Chapter 38: Blind Test (7)

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Inside the resting area where he was forced to stay since it was still a long time before 9 AM.

“It’s the most memorable surgery I’ve seen this year. I wanted to ask for a copy of the surgical video for my students to study but that Chief Ha told me to pay for the lecture fee. He was probably joking, right?”

When asked by the professor who served as the deputy head of the oncology center at Gyecheon University Hospital, Dowook avoided eye contact and shook his head.

“My department has been making definite deals when it comes to money these days….”

“It’s worth it even if we have to pay for it. It was textbook skills for a high-level surgery. If our hospital was a training hospital, I would definitely buy it.”

A neurosurgery professor from a medical center pushed a plate with morning bread on it toward Dowook.

“You skipped breakfast, didn’t you? Eat this and we’ll talk slowly. Senior Nam Goong! Will the americano take longer?”

“It’ll be ready soon. Dr. Park, would you like sugar?”

“N-no need!”

Dowook jumped up and answered the professor who stood in front of the simple cafe and swallowed a sigh that was about to come out.

There were five professors who came to go over Jeong Woo-seok’s surgery.

They were all those who had stepped back from fieldwork to train and manage surgeons. They were also older and more experienced than Chief Ha.

Almost at the level of the vice dean. That was probably why they could comfortably come over so early on a weekday morning.

‘D*mn. These people have to suffer from curiosity anyway.’

Dowook took a sip of the coffee given to him by a senior with at least 30 years more experience than him and asked a question instead.

“Senior, you’ve observed the surgery yesterday. What do you think is the reason behind the patient’s optic nerve recovering?”

When the hot topic was thrown out, all five became locked in deep thought. The professor from Gyecheon University Hospital, who was stroking his beard with his arms crossed, expressed his opinion first.

“There are many factors to consider, but it may be a symptom from someone suffering from diffuse astrocytoma.”

[TN: Diffuse Astrocytoma-Diffuse astrocytomas, also referred to as low-grade infiltrative astrocytomas , are designated as WHO II tumors of the brain. The term diffuse infiltrating means there is no identifiable border between the tumor and normal brain tissue, even though the borders may appear well-marginated on imaging.]

“It’s limited to the left eye, isn’t it? The nerves are the same, but the eye cells may have been stimulated. There are similar cases in patients who underwent surgery for crystalline saddle meningioma.”

“There are also cases where meningioma deteriorates the optic nerves. I think we should start with auditory schwannoma…..”

[TN: Auditory Schwannoma-a benign tumor that develops on the balance (vestibular) and hearing, or auditory (cochlear) nerves leading from your inner ear to the brain.]

Since they were all professors with abundant clinical experience, Dowook could hear about case studies he didn’t even know existed.

Dowook meticulously memorized them as he carefully listened. If he put this together with the sense he’d borrowed from Lim So Yool, he would be able to find the probability of which one was the most likely cause.

As he kept listening for about 30 minutes, it was now 9 o’clock.

“I have to go see Mr. Jeong Woo-seok now. Will the professors continue to remain here?”

“Chief Ha said if we go to your office, Choi Hoo’s going to have something to say about it so it’s better for us to stay here.”

“Ah.”

It seemed they already talked about this. Unless they had given up on academic activities like Choi Hoo, they could not neglect these people with great experience.

A surgeon should not be just skilled in surgery but also study numerous cases regarding the correct application of techniques.

“If there’s anything you need, please inform our chief resident, Nam Hana. She became the chief recently so she’s stationed at the desk.”

“This rest area is clean and spacious so it’s fine. It’s like a hotel we have seminars at. You don’t have to worry about us and do what you need to do.”

Dowook said goodbye to them and headed to Prof. Lee Won Seok’s office in the clinic.

Knock knock.

“It’s Park Dowook, professor.”

Opening the door, Prof. Lee came out.

“You’re here. I’m sorry to unexpectedly take time out of your schedule. You must be busy.”

“No, it’s ok. I wanted to see how the patient was doing and would have preferred to be called.”

Moving to the VIP ward to check on Jeong Woo-seok, Prof. Lee talked about his thoughts yesterday.

“Since the neural clinic was opened, I’ve seen many patients but this is the first time I have to keep thinking about a new diagnosis each time. How fortunate is it that they are all positive? It’s all thanks to you. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have come to this stage. Have I thanked you?”

Compliments filled with real feelings always made one puff their chest out with confidence.

“It was nothing, I also received a lot of help from everyone.”

Although those who helped him weren’t aware since he got it through his special sense.

