Chapter 79: Young Yet... (3)

‘Is it still far?’

During his additional year at the university hospital, Suhyuk’s perceptiveness had improved significantly compared to before. Naturally, he was well aware that An Dae-hoon was watching him with high expectations. Suhyuk worried about disappointing these expectations if he uttered any nonsense here. Of course, regardless of what he said, An Dae-hoon seemed likely to continue respecting him.

“[Analysis completed. The scarcity of similar patient cases and sparse related medical literature took some time.]”

Fortunately, after just over ten minutes, Baruda opened its mouth again. Coincidentally, this coincided with Professor Shin Hyun-tae emerging from the distant elevator.

‘It’s okay. Go ahead.’

[Why did you let it pass so easily? You didn’t blame me.]

‘Well, even if I tried, you would say it’s because my brain is replacing the CPU.’

[Indeed, Suhyuk. Correct. It is due to your brain acting as the replacement.]

‘Damn this AI. Just tell me the analysis results. My thoughts are still jumbled.’

[Understood.]

Baruda first stoked Suhyuk’s anger before providing a detailed explanation. He could have started immediately, but it seemed he needed to provoke Suhyuk first. One might suspect that despite being artificial intelligence, Baruda possessed emotions.

[The patient currently shows no reaction to antibodies, including those for lupus. This suggests a low likelihood of autoimmune diseases.]

‘That makes sense.’

[Additionally, apart from routine viral markers checked pre-surgery, all other viral markers prescribed yesterday also came back negative.]

‘Correct.’

The additional viral markers referred to potential viral diseases such as CMV, EBV, and herpes. With all tests coming back negative, it was safe to assume that there were no infections from these viruses.

[Taking these two facts into account, I analyzed the patient’s list of issues.]

[Fever, pancytopenia including anemia, increased LDH, and ferritin levels, right? However, the peripheral blood smear test showed normal results.]

[Yes. The patient’s pancytopenia is not due to problems in creation but rather destruction of blood cells. In other words, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a likely possibility.]

‘Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis?’

[Indeed.]

‘But…why suddenly…’

Histiocytic phagocytic syndrome referred to a disease where histiocytes suddenly increased within the bone marrow and devoured normal cells. It was an extremely serious illness with a high likelihood of death if left untreated. Naturally, this condition did not develop overnight.

“To determine the cause and confirm whether it is indeed histiocytic phagocytic syndrome, I propose conducting a bone marrow examination.”

“A bone marrow examination…” Suhyuk inadvertently spoke aloud, overwhelmed by surprise.

At that moment, Shin Hyun-tae approached them, looking puzzled at An Dae-hoon’s suggestion.

There was no way for An Dae-hoon to understand what was happening.

“I-I don’t know. He had his eyes closed until now and suddenly said this.”

“Oh… So he’s in that s-state again.”

After hearing An Dae-hoon’s words, Shin Hyun-tae had an understanding expression on his face and pulled up a chair to sit down. He did not disturb Suhyuk at all. He knew it was futile to approach Suhyuk when he turned pale, but once it ended, Suhyuk usually provided astounding answers. Therefore, both of them decided just to observe Suhyuk quietly.

“Yes, you need a bone marrow test. I recommend conducting it as soon as possible.”

‘What is the likelihood that it is histiocytic lymphoma?’

“The possibility of such severe ruptures in a normal adult woman is less than 0.01%. Consequently, the probability of histiocytic lymphoma exceeds 90%.”

“Damn.” Suhyuk recalled how Baruda’s diagnostic skills have been steadily improving recently.

If this fellow stated it was 90%, then it could be considered as close to 99%. Moreover, without prompt treatment, the mortality rate for Necrotizing Fasciitis skyrocketed.

As such, Suhyuk inadvertently cursed and strode towards the station area within the hospital room.

Behind him, Shin Hyun-tae and An Dae-hoon were bewildered by his sudden outburst and movement towards the storage room inside the station.

“What’s going on?”

“I-I don’t know.”

“Don’t just stand there, follow him.”

“W-What about you, Professor?”

“I’m…” Shin Hyun-tae started to say “Of course, I’ll follow,” but stopped mid-sentence.

Suhyuk emerged from the storage with a cane in one hand and a surgical kit in the other.

Moreover, he held a massive syringe that was rarely used in infectious diseases departments.

‘Lee Hyunjong hyung…’

Unconsciously, Shin Hyun-tae retreated while recalling ‘The Lee Suhyuk Troll Theory’, which Lee Hyunjong had been spouting ever since they first met Suhyuk.

An Dae-hoon also wanted to accompany Suhyuk, but Shin Hyun-tae stopped him.

“You should follow.”

“J-Just me?”

“Yes. You need to see…see what’s happening with his seniority.”

“I…understood.”

Fortunately, An Dae-hoon was unaware of the once-popular ‘Lee Suhyuk Troll Theory’ at the hospital. Moreover, he had great admiration for Suhyuk, meaning this strange behavior didn’t shake him much.

Dahoon wasn’t easily shaken by Suhyuk’s strange behavior.

Tap.

Tap.

Thus, An Dae-hoon rushed towards Suhyuk. Despite Suhyuk hurrying along, Dahoon quickly caught up to him since he was using a cane.

“D-Doctor.”

“Ah, right. You’re here. Good timing. Follow me.”

“W-Where?”

“We need to perform a bone marrow test.”

“A b-bone marrow test?”

An Dae-hoon couldn’t grasp who they were planning to examine. After all, why would there be a sudden mention of bone marrow?

“Yes.”

As they entered the hospital room of the patient admitted yesterday, it became clear whom they intended to test.

“D-Doctor. The patient’s platelet count…”

“I know. I’ve already prescribed it.”

“You did?”

“Yes.”

