Chapter 18 : An Unexpected Patient (4)
Chapter 18 - An Unexpected Patient (4)
“Now, what are you going to do?”
After a period of silence, Sihyeon spoke.
“…….”
The call time ticked away without an answer.
The ball was now in Lee Yu-jin’s court.
“Mr. Jo Dong-gyu will be discharged soon. Please, be careful.”
Sihyeon left those words of caution and pressed the end call button.
…….
Next morning’s rounds.
“Mr. Jo Dong-gyu, are you being discharged today?”
Professor Lee Gwang-seop, having entered Room 901, asked Jo Dong-gyu.
“Yes, Professor. I’ve improved a lot.”
As if he wanted to leave the hospital as quickly as possible, the patient had already changed into his civilian clothes early in the morning and finished his preparations for discharge.
“Understood. I’ll see you in the outpatient clinic.”
“Professor, would it be possible to issue a medical certificate? I need to submit it to my company...”
An extremely polite attitude.
It was 180 degrees different from the way he had threatened Sihyeon in the interview room.
“I will issue an admission and discharge confirmation for you. Since the evaluation period was insufficient, let’s discuss the medical certificate again in the outpatient clinic after your discharge.”
Lee Gwang-seop’s “discuss” was a euphemistic expression of refusal.
Even though the detailed situation hadn't been explained, it seemed he knew something about the patient.
‘Is this how it ends after all?’
Regardless, Jo Dong-gyu was leaving the ward today.
Even if he didn't get the medical certificate here, he would likely admit himself to another hospital’s psychiatry department, perform a similar act, and pretend to be a schizophrenia patient.
Even though he had informed the guardian of the situation, nothing had significantly changed.
Feeling a sense of bitterness, Sihyeon was about to move on to the next room when someone called him in an urgent voice.
“Dr. Cheon Si-hyeon!”
It was the ward's Head Nurse.
“Some people have arrived outside the ward right now. I think you need to take a look.”
“What’s going on?”
Sihyeon hurried toward the ward entrance.
“I am Prosecutor Gang Hyeon-uk from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.”
Looking through the intercom, four men with sturdy builds were waiting outside the ward.
“We are here because of Mr. Jo Dong-gyu. May we come in?”
Click.
Sihyeon opened the ward door without hesitation.
“Jo Dong-gyu, you are being arrested as a primary suspect in the disappearance of Kim Hyeon-ji. You have the right to remain silent...”
The investigators who came with Prosecutor Gang Hyeon-uk grabbed him from both sides.
For investigators to burst into the ward during rounds—it was a sight Professor Lee Gwang-seop was seeing for the first time in his life.
“Let go of me! I’m a patient who needs treatment!!”
“Is his condition serious enough that the investigation must be delayed?”
When Gang Hyeon-uk asked, Jo Dong-gyu looked at Sihyeon with desperate eyes.
“That is...”
Before answering, he checked Lee Gwang-seop’s expression.
Though it was a situation he hadn't had the chance to explain yet, the Professor nodded toward Sihyeon with his usual benevolent expression.
“No. He is a person scheduled for discharge today.”
“So I’ve been told. Let’s go.”
At Gang Hyeon-uk’s words, Jo Dong-gyu was dragged out of the ward without even being able to resist. Since he had already prepared for discharge, there was nothing more to delay.
“I’ve heard the gist of the situation from the person who reported this. If you have anything else to convey, please contact us here.”
Gang Hyeon-uk handed his business card to Sihyeon and immediately left the ward.
……
Back in the ward conference room.
“What happened? Explain it to me.”
Lee Gwang-seop asked Sihyeon as soon as he sat down.
“It seems the patient committed a crime before admission. I believe the police arrived after receiving a report from the guardian.”
“The guardian reported him? But why at this timing?”
– Was it because you gave her a nudge, Dr. Cheon?
He likely wanted to ask that.
The guardian, who had been quiet all this time, made a report just as the patient was about to be discharged.
