Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 73

“Kiya! My wife’s cooking skills are amazing.”

Lee Go-cheol, returning home, ate the dinner Phuong prepared with admiration.

“Especially this pho [Vietnamese noodle soup], it’s so delicious you could sell it right away. And this bulgogi [Korean marinated beef] is also fantastic.”

“Slow down. You’ll get indigestion. Eat slowly.”

“Hey, I’m someone who never even catches a cold. But you’re not in an easy condition, yet you worked hard to make food.”

“It’s not hard at all. It’s for my husband, why would it be hard? I enjoy it.”

“I was going to take you out to buy something delicious.”

“We’re going to be parents now. We need to save money.”

“Don’t worry about money, just relax with our Kkan-ddam [term of endearment for their unborn child]. I really enjoyed the meal after a long time.”

Lee Go-cheol, quickly finishing his rice, drank cool barley tea and handed Phuong the grapes he had washed.

“It’s Shine Muscat, which you like. They’re very sweet. Eat up.”

“Husband? Are you going?”

“Kkan-ddam, here she goes again.”

Lee Go-cheol stroked Phuong’s belly and put a grape in her mouth.

“How is it? Delicious, right? Incredibly sweet, right? The fruit shop owner gave it to me as a gift because you’re pregnant.”

“…….”

“What, what’s wrong! Why are you about to cry!”

Phuong didn’t even chew the grapes she liked so much and spat them out, looking like she was about to burst into tears.

“Husband, I’m so upset. You don’t keep your promises, you don’t listen to me, it’s too much.”

“No, no. It’s not that, it’s just that I think you’re worrying unnecessarily when you’re not in an easy condition.”

“Because I’m not in an easy condition, both you and I need to take care of our health.”

“I’m healthy, I’m telling you.”

Lee Go-cheol found it strange that Phuong was constantly nagging about health-related matters these days.

“I’m Superman. Superman doesn’t get sick.”

“What kind of Superman doesn’t keep his promises! Husband, you’re a liar.”

“Okay. I’ll go. Let’s go. I’ll go to the hospital.”

“Really?”

“Of course. Really.”

In the end, Lee Go-cheol surrendered. He didn’t want to keep worrying his wife, who wasn’t in an easy condition.

“But let me ask you one thing. Have you ever seen me catch a cold?”

“I haven’t.”

“Then why are you urging me to go to the hospital so much?”

“This! I don’t like this.”

Phuong pointed to Lee Go-cheol’s shoulder with her finger.

“Shoulder?”

“Yes. I keep worrying about your shoulder.”

* * *

“Teacher!”

Tae-kyung, coming out of the clinic, called out to someone standing at the main gate with delight.

“It’s been so long.”

“Dr. Kim, it’s been a while.”

The person who seemed as delighted as Tae-kyung was Lee Dong-hoon from the Department of Anesthesiology at Shinhwa University.

“I contacted you too urgently, right? I’m sorry.”

“What are you talking about? I’m not in clinic yet, so I have plenty of time.”

An hour ago, Lee Dong-hoon, who was supposed to meet next week, had contacted him urgently. He said his day off had been changed and asked if he could spare some time to go to the hospital. Tae-kyung, who couldn’t sleep after breakfast and was preparing for his clinic, happened to have time, so the two people’s meeting was arranged.

“Come this way.”

“Is this Dr. Kim’s office?”

“Yes. The hospital is more modest compared to Shinhwa University, right?”

“Modest? Not at all.”

Lee Dong-hoon waved his hand as he received the vitamin drink Tae-kyung handed him.

“Now that I’ve actually come, the hospital is quite large for a local hospital. More than that, the hospital is lively and the atmosphere is good?”

“Our hospital does have a good atmosphere.”

“Why do hospitals have their own unique atmosphere, but there’s no feeling of being down or anything like that.”

Lee Dong-hoon asked how Tae-kyung had been doing and how his new hospital life was.

And he brought up the real purpose of his visit.

“Dr. Kim. Have you thought about what I told you on the phone?”

“You’re talking about the professor position, right?”

“That’s right.”

“To be honest, I was a bit taken aback when I received a call from Dr. Lee. I wondered why all of a sudden now.”

