"Yup, it was expensive. Really expensive," Jungkook enunciated on purpose.
"I knew it was expensive just from the packaging. But it was delicious, you know what they say, 'some things are expensive, but it's worth the money'. Just like Haagen Daaz ice cream, there's a reason why it's pricey."
"Working overtime is tiring, you need to eat good food."
"In that case, I should just finish off the rest." Then, Lisa jumped up and began wolfing down the leftover dumplings.
Jungkook didn't know whether to laugh or cry…
After spending some time with Lisa at the hospital, Jungkook left unwillingly.
When Lisa returned to the office, she was bombarded by Wonyoung's interrogation.
"Unnie, tell me, who is he?"
"Just a friend."
"I don't believe you! Come on! Tell me, is he your new boyfriend?"
"Fine, he is." Lisa didn't think that she could trick her any longer, so she admitted to it.
Wonyoung laughed as she clapped her hands together, "Ha! I knew he's your boyfriend. He's so handsome! How did you guys meet?"
"Um… I've known him for years," Lisa answered after some thought.
"So you guys grew up together?"
"Something like that."
"Oh my god, that's so romantic! Oh right, he looks really rich, what does he do? The packaging of the food he brought you is from an expensive restaurant, that place is super expensive! The food he bought you is probably worth thousands, I bet he's not an ordinary white-collar employee."
Wonyoung was a cutsie-tootsie ditzy girl, but she was super up-to-date with stuff like this. She paid a lot of attention to food and clothes.
Therefore, she knew her brands. Lisa wouldn't be able to fool her even if she wanted to.
"Um… he is kind of rich. His family owns a small business, that's all."
"I bet he's a local tyrant."
"Yeah, he is one of those poor people who suddenly came across some money," Lisa fumbled to answer; she didn't want to expose too much of who Jungkook was.
His identity was too flashy…
If this girl found out that Jungkook was the president of JC, tomorrow the entire hospital would find out as well.
"Nice, Unnie, no wonder you weren't interested in the forensics guy the head nurse tried to introduce you to. You have a man already! Plus, he's so handsome and filthy rich, he's an everything man! Oh, and your boyfriend looks super sophisticated, he doesn't look like someone who was poor – he looks like royalty."
"Promise me you won't tell anyone about him, I don't want to make it public."
"Fine, I got it. But if Kai found out, he would be super angry. Haha, you found a much better guy after leaving him."
"It doesn't have anything to do with him anymore, I don't think he has the time to pay attention to my personal matters anyway."
"You're right, I heard that Kai and Dr. Jung are getting married soon. I bet they're busy with wedding details, Dr. Jung will have plenty of time to gloat then."
Lisa smiled at her remarks and did not say anything more.
It was eight something in the morning when Lisa got home from work.
Jungkook had already left for work, so their condo was empty.
Lisa had a glass of milk and a slice of bread. After a quick shower, she got onto her bed, ready to get some sleep.
Just then, she received a phone call from the head nurse.
The head nurse said in an extremely serious tone, "Lisa, come to the hospital immediately."
Lisa, with no other choice, got up from the bed and took a cab to the hospital. She knew that the head nurse wanted to ask her about the unauthorized operation last night.
However, when she got to the OB/GYN clinic, she saw her colleagues standing outside the door.
One of the nurses, quietly told her, "Get in there, the head nurse and Dr. Jung are fighting. Dr. Jung wants to fire you."
Lisa's expression froze upon hearing what she said…
The head nurse was still bickering with Dr. Jung when Lisa entered the clinic.
"Nevertheless, I will not agree to fire Lisa," the head nurse insisted.
Krystal, with a pompous expression, scolded the head nurse, "You're just protecting her because she's one of your people, do you know that? Who is she? She's just a nurse! Who gave her the nerves to perform surgery on a pregnant patient? Does she think she's Norman Bethune? What if something had happened? It would affect our hospital's reputation! Will you be able to take responsibility for that? Or can she?"
"The important thing is that Lisa performed the operation immaculately. The other doctors in our clinic all checked diligently. The patient's sutures were perfect, and her newborn is doing well. There were no accidents."
"Maybe not this time, but that doesn't mean it won't happen in the future. Even if the patient and her child are doing okay, Lisa still violated the hospital's policy. This is a hospital; it's a place of serious business, and we can't have people playing heroines here. If the nurses can do everything, then what do we need doctors for? Why don't we just hire nurses for minimum wage? You're just a head nurse, you don't know medicine. A nurse's job is to assist doctors, not to do whatever they want ."
