Level Up Doctor Choi Kiseok

But the blood wasn't there at the end of the tip. Miae tried to locate the vein, moving the needle around, but only helpless vessels were damaged.

"I'm so sorry."

She picked out a new needle, looking flustered.

She tried again with another arm, but the result was the same. No blood.

"I'm really sorry."

She kept apologizing, bowing her head repeatedly.

"That's alright. Don't worry about it."

Giseok tried to console Miae.

His arm was so thin and skinny that his veins were hard to find. Even a nurse can fail at taking blood.

'Well, the problem is not that.;

Giseok studied Miae with the eye of Hippocrates.

Job/Major: Nurse/Acting

Physical: 2/10

Surgical skill: 3(-1)/10

Clinical skill:2/10

Reputation:1

Active skill: None

Passive skill: None

[Characteristic: Got buffed by a head nurse] [Self-esteem, patient assessment/treatment skill decreased a bit]

Miae's ability was decent.

It's just she wasn't her best self.

Start off, her condition wasn't idea from working night shift. On the top of it, she got buffed by a head nurse and her surgical skill went down a level.

"Miae! What are you doing?"

Angry sounding voice was heard outside the sterile room.

"I only have one patient left. I will be right there."

"Come quickly!"

From that, she was visibly upset. She ground her teeth and thumping her feet.

It makes even Giseok nervous just by watching her.

It reminded him an image of himself as an intern.

C grade intern.

Incompetent intern.

Days in the past where he endured all criticism and bullying. Days where he was so down.

What if someone gave him a warm encouragement at that moment?

Maybe he got little bear quickly?

"That's okay. Not every day is sunshine."

He continued talking, smiling.

"If you are under the weather, do you want me to take blood today?"

"Nonsense. A patient never takes blood himself."

"I understand I'm a patient, but I am also soon-to-be doctor."

"Still, no."

"You worked night and you are tired. And if you keep taking time, that nurse is going to eat you."

She put down her head down.

"Don't think too hard and trust me."

"I understand. But how would you do it? Is there a way for someone to take his own blood?"

"Of course there is. Give me a needle."

She hesitated for a moment, but finally handed a needle to Giseok.

"This is a secret just between us."

First he tied tourniquets around his ankle and looked around his top of the foot. After some time, a vein bulged, just right to take blood.

He stood up and put his put on the bed. Then he bended down, sterilized the area with alcohol swap.

(Phew!)

Poking the vessel, the blood spread like a paint through the syringe.

He nailed the vein.

He pulled the plunge out, blood filling the barrel.

"Wow. It really worked!"

Giseok wasn't the doctor yet.

Even with that, Miae had much more experience with taking blood overwhelmingly. But Giseok proved himself as good as Miae's.

"Here you go."

"Thank you so much. You saved me."

She collected a syringe and ran out of sterile room.

It was right that moment.

[You succeeded on first treatment] [One point gained on Reputation] [Active skill has been activated. Now you can use it]

Thring!!

The alarm blazed in his head.

Giseok checked out the status window.

Physical: 8/10

Diagnostic ability: 5/10

Surgical skill: 4/10

Clinical skill:3/10

Reputation: 1

Active Skill

[Must save life Lv2] : Available

If you treat a patient in urgent status or treat a complicated patient, your skills improve intermittently. You can go up to 5 levels.

Passive Skill

[The Eye of Hippocrates Lv.1]: In use

As a physician, you can take a glance of patient's status. The higher your level, the more information you get. You can go upto level 3

The Active skill became available.

"Hmmmm…"

He looked harder at status window.

It looks like his limit is at 10 for now.

Funny thing is that his number changes depending on the situation, not set in stone.

First, his physical went 2 points compared to yesterday.

He had good night sleep and his progress from heart transplant has been good, confirmed by a physician mode.

Another proof was Miae Lee.

Her skill went down after heard harsh criticism from head nurse. It means that the skill level can go all the way up or down.

It is a different concept from general simulation game, where there is only a growth.

He sat on the edge of the bed and lost in thoughts.

One thing he learned from taking his own blood is that he should perform medical treatment to gain his skills.

Except that he just had transplanted done and stay in the sterile room.

It limits his ability to do anything.

When he gets discharged and continue working as a intern, he should be able to grow exponentially.

"What if I don't pass the license exam?"

