Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 42

42. A Doctor’s Stamina!

“Thank you for the fitting. It must have been tiring.”

“A little. It’s no easy task.”

“Sometimes, brides-to-be even get sick after dress tours.”

The bride-to-be, with her wedding just around the corner, was choosing the most important thing: her wedding dress.

“Then, I’ll leave you to talk comfortably with your mother.”

“I’m sure you have other appointments. It’s okay.”

“The next client rescheduled, so Ms. Choi Mi-ri, you’re the last one. Feel free to look through the album and chat.”

“Thank you.”

Click-

“Mom? Aren’t you tired? This is quite a workout.”

“Tired? Not at all. Besides, my daughter looks so beautiful.”

“Of course, whose daughter do you think I am?”

The affectionate daughter sat next to her mother and opened the dress album.

“Shouldn’t you be here with Yoo, your fiancé?”

“I’ll come with him when we’re selecting the final look. Which one do you like, Mom?”

“Mom thinks this one is prettier.”

“Me too. The cafe reviews said the staff here are friendly and the dresses are the prettiest.”

“Mom liked the very last one you wore. The one with the sparkles and that flared out from the waist. You looked like a real princess.”

“I liked that ballgown the best too.”

“Then, let’s go with that one.”

“No, Mom. I think I’ll go with a different one.”

“Why? Is it too expensive?”

The mother asked, noticing her daughter’s hesitation.

“It’s an imported brand, and the crystals are all handmade, so it’s a bit pricey. So, I’m thinking of going with the second one.”

“Mi-ri? Just get that one.”

“No, Mom. All the dresses are pretty, so I don’t mind. And saving that money to get something else for the new house is a much better deal.”

The mother’s heart ached at her daughter’s words.

Born to poor parents, her daughter had never once asked for something she wanted or said she wanted to buy something.

She had graduated from college with scholarships and saved every penny during her beautiful twenties to gather her own wedding funds.

‘My sweet daughter, when did she grow up so much?’

And now, that daughter was marrying a decent and upright young man.

The mother, along with the father, wanted to make sure their daughter had the wedding she wanted this time.

“Mom, are you crying?”

“No. Mi-ri, actually, I was going to tell you when your father got here, but your mom and dad saved up some money working at construction sites.”

“What! No way. It’s enough to stay within the budget with Oppa [older brother/boyfriend/husband figure].”

The daughter, living away from home, thought her parents had stopped working at the construction sites.

“I feel bad that Dad and Mom had to go through so much because of me…”

It was never an easy job for her father, who had a bad leg, and her mother, who was frail. After much persuasion, they had told her they found other, easier work, and she had believed them.

“Why did you go back to that hard work?”

“It wasn’t hard because there were many uncles who used to work with us.”

“Mom, I can’t accept that money.”

“Your dad and I would be really upset if you said that. It’s not a lot of money.”

The mother spoke firmly to her daughter for the first time.

“Let your mom and dad do something for you properly, just this once. I’m sorry we can’t do more.”

The daughter had never once felt that her parents were lacking. She wasn’t ashamed of her poor family.

They may have been short on money, but they taught her how to live honestly and without shame, and they were always harmonious, for which she was grateful.

“Mom…”

“Don’t cry. If you cry here, I think I’ll start crying too.”

“Okay. Dad sent me a KakaoTalk [Korean messaging app] earlier. Should I send him the pictures?”

“Yes. Your dad would love to see them.”

“But where did Dad go today?”

“Oh! Someone he used to work with asked him for some help… He’ll be back in a few days.”

The wife couldn’t bring herself to tell her daughter that her husband had been holding a one-person protest for the overdue payments.

-Honey, the money issue is resolved. And I’ll be helping Su-cheol hyung [older brother/close male friend] with his work for a few days. Don’t tell Mi-ri. Take care of the house.

And the husband couldn’t bring himself to tell his wife and daughter that he might not get the money and that he had been impaled in an accident.

* * *

“Are you going to operate on the abdomen penetrating injury patient who was admitted this morning tomorrow?”

“I’ll monitor the situation and do it if it’s okay.”

Ui-jin and Tae-kyung were having an early, relaxed dinner.

