When Suhyuk looked at him, Jang Kiwon, who showed so hesitation, approached him.
Can I talk with you, sir?
He had an innocent and childish face, which just took away his image of being a teenager.
I dont think there is anything we can talk about between us.
Only a short ti will do. Please..
Looking at him quietly, Suhyuk nodded his head.
Okay, tell then.
Well, this place is not good for to talk, so shall we move to another place? I know that there is a quiet coffee spot in the back of the hospital.
Suhyuk made an embarra.s.sed expression. He just thought of pa.s.sing by Jang, but his facial expression beca very grave. What does he want to tell ?
Soon after,, Suhyuk went out of the hospital after telling Prof. Kim Jinwook about the reason.
As Jang said, the coffee shop was small and there were not many custors.
Suhyuk had a cup of water while Jang was looking at a coffee cup with its steam rolling up.
So, what do you want to tell ?
At his remarks Jang raised his head and said shortly, Im sorry, sir.
Sure, said Suhyuk with a dry voice. He did not hate Jang that much, and his apology did not feel like it was a genuine one to him. He could not feel any sincerity.
When Jang kept silence, Suhyuk opened his mouth again.
Is that all you wanted to say to ?
Im sorry. I wanted to see you to say Im sorry. Back then I was so absent-minded Im really sorry.
Okay. Be careful next ti. Let go then.
When he was rising from the seat, his eyes beca wide. For Jang knelt down.
Suhyuk looked at him without saying anything.
Im sorry. Really sorry.
With his head down, and his two shoulders trembling, he began to sob.
Im sorry. Boohoo It was not my intention to hit you and run Im so sorry.
Suhyuk, while looking at his trembling shoulders, opened his mouth,
Did your father tell you to see and apologize to ?
He shook his head from left to right. On such occasions drops of tears fell down.
No, never.
He was right. His father wanted to empower him usually because he knew his timid personality more than anybody else. So, his father kept telling him to never stay dispirited.
That was all he got from his father. However, he could not put up with it.
What happened was really accidental.
On his usual days he hardly went out of his house except for he went to school.
When he went out as an exception on this particular day, it was because he wanted to buy character figures, or sothing on sale as a limited edition. As he was treated as an outcast from his high school days, there were few friends of his. Even those few he regarded as friends approached him only for money.
So, his only friends were his computer and so character figures.
On on very particular day, he was checking if there were any new character figures on sale, and he ca to know a motorcycle hobby club by chance. Those riding motorcycles in black jackets, they looked so cool to him. How much freedom would they feel when they rode their motorcycles, crossing paths with the wind!
For the first ti ever he plucked up the courage to do sohting. His father, who was curt to him usually, smiled when he was told that his son would go out for fun. His fathers gestures and expression was vivid in his mory, which gave him a big encouragent. So he purchased a motorcycle, and went to see the hobby club mbers. They welcod him with bright faces, an he could forget about everything when he was riding his motorcycle, with the cool wind blowing over his face.
The Jang Kiwon of the past, who he surfed the internet all day, and confined himself to his room, disappeared far away. So he happily spent one month riding around. Was he ever happier than this mont? He felt that there was no other ti such like this.
Then right at that mont, the accident happened.
He was so scared at the ti. How many tis he thought about it, turning back to see the fallen victim. Because of that foolish misjudgent for a second, he was never able to a good nights rest since.
He was anxious about being caught at any given ti, and the victim he hit and run ca to his dreams everyday. He was just scared and distressed.
Stand up, man
At Suhyuks words, Jang shook his head, still kneeling down.
Im sorry. Im sorry
After letting out a silent sigh, Suhyuk held his shoulders slowly.
Jang raising his head, with his face covered with tears. Suhyuk looked into his face for a while. A handso face with double eyelids that reminded him of a ek puppy, and his eyes full of regrets.
Suhyuk smiled softly at him, and then patted him on the shoulder. Jang cast his eyes toward Suhyuks shoulder.
I had this part of my shoulder hit by your motorcycle, but its okay and normal now.
Im sorry, sir.
Stand up.
He shook his head when standing up.
Suhyuk, smiling at him, let out a sigh. He could feel Jangs sincerity clearly enough.
Looks like you were apologizing to against your will
Though Suhyuk said that playfully, Jang did not take it like that. He shook his head, as if he were saying he had not offered his apologies against his will. The coffee shop employees and the custors all turned their eyes towards them.
Jang thought he made a mistake because his act might make Suhyuk appear as a bad man. Bolting from the seat, he shouted to them,
Im behaving like this because I was in the wrong. So dont misunderstand us.
Suhyuk said, smiling bitterly, Well, that seems to make look worse.
