"Hello, elders!"
As Taeho’s voice rang through the waiting room, the gazes of the murmuring crowd all turned toward him at once.
"I came in the morning, and they say it’s already two o’clock. Director, please see me first."
"You’re only just coming in now, Director. I thought I’d die waiting and fuming."
"I just want to be treated by the director."
Voices filled with disappointment and dissatisfaction sprang up here and there. Taeho did not lose his smile as he met each person’s eyes in turn.
"I’m sorry. The wait has gotten a little long today. Please give me just a moment."
Taeho immediately called Nurse Park Geumja.
"Send anyone who needs blood work straight to the blood-drawing room, and anyone who needs X-rays to radiology. Don’t just leave them waiting without direction."
"Yes, Director."
Before long, Park Geumja was skillfully guiding the patients. Some people dispersed toward the examination rooms, and the complaints subsided considerably.
Taking advantage of a gap with no patients, Taeho knocked on the door to Park Suhyeok’s consultation room and went in.
"Professor, good afternoon."
Park Suhyeok raised his head. Perhaps because the day had been exhausting, his face looked hollow.
"The waiting line is... longer than I thought. Am I taking too much time with each patient?"
"I was like that at first too. For now, just think of it as getting into rhythm with the residents."
"Still, it seems like the patients have a lot of complaints... But I can’t rush through treatment because of that."
"Of course not."
At Taeho’s clear answer, Park Suhyeok quietly let out a sigh.
No matter how much Taeho took his side, he could not stop himself from shrinking inward.
That evening, after consultations ended, Park Geumja reported to Taeho.
"Director, there were quite a few complaints from the patients today."
"What specifically were they complaining about?"
"They said the deputy director explains things too difficultly. And that the waiting time is too long."
"That’s the reaction I expected. Our styles are different. They’ll get used to it with time."
Taeho nodded.
Park Geumja’s voice grew cautious.
"The thing is, the complaints are bigger than I expected, so I’m not sure how it’ll go."
"Are rumors going around?"
"Yes. They’re saying the deputy director only has the title of professor, but he’s clumsy with consultations. I even heard people say that if you go to Samcheok Medical Center, Director, they’d rather travel all the way there, even if it’s a bit far, just to be treated by you."
"...I understand."
For the moment, Taeho nodded.
It would not be easy for Park Suhyeok to change overnight the habits and attitudes he had built over twenty years as a professor at a large hospital. On top of that, he had rested for more than two years, so his instincts would have dulled as well. The problem was that if people misunderstood him as lacking skill, Park Suhyeok might collapse on his own.
***
That evening, with Gihwan running late at the research institute, Park Suhyeok ended up looking after Hayul.
"Hayul, it looks like Uncle Gihwan will be a bit late today. Shall we stay together for a little while?"
When Park Suhyeok approached carefully, Hayul hesitated for a moment before nodding.
Having raised two daughters of his own, Park Suhyeok easily became close with the child.
"Hayul, what kind of play do you like most at daycare these days?"
Hayul thought for a moment, then answered in a small voice.
"Blocks."
"Wow, building with blocks! I liked that when I was little too. What shape do you like building the most?"
"Castles. High, high."
"Really? Then shall we build a castle with blocks here too?"
Park Suhyeok brought over the blocks from one side and poured them out across the living room floor.
Hayul’s eyes sparkled.
Thirty minutes later, when Gihwan returned, an astonishing sight unfolded before him. Park Suhyeok and Hayul were sitting together on the floor, building an enormous castle.
"Professor Park?"
"Ah, Mr. Gihwan! Hayul really has outstanding creativity. She designed this structure all by herself."
Having received a heap of praise, Hayul smiled brightly, showing her teeth.
Gihwan was moved. Hayul tended to have a hard time around male adults in particular, but Park Suhyeok was playing well with her as though they had known each other for a long time.
"Hayul, good job. Let’s build an even bigger castle next time."
"Yes, yes!"
Hayul answered with a beaming smile. Seeing that smile, a warm smile spread across Park Suhyeok’s face as well.
Taeho, who got off work the latest, came home and saw that sight.
The people he liked most.
They were not legally family, but they were people precious to him like family.
It made his heart feel warm and full.
Park Suhyeok was, by nature, a warm-hearted person.
During Taeho’s residency, after learning that Taeho was an orphan, Park Suhyeok had quietly looked after many things for him.
Because Park Suhyeok had been there, one corner of Taeho’s heart had always felt steady.
Taeho thought he could not leave Park Suhyeok like this.
‘I’ll have to step up first and build a bridge for him.’
***
"Elder, your kidney numbers are stable. But your fasting blood sugar came out a little high in today’s blood test."
Taeho said as he looked at the test results.
"How high is it?"
"It’s 126 mg/dl. That’s the diagnostic cutoff for diabetes."
Gu Yongsan’s expression stiffened.
"Then you can just prescribe me diabetes medicine, can’t you?"
"Hm, before that, the deputy director is an expert in integrated management of chronic diseases like this. How about getting a consultation from him once?"
"The deputy director? I trust only you, so why would I..."
"Elder, I’m good with the kidney side, but when diabetes and kidney disease are present together, more careful management is necessary. The deputy director is more of an expert than I am when it comes to that kind of integrated management."
Gu Yongsan nodded with a displeased expression.
Thirty minutes later, in Park Suhyeok’s consultation room.
"Hello, elder."
Gu Yongsan crossed his arms and looked Park Suhyeok up and down.
"Can a young doctor properly treat an old man like me?"
"Ha ha, young? I’ll be sixty before long myself."