“Still, it’s a relief that the patient isn’t in critical condition despite the trauma.”

“It’s a relief, but there’s something about the patient.”

“What do you mean?”

“Abdomen penetrating injury isn’t usually a minor thing.”

“That’s right. It’s literally a penetrating injury to the abdomen.”

“Exactly. But how should I say this… the patient is reacting a bit dryly.”

“Could it be that they’re just too shocked?”

“Maybe.”

Tae-kyung, who was concerned that the patient was more composed than expected, nodded at Ui-jin’s words.

Sometimes, there were patients who seemed dazed by the accident that had befallen them and showed a dry reaction.

Come to think of it, how could someone be completely sane after a metal skewer had penetrated their abdomen?

“But in my opinion, it seems like you’re just so attached to the patient that you’re paying attention to even the smallest details.”

“Dr. Jung, you know me well?”

“You’ve always been nosy about patients, even back at Sinhwa University, right?”

“Can’t argue with that.”

Tae-kyung thought that he was just being extra nosy with the patient, Choi Seon-hae, because she had no family.

“Hey, Senior?”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“When are we going for drinks…?”

The moment Ui-jin brought up the topic of making plans for drinks,

“Wait a minute!”

Tae-kyung raised his voice, furrowing his brow.

“Jung Ui-jin!”

“Yes?”

“Are you sick somewhere?”

“Suddenly?”

Ui-jin couldn’t understand why the conversation was suddenly going off on a tangent.

“And I’m not sick. I’m healthy.”

“Really? Then what’s this?”

Tae-kyung pointed to Ui-jin’s tray at her claim of being healthy.

“Then are you on a diet?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Come on. Then this isn’t right.”

Tae-kyung shook his head, looking at Ui-jin’s tray, which had exactly two spoonfuls of rice.

“Hey! You know that doctors work with stamina, right? It’s all about the rice! Rice power!”

Being a doctor is a job that requires a lot of physical stamina. Especially once you enter the operating room, the physical exertion is quite significant.

Moreover, when emergency patients arrive, it’s common to miss meal times and go straight into the operating room.

Perhaps that’s why Tae-kyung was quite sensitive about the meals he ate while working.

“How are you going to work eating this much? I haven’t even had a spoonful of rice yet. It’s clean.”

“Senior, I’m fine.”

“Fine, my foot. You’re a valuable anesthesia doctor at our hospital. You can’t be sick.”

Ui-jin chuckled slightly as she watched Tae-kyung fuss over her and scoop rice onto her plate.

‘Seriously, this person is so consistent.’

There had been a similar situation before. When they went to a hospice for volunteer work, the team members who had witnessed the passing of patients in succession couldn’t easily eat.

Everyone felt heavy-hearted, and even with delicious food in front of them, the atmosphere was somber.

At that time, Tae-kyung had changed the atmosphere by saying that they needed to eat well to take care of the patients.

“My mother used to say this often. If you don’t have an appetite, eat with your mouth.”

Ui-jin knew that Tae-kyung’s actions were unintentional, but she felt good.

“Senior, you’re a very caring person.”

“I take after my mother.”

“And you’re nosy too.”

“That’s from my late father. But if you’re not dieting or sick, why did you only get that much rice?”

“I just… wasn’t hungry.”

Ui-jin made a vague excuse.

She couldn’t say that she had eaten a hearty meal of tteokbokki [spicy rice cakes], sundae [Korean sausage], and kimbap [seaweed rice rolls] from Planet Cantabria before coming to work.

She couldn’t refuse Tae-kyung, who had come to the clinic to ask her to eat with him.

“By the way, Senior, I have something to tell you.”

After eating, Ui-jin, who had been talking about patients, began to bring up what she had been holding back.

“What is it?”

“When are you going to buy me drinks?”

“That’s right. I promised to buy you drinks. Whenever is convenient for Dr. Jung.”

“It’s not about when I’m free, it’s about when you have time, Senior. Do you even go home?”

“I do go.”

Before she knew it, she was spending more days at the hospital than going home after work.

She felt more at ease being at the hospital, thinking that she was responsible for the hospital and that emergency patients could come at any time.

