Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 55

55. Jerk!

“Doctor, Mr. and Mrs. Jo Sae-yi are here.”

“Yes, send them in.”

The young newlyweds, guided by Nurse Im Jeong-suk, sat side by side in front of Tae-kyung’s desk in the examination room.

“Jo Sae-yi? And my husband?”

“Yes.”

“I can’t give you a prescription.”

“What did you say?”

“As a doctor, I cannot give you both a prescription for emergency contraception.”

Just five minutes earlier, Tae-kyung had been friendly, offering a prescription, but now his changed attitude made the couple bristle.

“Are you playing with us right now?”

“Not playing.”

“What is it if lying to a patient isn’t playing around?”

“Sae… 아니, Sae-yi [No, Sae-yi], calm down.”

“You heard it too, didn’t you? This doctor clearly told us to wait, saying he’d give us a prescription. Am I wrong?”

“That’s right. I clearly said that earlier.”

The woman tilted her head, sensing a subtle change in Tae-kyung, who was still friendly. It wasn’t just the casual tone; the atmosphere was different.

“Why can’t you suddenly prescribe it?”

“Because…”

Tae-kyung delivered a refreshing blow to the woman who was bristling and questioning him.

“Our two friends are neither newlyweds nor graduate students.”

“Wh, what does that mean…”

“You’re both still underage high school students.”

“…….”

“……!”

At Tae-kyung’s confirming words, the two looked visibly flustered.

In fact, Tae-kyung and Nurse Im Jeong-suk knew from the moment they exchanged their first words with the two. They were high school students, not newlyweds or graduate students.

The attempts to look older with their youthful faces, attire, and speech, and the fake IDs were useless.

The two may have come fully prepared, but such incidents were quite common for medical staff who lived and breathed the hospital.

“Are you two dating?”

“…….”

“Can the doctor ask why you need that pill?”

“…….”

Like a lie, the two, who had been confidently assertive, closed their mouths, becoming mute.

“Friends? Emergency contraception is a high-dose hormone. After taking it, you may experience irregular bleeding or an irregular menstrual cycle.”

The female student, who had loudly claimed to know everything, was biting her lower lip tightly.

“Aren’t our friends going to talk? You need help.”

“…….”

“I’m not trying to scold you. I’ll help you. But I can’t help if you don’t say anything.”

“…….”

“What’s our male student’s name?”

“Hy, Hyun-woo. Ha Hyun-woo.”

“And the friend next to you?”

The male student glanced at his girlfriend before answering quietly.

“Jo Sol-i.”

“Hyun-woo, Sol-i, you’ve been struggling and worrying, and you’ve come all the way here using this method. How scared and afraid you must have been all this time, right?”

“Ugh… Ugh!”

Tae-kyung gently persuaded the two. Then, the female student, who had been silent until the end, began to cry loudly.

“I, I was scared. Sniff!”

Nurse Im Jeong-suk handed the female student a tissue she had prepared in advance, comforting her.

“Sniff!”

The female student cried profusely until the mascara on her eyelashes ran down her tear-streaked face.

“You’re going to turn your pretty face into a panda. Stop crying.”

“I’m sorry…”

“Sorry for what? No. Do you need the pill?”

The two nodded silently.

“But our hospital doesn’t prescribe emergency contraception to minors. Parental consent is absolutely necessary.”

“No way. We’ll both get beaten to death by our parents.”

“Then you shouldn’t have done something to get beaten for!”

Nurse Im Jeong-suk scolded sharply. It wasn’t just a random scolding, but a word from the heart of a parent raising a child.

“Sol-i and I didn’t know things would escalate this far.”

“Did you take a pregnancy test?”

“No.”

“Then?”

“I haven’t had my period.”

As soon as the female student finished speaking, Nurse Im Jeong-suk let out a deep sigh.

“Emergency contraception is only effective within a certain period.”

“I know, but I saw on the internet that taking xxxxx with emergency contraception makes it effective.”

“Are you serious right now…”

Nurse Im Jeong-suk, who was raising a daughter, almost unleashed a lion’s roar at the ridiculous statement.

“That’s all unfounded lies.”

“Really?”

“Of course. Didn’t you think about taking a pregnancy test?”

“I was scared. Sol-i and I have been dating since the first grade. It was our anniversary the other day. But at that time, clearly…”

The male student explained the detailed circumstances to Tae-kyung.

“Then, let’s get a definite check first. That way, we can know what to do. Right?”

“That’s true.”

“We can’t just keep worrying and being anxious. Nothing changes by doing that.”

“Then what should we do?”

“Sol-i, have you felt any chills, flu-like symptoms, or a more frequent urge to urinate than usual?”

