Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 225

Five Vital Signs – Episode 225 (225/502)

225. Desertion

A little while ago…

First Lieutenant Choi Tae-shik, the officer of the day, was patrolling the unit.

Usually, the officer or assistant officer of the day would make rounds and receive reports, but Choi Tae-shik patrolled separately even after receiving the reports.

“Salute.”

“Yes. Good work.”

“It’s nothing.”

Choi Tae-shik, after encouraging the soldier on night duty, walked down the hallway of the living quarters and happened to see Kim Seong-hoon heading to the restroom.

Up until this point, Choi Tae-shik thought nothing of it, considering it a common sight in the military for someone to go to the restroom at night.

He was about to leave after patrolling the area when he saw another soldier coming out, but he didn’t see Kim Seong-hoon, who had gone in earlier.

Of course, he hadn’t been standing guard in front of the restroom the whole time, so it was possible that Kim Seong-hoon had gone in before.

“Salute.”

“Take it easy. Did the soldier who went into the restroom a while ago come back out?”

He asked the soldier who was on night duty nearby.

“No, sir. I don’t think he’s come back in yet.”

“Is that so? Understood.”

After talking to the soldier, Choi Tae-shik quietly walked towards the restroom.

It was too early to jump to conclusions, but he had a bad feeling.

The military is a place where unpredictable things can happen if you let your guard down for even a moment, no matter how careful you are.

Moreover, many people say that the military these days is better and more comfortable.

Of course, it’s true that the military in the old days had longer terms and was more difficult than it is now.

The military of our fathers’ generation had almost hereditary violence and bullying, so their hardships must have been indescribable.

However, that doesn’t mean that the military is easy these days.

Especially for the soldiers who directly enlisted, the idea that the military is comfortable doesn’t register at all.

At a young age, they enlisted to defend the country and had to entrust themselves to discipline, contrary to the life of freedom they had enjoyed. Also, living together with soldiers gathered from all over the country was not as easy as one might think.

No matter how well the superiors and high-ranking officers managed the soldiers, it was difficult to know all the grievances of so many people.

So, they had to be careful and pay attention to the soldiers as much as possible to prevent major incidents from happening.

“…….”

Choi Tae-shik, who had walked to the front of the restroom door, minimized all his movements and listened carefully.

He heard a rustling sound from inside the restroom, which had been quiet. Hearing that sound, Choi Tae-shik very carefully moved towards the sound, making sure his footsteps were as quiet as possible.

“Sniffle!”

Then, he heard someone crying.

‘Who’s crying?’

It was definitely the sound of crying.

Knock knock-

“Who’s in there? Hey!”

Knock knock-

“……!”

Kim Seong-hoon, who had been holding a sharp razor blade to his left wrist, was startled by the unexpected presence.

“This is First Lieutenant Choi Tae-shik, the officer of the day. Who’s in there? Hey! Who is it?”

“Private Kim Seong-hoon, sir.”

“What are you doing in there right now?”

“I-I was taking care of business, sir.”

“Taking care of business?”

“Yes, sir.”

A flustered Kim Seong-hoon was panicking inside.

“I didn’t hear any sound?”

“W-Well, I haven’t been able to go yet…….”

“Private Kim?”

“Private, Kim Seong-hoon!”

“Open the door.”

“I haven’t finished my business yet.”

“If you haven’t been able to go yet, that means you can’t go. I understand, so open the door first.”

“…….”

“Hurry!”

“Yes, sir. I understand.”

Panicked, Kim Seong-hoon flushed the toilet and threw the razor blade into the toilet bowl. Then, he folded the paper on which he had written his suicide note and slipped it back into his clothes.

Kim Seong-hoon, who had been about to die just five minutes ago, decided to postpone his actions for a while.

‘Please, don’t let me get caught!’

No, right now, he just hoped that Choi Tae-shik wouldn’t find out that he had been trying to kill himself.

If he got caught here, the two devilish guys in the living quarters, as well as the entire unit, would find out. And soon, he would be branded as a soldier of concern [a soldier requiring special attention due to potential mental health issues]. The thought alone was terrifying.

“What are you doing! Why aren’t you opening it quickly?”

“Yes, Captain. I’ll open it right away.”