Lee Gwang-seop was asking if this had happened because Sihyeon had leaked a secret he learned during treatment.
“I told her that it would be best to do so.”
At Sihyeon’s answer, Lee Gwang-seop’s expression grew serious. The other residents and the ward nurses began to buzz.
Generally, disclosing facts learned during treatment to the outside world without the patient’s consent was a taboo.
“Dr. Cheon, no matter how much of a criminal a patient may be, we are not free from the ‘duty of confidentiality.’”
“He was a patient with a very high threat of harming others.”
Sihyeon briefly spoke about Jo Dong-gyu’s recent activities and the fear the guardian felt.
Once he mentioned the inconsistency in the symptoms and the fact that no medication was detected in the blood test, Lee Gwang-seop seemed to understand to some extent.
“I judged that this case was more dangerous than the ‘Tarasoff case.’”
“Hmm.”
Lee Gwang-seop let out a low groan.
The Tarasoff case.
It was an incident that occurred in California in October 1969, where a female student named Tarasoff was brutally murdered by a male student named Poddar who had been stalking her.
The problem was that the clinical psychologist who had counseled Poddar sensed the danger and reported it several times, but the university took no action.
Eventually, Tarasoff’s parents filed a damage suit against the university and ultimately won.
“In cases where the possibility of self-harm or harm to others is clear, I believe an exception can be made to the duty of confidentiality. Furthermore, in this case, it’s questionable whether he can even be called a patient.”
Lee Gwang-seop soon nodded.
“Dr. Cheon Si-hyeon, you looked after the patient very diligently. Yes. If the physician in charge thought so, then it must be right.”
He then said with a satisfied smile,
“If you need any help, let’s consult with the legal team.”
Lee Gwang-seop no longer took issue with the matter of Jo Dong-gyu.
Ding-dong!
[System : Psychiatry Chair Lee Gwang-seop shows significant trust in the user. (Very hard difficulty +1,000P)]
[System : The contents of ‘All Charts in the World’ have been significantly revised.]
[System : Achievement rewards are being issued.]
[Primary Prevention Specialist - Successfully blocked a heinous crime in advance. (Impossible difficulty +5,000P)]
‘Five thousand points!!!’
A look of joy spread across Sihyeon’s face as he checked the notification window.
It was a reward that could only be obtained by completing the daily quest ten times.
‘Well, I did save several people's lives.’
Although he hadn't saved a patient's life as a doctor, he felt fully entitled to a reward of this magnitude.
“Whoa, Cheon Si-hyeon! You really looked into the patient thoroughly, didn't you? Good job.”
Kwon Jin-eun spoke in admiration after Lee Gwang-seop left the conference room.
“I thought he was a typical schizo patient, but he was an incredibly tricky case. You worked hard.”
It was a case where Sihyeon had handled it skillfully; otherwise, they could have struggled quite a bit.
Kim Min-hong, who had assigned such a patient to a first-year, looked a bit embarrassed.
“Huh? What time is it now?”
9:15 AM
Kim Min-hong frantically checked his phone.
“Woooooah!”
The corners of his mouth rose without restraint.
Another upper limit.
The sorry expression he had just a moment ago was long gone.
The residents, including Kim Min-hong, disposed of all their stocks ahead of the weekend. Although he didn't state the exact amount, he must have made quite a large profit.
Thanks to Sihyeon’s egging him on, Kim Min-hong had invested more aggressively than in the past.
The result was a jackpot. If there had been a short-term profit rate competition, he would have undoubtedly taken first place.
“You’ve worked hard this week. I think it’s time to clear everything out now.”
To be honest, it might have gone up once or twice more, but Sihyeon didn't remember the subsequent situation exactly.
“Everyone worked hard during this heart-pounding day trading competition. It is the weekend, but... I don't think we can skip having a team dinner today.”
A Friday dinner, which they would normally loathe.
But today, it didn't seem like a single person disliked the idea.
Even Choi Ji-hoon decided to attend.
It seemed Kim Min-hong had looked after Choi Ji-hoon, considering him a classmate after all.