He shivered by the very thought.

Giseok was lying on the bed, listening to music.

There was not much to do and he woke up early.

He stood by the window, looking outside to train his eye of Hippocrates.

But there was not much gain.

It was impossible to gather information as the distance was too far.

While keep listening to music, he suddenly sensed someone else's gaze.

It was Tasesik.

He went into the room, nodding his head after meeting Giseok's gaze.

"Hi, Taesik!"

"……"

Giseok greeted him with enthusiasm and Taesik looked confused.

Then Giseok realized. That he is no longer Haejin. That Haejin doesn't exist in this world anymore.

It hurts him so bad but he squeezed his hands, balling into fist, not to show his hurt.

"oh, I'm sorry. I still must have been asleep…"

"That's ok."

Taesik was looking over the chart, sitting on the round chair.

"How are you feeling?"

"I feel good. I feel like I can fly. I would like to get discharged right now if I could."

"There is no side effect from the operation and all test results are good. You will soon to be moved to general ward then the discharge will speed up."

Taesik said in a matter-of-the-fact manner.

"Take off your gown."

Giseok followed Taesik's command. Then Taesik wore a stethoscope and put it on Giseok's heart.

Taesik nodded little after checking the result.

A deep silence past in the sterile room.

'you are genius, Taesik'

Giseok studied Taesik with the eye of Hippocrates.

Physical: 7/10

Diagnostic ability: 4/10

Surgical ability: 6/10

Clinical ability: 5/10

Reputation: 6

Active skill

[Advanced performer Lv.2] Reduced surgery time Depending on the complexity of surgery, the success rate and patient progress vary.

Passive Skill

[Cold-hearted Lv.5] Emotion doesn't affect his diagnosis/competence. Unexpected situation or emergency doesn't affect the skill levels. All levels are at their peak.

Only difference between Giseok and Tasik was diagnostic ability. Only by one level, Giseok was better than Tasik.

It's probably from eye of Hippocrates that his diagnostic level was better than Taesik.

It was no question that he is a top-class doctor.

"Doctor, I have a question."

Long after silence, Giseok spoke.

"The heart donator, Dr.Haejin. What was he like?"

His heart beat like crazy after the question.

Taesik was Giseok (did you mean Haejin?)'s role model.

What would Taesik think about Haejin, now deceased?

"He's an idiot."

"Idiot?"

"Yes. He only knew two things: patients and medicine."

Taesik continued.

"He thought himself as if a hero from cartoon. He said he would be the best cardiac surgeon in the world. He is most peculiar doctor I've ever seen."

"………"

"But the biggest problem was his effort didn't result into his skills. And he always got so attached to his patients."

"I see."

Giseok was little disappointed.

Taesik's opinion was very harsh.

If he were to hear directly in the past, he would have fallen into slump.

"But, if he was little bit more talented he would have been a better doctor than me."

"How so?"

"Because he never gave up."

"……………"

"From first year internship to resident first year, he got called out and ridiculed by his peers all the time. But he studied every single day and improved his skill. He became the top of his class by this third year."

Taesik changed the topic, smiling to Giseok.

"By the way, you took your license exam before the surgery?"

"Yeah, I'm waiting for the result."

"Well, most people passed so you will get into internship then."

"Yes."

Giseok continued after some pause.

"I'm going to apply for cardiac department after my internship."

"You might want to think about that again."

Tasik shook his head.

Cardiac department is the least popular department among doctors.

Even Jangsan university hospital, one of the biggest hospitals in the country, had no applicant to cardiac department.

For two years in a row.

It has many critical patients and many emergency situations, and it gets classified as 3D.

Furthermore, cardiac doctors can't earn much money even if they open their private practice.

"I already made my mind. I want to share this life given to me to other people."

"…….."

"I will be more skilled doctor than you are. I will be the best doctor in the world."

"Your daring personality is just like his."

Tasik laughed. After asking for a consent, he placed his hand on Giseok's heart.

"Take care of him, please."

Only Giseok left in the sterile room after Taesik left the room.

Giseok looked at where Taesik was standing emptily.

Hearing Tasik's sincerity and thoughtfulness, his heart became fuller with warmth.

It was that moment.

[From heart to heart, you accomplished special assignment.] [Additional reward given]

He awoke with sudden alarm.

He hurriedly turned on the status window.

(Continued)