Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 169

Fifth Vital Sign – Episode 169

169. Exactly That Expression

Tae-kyung entered the recovery room where Dong-hoon was.

“Professor, are you in a lot of pain?”

“Don’t even mention it.”

Lee Dong-hoon squeezed his eyes shut, a look of utter exhaustion on his face.

“I used to tell patients who were waking up from surgery and asking for narcotic painkillers that they were overreacting. But now that I’ve got a drip of the stuff, it still hurts like hell. I’m never going to say anything like that again, even jokingly. This is no joke.”

“Of course. You had your abdomen opened up; it’s bound to hurt.”

“I guess so. Well, that’s true. Doctor Kim…”

Lee Dong-hoon stopped mid-sentence and looked up at Tae-kyung’s face. His instincts as a doctor told him something was wrong.

“Yes, Professor?”

“My condition isn’t good, is it?”

Having just come out of surgery, Lee Dong-hoon’s voice lacked strength.

“I’m a doctor too. Just tell me honestly… please.”

“Yes. There was a tumor in your small intestine, and it doesn’t look good.”

The phrase ‘doesn’t look good’ was a euphemism to hint at the severity of his condition.

“‘Doesn’t look good,’ huh? So, that’s where the bleeding came from?”

“Yes.”

“Then it probably spread into the abdominal cavity?”

“There’s a high probability.”

“…”

Having heard those words, Lee Dong-hoon closed his mouth and shut his eyes for a moment. He seemed deeply troubled.

How could he not be? No one who hasn’t experienced that stifling, dizzying feeling could ever understand.

“Professor, the pathology results aren’t out yet, so we don’t know for sure.”

“That’s true. How big was it?”

“About 8cm.”

“Wow, that’s big… I see.”

“Professor, first of all, you really went through a lot, having surgery so suddenly in the early morning.”

“No, you’re the one who went through a lot, Doctor Kim. Thank you so much.”

“You’ve only just woken up, so you must be exhausted. Just focus on recovering for now, and I’ll come see you again in the ward.”

“Hey… Doctor Kim, or rather, Tae-kyung?”

Lee Dong-hoon, who had never once called Tae-kyung by his first name, suddenly used it.

“Yes, Professor?”

“Let’s drop the formalities. You’re going to be my primary doctor, so we’ll be seeing each other often. It’s going to be uncomfortable. Call me ‘hyung’ [older brother or senior male figure, a term of endearment and respect].”

“Yes? Professor, I don’t know about that…”

“It’s okay. I’m not a professor at Shinhwa University anymore anyway.”

“Excuse me?”

Tae-kyung was shocked by the unexpected news.

“What are you talking about?”

“That’s what happened. Anyway, when we meet in the ward, you’ll call me ‘hyung’.”

“Yes. Please get some rest today.”

“Thanks for your hard work. Thank you.”

Perhaps because the exact pathology results weren’t out yet, Lee Dong-hoon seemed calmer than expected.

“Hello, Doctor Gu?”

Tae-kyung quickly made a phone call as he left the recovery room.

-D, Doctor Kim Tae-kyung?

The person on the other end of the line sounded quite surprised.

“Hey, it’s Kim Tae-kyung. It’s been a while, Doctor Gu.”

The person Tae-kyung called was a junior doctor he used to work with at Shinhwa University Hospital. He felt sorry for contacting him so suddenly without any prior notice, but he couldn’t resist his curiosity about Lee Dong-hoon’s resignation.

“How have you been?”

-Me? Always the same, I guess. How have you been, Doctor?

“I’m doing well, of course.”

-I heard you were doing well. I should have contacted you…

Although it was sudden, the junior doctor who received the call seemed genuinely happy and asked how he was doing.

“No, it’s okay. I haven’t been in touch either. I’m sorry to call you so early in the morning, but do you have time to talk for a bit? Are you busy?”

-No, it’s already daylight. And I’m on duty today, just finishing up with a patient, so it’s fine.

“It’s nothing much, but did Anesthesiology Professor Lee Dong-hoon resign?”

-Doctor, did you hear about that too?

“I heard it indirectly, but I was curious, so I called to ask.”

-But it’s kind of funny. Actually, it’s not like he resigned on his own; he couldn’t stand the pressure, so he quit.”

“Couldn’t stand the pressure? What does that mean?”

-It’s related to you, Doctor…

“To me?”

Tae-kyung had no idea what it meant that Lee Dong-hoon’s resignation was related to him.

-Yes. Don’t you know the details?

“No.”

-I don’t know if I should be telling you this.

“If it involves me, I need to know more. Tell me quickly.”

-Well, since you and Professor Lee are close, I guess the director asked him a favor.”

