Meanwhile, even amid the false public opinion, there were those who saw through to the truth.
They were, in other words, the very people who had stirred up that public opinion.
Taesu was with them now.
Surprisingly, those people were Dr. Schmidt, Dr. Benedict, Dr. Ruffalo, and Dr. Oliver.
They were all seated around the table in the office.
“……”
“……”
Silence hung in the air, and at the end of everyone’s gaze sat Taesu.
Taesu, too, was subtly avoiding the flood of stares.
Just then, Dr. Schmidt slowly lowered his phone and said,
“Fortunately, Dr. Kuramoto and the Japanese medical team seem to be keeping quiet.”
At those words, Dr. Benedict and Dr. Ruffalo spoke in turn.
“They won’t be able to run their mouths about it themselves.”
“It must be a disgrace they want to hide for the rest of their lives.”
“Serves them right.”
“To think they dared compare themselves to Dr. Caprene—when I think of that, this much is nowhere near enough.”
A few disgruntled voices slipped out as well.
Lastly, Dr. Oliver looked at Taesu and said,
“One resident properly muddied the waters in the operating room. Who would go around talking about that?”
“Ahem.”
Taesu cleared his throat and subtly turned his gaze away.
As the atmosphere of interrogation continued, Dr. Schmidt stepped in.
“That’s enough. He said he had to stop it somehow.”
“Doctor, it seems like you’re taking Dr. Choi’s side too much.”
Dr. Oliver mustered the courage to protest.
But Dr. Schmidt asked without the slightest change in expression,
“Then does Dr. Oliver think Dr. Choi did something wrong?”
“That is not the case.”
“If he did well, then there’s no reason to criticize him.”
“I’m saying it because if this becomes a habit, things could become very troublesome.”
Dr. Oliver openly targeted Taesu.
But it was a lonely fight he was waging by himself.
Dr. Benedict quietly defended Taesu.
“No one can deny that the patient’s life comes first.”
“It’s more disgraceful to back down when the outcome is obvious before your eyes.”
Dr. Ruffalo also shielded Taesu.
At that sight, Dr. Oliver’s expression grew even more displeased.
“Hm.”
He seemed to be deliberately holding back his words.
Just then, Taesu, who had been listening quietly, raised his hand slightly and asked,
“What happened to patient Vanessa?”
“That’s a bit awkward. She’s been returned to her original room.”
“Pardon?”
Taesu asked in surprise.
Dr. Schmidt answered with a bitter expression.
“The thoracic surgery nurses weren’t on the same page.”
“Oh no… Then we’re right back where we started.”
“To be precise, things have gotten worse.”
Dr. Schmidt coldly laid out the reality.
No matter that he was the head of the medical volunteer team, it was difficult for him to forcibly take a patient away.
Dr. Oliver pointed that out sharply.
“If Vanessa’s attending physician changes now, rumors will spread that we’re being conscious of Dr. Kuramoto.”
“Hm.”
“On the other hand, if we just leave her be, knowing Dr. Kuramoto’s personality, he’ll make another fuss about performing the Batista procedure.”
“Probably.”
Everyone furrowed their brows.
At that moment, Dr. Oliver spoke sharply to Taesu.
“If you caused the problem, shouldn’t you see it through to the end?”
“Yes.”
“You certainly answer well. Don’t you?”
Dr. Oliver pressed him harshly.
To be honest, Taesu felt a little wronged.
Nurse Casey had shouted that they had to run away quickly, so he had left the operating room in the confusion.
Looking back, there had been no particular need to do so, but the bus had already left.
That said, he had no intention of using Nurse Casey as an excuse.
Whatever action he took, he had done it himself, so he had to bear the appropriate consequences on his own.
Above all, Taesu also understood everything about how the situation was unfolding.
Since he had made a plan of his own, he spoke calmly.
“I’ll finish it as quietly as possible.”
“How, exactly? Anyone can say the words.”
It was at the same time as Dr. Oliver’s pressing question.
Slowly.
Taesu slowly raised his head and looked at him.
“Does it sound like I’m speaking lightly?”
“What?”
“This is a matter of Vanessa’s life. That’s why I did what I did.”
Taesu pinpointed the core of the matter.
On that point, even Dr. Oliver could not speak carelessly.
So he needlessly spoke around it.
“Ahem. You said it would be troublesome if it gets delayed too long… Take care of the patient’s health quickly.”
“I understand.”
With Taesu’s answer, only the sound of tea being drunk could be heard inside the office.
That same day.
It was deep in the night, approaching dawn.
The lodging building was filled with nothing but silence, as everyone had fallen asleep.
But there was someone who broke that stillness.
Slowly.
Taesu carefully emerged from the darkness.
They said to strike while the iron was hot.
Just like that saying, he had immediately moved into action.
He had no interest in his reputation or the rumors around him.
He had lived through so many misunderstandings that he had grown used to it. He had set out because he could not leave Vanessa’s symptoms untreated.
Step, step.
As Taesu headed toward the hospital, he was swallowed by the darkness once more.
A short while later.
Taesu appeared in front of the ward where Vanessa was hospitalized.
It was the hour when even the nurses would be dozing, so the hallway was quiet.
Taesu was waiting there.
Slowly.
Someone approached from behind and let out an eerie voice.
“Heeheehee.”
“Gasp.”
Startled, Taesu swung his hand as he turned around. But the fist he had swung was flying toward Jeong Minsu.
