TIME AFTER TIME ; jjk

3

Chapter 3

𝐽𝐸𝑂𝑁 𝐽𝑈𝑁𝐺𝐾𝑂𝑂𝐾

I was surprised when someone barged abruptly into the room. I rubbed the knot on my forehead, shifting in my chair. "You've got some food there? I'm famished." Dr. Min was frowning as he rushed to my small bag of snacks. I was checking my patient's medical chart, feeling quite nervous as I let Yoongi rummage through my food since he looked as if he was going to pass out any minute.

He continued, "I haven't eaten anything since this morning." I saw him take out a peel sausage and bento box before grabbing a chair from across the room. He sat as soon as he could and started eating. "You know what, sometimes I think I shouldn't have studied Medicine. I could just find another job and still make good money."

I stopped reading and gave him an understanding look. "I think like that sometimes. It's normal to hate your job when things get toxic." Doctors are busy people. I had always been so busy and missing sleep, but I loved doing this so I would stay.

I kept back to where I left off and heard him sigh. "What are you doing?"

"I've got a surgery in a few minutes. I hope Doctor Won will let me perform the surgery alone."

Yoongi shook his head. "I doubt that. He doesn't let second-year residents work on their own."

I shrugged my shoulders. For many months, I'd simply thought of myself in an operating room, leading the surgery and guiding the others, but that would happen after a few more years. I wasn't yet permitted to practice on my own, and we were closely supervised. It would have been okay, if only my attending weren't affecting burnout in my medical training. There was no doubt Dr. Won was a great surgeon and there were times I could find myself looking up to him, but the way he treated his residents was giving me a sense of inferiority. Maybe it was just me wanting to feel entitled or me having an impatient ego, but I needed at least a good working environment. You signed up for this, Dr. Jeon. Now, put that MD embroidered after your name to use.

Then, there was a faint knock. My gaze darted to the door and suddenly, a nurse I knew poked her head in. "Doctor Jeon, your patient is already in the holding area."

I hastily stood up from the swivel chair and grabbed the folders stacked next to my laptop. "Have you started an IV?"

"Yes, Doctor."

"Call Doctor Won and tell him we have to conduct preoperative exam."

"Actually, he is already there. And Doctor Min, Doctor Hong is also asking you to scrub in." My eyes averted to Yoongi and I recognized the sign he was a little upset about it. I shifted my attention back to the nurse and thanked her. "We will be there," I said. She nodded and left, closing the door shut.

"Man, I just want to eat..." He was shoveling as much of the food he could bring into his mouth in one minute. I walked to him, tapping his shoulder before taking off my doctor's coat.

Both of us rushed out and parted ways in the halls. As soon as I arrived in the holding area, I walked up to the bed where my patient was assigned in. Doctor Won instantly gestured me to start. I smiled at Mister Jang who was my fifty-six-year-old patient and asked how he was. "Nervous?" I asked.

He snorted a breathy laugh and gave me a light tap on my arm. "Not at all. I'm confident you're going take care of me."

It made me grin. I motioned at my attending and said, "He's Doctor Won, and he's your surgeon."