Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 465

The Fifth Vital – Episode 466 (465/502)

466. The Problem Isn’t the Examination

Along with saying his stomach hurt, Lee Deok-hyun had something more to say.

“Come…”

Lee Deok-hyun continued to speak, but Tae-kyung couldn’t hear him well this time either.

Inevitably, he brought his ear closer to Lee Deok-hyun’s mouth.

“Come… closer.”

Then, Lee Deok-hyun’s request to come closer was audible.

“Save… me.”

Tae-kyung could finally hear what Lee Deok-hyun was saying. It was definitely a faint voice, but he was clearly asking to be saved.

If the group of gangsters hadn’t followed, it would have been hard to believe that Lee Deok-hyun was their boss; he seemed so calm and polite.

Tae-kyung figured it was probably because he was in a lot of pain and had no energy.

It was one of those moments when the saying that nothing matters more than health felt especially true.

“Doctor, please… save me.”

Tae-kyung lifted his head and looked at Lee Deok-hyun’s face.

Along with the tone of someone who sincerely and desperately wanted to live, his eyes were also full of the same desire.

It felt as if the patient’s desperate will to survive was palpable.

What’s needed in times like these is comfort. Tae-kyung knew very well that a doctor’s reassuring words could be incredibly comforting.

“We, the medical team, will do our best.”

He grabbed Lee Deok-hyun’s hand, offered those words, and was about to naturally pull his hand away when it happened.

“……!”

He felt a slight pressure in his hand at that moment.

It wasn’t Tae-kyung who applied the pressure. The weak force transmitted to his hand was from Lee Deok-hyun.

Once again, he made eye contact with the patient, and an even more desperate and anxious look met his gaze.

It might be considered excessive interference with the patient, but it seemed like he had something he urgently wanted to say.

Just as Tae-kyung was about to lean in closer to Lee Deok-hyun with that thought.

“Hey, Director!”

At that moment, Gu Dae-chun grabbed Tae-kyung’s shoulder as he was heading towards Lee Deok-hyun.

“It’s not like you’re playing games, why is the doctor so chatty?”

Gu Dae-chun didn’t like Tae-kyung communicating with the patient and expressed his displeasure, telling him to hurry up and examine him.

“Stop with the pointless conversation and let’s get our boss examined quickly, he’s having a hard time. Boss? Is there anything uncomfortable?”

Gu Dae-chun, who was addressing Tae-kyung, then asked Lee Deok-hyun, who replied that he was okay with a slight hand gesture.

“Do you perhaps have something you want to say? It seems like these doctors can’t understand words well, should I convey it for you?”

“It’s okay.”

When Gu Dae-chun asked again, this time Lee Deok-hyun made his intentions clear.

“If there’s anything uncomfortable, please feel free to tell me anytime.”

Tae-kyung, who was watching the scene, patted the back of Lee Deok-hyun’s hand with a warm gaze to reassure the patient.

“Patient, first, I’m going to press on your stomach to see where it hurts. Bend your legs slightly.”

“Hey! Director. Take care of our boss. He’s a precious person.”

Gu Dae-chun added, his tone suggesting that he was emphasizing the importance of their boss.

Tae-kyung focused on the patient and began examining Lee Deok-hyun’s abdomen.

“Patient, I’ll press on your upper abdomen first, where it shouldn’t hurt. How is it here right now? Does it hurt?”

Lee Deok-hyun shook his head at Tae-kyung’s question.

“I’ll press down here. How about here? Does it hurt?”

This time, Lee Deok-hyun’s reaction was the same. He didn’t show any signs of pain.

“Okay, then, I’ll press on your lower abdomen.”

“Ugh! It hurts there.”

When Tae-kyung pressed on his lower abdomen, Lee Deok-hyun, who hadn’t reacted until now, clearly expressed that it hurt.

“Patient, is it your right side? Or does your left side hurt?”

“I’m not sure.”

Judging from his frowning face and reaction to the pain, it was clear that Lee Deok-hyun’s abdomen hurt. But he didn’t seem to know exactly whether it was the left or right side.

“Then, I’ll check which side it is. I’m going to press on your lower left abdomen, how is it right now?”

“Ah! It hurts there.”

When he pressed on the side where Lee Deok-hyun said it hurt earlier, the reaction was clear.

“And what color was the bloody stool? Do you remember?”

“That was… red.”

After hearing that, Tae-kyung decided to examine the patient’s anus first. This was because bright red blood could indicate a disease in the anus causing the bleeding.

“Patient, I’m going to do some tests now.”

Tae-kyung, who leaned closer so that Lee Deok-hyun could hear him well, raised his head and addressed the three gangsters.

Judging from the patient’s current condition, there was a high probability that he would have to do not only an anal examination but also other additional tests. However, if non-medical personnel continued to be in the treatment room, it would disrupt the flow and the examination could not be carried out smoothly.

In fact, even in a critical situation, it didn’t make sense for the patient’s guardians to be in the treatment room.

Tae-kyung thought that he should make it clear to them now, before starting the examination.

“From now on, we will be conducting an examination of the patient Lee Deok-hyun. But, before that, I would like the three of you to leave the treatment room.”

“What?!”

As expected, Gu Dae-chun frowned and retorted.

“Leave?”

“Yes, please cooperate for the examination.”

“Why are you suddenly telling us to leave when we’ve been quiet all this time! How can we trust you when there are so many quacks who aren’t even real doctors these days?”

Gu Dae-chun continued, his eyes sharp, as if he might lash out at any moment.

“Director, what if you misdiagnose our boss, and you’re telling us to leave. Huh!”

