"Okay Love, Inhale..." Dr. Son instructed the little boy lying in the ER's hospital bed while she placed the cold steel of the stethoscope in his chest and in his back, listening to the murmurs inside the child's body. "..and Exhale.."
"Dr. Son, his name is Go Chin Hwa, 8 years old with asthma, his nebuliser hasn't been working. Dr. Kwon added steroids on his medication but he still cannot breathe properly."
"Can I see his X-rays?" An intern handed her the x-ray film and she lifted it in the near the light so she could see clearly. Her eyebrows formed a crease, and she asked the patient's parent, "Does he have other medical issues?"
"He had a febrile seizure when he was 3 months old, Dr. Son."
"How about his asthma, did it get better or worse as he aged?"
"Worse, doctor."
"Okay." Dr. Son offered a weak smile to the parent, the one that doctors use when they recognize the urgency of the situation but they don't want to create panic among the patient's family. She then turned to the parent and said in the calmest tone possible, "Mrs. Go, I think Chin Hwa has Cardiac Asthma. He needs to have surgery right now.. Because he's currently having a heart attack. But do not worry. We have the best surgeons in here so we will take care of your child."
Nurse Huang guided the parent to fill out some forms. The residents and interns in the room were amazed as to how she smoothly handled the situation, avoiding unnecessary panic that would've eaten the parent alive.
She was a purring kitten to the mother, but had transformed into a growling tiger when she looked at the residents, "Book an OR, stat! He's having a heart attack right now. Page Dr. Hyun and let's get this child into an OR!"
-
"Look at this," Dr. Hyun moved his hand to let Dr. Son and the other resident doctors assisting them see the patient's heart, "The coronary artery is attached to the pulmonary artery, and not the aorta."
They were now on the OR, operating on the child. Dr. Hyun led the surgery, and Dr. Son first assisted.
The residents' eyes widened at the sight of the beating heart, not looking as a normal one should be. "It presented as cardiac asthma, but it was really ALCAPA (Anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery)", Dr. Son said, still with a scalpel in her hand.
"Nice catch, Dr. Son." Dr. Hyun said.
"Thank you," She replied, "Turned out that the febrile seizure that he had back then was already a heart attack."
"Dr. Hyun, she literally just listened to the boy's chest, asked her mother a few questions, and looked at her x-ray. It was amazing, you should have seen it." one of the residents told Dr. Hyun.
"Ya.." She warned the doctors because she was getting shy of the compliments they were throwing at her way since earlier. The intern wouldn't stop talking about her diagnosis. He even jokingly called her, "god?"
"Silly." She replied but then decided to impart some knowledge to the young doctors, "When I listened to his chest, I head a holosystolic murmur, and there are cardiomegaly on his x-rays."
"Please don't take my job away from me, Dr. Son." Dr. Hyun joked, fuelling the fire some more.
She pouted, but smiled afterwards. No one can see what her reaction is, but Dr. Hyun knew what was hiding behind her surgical mask, just by looking at how her eyes formed into crescent-shaped perfection.
They finished the surgery, and the boy was wheeled back into his room for post-op care. Both doctors removed their surgical gowns and scrubbed their hands thoroughly for 5 minutes, making small talk. Before they could finish, the Chief's assistant entered the scrub room, "There you are, I have been looking everywhere for both of you," catching her breath, she continued, "Chief wants to talk to both of you."
The walk to the chief's office wasn't that long, but it felt like they almost talked about everything under the sun. They talked about their day— their simple nothings. It has been almost two weeks since they became officially unofficial.
Does that make sense?
To make things simpler: they love each other, but they are not lovers. He told her that he will marry her, but they are not each other's fiance.
It was a complicated set up, she must admit. But he is happy. She is happy. It was something they haven't genuinely felt for a long time. So they didn't bother giving themselves a title for now.
"Thank you."
"For what?" She said, still walking by his side en route to the office of the Chief of Surgery.
"I think I'll save a lot of money now," Dr. Hyun said to which she replied, "Why?"
"Do you know how many times I've changed beds for the last 7 years? Not mattresses, but beds!"
Yejin just gave him a puzzled look.
"12 times, Dr. Son!"
"Why? Do you always break it? What were you doing, huh?!" Yejin rolled her eyes subtly, but he caught it. He poked her waist to get her attention and said, "Nothing, silly."
"Then why do you keep buying beds, Dr. Hyun Bin?"
"No matter what I do, I cannot sleep on your side of the bed... I honestly thought changing beds would make my sleep comfortable." At this point they reached the Chief's office. Dr. Hyun grabbed the door knob, and before he turned it, he said, "But I think I'll stop buying beds now. Because I'm having the best sleep of my life these past 2 weeks. Thanks to you."