From Lim So Yool, who first suggested the solution, to Choi Hoo, who verified that it was surgically possible, and the members of the association, who helped him overcome the crisis when it seemed impossible to operate.

The fundamental reason Jeong Woo-seok’s optic nerve was partially restored was that Dowook could make use of all their senses with his hands.

‘If you want to be specific, these hands are the miracle.’

Dowook wriggled his fingers and suddenly remembered the mysterious man who gave him this special sense and disappeared without a trace.

“Professor, do you happen to know Dr. Ji Gang Cheol?”

“Hmm? Ji Gang Cheol? How do you know Dr. Ji?”

Lee Won Seok, who had been in the field of neurology for a long time, really knew him.

“Not long ago, he was brought into the ER.”

Prof. Lee let out a fake laugh when Dowook told him of the commotion on the day he was forced on duty with the exception of how he got his special sense.

“Something like that happened? I don’t actually have his contact number. It’s also been a while since I’ve seen him at a conference.”

“Is that so?”

“Still he’s not the type to run away without paying the bill, no matter how difficult his situation is. He was always intelligent and full of confidence. He would have succeeded if he just continued as a clinical professor, but was it nerve manipulation technology? He started a research institute saying some nonsense about how he would develop talented people, and I stopped hearing from him.”

It was true that it sounded like nonsense, but it apparently seemed like he succeeded in making that technique. Right at this moment, he was making use of it very well.

There was no news from the police who said they would investigate. If he met Ji Gang Cheol, he could accurately define this special sense, but for now, he seemed destined to remain as an uncertain competent person.

Around Room 2009 of the VIP ward, a few of the documentary team’s cameramen were wandering around here and there.

The staff who had dark expressions on their faces before the surgery, could not stop smiling after they heard about the positive development.

PD Lee Chang Yong ran over to Prof. Lee and Dowook from the other side of the corridor.

“Professor, we installed an electronic keyboard in the room at Mr. Jeong’s request.”

“He can’t move around yet.”

“He’s not going to play it himself, he’s just too curious about how it would sound. In a little while, someone from the city symphony orchestra will arrive for a visit and play a few pieces. Would that be ok?”

“That’s….”

Prof. Lee turned to Dowook.

“I think there might be a negative effect on his recovery if there is focused stress on his ears. What do you think as the main surgeon?”

“We didn’t touch the actual auditory nerves. It should be fine as long as it isn’t loud enough to ring in his skull.”

After listening to Dowook’s opinion, Prof. Lee turned to the PD.

“I will inform you of my decision once I’ve gone in and checked on the patient’s condition. I think there will be a positive answer.”

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“Please. And thank you for saving our documentary. Once our program director heard the surgery was a big success, he gave us a slot in the golden time period. 9 PM on New Year’s. We’ll compete with other companies’ signboard, the Idol Olympics.”

“Oh, good for you.”

The PD gave a deep bow on behalf of the broadcasting team. Prof. Lee smiled and made a gesture with his hands as if to send all the honor to Dowook.

When they opened the door, they saw Jeong Woo-seok's wife, daughter, and son-in- law waiting in the parlor.

After briefly greeting the patient's family, Prof. Lee went into the inner room where Jeong Woo-seok lay.

“Welcome, Prof. Lee. Dr. Park as well.”

Sensing them, Jeong Woo-seok greeted them first with a bright voice.

“Were you able to sleep well?”

“I still feel my scalp stinging so I kept waking in the middle but the nurses were very nice and took good care of me. If my daughter were half as nice, her husband’s secret trips to go drinking would reduce.”

At Jeong Woo-seok’s joke, his son-in-law, who was in the parlor, suddenly choked and started coughing. Seeing him shake his head while looking at his wife seemed desperate somehow.

As Prof. Lee approached the patient while looking at the brain waves and electrocardiogram shown on the monitor, Dowook focused on the keyboard installed at the bedside.

Usually, patients who’d had their heads opened, had no energy. The wound hadn’t closed yet and they had to get all their energy from just the glucose drip.

The fact he looked for a piano the moment he woke up was evidence of his strong will to recover.

‘He’s almost 60 years old, but still so passionate. I think we can set a shorter recovery period.’

Prof. Lee occasionally asked for Dowook’s opinion as he conducted a thorough manual examination Dowook had also used on Lim So Yool.

“There’s a bit of stiffness in the neck. Is it because of inflammation?”

“I think it’s because the surgery was prolonged and the meninges were severely stimulated. Let’s check again in the evening, if the stiffness is the same, then we can try medication.”

“The pain perception on the right palm is weaker than the left.”

