Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 275

275. Get a Grip!!

“Sister-in-law?”

He had been frantically answering his phone due to Gu Min-woo’s injury when he saw Lee So-ri coming out of the emergency room with a dazed expression. He rushed to the waiting room.

“Hello. I’m CEO Kim Chang-hee. I’m so sorry about Min-woo’s accident.”

“More than that…….”

CEO Kim Chang-hee bowed deeply, offering his sincere apology.

He felt sorry and guilty for not protecting his cherished, beloved, and supportive younger brother. However, his heartfelt apology was unlikely to reach the distracted Lee So-ri.

All her attention was focused solely on her husband’s injury.

“How is Min-woo?”

“He was injured while filming a wire scene.”

CEO Kim Chang-hee summarized the accident as concisely as possible.

‘Are you that happy about signing the contract?’

The reason he didn’t go into detail was because he remembered the conversation he had with Gu Min-woo a few hours earlier during the filming break.

‘Of course, I’m happy, but the real reason is something else.’

‘Sky Forest is one of the top agencies in the country. Is there something better than signing with them?’

‘Yes, I’m sorry to you, CEO, but this is a better thing for me.’

‘What is it?’

‘So-ri is pregnant.’

‘Really! Your sister-in-law is pregnant? Is that true?’

‘Yes, I heard it from the hospital this morning. I’m going to be a dad now, CEO.’

‘Wow! This is a big deal. Congratulations, Min-woo. How great is that?’

‘Honestly, when I saw other people around me getting pregnant, I wondered if it would be that great. But now that my wife is pregnant, I feel…….’

‘You’re ecstatic, right?’

‘Yes, I feel like I have the whole world. The whole world is mine. My wife looks so amazing, and I want to do everything for her. I can’t express it in words.’

Gu Min-woo expressed his uncontrollable joy to CEO Kim Chang-hee without reservation.

Even though filming was tough today, it didn’t feel hard, and even the long waiting time was enjoyable.

‘Min-woo, you’re grinning from ear to ear!’

‘CEO, I’m really happy.’

CEO Kim Chang-hee, recalling Gu Min-woo’s happy expression when he said his wife was pregnant, didn’t say anything more.

CEO Kim was also someone’s husband and father. He knew how careful one had to be in the early stages of pregnancy.

He was worried that Lee So-ri might be shocked if she heard the whole story of the accident.

“CEO?”

However, Lee So-ri’s thoughts were different.

“CEO, I’m Min-woo’s wife.”

Lee So-ri, barely holding on with glazed eyes, said quietly.

“I’m his wife. Do you think I can understand just hearing that there was an accident during filming? At least I need to know how my husband got hurt, right? Yes!”

The quiet voice gradually rose, echoing in the waiting room.

“Quickly!!”

Faced with Lee So-ri’s desperate expression, CEO Kim Chang-hee had no choice but to tell the truth.

“He was filming a scene where he had to jump to the rooftop of a building, and the wire malfunctioned. At first, the wire was fine, but after repeated NGs [no-goods, meaning failed takes], he succeeded, and that’s when the wire snapped…….”

“……!”

Lee So-ri, upon learning the full story of the accident, was too shocked to say anything.

Her heart raced, her body went limp, and her hands trembled.

“Ha! How could that happen…….”

Having been a stuntman for so long without any major injuries, the news of her husband’s accident came as an even greater shock.

“I didn’t want to tell you because you’re pregnant, and I didn’t want to scare you.”

“I’m sorry…….”

While CEO Kim Chang-hee was speaking, a man suddenly entered the waiting room and bowed deeply to Lee So-ri, apologizing.

“I’m really sorry!”

With repeated apologies, Lee So-ri could immediately tell that he was Kim Sun-ho, the supporting actor who had kept making NGs at the beginning of the shoot. She had heard everything that had happened today from CEO Kim Chang-hee.

She never imagined that the actor, whom her husband had told her was also a former stuntman and whom she had cheered for, would be someone who envied her husband.

