Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 105

Fifth Vital Sign – Episode 105 (105/502)

105. 23000!!

“Teacher?”

Se-yeong, who was watching a children’s movie on the tablet PC, called Euijin.

“Yes. Se-yeong, what’s wrong? Do you want something?”

“This. I want to erase it now.”

“The black dot?”

“Yes.”

Se-yeong, who had been clenching her fist, opened her hand and held it out.

Although her expression was less anxious than when she was with Do Han-yeon, Se-yeong was still wary of her surroundings and couldn’t laugh freely.

She was afraid that the witch might appear again and take her away.

“Okay, let’s erase the dot now. I’ll wipe it off with a wet wipe.”

“Elsa.”

“Se-yeong likes Elsa?”

“Yes. She’s pretty.”

The child reacted, looking at the character printed on the wet wipe package.

“Elsa is a princess. She’s pretty.”

“But in my eyes, you’re much prettier.”

“Thank you. Teacher is pretty too.”

“Oh my, really? Choi Teacher, did you hear that? Senior should have heard this. Here! All done. It’s all clean now.”

Euijin interacted with Se-yeong very skillfully, exaggerating her words and actions on purpose.

Euijin had worked with many abused children during her Doctors Without Borders activities.

From experience, even if the abused child’s physical condition wasn’t good, children often felt anxious if the medical staff looked serious in front of them. That’s why she tried to make them feel comfortable by responding with an overly bright and cheerful demeanor.

“Choi Teacher, sit down. Why are you standing there?”

Unlike the skilled Euijin, Choi Mona was standing stiffly against the hospital room wall. She didn’t know what to do with the child after witnessing the reality of child abuse for the first time.

“Here.”

“You mean, you want Teacher to sit here?”

Se-yeong nodded at Euijin’s words.

“Choi Teacher, come here quickly. Se-yeong wants you to sit here.”

“Me? Yes, I understand.”

“But what have you been hiding in your gown since earlier?”

“Ah, that’s actually this…….”

Choi Mona, who had been holding one hand inside her gown since entering the hospital room, hesitantly took something out.

“Oh my goodness, it’s a doll! Choi Teacher, did you bring this for Se-yeong?”

“Yes.”

It wasn’t the typical cute doll that people think of, but a unique worm-shaped doll. Still, it was Choi Mona’s most cherished doll that she had bought during a tour of the jelly factory at the German headquarters.

“Se-yeong, Teacher Choi Mona brought a doll for you.”

“Se-yeong, here you go.”

It was an awkward tone, full of shyness and helplessness, but Choi Mona’s desire to help was sincere.

“Thank you.”

“Se-yeong, is there anything you need? Just tell me. I’ll get it for you.”

“Can I really say anything?”

“Of course. Tell me anything.”

“Daddy. I want to see my daddy.”

“Daddy? Okay, I’ll contact your dad.”

“Yes.”

Se-yeong hugged the worm doll and lay down on the bed after her short answer.

* * *

“It’s me.”

Taekyung raised his hand and emphasized the word so that the police could hear him.

“I’m the doctor who reported the child abuse.”

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

“Director. We meet again.”

The police officer who greeted Taekyung was Sergeant Kim, who had been dispatched during the emergency room knife attack.

“Sergeant Kim, we meet again.”

“I heard you reported child abuse, is that correct?”

“That’s right. This woman is the one who committed the child abuse.”

“Officer Choi, call the station now and tell Officer Kim to come here in plain clothes.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“This woman did it?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, no. She just didn’t listen, so I disciplined her. Disciplined! And these people assaulted me.”

Unlike her earlier frantic appearance, Do Han-yeon calmly asserted her innocence when the police appeared.

“Assault?”

“Yes. It’s clear assault. Here, can you see my cheeks are red and swollen?”

“They are slightly red, but not swollen.”

“Please take a good look. And my lips are also torn. Can you see the blood?”

“There’s a little blood at the corner of your lips.”

“That woman over there and the old man next to her slapped my cheeks.”

“What’s your name?”

“I don’t know their names, but I think they work here.”

“No. What’s the name of the woman you’re talking about?”

“Me?”

