Episode 2 of 'Resident Playbook' kicks off with the residents submerged in the sea of heavy shifts, barely able to catch a breath, let alone dine. To make matters worse, they also need to face strict doctors Myeong submitted a group report, but she used their hard work as a stepping stone to establish a relationship with senior doctors. At the same time, these residents are suffering from a lack of sleep and hovering on the edge of rationality.
As the residents emotionally disintegrate, mirroring the five stages of grief, professors convene to devise strategies to stem the tide of early departures within the residents' maiden month at the hospital.
Dr. Myeong singles out Oh I-yeong after she voices her discomfort with suturing during a critical surgery. Harboring a grudge, Dr. Myeong orchestrates a scenario designed to portray I-yeong as incompetent and dishonest. She conscripts I-yeong into calling various departments late into the night about a nonexistent "emergency," then feigns ignorance when confronted, cleverly shifting the blame onto I-yeong's shoulders.
Elsewhere, Jae-il's fortune takes a nosedive – from overlooking a patient's breakfast to mistakenly presuming a patient's pregnancy. Soon, doctors shun assigning him tasks, leaving him in a state of frustration and despair.
Jae-il's blunder lands Nam-kyung, already swimming against the tide of overwork and living a nomadic existence within the hospital's confines, with the responsibility of caring for the patient he had mismanaged – a demanding woman who insisted on her dressings being changed four times a day at specific intervals.
Sa-bi finds herself in hot water when a patient lodges a complaint with her professor, accusing her of apathy and unsuitability for the profession. While Professor Kong reprimands her sternly, Professor Seo offers a different perspective, urging her to lean into her strengths. Driven by genuine concern, Sa-bi waits anxiously near the patient's room and, at a critical juncture, comes to her aid when she collapses. The patient, later apologizing, reveals she had been mourning the loss of one of her twins, leading to a heartfelt reconciliation between the two.
Pushed to her very limits, I-yeong was on the brink of escaping until a Code Blue echoed through the OB-GYN department, snapping her back to duty. Without hesitation, she dashed in to lend a helping hand and miraculously managed to save both a mother and her unborn child. Just as she was wrapping up her heroic efforts, Professor Seo entered the scene, acknowledging I-yeong's diligence while simultaneously scolding Dr. Myeong, who was supposed to be on standby.
Later, Do-won entrusted I-yeong with escorting a pregnant woman to another hospital branch. En route, the woman began experiencing abdominal pains, though fortunately, they proved harmless. Undeterred, I-yeong offered her unwavering support by holding her hand throughout the journey. Upon arrival, she crossed paths with Dr. Chu Min-ha, now a fourth-year resident and a recently married woman, who praised I-yeong warmly and entrusted her with an envelope intended for Do-won. Unbeknownst to I-yeong, Min-ha, suspecting her intentions to flee, had cleverly handed her an empty envelope as a pretext to keep her grounded.
Upon delivering the envelope, I-yeong found herself confronted by an anesthesiologist who had a dim view of her, influenced by Dr. Myeong's false accusations. However, Do-won stepped in to clarify the misunderstanding, and even Dr. Myeong conceded that the earlier "emergency surgery" had been a gross misconception on her part. Finally, I-yeong's name was cleared.
Elsewhere, Nam-kyung, similarly at her wits' end, hailed a taxi and bolted, only to return out of fear that her patient might have perished. Fortunately, the patient was alive and well, even apologizing for being overly demanding. The patient revealed that it was Professor Seo who had praised Nam-kyung's dressing skills, which explained her insistence on seeing her. The two subsequently reconciled.
The residents then persuaded a sulking Jae-il to return to the hospital. As they prepared to submit their nightly reports, they were pleasantly surprised to learn that they were excused from the task, thanks to Do-won's negotiation with Dr. Myeong to shield the residents.
The episode concludes with the residents finally exiting the hospital, just as they received their maiden paychecks, marking a bittersweet end to a challenging chapter.
