24ES | Chapter 10.5

Yesung tried to comfort her as she berated herself, too heartbroken even to cry properly.

“You couldn’t have known. It’s not your fault. How could you have known when Minwook didn’t tell you? You’re not just his mother; you’re also the head of the household. You had to work to provide for him, and that’s why you couldn’t focus on him as much as you wanted to. It’s completely understandable.”

“No. No, Doctor. That’s no excuse. No matter how busy or important work was, I should’ve paid more attention to my son. I should’ve listened to him, talked to him more… Thinking about how he must’ve endured all that pain alone… it breaks my heart…”

“It’s not too late, Ma’am. From now on, you can be there for him. Listen to him, be his strength. It’s never too late to start.”

Yesung’s words were filled with warmth and sincerity. Gently, he patted the back of her hand, trying to offer comfort.

“Do you really think so, Doctor? What should I do now…?”

Tears finally began to fall, dampening her lashes. As Yesung tried to figure out how best to help her navigate this new reality, he noticed her trembling uncertainty, desperate for guidance in this unfamiliar situation.

♬♪♩~ ♬♪―

For once, the phone in his pocket, the hospital’s designated device, had been silent—until now. It suddenly blared to life, its ringtone cutting through the tense air.

“Excuse me for a moment, Ma’am.”

Apologizing to Minwook’s mother, Yesung answered the call.

“Yes, this is Han Yesung from Pediatric Surgery.”

“Sunbae! It’s me, Joohyuk!”

“Yes, what’s going on?”

“It’s Hayoon, the patient who came in yesterday after the fall and had surgery! Her BP’s dropped suddenly, and she’s becoming drowsy and unresponsive!”

“What?! Got it. I’m on my way. Prep for possible CPR, and request blood packs just in case there’s delayed bleeding from another site!”

“Understood, Sunbae!”

Ending the call, Yesung turned back to Minwook’s mother.

“Ma’am, I have to go immediately…”

“Yes, yes, Doctor! Don’t worry about us. Please go quickly.”

“Once I take care of this, I’ll contact a resource I know who can help Minwook. You’ll need to continue with outpatient care and psychiatric therapy after he’s discharged as well.”

Surprised by this unexpected plan, she blinked wide-eyed before quickly covering her mouth with her hands, overwhelmed.

“Th-thank you… Thank you so much, Doctor… Really…”

“No need to thank me, Ma’am. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

As she bowed repeatedly, unable to stop expressing her gratitude, Yesung waved his hands reassuringly and sprinted down the hallway.

The emergency was in the PICU—the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. He had to get there as quickly as possible.

Taking the stairs two at a time, Yesung hurried toward his destination, his mind racing as he prepared for what awaited him.

***

“Phew.”

The emergency situation in the PICU had been resolved safely. It wasn’t a case of delayed bleeding; sometimes, small amounts of bleeding occur at the surgical site, and this time, it hadn’t stopped, causing a problem.

In such cases, reoperation was necessary. They quickly secured an operating room, sutured the bleeding area, and finished the surgery without complications.

By the time Yesung stepped out of the operating room, it was already the middle of the night. Returning to the PICU, Yesung removed the surgical cap he had been wearing. Park Joohyuk, standing next to him, held out his palm with a grin.

“Great work, sunbae.”

It was a gesture for a high five. Yesung slapped his hand against Joohyuk’s outstretched palm and said, “You too. We managed to get through this for now, but you know it’s too early to relax, right? Keep an eye on things—there’s always a chance of bleeding starting again.”

“Yes, I will.”

After earnestly instructing Joohyuk, Yesung finally had a moment to catch his breath. Letting out another deep sigh from his core, he felt the tension ease slightly.

♬♪♩~ ♬♪―

The phone, which had been silent during the surgery, suddenly started ringing as soon as he stepped out. He could feel the sympathetic gaze of Park Joohyuk, who couldn’t leave the PICU because he needed to stay by Ha Yoon’s side, ready for any further emergencies. Ignoring the pitiful look Joohyuk shot at him, Yesung answered the call.

“Yes, this is Han Yesung speaking.”

“Doctor! This is Im Dowoon, an EM intern!”

Having just dealt with an emergency in the PICU, it was now the emergency room’s turn. Im Dowoon, following the hospital curriculum, had cycled through Emergency Medicine, General Surgery, and ENT, and was now back in Emergency Medicine.

Yesung started gathering his belongings as he listened to the intern.

“An 8-year-old boy was just rescued from under a collapsed house caused by a landslide due to the heavy rain! His leg was pinned under a large concrete block when they found him.”

“What? How long was he trapped?”

“Well… It took quite a while because there’s a high risk of another landslide and the ground is very unstable. They estimate he was buried for about half a day.”

Half a day. In that case, hypothermia would likely be the most pressing issue. Yesung dashed towards the emergency exit, taking the stairs two at a time as he shouted into the phone.

“Call OS immediately! I’ll be there in one minute!”

“Got it!”

As he entered the emergency room, the chaotic scene greeted him with a surge of damp and oppressive energy. The air felt heavy, and many patients were soaked to the bone.

