Chapter 10
“Mother! Are we really going to let him go like this? We have to do something to stop him!”
Hong Cheol-ho watched the departing ambulance, helpless and unsure of what to do.
“Cheol-ho, you promised me you’d just do as I say, right? Don’t worry. Go out and make sure the hospital staff keep their mouths shut.”
Park Sun-ja looked at her anxious son with a cold, piercing gaze.
“What are you planning to do?”
“I’ll bring him back.”
The thought of Jian, who had so boldly stared back at her and acted so insolently, made Park Sun-ja grind her teeth.
She had been too lenient until now. It was time to break him so he could no longer struggle.
Taking out her phone, Park Sun-ja dialed the number of a courier service she frequently used.
A moment later:
“I’ll need someone quiet to handle this.”
A chilling twist appeared at the corner of Park Sun-ja’s mouth.
“Just wait. I’ll make you crawl back on your own two feet and beg me.”
A week passed, and Christmas was just around the corner.
With alcohol-related accidents from various gatherings and a flu outbreak causing gastroenteritis, the Han-Young Hospital emergency room had recently seen a surge in patients.
But Jian had never been in better condition.
She had regained her mental stability, and switching from night shifts to day shifts at the club reduced her fatigue.
After work, she would go straight to Han-Young Nursing Hospital to visit her mother.
Of course, emergency calls were frequent, and she had to rush from time to time, but she liked being able to see her mother whenever she wanted.
The only slightly troubling thought was that the man she had spent the night with sometimes popped into her mind unexpectedly. But time heals, doesn’t it?
Those minor aftereffects were easy to shake off. Once she entered the ER, there would be plenty of work to keep her occupied.
Shaking her head to clear her mind, Jian hurried to work.
Her first patient of the morning was a man in his thirties.
He had no significant underlying conditions, but he had a high fever and chills similar to the flu, and he complained of abdominal pain.
At first glance, it resembled flu symptoms accompanied by gastroenteritis. But judging by the cold sweat and his agony, it was not ordinary abdominal pain.
“Patient, your abdominal pain seems severe. When did it start?”
Jian asked while examining him.
“Three or four days ago. I can’t digest food, and my stomach hurts like it’s being pierced. I have no appetite, and my stomach churns so much I feel like vomiting.”
Piercing abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, high fever, and chills.
As Jian quickly took notes, the patient spoke again.
“I was in so much pain last night that the medicine didn’t help. Ugh, I think it’s gastroenteritis. Could you give me an IV with some medicine? When I get IV fluids, it usually helps.”
Suppressing a sigh at the patient’s risky self-diagnosis, Jian calmly asked,
“What medication did you take?”
“Antacids and painkillers. I’ve taken them for several days, but they didn’t work, so I came for injections.”
“Alright. I’ll take a look first.”
Placing her stethoscope on his abdomen, she heard an irritating sound coming from his intestines.
Jian pressed around his navel area carefully.
“Does it hurt?”
“A little.”
“How about here?”
When Jian moved to the lower right side of his abdomen and pressed firmly,
“Ah, it hurts!”
The patient immediately reacted, grimacing and crying out.
Seeing the cold sweat on his face, Jian’s expression darkened.
“How is it now?”
She slowly removed her pressing hand and asked again.
“Ahh! It hurts! Doctor! Stop!”
The rebound tenderness—the sudden increase in pain when releasing pressure on the lower right abdomen—was a classic symptom of appendicitis.
Having been neglected for several days, emergency surgery was likely needed immediately. Delay could lead to perforation and peritonitis.
“When did you last eat?”
“Only water. I know I shouldn’t eat with gastroenteritis.”
Fortunately, he was fasting, so surgery could proceed immediately.
Recognizing the urgency, Jian quickly gave orders to the nurse.
“Get emergency blood tests, check if a CT scan can be done immediately. Call the general surgery doctor for an emergency consult.”
“Why a CT for gastroenteritis?”
The patient exclaimed, clearly convinced he only had gastroenteritis.
“Patient, it’s not gastroenteritis.”
Jian spoke firmly, calmly explaining the possibility of appendicitis.
The patient looked startled but didn’t oppose further tests.
As suspected, the result confirmed appendicitis, and he was quickly taken to surgery under general surgery care.
Without a moment to breathe, Jian sutured a patient who had cut his hand and administered IV fluids and antipyretics to a high-fevered girl.
It was when she had just sent the girl, whose fever wasn’t coming down, to PED (pediatrics).
“Busy since the morning, huh?”
Kyung-seok, on night duty, suddenly appeared in the ER.
“Why are you out already?”
“I slept in the on-call room. Time for lunch. Come on, let’s go together.”
“No, I’m fine for now.”
“Dr. Kim? I’ll eat with Jian. Call if there’s an emergency.”
“Does Kyung-seok only see Hong Jian? I’m hungry too.”
Kim Min-soo, a fourth-year chief resident, muttered while walking past the patients.
“I’ll cover the ER. You two go ahead.”
Jian, feeling awkward, went along.
But Kyung-seok ignored her hesitance and dragged her to the basement cafeteria.
Since finding out about her mother, Kyung-seok had been noticeably attentive to Jian.
She felt grateful but burdened, and sat with him as they filled their trays.
While eating quickly to return for her shift, she overheard the residents behind her talking.
“So, the new hospital chairman is really the son of the former chairman?”
“Yeah. He just came from the U.S. recently. No one knows why he suddenly appeared.”
“All the professors must be on high alert. Next year’s research grants are coming. Departments with no results might lose funding.”
“Exactly. He even called everyone before the inauguration ceremony. The CS department head even postponed surgery.”
“No wonder the lobby was sparkling today.”
The biggest topic in the hospital recently was the chairman’s son arriving.
Jian had no particular interest and finished her meal quickly.
“Take your time eating. You might get an upset stomach.”
“I need to switch with Min-soo senior quickly.”
“You really… I called you out to rest a bit.”
“I’ve finished eating. Can I get up first?”
“Alright, I’m done too. Let’s go.”
Jian stood, and Kyung-seok shook his head but followed.
“There’s still time. Let’s grab a coffee first.”
“I’ll pay for the coffee,” Jian quickly said, feeling bad always being on the receiving end. Kyung-seok chuckled and nodded.
They cleared their trays and went up the escalator to the first-floor lobby.
Walking side by side, the chatter in the lobby caught their attention.
“What’s going on that everyone’s out here? Even the hospital director is here.”
Kyung-seok stopped, looking toward the crowd. Jian looked up casually.
Then, a strikingly handsome man caught her eye, standing out prominently.
Why is he here?
Jian froze, her eyes widening as she drew in a sharp breath.
Unbelievably, the man shaking hands with the hospital director was the one she had spent a night with recently.
Seemingly unfazed, he greeted everyone with calm composure amid numerous eyes.
“Seo Tae-joon. That’s my name.”
The name she had tried to erase came to mind instantly.
She also realized the Han-Young Group chairman’s surname was Seo.
No way… it can’t be. It has to be a coincidence.
Shaking her head violently, Kyung-seok confirmed,
“Seeing the director here too, that guy must be the new chairman.”
Her chest tightened, and her heart raced. Suddenly, Tae-joon looked up.
The moment his dark eyes locked on hers,
her heart sank.
Feeling dizzy, Jian quickly averted her gaze and hid behind Kyung-seok.
“Senior, sorry, let’s skip the coffee today.”
Muttering, she ran off as if responding to an emergency call, her face pale and drained.