"I will report this matter to the director. Anyways, I will not agree to fire Lisa."
"You don't need to, I already called my uncle. He's really mad, so Lisa will be fired sooner or later. It doesn't matter if you don't care! You're just a head nurse! You don't own the hospital, so your disagreement means nothing to anybody. Actually, why don't you leave as well? Our department is under bad leadership, it's time for a change," Krystal smoothed out her long curly hair with her fingers as she said aggressively.
"I will. If the director fires Lisa, I'll resign as well," the head nurse responded, her tone icy.
Lisa hurried up to the head nurse. Holding her arm, she said, "Head Nurse, don't do that. I am the only one to blame for what happened, I don't want you to take fault for it. If the director wants to fire me, I'll leave. You don't have to be caught in the middle."
"Lisa, I heard about what happened last night. You did well; although you violated hospital policy, you saved the mother and her child. I respect you for doing that. On the other hand, there are others who ignored the importance of their jobs and left without notice when they were supposed to be on-call. That's why no one was here to perform surgery on the patient last night. The hospital should be ashamed of that instead."
"What did you say? I dare you to repeat it." Krystal's eyes were near murderous.
"Stop it, just stop it. I know that everything happened because of what I did… Last night, before I did what I did, I already anticipated the worst outcome. I will remain calm and accept all punishments from the hospital."
"Good, just wait for it." Krystal glared at Lisa.
Wonyoung interjected, "Unnie, if you leave, I'm leaving as well. We saved someone; the hospital doesn't have to reward us, but I don't believe that they would fire us. Where is justice? Forgive me if I'm undereducated, but I can't accept this bullsh*t either."
"Do you really think you're out of the woods? If she's fired, you'll be fired as well," Krystal said after glancing at Wonyoung.
"Stop it, we all need to stop talking. Let's wait for the director to make his decision," the head nurse said sternly.
Later on, the director's assistant arrived at the OB/GYN clinic. With one look at Lisa, he said, "The director wants to see you, come with me."
"Okay."
Lisa nodded and proceeded to follow that man.
Wonyoung, the head nurse and the others in the clinic were all concerned for her.
Krystal smiled coldly, she could almost see Lisa's future.
Originally, she was thinking of ways to get rid of Lisa. She didn't want to see her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend every day since it was making her uncomfortable.
Her efforts were not in vain; Lisa basically cocked the gun to her own head.
Who gave an intern nurse with no experience the guts to perform a C-section on a pregnant woman?
She was as brave as the night was long.
- Inside the director's office -
This was Lisa's third time seeing the director – the first time was when he asked her to assist Jungkook, and the second time was when her brother got into that accident.
Lisa, who had only been working at the hospital for a little over 6 months, had the honor of seeing the hospital's director for the third time in that short period. Should she be happy or sad?
"You're here. Come, sit." The director was still so courteous.
"Director, it's my fault. Please fire me, I will not burden our hospital." Lisa resigned before the director even opened his mouth.
Director Jung looked at Lisa and slowly opened his mouth, "Who told you I was going to fire you?"
Lisa froze for a second; she thought she was going to be fired for what she did last night.
"I heard about what happened last night and did some investigations. You did violate hospital policy. But, I have to admit, you are extremely skilled and brave," Director Jung said as he stared at Lisa sternly.
Lisa looked down. She knew last night that her actions would not be tolerated by the hospital. The hospital would never let her do anything like this.
"The hospital will not tolerate your actions, but personally, I respect you. Therefore, on behalf of myself, I would like to thank you for saving two lives last night." Then, Director Jung stood up and saluted Lisa.
Lisa was stunned… What was happening?
"Director…" Lisa hesitated.
"Don't get happy too fast, let me finish. I said that personally, I respect you. But the hospital will not allow for such actions – rules make this place run smoothly. You're a nurse, an intern nurse at that. You performed surgery on a patient without authorization from a superior, you also used an OR and surgical equipment without approval. This is a serious offense, so after a discussion with the board members, we've come to a decision…"
Lisa began to feel anxious at the director's words…
"We decided to temporarily transfer you out of the OB/GYN department and into the hospital laboratory."
Lisa sighed in relief upon hearing this. The director was only transferring her to another department.
However, truth be told, she was going to miss the OB/GYN department.