He had also made up for his losses and eventually made some profit by matching his trading patterns with the other residents.
……
7:00 PM
A restaurant near the hospital.
“Oh, you’re here?”
One more familiar face came to today’s gathering.
It was Kim Min-hong’s girlfriend and the future mother of Woo-hyeon, Choi Se-young.
Sihyeon almost greeted her warmly by asking if his sister-in-law had arrived.
“Hello. I am the new first-year, Cheon Si-hyeon.”
“Hello! I’m Sihyeon’s colleague, Hwang Jin-ho.”
“Nice to meet you. Dr. Ha, Dr. Kwon, it’s been a while for you too!”
Having dated Kim Min-hong for a long time, she was acquainted with the residents.
“Oppas, I guess you all had good things happen all week?”
Kim Min-hong’s expression could not be hidden at all.
“Of course! We might even be able to buy our newlywed home right away.”
Kim Min-hong excitedly began to talk about the events of the past few days.
Choi Se-young also looked flushed at the news that they could prepare a home quickly.
“It seems like the Chief is completely thrilled thanks to you, Doctor. Were you originally interested in investing?”
“No. I also first learned about that stock after hearing the Chief mention it. Rather, I’ve always received a lot of help from him.”
“Always?”
For a moment, a strange light flickered in Choi Se-young’s eyes, but it didn't last long.
“Still, I heard you were amazing this time. Do you have a separate indicator you refer to for investing?”
It was a fairly tricky question. It was something Sihyeon hadn't thought about how to answer.
“I don't know much about secondary indicators. I check things like trading volume, but this time I just had a feeling it would keep going up. It was just a gut feeling.”
“It’s a strange feeling where you seem untrustworthy yet somehow reliable?”
Choi Se-young said with a laugh.
“Is it manageable for you too, Dr. Hwang Jin-ho? My boyfriend found his first year extremely difficult...”
“Yes, it’s manageable because the Chief teaches us well!”
Hwang Jin-ho answered with a bright smile.
“See? I told you I treat our first-years well.”
“Hey, you assigned Sihyeon to see that difficult patient from the outpatient clinic; why are you leaving that out? Even investigators came to the ward, didn't they?”
The second-year, Kwon Jin-eun, chided Kim Min-hong. Although she was his junior in the department, they were originally friends, so she used a casual tone in private settings.
“The outpatient clinic was just so busy. I must have missed a few things while seeing patients frantically. Sihyeon, you know my heart, right? Have a drink.”
“It’s fine. I learned a lot thanks to that.”
Sihyeon said as he accepted the glass Kim Min-hong offered.
It sounded like a mere formality, but it was the truth.
Because he had never before experienced a patient who committed a violent crime and intentionally got admitted to the ward.
“What on earth happened?”
Kim Min-hong explained the events of this morning’s rounds to Choi Se-young.
It was the story of how a patient he had admitted through the outpatient clinic turned out to be a fake, and fortunately, a first-year had used his wits to hand him over to investigative authorities.
“How did you know, Dr. Cheon Si-hyeon?”
Another tricky question.
Since the basis for his judgment was his experience from before the regression, there was no way to explain it.
“I think I just got lucky. It felt like the patient kept hiding something, so as I dug into it...”
“Ah, I see...”
Choi Se-young was puzzled, but perhaps because everyone was in high spirits, she didn't ask further.
And so, the long, long company dinner ended.
The residents parted ways in front of the hospital dormitory.
While Kim Min-hong went to get the car with the designated driver, Sihyeon and Choi Se-young were left alone.
“It’s been a really long time since I’ve seen him that happy.”
“Yes, me too. It’s been a really long time.”
Sihyeon answered inadvertently.
An awkward silence.
Around the time Kim Min-hong’s car with its headlights on slowly approached, Choi Se-young spoke.
“By the way, Dr. Cheon Si-hyeon, are you by any chance a ‘person who returned’?”
Choi Se-young’s final question.
Sihyeon couldn't say a word.