Despite being urgently stopped earlier, Suhyuk had managed to prescribe a blood transfusion for platelets at some point. He wasn’t just an excellent resident but also had Baruda assisting him. It was correct to say that he rarely made mistakes once informed of them.

“Patient, how did you sleep?”

“Uh… Not well… Because…my fever…” As soon as Suhyuk entered the room, he checked on the patient’s condition.

“You couldn’t sleep?”

“No… There was an older gentleman near the curtain. They said my dad wasn’t here yet…”

“Hmm.”

As he listened to her response, Suhyuk visually inspected the patient from head to toe. His gaze lingered on the chest area for a moment to count her breaths per minute and ensure proper expansion of the thorax.

‘Her breathing rate has increased.’

[It is 28 breaths per minute. The oxygen saturation is normal but…]

‘There might be fluid…in her lungs?’

‘It is possible. The progression is fast. There is also the possibility that ‘the man behind the curtain’s’ statement was due to dementia. She needs prompt diagnosis and treatment. Otherwise…]

‘I understand. I’ll immediately perform a bone marrow examination.’

While sharing observations with Baruda, the guardian at the patient’s side opened his mouth.

It was the father who seemed dissatisfied since yesterday.

“Uh, Doctor.”

“Oh yes, Father.”

“The professor we saw yesterday isn’t coming back? Our child’s condition looks serious.”

“He will be here soon… However, before he arrives, I need to perform some tests.”

“Tests? No, instead of treating her, you keep doing endless tests. Are you actually providing treatment?”

“Hmm.” Suhyuk paused and looked at the father.

[Based on my analysis, it seems more anxious than angry. Please note that my emotional analysis may not be accurate yet.]

‘Understood.’

Immediately, Baruda analyzed the guardian and reported his findings. It made sense to Suhyuk. When they arrived at this large hospital, one might expect their loved one would finally recover.

However, instead of improving, the patient’s condition was worsening.

“Are you…treating him properly?”

Meanwhile, the guardian approached Suhyuk. It wasn’t apparent when he was sitting, but once standing, his size became evident. Considering Suhyuk was using a cane, this presence felt quite threatening to him.

“I cannot blindly treat without knowing the illness, sir.”

Suhyuk was no longer a first-year medical student. He had learned never to compromise on matters related to medicine.

“You don’t…know what the illness is? But with such a high fever?”

“That’s correct. However, I have suspicions about the potential ailment and intend to conduct tests to confirm it.”

“But didn’t we do numerous tests just yesterday…?”

I couldn’t tell if the guardian was angry or anxious. Despite his loud voice, he didn’t seem threatening.

[Baruda: I am certain. He is feeling uneasy. I recommend reassuring him first. If that doesn’t work, you can threaten him.]

Moreover, Suhyuk could receive advice from Baruda beyond just making guesses. Thanks to this, he could lead the conversation more effectively.

“Sir. The test we are about to perform is the most important one. Based on yesterday’s tests, it became clear that this examination was necessary. Please step aside for a moment. Once diagnosed, treatment can begin immediately.”

“Uh…that…”

“Please step aside. If the diagnosis is delayed, the treatment will also be delayed.”

“I understand…”

Suhyuk followed Baruda’s advice, mixing reassurance with threats to move the guardian aside.

“Patient. This test might hurt a bit.”

“Ahhh… Even if it hurts…as long as I can get treated…”

“Yes. I’ll make it as painless as possible.”

Convincing the patient was relatively easy. Due to his high fever and unstable mental state, he couldn’t focus on anything else.

“Dahoon, ask Intern Sam to bring just one microscope while I prepare here.”

“A microscope?”

“Yes. I will examine and diagnose him here.”

“Ah…A-Ah! Yes! Doctor!”

Initially, Dahoon doubted if it was possible but then remembered who he was dealing with, Lee Suhyuk, and nodded.

‘Indeed, indeed! He is a genius!’, such were his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Suhyuk had laid the patient on his side and slightly pulled down his pants. Although there was a curtain around them, this action naturally made the guardian uncomfortable.

“It’s for the examination. It is the most important test.”

“W-Who said that?”

However, Suhyuk’s explanation prevented any further complaints. After silencing the guardian, Suhyuk gently wiped near the pelvic bone using Betadine. The cleaning area was quite large as an infection would be disastrous.

“Now, I will administer anesthesia.”

“Yes…”

“It might sting.”

Following Baruda’s advice, he injected anesthesia at various points. The patient appeared more relaxed as the pain was significantly less than what Suhyuk had warned about earlier.

‘Phew.’

In contrast, Lee Suhyuk’s face looked grim while holding the syringe.

[It is not difficult. You have done it before.]

‘It’s not difficult? It’s just exhausting.’

[Do some exercise.]

‘You were supposed to take care of my body.’

[I provide maintenance so you don’t die.]

‘Damn.’

The challenge lay in extracting bone marrow by drilling through the pelvic bone for the test. Not only was it technically demanding, but it also required considerable strength. He needed to apply his full weight during the procedure. Thankfully, having access to Baruda’s guidance was immensely helpful.

“No, rotate it by three degrees. Yes. Like that.”

This was especially true since they had already obtained the structure of the pelvic bone through a CT scan.

“Right. It’s coming out. Excellent.”

Thanks to this, Suhyuk could complete the bone marrow examination as quickly as a blood test. In fact, it took so little time that the intern had just entered with the microscope.

“Yes. Send the rest to the specimen room. Let’s examine this much now.”

After giving instructions to Dahoon and the intern, Suhyuk immediately looked into the microscope. To someone unfamiliar, the view would be indecipherable. However, having seen thousands of bone marrow images, both Suhyuk and Baruda recognized it instantly.

‘Early-stage cannibalistic disease.’

“I know what caused this.”