"Do you accept this punishment?
"I do, but I have a request, Director Jung."
"Yes?"
"Could you not fire Wonyoung? She was just assisting me, she didn't do anything she wasn't supposed to." Lisa didn't forget about her.
"The nurse who assisted you will also be transferred to the laboratory. You will be transferred together, or else the OB/GYN department's reputation might suffer. If the patient's family decides to come back and create a scene, we need to be able to provide a decent explanation."
"That's good, I feel better now." Lisa felt much better after she heard that Wonyoung and herself were being transferred to the laboratory together.
"Lisa, your head nurse profusely recommended you to me. I've seen your resume and heard that you are extremely smart. You can learn anything easily if you put your mind to it, can learn things that others would take ten years to learn, and perform outstandingly at any task. The incident that happened last night really opened my eyes to your potential. Therefore, if the hospital offers you a chance to study abroad, would you go?"
Gratified, Lisa smiled at the director's kind offer.
"It's okay, Director Jung. I'm not that young anymore, nor am I as driven as I used to be. I don't want to learn anything; I'm happy working at our hospital. I'm extremely grateful that you didn't fire me because of what happened last night."
"I heard that you played multiple roles last night – you were the main surgeon as well as the anesthesiologist. The doctors from your department were all surprised when they saw how well the patient's recovering. It was a breech baby, so the surgery was difficult. Even an attending doctor would have to think twice before operating, let alone a newbie like you. You are extremely talented, have you had hands-on experience in the past?"
Lisa shook her head, "No, I haven't. Last night was the first practical application of my skills."
"Therefore, I've got to say, you are a medical genius. It's a shame for you to just be a nurse. It's a waste of your talent," Director Jung looked at Lisa and said earnestly.
"Director, you think too highly of me. It's really not a shame, I'm happy to have found my place in life. Doctors' lives are tiring, I'm selfish and don't want to be as strung out like them." Lisa smiled again.
Lisa was relieved that Director Jung didn't think less of her because of what Krystal said.
This meant that he was an extremely fair and wise person.
"Okay, if that's your decision, then I will not force you into anything. Go report to the laboratory, starting today you will no longer work in the OB/GYN department."
"Thank you, Director Jung."
Lisa felt much better as she left the director's office.
However, she was a little sad to leave the head nurse and the OB/GYN department.
Before Lisa even returned, the director's office sent out two notices.
Firstly, two nurses in the OB/GYN department, Wonyoung and Lisa, violated hospital policy and will, therefore, be transferred out of the department.
Secondly, Deputy Department Chief, Dr. Krystal Jung did not fulfill her responsibilities and left her post while she was on-call. Due to the negative effects brought upon the hospital, she has been demoted to a regular physician and will receive a 6-month pay deduction as a warning.
When Krystal heard the news, she was extremely embarrassed. She was Director Jung's niece but was punished nonetheless. Furious, she ran up to the top floor of the hospital to cause a scene but was stopped by Director Jung's assistant, who told her that the director did not want to see her.
Krystal was so furious that her face turned purple…
In the end, Kai had to come upstairs himself to pull her away.
"Krys, stop it, it's bad for the baby."
"No, I won't. I need to ask my uncle why he did this. Why is he taking that bitch's side? Do you think he slept with her?" Furious, Krystal's mouth no longer had a filter.
Kai's expression changed when he heard this, "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Huh, you don't want to hear about your old lover, do you? It's true! If there wasn't something between them, why wouldn't my uncle just fire that arrogant bitch? You heard about the stupid thing she did last night, right? She's just a nurse, and she had the guts to perform a C-section on a pregnant patient and also act as the anesthesiologist? It's ridiculous, isn't it?"
Of course, Kai heard about what happened last night; the entire hospital heard about it.
He was shocked at Lisa's brave decision too, but he truly respected her actions.
He heard that the operation was performed so immaculately that the doctors in the OB/GYN department felt embarrassed about their own skills.
"I heard that the operation was successful, why can't you just let it go?" Kai frowned.
Kai's words lit up Krystal's fury like a match. She slapped Kai on the face, "What bullshit are you talking about! Did you forget who your girlfriend is!"
"Krys, that's not what I meant. I just wanted you to treat this calmly."
"I can't, I need to see my uncle. He can't do this to me. If he won't let me be deputy chief of the department, I will quit. I'm going to tell my dad what my uncle did to me. I'm resigning, I quit! I don't want to be a regular physician, I want to be chief!"
