Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 104

Episode 104. ‘Mom’ Herself

Our Hospital Parking Lot-

“By the way, PD-nim [PD stands for Program Director, a common title in Korean media], you said you did a medical documentary before, right?”

“Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

“No, a junior colleague contacted me about working together on a medical project, and they seem hesitant.”

“Ah! Medical stuff is really intense. Tell them to think carefully before diving in. It’s tough.”

“I guess so. It’s a demanding field. Anyway, the footage looks great.”

The writer and PD, waiting for Seri and Sera in the car, were reviewing the footage they had shot during the day.

“At this rate, even the high-nosed Oflix headquarters will be satisfied, right?” [Oflix is a fictional streaming service, similar to Netflix.]

“Of course. There are the kids’ stories, and then there’s Sera.”

“You’re pleased too, PD-nim, right?”

“Pleased. Honestly, Seri is good, but Sera really saved it all. Just her face on camera is a masterpiece. A masterpiece!”

“That’s true.”

“It’s not good to judge people based on their looks, but what can people like us, who make a living in media, do? It’s our job.”

“But it’s not fair to always blame us for that. Ratings go up when good-looking people appear, so from the production team’s perspective, they can’t help but look for those kinds of people.”

“That’s why people are scary. Anyway, let’s finish our part well and be even more grateful to Sera.”

Both the PD and the writer were satisfied with the results so far and grateful to Sera.

“Of course. I’ve already thought about what to gift Sera after the filming ends…! PD-nim, did you just fart?”

The writer, suddenly overwhelmed by a foul smell, covered her nose and fanned the air.

“Did it smell? Han Writer must have a dog’s nose. She picks up scents amazingly.”

“What do you mean a dog’s nose? It reeks of something rotten. What on earth did you eat? Ugh, the smell!”

“Sorry. I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome [IBS]. The coffee made my stomach rumble.”

“Instead of that, go to the bathroom and push it out.”

“I guess I should. I’ll go to the restroom.”

“Hurry up.”

Thud-

“Ah! My stomach hurts.”

The PD, getting out of the car and clutching his lower abdomen, entered the hospital and witnessed an unbelievable sight.

“What, what is this! Hey! Who do you think you are? Where’s mine? Where’s mine!”

He saw Do Han-yeon, screaming and acting like a madwoman.

“What on earth is going on?”

Do Han-yeon, who just a few hours ago had been devoted to her sick child, showing consideration and embodying the ideal mother, was now a completely different person.

“Han Writer?”

But the PD, with his long experience in directing, immediately grasped the situation and quickly called the writer.

“Quickly grab the camera and film this.”

-Huh? PD-nim, weren’t you going to the restroom?

“Pooping is not the issue right now. Hurry and bring the camera. Do Han-yeon is a child abuser.”

-What? Okay, I understand.

The writer grabbed the camera and rushed into the hospital.

“Han Writer? Explanations later, just film that, that woman… No, give me the camera.”

“PD-nim, is your stomach okay?”

“Ah, I don’t know. I was so surprised that the poop went back in, I guess. That woman was completely crazy.”

“Saying ‘mine’ to a child. Is that really the Do Han-yeon we know? But PD-nim, shouldn’t we include that doctor in the shot too?”

“That would be good, but even if the perpetrator is like that, putting a regular person on screen… Wait a minute! Isn’t that Doctor Kim Tae-kyung?”

At the writer’s words, the PD, who was naturally shifting the focus to Tae-kyung, recognized him, was surprised, and lowered the camera.

“Why? Do you know him?”

“I know him, but that doctor doesn’t know me.”

“What are you talking about? Explain it clearly while filming.”

The writer raised the camera that the PD had lowered and spoke.

“When I was an assistant director, I went to Shinhwa University Hospital to film a medical documentary called ‘Master of the Hospital’.”

“And?”

“I clearly went there to film a professor who was said to be a surgical genius, but it turned out that the real genius was that person.”

