The Odd Doctor Out | A Drama | S. 1

115 🩺 Advice

'Kang Saem.'

Yeosang turned around from the discharge paperwork at the admin counter to see Kim Sa Bu walking towards him, his white coat fluttering along behind him.

'Doctor Kim,' he greeted, bowing respectfully.

'Everything set to go home?' he asked.

Yeosang nodded. 'I'm just signing the rebate documents and then we'll head off. Wooyoung's all excited because he walked all the way from his bed to the elevators without the wheelchair.'

Kim Sa Bu chuckled, earthly lines of friendliness forming around his kind eyes as he smiled. 'He's a good kid.'

Yeosang nodded. Signing the last document, he handed them back to the receptionist and then bowed to the Doctor. 'Thank you for treating him... I don't even know how to repay you...'

'Kang, why do you want to become a doctor?'

Yeosang, momentarily startled by the question, looked up at him. 'I- I wanted to help my brother...'

Kim Sa Bu nodded. Putting his hands in his pockets, he looked at Yeosang for a few too many moments to be comfortable. His eyes were kind, yet there was something going on behind them that Yeosang couldn't quite understand. 'I've been on this planet a long time. Do you know what I see when I look at you and your brother?'

Yeosang, stunned into silence, shook his head.

'I see two little boys, each clinging onto the other for support, yet pretending that they're not. You have studied very hard to get to where you are now, all out of a drive to help your brother. But Yeosang, young lad, I feel that you don't see you are already helping him, as is he helping you.' He glanced around the hospital foyer, causing Yeosang to look around too.

'I do not profess to know what is inside of your heart, Yeosang. But I think you would be lying to yourself if you said that you were only studying because of your brother. I think you have a love for helping people, and it would be a great shame if you left it all behind, sacrificing your own happiness in the process.'

Yeosang felt tears sting in his eyes as each word Kim Sa Bu spoke went straight to his soul.

'I only say this, because your happiness feeds your brother's happiness, as it does vice versa.'

Yeosang was speechless. The unexpected emotional assault was jolting and was only hurting his confused mind even more. Perhaps it only hurt that badly because some part of him was scared that he was right, and that his words had the possibility of ringing true.

Kim Sa Bu reached out and ruffled his hair, cracking a smile. 'Just thought I'd say that. Tell Hongjoong that if I see him back at work in the next three months I'll kick him out of the hospital myself.'

And with his joking disposition, he left Yeosang with a smile and continued on his way, leaving Yeosang to stare into space, unsure of what had just happened, or how he'd gotten there.

~~~