Episode 5
As the door opened, a nurse who had run through the rain came rushing in to inform them of an emergency patient.
“Pregnant patient!”
“Let’s go.”
Sajun immediately began running toward the hospital with the nurse.
“Estimated 8 months pregnant, multiple trauma, decreased consciousness, suspected uterine rupture due to assault.”
The nurse continued giving the report as they ran.
Sajun ran with all his strength.
Two lives now depended on his hands.
The damp air pierced his lungs with a chilling sharpness.
Shortly after, having completed scrubbing in, Sajun headed to the operating room.
As he stretched his stiff neck and entered, something caught his eye.
His gaze narrowed.
Yeonwoo, covered in blood, was staring at him.
“She’s pregnant,” she said, her voice trembling.
She must have assisted in surgeries before when Lucy, the previous team leader, was still around.
Being a general surgeon, she probably handled simple surgeries before. And this place always lacked enough hands.
Sajun changed into a sterile gown, put on gloves, and approached the operating table.
“The bleeding won’t stop.”
The floor beneath the operating table was already soaked in the patient’s blood.
Recalling the condition the nurse had reported earlier, Sajun stepped up to the surgeon’s position.
A sixteen-year-old girl had gotten pregnant—and was assaulted during that time.
She had been beaten in the abdomen while resisting, which caused uterine rupture and a fractured leg.
“Let’s begin anesthesia.”
At Sajun’s command, the anesthesiologist responded.
“Yes, beginning anesthesia now. Patient vitals are stable.”
Ironically, uterine rupture due to trauma tends to have a better prognosis than rupture during labor.
When the rupture occurs at the uterine fundus, it can trigger contractions and reduce bleeding.
“I’m performing a cesarean section. Scalpel.”
Sajun began a 10cm transverse incision just above the pubic hairline.
Yeonwoo, standing across from Sajun assisting the operation, gently wiped the bleeding from the incision with gauze.
After cutting through the skin, Sajun quickly went through the subcutaneous fat layer and horizontally incised the fascia beneath the white line.
As he opened the peritoneum encasing the abdominal cavity, the uterus came into view.
Yeonwoo carefully pushed aside surrounding organs and exposed the lower part of the swollen uterus.
She was an excellent assistant.
Sajun incised the thinnest and lowest part of the uterus with the scalpel.
Finally, the placenta and amniotic fluid began to appear. As he tore through the amniotic sac, warm fluid flowed out.
It was finally time to deliver the baby.
After ensuring the uterine incision was large enough, Sajun reached in carefully to find the fetus.
As he began lifting the baby out, Yeonwoo gently pressed down on the mother’s abdomen to help ease the delivery.
Well, she was a surgeon after all.
Watching her calmly and skillfully assist, Sajun’s eyes briefly lingered on her.
“The head is out.”
He firmly yet gently held the baby’s head and slowly pulled out the shoulders and body.
Although only 35 weeks along, the tiny baby was thankfully healthy.
“Waaah! Waaah!”
The newborn’s strong cries echoed through the late-night operating room.
“Suction.”
After clearing the baby’s nose of fluid and debris and clamping the umbilical cord, he cut it.
The baby was then handed over to a nurse.
Now it was time to save the mother.
Summoned in the middle of the night, Yeonwoo had clenched her teeth when she saw the mother’s horrifying condition.
Blunt trauma posed a high risk of placental abruption.
She laid the mother on her left side and supplied oxygen through a mask to keep her saturation above 95%.
With no ultrasound available at the moment, she estimated the gestational age based on the position of the uterine fundus and quickly requested that Beom Sajun be called.
She couldn’t save the mother and baby on her own.
Transporting the mother to the OR for emergency surgery, even for that short time, felt like hell to Yeonwoo.
While comforting the sobbing mother and doing everything she could, her heart boiled with emotion.
Normally, she would feel satisfied wrapping up a day—but for the first time since coming here, she felt her own limitations.
Not all surgeons were the same.
Click.
As she was lost in self-blame, the OR doors opened, and Beom Sajun entered.
At that terrifying moment, his arrival miraculously calmed her trembling.
When the baby’s head emerged through the uterine incision, a shiver ran through her entire body.
After removing the placenta, Sajun picked up ring forceps and extracted the remaining fetal membranes.
“Doctor, do you think the uterus can be saved?”
Yeonwoo asked. Sajun nodded.
“Luckily, there’s a laceration on the fundus. So yes, it’s salvageable. Can you do the suturing?”
“…Yes, I can.”
“Then go ahead. I’ll check on the leg.”
The fractured leg with a splint also needed treatment.
Yeonwoo stepped into the surgeon’s position and took over from Sajun.
He moved to the patient’s leg.
Yeonwoo began suturing the uterine incision using thick 0-Vicryl suture thread.
She felt his sharp gaze glance over her face, but remained focused on her task.
“You know it needs to be a double-layer closure, right? Watch for uterine vessels. And don’t go through the endometrium.”
“Yes.”
Suturing the endometrium could lead to adhesions and other complications later.
It was a basic rule, but he reminded her—just in case.
The rest of the procedure went smoothly, and both the mother and baby were safely transferred to the ICU.
By dawn, Yeonwoo returned to her lodging and buried her face in her hands as she mentally replayed the surgery.
Her hands were trembling slightly.
A C-section and a fracture…
Even though surgeons in this place were expected to handle everything, seeing it all unfold with her own eyes left her shaken.
Hoo…
The rumors weren’t exaggerated.
His surgical skill had deeply moved her.
To think Ryu Ikwon had such a capable friend.
Surely he hadn’t noticed her eyes turning to hearts during surgery?
Yeonwoo, her cheeks puffed out like buns, slapped the bed and rolled around.
What amazing things would he show tomorrow?
…But wasn’t I kind of cool too?
She recalled how Sajun’s gaze had softened slightly when he glanced at her.
Of course, their skill levels weren’t even close enough to be compared—but still.
He absolutely deserved to be called Master Beom.
“Our Yeonwoo, she better get along well with Master Beom.”
Contrary to Seyeong’s concerns, Yeonwoo felt she could get along better with him than anyone.
From now on, she decided she’d consider Sajun her teacher and lay down on the bed.
Thump, thump.
Maybe it was because she had been part of a new life entering the world…
She felt a sudden closeness to Master Beom, and her heart tickled strangely.
Even in her exhaustion, a smile spread across Yeonwoo’s lips.
Knock, knock.
As she forced herself to sleep, the knock startled her into sitting up in bed.
Even though her room was right next to the hospital, it was rare to be called this frequently.
Worried that the patient’s condition might have worsened, she rushed to open the door.
And froze at the sight of the man standing like a stone statue.
Master Beom?
Wait… why was Master Beom here?
