It felt like the moment right before having your homework checked.
No, that analogy was correct.
CABG was a surgery where you could verify the results immediately.
So success could be confirmed on the spot, and problems could be corrected right away.
Taesu gripped the bulldog clamp attached to the vessel on the other side.
"Whew. Opening."
"Yeah."
"That's right. Let's open it."
Tension and excitement settled into Jeong Minsu and Kim Hyeokgwon's eyes simultaneously.
Their expressions were all the more anxious because it was their first heart surgery.
Taesu also released the bulldog clamp with tense hands. Then the blood flowed from the existing vessel into the newly connected one.
Click.
The limp, flabby vessel instantly grew taut.
"Blood's flowing through."
"No bleeding visible."
"Hmm. It feels like something went right."
Kim Hyeokgwon had never seen the results of a CABG surgery before, so he said exactly what he saw.
But that was only for a moment.
Swish.
Taesu and Jeong Minsu's gazes turned to the ECG simultaneously.
Dr. Isaacson had stepped aside.
Beep-beep.
The ECG sound was still sharp.
But then.
Beep-beep. Beep. Beep.
The ECG sound slowed in an instant and various numbers changed rapidly. The sharp graphs of the pulse and blood pressure also stabilized.
The moment they saw that.
Swish.
Taesu and Jeong Minsu's gazes returned to the heart.
The heart that had been beating frantically?
Thump, thump.
It was beating in proper rhythm.
It was a success.
Two residents had performed a CABG surgery.
If this had been Korea, it would have been front-page news.
No, even if this was an NGO, that joy did not fade.
Delight welled up in their tense eyes.
"Minsu."
"Taesu."
Whoosh.
Each of their right hands shot into the air for a vigorous meeting.
Their hands were about to clasp.
"Stop."
Kim Hyeokgwon blocked them, and Taesu and Jeong Minsu flinched.
While puzzled, Taesu quickly turned to Kim Hyeokgwon with a startled expression.
"Ah, we should celebrate together."
"What are you talking about? Shouldn't we finish the surgery first?"
"Oh my, right. I got too happy."
"Let's celebrate together after it's over. Let's finish up quickly. Everyone's sweating so much; I'm worried about dehydration."
Kim Hyeokgwon comforted and fretted over the two like a dependable big brother.
Taesu and Jeong Minsu didn't care either way.
Drip, drip.
They had no mind to notice the sweat trickling down their chins or their sore arms.
"Let's finish up quickly."
"Wooo."
To fully enjoy the moment of true joy, they gathered their strength and moved their hands again.
Thirty minutes later.
All of the surgery was finished.
The patient's vitals maintained the numbers and rhythm from the moment of success.
Everyone was looking at Dr. Isaacson.
They were waiting for his OK sign.
Soon Dr. Isaacson turned around and showed Taesu an 'OK' sign with his hand.
"Good."
"Yesss."
"The closing declaration first."
Dr. Isaacson calmly pointed out the order.
Taesu quickly stood before the operating table.
Clack.
Dr. Isaacson also approached from the side.
On the other side stood Jeong Minsu and Kim Hyeokgwon.
Taesu looked around and spoke with a face overcome with emotion.
"First heart surgery, first CABG surgery… It has been completed without issue."
"……."
Nod.
"The patient endured and endured, buying us time for the surgery. That is an undeniable fact."
A fact was a fact.
Taesu spoke without omitting anything, even things that were embarrassing to himself.
Jeong Minsu and Kim Hyeokgwon also completely agreed with that.
Because they were feeling their shortcomings even as they felt the joy of a successful surgery.
Taesu let out a light cough.
"Ahem. Just as patient Ohamed overcame it, I am certain his wife is overcoming it as well."
"That's right."
"Now you need only rest comfortably and wait for the moment of reunion. Surgery complete. Everyone, good work."
Taesu declared the end of the surgery.
Bow.
Jeong Minsu and Kim Hyeokgwon bowed their heads deeply in the Korean style.
Dr. Isaacson, perhaps because of cultural differences, only lightly mimicked it.
And so all of the surgery was finished.
What about Taesu and Jeong Minsu?
"Waaah, Minsu."
"Waaah. Taesu."
Swoop.
They hugged each other tight and jumped up and down.
Then, unexpectedly, Kim Hyeokgwon approached and grumbled.
"Let me celebrate with you too."
"Come here. Waaah."
"Waaah."
Bounce.
The three hugged, expressing their joy by jumping up and down.
Since they were thoracic surgeons who had just performed a CABG, there was no way that joy could be small.
Was it foul play by Taesu, utilizing Kaprene's knowledge?
That was half right and half wrong.
It was true that Taesu had actively utilized Kaprene's knowledge in this surgery.
Thanks to that, they had skillfully avoided foreseeable accidents and proceeded without issue.
But the ones who accomplished it were the three of them: Taesu, Jeong Minsu, and Kim Hyeokgwon.
Kaprene's knowledge alone could accomplish nothing.
It was only possible with Taesu who unfolded it with his hands, Jeong Minsu assisting, and Kim Hyeokgwon supporting.
Taesu had performed even more dangerous and difficult surgeries, yet this joy could look a little different.
That was because it was not just any other affected area, but the heart that he had operated on.
He had never operated on the heart until now.
In fact, he had been unable to operate on patients with heart problems.
