Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 152

Fifth Vitality – Episode 152 (152/502)

Episode 152. The Man of Mystery and His Soliloquy

Yeoul-dong Culture Street—

This place was always bustling with people.

From buskers with guitars, to dancers showcasing flamboyant moves, to people leisurely enjoying coffee in cafes.

People were spending their time in restaurants, cafe streets, and more.

Among the crowd seemingly enjoying themselves, a young man in his twenties sitting on a bench stood out.

“No, no, that’s not right. If we go that way, we’ll be the ones who get hurt. No way!”

“Hahaha! I know, right? Yeah, I did that. Hehehe!”

He was talking to someone with a serious expression, but then suddenly started laughing as if nothing had happened.

“Ah! That’s hilarious! I’m going crazy.”

However, the gazes of people passing by the man were strange.

“Honey? Did you see that?”

“Yeah. You too?”

A couple passing by the bench exchanged surprised looks.

“Yeah. I think that guy is a little weird.”

“Right. There’s no one there…”

“I thought he was on the phone at first.”

“These days, it’s best to be careful if someone seems even a little strange. Let’s go quickly.”

“Okay.”

The man sitting on the bench was talking to himself, as if having a vivid conversation with someone who wasn’t there.

‘Be careful! They’re coming to get you soon.’

“No way. If I get caught this time, I really won’t let it go…”

‘Die! There’s no hope for a human like you.’

“Shit! Shut up! Don’t you dare say whatever you want.”

The man, who had been muttering seriously, suddenly saw his phone vibrating and jumped up from his seat.

‘See that? You’re now a rat in a trap.’

“Don’t make me laugh. I’ll never get caught.”

Then, as if being chased, he cautiously looked around and entered the alley across the street.

“I am a great wizard. So, I am different from them.”

The man, lingering in the alley, once again uttered strange words that made no sense. Then, he looked at a few restaurants across the street and soon ran into one of them.

“Everyone, run away! Huh? Everyone needs to run away!”

“Kyaa!”

“What’s wrong with this guy?”

Five minutes later, screams were heard from inside the crowded restaurant.

“Hey! What are you doing? Huh!”

“Is this guy crazy?”

“Boss, please call the police.”

“What are you looking at! What do you know to be talking about!”

“Hey! If you’re drunk, go home and sleep it off.”

The man, who had gotten into a fight with several people, continued to repeat incomprehensible words and actions before running out of the restaurant.

“Treatment… I need treatment. This is dangerous. Let’s hurry.”

The man, who came out of the restaurant, looked at his arm and began to look for a hospital.

* * *

“Ugh. Oh, I’m so tired!”

Lee Chan-hee patted his back and slumped into a chair at the emergency room station.

“Lee, are you back from rounds?”

“I’m back from rounds.”

“But why were you gone for so long?”

Nurse Lim Jeong-sook asked, curious about the unusually long rounds.

“I got caught by Grandma Geum-ja in room 201.”

“Ah…”

At the mention of Grandma Geum-ja, Lim Jeong-sook nodded understandingly. Grandma Geum-ja was a patient who had undergone appendicitis surgery. She was a bright and kind person, but her excessive talking was a bit tiring.

“Soo, is there any blood coming out of my ears?”

“Ugh. Don’t exaggerate. It’s not that bad.”

“I finished my rounds and was coming down when she called me over, so I thought I’d listen to her until a call came. But for some reason, no calls came today.”

“It seems like no calls went out so that our Lee could keep Grandma Geum-ja company.”

“Ha! She speaks so fast. Anyway, she’s something else.”

“As you get older, you have fewer people to talk to, so she probably did that even more. You did a good job.”

“By the way, how long will it take for the doctor to come?”

“I heard he said he was leaving a while ago, so I don’t think it will be long.”

“I wish he would come later.”

“Why?”

“It seems like more patients flock to the hospital when the doctor is here.”

“Hey, that’s because there are many patients looking for the doctor.”

“That could be true. My friend Gae-mona, no, Choi Mona. What are you doing? Anyone would think you’re studying.”

“She’s looking for a thesis.”

Nurse Lim Jeong-sook answered instead of Choi Mona, who was engrossed in her tablet.

“Why a thesis all of a sudden?”

“Oh, just because the doctor’s thesis is interesting.”

“What! Choi Mona. You understood that thesis? I got dizzy just hearing the topic.”

“Of course, I asked. But when the doctor explained it to me, it was more interesting than I thought.”

“I don’t want to get close to theses yet.”

“New patient in bed 12.”

While they were talking, they were informed that a new patient had arrived.

“I’ll go.”

“Oh! Choi, thank you. Thanks.”

“Lee also has work to do. The test results for the patient in bed 3 are out, so check them.”

“Yes, I’ll check them.”

Choi Mona and Lee Chan-hee, who had taken a short break, headed to their respective patients.

Chareuk-

“Hello…”

Choi Mona, cheerfully opening the curtain of bed 12 and greeting the patient, trailed off in embarrassment at the unexpected situation.

“Honey, if there’s something wrong with me…”

“Don’t say that. Nothing will happen to my dear.”

“No. You saw it too. I think it’s going to be hard for me.”

A young couple was sitting on the bed, holding each other’s faces and having an affectionate conversation.

The two people, so close as if they were the only ones in the world, didn’t even notice Choi Mona’s approach.

“Excuse me…”

“Honey, the doctor is here.”

“Oh my! I’m sorry. We were so out of it that we didn’t even know the doctor had come.”

“It’s okay. But which one of you is the patient…”

“I, I’m the patient… sob!”

