Patient 620

One

The fluorescent lights in Cheongil Hospital buzzed softly, casting a cold, sterile glow over the nurse's station.The smell of disinfectant was so thick it seemed to coat her throat as she walked through the hallway.After a long day of Work ,It was the last shift change of the night and Park Anna had barely finished updating patient files when she heard her name.

"Anna, Dr. Kang needs to see you," said Minseo, one of the senior nurses. Her tone was laced with something-hesitation but a sense of relief.

Anna looked up, her hand frozen mid-swipe as she finished the last of her updates on the computer. Minseo was standing there, Exchanging glances with the other nurses and wringing her hands like she had something to say but couldn't find the words.

Anna sighed lowly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. It had been a long night already. "What's it about?"

Minseo eyes glanced with the others, none of them willing to answer. The room became eeriely quiet, a few nurses had even gone suspiciously quiet, avoiding eye contact.

A prickle of unease crawled up Anna's spine. Bracing herself for whatever she was called for as she walked past the nurses who gazes where cast down but was clear they were shooting her a look as she existed .

When she entered Dr. Kang office, he was standing by his desk, rubbing his temples. The moment he saw her, he straightened, clasping his hands together like he was bracing himself for something.

"Anna," he started, his voice calm but firm. "We need to assign a new nurse to Patient 620."

The name sent a ripple of unease through her. Everyone in the hospital had heard the rumors.

The man in Room 620- Ethan jihoon Ryu

A psychopath. Rumored murderer A would-be killer. The man who had allegedly tried to murder his own brother before ending up in a near-fatal car crash that left him in a coma for months.

Anna remained composed. "What happened to his previous nurse?"

Dr. Kang sighed. "No one wants the case. They've all refused."

Of course they had. Nurses gossiped as much as anyone, and Ethan Jihoon was the kind of name that stuck. Some claimed he wasn't as unconscious as he seemed, that even in his coma, his vitals would spike at odd times-especially when people were in the room alone with him. Others whispered that his eyes moved beneath his lids like he was dreaming... but of what, no one wanted to know.

Anna didn't believe in hospital horror stories or even entertain the idea of ghosts. Patients were patients. No matter who they were before they deserved care now.

"So, I'm the last option," she said, giving a small, knowing smile.

Dr. Kang hesitated, then nodded. "I won't force you, Anna. If you're uncomfortable-"

"I'll do it."

The room went still.

He blinked. "You're sure?"

Anna nodded. "It's my job, isn't it?"

Besides, she had taken care of worse-patients violent from withdrawal, men who screamed at nurses as if they weren't human. If Ethan Ryu ever woke up, she'd handle him like she did the rest.

Professional. Detached.

Dr. Kang exhaled, relief flashing in his eyes. "Alright. You start tonight."

-

Room 620 was at the far end of the hall, isolated from the other long-term patients. The air smelled like antiseptic and something stale, like a room left undisturbed for too long.

Anna pushed open the door, stepping inside.

Ethan Jihoon layed motionless in the bed, wires and tubes snaking from his body. His dark hair was slightly overgrown, and his skin was pale under the dim hospital lighting. He looked innocent in the moment.If she hadn't known his past, she would've likely thought he was just another coma patient-peaceful, almost vulnerable.

But she did know.

Still, she wasn't afraid.

She approached the bed, checking his monitors, adjusting his IV. The steady beep, beep, beep of the heart monitor filled the silence.

"You're my patient now, Ethan," she said softly. "Let's see how this goes."

She carried on with her usual routine, turning to close the window blinds too busy to notice the way his fingers twitched beneath the sheets.