The hospital was bustling with the usual commotion: patients coming in and out, nurses making rounds, and doctors moving swiftly between departments. It was another day at Seoul Memorial Hospital, but for the five medical interns under the watchful eye of Dr. Im Nayeon, the day would mark a turning point in their careers-a day none of them would ever forget.
Dahyun, Jihyo, Sana, Jungkook, and Yoongi had been working together as a team for several weeks now, learning the ropes of what it truly meant to be a doctor. They had each been assigned to different specialties at the start of their internship, but today, they were called together for an emergency case under the supervision of their 4th-year resident, Dr. Nayeon.
The interns gathered outside the ICU, where their patient, a 63-year-old man suffering from complications due to pneumonia, was deteriorating rapidly. The tension was palpable.
"I can't believe this is happening," Jihyo muttered under her breath as she stood next to Dahyun. Her hands were trembling slightly, but she was trying her best to remain composed.
Dahyun gave her a reassuring nod, though she herself felt a knot of anxiety tightening in her stomach. "We knew we'd have to face this sooner or later," she said softly. "It's part of the job... but I didn't think it would happen so soon."
Sana was pacing back and forth, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "I feel like we've done everything we could for him. What else can we do?" she asked, her voice tinged with frustration.
Jungkook stood nearby, uncharacteristically quiet, his eyes glued to the monitor displaying the patient's vitals. "His blood pressure's dropping fast," he said grimly. "We're losing him."
Yoongi, who usually kept a calm demeanor, was furrowing his brow in concern. "Isn't there anything we can do to stabilize him?" His voice was low, measured, but there was an edge of desperation.
Dr. Nayeon walked into the room, her presence immediately commanding their attention. She had been monitoring the case closely, and though she was experienced, the weight of a patient's life slipping away never got any easier.
"Listen up, everyone," Dr. Nayeon said, addressing her interns. "We're going to do everything we can to save him, but you need to be prepared for the worst. Sometimes, despite all our efforts, we lose patients. It's a hard reality in medicine, but it's something you'll have to face."
Dahyun swallowed hard. She had always prided herself on being strong, but standing there, staring at the man lying unconscious in the hospital bed, she felt a deep sense of helplessness. "What are his current stats?" Nayeon asked, turning to Jungkook.
"His oxygen saturation is at 75%, BP is 60/40 and dropping, heart rate irregular," Jungkook reported.
"Start chest compressions," Dr. Nayeon ordered without hesitation. "We're going to push epinephrine. Yoongi, get ready to intubate."
Yoongi nodded, his hands moving quickly but steadily as he prepared the equipment. The room was filled with the sounds of medical equipment beeping, hushed voices giving instructions, and the rhythmic thud of chest compressions.
"Come on, come on," Jihyo whispered under her breath as she pumped the patient's chest. Her arms were getting tired, but she refused to stop. Sana stood beside her, ready to take over if needed.
"Push another round of epi," Dr. Nayeon ordered.
Yoongi intubated the patient with precision, his face set in concentration. "Tube's in," he confirmed, stepping back to allow Jungkook to ventilate.
Minutes passed like hours. The tension in the room was thick, every breath, every movement felt heavy. They were fighting with everything they had, but the monitor kept flashing its grim warnings.
"Still no pulse," Jungkook said, his voice tight. He glanced at Dr. Nayeon, his usually bright eyes filled with uncertainty.
Dahyun felt her heart sink. She knew what was coming. She could see it in Nayeon's eyes, even before she said the words.
"Time of death, 12:36 PM," Dr. Nayeon said quietly, stepping back from the bed.
The room went silent. No one moved. It was as if the reality of the moment hadn't quite sunk in yet. Sana let out a shaky breath, her hands falling to her sides. Jihyo stepped back from the bed, her eyes wide and glassy.
"Did we... did we really just lose him?" Jihyo asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Dr. Nayeon turned to face her interns, her expression soft but firm. "Yes. You did everything you could. We all did. Sometimes, despite all our knowledge, all our efforts... we lose the battle. It's never easy, and it shouldn't be. But you need to understand that this is part of what we signed up for."
Yoongi stood frozen, staring at the body in front of him. "It doesn't feel real," he muttered. "We were just talking to him this morning."
Sana wiped at her eyes, though no tears had fallen yet. "I feel like... we failed him," she said, her voice cracking.
"You didn't fail him," Nayeon said gently. "You gave him the best chance he had. Sometimes, the body just... gives out. It's not about failure, it's about understanding that we can't always control the outcome."
Jungkook was silent, his gaze fixed on the floor. He clenched his fists at his sides, clearly struggling with the weight of the situation. "I should have caught it earlier... the signs. Maybe if we acted sooner-"
Dr. Nayeon cut him off gently but firmly. "There's nothing you could have done differently, Jungkook. You followed protocol, and you did everything right. Sometimes, it's not about what we do or don't do."
Dahyun, who had been quiet the entire time, finally spoke up. "How do we... how do we keep doing this? Knowing that we'll lose more patients in the future?"
Dr. Nayeon met her gaze with a knowing look. "You keep going because, for every patient you lose, there will be many more that you'll save. You'll learn from this, you'll grow from it. But you have to be able to accept loss in order to appreciate the victories."
The interns stood there in the quiet room, processing everything. The reality of being a doctor wasn't just about saving lives-it was about coping with the ones you couldn't save.
After what felt like an eternity, Nayeon spoke again. "Take a moment. Step outside if you need to. I know it's hard, but there are other patients waiting for us."
One by one, the interns filed out of the room, each of them dealing with the loss in their own way. Sana was the first to leave, followed by Jihyo and Yoongi. Jungkook lingered for a moment, staring at the lifeless body on the bed, before finally turning and walking out.
Dahyun was the last to leave. She paused at the door, looking back at Dr. Nayeon. "How do you do it?" she asked quietly. "How do you keep going?"
Nayeon gave her a small, sad smile. "You learn to balance the grief with the joy of saving lives. It never gets easier... but it does get more bearable."
Dahyun nodded slowly and stepped out of the room, her heart heavy but her resolve stronger than ever.
As they walked back to the intern's lounge, the group was silent, but there was an unspoken understanding between them. This was just the beginning of their journey as doctors. And it wouldn't be their last encounter with death.
But today, they had learned one of the most difficult lessons of all: not every patient could be saved, but that didn't mean they would stop trying.
