Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 111

Fifth Vital Sign – Episode 111 (111/502)

111. Do Han-yeon’s Reason

Police Station –

Detective Kim and the other officers barely managed to push the angry crowd back outside the police station.

Afterward, Detective Kim was finishing up an interrogation that had lasted over two hours.

“Do Han-yeon?”

“Yes…”

Do Han-yeon’s hair was matted with eggs and spit, and she had small abrasions on her cheek and temple where she’d been hit by stones.

She didn’t even look at the towel the police had given her to clean up, simply keeping her head bowed and answering the questions tersely.

“You’re admitting to everything you’ve stated so far, is that correct?”

“I admit… it.”

“Honestly, how could you do such a terrible thing when you’re a mother yourself?”

“…”

“Do you have anything to say?”

“My daughter…”

Do Han-yeon, who had stopped denying the charges, didn’t express remorse for Se-young at the end of the interrogation, but instead asked about her own daughter.

“How is Se-ri?”

“As I said before, she’s doing well at the child protection center.”

“Could you please show me her face just once? I’m worried about whether she’s eating well…”

“Listen to you! How can you say that right now? How can someone who’s so worried about their own child’s meals leave Se-young malnourished? Huh?”

“…”

“I’ve never seen anyone like you in my entire career as a police officer. If you have even an ounce of conscience, you’ll start by reflecting on what you’ve done to that child. Reflect!”

Clang!

“Hey! Take Do Han-yeon to the detention cell!”

“Yes.”

“Hoo! Ugh. I’m exhausted.”

“Detective Kim?”

A junior officer, who had returned from responding to a call, approached Detective Kim as he headed to the vending machine for a cup of coffee.

“Oh! You’re back from a call?”

“Yes. I went to mediate a domestic dispute and managed to help them reconcile. Here’s a coffee, Detective.”

“I was just about to get one from the vending machine, thanks. Are the people outside gone?”

“Who? The protesters?”

“Yeah. It’s quiet.”

“Gone? They’re still outside.”

“Then why is it so quiet?”

“They said they need to keep their stomachs warm to protest with more energy, so they’ve gathered in one place and are having a meal delivered.”

“Wow! That’s impressive.”

“By the way, what happened to Do Han-yeon? Did she admit to all the charges?”

“What else could she do? Frankly, she’s become public enemy number one in Korea, so of course, she had to admit it.”

“That’s true. Even when I went out on the call, everyone in the convenience stores and everywhere else was talking about it.”

The junior officer was right. It was no exaggeration to say that the majority of South Koreans were talking about Do Han-yeon.

“Anyway, I’m going to the hospital, so if anyone calls looking for me, tell them that and see you later.”

“Detective, what about the talisman? What’s the story with that talisman?”

The junior officer asked about the talisman [a charm or object believed to have magical powers] that Do Han-yeon had attached to Se-young’s photo, but Detective Kim didn’t answer.

* * *

“Excuse me, nurse?”

Phuong, the wife of Lee Go-cheol, who had recently undergone thyroid cancer surgery, asked a nurse at the ward station.

“Yes, guardian. Is there anything you need?”

“It’s not that. I have a question.”

“Yes, please ask.”

“The baby, you know?”

The “baby” she was referring to was Se-young.

Currently, there wasn’t a single patient or guardian in the hospital who didn’t know about Se-young.

Especially those on the same 3rd-floor ward, who almost took turns coming out to worry about me and Se-young, asking about the child’s condition.

“Is the baby okay? I heard she had surgery. Did it go well?”

Phuong, who was pregnant, felt her heart ache even more upon hearing Se-young’s story and cried for a long time.

“Yes, it went well.”

“Really? That’s such a relief.”

“Honey!”

Lee Go-cheol, who had come out of the hospital room, called out to Phuong, who was once again tearing up.

“I wondered why someone who said they were going to the restroom was taking so long. What are you doing here?”

“Honey, the baby’s surgery went well.”

“Really? That’s such good news. Our doctor performed the surgery, so of course, it would go well.”

“That’s right. Doctor Kim Tae-kyung is the best.”

“Alright! Let’s go back to the room now. Okay?”

“Okay. Let’s go.”

“Then take care.”

“Yes.”

Even after Lee Go-cheol and Phuong went inside, patients and guardians from each room continued to ask about Se-young’s well-being.

“The child is doing okay, right?”

“Yes, she’s fine.”

Clang-

Just then, Tae-kyung and nurse Lim Jeong-sook, who had come out of the room after checking that Se-young was asleep, were cautiously approached by several patients.

“Doctor, I saw your interview earlier. You’ve really done something amazing.”

“That’s right. You’ll be blessed.”

“You’re too kind. Thank you all for your concern.”

Tae-kyung, after receiving the patients’ greetings, headed to the stairs, talking with nurse Lim Jeong-sook.

“It’s a relief that she’s urinating well and sleeping soundly after the surgery.”

“I know. I was really touched by what Se-young said before she fell asleep.”

‘I’m so happy I can finally sleep comfortably in a bed with a blanket.’

Se-young, who had only ever slept on the basement floor, was happy and grateful even to be sleeping in a hospital bed.

“Oh, and did you see her holding onto the doll while she slept?”

“The earthworm doll?”

“Yes, the one Doctor Choi gave her. She even takes it with her when she goes to the bathroom. Se-young really loves it.”

“Doctor Choi did a good deed.”

“Oh, and the team leader said earlier that the broadcasting station keeps calling, asking if they can do a story.”

