Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 100

Fifth Vital Sign – Episode 100 (100/502)

100. Black Dots and Candy

“Hello. My name is Jang Deuk-chil, and I’ll be working as a security guard here from today.”

Jang Deuk-chil went around the hospital building, greeting the employees he hadn’t seen during his introduction. The last place he visited to say hello was Oh Gye-sun’s cafeteria.

“Are you the rascal who took care of those kids with knives?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Hmm. Let’s see.”

Oh Gye-sun crossed her arms and carefully examined Jang Deuk-chil from head to toe before saying a word.

“Hold out your hand.”

“Pardon?”

“What? Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear me? I said, just hold out your hand.”

“Ah, my hand. Here.”

“Look at this. You’ve handled a knife a bit, haven’t you?”

“……Yes?”

“Seeing the knife marks on your hand and the scars on your face, it seems like you’ve been up to no good.”

Jang Deuk-chil was surprised by Oh Gye-sun’s deduction, who roughly guessed his past just by looking at his hand.

“Were you perhaps a gangster?”

“I wasn’t a gangster, but I didn’t exactly do good things either.”

“Well, your face and expression say it all. But now that you’re working here, you can’t go around causing trouble. Got it?”

“Yes. I’ve turned over a new leaf.”

“Keep that resolution firm. And even though the hospital looks easy, it’s not an easy place. Crazy people come to our hospital regularly.”

“Crazy people?”

“Yeah. Those who beat their kids, those who commit domestic violence, even inmates beaten up in prison, they all come here like a mixed bibimbap [a Korean rice dish with mixed vegetables and meat]. So, keep your wits about you and work hard. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am. I will work hard.”

“And always obey our Director Kim. Now, hurry up and get to work.”

After finishing his greetings and leaving the cafeteria, Jang Deuk-chil shook his head.

“She’s even worse than our Ms. Kkot-bun. That old woman is no joke.”

* * *

“Which bed number did you say?”

“Number 9. A 42-year-old male patient who has been experiencing RUQ (right upper quadrant) pain since this morning.”

Tae-kyung was examining the patient with Nurse Im Jeong-suk.

Shush-

“Hello. Are you in a lot of pain?”

“Yes, doctor, it hurts so much.”

“Have you had this before?”

“Yes, it often hurts. But, doctor? I’ve actually been in a cold war with my wife for days. Could this be caused by stress?”

There were occasionally patients who came in after a marital fight and asked such absurd questions.

“No, I don’t think it’s stress-related. Can you point to where it hurts right now?”

“Here, right here.”

The patient pointed exactly to his upper right side.

“When does it usually hurt there?”

“It seems to hurt mainly after meals.”

“The area where you’re hurting is where symptoms usually occur when the gallbladder is in pain.”

“Gallbladder, is that the same as the bile?”

“That’s right. But it could also hurt with gastritis or duodenal ulcers. I think it would be good to get a CT scan for differentiation. And we’ll do a blood test as well.”

“Okay.”

“Please guide the patient.”

“Understood. I’ll help you, patient.”

After finishing the examination, Tae-kyung moved to another bed to see another patient.

* * *

“We’re here.”

“Thank you for taking the trouble to drive me to the hospital after the shoot.”

“Don’t mention it. We’ll be waiting in the car, so go see your doctor.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Seri, get out.”

Do Han-yeon left Sera in the car and headed to the hospital with her second daughter, Seri.

Thud-

“Sera?”

When the writer sitting in the passenger seat called out, Sera, who had been looking at the hospital outside the car window, turned her head.

“I saw earlier that Sera couldn’t even eat ice cream because of her allergies. Only Seri was eating it.”

Sera didn’t have any allergies. It was a lie Do Han-yeon made up to keep her from eating ice cream.

“Your mom said there are a lot of foods you can’t eat. So, what does our Sera like? Your sister will buy you something you like for a snack later.”

“…….”

“Does Sera like hamburgers? You don’t like them?”

“…….”

“Then, pizza? Do you like pizza?”

“…….”

“Hmm. How about tteokbokki [spicy stir-fried rice cakes]?”