“No. Not at all. I’m very sensitive about my health, and I haven’t had any of those symptoms.”

Tae-kyung asked about early pregnancy symptoms. However, since this also varies from person to person, an accurate diagnosis was needed.

Shortly after, Doctor Lee Ui-jin, who received Tae-kyung’s call, came to the examination room.

“This doctor specializes in obstetrics and gynecology.”

“Hello. I’m going to help Sol-i with her examination. Would you like to come with me?”

“……Yes.”

“Sh, should I go too? Sol-i is very scared.”

“No, Hyun-woo, stay with me. Don’t worry, it’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“Okay. Sol-i, I’ll be here. Good luck.”

“Okay.”

Fifteen minutes later.

“Hyun-woo!”

The female student, who opened the examination room door, called the male student’s name excitedly.

“Sol-i, what happened?”

The male student, who had been anxiously waiting for fifteen minutes, asked urgently, and the female student looked at Doctor Lee Ui-jin.

“You don’t have to worry anymore. It’s not it.”

“Yes! Is that really true? Sol-i, is it real?”

“Yes. It’s real. The doctor checked everything thoroughly.”

Not only the two involved but also Tae-kyung and Nurse Im Jeong-suk all wore expressions of relief.

“But Sol-i said she wasn’t having her period. Why is that?”

“That’s because a woman’s body is affected by hormones. So, if you’re stressed or too tired, you may skip a period.”

“That’s so fascinating.”

“Fascinating, you little punks! Is that what you’re saying now!”

Tae-kyung, who had been worried that these young ones might be pregnant, lightly flicked the foreheads of the two.

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You should be sorry to yourselves, not me. Don’t they provide sex education at school?”

“They do, but it’s almost at an elementary school level.”

“That’s right. Kids already know everything, but the really important stuff is left out, and it’s full of outdated content.”

“And the teacher might sound old-fashioned if they say this, but students have their own duties.”

“I know. You’re going to tell us to study.”

“But we study well. I’m first in the whole school, and Hyun-woo is second.”

“That’s right. We both want to become doctors like you, teacher.”

“These guys, really! Does studying well mean you can do things like this!”

Nurse Im Jeong-suk, who had been holding back, finally unleashed a lion’s roar.

“No. That’s not what we meant.”

“We’re deeply reflecting on our actions.”

“Sol-i, Hyun-woo, listen carefully to what I say.”

Tae-kyung made eye contact with the two students alternately and continued.

“It’s a blessing when people like and love each other. But, kids, love also comes with responsibility. You’re still too young to bear that responsibility, and you have things you need to do now. I’m not telling you two not to like each other. I’m telling you not to make the same mistake again with a momentary wrong decision. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Yes, I understand well.”

“Me too.”

Hyun-woo and Sol-i had many regrets at Tae-kyung’s words.

They realized that there were adults who understood them this much and that their actions had been foolish.

“See this?”

Tae-kyung took out his cell phone and showed the two a screen with YouTube searched.

“This is a channel run by a doctor, and it will be helpful for sex education.”

“Thank you.”

“And both of you, repeat after me. No sex!”

“Hey! Teacher, we know that word. I think almost everyone in our class knows it.”

“Even if you know it, repeat it. Repeat it and engrave it in your hearts and minds!”

At Tae-kyung’s stern order, the two loudly repeated it three times.

“Sol-i, Hyun-woo, you said your goal is to become doctors, right?”

“Yes.”

“That’s right.”

“If you both get into medical school, come find me. I’ll buy you something delicious then.”

“Really?”

“Yes. But until then, meet each other in a healthy way that positively influences each other. Promise me.”

“Yes.”

“I’m going to become a doctor like you from now on.”

“Me too.”

“Okay. Then go home and study quickly. Oh! Do you have money for the hospital bill?”

Tae-kyung was worried that the children might not have money for the hospital bill. But the answer that came back was embarrassing to that worry.

“Yes, we get a lot of allowance.”

“Then we’ll go now. Goodbye.”

“Okay, goodbye.”

The two students, with the worries gone from their faces, left the examination room with Nurse Im Jeong-suk with bright expressions.

“I wish there was solid sex education for teenagers whenever things like this happen.”

“That’s right. It has to change. Still, I’m glad it ended without any major issues for the kids.”

“Me too.”

“By the way, I’ve been thinking about it all this time, and something definitely seems wrong.”

“What is it?”

“About the meat price.”

“Ah, that problematic 500,000 won [approximately $375 USD]?”

“Yes. Something must be wrong. It must be wrong.”

Tae-kyung was desperate, like someone who desperately wanted it to be wrong.