They went out of the coffee shop.
Jang bowed his head once again, saying, Sorry, and thanks for forgiving .
Suyuk patted his shoulder lightly, saying, Be careful next ti. Ride a bicycle instead of a motorcycle.
Turning around, Suhyuk waved his hands at Jang. Then Jang said sothing to his ears,
Can I call you Big brother when I see you next ti?
Suhyuk smiled gently, replying, Just call brother.
Two weeks pa.s.sed since Suhyuk stayed at the ergency dical departnt. During that ti he was everywhere, constantly moving around with the patients, erging from the imaging room and then going back to the ergency room at once.
In the anti the na Lee Suhyuk gradually spread throughout Daehan Hospital, and those who spread that rumor were mostly the dical team of the ergency aortic aneurysm team.
Regardless of that rumor, Suhyuk moved around until late in the night.
Just coming back from the CT imaging room, Suhyuk approached Oh Byungchul.
Sir, the patient seems to have deep neck infection.
Oh asked calmly, What about airway stenosis?
Drainage and antibiotics will do.
Youre going to transfer the patient, right?
As Suhyuk nodded, Oh showed an OK gesture.
It looked as if they exchanged a conversation as if they were two senior residents, but Oh still did not feel it that way. Suhyuks error-free diagnostics and opinion made Ohs feel blunt and less knowledged.
When Suhyuk was about to move, Prof. Kim approached him. It was 9pm. Kim called for him like that at any ti, whether early or late in the day. He wanted to make sure Suhyuk was safe from the other guy, who was none other than Lee Mansuk.
Where are you going?
Suhyuk replied at his asking, I have a patient with a deep neck infection.
Kim asked subtly, What is the causative strain?
Streptococcus and oral anaerobic strains, sir.
Kim smiled before he knew it. Whenever he asked Suhyuk, his imdiate answer made him happy. Then it ca to his mind: What if Suhyuk asked him sothing, he can answer right?
At that mont he recalled a certain mory of his: When Suhyuk, after waking up from the vegetative state, asked him, he just escaped as if he did not hear anything.
What is he thinking of?
With a smile, Kim shook his head.
Whats wrong?
Suhyuk asked Kim in a pensive mood.
No, nothing
When Kim was stamring, Oh ca up to him and bowed his head.
Youre doing well.
Dont ntion it, sir, Oh scratched his head as if he felt embarra.s.sed at his remarks.
By the way, Mr. Oh?
Yes, go ahead.
Dont you think youre giving Mr. Lee Suhyuk alone a hard ti?
Ohs eyes beca wider at his asking. He had never done that before. Rather, the object of his shouting was the interns following the nurses around and not the residents. But he had never spoken to Suhyuk in a loud voice.
Suhyuk was seeing the patients without any interference.
Its not because I give him a hard ti but because he seems to be greedy for work.
Hearing his explanation, Kim just nodded his head. Thats possible.
Mr.Oh!
Yes, sir.
What ti does Mr. Lee Suhyuk stay at the ergency room until as a rule?
Until 5am in the morning.
Kim gave a hollow smile at Oh. Then he was sleeping for only four hours on average
From now on, send him ho when its past 2am.
Though his enthusiasm was comndable, he might crack under the strain.
Yes, sir.
It was 11pm.
A woman was getting out of a van. Wearing a black mask, she arrived at Daehan Hospital.
She waved her hands at the van, and said, Go ho now!
The van left, and the woman, looking around slowly, then moved quickly.
She hurriedly arrived at the ergency room.
Is this the right place?
The automatic door opened, and she went in.
The ergency room was not busy, and there were not that many patients.
The woman with the mask was looking around cautiously, when a nurse asked,
What brought you here?
May I see Mr. Lee Suhyuk?
The nurse looked for him inside the ergency room, but he was not seen.
Looks like hes seeing a patient. Whats the matter? Touching her forehead, the masked woman said,
I feel dizzy, and I have a small fever. I want a check-up.
Wait a minute. Let call for another doctor.
Id like to have a check-up done only by Mr. Lee.
The nurse tilted her head. Why does she insist on Mr. Lee?
Do you know him?
She shook her head, No, I just want to let him check my condition.
You might have to wait a long while. Can you still wait?
At the nurses asking, she nodded her head.
Okay, then. Please have a seat over there.
And then the nurse called for Mr. Lee.
Five minutes soon pa.s.sed, and Suhyuk ca into the ergency room.
Then, she took off her mask.
Now the whole dical staff were surprised at her face, which was now unveiled fully.
Suhyuk was just as much surprised as them.
Reviews
All reviews (0)