Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 113

Fifth Vital Sign – Episode 113

113. Did it come out? Gas?

“I waited because I had something to give you, Doctor.”

“To me?”

“Yes.”

Kim Jin-kyung, looking exhausted, pulled a crumpled white envelope from her jeans pocket and held it out.

“This is for you. Please use it for the treatment costs. I’m asking you.”

“…….”

“It’s for the child who is currently hospitalized on the 3rd floor. Please use it for Go Se-young’s treatment.”

Kim Jin-kyung explained the treatment costs in more detail when Tae-kyung didn’t respond, as if he didn’t understand.

“Guardian.”

However, Tae-kyung understood perfectly well but couldn’t answer easily, so he had to remain silent.

He knew Kim Jin-kyung’s situation of caring for her mother better than anyone else.

“Guardian, I’m really grateful, but I’ll only accept your kind gesture.”

Tae-kyung carefully conveyed his refusal in a polite tone so as not to offend Kim Jin-kyung.

“If you’re grateful, please accept it. I know why you’re refusing, Doctor. You must think I’m in dire straits, right?”

“It’s not like that.”

“I’m sorry. I know you don’t think that way, but my heart keeps getting twisted, so my words become sharp.”

Kim Jin-kyung quickly apologized, seemingly embarrassed by her own words.

“Actually, I was debating whether to give this to you or not on the bus all the way to the hospital today.”

It wasn’t an empty statement. Her gaze, lowered and constantly fixed on the crumpled end of the envelope, was full of hesitation.

“You see this, right?”

Kim Jin-kyung unfolded five ten-thousand-won bills from the envelope.

“I’m embarrassed to even call it a donation, and it’s a small amount, so I just said to use it for treatment.”

“It’s not embarrassing at all, and it’s not a small amount at all.”

Tae-kyung wasn’t just trying to comfort Kim Jin-kyung, who was feeling embarrassed. As someone who had paid off his brother’s debts, he knew the value of money better than anyone else.

“I knew you would say that, Doctor. And I have my own reasons for giving you the treatment costs.”

“Reasons?”

“Yes. Actually, my dream was to be a teacher for children, especially kids around Se-young’s age. Moreover, since she’s hospitalized in this hospital, I couldn’t just pass by. So please, accept this money.”

“I will. I’ll gratefully use it for Se-young’s treatment.”

Tae-kyung decided to accept the money because it didn’t seem right to refuse when she was saying all that.

“Thank you, Guardian.”

“I’m more grateful. I can’t thank you enough, Doctor. Then, I’ll go up.”

“Yes.”

Tae-kyung looked at Kim Jin-kyung’s drooping shoulders with pity and headed to the reception desk.

“This was received as a donation for Se-young, so please keep it separately.”

“I was waiting to tell the director anyway, but there are more donations.”

“More?”

“Yes. Take a look at this.”

When the receptionist opened a small box, there was a stack of white envelopes inside, just like the one Tae-kyung had just received.

“These are all the donations received so far.”

“You mean all of this is donations?”

“Yes, from patients who came for treatment today, guardians of those currently hospitalized, and even people who came just to donate and left envelopes.”

People were still coming to donate until dawn, even after a long day. And some people were donating to the hospital, asking them to use it for the hospital’s operation.

“There are so many grateful people. Let’s keep them safe for now.”

Tae-kyung had been busy since Se-young’s surgery and didn’t realize the extent of the interest in Se-young and the hospital. But this was just the beginning, and he had no idea that something huge would happen to the hospital shortly.

“We’ll hand over the donations when Se-young’s father arrives.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Tae-kyung headed to the examination room with a pleased expression.

* * *

Choi Mona, who had a brief respite in the emergency room, turned her steps towards the 3rd floor ward instead of the doctors’ office.

“Choi, are you here?”

Nurse Lim Jung-sook called out to Choi Mona, who had come up to the 3rd floor and was pacing back and forth like a puppy needing to pee, looking at the VVIP patient room.

“Yes, Doctor. Did you call me?”

“Did you come for rounds again today?”

“Pardon?”

“Rounds.”

“Ah, yes. That’s right. I came for rounds.”

Come to think of it, she had forgotten about the rounds. After Se-young’s surgery, she had been so focused on Se-young while seeing other patients that she had forgotten about the night rounds Tae-kyung had ordered.

“But your expression doesn’t seem like it?”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

“You didn’t come for rounds, did you?”

“No, I did. I came for rounds.”

“Aww, no you didn’t.”

Nurse Lim Jung-sook playfully nudged Choi Mona’s shoulder.

“It’s obvious you came for something else, isn’t it?”

“Something else, what are you talking about?”

“You came because of Se-young, right? To see if Se-young is okay.”

“Yes? No, Doctor. What are you talking about?”

“Really? I thought you came because you were curious if Se-young passed gas.”

“Did it come out? Gas?”

“Oh, our Choi has such a cute side. See? Anyone can tell you came because of Se-young.”

“Yes? I’ll be going now.”

“Why are you leaving already? Are you going without doing rounds?”

“It seems like there’s nothing special, and Doctor is here today, so I think it’ll be fine.”

Choi Mona, who had her true feelings exposed by Nurse Lim Jung-sook, tried to hide her embarrassed expression and went down the stairs.

‘So, did the gas come out or not? Should I have just asked?’

One might think that a doctor asking if a surgery patient passed gas isn’t a big deal, but it was for Choi Mona.

Until now, she had never shown any curiosity or asked about the results of patients she had treated, so even such a trivial question was a concern for her as a doctor.

‘I overreacted over nothing.’

While thinking this and that, Choi Mona felt something caught on her fingertips as she put her hand in her gown pocket.

“What is it?”

