Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 210

210. Assemblyman Gam Deok-chan

“I’m Kim Tae-kyung, who are you?”

-Hello? Doctor.

The person who cautiously greeted him with a cheerful voice was the resident who had been in charge of Gam Ji-yeon.

The resident, who had been searching the internet, eventually asked the hospital staff and found out Tae-kyung’s phone number.

-I’m Kim Young-hoon, a resident working at Shinhwa University Hospital.

“I’m sorry. I don’t remember who you are.”

-No. You probably don’t know me, Doctor.

“But why are you calling?”

-First of all, I apologize for contacting you so abruptly. Actually, I’m calling about a patient transfer. Have you heard about the department store accident today?

“I saw it on the news.”

-Doctor, that patient actually came to our hospital. And that’s…

The resident explained the entire situation and asked Tae-kyung for a favor.

-We have no choice but to transfer the patient now. I feel so sorry to the patient and their guardian that I’m taking the liberty of contacting you, hoping you could take care of them.

“I understand what you’re saying. I’ve heard a lot about the new professor who came instead of me, so I know roughly what’s going on. Let’s do this. Transfer the patient to our hospital.”

-Yes? Is that really okay?

The resident asked back, surprised by the answer that showed no hesitation.

In fact, the resident hesitated for a moment before calling.

They had no personal connection, and even a small hospital was just as busy. Moreover, the patient had complicated circumstances, so the resident was sincerely grateful that Tae-kyung agreed so readily, making their worries seem pointless.

“Just send them over if the guardian agrees.”

-Thank you, Doctor. Thank you so much. I will definitely visit you later to express my gratitude.

The resident was so grateful that the greeting could be heard by Eui-jin, who was sitting across from Tae-kyung.

“Okay. First, send me a detailed text message about the patient’s overall condition, and of course, send the video and test results on a CD as well.”

-Yes, Doctor. I will do that. Thank you so much.

“Sunbae [senior colleague], what’s going on?”

Eui-jin asked, hearing the constant expressions of gratitude during the call.

“A patient is being transferred here.”

“Yes? Is it the patient from that department store accident? Which hospital is it from?”

“It was a resident from Shinhwa University Hospital, where I used to work.”

“No, why from Shinhwa University Hospital?”

From Eui-jin’s perspective, who didn’t know the inside story, it was natural to wonder why Shinhwa University Hospital would transfer a patient, especially to our hospital, which wasn’t even nearby.

“Apparently, the professor who came instead of me sends patients away for personal reasons.”

“Really? That’s strange.”

“Well, I heard about it from Senior Lee Dong-hoon. So, I just told them to send the patient over, thinking it would be uncomfortable for the resident.”

“Are they asking Sunbae to do their work for them? The rumors about Shinhwa University Hospital aren’t good these days.”

“That might be the case, but judging from what the resident said, I don’t think so. And I think the reason they contacted me was probably for the patient’s sake.”

“For the patient’s sake?”

“No, it’s just my gut feeling. Eui-jin?”

“Yes, Sunbae.”

“I’m sorry, but I’ll get up first. I’m going to see the patient and prepare.”

“I’m done eating too. Let’s go together.”

“Why? Eat more and come slowly.”

“I’m really done. They’ll operate on that patient as soon as they arrive, so I need to prepare too. Let’s go quickly.”

“Okay. Let’s go then.”

The two, who had been enjoying a leisurely dinner, got up from their seats and headed to the hospital.

* * *

Seoul, in an office-

“Is this data accurate?”

Gam Deok-chan, with his graying hair, picked up the data and stood up from his desk.

He was a four-term member of the National Assembly who maintained a clean image without causing any scandals in the dirty world of politics.

He had a good reputation as a representative who truly worked for the people, not just making empty promises with sweet talk during elections.

Even today, he was working late into the night, long after ordinary office workers had gone home.

“Yes, Assemblyman. I met all the residents in the scheduled demolition area and recorded what they said.”

“Ahem! If the numbers are this high, we shouldn’t proceed recklessly. The difference between this and what the construction companies submitted is too significant.”

“So, I requested the construction companies to revise it again this morning.”

“Good job. If they try to gloss over it like this, the powerless residents will ultimately suffer.”

“Yes, Assemblyman. Actually, the CEO of the construction company asked me to arrange a meeting with you, saying they wanted to ask you for a favor, so I refused.”

“What? Are there such crazy people?”

Gam Deok-chan, immediately realizing the intention to bribe him, raised his voice.

“Those dirty bastards are everywhere. If they ever utter such nonsense again, I’ll make sure to show them what’s what.”

“Yes, Assemblyman.”

“That’s right! Just a moment. You said you’re raising a daughter, right?”

Gam Deok-chan stopped the aide who was about to leave and asked.

“Yes.”

“How old is she this year? Is she in kindergarten?”

“Yes. I got married late, so she’s still young.”

“My granddaughter’s birthday is next month, and I wanted to send her a gift. What would be good?”

“Ah, your daughter…….”

Clang-

“Assemblyman!!!”

Just as the general aide was about to answer Gam Deok-chan, the chief aide burst into the room.

“Assemblyman, we have a big problem.”

“What is it, Chief? A big problem? Did another accident happen at the construction site?”

Gam Deok-chan wondered if it was related to the small accident that had occurred at the local construction site a while ago.

“No. Assemblyman, it’s just that… I just received a call from Secretary Yoo…”

“What on earth is going on that you can’t speak with such a pale face? Tell me quickly.”

“Your daughter has been in an accident.”

“An accident? Don’t tell me something happened to Ji, Ji-yeon?”

