Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 82

82. Just 5 Minutes?

With the sound of the door bursting open, Tae-kyung entered.

“Tae, Teacher.”

Choi Mona, not expecting Tae-kyung, stopped in her tracks.

“Oh, Choi. Where are you going?”

“I was on my way to see you, Teacher.”

“Why to me? What, do you have something to say?”

“Well…”

“Teacher, what brings you to the doctors’ office?”

Choi Mona tried to speak, but her voice was drowned out by Lee Chan-hee, whose excitement from the successful surgery had reached stratospheric levels.

“Came to see you two.”

“Me and Choi? Why? Something important to say…?”

Tae-kyung interrupted Lee Chan-hee, tossing him a Gatorade from the bag.

“Quiet and take this.”

After leaving the waiting room for guardians and before heading to the cafeteria, Tae-kyung stopped by the doctor’s office. He always craved an ion drink after a tough surgery.

He used to drink one can right after surgery, but at some point, he only drank them after particularly difficult operations. After drinking a cold Gatorade, the coolness spread deep inside, refreshing him.

But of all times, the refrigerator was out of ion drinks, so he ended up buying them from the vending machine and sharing them with all the staff.

“Why the sudden drink?”

“What, you don’t like it?”

“No way.”

“Good job earlier, Doctor Lee.”

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it, Teacher. But I’d get scolded if I asked you to buy me coffee next time, right?”

“Buy your own coffee. And good job, Choi. Take this.”

“Thank you. But I don’t think I did anything to deserve it…”

“What are you talking about? You took good care of the ER patients during the surgery, so you deserve it. Right?”

“No. I’ll enjoy the drink.”

“Okay. I’m off then.”

“Teacher?”

Choi Mona called out to Tae-kyung as he was about to leave after handing out the drinks.

“Why?”

“I have something to say.”

“Oh, you have something to say.”

“More like something I’m curious about.”

“What is it? Tell me.”

“Why isn’t it me?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“I’m asking why Lee Chan-hee is the assistant instead of me.”

“Ah…”

Tae-kyung finally understood the context of what Choi Mona wanted to say.

“So, you’re asking why Lee Chan-hee assisted instead of you?”

“Yes.”

“Have you considered why you couldn’t come in, Choi?”

“I have.”

“What’s the conclusion of your thoughts?”

“I don’t know. No matter how much I think, I can’t figure out the reason.”

“If I think of you as a smart person, you should be able to figure it out.”

“Was my email lacking? Was the one Doctor Lee sent better?”

“No, that’s not it. They were similar. If I had to pick, the one you sent was better.”

Hearing that hers was better made Choi Mona feel even more wronged and resentful.

“But why am I not the assistant, and why is Lee Chan-hee, who has a fear of the operating room?”

Choi Mona, bursting with how much she wanted to be in the operating room, looked like a child who had their favorite toy taken away.

“Hey! Choi Mona, you always have to say…”

It was an infuriating remark, but Lee Chan-hee didn’t feel that way at all.

It was the truth, and he had improved a lot lately, so he didn’t shrink back even after hearing it. He was just embarrassed.

“And I’ve gotten a lot better.”

“You can butt out.”

“Okay, I’ll butt out.”

“Please answer me, Teacher.”

Choi Mona flared her nostrils, speaking with a firm determination to hear the answer no matter what. But the answer that came back was too unexpected.

“Tardiness!”

“Excuse me? Did you say tardiness?”

“Yes, you were late today.”

“No, I wasn’t late. I remember being on time.”

“You were five minutes late than usual.”

“Ha! You’re doing this because of just those five minutes?”

“Just five minutes?”

Tae-kyung’s brow furrowed slightly. It was a sign that he was starting to get uncomfortable.

‘Whoa! Buddy, that’s not the right thing to say.’

Lee Chan-hee, being a Tae-kyung-watcher, knew the signal and became anxious, fearing he might get caught in the crossfire.

‘I shouldn’t be here any longer.’

The best course of action in these situations was to leave quietly like a dead mouse. Lee Chan-hee tiptoed out of the doctor’s office.

“Choi Mona, did you just say just five minutes?”

“It’s not five hours, it’s just five minutes, and I felt it was unfair, so I said that.”

“You’re the chief resident, and you have a big surgery coming up. If you were wondering who to have as an assistant, who would you take between number 1, who came earlier than usual without being told to prepare, and number 2, who was just five minutes late compared to usual?”

“…!”

“It’s not just five minutes, it’s the difference in attitude.”

The word ‘attitude’ shut Choi Mona up.

