Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 71

71. Medical Transport Plane

“The last one is a medical transport plane.”

“Medical transport plane?”

Kim Geon-hyung’s pupils, which had been unwavering until now, widened noticeably.

“It’s the usage rights to the medical aircraft owned by the Chairman.”

Medical Transportation plane.

It was a state-of-the-art medical aircraft owned by Kim Geon-hyung, far superior to existing air ambulances.

‘There’s nothing you can’t do with money.’ The epitome of that saying was this medical transport plane.

The medical transport plane was such an amazing piece of technology that it was called a comprehensive hospital in the sky.

Even the Who Group’s impressive medical helicopter couldn’t compare; seeing it in person would leave you speechless. In fact, with just one medical transport plane, it was possible to provide treatment and perform surgeries even in the most remote parts of the world.

From the vehicle design to the surgical equipment inside, everything was custom-made in the United States and Germany over seven years, making it the only one of its kind in the world.

For example, Kim Geon-hyung once attended the completion ceremony of the medical transport plane in the United States.

‘Chairman Kim, don’t be like that, just hand this over to me. I’ll buy it at a high price.’

‘It’s not something I made to sell to anyone. Don’t talk nonsense.’

The chairman of the Johnson General Hospital Foundation in the United States, who was friendly with him, offered to buy it for five times the price. However, Kim Geon-hyung, who had his own philosophy about hospitals and the medical business, reportedly refused outright.

It was such a hot topic in the medical community that there was no medical professional who didn’t know about the existence of the medical transport plane.

“Team Leader Go, as you said, this friend is no ordinary person.”

“What did I tell you? I said it’s no joke.”

“You’re asking me for the usage rights to the transport plane?”

“Yes, I would like you to grant me the right to use it once when I need it.”

“Do you know how much it costs to operate that thing for one trip?”

“Of course not.”

“Hahaha!!”

Kim Geon-hyung laughed so loudly that the examination room shook at Tae-kyung’s confident answer that he didn’t know. Then, permission was granted.

“Okay! I grant it.”

He approved the use of the medical transport plane, which cost billions to maintain [billions of Korean won, roughly equivalent to millions of US dollars], anytime Tae-kyung wanted, without asking any questions.

“I promise.”

He told him to say everything he wanted, but he never thought he would ask for the medical transport plane. However, he liked Tae-kyung’s boldness in speaking so confidently, even recklessly.

“Really?”

“I’m Kim Geon-hyung. I’m not like those politicians who say one thing and do another. Instead, I hope Dr. Kim will do me a favor when I need it.”

“What kind of favor?”

“I’ll know when the favor arises. I don’t know now.”

“I understand. I promise too.”

“Good. Then it seems like everything is settled… Team Leader Go?”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Let’s go now. If we leave the hospital room empty for too long, we’ll get an earful from the hospital director and the attending physician.”

“You don’t care about those words, but you’re just saying that.”

“I’m going to start caring now. Anyway, Dr. Kim and Dr. Jung, thank you for saving my life. Let’s see each other again if there’s another chance.”

“Please go safely.”

Tae-kyung and Eui-jin got up from their seats together, following Kim Geon-hyung as he left the examination room.

“Ah, right! And Dr. Kim, there’s still one more thing.”

Kim Geon-hyung, who had forgotten to say something, stopped in his tracks and spoke to Tae-kyung.

“I said there were three things I wanted, but I only said two, so there’s still one left.”

“No. There were only two things from the beginning. And I don’t want anything else.”

“You should make the last one for yourself. Think of it as keeping a wish in reserve. Take care.”

Kim Geon-hyung looked at the two with a satisfied expression and left the hospital.

“Really. He’s a person you can’t read.”

“Chairman Kim Geon-hyung?”

“Yes, when he first came to the hospital, he seemed like just another *chaebol*, acting like he was here to cause trouble. But seeing how he’s so grateful for owing his life, I think he’s definitely someone special.”

“That’s right. That person’s position is amazing, but anyway, he’s definitely someone special.”

“That’s right! But, Doctor, why did you ask for the plane usage rights?”

Eui-jin asked about the medical transport plane, a question that had been on her mind since earlier.

“Do you have any plans?”

“No. I don’t have any plans at all. Nothing at all.”

