Golden Time

He thought he did not know how to socialize with the people.

“We’re going to have a dinner meeting after we’re done today.”

At Lee’s remarks, the hospital director said to Suhyuk,

“Do you have any other work today?”

Suhyuk nodded his head.

“Yes, I’ve got some important work to do. I’d appreciate it if you could excuse me.”

The director nodded slowly, saying, “Okay, go ahead then.”

“Thank you, sir.”

With that they began examining the less fortunate people.

The director and the professor met them like before. Likewise Suhyuk was watching them, with the first-aid in hand. It was already 5pm.

They gathered again at the same place as before for a group picture before getting on the ambulance.

“You’re really not coming with us?”

Prof. Lee asked Suhyuk from inside the ambulance.

“No, sir. It’s really important. I’m sorry.”

Nodding his head, Lee closed the door.

So, Suhyuk was left alone, looking at the ambulance disappearing slowly.

Soon he turned his gaze at the shantytown and smiled.

His eyes reflected a sleeping baby that was dry as a bone, a grandfather with a bent back, and a grandmother handing out soybean milk to him. Wearing smiles as warm as spring suns.h.i.+ne, he moved.

It was past 10pm. The rusty iron door opened with a heavy noise.

“Is anybody in?”

At the woman’s voice, Suhyuk said to the grandfather he was seeing,

“Let me go out.”

Coming out of the room, his eyes became wider.

The woman was holding a transparent plastic bag.

She was Binna who went out for the dinner meeting.

“Ms. Binna?”

At his words she avoided his eyes, turning her head to the side.

“I thought you would need this...”

The contents in the bag were clearly visible. All were medical supplies.

When the hospital director and the professor were examining them, she saw Suhyuk’s glaring eyes, and vaguely recalled his character when he said he would go back home at the shantytown.

His eyes looking at the patients were clearly different from others.

So, just in case, she came out before they began to have drinks, and arrived at the shantytown.

She searched for him for about 30 minutes busily, and finally could find him.

Looking at her quietly, Suhyuk grinned and took the plastic bag she had been holding.

“As a matter of fact, I needed some bandages. Please wait a little while,” said he.

Taking out the bandages, he went in. It did not take long.

“Please take care of your health, and visit the hospital when you don’t feel good.”

“Thanks, thanks.”

As soon as he heard the grandfather say that, he went out again.

“Looks like you spent a lot of money on this.”

When he gestured with his eyes toward the plastic bag, Binna quickly waved her hands.

“No! I’ve got lots of money!”

Saying so, she felt that she made a mistake.

Lots of money? It was not something she could say as she was suffering from a small salary.

Suhyuk grinned slightly.

“I’ll pay you back later.”

She shook her head. On such occasions her long straight hair waved from side to side.

“I’m okay because I’ve got lots of money.”

‘Why does she keep saying something like that?’

“Let’s move.”

Both went out of the grandfather’s house.

Today of all days a mysterious bright moon illuminated them, and they walked in the moonlight.

“It’s late. Please go home.”

At his words she opened her red and thin lips, “How about you, sir...”

“Well, I have some other people I have to see.”

“I just wonder why you’re staying here alone for this...”

He just smiled at her remarks, and said, “Because I’m a doctor.”

Her heart beat strongly. ‘Yes, he is my type.’

“I’m a nurse... So let me a.s.sist you!”

—–

“Time flies so fast, doesn’t it?”

At Oh’s remarks, all the interns showed bright expressions, but said regrettably,

“Thanks for your teaching, sir. I’ll come back to see your face sooner or later.”

“I’m so sorry to leave you like this as soon as I have become attached to you.”

Hearing them, Oh nodded regrettably and said, “Then why don’t you take your speciality as emergency medical science?”

They were just speechless at Oh’s suggestion.

For it was a department they would never want to come back to. Let alone sleep, they did not even have proper meals during the one month of interns.h.i.+p at the department.

As they were hesitant without answering, Oh just grinned, and looked at Suhyuk, saying,

“Thanks for your hard work.”

“Well, I didn’t do anything worth mentioning,” replied Suhyuk.

Suhyuk really felt he did not do anything particular. He just received and examined patients, then transferred them to the proper medical teams based on his opinions. Of course he proceeded with simple first-aid by himself. He wished he had been allowed in the operation room.

On the contrary, Oh was shaking his head in his heart. Actually Suhyuk did all the work at the emergency room. What will make him stand out again at another medical department?

Thinking that, Oh turned back, fluttering his white gown.

“Nice! We’re done here at the emergency room.”

“How about a drink over some chicken?”

Suppressing their voices, they murmured quietly and went in the opposite direction of the emergency room.

Turning his head, Oh looked at them going back. Actually he was watching Suhyuk carefully amongst them. In a short time, Daehan Hospital will be shaken up by him. At least Oh thought so.

“See you soon, Alien.”

With this, Suhyuk got three nicknames.

***

That sweet night pa.s.sed by. There was no call, and n.o.body woke him up.

A new day broke.

“Good morning!”

At the interns’ loud morning greeting, a man wearing horn-rimmed gla.s.ses was picking his ears.

He was in his early or mid 30s, but had a small figure less than 160cm in height.

He was the resident who would be in charge of the new interns.

“I’m not deaf.”

“Sorry, sir.”