Taesu simply let it continue.
Thud.
“Urk… Ugh…”
Hit in the nose, Jeong Minsu couldn’t even scream and only groaned.
Taesu spoke in an indifferent voice.
“It was you?”
“Ugh. You did that on purpose.”
“I didn’t know it was you.”
“You bastard. I came out here out of loyalty…”
Jeong Minsu clutched his nose and whined nasally.
Just then, Kim Hyeokgwon appeared from the other side and scolded him.
“If you’re going to announce it to the whole neighborhood, why are we sneaking around in the middle of the night?”
“What about your preparations?”
“No problems.”
“Mm. It’s almost the appointed time.”
Taesu said as he checked his wristwatch.
The three of them held their breath and waited for the ward door to open.
Since they were not in a situation where they could openly wait, each hid themselves wherever they could.
Had about five minutes passed?
Sliiide.
The ward door opened quietly.
The one who came out was the anesthesiologist, Dr. Yamaguchi.
They had already discussed this matter beforehand.
He kept looking around in every direction.
His face was filled with anxiety.
Taesu approached him, making his presence known.
“Dr. Yamaguchi.”
“Eek. Ah… Dr. Choi.”
“How did it go?”
When Taesu asked, Dr. Yamaguchi pointed inside.
“I’m alone right now. But I don’t know when someone might come.”
“Then we should move quickly. And thank you for your cooperation.”
“I’m tired of that self-centered lone wolf. But what you promised…”
When Dr. Yamaguchi cautiously asked, Taesu smiled with a wink.
“We’ll soon be selecting personnel to transfer to another medical volunteer team. You can join them then.”
“Thank you.”
“There isn’t much longer until freedom, so please endure a little more.”
It seemed there had been some kind of deal.
After finishing that conversation, everyone entered the ward.
Had even a minute passed?
Rumble.
The four of them carefully pushed the bed across the hallway.
The place they arrived at was the examination room.
Slide.
When they opened the door, the interior was brightly lit.
And inside were Dr. Sandro, Dr. Quentin, Brad Kim, Nurse Ellen, and Nurse Casey.
Rumble.
As they approached, everyone hurriedly checked the bed first.
Lying there was Vanessa, fast asleep.
“Oh, samba.”
“Samba.”
Dr. Sandro and Dr. Quentin expressed the exact same joy.
Just then, Nurse Casey approached Taesu and apologized.
“I’m sorry. I got unnecessarily worked up at the very end, and things turned out like this.”
“Isn’t this a cleaner and quieter way to resolve it?”
“It’ll all go well, right?”
“Of course. Everyone is helping like this.”
Taesu slowly looked around at everyone.
So many medical personnel were present that the examination room felt full.
They had only spoken briefly.
Dr. Quentin called for Taesu.
“Dr. Choi, come on. We’re all ready over here.”
“I didn’t know Cuti could handle pain management too.”
“I’m a neurosurgeon. Pain is nerves, and life is samba.”
As soon as Dr. Quentin finished speaking, Dr. Sandro chimed in from in front of the monitor.
“Everything is samba.”
“Yes. Samba it is. So, everything’s ready?”
When Taesu asked, respecting their individuality, Dr. Sandro winked vigorously.
“Of course. The examination room is my own living room.”
“Thank you.”
“But Dr. Choi, can you really do it?”
Dr. Sandro asked with a slightly worried expression.
It was a question also visible on the faces of Jeong Minsu and Kim Hyeokgwon, who were closest to him.
“I was wondering why you suddenly asked for a transesophageal scan.”
“Even the name is unfamiliar to me.”
As those two spoke, Brad Kim passed behind them and said,
“It’s a method of observing the heart by inserting an ultrasound probe into the esophagus.”
“What makes that different?”
“It’s about the difference between shouting from one centimeter away and shouting from ten meters away.”
“That’s a huge difference.”
“You can see that much more detail. I didn’t expect Dr. Choi to think of it either.”
Slowly.
After finishing his explanation, Brad Kim continued on his way.
Everyone was not merely talking; they were busily making the final preparations for the procedure that was about to begin.
Once the preparations were done, Brad Kim stepped forward first.
“Inserting the transesophageal ultrasound.”
He pushed the long ultrasound tube into Vanessa’s esophagus as she slept under anesthesia.
Dr. Sandro actively monitored it.
“Let’s go a little lower. Down, down…”
Following his guidance, Brad Kim moved his hand more fluidly.
Meanwhile, Taesu held a guide wire in his hand.
He had experience using it recently during Ohamed’s CABG.
However, today, it would be a procedure of an entirely different nature.
“……”
Taesu calmly emptied his mind and filled it with Caprene’s memories.
Jeong Minsu approached him and asked,
“Can you really perform a percutaneous removal?”
“You saw it when we did the CABG.”
“That was only about inserting a stent.”
“If I do it, I do it.”
Taesu forced himself to answer calmly.
But inside, he was not that at ease.
“Hoo.”
He was busy calming his turbulent heart.
Then Dr. Sandro’s voice rang out.
“Brad, right there.”
“Is that good?”
“Perfect. Dr. Choi.”
It was a call.
Taesu immediately headed toward Dr. Sandro.
The monitor was positioned right beside the bed.
It was set up so he could monitor while performing the procedure.
Taesu found his place and sat down.
The monitor filled his vision, and on the screen appeared the image illuminated by ultrasound.