“Enough, get out!”

At that moment, Tae-kyung glared straight into Gu Dae-chun’s eyes and raised his voice.

The polite demeanor he usually showed when treating patients was gone.

Gu Dae-chun seemed momentarily taken aback by Tae-kyung’s sudden change, but soon laughed in disbelief as if he was dumbfounded.

“Ha! Look at this! Hey? Director, what do you think I am?”

“I don’t know what you are, but get out now if you want to save the patient.”

Whether they were gangsters or whatever, Tae-kyung didn’t care about any of that right now.

Finding the cause of this deathly smell that was assaulting his nostrils and making his eyes water was more important.

He didn’t want to argue any longer with these people who had even forgotten basic etiquette.

“You’ve been saying ‘our boss, our boss’ since earlier, do you really want to save the patient Lee Deok-hyun?”

“……!”

At Tae-kyung’s words, a look of surprise flashed across Gu Dae-chun’s eyes for a split second.

“What! Guys, what is this director saying? Hey! Doctor, what nonsense are you talking about? Of course, we have to save our boss.”

Gu Dae-chun was furious at Tae-kyung’s insinuation.

“So get out of the treatment room right now and take your subordinates to the waiting room like other guardians. If you keep stubbornly staying here like this, we can’t do the examination. If you stay like this, the patient could be in danger. So get out now!!”

Tae-kyung shouted at Gu Dae-chun, who was bigger than him, without flinching at all.

He was scared of gangsters, but at this moment, they weren’t scarier than the dying patient.

Honestly, he had nothing to fear when he thought there was a patient in front of him emitting the smell of death.

“This, really!”

“Hyung-nim [term of respect for an older male]?”

The treatment room door opened just as Gu Dae-chun was about to reach out to Tae-kyung, and one of the subordinates who had been waiting outside came in.

“Jong-gu hyung-nim called.”

He said cautiously, looking at them, explaining that he had received a call.

“What! Jong-gu hyung-nim?”

“Yes, he said that hyung-nim’s phone wasn’t working and he was worried about what happened to the boss, so he asked us to contact him immediately.”

“Hyung-nim!”

Kim Min-kyo, a subordinate who had been silently standing with Gu Dae-chun, stopped him and stepped forward.

Unlike Gu Dae-chun, who was crude, dismissive, and quick with his fists, he seemed different.

Judging from the black suit and the tattoo on the back of his hand, he was definitely one of them, but he seemed like someone who at least had some basic manners.

“Why don’t you take the call from Jong-gu hyung-nim first? I’ll talk to the doctor here, so please take the call first.”

Gu Dae-chun seemed to consider his words as he spoke calmly.

“Should I?”

“Yes, it’s Jong-gu hyung-nim, after all. Jong-gu hyung-nim is also worried about the boss as much as you are, so I think it would be good for you to talk to him.”

“Well, I can rest assured if you’re here, Min-kyo.”

“So leave it to me and go.”

Judging from the fact that Kim Min-kyo kept emphasizing the name of a person named Jong-gu, he seemed to be quite an important person to them.

“Okay. I’ll go make a call.”

“Yes, please go.”

When Gu Dae-chun left, Kim Min-kyo’s gaze turned to the remaining subordinate who was with him.

“Gun-shik, you go out too.”

“Yes? Me too, hyung-nim?”

“Yes, the second hyung-nim [another term of respect, implying a higher rank] must be in a bad mood because of the boss, so stay by his side so he can have a cigarette after the call. Take the kids and go out.”

“Ah! Yes, hyung-nim. I understand what you mean.”

Squeak-

As Gu Dae-chun and then the other subordinate left, the faces of the medical staff, who had been tense, were somewhat relieved.

“I’m sorry!”

And as soon as the last subordinate left, Kim Min-kyo suddenly bowed his head and apologized to Tae-kyung and the medical staff.

“……Nim [honorific suffix].”

“Director……”

“Director!”

At that moment, Kim Min-kyo and the medical staff called out to Tae-kyung, who was blankly staring, but there was no response.

“Director!!”

Nurse Lim Jeong-sook called out again with all her might, and only then did Tae-kyung snap out of it.

“Director, are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m okay.”

“Doctor?.”

Then Lee Chan-hee called Tae-kyung.

“The patient is calling you.”

This was because Lee Deok-hyun had asked Lee Chan-hee, who was next to the bed, to get his attention.

“Yes, patient. What is it?”

“Doctor, please save me.”

“Yes, patient. Don’t worry too much. Let’s start with the examination first.”

“That’s not it……”

“That’s not the problem.”

Just as Lee Deok-hyun was about to say something, Kim Min-kyo stepped forward and spoke first.

“Boss, I know everything too. I’ll tell you. I’ve been deliberately waiting for a chance until Gu Dae-chun left. I’ll explain everything to the doctor. Just take care of your body, boss.”

Kim Min-kyo said something incomprehensible to Lee Deok-hyun and then approached Tae-kyung.

“Director? Please help our boss.”

“Yes, I will help. To do that, we need to proceed with the patient’s examination, so please leave now.”

He was grateful that he had managed to get Gu Dae-chun, who was a nuisance, to leave the treatment room, but Kim Min-kyo also had to leave for the examination to proceed.

“No. The examination is not the problem right now.”

“Yes!? What does that mean?”

“Just a moment.”

Kim Min-kyo, who was about to say something, went to the treatment room door and looked out the small rectangular window in the door.

While doing so, he checked whether the subordinates waiting outside had left the emergency room and then approached Tae-kyung again.

“Director, Gu Dae-chun, who just left, is trying to kill the boss.”