Do Han-yeon widened her eyes and asked back when the police asked for her name instead of Lee Hyun-ja and Oh Gye-soon.

“Yes, you.”

“No, those people hit me. Not me. So you should ask those people’s names, why are you asking for my name?”

“First of all, the teacher here reported you for child abuse, so I’m asking for your name to investigate. And I’ll proceed in order. First, state your name.”

“…….”

“Do Han-yeon.”

Taekyung said the name instead when Do Han-yeon kept her mouth shut.

“What is your relationship with the abused child?”

“It’s not abuse. Officer, haven’t you raised children?”

“I’m single. I asked what your relationship is with the child.”

“It’s not abuse, it’s discipline. And I won’t cooperate with the investigation unless you investigate the assault case first.”

“Is she crazy?”

“That woman is really a psycho.”

“She’s talking about discipline.”

Along with the murmuring of the people, an elderly man in a patient gown approached Sergeant Kim and Taekyung.

“Police officer, I retired as a principal earlier this year. I’ve been watching from the beginning, and these people didn’t hit her.”

“Patient.”

Taekyung called the old man, and he slightly winked as if to say it was okay.

“That old man is right.”

And starting with the elderly patient, the patients and guardians in the waiting room all denied Do Han-yeon’s words.

“Please take that crazy woman away quickly.”

“Why would you believe the words of a woman who abused her own child? Let her go eat prison food.”

“Put handcuffs on her and take her away quickly. I’m afraid I’ll see that face in my dreams.”

“Hey! You all saw it. You’re all in cahoots [conspiring together]. What the police officer is saying now is all lies. I can’t stand it because I’m being wronged. If you check the CCTV, I’ll cooperate with the investigation without saying a word.”

“Really? Director, can we see the CCTV here?”

“Yes, I’ll guide you. Come this way.”

Because of Do Han-yeon, who kept clinging to the end, Sergeant Kim eventually decided to check the CCTV.

* * *

“Look at this. Do Han-yeon, you’re going to be investigated now, right?”

“This can’t be happening…….”

She had been so confident, but the video of Lee Hyun-ja and Oh Gye-soon slapping her cheeks was not recorded on the CCTV.

Rather, the police ended up confirming only the scene of Do Han-yeon making a fuss.

“I’m sure that woman and the old man hit me earlier.”

“But there’s no such scene in the video.”

“Please check it again one more time.”

They replayed the video again, but there was no scene of hitting or being hit.

To be exact, from the middle, the screen went down and only people’s feet were visible.

“Here, it’s strange. It’s strange that the screen went down.”

“Excuse me, but our hospital’s CCTV is an old model, so sometimes the screen goes down like this.”

Team Leader Choi, who was next to him, explained the reason with plausible words.

“Senior, I just checked, and the CCTV is an old model.”

“Really? There were no problems during the emergency room incident. Anyway, based on the video we’re watching now, Do Han-yeon’s claim is false.”

There was another reason. Team Leader Choi saw Oh Gye-soon coming out of the cafeteria and went to the security office to slightly lower the focus of the screen.

He knew Oh Gye-soon’s fiery personality well, so he expected something to happen.

In fact, there was one more video besides the CCTV. It was a video that was perfectly filmed from beginning to end.

It was the video taken by the PD [Production Director] who was filming Sericera’s documentary. But the PD didn’t say anything, and Do Han-yeon, who was running wild, didn’t even know that the video was being filmed.

* * *

After that, the investigation proceeded quickly.

The female police officer who arrived after receiving Sergeant Kim’s call took Do Han-yeon to the 3rd floor hospital room with Taekyung.

“Se-yeong, is this the person who hurt you?”

Everyone in the hospital room knew how scary, frightening, and difficult this moment was for the child, but it was unavoidable for the procedure.

“Se-yeong, no!”

That day, Do Han-yeon called Sera’s name properly for the first time, except when she had a video call with the child’s father.

“Mom loves you so much, cherishes you, and adores you. Right?”

“Do Han-yeon, don’t say that and stay still.”

The female police officer stepped in to stop Do Han-yeon’s words.

“Se-yeong, it’s okay, you can say everything you want to say honestly. We’ll protect you.”