They were all foods that children would love, but Sera couldn’t answer easily.

She couldn’t even remember what hamburgers, pizza, or tteokbokki tasted like. It had been so long since she had eaten them that she couldn’t even remember if she liked them.

“She’ll be surprised. Stop asking her so much.”

“I just want to get close to Sera. Oh, right, PD [Production Director]? Is it true that Director Go was trying to cast Sera in his drama?”

Director Go was famous for discovering promising child actors.

After seeing Sera’s appearance in a video, the director persistently offered her a role. But Do Han-yeon, who would never allow it, refused.

She was living comfortably off Sera’s fame, but she didn’t want to see Sera become even more famous.

“It’s true. That picky guy offered it several times, but she refused him outright.”

“Really? If she appeared in Director Go’s drama, she could follow the child actor course and go all the way to elite status as an adult, but Sera’s mom is amazing.”

“I know. Everyone’s going crazy, but Sera’s mom said she doesn’t want to do that kind of thing because it’s not good for the children’s emotional well-being.”

“Oh my gosh. That’s amazing. She’s so wise.”

“She is wise. The entertainment industry is so shady and dirty, she thought it through well.”

“Even if Sera weren’t unusual, it wouldn’t be easy, so it’s a good thing. Oh! Sera, do you want this?”

The writer asked Sera, who was staring intently at a small character-shaped magic pen stuck in her notebook.

“Yes.”

“This is a bunny-shaped magic pen, isn’t it cute? The ears move too. I’ll give it to you.”

“Thank you.”

“Do you want to draw until your mom comes? Should I give you some paper?”

Sera shook her head. Then, she opened the cap of the bunny-shaped pen and drew black dots about 1cm in size on the center of both palms.

“Sera, what’s this? Circles?”

Sera showed the writer and PD her palms with the dots, but they simply thought of the black dots as drawing play.

“Sera is good at drawing too. Can you tell your sister what you drew?”

It was then that Sera showed her palms again in response to the question.

Thud-

“Oh my, look at my mind! Sera?”

Do Han-yeon, who had gone into the hospital with her second daughter, returned with a hurried look on her face.

When Sera saw Do Han-yeon appear, she quickly curled up her palms, hiding the existence of the black dots.

“Mom was so preoccupied with Seri’s stomach ache that she forgot about Sera.”

“Mother, don’t do that. I’ll watch Sera. Don’t worry and go.”

“Oh, what are you saying? You two must be tired from filming too. And I get anxious without our Sera. Come here, Sera.”

Thud-

Sera carefully made a fist and headed to the hospital with Do Han-yeon.

“What a great maternal love.”

“I know. Maybe that’s why she’s so blessed and her YouTube channel is doing so well.”

* * *

“Do Han-yeon?”

“Yes, that’s me. Se-jin, let’s go quickly.”

When the receptionist called her name, Do Han-yeon took her second daughter’s hand and stood up. But Do Han-yeon, who seemed to be heading towards the desk, turned her head again and whispered to Sera.

“You stay here and don’t move. Got it?”

Sera nodded once at the chilling words.

“If you wander around on your own or open your mouth carelessly, you’ll be listening to the drumbeat until morning when you get home [a Korean expression referring to being scolded or punished harshly].”

“Do Han-yeon?”

“Mom, let’s go quickly. They’re calling your name.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

Do Han-yeon turned her head away from Sera only after getting close to the reception desk.

“Hello. I’m here to see a doctor.”

“Yes, Do Han-yeon… Oh my, I see Seri again. Hello, ma’am.”

The employee who had seen Do Han-yeon and Seri at the hospital a few days ago because of the bathroom greeted them happily.

“I’m the employee who greeted you then.”

“Ah, yes. I remember.”

“Do Han-yeon is your mother’s name. Where are you going to see a doctor?”

“Not me, but our Seri, no, Se-young has had a stomach ache since yesterday.”

“Oh dear. Our princess has a stomach ache. I’ll check you in.”

“But, I came in the middle of filming with the kids right now. Is it faster to go to the emergency room or outpatient clinic?”

