Chapter 44 – Online Star (3)

3rd floor indoor garden, 2 PM.

Leaning on a bench, Lim So Yool was savoring the last of the autumn sun shining through the skylight/glass ceiling.

Having spent a while with her eyes closed, she became aware of her dulled sense of time and checked it with a flinch.

“It’s already this late. Secretary Ok must be waiting.”

She raised her phone and called her secretary.

“You should be home for today. And please reschedule the visit to the cardiology department to tomorrow.”

-Go home? Already?

“I have some plans to recalculate and amend….. And the autumn sky is nice today.”

-Didn’t you sleep well last night? Weren’t the calculations already finished? And right now, it’s winter, not autumn. Are you wearing your coat properly? It would be bad if you catch a cold so please remember to zip it up completely. Don’t forget that you have a weak immune system.”

Following the usual sharp criticism, Lim So Yool’s eyebrows wriggled. Then, she saw the person she had made an appointment with standing at the entrance.

A short and logical excuse. She needed to calculate. To calculate.

“The financial cooperation for the integrated internal medicine departments seems to take twice as long as the surgical departments. As the amount of drugs used is different, there are many excuses made by the people in charge. A lot of variables have been added. I’ll spend today dealing with those variables.”

-Oh dear. You must be very stressed? Should I inform the vice-dean? He did say to call him whenever the department chiefs pressure you……

“I’ll take care of it. Anyway, go home. Right now.”

The last few words were almost yelled out in a whisper. As soon as she put down her phone, he was in front of her.

With his laptop under his arm, Dowook brightly greeted Lim So Yool, who was styled very differently today.

“You finally got rid of the patient’s gown.”

“You’re here.”

Lim So Yool, who zipped up her coat carefully like Secretary Ok nagged her to do, stood from her seat.

“I didn’t think you would suddenly ask me to help calculate with you.”

“My patient’s circumstance is quite unique. Thank you for agreeing even though you must be busy.”

Dowook pointed to a picnic table in the rest area of the indoor garden.

“Should we do it over there?”

“Sure.”

Moving to the table, Dowook placed his laptop on it and Lim So Yool placed her notebook and pen.

“Your patient is famous this time as well?”

“They said he’s popular on the Internet. There’s apparently a job called BJ…… no, streamer. And around 10,000 people watch that broadcast.”

[T/N: BJ stands for Broadcast Jockey. It’s just another name for live streamers in Korea.]

Dowook, who accessed the academic portal, found the date and displayed the reports on the screen as he spoke to Lim So Yool.

“This patient’s case is more extraordinary than Jeong Woo Seok. There is a lot of research about the nature of cerebral aneurysms. Do you think that would help a patient understand the diagnostic information more accurately?”

“Just because there are many samples, it can’t ascertain the reliability of the data. If there are too many, it can be problematic when setting the representative value.”

“representative value?”

“We can also call it the standard. Like a guideline to reach the answer. You also set the guidelines for the last patient’s data and handed it over to me. Don’t you remember?”

“Ooohh. Right, right.”

After smiling awkwardly, Dowook acted as if he was thinking about something, then he took out a pen and looked at Lim So Yool.

“Could I have a sheet?”

“Here.”

Receiving the paper, Dowook started to quickly organize something.

Scribble, scribble.

For a moment, only the sound of a pen moving across a sheet of paper filled their surroundings.

For Lim So Yool, there was no other time that made her calm and feel good as the moment when she could quietly write as she was locked in her thoughts.

The crooked voice of the chiefs of the internal medicine departments who she had to deal with the whole morning was buried in the sound of that pen, so she didn’t think about it anymore.

She couldn’t believe that she could even enjoy watching others calculate. She thought maybe this was what healing felt like.

Dowook, who was filling a page with numbers, showed signs of embarrassment as her forehead came very close to him.

“Um…… I’ve been staying too quiet for a while now haven’t I?”

“No, continue what you’re doing.”

Lim So Yool watched as the page was filled up by Dowook with both her arms on the table and her chin resting on them. As if she was watching a very fun movie.

“Like you said, having a lot of cases is also a problem. I’ve used up the paper.”

“Here.”

Lim So Yool quickly tore another page from her notebook and put it in front of Dowook then she pointed to the middle of the function he wrote and said.

“The Bonferroni method is effective in comparing mean values. You don’t have to test the non-independent hypothesis. You came to me to do the 1/n. Are you going to do everything by yourself?”

“It’s….. I was just too focused. I’m sorry.”

She didn’t know why he was apologizing when she was pointing out something he did well.

Dowook pushed out the page he was done with.

“It was 1/n, right? Please.”

Lim So Yool took it and skimmed through it, looking for the reference point first.