Gam Deok-chan’s expression grew increasingly grim, and then even more shocking words poured out of the aide’s mouth.

“We received a call saying that your daughter was a victim of the accident at the JQ Department Store that you saw on the news earlier.”

“What! What are you saying!!”

“Assemblyman?”

“Assemblyman!! Are you okay?”

The two aides caught Gam Deok-chan as he staggered.

He was a reliable member of the National Assembly to his constituents, but to his family, he was a negligent husband and father who they couldn’t see comfortably.

His wife, who had supported him throughout her life as the wife of a member of the National Assembly, had passed away first.

-Honey, please love our Ji-yeon a lot so she doesn’t feel lonely.

The last words of his deceased wife were concern for her busy husband and their only daughter who was left alone.

Gam Deok-chan, who had always prioritized work, tried to pay attention to his daughter from then on, but her heart was already closed.

‘What was Dad doing when Mom was lying sick? Has Dad ever been there for me when I needed him? I’m uncomfortable with you acting like this now.’

Her closed heart did not open easily, and Gam Deok-chan decided to find his daughter the best groom instead.

He wanted to find someone who would truly care for and cherish his daughter, and fill her happiness by letting her live the best life possible.

‘Hello. Father. My name is Lee Min-woo.’

Then one day, his daughter brought a man she was going to marry without any prior notice. He was an ordinary office worker with an ordinary face.

The moment Gam Deok-chan saw Lee Min-woo’s face, who smiled kindly and said he wanted to get married, he became angry.

‘Marriage? I was going to find you a good match on my own, how could you do this without discussing it with your father! What’s your annual salary? Do you have a house?’

‘Yes. My annual salary is…….’

‘That’s enough, Min-woo. Don’t answer. I didn’t come here to get Dad’s permission anyway, I came to inform you.’

‘Ji-yeon!!!’

‘I need a harmonious family more than money, and this is that kind of person.’

That’s how the father-daughter relationship rapidly froze, and Gam Ji-yeon no longer contacted her father after the marriage.

After that, Gam Deok-chan would occasionally swallow his longing while looking at his daughter and granddaughter from afar with the photos his secretary gave him.

He was lonely that he couldn’t be with them, but he was comforted by the happy 모습 [appearance] of his daughter with her family.

He even felt grateful to his son-in-law, who loved and cherished his daughter endlessly. His only wish was for the three of them to live happily.

But hearing the news of his only daughter’s accident, Gam Deok-chan felt like the world was collapsing. He couldn’t believe it.

“Are you sure you didn’t hear wrong? Is it certain?”

“I checked after hearing the news, and it’s confirmed.”

“……!”

In that moment, the photo of the department store accident scene that he had seen on the news earlier flashed through Gam Deok-chan’s mind.

The broken glass shards and the blood pooling on the floor were enough to guess how big the accident was.

He had been furious while watching the video, wondering how such companies could do such a thing, but he couldn’t believe that the victim was his daughter.

“The, the hospital? Where is the hospital? Are my granddaughter and son-in-law okay?”

“Yes, the two of them are safe. The hospital is a bit strange.”

“Strange?”

“She was first taken to Shinhwa University Hospital, but she was transferred while receiving treatment. It seemed like she was forced to be sent away.”

“Transferred while receiving treatment? That’s… Alright! Let’s quickly leave for the hospital where Ji-yeon is. Do you know where it is?”

“Yes, Assemblyman, she’s going to our hospital.”

“What! Our hospital?”

Our hospital referred to the hospital where the victim of the child abuse case was hospitalized, which Gam Deok-chan also knew.

“Is our Ji-yeon going to that hospital now?”

“Yes. Let’s go for now. I’ll escort you.”

“Ha!”

With a sigh that sounded like the ground was sinking, Gam Deok-chan called out his daughter’s name repeatedly in his mind and left the office in a daze.

‘Ji-yeon! Please just live.’

* * *

Our Hospital-

“No, this makes no sense! Huh!”

The person swearing harshly at Our Hospital was Lee Min-woo, Gam Ji-yeon’s husband.

A kind person was so angry that he was spewing out curses he had never uttered before.

“What’s going on! Are you in on this too?”

“Guardian, that’s not the case.”

Tae-kyung was slightly flustered by Lee Min-woo’s swearing, but calmly soothed him and explained again and again.

-Doctor, I have left with the patient’s guardian. However, the guardian is very angry right now, so it may be difficult to proceed with the surgery. I’m really sorry.

A text message had just arrived from the resident at Shinhwa University Hospital saying that the guardian was very angry.

Tae-kyung fully understood the guardian’s mind, which seemed to be turning inside out.

Without knowing the exact reason, they had brought a patient who needed immediate treatment from a large, well-equipped hospital to Our Hospital, so it was natural for their anger to explode.

“My wife… My Ji-yeon, ha! A sick person…….”

Lee Min-woo teared up slightly as he recalled what had happened at Shinhwa University Hospital earlier.

‘What do you mean, transfer! How can you say that now?’

‘I’m sorry, Guardian.’

‘Are you even a doctor? How can you send a patient away in this condition? Then you shouldn’t have said you would treat her in the first place.’

Lee Min-woo felt like he was going crazy at the sudden news that they couldn’t treat her.

He didn’t want to move his sick wife to another hospital again, but he had no choice but to transfer her because they kept repeating that they couldn’t treat her and told him to transfer her like a parrot.

“Guardian, I fully understand that you’re angry right now.”

“Understand? Do you know how I feel?”

Tae-kyung only had the thought of persuading the guardian quickly in his mind.

“Hey, Lee Min-woo! Please calm down a bit and listen to me.”