After that, the junior doctor explained in detail the background behind Lee Dong-hoon’s resignation.

He was about to mention the offer of the branch hospital director position that Lee Dong-hoon received on the day he came to persuade Tae-kyung, but he never did.

Tae-kyung was hearing for the first time that Go Gye-deuk had requested all of this.

“Doctor Gu, thank you. Okay, take care.”

Hanging up the phone, Tae-kyung felt sorry for Lee Dong-hoon. He wondered if he had caused him to leave the hospital where he had been working so diligently.

‘How can a person only pick the most petty things to do?’

He knew Go Gye-deuk was petty, but he was speechless and dumbfounded that a person could be so childish and foolish.

Tae-kyung’s heart and footsteps felt heavy as he headed to his office.

* * *

A restaurant in Seoul.

Early in the morning, the restaurant was bustling with people preparing for the lunch rush.

“I’m a bit late.”

A middle-aged woman entered with a bright smile, greeting the staff.

“It’s not every day the boss is late. The sun must be rising in the west today.”

“I was waiting to see my husband’s face before coming to work, so I was late.”

“Why? Where did he go?”

“My husband went fishing.”

“Isn’t he busy with hospital work?”

“He loves fishing so much, but he couldn’t go because of his hospital work. But he said he was going on vacation, so I let him go, and he hasn’t come back by morning.”

“They say people who like fishing don’t even realize how time flies.”

“Exactly. I don’t know what’s so fun about it.”

“Boss, you have a phone call.”

“Okay.”

Kim Soon-jung, who was preparing vegetables, wiped the water from her hands at the employee’s call and left the kitchen.

“She can’t help but be a noblewoman.”

Seeing her husband’s name, ‘Lee Dong-hoon,’ on her phone screen, Kim Soon-jung wiped her hands on her apron and answered the phone brightly.

“Why aren’t you back yet?”

-Honey, I’m still at the fishing spot.

“I knew it. Did you catch a lot of fish?”

-No, the fish aren’t biting today.

Lee Dong-hoon, wondering whether to tell his wife that he was in the hospital, decided not to reveal the truth.

He was planning to wait a day or two more, at least until the pathology results came out.

“What? Nothing new. I’ve made your favorite mackerel and soybean paste stew. When are you coming back?”

-Honey, I don’t think I can come back today?

“What do you mean you can’t come back?”

-I was thinking of staying a few more days.

“Wait a minute!”

They had been married for decades, sharing the same blanket. She sensed that something was wrong with her husband.

“But why does your voice sound like that?”

Kim Soon-jung was more concerned about Lee Dong-hoon’s strange voice from the beginning of the call than his words about not being able to come home.

-What’s wrong with my voice? I’m just tired from staying up all night fishing for the first time in a while…

Just as Lee Dong-hoon was trying to make excuses,

-Lee Dong-hoon, are you feeling uncomfortable?

A nurse who came to check on the room called out his name, and Lee Dong-hoon quickly turned off his phone in a panic, but it was too late.

Kim Soon-jung had already clearly heard those words.

“Honey!”

Realizing that the call had been disconnected, Kim Soon-jung’s expression quickly turned sour as she pressed the call button again.

-Oh, honey. Sorry. I accidentally pressed it.

“Where are you right now?”

-Where else would I be? I’m at the fishing spot.

“Don’t even think about lying. I heard everything.”

-What did you hear?

“Should we do a video call? Or should I go to Shinhwa University Hospital right now and ask? Are you hurt somewhere?”

-…

“Honey! Answer me. Am I going there now?”

-Soon-jung, I’m in the hospital right now.

Judging that he couldn’t hide it any longer, Lee Dong-hoon decided to tell the truth.

“I’m coming there now. Where? Our hospital? Okay. Wait a little bit.”

Hanging up the phone, Kim Soon-jung took off her apron and grabbed her bag.

“Manager, I’m sorry, but I have to go out. I don’t think I can come to the restaurant today.”

“Don’t worry about the work here; go ahead and take care of things.”

“Please.”

Kim Soon-jung hurried out of the restaurant.

* * *

“Doctor?”

“Yes.”

Nurse Lim Jung-sook approached Tae-kyung, who was coming down from the ward after finishing his rounds.

“Is it an emergency patient?”

“No, it’s not that, but Lee Dong-hoon’s guardian has arrived and wants to see you.”

“Okay. Where are they now?”

“I’ve guided them to your office.”

Hearing that Lee Dong-hoon’s guardian had arrived, Tae-kyung headed straight to his office.

Click-

“Hello.”

“Hello, Lee Dong-hoon’s patient… Oh!”

Kim Soon-jung, who had jumped up from her seat at the greeting, paused as she saw Tae-kyung’s face.