“Why not? I would have thought the same thing if I were you. Did you see the KakaoTalk message I left after the call?”

After talking with Tae-kyung, Lee Dong-hoon left a message about the current situation at Shinhwa University Hospital.

“There are many people looking for you, not only existing patients but also new patients. Our medical staff also desperately need you.”

“There are many excellent doctors at Shinhwa University as well.”

“But there’s no doctor who has both outstanding skills and personality like you. Dr. Kim?”

Lee Dong-hoon paused for a moment while speaking and recalled what Director Lee had said.

‘If you can persuade Kim Tae-kyung to become a professor, I will take responsibility and give you the position of director of the branch hospital.’

For a moment, he hesitated whether to tell Tae-kyung that if he accepted the professor position, he could also become the director of the branch hospital.

If it were someone else, he wouldn’t know, but the other person was Tae-kyung. He had a feeling that if he told him this, he wouldn’t be able to easily refuse.

The director of the branch hospital, which is secretly a lucrative position, was a very attractive position, so Lee Dong-hoon was desperate.

“The director said that if Dr. Kim accepts the professor position, he will generously support even personal research funds every year.”

“Oh, really? That’s amazing.”

“Right? And between us, it’s a waste of your skills to be in a place like this.”

“…….”

“Let’s go. Dr. Kim. Huh? Still, Shinhwa University Hospital is number two among the major hospitals in Korea.”

“I know that Shinhwa University Hospital is a great hospital.”

“Except for New Hope Hospital above it, everything else is under Shinhwa University Hospital.”

Tae-kyung didn’t react much, so he couldn’t guess what he was thinking. Because of that, Lee Dong-hoon, who had become impatient, seemed to have made up his mind and started speaking in a serious atmosphere.

“And to be honest, I wasn’t going to say this, but actually…….”

After that, Lee Dong-hoon continued talking with Tae-kyung for a long time and got up from his seat.

“Dr. Kim, there’s no turning back on the decision you’ve made now, right?”

“Yes, there never has been, there isn’t now, and there never will be. I don’t know if I’ve given you a satisfactory answer.”

“It was worth coming here today, and to be honest, I’m very satisfied.”

“I’m glad.”

“I’ll be going. Don’t come out. Let’s have a drink next time.”

Lee Dong-hoon said goodbye to Tae-kyung with a more relieved expression than before and left the hospital.

Knock knock-

“Yes, come in.”

“Doctor, here’s the list of outpatient appointments for today that you requested.”

Tae-kyung, who hurried to prepare for his clinic after Lee Dong-hoon left, checked the list of appointments given by Nurse Lim Jeong-sook.

“There are quite a few appointments today.”

“Maybe. It seems like there are more than usual because the nearby stores are closed for regular holidays.”

“Then let’s start a little earlier today……!”

Tae-kyung’s expression turned cold in an instant as he inadvertently checked the list of appointments.

[Appointment: Lee Go-cheol]

Because there was a name on the list of appointments that was by no means welcome.

“Is Lee Go-cheol perhaps the husband of Phuong, that Vietnamese person?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

He had hoped it wasn’t, but it was. Tae-kyung, who still remembered the smell from that time, still often thought of Lee Go-cheol.

Moreover, he felt strange because he had run into Phuong in the hospital lobby a few days ago.

“When you think about it, you’re really amazing, Doctor. I’m always surprised when I see you remember so many patients in a day.”

“Doctor?”

He would usually joke around with Nurse Lim Jeong-sook’s words, but he couldn’t today.

“Do you know what’s wrong with Lee Go-cheol?”

Because after seeing the name ‘Lee Go-cheol’, dark clouds filled his head.

“Well. When Phuong made the appointment over the phone, Young-yi at the front desk asked her, but she just told her to make a clinic appointment.”

“Ah, I see…….”

Even though Phuong wasn’t fluent in Korean, there was no way she wouldn’t know the word ‘sick’. It was a somewhat ambiguous answer.

“When Lee Go-cheol comes, let him in regardless of the order of other patients. I’ll see him first.”

“Yes, I understand. Doctor, can I start the outpatient clinic then?”

“Okay. Let the patient in.”

“Okay.”

“Lee Ki-young, please come into the clinic.”

With worry and anxiety, Tae-kyung began his outpatient clinic.

