman was handed back the chart, and then gave it to Suhyuk.

“How about your opinion, Mr. Lee?”

Suhyuk examined the chart at a glance, saying,

“Looks like it’s been caused by his coughing.”

Looking at Daman, he wore an expression as if to ask him why he’s throwing him such a question.

Han made an awkward smile at that.

Han expected Suhyuk would easily answer it, but his reply was far from what he thought he would give.

Suddenly it came to his mind that the patient was coughing several times while he was talking with Daman. It was possible the rib could be ruptured even by coughing.

Actually there was a case where that happened before.

“Great answer!”

Daman indicated that Suhyuk was right, and Han opened his mouth, with a smile,

“I told you, man. He’s better than me. I think he’s quick in visual learning, too.”

***

Suhyuk, Han Myungjin, Daman and Philip were heading for the food court of the hospital.

They were supposed to have lunch on time.

Suhyuk could understand Daman’s behavior in no time.

There were many other doctors besides him, who could see the patients.

When the primary physician is away, another doctor subs for him or her. As there were so many patients at St. Hopkins Hospital, the doctors could not take their eyes off them.

This kind of work in rotation could free the doctors from their physical toil.

It looked as if they were like ordinary men going to work.

On the contrary doctors were forced to work and work and work in Korea.

It was inevitable in some respect because there were a limited number of doctors who could treat those patients taken into the emergency room.

Suhyuk had no choice but to laugh bitterly.

“Do they serve good food at the cafeteria at your place?” asked Daman.

At his asking, Han nodded. Daman liked Korean food very much, in particular bibimbap (rice mixed with beef, vegetable and red pepper paste).

When he was staying in Korea, he used to enjoy bibimbap as one of his meals every day.

Soon they arrived at the food court in the bas.e.m.e.nt.

Suhyuk’s eyes became wider. He was expecting them to wait in a line with a tray.

He was wrong because it was buffet style, full of different kinds of food.

And there was the sound of cla.s.sical music playing out from somewhere.

Just like how the patients were cared for highly, it seemed the doctors here were given the best possible compensation too.

“Very good, right?”

At Han’s words, Suhyuk nodded his head naturally.

“When you make a lot of money, why don’t you start a hospital like this one?”

Cracking a joke like that, Han and Daman began putting food on their trays.

Then Phillip slurred while pa.s.sing by, “Looks like the foods you might like are over there.”

Suhyuk cast his eyes toward where Phillip pointed out, and over there were various salads.

Suhyuk moved to the salad bar, with a grin at Phillip.

He put tomato and spaghetti first on his tray, and some nicely chopped barquette.

There were also some sus.h.i.+ rolls, but he did not feel like it.

Suhyuk sat next to Han, while Philip sat beside Daman.

While eating, Suhyuk thought of the doctors at Daehan Hospital.

A man in his mid 30s was taking his seat at that moment.

When was about to eat again, Suhyuk turned to him.

He was holding a Korean book.

Suhyuk murmured before he knew it, “Dongui Medical Encyclopedia…”

The man looked at Suhyuk as if he heard his soft voice.

He spoke in clumsy Korean, “Are you Korean?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Oh, my name is William,” said the guy in English now.

When he did not show any reaction, the guy smiled bitterly, guessing Suhyuk could not speak English.

However, Suhyuk replied at that moment, “My name is Suhyuk Lee.”

“Are you the doctor who just arrived here?”

“Well, I came here at the invitation of ….”

“Oh, you came here on invitation? Nice to meet you. Welcome to our hospital!”

“Well, what I mean is…”

“I’m very much interested in Korea. I hope to see you more in the future.”

Suhyuk looked at the book, scratching his head.

Han spoke to him in Korean, with a smile, “You had better get along with him.”

“Looks like you speak Korean well since you’re reading the Dongui Medical Encyclopedia.”

William shook his head, adding,

“Well, I am learning Korean, but I am very much limited in my Korean. May I ask which department you’re a.s.sociated with?”

“I think we’re working at the general surgery department.”

William made a regrettable expression.

Then Han, who was eating, asked Daman about who William was.

“Well, he’s someone who’s come to the neurosurgery department this time. He is quite capable, but he actually has a speciality in some other area.”

“What area is that?”

“Stem cells. He’s auth.o.r.ed many papers and received several awards, too.”

Nodding his head, Han began eating again.

Though he was not old, William was a great doctor.

“Can I call you Dr. Lee?”

“You can call me whatever you feel comfortable.”

With a smile, William nodded and then opened up the book again, as if he had just thought of something.

“If you don’t mind, can you tell me what this means? I can’t understand with my limited Korean.”

Suhyuk gladly took the book.

“It is about the curc.u.ma herb. Curc.u.ma powder is good for arthritis…”

When Suhyuk continued to explain, William shook his head, surprised at the contents of the book.

“Huh, Jun? How come he, who lived several hundred years ago, was able to find out that curc.u.ma had this Tumeric ingredient? I am just amazed and deeply respect him,” said William.

The tumeric component extracted from curc.u.ma are used to treat arthritis. Plus the  selenium component that protects cells from harmful oxygen.

William, staring at the Dongui Medical Encyclopedia, continued to express surprise,

“Dr. Lee, then this word means…”

William suddenly shut up his mouth, because Suhyuk’s tray was full of salads.

“I’m so sorry. You couldn’t eat because of me…”

“Oh, never mind! Please feel free to ask me anything anytime when you’re in doubt.”

William nodded his head,and began eating.

While he was chewing with his mouth closed, he could not take his eyes off the Dongui book.

After lunch, Suhyuk was walking up the stairs to the lobby.

“Looks like I can digest food better if I press here,” said William, pressing his palm with his thumb hard.

Suhyuk said, with a smile, “Do you really feel that way?”

“I think the medical methods of the Orient are really great.”

“I agree.”

“Dr. Lee, are you available this evening?”

“I don’t think I’m busy…”

“How about a gla.s.s of beer then? I know a good beer bar near the hospital. I’d like to repay you for your teaching today.”

When he was about to reply, Han spoke in Korean,

“You’re not busy this evening, right? Go and get along with him over a drink.”

Suhyuk nodded his head.

“Okay, sir.”

William’s face became bright.

“7pm. Let’s meet in the lobby.”

“Sure.”

Both of them exchanged their contact numbers. Looking at them, Phillip chuckled.

***

Their first day at St. Hopkins Hospital pa.s.sed quickly.

They stopped by the surgery building and other nearby buildings, meeting the hospital director too.

It was approaching 7pm.

Han, who came down to the lobby to return to the apartment, waved his hands at Suhyuk.

“Don’t drink too much. Have a good time!”

Suhyuk checked the time. It was 6:30pm.

He still had 30 minutes to go until the appointed time.

Sitting on the waiting benches, Suhyuk looked around the lobby.

Though he felt awkward in every way, it seemed to him that there were many patients regardless of whether it was the US or Korea.

While he was checking his surroundings, his cellphone buzzed.

It was a call from William.

“Yes, this is Suhyuk Lee.”

“Dr. Lee, I’m afraid I’ll be late a bit. Can you wait… or come to my office, if you don’t mind?”

“Sure. Where is your office?”

“Okay.”

Suhyuk headed to the elevator to go to his office, which he could easily find.

Knock, knock, knock.

When he knocked on the door, William in a white gown opened the door.

“Sorry. Please come in.”

Once he stepped into the office, Suhyuk’s eyes became larger gradually.

And he murmured before he knew it, “Wow…”

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