“Ah, just a moment. I’ll check for you.”

While the receptionist was checking the patient status, Do Han-yeon turned her head and checked on Sera again.

“The waiting time is similar right now. It’s not the weekend, so the emergency room will probably be faster.”

“Then, I’ll see the emergency room.”

“Have you ever been treated at our hospital before?”

“No. It’s my first time.”

“Then, please write your name, date of birth, and phone number here.”

“Okay.”

* * *

“Honey, did you see the girl in the back? She must be a child actor.”

“A child actor?”

The young man sitting in front of Sera glanced back and said to the woman he was with.

“She’s so pretty.”

“Really? Jackpot!”

The woman, who turned around, recognized Sera at once and hit her boyfriend’s shoulder in delight.

“No way? Honey, that’s her. The one I watch on the kids’ channel every day.”

“That SeriSeri or something…”

“Yeah. Oh my gosh, I see her at the hospital.”

The woman turned her head with her boyfriend and started talking to Sera.

“Hello. You’re Sera, right?”

Sera looked at Do Han-yeon and nodded.

“She’s right, what should I do? I’m a real fan of Sera. I go to Sera’s Instagram and look at the pictures and like them every day.”

“The kid doesn’t talk much.”

“That’s because of a c… Anyway, there’s a reason. Sera, are you here at the hospital because you’re sick?”

Sera shook her head. And after confirming that Do Han-yeon wasn’t looking at her, she slowly opened both hands and showed the couple the black dots.

‘Please help me.’

She raised her hands with the hope that someone, anyone, would see the black dots properly.

“Huh? Why is she showing her hands?”

“Isn’t she asking for something to erase the scribbles? Kids do a lot of scribbling on their bodies when they’re young.”

“Oh my, you’re so smart. That’s right. Sera, I have wet wipes. Do you want a wet wipe?”

Sera shook her head with her hands raised, and at the same time, Choi Mona, who was passing by, made eye contact with the child and looked at Sera’s hands.

‘Help me.’

But Choi Mona received a call and headed to the ward.

“Sera?”

Meanwhile, a voice of terror called Sera.

“What were you doing, our Sera?”

Do Han-yeon, who had finished registering, had returned to her seat.

* * *

“The patient’s CT results are out.”

Tae-kyung returned to patient number 9, who had a CT scan due to right upper quadrant abdominal pain, after examining other patients.

“How did it go, doctor?”

“Fortunately, the gallbladder is clear. But there’s something suspicious of an ulcer in the duodenum.”

“An ulcer?”

“Yes, it’s not at the point where you need surgery yet, but if it gets worse, you may need surgery. I’ll prescribe some medication, so take it consistently for a long time.”

“What kind of medicine is it?”

“It’s a medicine that suppresses stomach acid. Avoid spicy foods and take your medicine regularly.”

“I’ll have to take my medicine well.”

“You can take your prescription when you pay.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

Shush-

“There are no outpatient patients right now, right?”

“Yes, you saw them all and came over.”

“I didn’t eat breakfast today, so my stomach keeps growling.”

After finishing the examination, Tae-kyung was leaving the emergency room with Nurse Im Jeong-suk.

“Of course. You haven’t even had lunch yet because you’ve been seeing patients. Go and have a meal first.”

“I should. Ugh, I’m hungry.”

“Oh, right! The waiting room will be a bit noisy right now.”

“Why, what’s going on?”

“A celebrity came to our hospital.”

“A celebrity?”

Come to think of it, I heard similar things from the next bed while examining a patient earlier.

“Yes. A YouTube star like you came.”

“What YouTube star am I!”

Tae-kyung, who had been talking with a smile, stopped and closed his mouth with a serious expression.

‘Again.’

It was because he sensed the unique fifth vital sign he had felt a few days ago.

A strong smell of feces, a strange combination of amusement park candy house and bubble gum, was rushing in.

‘I’m sure of it.’

And Tae-kyung was convinced. That the owner of this smell is currently inside the hospital.

‘I’m never letting them get away this time.’