When the Clock Strikes|Pi Han Ul x Reader|

(S02) Chapter 20

The operating room was freezing, like always. The air-conditioning blasted at full force, keeping the sterile environment cool, but the real chill came from the weight of responsibility pressing down on everyone inside.

I stood by the patient’s side, watching the steady rise and fall of their chest, my eyes flicking between the vitals on the monitor and the anesthetic levels.

"Vitals are stable," I said, my voice even.

"Good. Beginning the incision," the lead surgeon responded.

I tightened my grip on the syringe in my gloved hand, adjusting the medication levels carefully. Anesthesia wasn’t just about knocking people out—it was about keeping them balanced on a knife’s edge, ensuring they stayed unconscious but safe, pain-free but alive.

"BP holding," I muttered under my breath, more to myself than anyone else.

The surgery proceeded smoothly, my hands moving out of habit rather than thought. This was my world—the hum of machines, the quiet focus of the team, the responsibility of keeping a patient steady while the surgeons did their job.

An hour later, as they sutured the final stitches, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

“All good?” one of the assisting doctors asked.

“Yeah.” I pulled off my gloves and mask, running a hand through my hair as I stepped back. “All good.”

Stepping out of the OR, I finally let the exhaustion settle into my bones. The moment I pulled off my scrub cap, my long hair tumbled down, and I sighed, rolling my neck.

The hallway was buzzing with hospital staff moving about, but for a moment, I just stood there, letting the white noise fill my head.

Then a voice called out.

“Hey, Ye Na, isn’t your shift over after six?”

I turned to see Dr. Kim, one of the cardiologists, adjusting his white coat as he looked at me curiously.

“Yeah,” I said, forcing a small smile.

“Lucky,” he huffed. “I’ve got two more patients to check before I’m free.”

I chuckled, waving him off as I made my way to the break room.

I stepped to the office.

The second I pushed the door open, Seok Kyung and Ha-Ya were already lounging on the chairs, their expressions the perfect mix of exhaustion and mischief.

Seok Kyung looked me up and down and clicked his tongue. “You look like a zombie.”

I scoffed, dropping into the chair across from them. “Thanks for the compliment.”

Ha-Ya smirked. “Long surgery?”

I nodded, stretching my arms behind my head. “Routine case. Gallbladder removal. But the patient had a complicated medical history, so it took longer than expected.”

Seok Kyung hummed. “At least it wasn’t a guy who refused anesthesia because he thought it would ‘steal his soul.’”

Ha-Ya snorted. “Oh, please. I had a guy last week who was hitting on me even while I was explaining the procedure.”

I laughed. “You do attract the weird ones.”

She flipped her hair dramatically. “Can’t help it if I have that effect on people.”

Then, suddenly, Seok Kyung leaned forward, his eyes narrowing at me. “But you, my dear, look extra dead today.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What does that even mean?”