“It should be the sensory dissociation. Since we ablated quite a few nerve bundles. We should check on it every 4 hours.”

After finishing the detailed physical examination that took about 20 minutes, the most important test for today, the visual acuity test, started.

Prof. Lee shone a light into the right pupil.

“There’s absolutely no movement on this side.”

When he shone a light in the problematic left pupil, Jeong Woo-seok’s fingers flinched.

“Is it uncomfortable?”

“No. Light or dark, that’s the only thing I can feel, but it feels like the world as I know it has entirely changed. How music would sound. I’m nervous but overly excited as well.”

At Jeong Woo-seok’s words, Prof. Lee turned to look at the keyboard Dowook saw.

“I heard another pianist will come to play for you later. Although you seem better than expected, I can not allow you to listen to several pieces for a long time. Please keep the stimulation to your auditory nerves to less than 10 minutes.”

“Just 10 minutes. Then Chopin sounds fitting. I’ll request for Fantaisie-Impromptu and Nocturne No. 1.”

“Dr. Park, can you check that thing’s volume? So the patient’s head won’t ring.”

At the request from Prof. Lee, who continued his examination, Dowook approached the keyboard.

Although there were several confusing buttons aside from the keys, the power button and volume control symbols were shown by the universal signs, making them easy to find.

Turning it on, he lowered the volume as much as possible and pressed a key. Almost no sound could be heard, so he increased the volume to 30% and pressed a key.

Ting~

In the middle of a conversation with Prof. Lee, Jeong Woo-seok’s ears pricked up.

At that moment, Dowook perceived a sensation that fiercely penetrated his fingers. It aroused a strong urge to play the keyboard.

‘Oh, oh….’

He placed his hands on the keys as if possessed by something.

He pressed two low notes with his left hand and his right hand gently drew a melody at the same time causing Prof. Lee to stop talking and turn in his direction.

The notes that seemed to bounce out of the keys and went along with each other, gave Dowook great pleasure.

Forgetting the embarrassment of causing an incident, he continued to play the song he didn’t know the title of.

Prof. Lee opened his mouth.

“This song is the one Mr. Jeong sung during breaktime yesterday….”

“Correct, that song. Ballad for Adrinne. Dr. Park seems to play the piano. Pretending not to know, he was pretty mischievous.”

“He was probably trying not to speak of anything to stimulate the patient during an awake surgery. If he started talking about the piano, he might have been worried about causing you excitement.”

In the middle of the calm song, he swept the entire keyboard to create an amazing continuous harmony at the climax.

Even Prof. Lee, who didn’t know a lot about classical music couldn’t help from the exclamation of admiration.

“Mr. Jeong, Dr. Park is playing very well, isn’t he?”

“Very. His music has a fresh tremble to it. Ha, I want to play the piano.”

“Please bear with it.”

Prof. Lee couldn’t take his eyes off Dowook’s masterful playing for a moment.

He had only thought of him as a talented neurosurgeon, now that he looked again, he was someone talented in many areas. The biggest mystery was how such a genius was not found until now.

As the song was about to finish after two minutes of playing, Jeong Woo-seok asked in a low voice.

“Is this also included in the 10 minutes, professor?”

“That….”

“It would be great if there was an encore in a doctor’s diagnosis like at a concert.”

In a corner of the 20th floor’s lounge, the sound director, who was checking on the microphones installed in Jeong Woo-seok’s room, heard the sound of the piano playing and quickly stood up.

“Director Lee! Is the musician from the city band already here? It’s not possible right now. The mix setting isn’t ready yet.”

“What are you talking about? The stationary cameras aren’t installed yet.”

Seeing Lee Chang Yong talking to the musicians who had just arrived, the sound director became confused.

“That…. Try to listen.”

The sound director played the sound he was listening through the headphones on the speaker. Lee Chang Yong’s eyes widened.

“This is playing real-time. What’s this?”

Sung Tae-jin, the head of the city symphony orchestra who came for a visit, turned his head at the sudden sound of the piano.

“Adrienne? It has a nice feel to it. Is Mr. Jeong the one playing? What do you think, concertmaster?”

“The rhythm is similar. But didn’t they say he couldn’t move at all?”

“Oh, right. Who is it? Student? If they can resemble Mr. Jeong’s emotions, I definitely have to cast him at the end-of-year performance.”

Seeing the people from the orchestra moving toward the reception desk, Lee Chang Yong felt pressed for time.

“Camera team! Hurry up and install the cameras inside! We have to film sudden situations like this to create a good overall picture!”

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