A gentle rain fell outside Seoul Baek-eun Hospital, droplets tracing lazy patterns down the windows and casting the world beyond in a soft, hazy light. The rhythmic patter created a soothing backdrop to the otherwise clinical environment of the hospital corridors. Yoon Mu-shin paused briefly at a window, watching the rain transform the hospital grounds into a watercolor painting—trees and buildings blurring at their edges, colors bleeding together in muted harmony.
It was March 2nd, 2002, his second day as an intern, and already he faced a significant test. Dr. Lee Sang-wook's offer to evaluate his skills in the Minor Procedure Room weighed on his mind, not with anxiety but with a sense of purpose. This was an opportunity to prove himself, to establish his place in this new world through demonstrable skill rather than politics or connections.
But first, he needed an assistant.
Mu-shin made his way to the ER nurses' station, where Nurse Kim Ji-young was coordinating the morning shift assignments. Her efficient movements and calm demeanor spoke of experience managing the controlled chaos of emergency medicine.
"Excuse me, Nurse Kim," Mu-shin said, approaching the station. "I've been assigned to the Minor Procedure Room today and need a nurse to assist me. Is anyone available?"
Ji-young looked up from her scheduling book, recognition flickering in her eyes. "Dr. Yoon, right? From yesterday's bus accident?" When he nodded, she consulted her records. "Most of our regular nurses are already assigned, but..." She ran her finger down a column of names. "We do have one nurse available—Yoo Jae-won. She's technically still in training, though."
"That's fine," Mu-shin replied. "Could you ask her to meet me here?"
Ji-young nodded and picked up the phone, dialing an internal extension. "Nurse Yoo? This is Kim Ji-young at the ER station. Could you come here, please? There's a doctor who needs your assistance." She hung up and turned back to Mu-shin. "She'll be here shortly."
While waiting, Mu-shin mentally reviewed the skills the system had granted him—the medical knowledge, the procedural techniques, and now the traditional Chinese medicine abilities he'd received that morning. He wondered how these new skills might integrate with his Western medical training, creating a more holistic approach to patient care.
His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Nurse Yoo Jae-won. She approached the station with unhurried grace, her movements fluid and purposeful. Standing around Mu-shin's height, she had a presence that belied her status as a nurse-in-training. Her fair skin contrasted with the deep brown of her eyes, which held a gentle warmth that immediately put those around her at ease. A small mole near her lips added character to features that were pleasant rather than striking—the kind of face that grew more beautiful the longer one looked at it.
What was most notable about Nurse Yoo, however, was the aura of calm competence she projected. Despite her youth—she couldn't have been older than twenty-three—there was something maternal in her demeanor, a nurturing quality that seemed to envelop those around her.
"You asked for me?" she inquired, her voice melodious and composed.
Mu-shin bowed slightly in greeting. "Yes. I'm Dr. Yoon Mu-shin, an intern who started yesterday. Dr. Lee Sang-wook has assigned me to the Minor Procedure Room today, and I need a nurse to assist me."
A flicker of surprise crossed her features, quickly replaced by curiosity. "Dr. Lee assigned an intern to handle procedures independently? That's... unusual."
"It's a test of sorts," Mu-shin explained, deciding transparency was the best approach. "I should be clear—I'm not a resident or an attending. I'm just an intern who arrived yesterday. This is Dr. Lee's way of evaluating my skills."
Nurse Yoo's eyes crinkled slightly at the corners as she listened, giving her an expression of gentle amusement. "And you're telling me this because...?"
"Because I want you to make an informed decision," Mu-shin replied honestly. "Assisting me might reflect on you as well. If I perform poorly, it could affect your evaluation too."
Her lips curved into a smile that held a hint of mischief. "How considerate of you, Dr. Yoon. But I'm not worried." She tilted her head slightly, studying him with half-lidded eyes that somehow managed to convey both wisdom and playfulness. "I heard about yesterday—how you treated so many patients during the bus accident. If Dr. Lee has enough confidence in you to offer this opportunity, who am I to question his judgment?"
Mu-shin felt a weight lift from his shoulders. "Thank you for your trust, Nurse Yoo."
"Jae-won is fine," she corrected gently. "If we're going to be working closely together, formality will only slow us down." She gestured toward the corridor. "Shall we prepare the procedure room? We should stock it properly before patients start arriving."
Together, they made their way to the Minor Procedure Room, a space designed for treating non-critical injuries that nonetheless required medical intervention beyond what could be provided in a standard examination room. The room contained a procedure table, supply cabinets, a sink for handwashing, and various pieces of equipment for minor surgeries and treatments.
As they inventoried supplies and prepared the space, Jae-won moved with practiced efficiency that belied her training status. She seemed to anticipate what would be needed before Mu-shin mentioned it, arranging suture kits, antiseptic solutions, local anesthetics, and dressing materials in logical groupings for easy access.