Clang-

“Private Kim Seong-hoon.”

“Right. Why were you in the restroom for so long?”

“I came to relieve myself after waking up from sleep.”

“Come this way.”

As Kim Seong-hoon came outside, Choi Tae-shik went into the restroom stall and opened the toilet lid, checking behind the toilet.

It was just in case. Just in case, even if it was a long shot, he wondered if Kim Seong-hoon had been thinking bad thoughts.

Of course, Choi Tae-shik didn’t know the circumstances, but as a first lieutenant who had been in various units and experienced all sorts of things, he had developed a habit of checking more thoroughly.

“Private Kim?”

“Private Kim Seong-hoon.”

“Are you okay?”

Choi Tae-shik looked closely at Kim Seong-hoon’s face. His eyes were red and bloodshot, and the tears around them clearly showed that he had been crying.

“……Yes? I-I’m okay, sir.”

“Are you in pain?”

“…….”

Kim Seong-hoon was even more surprised by the unexpected question before his shock at Choi Tae-shik’s sudden appearance had subsided.

He had said he came to relieve himself, but he had never said he was in pain.

In fact, Choi Tae-shik had learned about Kim Seong-hoon’s pain this morning.

Yesterday, when he met his younger sister and briefly stopped by the unit to pick up his phone, he saw Kim Seong-hoon’s complexion and went to the medical office.

He was especially concerned because it was a private’s matter. If it had been a soldier of a different rank, he might have just passed it by, but Choi Tae-shik always paid more attention to the affairs of privates.

Because they were new recruits still adjusting to the military.

“I saw that you’ve been visiting the medical office quite often, so I was wondering if you were okay.”

“……I’m okay, sir.”

“Private Kim?”

“Private Kim Seong-hoon.”

“Is there anything bothering you?”

“……!”

It was the first time. After being assigned to the unit, it was the first time he had heard someone ask if he was having a hard time.

Tears that he had been holding back unknowingly fell.

In this short moment, Kim Seong-hoon frantically debated whether to tell about the ugly bullying he was experiencing.

“Feel free to talk if you’re having a hard time.”

“No, sir. There’s nothing.”

But Kim Seong-hoon eventually decided not to open his mouth. Because he couldn’t easily trust anyone in the military.

‘Hey, you son of a bitch. And remember one thing for sure.’

Also, what Go Cheol-soo had always said was automatically brainwashed into his head.

‘If you ever talk about me and Byeong-deok, just think of it as your death anniversary. Even after I’m discharged, I’ll chase you to the end of the earth and harass you.’

Hearing those words, probably no one would be able to speak easily. And even if he grabbed First Lieutenant Choi Tae-shik right now and told him, he didn’t think anything would change much.

“But why are you crying? Are you really okay?”

“Yes, I’m…….”

Kim Seong-hoon, who was answering, suddenly closed his mouth. He couldn’t bring himself to say that he was being bullied, but he thought he could say something else.

“Why? If you have something to say, say it.”

In fact, the biggest reason was that he didn’t want to go back to the living quarters.

It was because the medical officer was on vacation starting today, so he had the hope that he might be able to go outside the unit, even if it was a long shot.

If that really happened, Kim Seong-hoon was planning to desert at the first opportunity.

“Captain, I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“I… I’m actually not feeling well.”

Kim Seong-hoon said desperately, even showing tears. But up until this point, Kim Seong-hoon, who had spontaneously thought of deserting, didn’t know how bad his condition was or what would happen in the future.

“Where does it hurt?”

“My stomach has been hurting for two weeks. And I haven’t been able to pass stool or urine. I’ve been going to the medical office…….”

“Follow me!”

After listening to Kim Seong-hoon’s explanation, Choi Tae-shik went back to the living quarters and quietly woke up the squad leader who was sleeping.

“I’m going to take Private Kim to an outside hospital, so be aware of that.”

“Yes, sir. Captain, please be careful.”

“Okay.”

Choi Tae-shik quickly reported to the commander because the medical officer was on vacation, and after urgently receiving the procedure, he decided to take him to a civilian hospital.

After quickly finishing the report and before leaving, he called his younger sister, Choi Mona, but when he couldn’t get through, he headed straight to the hospital.