He entered the office afterwards, leaving her with her heart fallen on the floor.
-
"Are you both on-call tomorrow morning?" The chief asked, to which they both nodded, "how about scheduled surgeries?"
"I have none," Dr. Son said, sitting on one of the visitor's chairs.
"I only have an angioplasty in the morning, but one of the cardio attendings can do it." Dr. Hyun said as he paced around the room "why, chief?"
"The Dean of the College of Medicine of University of Korea called me if I could send two of Seoul Med's doctors to give a lecture to the freshmen medical students." Chief Han said, sipping his coffee. Recognizing the blank reaction in the doctors' faces, he added, "Come on, it will be fun! Aren't you two alumni of University of Korea?"
"We are, but what are we going to talk about in there, chief?" Dr. Hyun said, who now sat across from Dr. Son.
"You can give a lecture about the basics of cardiothoracic surgery," the chief stopped to think, "You can tell about your new technique in transplants!"
"Chief, don't you think it's too early to give a talk on specialties?" Dr. Son said, "They won't have to decide until after their residencies, that's roughly 6-7years from now!"
"That's okay! The earlier the better!" Chief said, continuously tapping his feet on the floor. Obviously just saying anything to convince both of them.
"If Dr. Hyun will give a talk on his technique, then what will I talk about?" Dr. Son asked her senior.
"You can talk about your fellowship on fetal surgery," Chief Han suggested. Dr. Hyun's eyes formed into two large Os, and he stared at her with awe, "You studied pediatric and FETAL SURGERY?"
"I did," Dr. Son nonchalantly replied, unaware how big of a deal that is, "Pediatric in Hopkins, Fetal in New York."
"Whoah, I did not know that!" Dr. Hyun's tone revealed just how amazed he was by what he heard, "Do you know how many fetal surgeons there are in Korea?"
Dr. Son shook her head to which Dr. Hyun replied, "I don't know either! I don't even know if there's one!"
He stood up and pulled her towards him and gave her a warm hug. In front of the chief. "Daebak! I'm so proud of you, Yejin-ah! That was your dream!"
Dr. Son instantly became aware of the situation and she struggled out of Dr. Hyun's embrace. Not because she wasn't liking it, but because of the chief's presence. The last thing she wants right now is the freaking Chief of Surgery knowing about their complicated relationship.
Thankfully Dr. Hyun realized that they were indeed in front of the chief, and he immediately let Dr. Son out of his embrace and thought of an excuse.
Both of them immediately sat down and took a glance at the astonished Chief, whose mouth remained agape by the scene he just witnessed.
"Dr. Son, I meant I'm proud of you as a colleague!" He offered his hand for a handshake and Dr. Son took it immediately.
"Thank you, Dr. Hyun."
They looked stupid, to be honest.
"I'm just proud of my classmate, Chief. I mean, she operates on fetuses while they are inside the mother's uteri. Daebak!"
Dr. Hyun mentally hit himself in the head. Damn, for a renowned cardio-thoracic surgeon, he sure can be stupid sometimes.
The chief just looked at them with a bemused expression in his face, waving his hand in the air to brush them off, "11:30 am tomorrow at the Medicine Auditorium. Do not be late!"
-
After their long day, Dr. Hyun and Dr. Son finished their shifts and went home to their shared apartment building, carpooling on the way there.
According to them, they want to save "mother earth" by saving fuel. But who are they kidding? They just want to spend more time together.
They got out of his car and proceeded to their respective apartments. Ever since Bin gave her the ring, she has kept her distance when it comes to physical intimacy. After they slept together in his bed (literally slept, nothing happened), no other physical contact was made. It was her way of giving him some "space", and she had done it in good faith even if it was killing her— because her love language was actually physical touch.
The closest they ever got for physical touch was the hug that Bin initiated earlier, and she can still feel the warmth of his body against hers.
So the best option right now was to lock herself in her apartment. She waved her goodbye at him and went inside her unit.
-
At 7:00 AM the next day, she got a text from her car dealer saying that her car will be delivered and is already on the way. True enough, after 30 minutes, her brand new car arrived.
Her car's arrival happened at the perfect time because she has something planned.
Yejin went back to her apartment and dolled herself up. She also practiced the talk that she will be giving later.
Minutes later and her doorbell rang. She pavlov'd herself into associating that ring into an impending blissful moment— seeing Bin. Hearing that ring automatically made her grab her bag and face in front of the mirror to check if she's pretty decent for the day.
