Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 370

Fifth Vital Sign – Episode 371 (370/502)

371. I Refuse Treatment

Tae-kyung and Jang Deuk-chil covered Yoo Hyuk-jin’s underwear-clad body with a thin blanket and moved him to the hospital room.

As they moved him, Nurse Im Jeong-suk, who was on the first floor, had already spoken with the nurses at the nursing station in the inner office, ensuring no one saw Yoo Hyuk-jin.

The hospital, which resumed receiving patients after Yoo Hyuk-jin was secured in the room, was now bustling with activity.

“Hello, this is our hospital. Are you inquiring about the emergency room? Yes, thank you.”

“You can come in for treatment now. Yes.”

“Welcome. Are you here for treatment?”

“Yes, I need to go to the emergency room.”

Besides the constant calls about treatment availability, the reception staff was swamped with patients arriving for outpatient services and the emergency room. The emergency room itself was equally hectic.

“Excuse me, I arrived earlier. Could I please be seen soon?”

“Ah, yes. I’ll be right with you.”

“Lee, bed number 7.”

“Yes, I’ll check the results and be there shortly.”

“Choi, please re-check the patient in bed 11.”

“Okay.”

Not only Lee Chan-hee and Choi Mona, but even Eui-jin came down to the emergency room to attend to the influx of patients.

“Have the X-ray results come in?”

Tae-kyung, after settling Yoo Hyuk-jin in his room, also came down to the first floor to see outpatient patients.

“Yes, Director. They’re ready.”

“Then, please call the patient in.”

Tae-kyung went directly to the examination room, and an elderly couple soon entered.

“Director, what happened? My husband and I only come to this hospital, so we were quite distressed when it suddenly closed,” the grandmother, who lived nearby, said, expressing her discomfort even before sitting down.

“Grandma is right. Other hospitals don’t offer general treatment at this hour, and the emergency room wait times are long. If this hospital isn’t available, people like us have nowhere to go,” the grandfather added, echoing her sentiment.

Tae-kyung wasn’t offended by their complaints. Instead, he felt sympathetic.

The elderly couple wasn’t alone in facing inconvenience due to the sudden closure.

Other patients visiting the emergency room voiced similar concerns and frustrations.

Unlike other hospitals, this one provided treatment even at night, catering to both general and emergency patients.

With numerous offices and restaurants in the vicinity, many office workers and self-employed individuals relied on the hospital’s extended hours.

Since it was difficult to seek medical attention during work hours, they often came late in the evening or early in the morning, just like this elderly couple.

Knowing their circumstances, Tae-kyung, like Kim Cheol-gi, had insisted on maintaining night treatment, despite the added burden.

No one knows what the future holds for our hospital, but for now, this arrangement is beneficial.

“We were so worried when the hospital closed.”

“We had an urgent internal matter and had to temporarily suspend patient intake. I apologize for the inconvenience. I’ll ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

“It shouldn’t. If Director Kim isn’t here, old people like us can’t comfortably go to the hospital. When old people go into the examination room, they don’t listen to us and it’s hard to communicate.”

“Yes, Grandpa. I’ll work harder in the future.”

“No, you’re already working hard enough. Don’t overwork yourself. Take care of yourself.”

“Yes, thank you. Looking at the X-ray, it’s not a herniated disc, but the symptoms resemble a lumbar sprain [muscle strain in the lower back]. Have you recently lifted anything heavy or strained your back?”

“The director is right. I was moving things in the store this morning, and my back started hurting then. He’s old, but he still thinks he’s young.”

“You should get physical therapy regularly for a while, and it’s best to rest until your back improves.”

“Rest from work? I don’t think it’s that bad… If I rest, Grandma has to work alone, which isn’t possible.”

“You can close the store for a few days, so don’t argue and listen to the director.”

“We can’t close the store.”

“It’s just two old people earning pocket money, but if you overdo it, something worse will happen. Trying to fix something you could have stopped with a hoe [small problem] with a rake [bigger problem] will cost a lot of money.”

“That’s true, but if the store closes, the customers…

“Enough. Even machines break down if you use them for too long, let alone our bodies that have lived for over 70 years.”

“Grandma is right. You should rest and eat well. Understand?”

“I understand. I’ve been forced to take a vacation. Grandma, shall we go on a trip?”

“A person with a backache wants to go on a trip. Just stay home and rest.”

“Rest at home, and I’ll give you a painkiller and a prescription. When you take the medicine, remember to drink plenty of water after meals.”

“The director always says that, so I know it well. Thank you for your hard work.”

“Yes, please leave carefully.”

After the elderly couple left the examination room, Tae-kyung checked on the emergency room situation.

The emergency room, which had been chaotic earlier, had stabilized somewhat.

“Director?”

Nurse Im Jeong-suk called out as she followed Tae-kyung out of the emergency room.

“Are you going back up to the hospital room?”

“Yes, I have to go back.”

“Then, you should take this with you.”

In the container Nurse Im Jeong-suk handed over were necessary medical supplies, such as nylon 4-0 [a fine suture material] and anesthetic injections, used for lacerations [cut wounds].

It was what she had prepared to treat Yoo Hyuk-jin’s wounds after he was moved to the hospital room.

“I was too busy to ask earlier, but is Yoo Hyuk-jin’s wound alright?”

“Fortunately, the wound isn’t very deep, but it needs to be sutured.”

“But he was fine in the hospital room. How did he get hurt?”

“I think he got hurt in the ventilation duct.”

“I guess he got hurt trying to escape. Anyway, I’m glad everything went well without anyone getting hurt. I didn’t say it, but I was so worried when the director and the team leader went into the ventilation duct.”