He wondered if he should go to another hospital, but since it was a similar distance, he thought it would be better to go to the hospital where his sister was.

The vehicle carrying the two sped down the dark road and arrived at Our Hospital.

“Private Kim? What are you doing?”

“Oh, no, sir.”

Kim Seong-hoon, who had been looking around, flinched and replied when Choi Tae-shik called him.

“Let’s go in quickly.”

“Yes, sir. I understand.”

Choi Tae-shik led Kim Seong-hoon inside the hospital while calling Choi Mona, but he still only heard the ringing tone.

“Welcome.”

“Thank you for your hard work. I’m here for an emergency room visit. Excuse me, but I’m an acquaintance of Dr. Choi Mona. Is she in consultation?”

“Just a moment. She’s currently seeing a patient in the ward. Would you like to register?”

“Yes, please register.”

“Okay, where does it hurt?”

“It’s not me, it’s my soldier who’s sick. Private Kim?”

“Private Kim Seong-hoon.”

“Tell the doctor here about your symptoms.”

“Yes, sir. I understand.”

Kim Seong-hoon and Choi Tae-shik finished registering and headed to the emergency room.

* * *

Examination Room-

“This isn’t going to be easy?”

Tae-kyung was in the examination room with Ui-jin, looking at the monitor with a serious expression.

“Ui-jin, what do you think?”

His gaze, moving the mouse and scanning the monitor, did not stop.

“Hmm. It won’t be easy?”

“I think so too. It won’t be easy? How about this left side? Is this okay?”

“Well, it’s not bad… I actually think the right side is okay too?”

“Really? That’s right… I think so too after hearing that.”

The two had come out of the operating room 30 minutes ago. Ui-jin was deep in thought with his arms crossed, and Tae-kyung was also scratching his head and pondering.

From the outside, it seemed as if they were exchanging opinions on the results of a seriously ill patient.

“What if we just do this one and this one together?”

“I’m thinking the left one and the one below it?”

A rare sight of disagreement between the two, who always had the same opinion, was unfolding right then.

“Are you two still doing this?”

Nurse Im Jeong-sook, who opened the slightly ajar door and entered the examination room, said with a dumbfounded expression.

“No! What kind of chicken menu are you still choosing? Huh?”

That’s right. Tae-kyung and Ui-jin were choosing the chicken they would eat for a late-night snack. They had been in this state since right after coming out of the operating room.

“It’s all because of you, Doctor.”

“What are you talking about? It’s because Doctor Jeong can’t make a decision.”

“Both of you, stop it!! You’re analyzing the chicken menu like patient data. I’ll just do half and half, seasoned [Korean seasoned chicken] and fried. No complaints, right?”

“Of course, chicken is half and half.”

“Of course. Soo-ssam, let’s go together.”

Clang-

The two, who had been seriously choosing the menu, finished the late-night snack commotion with Im Jeong-sook’s words, feeling absurdly sympathetic.

“Chicken makes me want beer.”

Rrrrrrrrr

Tae-kyung, who was looking at patient data on the monitor while thinking about the chicken that would be delivered, answered the phone ringing on his desk.

“Yes.”

-Director, this is the emergency room. There’s a 57-year-old man waiting for surgery in the surgery department. He says he’s in pain.

“First, give him the Tylenol IV injection. If he continues to be in pain, let me know.”

-Yes, I understand.

“Wait a minute?”

Tae-kyung, who was about to hang up, called the nurse again.

-Yes, Director.

“I’m looking at the emergency room patient medical records now, and there’s a 21-year-old man who came in with abdominal pain. Have you triaged the patient?”

-Yes, we just did. He’s a soldier. He came with a cadre [military officer] as a guardian.

“Okay. No special notes?”

-Yes, he just says his stomach hurts. But he doesn’t seem to be in that much pain from the outside, but he says it’s been about two weeks. And…….”

That’s when the nurse’s explanation continued for a while.

“He said he hasn’t been able to pass stool or urine for a little over a day.”

“What?!”

Tae-kyung’s pupils dilated greatly at the sound, and he suddenly spoke loudly over the receiver.

“Did you just say he hasn’t been able to urinate?”