Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 143

Fifth Vital Sign – Episode 143

143. Small Misfortune, Great Happiness

“If this is your first visit, please fill out your name and date of birth here and have a seat.”

After completing the registration, Lee Yong-hyun sat down, waiting for his turn.

He seemed lost in thought, staring at the hospital wall with anxious eyes.

“Lee Yong-hyun?”

“Yes.”

At the receptionist’s call, Lee Yong-hyun stood up.

“What brings you in today? Which department are you visiting?”

“…My back. I came because my back hasn’t been feeling well.”

Caught off guard by the question, Lee Yong-hyun offered a vague excuse.

“Okay, I understand. You’ll be able to go in soon.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Lee Yong-hyun?”

Soon after, Nurse Lim Jeong-sook called his name and led Lee Yong-hyun to the examination room.

“Yes.”

“Please go into the examination room. Doctor, this is patient Lee Yong-hyun.”

“Hello.”

“Yes, hello.”

“Please have a seat over here.”

Tae-kyung greeted Lee Yong-hyun with a warm smile as he entered, gesturing to a chair.

“I understand you’re here today because your back isn’t feeling well. How is your back bothering you?”

“Um… Doctor?”

“Yes, patient.”

“I didn’t come because of my back.”

“Then, is there something else that’s bothering you?”

“No. Nothing else hurts. Actually…”

Lee Yong-hyun paused for a moment before continuing.

“I am Lee Seung-hee’s father, and the guardian of Do Seung-won, who is hospitalized here after surgery.”

“Ah… I see. That’s who you are.”

As Lee Yong-hyun revealed his identity, Tae-kyung began to understand the situation.

“I’m sorry for coming here so abruptly.”

“No, it’s alright.”

“There’s something I wanted to ask you.”

“You’re not here because you’re sick, are you?”

Aside from the worried expression, Lee Yong-hyun’s face looked healthy. Tae-kyung didn’t detect any signs of the Fifth Vital Sign [a fictional concept in the story, likely referring to a hidden or unspoken ailment], but he still checked to see if anything was amiss.

“No, I’m not.”

“I understand. Just a moment. Nurse Lim?”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“Are there any outpatients waiting for treatment right now?”

“No, there aren’t any at the moment.”

Tae-kyung asked about outpatients because, if there were any, he would need to see them first.

He understood Lee Yong-hyun’s concerns, but this was a hospital, and patients always had to come first.

“Let me know immediately when a patient arrives.”

“Understood.”

Click-

“I’m sorry for taking up your time.”

“It’s alright since there are no outpatients right now. Please, go ahead.”

“In Do Seung-won’s case, will he be able to walk again?”

“He can walk using a prosthetic leg. Of course, he’ll have to do rehabilitation exercises and get used to the prosthetic, but I believe he’ll be able to walk sufficiently with a prosthetic leg.”

“I see. I’m sorry, but I have one more question.”

“Feel free to ask.”

“I looked it up briefly, and it said that patients who have experienced similar accidents have a high probability of suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder afterward. I even read that some people are so distressed that they have difficulty with social life. Is it possible that Do Seung-won could also experience that?”

Lee Yong-hyun was concerned about Do Seung-won’s future well-being. He knew that if Do Seung-won struggled, his daughter would also suffer.

It was an important question for him because it could potentially affect two lives.

“I don’t think I can give you a definitive answer right now. Everyone is different. Some people who seem resilient struggle, and vice versa. It depends on how the patient accepts and overcomes these challenges in the future.”

“Now that I hear you say that, I think you’re right. Then, would it be helpful for the people around him to offer strength and support?”

“I think it would be very helpful.”

Tae-kyung understood Lee Yong-hyun’s feelings and answered as sincerely as possible.

“Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions. It was very helpful.”

“You’re welcome.”

Lee Yong-hyun, who had started walking towards the examination room door after politely greeting him, turned back to Tae-kyung.

“Doctor, please take good care of that young man. Goodbye.”

Click-

Lee Yong-hyun, after leaving the examination room, went to the reception desk.

“I’m here to pay for my visit.”

“Mr. Lee Yong-hyun, there’s no charge.”

“Pardon? There’s no charge?”

“The director said there’s no charge. You can go ahead.”

“Thank you. Is it possible to visit an inpatient right now?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Could you tell me Do Seung-won’s room number?”

After confirming the room number, Lee Yong-hyun went up to the second floor. He stopped in front of the private room with Do Seung-won’s name on it and knocked.

Knock knock-

“Yes.”

Creak-

“……!”

Lee Seung-hee, who opened the door, was surprised to see Lee Yong-hyun and couldn’t find the words to speak.

“Seung-hee, who is it?”

“Oh, uh. That’s…”

Instead of his flustered daughter, Lee Yong-hyun entered the room.

“Seung-won?”

“Ah, Father!”

Do Seung-won was also surprised to see Lee Yong-hyun.

“How’s your body…”

“Dad, come out and talk to me.”

Quickly regaining his composure, Do Seung-won tactfully asked Lee Seung-hee to get them a drink, creating a private space for him and Lee Yong-hyun.

“Okay. I’ll go get it.”

Worried about leaving the two alone, Lee Seung-hee nodded repeatedly at Do Seung-won and left the room.

Creak-

“I should greet you properly, but I’m sorry for the way I am.”

“No, it’s okay. How’s your body?”

“The surgery went well, and I’m fine.”

“Seung-won?”

“Yes, Father.”

“I heard that you saved our Seung-hee before. Thank you for that, and thank you for everything now.”

“It was nothing, Father.”

“I know it’s rude to talk about this to someone who just had surgery, but I’ll still ask. Can you make our daughter happy?”