She felt pathetic for even purely supporting him.

“I’m really sorry that this happened.”

This time, another man’s voice was heard.

Kim Sun-ho had someone with him, who was the CEO of Sky Forest, the agency Gu Min-woo was supposed to sign with. He expressed his regret with a dismal expression.

“I’m the CEO of Sky Forest, who was about to sign a contract with Gu Min-woo. Although the accident happened today, the company’s position on the contract remains unchanged. We will spare no support from the agency if there is anything we can do to help Min-woo. And…….”

“Wait a minute. My Min-woo was going to sign with that famous company? But what’s the use of all that? Huh? Did you think I would be happy to hear that now?”

To Lee So-ri, whose heart felt like it was about to explode after hearing the news of the accident, the contract news was useless.

“My husband is injured and fighting for his life right now. What good is that damn contract?”

“I will also do my best to help Min-woo recover quickly.”

“You…….”

Lee So-ri, looking at the CEO of Sky Forest who was speaking with his head bowed, glared at Kim Sun-ho and said.

“Did you deliberately cause the NGs? Why did you do that?”

“I’m sorry…….”

Kim Sun-ho was anxious. He was scared and afraid.

He had just started to catch the public’s eye and was beginning to wear the badge of popularity, but he felt like Gu Min-woo was going to take that place away from him.

Gu Min-woo was better looking, had a better body, and was even a better actor than him. He knew that the public’s attention would turn to him the moment he debuted as a formal actor.

So he was jealous.

He was just lightly trying to prank Gu Min-woo the way his seniors used to prank him. That was really it.

He never thought about an accident when he caused the NGs.

But he never imagined that an accident would happen. He felt bad, as if the accident had happened because of him.

“I didn’t do it on purpose.”

“Did my husband bother you?”

“No, no. He never did. I was just jealous of Min-woo and played a little prank.”

“And you’re saying that now…… You’re playing with someone’s life right now! Do you understand!”

“…….”

“Get out!”

“……!”

“If you were me, do you think I would want to see you right now? If you hadn’t caused those NGs, Min-woo wouldn’t have had an accident! I don’t want to see your face, so get out of here right now!”

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”

“This is Min-woo’s bag, right?”

Ignoring Kim Sun-ho, who was kneeling and apologizing, Lee So-ri noticed the bag that her husband always carried when filming.

“Yes. That’s Min-woo’s bag. A staff member brought it over earlier.”

Muscle pain medication, various patches, a towel, a jump rope for warm-up, and an extra T-shirt were messily packed in the bag. And among the chaotic belongings, a small mint-colored box caught her eye.

“Min-woo bought that at a nearby department store during the break earlier. He promised your sister-in-law a while ago…….”

Even without listening to CEO Kim Chang-hee’s kind explanation, Lee So-ri immediately knew that the box contained a ring.

It was a famous brand ring that she and her husband had seen in a department store window a long time ago when they were in college.

‘Min-woo, isn’t this ring pretty?’

‘It is pretty, but damn! How can a ring be so expensive?’

‘It is expensive.’

‘I’ve never seen such an expensive ring before.’

‘I heard that Audrey Hepburn also fell for this ring.’

‘Really? Do you want it? This oppa [term used by younger women to refer to older men, often romantic interest] will buy it for you later.’

‘Oppa my foot……. And how can you buy something so expensive?’

‘Later, when I make a lot of money, I’ll propose with that ring.’

‘Yeah, right.’

‘Hey! I’m serious. Just you wait. I’ll succeed and make sure that ring is on Lee So-ri’s finger.’

It was also famous as a wedding ring among women, but since it was such an expensive ring, she thought her husband was just joking.

But after a long time, she didn’t know that her husband would keep that joke-like promise.

Looking back, her husband was always a man who kept his promises.

Especially promises he made with her, he would keep them no matter what.

“But why! Sob!”

At that moment, Lee So-ri, recalling the past, grabbed the mint-colored box and shouted while crying.