The woman, who had raised her hand, suddenly seemed to burst into tears again as her emotions surged.

“Honey, why are you doing this? The doctor will be surprised.”

“I’m sorry. When I heard the word ‘patient,’ I kept having bad thoughts…”

“It’s okay. It’s okay.”

Unlike the man comforting the woman, Choi Mona was not surprised.

She just thought that the patient must be in very bad condition and that she should see her quickly.

“Where does it hurt, patient?”

“Doctor, I’ve been seeing blood in my stool for a few days.”

“Are you talking about hematochezia [the passage of fresh blood through the anus]?”

“Yes… Doctor, is it serious? I looked it up on the internet, and it said that it’s not good if a healthy person sees blood in their stool…”

“It said it could be colon cancer, so we’re both very worried.”

“Doctor, I have to get married soon… sob! I can’t leave this person alone.”

“Honey, are you going to say that again? Where are you going? Actually, we’re getting married in a month.”

The soon-to-be-married couple, overflowing with affection, felt as if the world was collapsing due to the sudden hematochezia.

“Doctor, I don’t have colon cancer, do I?”

“Just because you have hematochezia doesn’t necessarily mean you have colon cancer. Hematochezia can appear as a symptom of various diseases, so let’s start with a test.”

“Yes.”

“Doctor, please take good care of her.”

After that, Choi Mona performed the test on the woman, and since the patients weren’t backed up, the results came out quickly.

“Choi? The results for number 12 are out.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Choi Mona, checking the test results on the station monitor, nodded and muttered to herself before heading to the patient.

“If the results are like this, there’s only one cause.”

Chareuk-

“Patient?”

“Yes, Doctor, what are the results? Is it bad?”

“No. There’s nothing bad in the test results.”

“Really? Really? Thank you.”

“See? I told you it wouldn’t be bad.”

“Then why did the blood come out?”

“In order to find out the cause, we need to do one more test, but first, could the guardian please step outside for a moment?”

“Me? We’re getting married, so it’s okay. Right, honey?”

“Yes. It doesn’t matter if he’s here.”

“Are you really okay with me having to look at your anus?”

“Ha, my anus?”

“Yes. Is it okay? We’ve already registered our marriage…”

“Okay! Get out of here quickly!”

Unlike the nonchalant groom-to-be, the bride-to-be, who had been speaking politely, jumped up and pushed the man’s back at the word ‘anus.’

“Honey, are you embarrassed between us? I’m okay.”

“I’m not okay. Be quiet and get out of here quickly!”

“Okay. You’re so cute!”

“Get out now!”

Chareuk-

“Doctor, I’m sorry, but do you really have to look there?”

Even if she is a woman and a doctor, it would not be easy to show her anus. Moreover, it would be even more so if it was her first time like the patient now.

In fact, patients say that they feel more shame than pain when they receive their first anal examination.

“Can’t I just go if the test results are normal?”

“If you go now, you won’t be able to know why you’re seeing blood in your stool and take appropriate action. Would you be okay with that? You’ve already come to the hospital, so I think it would be better to get a checkup.”

Choi Mona calmly persuaded the hesitant patient.

“I guess so?”

“Yes, it won’t take long.”

The woman, unable to leave with an uneasy feeling after coming to the emergency room, eventually took the position as Choi Mona instructed.

“Lie on your side on the bed and take the shrimp position [fetal position].”

“Like this?”

“Yes, that’s right. You have to relax and make an ‘ah’ sound.”

“Ah~~”

“Don’t be surprised and relax as much as possible.”

Choi Mona put on gloves and applied gel to her finger.

“One more time.”

“Ah~~Aaaah! Ugh!”

The patient’s voice, which had been ringing out steadily, suddenly rose to a high pitch, and the examination ended quickly.

“Yes, it’s all over.”

“Already?”

“Honey, is it over?”

“Yes. Come in.”

Chareuk-

“Doctor, what’s the reason?”

“The reason why you saw blood in your stool was because of an anal fissure [a small tear in the lining of the anus].”

“Anal fissure? If it’s an anal fissure, is it a type of hemorrhoid?”

“Not exactly, but it’s a related condition.”

The woman’s diagnosis, who had been crying and worrying about colon cancer, was an anal fissure, caused by a tear in the anus.

“Have you had a hard stool recently?”

“Ah! Yes. I have. I’ve been dieting severely because of the wedding, so I’ve been a little constipated.”

“It seems that you strained while passing stool due to constipation, causing a tear around your anus. Fortunately, your condition is not severe right now, so take a sitz bath [a warm, shallow bath] in warm water, drink water often, and, above all, don’t go on a severe diet. You can pay and leave.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

The soon-to-be-married couple, who had been worried with a look as if they were going to die tomorrow, regained their vitality as if nothing had happened and left the emergency room.

Choi Mona, watching the couple holding hands affectionately, was walking to the station when suddenly,

“Hello! Treatment!”

The emergency room door, directly connected to the outside, suddenly opened, and a young man shouted so loudly that the room shook.

“I need treatment!”

The sound was so loud that all the patients in the beds, as well as the medical staff, were startled.

“Uwaaah!”

Not only that, but even the young child who had barely fallen asleep after receiving treatment burst into tears in surprise.

‘You 병x [byeongshin – Korean slang for idiot]! Can’t you even say that one thing right?’

“I’ll take care of it, so you just stay still from now on. Got it?”

‘You’re talking nonsense. What can you do without me?’

“Shut up!”

The man, shouting that he needed treatment, spat out harsh words as if talking to someone.