They went to the parking lot and just as Bin was about to open his car, Yejin unlocked the car beside his.
"Bin, my car came in today. Care to ride with me?" She said with the sweetest smile.
Bin sat on the passenger's seat as Yejin explored the features of her new car. She did something with the gears and the car jolted forward. A startled Bin sat on the edge of his seat.
He immediately hovered around Yejin's torso and grabbed the seatbelt, securing her. He did the same for himself.
"Since when have you been driving?" Bin asked Yejin whose eyes are completely focused on the road.
"Mmm.. this is my first, actually."
"WHAT? STOP THE CAR! Do you have a license?" was the only thing the panicked Dr. Hyun could yell. She just laughed at the sight. "I'm just joking! I've been driving for 3 years now. Don't worry!"
Almost an hour later, they arrived at their destination. Both of them were quiet, as the memories they have on this place flooded them more than what they could handle.
She remembered walking hand in hand with Bin in this place every single day for almost 6 years. He remembered how they passed time under the tree in front of their building, just sitting in the grass talking while they waited for their next class.
They remembered every memory, every story that this place held of them.
"I missed this place." Dr. Hyun said. She gave her the most sincere smile she could muster, "Me too, Bin."
-
They went to the auditorium and were greeted by the Dean. The program already started but they wouldn't be speaking until its second part, so they were guided into the holding room by one of the staff
Dr. Hyun and Dr. Son were talking about their speeches when the door opened, revealing a familiar face.
"Hi, Dr. Hyun and Dr. Son! How are you? It's been a long time." Dr. Kim Nam Gil said and gave them both a half hug. After exchanging pleasantries, he asked their current affiliations.
"I'm now head of Cardio at Seoul Med," Dr. Hyun said, subtly eyeing their former classmate, who now sat beside Dr. Son despite the numerous chairs all over the room.
"How about you, Yejin?" Dr. Kim said, not really paying Dr. Hyun much attention.
"Head of Peds, Seoul Med." She said simply and offered a genuine smile. "You?"
"Well, I'm now a Neuro Attending here at University of Korea Hospital" He said, "and I also teach here."
"Really?" Dr. Son asked and Dr. Kim nodded, giving her a sweet smile.
"So... I'm curious about the two of you. I'm surprised that you are working together," Dr. Kim said, looking at the both of them, "Rumors spread that you two broke up during residency."
There it is. Dr. Hyun knew he would bring this up. Yejin and Nam Gil were classmates in their undergrad course: Medical Technology, and the three of them in Medschool. Dr. Hyun always knew that Dr. Kim liked her. Dr Kim just didn't say anything because before he could even make a move, Yejin and Bin already became a couple.
He doubts that Yejin has an idea that he likes her. She's very intelligent, but that woman can be dense.
Dr. Son just looked at Dr. Hyun, waiting for him to answer the question.
"We are working things out." He said as he squeezed her hand, the sudden contact making her jolt. Dr. Hyun made sure that Dr. Kim saw their hands.
However, he still continued making small talks with her. Dr. Hyun would respond to Dr. Kim's question as if he asked him as well. Thankfully the three of them were summoned and they were guided through the stage.
"For today, we will have three distinguished doctors in their chosen fields. Have you guys ever thought of what specialty to choose?" The emcee addressed the big crowd of medical students, "Fret not, because these doctors will tell you all about the beauty of surgery!"
"Let's give it up for Dr. Hyun Bin, head of Cardio Thoracic Surgery in Seoul Medical Hospital," Dr. Hyun stood up and bowed his head to the audience.
"Dr. Son Ye Jin, Head of Pediatric Surgery and a Fetal Surgery Attending of Seoul Medical Hospital", Dr. Son mimicked Dr. Hyun's actions, she stood up and bowed a little and sat again.
"Lastly, we have Dr. Kim Nam Gil, an attending Neurosurgeon in University of Korea Hospital, remember his face because he might be one of your professors!" The MC warned the wide eyes students.
Dr. Hyun was the first to give a talk. He was actually nervous not because of speaking to a three-hundred people audience, but about leaving his woman with Dr. Kim. He started his presentation about introduction to cardiothoracic surgery and about the technique he has developed. On his peripheral vision he could see the two doctors engaging in small talk.
He immediately wrapped it up.
When it was Dr. Son's turn to deliver her talk, Dr. Hyun shot Dr. Kim a look.
Meanwhile, she talked about how elite Pediatrics Surgery is, and how studying fetal surgery changed her whole viewpoint in the sciences. She told them about a case she had in fetal surgery wherein she operated on a fetus still inside the mother's womb.