Risk factors for cerebral aneurysms. Related symptoms. Shape. Location. Size.

All of them were converted into densely written numbers.

This patient had symptoms of a problematic aneurysm and they had to find a way to extend their life expectancy while considering active or conservative treatment.

After 30 minutes.

Filling up the 5th page and stopping, Dowook paused after taking a look at Lim So Yool, who sat in front of him.

One hand was calculating while the other hand was patting the tabletop. An act showing that she was looking for something subconsciously. Of course it was something sweet.

As he was looking through the glass door of the garden wondering if he should go to the convenience store, his phone vibrated.

[The tests for patient, Kim Suhan, are done. I was going to lead him to a quiet place but he wanted to get some fresh air.]

[I’m at the indoor garden. Bring him here.]

They were almost finished organizing, so Dowook quickly went to the convenience store.

Lim So Yool, who was tapping the tabletop while filling her notebook, turned her head with a ‘huh?’ when she felt something get caught in her left hand. A chocolate milk from the convenience store was held in her hand.

“You seemed to be looking for something like this.”

“There’s a danger of bitterness depending on the amount of chocolate.”

“Is that so? I bought this one because the cashier said it was the sweetest.”

Lim So Yool quickly glared at Dowook.

“I don’t eat everything just because it’s sweet, ok?”

“Then, I’ll change……”

Her behavior of answering bluntly and then opening and taking a sip right away made him speechless.

She seemed to eat anything as long as it was sweet but he didn’t think it was right to criticize when he was asking for her help.

Taking a sip and making a happy face, Lim So Yool opened her mouth.

“The error test for the frontotemporal approach surgery is over.”

“How is the probability?”

“Compared to the reference point, the average chance of success is 43.17%.”

Anterior communicating artery aneurysm which was the most dangerous area when surgery was attempted, was less than half the probability of success.

Dowook sighed at the darkest news he had to deliver to the patient who would be here soon.

“I understand. Thank you for your help, Director.”

“It was my pleasure.”

Lim So Yool’s gaze which was aimed at the notebook was sparking.

“If you apply this case, which was subtracted as a type 1 error, as a reference point, the probability can be raised to 72.1%.”

“Is there such a case?”

“The hypothesis is correct, but it was deleted from the variable because there is only one sample.”

Dowook, who checked the part Lim So Yool pointed out, recalled the reference he had only glanced at earlier. Even if it was grabbing straws, he had to try so he gathered the data in his notebook.

‘It’s Yeo G. E. G.’

A dissertation about a surgery tried only once by a surgical team from John’s Hopkins three years ago.

‘The ligation structure is unique.’

A vascular suture surgery that 4 neurosurgeons tried to perform in an emergency situation wherein mass cerebral hemorrhage occurred in a patient.

It was a different suture created by adding a quick response on top of another quick response. The aneurysm pattern of this patient who survived such a dramatic situation was somewhat similar to that of Kim Suhan.

“The patient was cured, but the risk assessment of the surgery is the worst.”

It was almost gambling it one’s life on the line. He couldn’t ask the patient to consider this.

“Senior!”

Kim Seongtae’s voice was heard from the entrance of the indoor garden so Dowook raised his head. Kim Seongtae, who entered with the patient following him, made a face showing he was tired of the situation.

Trying to look for the reason why, a camera rod was held in the patient’s hand. He was broadcasting once again.

Dowook turned to look at Lim So Yool.

“The patient is in the middle of broadcasting on the Internet. It will be chaotic due to the camera, would you like to go upstairs? I’ll just talk to the patient about the parts that have been calculated, the rest can be organized later.”

“I’m fine with it.”

There was no one around, but Kim Suhan was chatting boisterously while looking at the camera. He felt like he was dealing with an younger brother who was not two years but 20 years younger.

Seeing they had almost arrived, Dowook urgently said.

“You might be fine with it, but what crime did the patient……”

“What?”

“…….nothing.”

[Live ON AIR]

[Quest for Ssuhan’s Health]

The doctor who was seen in the morning appeared in the video of Kim Suhan which was viewed by as many as 30,000 people making it the No.1 on the broadcasting platform’s ranking.

Dirring.

-HD~

[T/N: in the raws, it was an acronym for the donator’s user name (I think). So I did the same when translating.]

“₩10,000 donated by ‘HiDoctor’! Thank you!”

The selfie stick shook a lot because he was making a reaction pose. In the meantime, the chat window went crazy about the appearance of a woman who passed through the screen at the end of the video.

「Who was that just now??」

「A nurse?」

「She was wearing civilian clothes, though? She’s very pretty.」

Only Kim Suhan’s face was shown again as the doctor’s voice spoke.