The thing caught on her fingertips was the letter Woo-jin had given her along with the Lemona candies.

She had forgotten that she had left the Lemona on her desk in the doctors’ office and kept the letter in her gown pocket.

“He folded it so neatly. But what kind of letter would Woo-jin write…”

Choi Mona, who thought that it would just have some simple expressions of gratitude, stopped walking the moment she unfolded the paper.

-I commend Doctor Dog-Mona.

Doctor Dog-Mona went to the bathroom with me because I was scared to go to the bathroom. And she gave Woo-jin the drink that she was going to drink.

When I told my mom and dad, they said she was a wonderful doctor who cares about her patients. I think so too.

Doctor Dog-Mona is a really wonderful doctor. So I commend Doctor Dog-Mona.

Thank you, Doctor. And Woo-jin really likes Doctor Dog-Mona. I don’t like her because she looks like my mom, I just like Doctor Dog-Mona.♥ -Lee Woo-jin-

The paper that Woo-jin gave as a letter was a kind of thank-you card.

‘Receiving a thank-you card instead of a complaint card from a patient. How is it? Pretty easy, right?’

The words Tae-kyung had said suddenly came to Choi Mona’s mind after reading the letter. It was the answer to how not to do rounds.

The words she had said to Tae-kyung when he asked if it was easy also came to mind one after another.

‘It’s not easy at all.’

Receiving a thank-you card from a patient was not easy at all and seemed like something that would never happen in the future. But she received it.

It wasn’t Kim Tae-kyung, who is recognized and trusted by all patients, or Lee Chan-hee, who laughs heartily while seeing patients. It also wasn’t Doctor [likely referring to another doctor], who is kind and caring to patients, or Lim Jung-sook, who takes good care of patients, or any other doctor.

The most rude and blunt person in our hospital who doesn’t say a warm word to patients.

A person who values her own emotions more than the patient. A person who doesn’t empathize with the patient’s pain.

It was Choi Mona herself.

She, who was the least likely to receive a thank-you card, received a thank-you card. And it was from a young patient who she felt was the most annoying, bothersome, and uncomfortable.

Children are different from adults.

Unlike adults, they accept others as they are without any prejudice.

They look at people with a pure heart, like a spotless snowfield, and don’t judge them rashly.

In the eyes of young Woo-jin, Choi Mona was not a blunt and rude doctor, but a grateful doctor who helped him.

“…….”

Choi Mona was stunned after reading the letter. She stood still in the middle of the stairs, like ice frozen in place.

“But I’m not like that…”

Choi Mona, who had been standing still, folded the letter again, put it in her gown pocket, and was going down the stairs.

“Doctor Choi?”

At that moment, someone called out to Choi Mona, who was still going down with a dazed expression. It was Tae-kyung, who had come out of the examination room and was heading to the emergency room.

“Did you go on rounds?”

“Ah, I just stopped by the ward for a moment.”

“Okay, I understand.”

“Excuse me, Doctor?”

“Yes, why?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Then ask me anything.”

“About what you said about how not to do rounds. Is that still valid?”

“You mean understanding the patient’s heart or receiving a thank-you card, a commendation card?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Of course, it’s still valid. Why are you asking this? It seems like you’ve found a way. Why? Did you understand the patient’s heart?”

“No, it’s not that…”

“Then did you receive a thank-you card?”

Tae-kyung knew that Choi Mona had received a letter from Woo-jin and asked on purpose. But Choi Mona didn’t tell the truth.

“No, I didn’t.”

She threw away the opportunity to stop doing the rounds that she didn’t want to do without hesitation.

“I didn’t receive it?”

“That’s… I haven’t received it yet. Then what should I do? Do I have to keep doing rounds?”

“What nonsense are you talking about? Of course, you have to keep doing them. Hurry up and go finish your rounds.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Choi Mona went back up to the ward she had come down from, holding Woo-jin’s letter in her gown.

“Is it thanks to Woo-jin and Se-young? The prickly one is evolving more and more.”

Tae-kyung looked at Choi Mona’s back with a proud expression and headed to the emergency room.

* * *

“Excuse me, are you a hospital employee?”

The person who came to put up a hopeful sticky note for Se-ra asked Chief Team Leader Choi.

“Yes, that’s right. I’m an employee of this hospital.”

“Is it okay to put this up here?”

“Of course. Many people have already put them up. I’ll take care of the cleaning, so feel free to put it anywhere you want.”

Chief Team Leader Choi responded cheerfully, looking at the yellow sticky notes that filled more than half of the wall.

That’s because hospital articles were being uploaded online every hour.

Chief Team Leader Choi, who was more sincere about public relations than anyone else, was happy that the hospital was receiving attention.

Large hospitals have a steady stream of patients even without any special promotions, but our hospital was not a large hospital, so the unexpected attention was welcome.

“By the way, where did Agent Jang go? I haven’t seen him since a while ago.”

Come to think of it, Jang Deuk-chil was strangely missing. The person who was standing in front of the main gate just 30 minutes ago was nowhere to be seen.

“Hello?”

-Yes, Chief Team Leader.

Chief Team Leader Choi, who had entered the inner courtyard of the main gate and was looking around, eventually called Jang Deuk-chil.

“I called because I couldn’t see Agent Jang, but where are you now?”

-Chief Team Leader, I’m at the corner.

“The corner?”

-The corner of the hospital wall. It’s towards the convenience store, but I think you need to come over here.

“You want me to come? Okay, I understand.”

Chief Team Leader Choi couldn’t understand why he was being asked to come when he was just a few meters away.

“Agent Jang?”

After walking a few meters, he saw Jang Deuk-chil standing with his broad back.

“What are you doing here?”