In fact, Nurse Im Jeong-suk didn’t say it out loud, but she prayed intensely.

She kept repeating, ‘Please, let nothing happen, and let no one get hurt.’

She was terrified because Yoo Hyuk-jin was a murderer.

“Seeing that, you’re really amazing. Weren’t you scared?”

“What are you talking about? I was so worried. Anyway, it seems like the situation is under control, but a small problem has arisen.”

“A small problem?”

Tae-kyung pointed to the medical supplies Nurse Im Jeong-suk handed over and continued, “Yoo Hyuk-jin refuses to receive treatment.”

“I wondered why you were taking this back up…”

Until Tae-kyung came down for outpatient treatment, Yoo Hyuk-jin had refused to have his wound treated.

“Why doesn’t he want to be treated?”

“Well, he won’t say, even when I ask. I have to go back and talk to him again. That’s right! I can’t see Oh…?”

“Mr. Oh has been working in the emergency room since earlier.”

Oh Chang-gyu, who had been in the hospital room, also came down to the emergency room to help.

It was partly to assist with the workload, but also to keep Yoo Hyuk-jin and Oh Chang-gyu separated for the time being, just in case.

The worry was that Yoo Hyuk-jin might try to escape again if they were together for too long.

“He’s probably in the inner bed area, so you couldn’t see him.”

“Is that so? What do you think, Ms. Jung?”

Tae-kyung nodded.

“When I came down to the emergency room earlier, his eyes were a little swollen, so I thought he had been crying. I wondered if he was fit to work, but when the other staff weren’t looking, he came to me, bowed his head, and apologized. But the person who used to work hard is working even harder, so I feel a little strange. What should I say…”

Nurse Im Jeong-suk paused, thought for a moment, and then continued, “Mr. Oh is close to Yoo Hyuk-jin, so rather than being scared, I feel sorry for him, seeing him hide his emotions and work so diligently. This might sound strange, but I’m worried about him because he’s been working so hard for over a month.”

“Why would that be strange? I feel the same way. The person who worked closely with him feels it even more. Then, can you call him now?”

“Are you going to go up with Mr. Oh?”

“Yes, I think that’s the only way to convince Yoo Hyuk-jin to get treatment.”

“A way? I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ll call him right away.”

“Yes. And call me if there’s an emergency.”

“Okay.”

Shortly after, Oh Chang-gyu, having been informed by Nurse Im Jeong-suk, quickly came out of the emergency room.

“Wo, Director. You called me…”

“Mr. Oh?”

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”

He didn’t even look Tae-kyung in the eye, bowed his head, apologized, and stared at the floor as if he had committed a terrible crime.

“Are you really sorry?”

“Yes? Yes. I’m really sorry.”

“If you’re that sorry, help me.”

“Yes? What do you mean…”

“I’m on my way to Yoo Hyuk-jin’s hospital room, and I need Mr. Oh’s help. Yoo Hyuk-jin is still refusing laceration [cut wound] treatment, but I think I can treat him if Mr. Oh helps me.”

“What can I do?”

“It’s simple. Just stand next to me.”

“……!”

“Let’s go up.”

Tae-kyung went up to the hospital room with a bewildered Mr. Oh.

Creak-

When they entered the hospital room, the prison officers were still trying to persuade Yoo Hyuk-jin.

“Hey! Are you really going to do this? Are you going to keep refusing?”

“You’re still bleeding. You should get treatment quickly.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, I know you’re sorry, so stop it and get treatment.”

“I don’t want to!”

Yoo Hyuk-jin didn’t react even when he saw Tae-kyung and Oh Chang-gyu entering the hospital room.

“Hyung [older brother/friend], you should get treatment. Even a small cut can get infected if you leave it like that.”

“Chang-gyu. What good is wound treatment now? I don’t need it. You should live your life now. I’m sorry for wasting your time by getting involved with me. Now, you and I are strangers. So don’t worry about me anymore and get out.”

“Hyung!”

“You! Are you really going to keep doing this?”

“Prison officer?”

“Yes. What is it?”

“I’m sorry, but can you unlock these handcuffs for a moment?”

“Why? Do you need to use the bathroom?”

“No. That’s not it…”

“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of escaping again?”

The senior prison officer said sternly, looking at Yoo Hyuk-jin, who had stopped talking.

“I’m going to jump out of that window and die.”

“……!”

The prison officers, surprised by Yoo Hyuk-jin’s declaration that he wanted to die by jumping out of the window (which was blocked from opening), were speechless.

“You want to die? Is that what you’re saying?”

“Number 1137, no, Yoo Hyuk-jin! Are you really going to keep this up?”

“……”

The prison officer raised his voice, but Yoo Hyuk-jin closed his mouth and lay on the bed. Then, he pulled the blanket over his head, covering his face.

The sight looked like a desperate attempt to block out reality.

The two prison officers and Oh Chang-gyu were at a loss for what to do.

Tae-kyung, who had been observing the situation from behind, suddenly pulled the blanket off Yoo Hyuk-jin.

“……!”

The sudden action surprised everyone, including Yoo Hyuk-jin himself.

“Mr. Yoo Hyuk-jin?”

Tae-kyung calmly and naturally sat down in front of the bed and addressed him.

“Are you really refusing treatment?”

“Yes, I’m not getting it.”

“No matter how minor the wound is, you can’t leave it untreated. You have to stop the bleeding and suture it.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be treated. Don’t worry about a guy like me. Go out and see real patients.”

“Mr. Yoo Hyuk-jin is also a real patient to me. Don’t say that. Get treatment. I don’t ignore patients who come to my hospital.”