The PD continued, filming Do Han-yeon’s appearance.

“Usually, patients see the professor, but there, people came from the provinces to get surgery from that doctor. At that time, his nickname was something like the ‘Surgery Monster’. And he’s incredibly good to his patients, so it’s fortunate that Sera came to this hospital.”

“Really? That’s a relief. By the way, PD-nim, you’re not going to let that woman get away with this, are you?”

“Of course not. If I didn’t know, maybe, but now that I know, I can’t let it go.”

Both the PD and the writer were not going to stand by after seeing Do Han-yeon’s ugly behavior.

“But what about Oflix?”

“Screw Oflix! Han Writer, you know Senior Gu from SBC [a Korean broadcasting station], right? Contact him immediately.”

“Do you mean PD Gu Go-chan from the news department?”

“Yeah. We need to get her dirty face on 9 o’clock news so the whole nation can see it. Hurry.”

“Yes, PD-nim.”

* * *

“You won’t be able to see her again in the future.”

Now that Se-young’s safety was secured, it was important to make this woman, who had abandoned her humanity, aware that she had committed a crime.

“What, what is this! Hey! Who do you think you are? Where’s mine? Where’s mine!”

The crazed Do Han-yeon seemed to be running wild. Her appearance was that of a monster itself.

“Mine! Give me back mine!”

“Do Han-yeon!!”

Tae-kyung shouted loudly, echoing through the hospital lobby.

“I can never forgive you for what you did to Se-young.”

“What did I do to Se-young that makes you act like this!”

“Now it’s your turn to be punished.”

“Punished? Why should I be punished? I raised her, gave her a place to sleep, fed her, clothed her, and loved her…”

“Child abuse! You are a child abuser.”

“A, child abuse?”

Do Han-yeon flinched at the direct term ‘child abuse’.

“Oh my god! That woman is a child abuser.”

“SeriSera’s mom is a child abuser? Wow!”

“How can someone raising a child do such cruel things?”

Do Han-yeon was an influencer no less than Seri and Sera. People began to stir at the shocking true face of the hottest young mom and celebrity in Korea.

“Child abuse? Are you crazy? I abused Sera?”

Do Han-yeon, conscious of the murmurs of the people, denied it as a matter of course.

“Does being a doctor allow you to suspect people like this? Don’t falsely accuse an innocent person.”

“The victim currently has frequent large and small burn marks on the LUQ [Left Upper Quadrant], RUQ [Right Upper Quadrant], LLQ [Left Lower Quadrant], and RLQ [Right Lower Quadrant] of their body, as well as abrasion, laceration, and contusion.”

The sudden barrage of professional medical terms struck the eardrums of everyone gathered in the lobby, including Do Han-yeon.

His pronunciation was so accurate that people, though they didn’t understand the meaning, focused on Tae-kyung and listened intently.

“What, what is he saying?”

“You don’t understand, do you? I’ll explain the terrible things you did to the child one by one in simple terms, so listen carefully.”

“No, I didn’t do anything…”

“Shut up and listen.”

“……”

“Currently, the abused victim has 3cm to 5cm sized burns frequently on the left upper quadrant, right upper quadrant, left lower quadrant, and right lower quadrant of their abdomen. In other words, all over their stomach. There are also bruises, which are bleeding and swollen muscle damage from being hit or bumped, and traces of cuts from sharp objects everywhere. Finally, there are countless lacerations where the skin is torn on the victim’s body.

All these injuries are on every part of the child’s body that is covered by clothing, except for the face, neck, hands, and feet.

That’s just what’s visible to the naked eye… This is the terrible thing you did to the child. Do you understand now?”

People were at a loss for words at the diagnosis, which was unbelievable, or rather, they couldn’t believe even after hearing it.

“Do Han-yeon, you are a devil! Prepare to pay for your sins in prison for the rest of your life.”

“No! It’s not me! Did you see it?”