Krystal stood in front of the director's office as she howled…
Director Jung remained unmoved in his office; he was aware of how self-willed his niece was.
However, he now knew Lisa better, and finally understood why Jungkook would fall for a girl with such an ordinary background like her. The truth was, she shined in so many different ways.
"Director, Miss Jung is creating a scene outside, do you want to see her?" the assistant, uncomfortable with the situation, asked the director.
"Ignore her, let her do her thing. Tell her if she wants to quit, I'll accept her resignation. She's free to leave."
"Okay."
Just as Krystal and Kai were fighting, the director's assistant walked out and said in all seriousness, "Miss Jung, the director said that if you want to quit, he accepts your resignation. You may go now."
"What? My uncle actually said that?" Krystal exclaimed in disbelief.
"That is correct."
"No, I want to see him. I need to ask him for myself!" Krystal insisted, unwilling to give up.
In the end, Kai had to carry her away from the director's office. The scene she was causing was just too embarrassing.
When Lisa and Wonyoung got all their stuff and were about to leave, their colleagues from the OB/GYN department gathered by the doors to send them off.
Department's Chief quietly tugged at Lisa's sleeve, "Good job last night, the surgery was done perfectly."
"Thank you, Chief," Lisa smiled.
"When you have the time, I want to treat you to dinner so we can discuss specifics."
"Um…" To Lisa's surprise, Chief, known for her stellar surgical skills, was offering to treat Lisa to dinner to discuss surgical methods.
"Lisa, stay there for now. Once this incident blows over, I will ask the director to transfer you back." The head nurse was sad that Lisa was leaving.
"Don't worry, Head Nurse, I'm fine anywhere."
"Yeah, Head Nurse, I'll keep her company. Don't worry." Wonyoung, holding a cardboard box, snickered behind Lisa.
She was elated to be transferred to the laboratory.
She had to cover night-shifts at the OB/GYN department and earned a really low salary. However, working in the lab would be different.
They would only be drawing blood and conducting tests with equipment that was already there. Most importantly, there were no night-shifts at the lab.
That means that she would no longer have to stay up all night; it was a great feeling. Technically, the hospital was punishing them, but Wonyoung felt like the director was, on some level, rewarding them.
Lisa sadly bid farewell to her colleagues at the OB/GYN department and headed to the laboratory with Wonyoung.
The chief physician of the lab was a middle-aged man; he was plump, wore glasses, and had a cute smile.
"Chief, I'm Lisa. Nice to meet you."
"Oh gosh, you're Lisa? Come, sit down."
"Um… it's fine, I can stand."
"Nonsense, come and sit down! Tell me, how did you bravely perform the surgery on that pregnant patient last night? I heard that you even knew how to administer anesthesia. Have you studied it before? Why didn't you apply to become a doctor, since there are not many prospects to being a nurse? You're so diligent at work, what is your zodiac sign? Oh, and what's your favorite color?"
This cheif asked her a series of questions. Confused, Lisa wasn't sure which one she was supposed to answer first.
Finally, she concluded: this Chief was not only chubby, but he was also talkative.
However, with a boss like that, her life would be much easier. He seemed amiable.
Even Wonyoung knew how to draw blood and do tests; naturally, Lisa could do it blindfolded. It was easy as pie.
Everything was fine until she saw Eunha at the laboratory. Lisa was shocked.
"I'm surprised to see you here," Eunha said coldly when she saw Lisa.
Lisa was just as surprised to see her high school classmate – no, rival – on her first day at the lab.
She wasn't really a romantic rival, because Jungkook never even looked at her. Just a while back, he made her look bad in their high school WeChat group.
"I'm surprised as well," Lisa replied.
"Draw my blood, I've been super sick from the flu and want a routine blood test."
"Are you sure you want me to do it?" Lisa reinstated.
"Of course, I spent the money, aren't you suppose to service me?" Eunha's tone was overbearing.
"What I meant was, I don't want you to worry that I might take out my grudge on you."
"Do you have the guts to?"
"The truth is, I don't like you. So, I won't be too nice when drawing your blood. Just suck it up." Then, Lisa picked up a needle and pricked it into a vein in Eunha's arm.
That sudden prick hurt a little, causing Eunha to furrow her eyebrows.
"I heard that you got back together with Jungkook?" Eunha suddenly asked her.