If the students can describe the two men behind her, they would perhaps say that their eyes transformed into comical hearts and are now drooling, all because of the beauty and talent of this woman in front of them.
No one can blame them, to be honest.
"Hey, man." Dr. Kim called Dr. Hyun, "If I was in your shoes, I would not have let go of such an amazing woman."
"Don't go there, man." Bin warned, his patience running thin.
-
Dr. Son's eyes widened as Dr. Kim told her about a surgery he had operating on conjoined twins. They are now walking outside the medical building. Dr. Hyun has been quiet all throughout the program, mainly pissed with the neurosurgeon she's currently talking to.
"Smile!" One of the event organizers took the photo of three of them in front of the medicine building.
"Excuse me," Dr. Hyun said to the photographer, "Can you take a picture of us?" Dr. Hyun turned to Dr. Kim, "for Seoul Med. The Chief wanted a photo."
Dr. Kim moved out of the frame.
Dr. Son let out a soft. chuckle, as she knew the Chief wouldn't ask for something like that.
After they took a photo, Dr. Kim approached Dr. Son once again. "Hey, do you want to grab a cup of coffee?" He said, and Dr. Hyun harbored all his willpower and self control not to punch him right in the face. He already told him that they're working things out, didn't he?
Dr. Son looked surprise at the question but immediately answered, "Oh, I'm sorry," she said, looking at her wristwatch, "I have to go back to the hospital, I still have surgery."
No, she doesn't.
They bid their goodbyes and Dr. Hyun made sure that Dr. Kim saw that they entered the same car.
-
She can feel the tension inside the car as she drives. Dr. Hyun hasn't said anything ever since they left the university.
"Hey," Dr. Son said, taking a glance at the man in her passenger seat, "are you okay?"
"Mm-hhmm," he simply replied.
"Then why did your face look like you're ready to attack him?" She asked, somehow finding amusement in the situation, "Are you still mad about the time that you were partnered together to dissect a cadaver and he fainted so you had to do it by yourself?"
They laughed at the memory. Even the straight faced Dr Hyun chuckled when he remembered that. But 10 seconds later, he stiffened once again.
"He likes you." Dr. Hyun said, still looking straight on the road. Dr. Son looked at him in disbelief, so he added,"I'm serious."
"But I love you." she retorted back, still holding the steering wheel. She then took a glance at him as she added, "I'm serious."
Dr. Hyun just stared at her with a smile he cannot anymore hold back. He just took her other hand and intertwined it with his.
"Were you jealous?" She asked.
"No!" Bin said defensively, and this made her smile. "What right do I have to be jealous? I'm not your boyfriend." Simply saying this as it is left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth.
"No, but you're my Bin." She said, and the man in her passenger seat is smiling like an idiot now.
After a few moments, he groaned at his seat. "Do you know I'm taking a class right now, Dr. Son?"
She shot him with a confused look, "Really?"
"Yes, Resisting-Dr-Son-101."
Dr. Son laughed so hard it was music to his ears.
"Stop! You're killing me," she said in between her sweet giggles. The car even wiggled a little.
"I can give you the syllabus if you like. Lesson number one was actually entitled 'How Not To Fall Easily For Her Charms".
"What's the second one?" she asked.
"There's no second one." Dr. Hyun said, and Dr. Son's car was just filled with their blissful laughter.
"I think you already failed your class, Bin."
"Why?"
She glanced at her right hand intertwined with his left. He immediately followed her gaze. She thought he'd let go of her hand but instead, she felt him tightened his hold.
"Then I'd fail."
-
Yejin is already lying in her bed ready to sleep when her phone beeped, indicating that someone sent her a message. She looked at her screen and she saw a message from him.
Dr. Hyun Bin
I can't sleep.
Instead of replying, she stood up and wrapped herself with a robe. She grabbed two bottles of beer from her fridge and was about to keep him company while he battled with tonight's sleeplessness.
She opened her door and he saw him there, as if contemplating whether to ring her doorbell.
He was wearing his usual home clothes: White shirt and boxer shorts. Yejin smiled at the sight, and a pillow in his arm completed his domesticated look.
She opened the door and let him inside. No words were uttered, but they both knew.
Yejin put the bottles of beer in her kitchen counter, and they both went to her room.
They lied on her bed, motionless. Both were breathing deeply with suggestive thoughts running in their minds. The two doctors were separated by an invisible line between them. She's on the left, he's on the right.
Yejin felt the intense electricity when he held her hand and didn't let go.
Yejin resisted the temptation to even look at the handsome man beside him.