“You don’t have to feel sorry. I’m s.h.i.+n Gichol. I’ll be spending one month with you.”

“I am at your service!”

Looking at them one by one, his gaze stopped on Suhyuk.

“You’re Suhyuk, right?”

“Yes, sir. I am at your service!”

“I hear rumors that you’re a great intern. I trust you can do well here.”

Suhyuk nodded his head lightly.

“This morning we’re supposed to make the rounds with the professor. Don’t make any mistakes...”

s.h.i.+n’s eyes became wider while he was talking because the professor walked up close to him.

He came 30 minutes earlier.

“You arrived here already, sir.”

The interns bowed their heads all together. s.h.i.+n was making an embarra.s.sed expression because he did not yet prepare a medical chart for the rounds.

“I’ll prepare one for you shortly, sir.”

Prof. Lee Mansuk shook his head, saying,

“You can prepare it slowly. I badly need one intern who can help me handle something urgently.”

He looked at the interns one by one, and then stared at Suhyuk.

‘Hey, tell me you can help me.’

Regrettably, someone else volunteered for him.

“If you can tell me what it is, I think I could help you...” said s.h.i.+n.

Lee shook his head abruptly, saying, “No, no. How can /i ask you for it seeing as you’re quite busy?”

He began to select the right one among the interns, and then his gaze stopped instantly.

“Can you help me?”

The intern reflected in his eyes was Lee Suhyuk.

“Yes, sir.”

Only then did Lee show a satisfactory expression. He said to s.h.i.+n,

“Let’s make the round in 30 minutes.”

“Let me prepare for it then.”

“Mr. Lee, follow me.”

After saying that, he turned back, and Suhyuk followed him.

The interns watching them from behind let out a sigh of relief, because it would have been terrible if any of them had been selected instead of Suhyuk. How can they a.s.sist Prof. Lee when they did not know anything?

Prof. Lee’s office.

Brewing coffee by himself, Prof. Lee put it down before Suhyuk.

“Try it. I hear it’s direct import coffee, and its fragrance is just wonderful.”

“Thanks.”

Suhyuk took a sip of coffee and opened his mouth,

“What kind of a.s.signment do you want to give me, sir?

“Hey, just take it easy, man. Ooops, I completely forgot about it! Let me go out to make the rounds. So please wait here a bit.”

Lee went out of the office abruptly, and Suhyuk was just scratching his chin.

It took more than the allotted time that Prof. Lee made for the rounds. He did not come back even after 30 minutes pa.s.sed. Rising from the seat, Suhyuk approached the bookshelf in the office.

Medical literature and papers. He pulled out one and turned over the pages.

There was nothing interesting there. He knew the contents already.

It was the same when he checked two or three of the medical books.

Then the door opened and in came Prof. Lee.

“Did you wait for long?”

“Not really, sir.”

With a gentle laugh, Lee gestured with his eyes towards the book he was holding.

“Have you been studying it? If you like it, you can borrow it.”

“Sorry, I took it without your permission...”

“Don’t say that. Hey, we are not strangers, right? I’ve known you since you were a PK student. So if you need it, you can borrow papers and books.”

“Don’t mention it, sir.”

Suhyuk sat back on the sofa, and likewise Lee sat on the sofa, facing him.

“So, how do you feel about coming to the neurosurgery department?”

Suhyuk made a slight laugh. No particular feeling, but he said, “I’ve got expectations, sir.”

It was true that he had some expectations. What kind of knowledge he could get from here...

Suhyuk, while smiling brightly, checked his cellphone all of a sudden.

It was a call from Prof. Kim Jinwook.

As soon as Suhyuk confirmed who it was, he swiftly switched it to silence mode.

“Do you happen to carry a cellphone?”

“Yes, but it stays turned off because it has no battery. I recharge it when it’s needed.”

“No, no. A machine needs to rest like a human being. Just keep it turned off today.”

“What do you mean...”

At Suhyuk’s questioning, he slurred and looked at the wall clock.

“Oh, it’s already lunch time. Let’s go and eat...”

“What about the urgent thing you mentioned?”

“Well, we’re all doing this for a living. So, let’s eat first.”

So, the two went out of the office.

They did not go to the hospital food court. Instead, he got into Lee’s car and they drove to a Korean food restaurant. When they came back to the hospital, it was 1pm sharp.

Suhyuk, coming back with Lee, said, “Which urgent work do I need to do?”

“It’s not that urgent.”

Drinking a sip of coffee, he said with a different tone, “You had a hard time going around the hospital wards to check patients, right?”

Yes, definitely he did. When he was an intern, he also had such a terrible interns.h.i.+p.

“It was okay to me.”

Lee nodded his head slowly.

That was the type of an intern he had been expecting. His calm statement and expression that the interns.h.i.+p was not that hard. Lee had no choice but to covet him.

Then Lee’s cellphone rang. “Yes, this is Prof. Lee.”

Nodding his head, he talked with the caller about something, and he looked at Suhyuk after he hung up the phone. Did Suhyuk overhear it? His eyes were s.h.i.+ning, and his face looked like revitalized.

“A patient with peripheral occlusive vascular disease. He is getting surgery. Do you want to go with me?”

Suhyuk replied, as if he should,

“Thank you, sir”

He did not hesitate at all, because an opportunity came along.