"You're very organized," Mu-shin observed as she labeled drawers with a marker for quick reference.
"I like systems," she replied with a small smile. "The human body is a system. Medicine is a system. A well-organized procedure room is just another system—one we can actually control, unlike most things in emergency medicine."
Her insight impressed him. Many healthcare providers viewed organization as simply a matter of convenience, but Jae-won recognized it as an integral part of effective care—a philosophy that aligned with his own.
They had just finished preparations when there was a knock at the door. Jae-won opened it to reveal a young woman clutching a blood-stained towel wrapped around her forearm, her face pale with pain and anxiety.
"First patient of the day," Jae-won announced, guiding the woman to the procedure table. "Kim Minseo, twenty-six years old, laceration to the left forearm from a kitchen knife while preparing breakfast."
Mu-shin washed his hands thoroughly and donned gloves and a mask. "Good morning, Ms. Kim. I'm Dr. Yoon. May I examine your injury?"
The woman nodded, wincing as Jae-won gently unwrapped the makeshift bandage to reveal a clean, straight laceration approximately seven centimeters long across the volar aspect of her left forearm. The wound was still bleeding, though not profusely.
"Can you tell me exactly how this happened?" Mu-shin asked as he examined the injury.
"I was cutting vegetables for breakfast," Minseo explained, her voice tight with pain. "The knife slipped. It happened so fast."
Mu-shin nodded, carefully assessing the depth and extent of the wound. "Can you move your fingers for me?"
She demonstrated, flexing her fingers with obvious discomfort but full range of motion.
"Good. That suggests no tendon damage," Mu-shin explained. "The cut is deep but clean. It will need stitches, but with proper care, it should heal well."
As he spoke, he activated his [Eye Of The Doctor] skill, the enhanced vision allowing him to detect subtle details about the wound and surrounding tissue that might otherwise be missed. He could see that the laceration had penetrated through the skin and subcutaneous fat but had fortunately spared the underlying tendons and major blood vessels.
"Nurse Yoo, could you prepare for wound irrigation and suturing? We'll need local anesthetic, sterile saline for irrigation, and a suture kit."
"Already prepared," Jae-won replied, indicating the tray she had set up while he was examining the patient.
Mu-shin smiled behind his mask, appreciating her foresight. "Ms. Kim, I'm going to clean the wound thoroughly, then numb the area before placing stitches. You'll feel some discomfort during the cleaning and a pinch from the anesthetic injections, but after that, you shouldn't feel pain. If you do, please tell me immediately."
Minseo nodded, her eyes fixed on his face as if drawing strength from his calm confidence.
Mu-shin began by irrigating the wound with sterile saline, flushing out any debris or contaminants that might lead to infection. The patient winced at the pressure but remained still.
"You're doing very well," he encouraged her. "The cleaning is the most uncomfortable part."
Next, he prepared the local anesthetic—lidocaine with epinephrine to provide pain relief while minimizing bleeding. "Small pinch now," he warned before administering the first injection at the wound edge.
Minseo flinched but didn't pull away. Mu-shin proceeded to place several more injections along both sides of the laceration, ensuring complete anesthesia of the area.
While waiting for the anesthetic to take full effect, he asked, "Do you have any medical conditions I should know about? Allergies to medications? Are you on any blood thinners?"
"No, nothing like that," Minseo replied. "I'm healthy, as far as I know."
Mu-shin nodded, then tested the wound area with a sterile probe to confirm the anesthetic had taken effect. "Can you feel this?" he asked, gently touching the wound edge.
"No, just pressure," she confirmed.
"Perfect. I'm going to begin suturing now."
As Mu-shin prepared to close the wound, he felt a subtle shift in his awareness—the [Basic Meridian Sensitivity] skill activating. Suddenly, he could perceive faint energy pathways beneath the skin, including one that ran directly through the injured area. This was the Lung Meridian, according to his newly acquired knowledge, associated with the body's defensive qi and vulnerability to external pathogens.
With this additional insight, he adjusted his suturing technique slightly to minimize disruption to the energy flow while still achieving optimal wound closure. He selected a 4-0 nylon suture and began placing interrupted stitches with precise, economical movements.
"You have very steady hands," Jae-won observed as she assisted, handing him instruments just as he needed them.
"Thank you," Mu-shin replied, focusing on creating even, tension-free sutures that would minimize scarring. "It's important for this type of wound."
As he worked, he explained each step to Minseo, both to educate her and to keep her engaged and distracted from the procedure. "I'm using what's called an interrupted suture technique. Each stitch is placed and tied individually. It takes a bit longer than a continuous stitch, but it's more secure and better for wounds like yours where there might be movement during healing."
Jae-won added, "Dr. Yoon is being modest. His technique is exceptional—these stitches will leave minimal scarring."