Eui-jin thought Tae-kyung had some grand plan, as he spoke as if he were prepared.

“Then why did you say that?”

“Hypothetically!”

“Hypothetically?”

“Yeah. Just in case it might be needed for a patient someday, I said it just in case.”

“What is that? I thought you had some grand plan.”

“Actually, I didn’t think he would allow it.”

“If I had known this would happen, I should have said one thing too.”

“Do you regret it?”

“No, not regret… Yes, I actually regret it completely. Should I ask the Chairman again?”

“I don’t think that would work.”

“I guess not? Ah, that’s too bad.”

“If you regret it that much, should I transfer the wish I kept in reserve to you?”

“No, thanks.”

Tae-kyung and Eui-jin, who had successfully resolved the baseball stadium incident, entered the emergency room with smiles on their faces.

* * *

“Dr. Choi, I read your report.”

Tae-kyung, who had been seeing patients, approached Choi Mona, who was looking at the monitor at the station.

“Thank you so much for sending me to the conference. It was a beneficial time.”

“I’m glad it was beneficial. And you wrote the report very well.”

“It was good for me to review it again while writing it. And I’m really sorry.”

Choi Mona, who was looking at the patient-related monitor while talking, suddenly got up and apologized.

“Why are you apologizing all of a sudden?”

“That’s… I ate too much with Dr. Lee without any plan, so the meal cost a lot. I should have apologized that day, but I’m sorry, Doctor.”

“What are you talking about? Why are you sorry about that? It’s okay if you enjoyed the meal. Don’t worry about it. By the way, Dr. Choi, are you busy now?”

“No. I’m okay.”

“Really? Then go around the ward once quickly.”

“Yes? Do I have to go around again today?”

“No. You have to go around every day from today onwards.”

“That’s too much.”

At Tae-kyung’s words, Choi Mona raised her voice and got up from her seat.

“It’s too much to make me go around the ward during my short break, on top of seeing elderly and child patients.”

“Is a doctor a student? Do you have break times?”

“……”

“And going around the ward once doesn’t take long or is difficult, so I didn’t know it was too much. Well, there are two ways not to do it…”

“What is it? If you tell me the method, I’ll do that.”

“It’s about understanding the patient’s heart. How about it? Do you understand the patient’s heart a little bit?”

“I don’t understand. What’s the second method?”

“Receiving thank-you cards from patients instead of complaint cards. How about it? Pretty easy, right?”

“Not easy at all.”

“Then what can I do? You have to go on rounds quickly. Are you not going?”

“I’m going.”

At Tae-kyung’s threat, Choi Mona had no choice but to head to the ward.

“Still, I think Dr. Choi is admirable.”

Nurse Lim Jung-sook, who was working, approached and asked.

“Admirable?”

“Of course. She does it anyway, even though she doesn’t want to. I was worried that Dr. Choi would run away at first.”

“That won’t happen.”

“How do you know that, Doctor?”

“She’s from a military family.”

“Is there a connection between not running away and being from a military family?”

“Yes. There’s a significant connection.”

Tae-kyung had seen countless junior doctors while working at the hospital. Because of that, he could roughly picture in his head how they would work and what kind of accidents they would cause, even after working for just a few days.

In that respect, at least Choi Mona was not the type to cause an accident by running away. The unique stubbornness and pride of a military family would definitely not allow it. Knowing that, he was pushing her even harder.

“By the way, will that concrete wall really collapse?”

“We have to make it happen if it doesn’t.”

“That’s a good saying.”

“There’s a saying that clothes get wet in a drizzle. Maybe she’s already getting wet, but Dr. Choi hasn’t noticed it yet.”

“Then the moment Dr. Choi feels it, it might collapse all at once.”

“That’s right.”

“When will that be? I hope it comes soon.”

“Well, it could be today, it could be tomorrow, or it could be later.”

Tae-kyung and Nurse Lim Jung-sook continued their conversation for a while, watching Choi Mona’s back.

* * *

“A medical transport plane, hahaha!”

Kim Geon-hyung, who had arrived at the hospital room, had been laughing heartily since earlier.

“Are you that amused?”

“I’m so dumbfounded that I keep laughing.”

“In my opinion, it looks like you’re laughing because you’re amused, not dumbfounded.”

“He’s a man. A man.”