Park Suhyeok, taking it as a compliment and laughing happily, quickly shut his mouth at Gu Yongsan’s chilly expression.
"Hmph. If you’re only sixty, you’re still green."
"...Yes."
An old man who looked exacting and stubborn from the first impression.
Park Suhyeok opened the chart nervously.
"You are currently being stably managed at stage 2 CKD, and your IFG has progressed to diabetes. Ah..."
His words had come out difficult again.
Just as Park Suhyeok was about to explain it more simply, Gu Yongsan narrowed his eyes and asked.
"What’s CKD?"
"Chronic Kidney Disease. IFG is impaired fasting glucose."
"What was my eGFR?"
Park Suhyeok was inwardly startled. A rural old man knew eGFR?
"It’s 72."
"Then stage 2 is right. HbA1c?"
"It’s 6.8%. It exceeds the standard of 6.5%."
"Then there’s a possibility of diabetic nephropathy too."
Park Suhyeok opened his eyes wide and stammered.
"Th-that’s correct. To prevent progression, blood sugar control is key. The target is below 7%..."
"What about medication? Don’t you have to be careful with Metformin because of kidney function?"
Park Suhyeok’s jaw nearly dropped.
"How did you... You know exactly. Your current numbers are within the range where Metformin can be used, but if it drops below 30, we have to stop it. At that point, we can use a DPP-4 inhibitor or an SGLT-2 inhibitor instead."
"I heard SGLT-2 has a kidney-protective effect. Is that right?"
"Yes. Empagliflozin and dapagliflozin have proven effects for both cardiovascular and renal outcomes."
"Side effects?"
"UTI, genital infections, and rarely, the possibility of DKA. But for you, elder, I believe the benefits are greater."
"Monitoring?"
"Fasting blood sugar once a month, glycated hemoglobin every three months, and kidney function every six months. And if you have any symptoms, come in right away."
Even after answering, Park Suhyeok was confused.
‘Did I really just have that conversation with this old man?’
Park Suhyeok muttered as if talking to himself.
"Am I dreaming right now?"
"What’s this?"
"Ah, no. I was talking to myself."
"...Now that I look at you, it seems you know how to treat people better than I expected."
Park Suhyeok craned his neck forward and asked cautiously.
"Elder, were you perhaps in the medical field?"
"Well, after going through all kinds of ailments, I did a bit of studying. Then I got to where I could understand real quick what doctors were going on about. I’ll ask one more thing. If I get hypoglycemia, what should I do?"
"If your blood sugar is 70 mg/dl or lower, take 15 grams of glucose, then recheck after 15 minutes. If it’s still low, repeat. If it’s bad enough that you lose consciousness, call 119 immediately."
"Right."
Elder Gu Yongsan stood and said.
"Like Director Kang said, your skill seems decent enough. You’re not just making a fuss with words; you really do know a lot."
Park Suhyeok looked relieved.
"Thank you."
"Mm."
After Gu Yongsan nodded and left, Park Geumja came in.
"Deputy Director, how was it? Elder Gu Yongsan is difficult, isn’t he?"
"He’s not just difficult. He’s truly remarkable. His medical knowledge is broader than most medical students’."
"Ah, he knows a lot about everything. But it seems you passed his test today, Professor."
"He tested me?"
"That’s right. He was checking how skilled the new doctor is. Just wait and see. The mood will gradually start to change now."
Park Geumja smiled brightly.
Park Suhyeok found it astonishing that a rural old man could be so knowledgeable, but he wondered what could possibly change that much.
***
That night, Park Suhyeok lay with his back against the narrow bed in his lodging, staring at the ceiling. Sleep would not come at all.
In his mind, the expressions of the patients he had faced during the day floated up.
Frustration, dissatisfaction, and disappointment. Those expressions pressed down on the center of his chest.
‘Did I rest too long? Have my instincts dulled?’
A bitter laugh escaped him on its own. At Seyoung Seoul Hospital, the title of professor alone had been enough. But here, he was merely an unproven, unfamiliar doctor.
The fear that he might have needlessly come down here and only made Taeho’s shoulders heavier tightened around the back of his neck.
‘To end up like this in front of my disciple...’
His face and his pride felt as though they would shatter into dust.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Professor, are you asleep?"
It was Taeho.
"Hm? Not yet."
"If you don’t mind, shall we get some air for a moment?"
Park Suhyeok hesitated briefly, then got up.
"All right. Let’s do that."
The two sat side by side on the wooden platform on the rooftop.
The night air was cool, and there were many stars that could not be seen in Seoul.
The shadows of distant mountains were faintly visible.
"It must be hard, suddenly seeing patients again."
Taeho asked carefully.
Park Suhyeok gave a short laugh.
"I’m fine. It always takes time to adjust to an unfamiliar place, that’s all."
Even as he spoke, Park Suhyeok’s mind was complicated.
Should he say he would quit now instead?
No. With the acquisition of Samcheok Medical Center, they must need all the help they can get right now...
If he quit like this, Taeho might have an even harder time.
He could not tell which choice would cause Taeho less harm.
Taeho had noticed that Park Suhyeok was troubled.
"Professor, by any chance..."
At that moment, the phone in Taeho’s pocket vibrated.
"This is Kang Taeho. Yes? He collapsed just now?"
After ending the call, Taeho’s expression hardened with urgency.
"It’s Elder Hwang Gyutaek. He lives nearby, and they say his son suddenly collapsed."
Taeho went into the house and hurriedly packed an emergency bag, while Park Suhyeok was already putting on his outerwear.
"Professor, will you come with me?"
"Of course."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the two of them ran down the stairs together.