Se-yeong looked at Taekyung when she heard those words. Taekyung nodded silently with a warm smile, and she opened her mouth as if she had made up her mind.

“Hey, Kakao [a voice assistant similar to Siri or Alexa], play the big drum sound.”

Everyone was puzzled by Se-yeong’s unexpected words, and then the hidden truth began to fill the hospital room.

“When the drum sound started, she dragged me to the basement. And after taking off my clothes…….”

Do Han-yeon’s expectation that she would never be able to speak was pleasantly mistaken.

Se-yeong bravely confessed everything she had experienced as if she had been waiting for this day.

Everyone barely suppressed their anger and trembled at the horrific reality that continued for a long time. Some turned around and wiped away tears.

“Do Han-yeon, do you have anything to say? Do you still deny it?”

The female police officer asked after checking all the wounds on the child’s body, and Do Han-yeon kept her mouth shut.

She seemed very embarrassed by Se-yeong’s appearance of telling what she had done.

“I’ll ask one last time. Do Han-yeon, do you admit it?”

Instead of answering, Do Han-yeon approached the police officer who was waiting outside the hospital room.

* * *

Sergeant Kim, who put Do Han-yeon and her biological daughter in the police car, came back to the hospital to inform Taekyung of the situation.

“Director, you’ve done a great job again.”

“It’s nothing. So what happens now?”

“First of all, we need to conduct a proper investigation at the station. We have to go to the house and see, and the biological daughter will be separated from Do Han-yeon.”

“I see.”

“Officer Kim will stay and help. We’ll let you know as soon as we get in touch with Se-yeong’s father. Please take good care of Se-yeong’s treatment.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

The monstrous Do Han-yeon left the hospital, and Taekyung quickly ran up to the 3rd floor station.

“The test results are out, right?”

“Yes, Doctor.”

Now that the devilish Do Han-yeon was taken care of, it was time to focus on Se-yeong. He had to quickly find the cause of the fifth vital sign emanating from her small body.

Tak, tak-

“What? WBC [White Blood Cell count] is 23000!”

Taekyung was startled when he checked the results on the monitor.

‘Damn it, the inflammation level is too high.’

In a way, it was a natural thing.

The stage 3 stench of feces was when there was such an underlying disease.

Taekyung ran to the hospital room where Se-yeong was.

“Se-yeong, does anything hurt? If so, can you tell me?”

“Yes.”

Se-yeong, who didn’t have much change in expression, showed a slight smile when she saw Taekyung.

“Se-yeong seems to be happy to see you. Do you like the doctor?”

“Yes, I like the good smell from the teacher.”

“Se-yeong, where does it hurt now?”

“Here, my stomach keeps hurting.”

Se-yeong, who had no choice but to endure until now, accurately said where it hurt.

“How long has your stomach been hurting?”

“It’s been a long time.”

“Se-yeong, have you been eating well all this time?”

“No. I’m very hungry.”

Taekyung and Nurse Lim Jeong-suk felt choked up at the word hungry.

‘She’s skinny.’

Se-yeong definitely looked smaller than her peers. Judging from the fact that she was shorter than her younger sibling, she probably hadn’t been eating properly.

Do Han-yeon is really a devilish human being. He suppressed the sudden boiling anger and focused on Se-yeong again.

“When your stomachache is all better, I’ll buy you a lot of delicious things.”

“Really?”

“Of course, I promise. First of all, where does your stomach hurt now?”

“It hurts on the right side.”

At that, Taekyung suspected several underlying diseases.

Because she was a child, some parts of her intestines may have been drooping like a pouch since birth, and from the current location, it could be appendicitis.

“From now on, we’re going to go into a big tube called a CT scan [Computed Tomography scan] to see where and how your stomach hurts. Can you do it?”

“Yes, I can do it.”

“Wow! You’re awesome. Then go take a CT scan with this teacher and come back to see me again.”

“Yes.”

“Nurse Lim, please hurry. I’ll give you the order, so tell them to take it right away. Quickly.”

“Yes, I understand.”

30 minutes later-

“Ah…….”

Taekyung sighed without realizing it after checking the child’s video.

“Damn it!”