Do Han-yeon, flustered by Tae-kyung’s terrifying diagnosis, was startled by the word ‘prison’. And at that moment, she poured out her nonexistent injustice,

“Did you see it? Did you see me abusing Sera…?”

‘Smack!’ With that sound, Do Han-yeon’s face contorted and turned weakly to one side.

She had been slapped across the face by a suddenly flying hand.

“……”

Do Han-yeon, who had been hit so hard that her whole face shook, grabbed her cheek and slowly turned her head.

“How dare you!”

The person who slapped her was an unexpected figure that no one had anticipated.

“Abusing that young child!”

It was Lee Hyun-ja, the mother of Hwang Seok-ho, who had lost her only child to heaven not long ago.

“Are you even human! Are you even a human being!”

Lee Hyun-ja had been unable to calm down since she saw the staff announcement message, her heart pounding. And a moment ago, when she brought warm barley tea to Se-young and saw the child, she couldn’t bear it any longer.

Even without directly seeing the child’s abused marks, she could feel the desperation in the child’s face and eyes.

‘How hard must that young child have had it to have such eyes.’

She came down from the ward and was heading to the cafeteria when she couldn’t just pass by Do Han-yeon, who was shamelessly denying it, so she raised her hand.

“How can a human being who is a mother raise a child and make that young child like that! Are you even human!”

Lee Hyun-ja bit her lip tightly, swallowed her tears, and shouted fiercely.

“Children grow up eating love. They learn about this world through the love of their mother and the love of their father. But how can you lay your hands on that young child!”

Lee Hyun-ja’s appearance, trembling her lips as she spoke, was ‘Mom’ herself.

Lee Hyun-ja’s appearance, unable to freely touch her child’s hands and feet for fear that they would hurt, and wanting to bear that painful pain in their place, was the image of our mothers.

“Who is this woman…”

Smack-

As Do Han-yeon, who still hadn’t come to her senses, opened her mouth, another hand flew and covered her mouth.

Do Han-yeon, who was hit on the opposite cheek with more force than before, staggered and her lip burst.

“Oh my! Why is there a mosquito sitting there on this fine day? Hey, crazy woman, are you okay?”

It was Oh Gye-soon, our hospital’s fact-bomb cider [a Korean expression for someone who speaks frankly and refreshingly], who had slapped her.

“What, blood? There’s blood? Hey, you crazy old woman!”

Do Han-yeon screamed, bursting into anger at the fact that her lip was bleeding.

“I may be a crazy old woman, but you’re just a crazy woman. Why! Does it hurt? You’re making a fuss about a little tear in your lip, but have you ever thought about how much that child must have hurt?”

“This old woman can’t shut her mouth! I’ll…”

As Do Han-yeon, overwhelmed with shame and anger, raised her hand towards Oh Gye-soon, Tae-kyung easily twisted her wrist to stop her.

“Ah! Ah! Let go!”

“Do Han-yeon, you’re already ugly enough, so stop.”

“Now that I see it, you’re all in this together. Huh!”

“You must have grown up receiving love from your mother too. Tsk tsk! Human, why do you live like that? Pitiful.”

Oh Gye-soon, clicking her tongue, took out the fine salt she had put in her pants pocket. Then, she accurately sprinkled it on Do Han-yeon’s burst lip and urged.

“What is the ghost doing not taking this kind of thing away! Ugh, cursed wretch! You’re going to suffer a lot in the future.”

“Ah! It stings. Stop it!”

“Police.”

“Director, the police have arrived. Police officers, arrest that woman.”

Chief Choi, who was standing on the stairs, raised his hand and pointed to Do Han-yeon as the police entered the lobby.

“Is there a teacher here who reported this?”

“That’s me.”

Tae-kyung raised his hand and emphasized the word so that the police could hear it.

“I am the doctor who reported her for child abuse.”

Do Han-yeon’s pupils shook violently as the police approached.