Maybe she'll also learn the lesson of self control tonight.
Bin slept like a baby after that. One of the best sleep he's had for the past 7 years, with his love by his side.
-
Dr. Son and Dr. Hyun did not carpool to work today because she has an early morning surgery. He looked at his watch and figured she must be finished by this time.
When he arrived in the hospital, the emergency room was eerily quiet— a bad omen.
He recognized the Chief's voice as his announcement blasted through the speakers across the hospital, "At 8:48 am, a passenger bus slammed into a van, 3 casualties as of this announcement, ambulances are on standby waiting for the patients to be extracted on the scene. We need all hands on deck! Postpone all non-emergent surgeries until after all the victims of the crash have been treated. All surgeons must stand by in the ER in case a patient will need an emergency surgery. Make sure all equipment is working, people! We are level 1 trauma center so expect that there will be a lot of victims that will be brought here. I repeat we need all hands on deck!"
Dr. Hyun's adrenaline ran through his veins, as the first patient was wheeled into the ER.
-
Dr. Hyun helped each patient that needed his attention. Every minute a patient in a gurney entered the emergency room. Dr. Hyun prioritized the patients with red tags— a sign that they have been triaged and they needed very immediate treatment. He tended to several patients that needed care: he did an emergency thoracotomy, he intubated patients, popped back dislocated bones, and resuscitated patients who coded.
The emergency room was pure chaos.
Some patients made it, some didn't. All patients are tended and the panic has subsided, at least for now.
The head of cardio sat on the floor, head resting in his palms.
Just as he thought everything was over, a patient was wheeled by a paramedic once again. She has a green tag—an indication of a minor injury. A resident doctor came to meet the patient, but Dr. Hyun said, "I got it, Dr. Lee. Rest for now."
Once they got into the trauma room, the paramedic told the doctor, "Unidentified girl, approximately 6 years old, found unconscious at the scene. Bruises, abrasions, and minor lacerations on face, arms, and legs."
Dr. Hyun treated her injuries. With the help of the nurses, he debrided and cleaned her wounds and sutured her lacerations.
After he's done, he searches for the kids bag for any identification, so that he can call the child's parents. He didn't find any, except a mobile phone. He went through the phone's contacts, where he found three entries: her mom, grandmother, and grandfather.
She called the contact named "Eomma" on the child's phone.
It rang for a few moments, and before the person on the other line could answer, he said, "This is Seoul Medical Hospital, I'm calling because an unidentified girl was brought in our hospital—"
The call ended.
He was supposed to tell the mother not to worry because the child is stable, but when he tried calling the number again, she wasn't answering. He tried for 5 times but to no avail.
Moments after, Dr. Hyun stopped in his tracks when he saw someone familiar through the glass pane of the trauma room, looking hysterical and terror-stricken, desperately opening curtains and looking for something— or someone.
He saw Dr. Son, running towards the trauma room he's in. Her eyes were solely focused on the little girl on the bed that she didn't even notice him.
"Ae-Rin! Baby!!"
—End of chapter 6—
A/N:
Guys, chapter 6 is the calm before the storm, so this is basically just a filler chapter, forgive me! I'm actually excited to write the next one, so here goes.
Thank you for all the kind words— my heart is full. 🥺❤️
BONUS:
"DIBS ON THE LEFT SIDE!" Yejin screamed as the delivery men put down the newly bought bed in their room.
This was their first joint purchase after they moved to their shared home. The delivery men left, and Yejin jumped into the left side of the bed, occupying almost ¾ of the bed. Bin lied down on the remaining ¼, making do of what little space left for him despite his big masculine frame.
That night, Bin was sleeping soundly when he heard a loud sound.
Panic enfolded Bin because when turned to his side, he didn't see his girlfriend there. He stood up, ready to attack in case a stranger broke in their apartment. He stopped in his tracks when he heard a groan from the other side of the bed, and he discovered his girlfriend lying there.
"Ouch, Love."
Bin scooted near her and helped her up.
"You already took 75% of the bed, how did you even fall off?" He said, trying to stifle his laugh, drowsiness has instantly left his body at the moment.
THE NEXT NIGHT (AND THE NIGHT AFTER THAT)
BLAG!
"Ouch!"
"Love, did you fall off our bed again?"
Bin helped his girlfriend once again and they lied back to their bed.
On the 4th night, Bin reclaimed his other 25% so they both have equal shares on the bed. He just wrapped Yejin in his embrace.
Every night after that he holds Yejin in his arms, making sure she will never fall from the bed again as long as he is with her side.