“Why! Why didn’t you keep this promise……. You said you wouldn’t get hurt!”

“Si, Sister-in-law?”

The CEO, surprised by the sudden outburst, tried to comfort Lee So-ri, but it was no use.

“You have to put it on my finger yourself. Do you think I’ll be happy if you just buy something like this? It’s more important to me and Haengun [meaning ‘luck’, likely the name of their unborn child] that you’re not sick……. Sob!”

Lee So-ri couldn’t continue speaking, overwhelmed by the rising sadness and frustration.

“Sob! Honey……!”

Thud-

Lee So-ri, crying like a sorrowful child, finally fainted.

“Sister-in-law!! Wake up!”

“Someone collapsed.”

“Here!”

CEO Kim Chang-hee, who was startled, supported the collapsing Lee So-ri, and when Kim Sun-ho and his CEO shouted loudly, nurses soon entered.

“She, she is currently pregnant. She collapsed while crying.”

“Move aside!”

While the nurses were taking care of the collapsed Lee So-ri, Euijin, who had received the call, quickly ran in.

“What happened?”

“She heard about her husband’s accident and collapsed while crying.”

“First, move her to the bed and take her for an examination. Be careful.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“Doctor, will my sister-in-law be okay?”

“We’ll have to do an examination to know for sure, but don’t worry too much.”

“Please take good care of her.”

Creak-

Euijin and the nurses, who had moved Lee So-ri to the bed, hurriedly left the waiting room.

“Ha! What are we going to do?”

With Gu Min-woo and Lee So-ri collapsing, CEO Kim Chang-hee felt like he was going crazy.

Kim Sun-ho, who was next to him, felt even worse, as if he was dying of guilt.

* * *

Intensive Care Unit-

Taekyung forcefully plunged the scalpel deeply below the chest. Then, Gu Min-woo’s lungs began to be visible to the naked eye.

He had stabbed the scalpel that deep.

“……!”

“!?”

No matter how long they had been in the emergency room, nurses never saw a patient’s chest opened with a scalpel and their lungs and heart exposed.

Although the emergency room was a place where they crossed the line between life and death and saw all sorts of scenes, they had never seen anything like this.

“……!”

“D, Doctor…….”

“Th, That is…….”

At that moment, when the medical staff, surprised by the unprecedented sight, were at a loss for words, Taekyung, who was looking around, picked up a cutter (a surgical tool that looks like pliers, used to cut bones).

“Pour!”

Then, he shouted with a very aggressive expression.

“What are you doing! Pour it quickly!”

The nurse next to him poured the povidone [antiseptic solution] that had been prepared on Taekyung’s hands and the cutter.

Clunk- Clunk- Clunk-

And with the dull sound, Taekyung broke Gu Min-woo’s ribs one by one with the cutter, opening his chest and securing a view so that the heart was visible.

Although he had tried to maintain sterilization, Taekyung’s resolute eyes seemed to disregard such things.

He knew better than anyone how important sterilization was, but now, saving the patient was more important.

‘It’s, it’s the heart. To see the heart in the emergency room.’

Lee Chan-hee calmed his surprised heart and said inwardly.

A chest incision, which was rare even in the operating room, was performed in the emergency room treatment room in an instant. Moreover, it was done by breaking the ribs recklessly, far from being careful.

“What!”

Taekyung, now realizing that everyone was dumbfounded, shouted as if he had no choice.

“Aren’t you all getting your act together! If it were a typical cardiac tamponade [compression of the heart caused by fluid collecting in the sac surrounding the heart], it would have ended with pericardiocentesis [procedure to remove fluid from the sac surrounding the heart]. But Gu Min-woo has a lot of bleeding to the point where his blood pressure is dropping, and if we do pericardiocentesis in this state, the only pressure that was stopping the bleeding will disappear, and there will be more bleeding. Get your act together! Are you going to let the patient go like this?”

Taekyung’s resolute and clear shout was enough to awaken the surprised medical staff.

“Get your act together! We need to stop the bleeding right now!!”