“They should be arriving soon. Ask them when they come.”

“I will. I’m dying to see our cute juniors. I hope they come quickly.”

* * *

At that time, while Tae-kyung was eagerly waiting for the culprits of the credit card bill, the two people who had already arrived at the hospital were in the emergency room.

“Choi, don’t you think we went a little too far?”

“Is that even a question?”

They were happy until their stomachs were full, but now their spines were chilling [feeling a shiver of fear].

They really only intended to eat one serving per person. But the beef was so delicious that the two ate like runaway horses, and when they came to their senses, they had eaten up to five servings.

“I know. Why did you even mention one serving?”

“Choi, don’t say that. You ate more than I did.”

“Then didn’t Doctor Lee eat?”

“Doctor, patient in bed number 9 is missing.”

While the two were continuing their childish argument, Nurse Im Jeong-suk, who entered the emergency room, called Lee Chan-hee.

“Yes, it was a really informative and great time. By the way, is Doctor Kim angry?”

“Well, it’s more like… beyond being angry, he seems to have received a strong shock.”

“Is it that bad?”

“Earlier, he was wondering if it was a credit card theft or a voice phishing scam [a type of phone scam].”

“Really? Oh, what should I do?”

“But really, did you two eat 500,000 won worth? Is the calculation wrong?”

“Unfortunately, it’s correct. What should I do? I don’t think I can face the doctor.”

At this point, Lee Chan-hee became embarrassed to see Tae-kyung.

“That won’t be easy.”

“Yes? Why?”

“He’s already here. Then, please have a good talk.”

“Oh! Our Doctor Lee, welcome back!”

Tae-kyung lightly tapped Lee Chan-hee’s shoulder and treated him quite pleasantly.

“Yes. Thanks to you, teacher, it was a really good time that will be beneficial to my career.”

“That’s good. So, did you eat well?”

“Yes, I ate well, but… I’m sorry.”

“What for?”

“I think I ate too much.”

“No, don’t be sorry. I told you to buy it, so why be sorry? It’s okay. It’s enough if you ate well.”

Tae-kyung’s mouth was smiling at Lee Chan-hee’s words of apology, but his eyes didn’t seem to be smiling.

In fact, it wasn’t okay at all. The meat price that had already been paid was unavoidable, but he was slightly annoyed by the juniors who had eaten too much.

“Thank you, teacher. I was so worried.”

“More than that, Doctor Lee?”

“Yes, teacher.”

“You summarized what you learned at the conference today, right?”

“Of course. There was so much. I barely managed to do it.”

“Good, then we need to review it, right?”

“Yes? Review…?”

“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? Organize each part and submit it.”

“Are you saying by hand?”

“Of course.”

“Teacher, if you’re upset because of the beef…”

“Lee Chan-hee? Do you think I’m such a petty person that I would do that because you ate some beef?”

Everyone could see that Tae-kyung’s actions were exactly like that, but Lee Chan-hee kept his mouth shut.

“But why am I the only one doing it? Doctor Choi ate with me too. What about Doctor Choi?”

“Doctor Choi has to do it too. I’m leaving work, so tell her and have it all done by the time I come back.”

“Of course, I will definitely convey it… Teacher!”

Lee Chan-hee stopped talking and chased after Tae-kyung, who was leaving the emergency room.

“Teacher, just a moment.”

“Why?”

“Teacher, did you just say you’re leaving work?”

“Yeah. Is something wrong?”

Something was wrong. It was natural for others to leave work, but the fact that Tae-kyung, who was a hospital ghost [someone who is always at the hospital], was leaving work was shocking.

“Why are you leaving work?”

“Why? I’m leaving work because it’s my day off.”

“You haven’t even had a day off until now, let alone leave work.”

“You don’t need to know that. If anything happens to the patient, call me immediately, and I’ve checked all the patients’ special notes in the ward log, so take good care of them.”

“What’s going on?”

Lee Chan-hee was more concerned about why Tae-kyung was suddenly using his day off than the order.

“Lee Chan-hee, did you hear what I just said?”

“Of course. I’ve taken to heart your words to check the special notes of the ward patients well. So why are you leaving work?”

“You don’t need to know my personal affairs.”

“That’s true, but… No, are you going on a blind date or secretly going to a matchmaking meeting?”

“How did you know? I’m going on a matchmaking meeting.”

“Yes? Ma, matchmaking meeting?”

It was quite shocking that the story of a woman came out of Tae-kyung’s mouth, who only knew patients and the hospital.

“So don’t spread rumors. Keep your mouth shut.”

“Of course. I’m rooting for you to have good results.”