Trauma Center : Golden Hour - Chapter 18

“Uh…”

Jaewon stood frozen, unable to find the words to respond.

Normally, Kang-hyuk would have exploded in anger by now, but this time, he merely watched.

The moments where he actually needed an assistant had already passed.

At some point, the gruesomely opened skull had been closed, and the gaping thoracic cavity had been sutured shut.

“Trauma surgery, huh…”

Thanks to that, Jaewon was able to calmly continue his thoughts.

“He’s asking me to join trauma surgery.”

Had someone suggested this to him just yesterday, he would have ripped their tongue out on the spot.

But now, things were different.

Less than a full day had passed, yet what he had seen and learned in that time had been more intense than anything he had absorbed in the past month.

Noticing Jaewon’s hesitation, Kang-hyuk pressed further.

“What are you thinking so hard about? Just say yes or no. Decide already.”

“How can I possibly answer right away? This is a major decision in my life!”

“You were planning on staying in this hospital next year anyway. The only thing changing is your subspecialty. What’s the big deal?”

“It is a big deal… Trauma surgery and colorectal surgery are practically different fields.”

Jaewon wasn’t wrong.

In fact, trauma center surgeons weren’t always general surgeons.

Looking at the U.S. and U.K. models, many trauma surgeons came from backgrounds in thoracic surgery, neurosurgery, or even orthopedics.

Unlike other patients, trauma cases rarely involved injuries confined to a single specialty.

A trauma surgeon needed to know a bit of everything.

“So, are you in or not?”

Kang-hyuk tapped the patient’s chest as he spoke.

The patient’s anesthesia had started wearing off, but they were still unconscious.

The anesthesiologist, Gyeongwon, was administering medication to keep it that way—there was no benefit in waking up a patient with both a brain and lung injury too soon.

“I can’t decide right now… I need to at least talk to my attending professor first.”

“Your attending? Why would you consult someone else about your own future?”

“Well… They probably assume I’ll continue as a second-year colorectal fellow next year.”

“And if you do, will they give you a professor position?”

“No, of course not.”

There was a saying in hospitals:

“Becoming a professor is a matter of fate.”

It might sound ridiculous—why should a professor’s position be compared to divine intervention?

But for those who actually aspired to the role, it was painfully accurate.

The ones everyone expected to become professors often didn’t, while the ones no one believed in somehow did.

“And yet, you’re so loyal to people who won’t take responsibility for you.”

Kang-hyuk’s words struck Jaewon harder than he expected.

The way he spoke, his attitude—it almost felt like he had the power to give a professor position.

“Wait… So if I join trauma surgery, does that mean I could become a professor?”

“What kind of insane logic is that? I just got promoted myself. You think I have that kind of influence?”

“Then why did you say it like that?”

“I never promised you anything. I just said I’d teach you if you came. That’s it.”

“Oh.”

Now that he thought about it, that was true.

Kang-hyuk had never once guaranteed a professor position.

Still dazed, Jaewon stared at him, overwhelmed by the rapid conversation.

“You do realize your current attending isn’t guaranteeing you a position either, right?”

“That’s… true.”

“I don’t know who your attending is, but I can guarantee I’m better than them. No contest. So if you’re staying at this hospital to learn, you might as well learn from me.”

“Hmm.”

Jaewon felt an unexpected pang of guilt toward his attending professor.

Because he caught himself nodding in agreement with Kang-hyuk.

“If we’re just comparing skill… there’s no competition.”

His attending was skilled, sure.

But he wasn’t a monster like Kang-hyuk.

As Jaewon was about to think further, Kang-hyuk suddenly spoke again.

“Alright, so you’re in?”

“What? I haven’t even answered yet!”

“Oh, you didn’t know? Every question has a countdown. I usually wait ten seconds, but I gave you over a minute.”

Kang-hyuk nodded as if he had been incredibly generous.

Jaewon nearly lost his mind.

If this lunatic went around spreading that he was joining trauma surgery, it might actually become true!

“Wait, what kind of ridiculous—”

“What did you just say?”

“…Nothing. Nothing at all.”

Faced with Kang-hyuk’s towering build and razor-sharp gaze, Jaewon instinctively folded.

He clasped his hands together and gave a polite bow.

Kang-hyuk, of course, interpreted that however he wanted.

“Good. That means you’re in.”

“No! You can’t just decide that! I haven’t even told my professor yet!”

“Anus, don’t worry about that. Your attending… Han Yoo-rim, right?”

“…Yes. How did you—”

“He’s in the office next to mine. He’s the surgical department head, you think I wouldn’t know?”

“So what are you planning to do?”

“I’m going to talk to him. You take the patient to the ICU and call me when you’re done. I’ll handle Professor Han in the meantime.”

“Wait, no! You can’t!”

“I can. And I will. I’m great at convincing people. Professor Han will love the idea.”

With that, Kang-hyuk casually strolled toward the operating room doors.

Jaewon called out after him in desperation, but it was useless.

“Wait! I haven’t even decided yet—ah…”

He let out a defeated sigh as the doors shut firmly behind Kang-hyuk.