Mu-shin glanced up briefly, catching the warm approval in Jae-won's eyes. There was something in her gaze that went beyond professional appreciation, a hint of personal interest that he filed away for later consideration.
After placing the final suture and tying it off, Mu-shin applied antibiotic ointment and a sterile dressing to the wound. "The stitches will need to be removed in 10 to 14 days. Keep the wound clean and dry for the first 48 hours. After that, you can shower normally but avoid soaking the area until the stitches are out."
He wrote a prescription for oral antibiotics as a precaution and provided detailed wound care instructions, which Jae-won reinforced with practical demonstrations.
"Thank you, Doctor," Minseo said as she prepared to leave. "You made that much less scary than I expected."
"That's part of the job," Mu-shin replied with a smile. "Take care of yourself, and come back if you notice any redness, swelling, increased pain, or discharge from the wound."
As Jae-won escorted Minseo out, Mu-shin took a moment to clean and reset the procedure area. When Jae-won returned, she was already bringing in the next patient—a middle-aged man with a bandage wrapped around his right calf.
"Lee Jisoo, forty-two years old," she announced. "Dog bite to the right calf while jogging this morning. The dog was a neighbor's pet with current vaccinations, but the wound needs proper cleaning and assessment."
The man looked uncomfortable, both from pain and embarrassment. "It was my fault," he admitted as Mu-shin helped him onto the procedure table. "I startled the dog when I ran past their yard."
Mu-shin carefully removed the temporary bandage to reveal multiple puncture wounds and a jagged laceration where the dog's teeth had torn the skin. The area was already showing signs of inflammation, with redness extending beyond the wound margins.
"Dog bites can be particularly problematic," Mu-shin explained as he examined the injury. "The bacteria in a dog's mouth can cause serious infections. We need to clean this thoroughly."
He activated his [Eye Of The Doctor] skill again, noting the depth of the punctures and the early signs of infection beginning to develop. More concerning was the damage to the underlying tissue—dog bites often caused crushing injuries beneath the skin that weren't immediately apparent.
"Nurse Yoo, we'll need extensive irrigation solution, a debridement kit, and broad-spectrum antibiotics. Also, let's prepare for a tetanus booster if Mr. Lee hasn't had one recently."
"When was your last tetanus shot?" Jae-won asked the patient as she gathered the supplies.
"At least ten years ago, I think," Jisoo replied uncertainly.
"Then we'll definitely give you a booster today," Mu-shin confirmed. "Mr. Lee, I need to warn you—proper cleaning of a dog bite is more extensive than for a simple cut. It will be uncomfortable, but it's essential to prevent infection."
The patient nodded grimly. "Do what you need to do, Doctor."
Mu-shin began by administering local anesthetic around the wound, then waited for it to take effect before proceeding with irrigation. Using a pressurized syringe, he flushed the wounds with copious amounts of sterile saline, ensuring that every puncture was thoroughly cleaned.
"Dog bites create pockets beneath the skin where bacteria can thrive," he explained as he worked. "The pressure irrigation helps flush out these hidden spaces."
Next came the most challenging part—debridement of devitalized tissue. With careful precision, Mu-shin removed small amounts of damaged tissue that could become breeding grounds for infection. The procedure required a delicate balance—removing enough to prevent infection while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible for optimal healing.
Throughout the procedure, Jae-won anticipated his needs with remarkable accuracy, handing him instruments before he asked and maintaining a clear field of view. Her assistance allowed him to work efficiently, minimizing the patient's discomfort.
"You're quite good at this," Mu-shin commented quietly as they worked together.
"I've assisted with many procedures," she replied with a modest smile. "After a while, you learn to read a doctor's rhythm."
"Still, it usually takes longer to develop that kind of synchronization," he noted.
Jae-won's eyes crinkled with amusement above her mask. "Perhaps we're just naturally compatible, Dr. Yoon."
The comment carried a hint of flirtation that Mu-shin acknowledged with a raised eyebrow before returning his focus to the patient.
After completing the debridement, Mu-shin applied antibiotic ointment to the wounds. "Dog bites are usually left open rather than sutured," he explained to Jisoo. "Closing the wound can trap bacteria inside. We'll apply a dressing that allows the wound to drain while keeping it protected."
He proceeded to dress the wound with non-adherent gauze and a light compression bandage. "You'll need to change this dressing daily and watch carefully for signs of infection. I'm prescribing oral antibiotics that you must take exactly as directed, even if the wound seems to be healing well."
After administering the tetanus booster and completing the treatment, Mu-shin provided detailed wound care instructions. "Come back immediately if you develop fever, increasing pain, redness that spreads, or if you see red streaks extending from the wound. Those are signs of a serious infection that needs immediate attention."
As Jae-won escorted Jisoo out, Mu-shin documented the procedure in the patient's chart. The morning continued with a steady stream of patients, each presenting different challenges that tested both his medical knowledge and the skills granted by the system.