“From now on, we need to discuss sensitive issues about your symptoms. If you don’t mind revealing it to outsiders, please check that part first. That you won’t ask us to take responsibility.”

“These guys? It’s fine. They’ve seen me sloshed while I was doing a drinking mukbang.”

Dirring.

“Whoa, ‘DogSpoutingAlcohol’. Arf arf. Thank you very much for the ₩100,000 donation! Arf arf!”

When he danced the mortar dance in front of the doctor again, the chat window was filled with laughter. In the meantime, the position of the selfie stick changed, and this time, a woman’s face was captured head-on.

「!!!」

「Whooooa! What! Who is that noona! Is she an actress?」

「Noona, I died!」

Dirring.

-Ssuhan-hyung. Stop doing embarrassing things and ask who the lady beside the doctor is.

“‘3738’, thanks for the ₩5,000. Um, doctor. Who is this person?”

“She’s ….. helped with the diagnosis process.”

The doctor who paused while speaking made eye contact with the woman.

“She’s a mathematician I invited especially due to your symptoms.”

“I’m Lim So Yool.”

Kim Suhan was surprised.

“A mathematician? Is there a job like that?”

“There’s a job where you talk to yourself while looking at a phone, is there anything surprising about being a mathematician?”

At the woman’s retort, the chat window was filled with laughter.

「Right. That noona’s words are a 100% correct. Ssuhan-hyung is the weider guy.」

「This is my first time seeing someone say that their job is a mathematician.」

「You too? Me too.」

“Sir, please sit here first. Seongtae, you did a good job.”

While Kim Suhan was setting the camera on the table after taking it off the selfie stick, the doctor spoke.

“In the morning, I said that there might be a bomb in the patient’s head. After looking at all the test results, I find I need to correct my analogy.”

“You’re saying it’s not serious? I thought so. I don’t feel any different than normal.”

Just in time, the camera was fixed to show the entire table.

The doctor and mathematician sitting together. Kim Suhan who was sat facing them.

In the peaceful atmosphere, the doctor’s voice continued.

“Once a bomb is removed, the danger disappears, but your case is not like that. It wouldn’t be strange no matter when you die.”

“That’s right. It wouldn’t be strange no matter when I leave…. What?”

Probably because of how shocking the doctor’s words were, the chat window froze for a moment.

「Really?」

「Ssuhan-hyung is dying?」

Looking back and forth between the doctor and the camera, Kim Suhan asked in a shaky voice.

“Are you saying that I’m terminally ill?”

“Regretfully yes.”

He could really feel it was true because of the doctor’s calm facial expression.

“Ha. hahaha….”

Kim Suhan, who was in despair and looking as if he was suddenly hit by a thunderbolt, spit out a monologue toward the camera to cheer up.

“I didn’t know that when I jokingly said that I would die on live stream, they would return to me like this. They did say the “life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.””

“This case is a tragedy even from a distance, though?”

The doctor quickly whispered to the mathematician who had made the cool correction of the monologue.

“I know. You’re telling me to just say the numbers, right?”

The doctor continued to speak to Kim Suhan, who started crying in shock, with a very stable voice.

“Please calm down. It’s not like there’s no answer to the problem. In some cases, the lifespan has been extended for more than 30 years with only conservative treatment. Cerebral aneurysm is different from person to person.”

“What should I do to live?”

“We will tell you the probability of each circumstance, you have to decide. You don’t have to tell me the decision right away. Director?”

“In the case of conservative treatment, 82.42% of the patient surviving for 5 years. 50.25% of surviving for 10 years and 15 years…..”

Kim Suhan burst into tears as direct numbers related to his life expectancy flowed out.

Dirring.

-Hyyyyuuuuunggg!

“ ‘Don’tDie’ ₩5,000…… Sob sob donation…..sob sob.”

Dirring.

-I won’t forget Ssuhan!

“‘Dont’Go’, 10,000…. Sob sob. Thank you. Really eve…..”

The doctor became embarrassed by the sight of everyone in the chat window and the live streamer becoming a sea of tears, but the mathematician still continued to say the probabilities quietly.

“……the possibility of complete recovery is 72.1% if a risky surgery is performed, but the probability of success of the surgery itself cannot be measured. There is only an evaluation that it is extremely low.”

Kim Suhan, who was crying, took a deep breath and turned toward the camera.

“Guys. You all heard, right? I’ll start a poll on what to choose from now on.”

“What?”

The doctor asked thinking he had misheard.

「??????」

「Insane. Is this hyung thinking of being a live streamer until the day he dies?」

The audience typing in the chatroom also asked if he had gone insane.