* * *

“Honey? Which one do you like?”

“I don’t like any of them. We don’t need them.”

“Hey. Our Kkan-ddam is going to wear them, why don’t we need them.”

Lee Go-cheol, who was supposed to go to the hospital, was in the children’s section of the mart with Phuong.

“Sir, if you don’t like it, would you like me to show you something else?”

“No. It’s okay. My wife is sulking at me right now.”

“When you’re pregnant, it’s hard because of your emotions, so your husband should treat you better.”

“Yes, I should. Please give me both the pink and sky blue ones here.”

“Are you having twins?”

“No. It’s not that, it’s just that we don’t know the gender yet.”

“I see. Sometimes there are many people who buy both like you.”

He bought two adorable and cute baby shoes, but Phuong didn’t even look at them.

“I’ve included the receipt, have a healthy delivery and dress them up nicely.”

“Yes, thank you. Sell a lot. Honey? Honey?”

Lee Go-cheol approached Phuong, who was walking ahead with a very sullen expression.

“Why don’t you like them?”

“…….”

“Shall we go eat chicken, which you like?”

“No, thanks. You eat a lot.”

“Then let’s go see your clothes. Why, you said you had a dress you wanted to buy last time.”

“…….”

“Phuong? Are you angry?”

“I’m a little angry. I’m so upset that you don’t listen to me at all and don’t keep your promises.”

“I was going to go to the hospital now anyway.”

“Don’t lie again. I don’t believe my husband.”

“No, really. I was going to go shopping with you and then go to the hospital.”

It wasn’t a lie. Lee Go-cheol had been touring the local construction sites and had come home after a long time. He felt sorry that his wife had been at home all this time, so he was going to spend time with her and then go to the hospital.

“If we want to make our Kkan-ddam’s mom feel better, we need to go to the hospital quickly.”

“Okay. Let’s go quickly. The appointment time has already passed. Taxi?”

Only then did Phuong’s mood improve, and she approached the main street and caught a taxi.

* * *

“What’s on the right side now is a water cyst. You’ve heard of it a lot, right?”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“There’s one that’s 0.4mm, and if you look here, the border is very clear, and it seems like we only need to watch the progress for now.”

“Thank you.”

“You don’t have to worry too much, so let’s see you again in six months.”

“Yes, Doctor. Thank you for your hard work. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

From the beginning of the outpatient clinic today, patients kept coming in. Most doctors find outpatient clinics more difficult than surgery or the ward. That was similar for Tae-kyung as well.

Because having conversations with new people on new topics every time is more physically demanding than you think.

“Then is today’s appointment over? Ah!”

Tae-kyung, who had been buried in the outpatient clinic, finally thought of Phuong’s husband.

“I think the time has passed…….”

He had forgotten for a while because there were many patients to examine and many patients to diagnose today.

Click-

“Doctor?”

Tae-kyung, who thought it wouldn’t work because it was already past the appointment time, came out of the clinic and headed to the reception desk.

“Did Phuong or her husband contact you? It’s past the appointment time.”

“I got a call a little while ago, and they said they’re going to be a little late.”

“I’ll go to the ward, so if they come in the meantime, please call me right away.”

“Doctor, is Lee Go-cheol special to you?”

Tae-kyung was a doctor who took good care of his patients and was more sincere than anyone else in his patients’ affairs. Nurse Lim Jeong-sook knew that well, but somehow today was a little different.

It was strange how persistently he was asking about Lee Go-cheol’s patient.

“If he’s special, he’s special. No, I hope he doesn’t become special.”

“Yes?”

“It’s nothing. I’m going to the ward.”

“Hello. Director.”

“Yes, hello.”

He smiled and greeted the patient he met while going up the stairs to the ward, but Tae-kyung’s eyes were not smiling.

‘I and my husband are going to be a mom and dad. I’m pregnant.’

Phuong’s words that she had become a parent came to mind, and Tae-kyung was increasingly reminded of Lee Go-cheol and the smell of that day.

‘At that time, the fifth vital sign was…….’

“Doctor, your patient has arrived.”

Nurse Lim Jeong-sook announced Lee Go-cheol’s arrival, but Tae-kyung’s body was already heading back to the first floor.