The hospital’s name, found through the solidarity of Korean people skilled at searching for information, was trending in real-time, and requests for coverage were pouring in.

“I’m worried they might just show up. Earlier, a few people pretended to be patients and came looking, but Jang Deuk-chil chased them away.”

“If they come looking to the point where it’s interfering with work, I’ll take action, so don’t worry too much. I’m going to the examination room. Please check on Se-young from time to time and keep an eye on whether she’s passing gas.”

“Yes, don’t worry.”

Tae-kyung headed to the examination room, thinking about the ‘mysterious smell.’

‘It’s still there.’

The candy-like, warm smell coming from Se-young was still present.

He had asked if anyone else could smell it, wondering if it was something others could detect, but they couldn’t.

So far, he had deduced that it was definitely not the fifth vital sign, and that the smell was not present in adult patients or other child patients.

‘Then what else…’

After seriously considering it, the only thing that set Se-young apart from other patients was one thing.

She had suffered from severe and painful child abuse.

‘Could this be related?’

He decided to take more time to consider whether it was due to the abuse or if the pleasant smell was truly unique to Se-young.

* * *

“Director, I saw your interview earlier.”

Tae-kyung, who had returned to the examination room, met Detective Kim.

“How can you speak so well?”

“It’s nothing. More importantly, Detective Kim, you and the other officers are working so hard.”

“The medical staff who are up all night caring for patients are the ones working hard.”

Afterward, Tae-kyung told Detective Kim about Se-young’s condition in detail and then asked about Do Han-yeon.

“How did the investigation go?”

“The investigation went well. In fact, the whole world is buzzing about this case, so Do Han-yeon had no choice.”

Do Han-yeon, who had admitted to all the terrible things she had done, gave an absurd answer when asked about the reason for the abuse.

“I found out during the investigation that all of this was done because of her own daughter.”

“Do Han-yeon’s own daughter?”

“Yes. She planned everything thoroughly from beginning to end.”

Detective Kim recounted the unbelievable and absurd details of the case.

Do Han-yeon had targeted Se-young from the beginning and remarried Go Young-cheol.

Do Han-yeon, who was raising her child as a single mother, was stressed because her daughter was particularly prone to illness.

The young daughter often fell and frequently had nosebleeds. Each time, the hospital said there was no particular reason, but as a mother, she couldn’t just stand by.

Even though she fed her all sorts of things that were good for her, her child’s frequent illnesses didn’t decrease, so Do Han-yeon went to a fortune teller [a person who claims to predict the future] she usually trusted and was close to.

‘Sister, I’m really upset about my child. Is there any good way to help her?’

‘If you want your daughter to not be sick, you have to take the energy from a healthy child of the same age.’

It was truly ridiculous nonsense, but Do Han-yeon, who was immersed in pseudo-religious beliefs [false or deceptive religious practices], firmly believed the fortune teller’s absurd words.

Afterward, she intentionally approached Go Young-cheol, who was raising his daughter alone after his wife had passed away in the same neighborhood. She brought Go Young-cheol the child’s clothes and food, pretending to be the kindest woman in the world, and gradually became close to Se-young as well.

The two, who had been dating for a year, registered their marriage without a wedding ceremony.

‘Se-young, hello. From now on, call me Mom instead of Auntie.’

‘Mom.’

‘That’s right. Our Se-young is so pretty. Let’s all live happily together with our dad and sibling.’

Se-young, who missed her own mother but thought she had a good new stepmother, soon had her hopes shattered.

Because the abuse began as soon as Go Young-cheol went abroad to work on a deep-sea fishing vessel to make a living.

Do Han-yeon even bought a curse talisman from the fortune teller and attached it to Se-young’s photo, continuing her insane behavior.

Se-young, who was bright and always smiled like sunshine, gradually lost her expression due to the harsh abuse and had no choice but to move as Do Han-yeon wanted in order to survive.

“Ha! How could…”

Tae-kyung couldn’t believe the unbelievable story that seemed like something out of a movie or drama.

“It’s absurd, isn’t it? It makes you wonder if it’s real. But Director, what I’ve learned while working as a police officer is that there are more unbelievable things in this world than you think.”

“Still, I can’t believe something like this could happen.”

“There was a murder case in a large pseudo-religious group in the past, and once someone becomes obsessed with something, there’s really no solution.”

“Ah! Pseudo-religious…”

As soon as the word pseudo-religious came up, something clicked in Tae-kyung’s mind, and he immediately understood. He knew very well how a person could become when they fell into pseudo-religious beliefs.

“Then what will happen to Do Han-yeon in the future?”

“Because it’s such a high-profile case, the proceedings will be fast. The investigation will be completed around tomorrow, and then she’ll be handed over to the prosecution.”

“I see. It feels somewhat bitter that all she’ll get is a prison sentence.”

Tae-kyung felt heavy-hearted after hearing Detective Kim’s words.

It was natural to receive punishment under the law according to the determined outcome. But compared to the pain the child had suffered so far, it was inevitable to feel that the result was small.

“That’s how I feel too, as a police officer.”

“By the way, have you been able to contact Se-young’s father?”

“We’ve identified the deep-sea fishing vessel company he went to abroad and are currently trying to contact him. We’ll probably be able to reach him soon.”

“Se-young misses her father a lot.”

“I heard that from Officer Kim. I’ll let you know as soon as we get in touch.”

Tae-kyung finished talking with Detective Kim, checked Se-young’s condition one more time, and headed to the emergency room.