“Besides going to change clothes sometimes.”

“Wow! Jung Ui-jin, you’re a genius. How did you know?”

“Enough. Go home, sleep, rest, and then come back to work.”

“You’re right!”

Just in time, Im Jung-sook, holding her tray, agreed and sat down. Lee Chan-hee and Choi Mona also took seats at the same table in succession.

“It’s good to take care of patients, but you should also rest, Doctor.”

“That’s right. You work so hard that the staff can’t rest comfortably.”

Lee Chan-hee, who had taken a delicious bite of bulgogi [marinated beef], strongly agreed with their words.

“No, how can the staff rest if the boss works too hard?”

“I guess our Chan-hee was feeling pressured because Dr. Kim was working so hard.”

“Honestly, I do feel a bit self-conscious every time I go home.”

“Dr. Lee Chan-hee?”

Tae-kyung called out to Lee Chan-hee, who was rattling on like a machine gun, in a low voice.

“…Yes?”

“You seem to have plenty of energy to chatter like that, so how about I give you so much work that you won’t even have time to sleep when you get home?”

He was smiling, but his eyes were full of murderous intent. Lee Chan-hee knew exactly what Tae-kyung was saying.

‘Damn it! This isn’t it…’

If he kept talking, he would be burdened with a mountain of homework.

“Or would you rather shut your mouth and eat quietly?”

“Of course, the latter. However, since I can’t close my mouth while eating, I will open it quietly.”

“What did you say!”

“Anyway, you make me laugh, Dr. Lee.”

“Me too.”

Everyone except Choi Mona burst out laughing at Lee Chan-hee’s good-natured remark.

“I’ll get up first.”

“Me too. Enjoy your meal, everyone.”

“Oh, look at my mind.”

Tae-kyung, who had finished his meal, stopped as he got up from his seat with Ui-jin.

“Dr. Choi?”

“Me?”

Choi Mona, who had been concentrating on her meal without a word, raised her head.

“Yeah. Sorry to bother you while you’re eating, but there’s something I wanted to ask.”

“It’s okay. Go ahead.”

“You still don’t remember the Geneva Declaration?”

“You asked that question earlier too…”

“Oh! Did I? I forgot.”

It wasn’t that he had forgotten at all. Tae-kyung had said it on purpose.

“Did you say you don’t remember?”

“Yes, I answered yesterday and today that I don’t remember.”

“Okay, I see. Enjoy your meal.”

“Hey, Dr. Choi? Why does he keep asking you about the Geneva Declaration, even though he asked you earlier?”

Lee Chan-hee asked Choi Mona, who had been staring at Tae-kyung’s back for a moment before returning to her meal.

“I don’t know either.”

Instead of Choi Mona, who couldn’t figure out the reason, Nurse Im Jung-sook, who seemed to know the reason, smiled.

* * *

“Didn’t you ask Dr. Choi about it when you came to work this morning too?”

Ui-jin, holding a cup of coffee in one hand, asked as she walked out of the cafeteria side by side with Tae-kyung.

“I asked yesterday, when I came to work, and now. And I plan to ask again.”

“Dr. Choi looked a bit dumbfounded just now.”

“She must be dumbfounded.”

“Isn’t that like asking on purpose?”

“That’s right. I’m asking on purpose.”

“Yes? Do you remember it, Senior?”

“Me! Of course, I remember it.”

“Come on, no way.”

Just as Ui-jin was waving her hand, the Geneva Declaration, not a single word wrong, was clearly heard.

“As a member of the medical profession, I solemnly pledge to dedicate my life to the service of humanity.

I will give to my teachers the respect and gratitude that is their due…”

“Ugh. Okay, please stop.”

Ui-jin momentarily forgot who was next to her. If it was Tae-kyung, who had an extraordinary mind, he was more than capable of memorizing it.

‘Yeah, if it’s Senior, he’d memorize it.’

He would probably memorize it and carry it around even when his black hair turned gray.

“But why the sudden Geneva Declaration talk?”

“I’m thinking of fixing it.”

“Fix what?”

“Turtle No. 2.”

“Yes? What are you talking about? Do you raise turtles, Senior?”

“I’ll tell you later.”