“You mean Dr. Kim.”

“A gem in a bag [a hidden talent].”

Right now, Kim Geon-hyung’s mind was full of Tae-kyung.

He was doubtful when he saw the CCTV, and he thought he was born with a good head after seeing the data his secretaries had uploaded. But the moment he actually met Tae-kyung, he could tell his extraordinary and unusual nature at once.

“Team Leader Go?”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Did Kim Tae-kyung touch it?”

“No. I didn’t see it.”

“It’s a hand that has done a lot of surgeries. There are calluses and marks all over the place where he often holds the scalpel and Bovie (electrocautery) [a device used to stop bleeding during surgery]. And on both hands. He really resembles him.”

“Are you thinking of your brother?”

“Even when I saw doctors who were said to be outstanding, I never once thought of my brother, but strangely, when I saw Kim Tae-kyung, my brother came to mind.”

Kim Geon-hyung recalled his older brother, who had suddenly lost contact a long time ago.

“Actually, I don’t think this hospital is mine either. If you have to be picky, it’s my brother’s, not mine.”

“Then why don’t you find him? If the Chairman sets his mind to it, there’s no way you can’t find him.”

“No! Why would I look for an old man who disappeared after even changing his name? Why would I!”

“I thought you might be missing him.”

“What’s so great about a stubborn old man who’s been crazy about patients and hospitals all his life…?”

“Shall I look for him once?”

“Don’t look for him.”

Kim Geon-hyung was firm at the head of the security team’s words.

“By the way, are you sure you don’t want to go down to your hometown?”

“Dr. Kim wasted a precious wish. I knew the Chairman had no intention of firing me.”

“Anyway, you look like a bear, but you’re a fox inside. I’m going to lie down, so go and do your work.”

“Yes, Chairman. Rest well.”

* * *

Choi Mona entered the ward with a more cynical expression than usual.

“Dr. Choi, you’re here again today?”

“Yes. I think I’ll be coming here for a while.”

Originally, Tae-kyung used to go around the ward once in the early morning when the emergency room had some breathing room.

In other words, the early morning rounds were Tae-kyung’s personal matter, not anyone else’s job.

Nevertheless, Choi Mona ended up doing it because of Tae-kyung’s instructions.

She didn’t hate the rounds, but she couldn’t care less about something she was forced to do.

‘Let’s finish quickly and go down.’

Choi Mona was only thinking about finishing quickly and going down, just like yesterday.

Click-

She opened the doors of the hospital rooms in order from room 201 and checked if there were any problems with the patients. After finishing the 2nd floor ward, she also finished checking the 3rd floor ward.

“Doctor, can I see the BP (blood pressure) and rate (pulse rate) records of patient Gu Cheol-ho in room 307?”

“Of course. Here it is.”

Choi Mona checked the data handed over by the ward nurse and left her signature next to the record.

“I was worried, but I’m glad he’s okay.”

“I know. But do you have to sign the rounds confirmation?”

“Dr. Kim insisted that I do it in front of the nurses.”

“If the director said so, there’s nothing we can do.”

“That’s what I’m saying. Then I’ll be on my way. Good work.”

“Good work, Dr. Choi.”

Choi Mona, who had finished signing the exclusive rounds log, turned her steps to the end of the hallway, about to go down.

“Let’s recharge.”

She stopped in front of the beverage vending machine to recharge her depleted sugar levels and turned her head from side to side. Then, she pressed the apple-flavored Pororo drink button, which children love the most.

“Perfect.”

Choi Mona had a satisfied expression when she saw the worm jelly and Pororo drink she had taken out of her gown pocket.

It felt like the accumulated stress was relieved at once when she put the sweet and sour jelly in her mouth and drank the Pororo drink.

“I hope no one’s watching?”

It was her favorite snack recipe, but there was one problem. She was embarrassed that she liked children’s drinks, so she never ate them when other people were around.

‘How old are you to be eating that? Anyway, worms and Pororo, you’re a kid. A kid.’

Especially if Lee Chan-hee found out about this, he would probably tease her whenever he made eye contact with her.

“The worms are really plump today.”

Choi Mona, who had put a worm jelly in her mouth, was about to drink her drink when it happened.

“Mom……”

The sudden sound of “Mom” stopped the hand holding the Pororo.