Corporate Strangers

The Ticket Thing

Jeong Hyeok suddenly found himself, expecting those eyes to form a smile again. He reached for the chocolate and began tearing its wrapper before taking a bite and watch the view with her.

---

Hands were clutched firmly at the railing of the bed as Ju Meok, dressed in casual attire, accompanied the paramedics in rushing an old man to the ER.

Gwang Beom immediately went to the entrance to approach the emergency as Ju Meok reported the details. "Man in his 40s collapsed suddenly. He had a fever and was sweating. He was my taxi driver"

The ER resident persistently attempted to wake the patient as Nurse Ma clipped the pulse oximeter to its index finger. Receiving no signs of consciousness, Gwang Beom proceeded to check the pupil response by flashing his pen light to the patient's eyes.

"Vitals?"

"Between 40 to 80 and a fever of 39.8" replied the nurse.

"This might be septic shock," Gwang Beom analyzed. Ju Meok chimed in to report something. "I checked his stomach and his muscle guarding is bad" to which the resident proceeded to tap on it, disappointingly confirming Ju Meok's words. "It's peritonitis".

Ju Meok was observing the immediate actions of his former dorm mate from medical school as he requested the nurse for an oxygen mask, setting the IV lines and executing them to a full drop. Gwang Beom was indeed fit for this industry.

Ever since they went to the same university to further study medicine, Gwang Beom and Ju Meok have been racking their brains off and had been living under instant noodles and canned beers. Not until a certain person who once became a spokesperson for their school event, noticed the two and their exceptional performance...as well as their struggles.

"Doctor Ri?" his voice were engulfed in hesitation and panic as Ju Meok finally contacted the person who became their well-respected mentor and eventually became an older brother as the years went on.

"Yes, Ju Meok. Is there a problem? Go on." the deep, calm voice replied on the other line. The fellow managed to report the whole situation in detail. What's bothering Ju Meok is that he might've assisted more in elevating his struggle ever since they were still in that very car. He clearly noticed the symptoms but brushed it off until he eventually collapsed.

"I believe the ER has him under good hands, right? You did nothing wrong. Are you okay though?" Jeong Hyeok started calming the palpitating student. He had done this a hundred times and already lost count.

"Everyone would think of it in the same way but the moment he collapsed, I know very well that you followed the protocol and saved him at the end." Ju Meok was finally starting to catch his breath. He then saw his best friend sliding the probe to the patient's regions as the sonograms are being generated on the machine. "Is it empyema? Then that means..." Ju Meok could hear some of Gwang Beom's words whilst still on the phone with Jeong Hyeok.

"Are you and Gwang Beom doing well? How about that intern you've been talking to lately? What's his name...uh...Eun Dong---

--Ya! Gu Seung Jun! Don't you dare hang up I swea... Hello? Hello!" the phone call immediately ended.

Is Doctor Ri hanging out with a woman... finally? Ju Meok thought after somehow hearing a female's voice. His curiosity was coming out again but disappeared the moment he saw the patient went in cardiac arrest. With widened eyes, he immediately ran towards the bed with Gwang Beom asking him help for the compression while proceeding to request for intubation to Nurse Ma.

Ju Meok positioned himself beside the bed, lifted himself just a little bit above and performed CPR as Gwang Beom inserted the tube through the patient's mouth.