“You’re Doctor Kim Tae-kyung, right?”

“Do you, by any chance, remember me?”

“Of course.”

Kim Soon-jung remembered Tae-kyung’s face, whom Lee Dong-hoon had brought to the restaurant a few times, saying he was a close junior colleague.

“My husband still talks about you occasionally these days.”

“Is that so? Please have a seat, guardian.”

“I came straight here after getting the call from the restaurant, only taking what I needed. Doctor, what happened to my husband?”

Kim Soon-jung stopped by Tae-kyung’s office first before going to see Lee Dong-hoon in the ward.

“He had surgery.”

“…Surgery? A person who was at the fishing spot had surgery? What kind of surgery?”

“He collapsed at the fishing spot in the early morning and called 119 [emergency services number in South Korea] himself to come to our hospital. After that, we conducted tests.”

Tae-kyung calmly told Kim Soon-jung about the events of the night. He also explained the progress of the surgery in detail.

“The surgery went well, but the detailed results will be out in a few days.”

“Oh my goodness!”

Having heard the entire explanation, Kim Soon-jung lowered her head, unable to continue speaking after leaving those brief words.

“Guardian? Are you… were you very surprised?”

Tae-kyung quickly changed his words, about to say, ‘Are you okay?’

He knew that those words would be useless to the guardian in that situation.

How could she be okay when her husband had collapsed and had surgery overnight?

It was normal not to be okay. Tae-kyung decided to say something helpful instead of offering clumsy comfort.

“It must be very difficult right now, but from now on, you, as the guardian, need to give him a lot of strength from the side.”

“Of course.”

Kim Soon-jung, who had been looking down, suddenly raised her head and answered.

“I suddenly got so surprised that I needed some time to calm down. Whew!”

Fortunately, Kim Soon-jung, whom he thought might be crying, was not crying and seemed better than he had expected.

“I know very well that the role of family is important, especially at times like this.”

Come to think of it, when he first saw Kim Soon-jung at the restaurant, he had the impression that the couple resembled each other, as she was bright and cheerful, like a female Lee Dong-hoon.

Tae-kyung suddenly remembered what he had heard in the early morning.

‘My wife is outwardly cheerful and bright, but she’s secretly very sensitive. If she finds out about this, she’ll be upset all by herself. That’s why I’m going to tell her in a few days.’

He was concerned that Kim Soon-jung might be trying to act calm because of Lee Dong-hoon’s words and the couple’s similar personalities.

“If you need any help or have any questions, please tell me anytime.”

“By the way, Doctor. These days, cancer is often cured, right? I know how good medical technology is in our country. People say that things happen according to what you believe. My husband will definitely overcome this.”

“I will help you well from the side.”

“It’s reassuring to hear you say that, Doctor, since you’re the doctor my husband trusts. When a patient is sick, the only person the patient and the guardian can rely on and trust is the attending physician.”

Kim Soon-jung pressed down on their clasped hands and continued to speak calmly and cheerfully.

Seeing that, Tae-kyung could tell that Kim Soon-jung was trying to act cheerful.

The tissue she had been handed earlier was torn to shreds in her clasped hands. Perhaps that was what her heart was like right now.

“Oh dear, I’ve been talking for too long. What I really want to say to you, Doctor, is please take good care of my husband.”

“Of course. I will do my best.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Kim Soon-jung bowed and came out, then suddenly looked around.

“Excuse me?”

Then she called out to Team Leader Choi, who was passing by in the hallway.

“I’m sorry, but where is the restroom here?”

“The restroom is right over there.”

“Oh dear, it’s right there. I didn’t know because I was so out of it.”

She hadn’t noticed the restroom that was right nearby because she was so distracted.

“Thank you.”

Kim Soon-jung entered the innermost stall of the restroom and sat on the toilet, bursting into tears that she had been holding back. No matter how bright and cheerful she was, she couldn’t be okay with her husband’s sudden illness.

“Sob! Sob!”

She felt so sorry and pitiful for her only husband.

He had studied hard to become a doctor, devoted his youth to working at a university hospital, and even supported their children.

Just when he was about to become a little more comfortable, he said he was sick, and her heart was so upset that she couldn’t bear it.

He had diligently taken care of his health, saying that doctors should take care of their health in order to take care of patients. So, Kim Soon-jung found it hard to believe the situation Lee Dong-hoon was in.

“Haa!”

After crying for a while, Kim Soon-jung washed her face several times with cold water at the sink, waiting for her bloodshot eyes to return to normal.

“Okay, exactly that expression. Let’s only show him good things.”

Then, after practicing a smiling face while looking in the mirror, she headed to the ward where Lee Dong-hoon was.