“Yes, Seung-hee is more precious to me than my own life.”

Do Seung-won answered without hesitation.

Lee Yong-hyun could see that those words, “more precious than life,” were sincere.

“I am confident that I can make her happy.”

“Do you have a specific plan for that confidence?”

“Yes, I do. I’m planning to work in an office job instead of a field job in the future. I think that if I work in the field, it will harm not only my team members but also myself. And I’m going to study while working and then go to graduate school.”

Contrary to Lee Yong-hyun’s expectation of a vague answer, Do Seung-won seemed well-prepared.

“I’m sorry to say this in this state, but if you allow us, we will live happily ever after.”

“Can you promise me that you will not be discouraged by anything in the future and that you will rehabilitate bravely?”

“That promise is one I’ve already made to Seung-hee and to myself, so I will work hard to rehabilitate.”

“Work so hard to rehabilitate that you walk into the wedding hall on two feet without crutches and hold our Seung-hee’s hand.”

“……!”

Too surprised, Do Seung-won could only open his mouth, speechless.

“I guess you don’t like it since you’re not saying anything. Do you not like it?”

“Ah, no. It’s not that, I’m just too surprised…”

“So, what’s your answer?”

“Of course… of course. I promise you, Father.”

Do Seung-won stuttered, overwhelmed by the unexpected news of the marriage approval.

“I will definitely keep it.”

“Okay. I’ll be watching you. Take good care of yourself, and let’s talk in detail when you’re in better shape.”

“I’ll see you soon.”

Lee Yong-hyun finally accepted Do Seung-won.

To be honest, his heart wasn’t 100% open yet. But after considering what future would make his daughter the happiest, he concluded that it was for them to be together.

He thought he would regret it later if he tore a polite, good-natured, and promising young man away from his daughter because of his job or accident.

“I’ll go now. Take care of yourself.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much, Father.”

Do Seung-won knew that Lee Yong-hyun had made a difficult decision and vowed countless times to live a good life, endlessly grateful.

Creak-

“Dad…”

Lee Seung-hee, holding drinks in both hands, met Lee Yong-hyun coming out of the room.

Lee Seung-hee had been listening to the conversation between the two through the slightly opened door after getting drinks from the hospital vending machine.

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Lee Yong-hyun hugged Lee Seung-hee, who was crying, without saying anything special.

“I know you made a difficult decision. We’ll show you a better side of ourselves in the future.”

“Of course, you have to. Otherwise, I’ll change my mind.”

“We’ll do well so that you don’t have to.”

“It’s your choice, and your mom and I trust you, so we respect your choice. So, take responsibility for that choice and be happy.”

“Yes, Dad. I promise.”

“Okay. Go back in now. I’ll go.”

Lee Seung-hee saw Lee Yong-hyun off and returned to the room with Do Seung-won, unable to hide her happiness.

“Oppa?”

“Did your father leave?”

“Yeah. He just left. I actually never thought Dad would allow it. So, I feel so overwhelmed right now.”

“I’m wondering if this is a dream. I suddenly thought of the book my father gave me.”

“Book?”

“Our father is a bookworm. Before coming to Seoul from Jeju Island [a South Korean island known for its natural beauty], he gave me a book as a gift, and he wrote this directly on the first page. That sentence seems to be talking about our situation right now.”

“What did he write?”

“‘The wisest of men would rather not have his mind turned to the consideration of what is bad, but always to hold fast to what is good; for the consideration of evil increases evil, and the consideration of good increases good.’ La Rochefoucauld [a French author of maxims] said that, and I was so impressed that I memorized it like a motto.”

“That’s a really good saying. Then we’re wise people.”

“Of course. Our father’s theory is, ‘If you think you’re happy, happiness will surely come.’ Seung-hee, let’s live wisely, thinking of misfortune as small and happiness as big.”

“Yeah. Let’s live so that both of our parents can see us and be proud of us.”

The two, who had wisely overcome the misfortune that had befallen them, hugged each other and dreamed of a happy future.

* * *

The next morning.

Tae-kyung was on his way down to the first floor after seeing a patient on the third floor.

“Hello, Doctor.”

Sister Kim Ye-beun, who was coming up from the first floor, greeted him happily with a book in her hand.

“Hello, Sister.”

Sister Kim Ye-beun, whom he had met at a medical volunteer event, was hospitalized after undergoing surgery to remove parasites from her small intestine.

“It’s still early. Where have you been?”

“The hospital front yard is small, pretty, and quiet, so I went there to have morning mass alone.”

“Sister, you’re diligent.”

“What are you talking about? If we’re talking about diligence, I’m just showing off in front of you right now, Doctor.”

“Pardon?”

“I mean, this is nothing compared to someone who takes care of patients day and night.”

“Ah! I see. By the way, has your appetite decreased a bit?”

“Yes. It’s really amazing. I used to eat a lot. But since the surgery, I can’t eat as much as I used to. And of course, my stomachaches are gone too.”

“Anything in moderation is good. You’re being discharged this afternoon, right?”

“I’m just receiving favors from you, Doctor.”

“You’re welcome. Then I’ll see you later.”

“Yes, take care.”

Tae-kyung, after talking to Sister Kim Ye-beun, was heading to the emergency room after coming down to the first floor.

Rrrrrrrrrr

The smile disappeared from Tae-kyung’s face as he instinctively reached for his cell phone ringing in his gown pocket.

His footsteps, which had been heading to the emergency room, made a U-turn to the examination room, the phone still ringing.

The caller ID on the cell phone screen was Go Gye-deuk, the director of Shinhwa University Hospital.

Click-

“Hello.”