Then, Jang-mi spoke up with an amused smile.

“Dr. Jaewon, looks like you’ll be working with us next year.”

By “us,” she meant the critical trauma team within the emergency medicine department.

Unlike the doctors, who rotated night shifts among themselves to avoid the ones they dreaded, the nurses were assigned to fixed teams.

Though the scale and support were abysmal at best.

Regardless, Jang-mi was a senior nurse in the critical trauma team.

“What? No, no way!”

“Why are you reacting so seriously? You seemed pretty positive when you were talking to Professor Baek earlier.”

“How was that positive in any way…?”

“You basically said, if Professor Han Yoo-rim agrees, then maybe. Even if I didn’t take it that way, I’m sure Professor Baek did. That guy hears what he wants to hear.”

That was Jang-mi’s assessment of Kang-hyuk, despite having only known him for a few hours.

And Jaewon couldn’t exactly disagree.

“This is driving me crazy. You really think he went to talk to him right now?”

“One hundred percent.”

“Son of a…”

Jaewon cursed under his breath, but he didn’t move.

He had been ordered to safely transfer the patient to the ICU.

If it were just some menial errand, he would have ignored it.

But this was directly related to a patient’s life.

Jaewon wasn’t the type to disregard that kind of responsibility.

“Alright, surgeon, time to head to the ICU. Did you call for a bed?”

Anesthesiologist Gyeongwon asked.

“Yes, I did. It’s here.”

Jang-mi answered instead of Jaewon, as she had called an intern to arrange it while Kang-hyuk and Jaewon had been busy.

The intern had now arrived, wheeling in a bed assigned to the emergency ICU.

“Hurry up! Move it in!”

Jaewon snapped impatiently at the intern.

He was hoping to catch Kang-hyuk before he caused trouble.

But Kang-hyuk was fast.

By now, he was likely already sitting across from Professor Han Yoo-rim.

—

Professor Han Yoo-rim’s Office

“Ah, Professor Baek. Earlier today was… haha, quite hectic. I didn’t even get a proper chance to greet you.”

Despite Kang-hyuk’s sudden visit, Han Yoo-rim did not turn him away.

A man didn’t become the head of surgery for no reason.

Besides, Han Yoo-rim had no intention of stopping at department head.

His ambitions stretched far beyond—to chief medical officer, vice director, and ultimately, hospital director.

So when the newly appointed professor personally sought him out, he didn’t dismiss him—he wanted to recruit him.

“This guy looked like an arrogant punk this morning… but at least he knows to show respect. Maybe he’s not so bad after all.”

Meanwhile, Kang-hyuk was glancing around the office, completely ignoring the tea Han Yoo-rim had set out.

Han Yoo-rim wasn’t just highly ranked in the hospital—he was also a respected figure in the surgical society.

His office walls were lined with plaques, awards, and framed appointments from various medical boards.

“Ah, those are just from my academic work. Haha. I didn’t expect much, but I guess hard work pays off.”

Han Yoo-rim assumed Kang-hyuk was admiring his accomplishments and responded humbly.

But Kang-hyuk wasn’t interested in any of that.

He was looking for something specific—

And he didn’t find a single photo of Han Yoo-rim with a patient.

Of course, not having such a photo didn’t mean a doctor didn’t care about their patients.

Just as having one didn’t necessarily mean they did.

But statistics didn’t lie.

“Yep. Figures.”

Kang-hyuk turned his gaze back to Han Yoo-rim.

The professor was watching him with pride, waiting for his admiration.

“That teacup—it’s from the Han dynasty. The president of Kyungkwang Pharmaceuticals introduced me to the seller. You can really taste the difference when you drink from it.”

“Ah, is that so.”

“Yes. So, what brings you here? I assume there are some… difficulties, given your background from Muan University. But as long as I’m department head, there will be no discrimination based on alma mater. You have my word. Haha.”

Han Yoo-rim didn’t bother saying the unspoken condition: as long as you obey me.

That much was understood.

Unfortunately for him, Kang-hyuk wasn’t here to form alliances.

He was here to steal one of Han Yoo-rim’s subordinates.

“There is something I’d like to discuss.”

“Oh? By all means, speak freely.”

“You’re telling me to speak freely, so I will.”

“Uh… right. Go ahead.”

Han Yoo-rim sensed something was off.

But he had invited Kang-hyuk to speak, so he forced himself to remain composed.

“I heard one of your fellows is Yang Jaewon. Is that correct?”

“Ah… Jaewon. Yes. He’s a hardworking fellow.”

“Him—”

Just as Kang-hyuk was about to say “give him to me,” the door suddenly burst open.

Jaewon.

Han Yoo-rim looked utterly shocked.

Jaewon had never entered his office like this before.

“What are you doing? Have you forgotten how to knock?”

“S-Sorry, Professor!”

Jaewon quickly bowed in apology before lifting his head—

And saw Kang-hyuk sitting there.

The sheer horror that crossed his face was indescribable.

All rational thought left his mind.

He instinctively pointed at Kang-hyuk and shouted,

“This guy—did this guy say anything ridiculous?!”