Even for Taesu, proceeding alone had been impossible.
So there had been patients he had to let go.
In this moment, he had confirmed the possibility that heart surgery was viable from now on.
He saw hope that he could save even one more patient.
That made Taesu happier than any other surgery's success.
A short while later.
When the joy subsided, everyone returned to calm expressions.
Everyone who had participated in the surgery was seated in the surgical waiting room.
It was to share a toast with drinks for having overcome the crisis.
Dr. Isaacson slowly looked around at the three and smiled.
"It wasn't bad."
"Right?"
"But it wasn't good either."
Dr. Isaacson's evaluation was cold.
Whatever their personal friendship might be, it was natural for him to apply clear standards when it came to medicine.
So Taesu acknowledged it too.
"Yes. It wasn't exactly a clean-cut surgery."
"First off, I'd say Dr. Choe's experience accounted for eighty percent."
"Excuse me?"
"It's the truth."
Though Dr. Isaacson spoke firmly, Taesu shook his head.
"That's not true. Fifty percent at most."
"Is that really so?"
"Yes."
Taesu answered confidently.
Even so, Dr. Isaacson's faint smile didn't change. He immediately stated why he thought that way.
"An extremely passive assistant lacking in fundamentals."
"……."
Flinch.
Jeong Minsu reacted immediately.
Dr. Isaacson paid no mind and continued.
"A nurse who doesn't know whether she should be doing something or not."
"Do I look like a nurse? I'm not a nurse; how would you know?"
"Ah, then let me correct that to an interpreter deployed without a clear concept of surgery."
"I'll admit to that."
Kim Hyeokgwon was just as quick to concede as he was to argue.
Dr. Isaacson looked back at Taesu and finished.
"And yet you say no?"
"Because it was everyone's first time."
"You don't think that can be used as an excuse, do you?"
"It cannot be used as an excuse."
Taesu also nodded without trying to justify himself.
The surgery had ended with a sense of relief, yet now a lingering discomfort remained.
But that too was brief.
Taesu looked at Dr. Isaacson and spoke.
"It's all true, but this was a surgery I couldn't have done alone without you two."
"That is also true."
"And we will improve and get better."
"If a lot of time passes."
Dr. Isaacson added a cold caveat.
Kim Hyeokgwon, weak to such provocations, glared sullenly.
"Don't jump to conclusions so quickly."
"I apologize if that offended you."
"It's true, but it's unpleasant to hear."
"Understood. Let's leave it at that, then."
Dr. Isaacson closed his mouth.
Silence fell over the surgical waiting room.
"……."
"……."
Clench.
They gripped the cans in their hands tightly.
It was because they wanted to envision only a bright future but could not beautify reality.
Rather than being intoxicated by the surgery's success, it might have been a more important time to look back at themselves.
But then.
Rustle.
Someone arrived at the surgery tent.
Turning their heads toward the shadow, they saw Brad Kim gasping for breath.
"Huff, huff. You, everyone, huff, huff, were here."
"Brad, what's wrong?"
"Phew. Good Morning Us told me to find you quickly, so I've been running around everywhere."
Brad Kim caught his breath and spoke.
At those words, Taesu, as well as Jeong Minsu and Kim Hyeokgwon, reacted simultaneously.
"No way?"
"Could it be?"
Hearing those voices, Jeong Minsu immediately nodded.
"Yeah. It looks like the next dispatch site has been decided."
"Then we have to go."
Scrape.
Taesu, Jeong Minsu, and Kim Hyeokgwon rose from their seats simultaneously.
Before leaving, Taesu first bowed to Dr. Isaacson.
"Thank you for participating as the anesthesiologist."
"I'm also glad I got to participate in Dr. Choe's first heart surgery."
"That you're glad……."
"I mean it. And what I said……."
The moment Dr. Isaacson was about to speak, Taesu opened his mouth one beat faster.
"I understood it as advice to think about which direction I must work toward from now on."
"Then that's fine. Well, this is something. We meet and immediately operate, and now that it's over, we're parting."
"It can't be helped. But what about the patient?"
"I'll check the situation over there and move. I'll update you later, so get going first."
"Thank you. Then."
Bow.
Taesu bowed politely once more and turned around.
And he finally stepped out of the surgery tent.
It was the moment Taesu exited the surgery tent.
"Dr. Choe."
Brad Kim called out as if he had been waiting.
Clack.
Taesu, who had been about to pass by, stopped; the man who approached asked with resolute eyes.
"May I come with you?"
"It's very different from here."
"I know that too."
The short answer conveyed that it was not an impulsive decision.
Taesu was, naturally, welcoming.
"Let's meet in front of the building."
"I'll prepare quickly and come."
"Then."
"Yeah. Let's scatter."
Once the decision was made, everyone quickly moved.
At the same time.
Dr. Isaacson leisurely picked up his drink.
"Hmm……."
The sound of hurried footsteps fading away could be heard.
- Tap-tap-tap.
Immediately after that sound completely disappeared.
Flash.
Dr. Isaacson quickly put down his drink and picked up his phone. As if he had never been relaxed, his hand movements were swift.
"Hurry, hurry."
Tap-tap.
He pressed the phone screen as if it would break, then immediately brought it to his ear.
Soon the other party's voice was heard.
"Hmm, have you arrived?"
It was James's voice.