“Like you said, Lee Chan-hee has a fear of the operating room. He knows that himself, so he puts in the effort. But what did you do?”

There was still no answer to Tae-kyung’s question.

Choi Mona didn’t know that Lee Chan-hee had come early to prepare.

She thought Lee Chan-hee, who called himself a Tae-kyung-watcher, was simply being favored, but that wasn’t the case.

“Even office workers come in a little early to prepare for important meetings. How can a doctor who deals with people’s lives say just five minutes? Don’t you think so?”

“I didn’t know Doctor Lee came early.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about. Do you understand the reason now?”

“I understand…”

“You can get scolded for ruining a meeting or making a mistake, but people don’t die. But if we make a mistake, people die.”

“I’ve never made a big mistake in the operating room so far.”

“Don’t say things like that. You’re not at the level to say that yet. And fix your attitude from now on. If you keep acting like that, you can’t come into my surgeries.”

“Then are you saying I should always come early when there’s surgery?”

Choi Mona asked, hoping he would set a standard. She thought that would make her feel better.

“Do whatever you want. I’m going to eat.”

“Ha!”

After Tae-kyung left, Choi Mona wore a frustrated expression.

“Nothing’s going right these days.”

She knew the reason she was curious about, but she couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

“Frustrating!”

* * *

“Wow, is one bowl not enough?”

Oh Gye-soon asked as Eui-jin, who had just taken food, was filling his plate again.

“I heard today’s surgery took six hours, so Doctor Jung must be very hungry.”

“It’s not that, I’m getting it for Doctor Kim.”

“For Director Kim? Why? Does his arm hurt from the surgery?”

Eui-jin, who was diligently building a mountain of bulgogi [Korean marinated beef], vaguely made excuses with an embarrassed expression.

“I was going to eat with Doctor Kim, but he seems to be running late, so I’m getting it in advance.”

“Really?”

Eui-jin felt unnecessarily self-conscious. He expected the answer that would follow.

‘Is Director Kim a baby? He can get his own food.’

‘Doctor Jung, you worked hard too, why are you giving it to him instead of eating quickly?’

Oh Gye-soon, the owner of straightforward speech and unreserved eloquence, would have definitely said that and more. But warm words and praise came instead.

“Doctor Jung, you worked hard in the surgery too, but you have such a kind heart. So kind. Should I make you an egg fry too?”

“No, Madam. With these amazing side dishes, why would I need a fry? I’m okay.”

The common saying that hospital food is bad didn’t apply to our hospital.

Not only all the staff but also the patients unanimously agreed that if you ranked the food of hospitals nationwide, our hospital would definitely be number one.

That’s because Oh Gye-soon had been running a Korean restaurant that had been passed down for three generations before coming to our hospital. She had handed it down to her daughters-in-law and was now in charge of the hospital cafeteria, but her skills were still the same.

“Looking at the medical staff, I feel sorry for them. It’s amazing and pitiful to see them working until midnight without even eating dinner because of surgery.”

“Are we the only ones amazing? The staff and you, Madam, who cook until this hour, are also amazing.”

“What’s so amazing about me? I’m old, so coming to work is a blessing and exercise. Hey, Doctor Jung?”

“Yes, Madam.”

Oh Gye-soon stopped Eui-jin, who was diligently filling the soup.

“Doesn’t Director Kim like spicy things? You need to add some hot peppers.”

“Really? Oh! Teacher. Here you go.”

Tae-kyung entered the cafeteria while Eui-jin was filling Tae-kyung’s plate.

“Teacher, your plate is here. Just come over.”

“Doctor Jung, did you get mine too? You didn’t have to.”

“I just got it while waiting. Go and eat quickly.”

“Okay, I’ll enjoy it. Thank you. Madam, I’ll enjoy the meal.”

“Me too.”

“Go and eat quickly.”

The two sat at the innermost table and began to eat. Soon after, nurse Im Jung-sook entered.

“Nurse Im, are you eating with us?”

“No. You two go ahead and eat.”

Eui-jin raised his hand and called out, but nurse Im Jung-sook refused, showing her phone.

“I have to call home. Don’t worry about me.”

“What call.”

Oh Gye-soon said, sitting in front of nurse Im Jung-sook, who had taken a seat near the entrance.

“Doctor Im even lies sometimes.”

“Madam, come on. What do you mean lie? I was going to call after eating.”

“Tsk. I knew you were trying to let those two eat together. Do you think I wouldn’t know?”

“Did you notice, Madam?”

“I can tell at a glance. The way Doctor Jung looks at Director Kim, the lights are flashing on and off.”