It wasn’t just because of the relentless rain from the monsoon season, which was pouring down even now. The familiar sight made his legs momentarily freeze.

It’s okay. It’s just monsoon rain, not typhoon rain. Get a grip, Han Yesung. Stay focused.

Clenching his fist and steadying his shaky breath, Yesung searched for Im Dowoon. Spotting him waving, Yesung quickly approached.

“Doctor! Dr. Han, over here!”

Dowoon was waiting near the entrance where the ambulance was set to arrive. The patient had not yet arrived.

“How much longer?” Yesung asked hurriedly.

“When I called you, they said five minutes. That means about three minutes left now.”

Dowoon glanced at his wristwatch as he replied. Yesung scanned the surroundings once more.

“It’s not just one house affected by the landslide, is it?”

“No. Unfortunately, the landslide happened in an area densely packed with houses. They’re estimating damage to over ten households.”

That explained it. The emergency room felt unusually chaotic. The floor was slick and wet, with small puddles forming in some areas. Yesung continued his questioning.

“Where exactly did the landslide happen?”

“…Maebongsan. Technically, it’s closer to Hongun University Hospital than to us.”

“And?”

“About an hour ago, there was a seven-car pile-up near Hongun University Hospital. Their ER is completely overwhelmed with TA patients.”

“I see.”

With Hongun University Hospital handling TA patients from the multi-car accident, landslide victims were being redirected to Hanguk University Hospital. The emergencies seemed endless.

Soon, the piercing sound of ambulance sirens filled the air. The automatic doors slid open, and paramedics rushed in, pushing a stretcher.

“The rain delayed both the rescue and transport! The child is experiencing severe hypothermia! His body is freezing, and his pulse is dangerously weak!”

Yesung and the medical team followed the stretcher into the treatment room while listening to the paramedic’s report. As Yesung scanned his ID badge to open the treatment room’s automatic doors, he noticed the paramedics dripping rainwater onto the floor from their raincoats.

“What about the guardian?”

“Well… we were told it’s just the grandmother and the child.”

The medical team was busy attaching medical devices to the boy. Noticing hesitation in the paramedic’s tone, Yesung frowned.

“Is there a problem?”

“The thing is… the guardian was also trapped under the collapsed building. The child was rescued first and transported with us, but I’ve just heard the grandmother has also been rescued and is likely on her way here.”

“Make way! Emergency patient coming through!”

Before the paramedic could finish, another patient was wheeled into the ER. Judging by her white hair, she was likely the child’s grandmother. The medical team, including Yesung’s colleague Jung Hageon, who he hadn’t seen in days, rushed to assist her.

“Dr. Han!”

Startled by the call, Yesung, who was inside the treatment room, looked up.

“Yes! I’m coming now!”

Leaving the grandmother and Hageon behind, Yesung turned his attention to the child. Sliding on the latex gloves Im Dowoon handed him, he asked quickly, “What’s the patient’s current vitals?”

“Body temperature is 33°C, BP is 80/60, and pulse is 100. The hypothermia is severe, and the child seems mentally sluggish, Doctor!”

Yesung’s sharp eyes swept over the child’s swollen leg. The thigh was significantly swollen, but fortunately, there was no open fracture. The knee had minor scrapes and cuts that weren’t too severe.

Prioritizing tasks, Yesung raised his voice. “Let’s intubate first and insert a C-line (central venous catheter)! Prepare warm IV fluids. Dr. Im!”

“Yes, sir!”

“The blanket is soaking wet and needs to be replaced. Please grab several thin, clean ones!”

“Yes!”

Dowoon bolted out of the treatment room as Yesung got to work on intubation and the C-line. The child’s skin was pale to the point of being bluish. Biting his lip, Yesung directed, “Let’s insert another central line and remove the wet blankets. Leaving them on will only drop the body temperature further!”

“Understood!”

“Handle with care! Be as gentle as possible!”

With hypothermic patients, there was a risk of arrhythmias like ventricular fibrillation if mishandled, so utmost caution was necessary. As Yesung worked on the second central line, the team carefully removed the damp blanket, as if dealing with fragile glass.

To warm the patient, Yesung placed his hands around the child’s neck. “Speed up the IV fluids a bit!”

“Yes, Doctor!”

Two nurses squeezed the IV pack to hasten the flow. Just as Yesung anxiously monitored the vital signs, Dowoon returned, arms full of blankets.

“Doctor! I brought multiple thin blankets, all clean and dry!”

“Perfect! Also, give me the warmed IV packs. Let’s tuck them under the child’s armpits and cover him with the blankets to raise his temperature!”

“On it!”

With the IV packs in place, Dowoon securely wrapped the child in the blankets. Yesung looked up. “What are the vitals now?”

“Temperature is slowly climbing, but the BP is still low! Oh no… the pulse is spiking—140, 150!”

Hearing this, Yesung immediately moved to the child’s leg. At that moment, the treatment room doors opened, and an orthopedic fellow, Jin Kangin, walked in.

“You mentioned the leg was pinned under a large concrete block?”