Oh Gye-soon, who had a good intuition, had already noticed that Eui-jin liked Tae-kyung.

“Seeing them together like that makes me feel good. I hope they work out.”

“Well, you can’t force someone to like someone. They’re not kids. If you leave them alone, they’ll stick together on their own anyway.”

“You’re right, Madam.”

“Oh! Bulgogi. Oh! Yeonpo-tang [Octopus Soup]. My stomach will be feasting again today.”

While the two were talking, Lee Chan-hee entered the cafeteria.

“Doctor Soo, enjoy your meal.”

“Wait!”

As Lee Chan-hee was about to pass the table with his plate, nurse Im Jung-sook reached out and stopped him.

“Doctor Lee, are you going to join those two who are eating at the end of the table?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Eat with me today.”

“With Doctor Soo?”

“Yes. Don’t you want to eat with me?”

“No, it’s not that…”

Lee Chan-hee hesitated slightly.

In fact, due to the patients, the timing of eating was different, so it was rare for the staff to eat together. So, when there was an opportunity to eat together like today, he always ate with the two of them.

It was an opportunity to share stories, but he felt a little sad to eat alone with nurse Im Jung-sook.

“Then, Doctor Soo, why don’t you come with me and join that table over there?”

“No. I’m asking you to eat together at this table.”

“I’m sorry, Doctor Soo. If I eat with the teachers…”

“Aish, this idiot, what’s wrong with you?”

Oh Gye-soon, who was sitting at the same table, blurted out in frustration.

“Did you trade your common sense for candy?”

“Excuse me? What do you mean, Madam…”

“Tsk, be quiet and stop worrying about that table and just sit here and eat.”

“Why? Are they having a serious conversation?”

Lee Chan-hee wondered what was going on when he was told not to go to the two of them.

“Doctor Lee, you haven’t dated much, have you?”

“Excuse me? What are you talking about? When I was in pre-med, I was the darling of the female classmates and senior sisters…”

“This guy must have air in his lungs [overconfident].”

“Of course, Madam, we all have air in our lungs every time we breathe. Especially adults, more than 2 liters at a time…”

“Look at how this idiot answers. You’re frustrating. Don’t waste your precious energy with that nonsense and just eat the octopus.”

Oh Gye-soon, unable to watch any longer, forced Lee Chan-hee into the seat, and the three’s argument was put to rest for the time being.

* * *

“Senior, you worked really hard today.”

“You too.”

“It’s not like I’m going into the operating room for a day or two, but I still feel the afterglow for a long time after a difficult surgery goes well, you know?”

“That’s how it is. Maybe even our seniors feel the same way.”

Tae-kyung was right.

All doctors are like that, but especially surgeons, when a difficult surgery goes well that day, they feel like they have the whole world and the joy is indescribable.

“Phuong must have been worried a lot, so it’s really fortunate.”

“I stopped by the ward before coming to the cafeteria, and Lee Go-cheol was smiling and Phuong was crying.”

“Why wouldn’t she be.”

“By the way, maybe it’s because I’m hungry, but it seems more delicious today.”

Tae-kyung, who was very hungry, ate diligently. Watching him, Eui-jin felt like she was full too.

‘I thought he only liked meat, but he eats seafood well too. I should take him to an octopus restaurant next time.’

She kept wanting to laugh uncontrollably, so she took a big spoonful of rice and put it in her mouth.

“Eui-jin, eat slowly. You’ll get indigestion. Here, take a sip of water.”

“I’m okay. You should eat slowly, Senior.”

Rrrrrrrrrr

As the side dishes on the plate gradually decreased, the two people’s phones placed on the table rang almost simultaneously.

Rrrrrrrrrr

“Senior, your phone is vibrating.”

“Yours too.”

“Who is it?”

Tapping the screen casually with chopsticks in one hand and a phone in the other, Tae-kyung checked the message.

“…”

After checking the message, Tae-kyung put down the kimchi he was about to put in his mouth and looked up.

“Eui-jin, did you perhaps?”

“Did you get it too, Senior?”

Tae-kyung and Eui-jin looked at each other with bewildered expressions.

The two had received the same message from the same person. It was even more so because it was from someone they had never expected.

“This isn’t a prank, is it?”

“I thought this person would never do this… but I don’t think this is a prank.”

Tae-kyung and Eui-jin checked each other’s messages again.

-Hello. This is Kim Seo-hyun from Nuga Group. I would like to talk to Doctors Kim Tae-kyung and Jung Eui-jin.

Is this a good time for you?