Chapter Text
Seoul, South Korea: 9:10 PM – 12/03/20XX General Hospital 121 St.
It was a normal workday; I was in the breakroom. There weren't many patients to attend to, so I decided to check my phone. Usually, I wouldn't have this kind of downtime; the hospital at night normally turned into a total hell, so it felt very strange that everything was so calm. Suddenly, I heard screams coming from the emergency room and went to check what was happening. In the hallways, I found a man lying on the floor; the mask he was wearing was soaked in blood. Just as I was about to examine him, I heard someone call me:
"—Doctor Ahn, we need you in the emergency room—" said the nurse.
I had no choice but to go, calling another nurse to check on the man. I went to the emergency room and saw a boy who appeared to be a soldier; he had been shot in the left thigh. He wasn't bleeding much, but I asked for his status and personal details anyway.
"—What is your name?—" I asked. "—Park Hoo Min—" he replied. "—Age, and how do you feel?—" I said while starting an IV as we headed toward an operating room. "—27. How do you think I feel, doctor? It hurts like a motherf***er—" he laughed without much spirit. "—Well, that's what I wanted to know. Now we will remove the bullet and stitch the wound, alright?—" I said, and he just nodded. "—Administer the anesthesia—" I told the nurse, and she obeyed.
I immediately proceeded to remove the bullet and stitch the wound. After almost two hours, I finished the operation. I left to find out about the man from the hallway. I was walking toward reception when I saw another soldier approaching me:
"—Doctor, how is patient Park?—". "—Are you talking about the soldier?—" I asked. He nodded, and I replied, "—He is fine. I just operated on him, so I don’t think he can receive visitors yet—".
The man in front of me made an expression I couldn't decipher. "—We belong to an essential branch of the Army—" he told me. I realized then that the man I had just operated on probably wasn't just a simple soldier, and neither was the man in front of me. I quickly bowed and said, "—Come with me, I will take you to see patient Park—".
A bit disconcerted, I led him through the hallways to Park's room. "—We’re here. With your permission, I'll take my leave—" I said with a bow. He simply motioned with his head, and I withdrew. On my way back to the breakroom, I remembered the other patient I'd left with the nurses. "—I hope it's nothing serious—" I said aloud.
"—What do you hope isn't serious?—" I heard a voice behind me. I startled and turned. "—Oh, it’s you, Beom Seok. You scared me to death! What are you doing here?—". "—The same as you, maybe? Working, obviously—" he replied. I could only laugh at my silly question.
I had known Beom Seok since university; we had been together through internship, residency, and specialization. Even if we didn't see each other often, our friendship remained intact. Finally, here we were, working at the same hospital.
Seeing I was lost in thought, Beom Seok asked again, "—Well, since you didn't answer: I'm going to check on a patient they found lying in one of the hallways. They've already treated him and I'm going to see how he is—". "—Well, let’s go. I think it’s the man I left with the nurses; he’s exactly who I was worried about—" I replied.
We walked to a recovery room, and it was indeed the same man. I was glad to see he was doing better. After Beom checked on him, we headed to the hospital cafeteria.
11:40 PM – 12/03/2050 We ordered two strong coffees and enjoyed a comfortable silence until Beom spoke. "—I heard there was a gunshot wound today. Some interns are saying the man was very handsome and wore an army uniform. I think it's very strange they brought him to this hospital—".
"—I don't think they were simple soldiers—" I sighed. "—I treated that patient. When I finished, I met another soldier who seemed to have a higher rank. Honestly, his expression baffled me—". "—This is very strange—" he said, and with that, we ended the conversation.
We returned to our work areas. I walked slowly, trying to return to the normalcy of my shift, but something wouldn't let me. Maybe it was the soldier's tone, or Park's expression before falling unconscious—as if seeing blood on others was nothing new to him.
I couldn't help but check his digital file on the tablet. The data was scarce:
Name: Park Hoo Min
Age: 27
Medical Classification: Confidential
Access was restricted. I frowned. "—Since when does a simple soldier have a sealed history?—" I muttered. The night silence felt thicker. I decided to go see him.
I walked toward his room, the echo of my steps resounding in the hallway. I stopped a few meters away; there was another soldier at the door. As I went to enter, the soldier stopped me. I told him I was the doctor on duty, and he finally let me in.
The room was dimly lit. Park was awake, looking out the window. "—Aren't patients supposed to sleep after surgery?—" I asked. He turned slowly, his gaze scanning me. "—Aren't doctors supposed to rest when there are no emergencies?—".
"—I came to check your vitals—" I said, approaching the bed , "—and to make sure you don't decide to get up and escape early—". "—I'm not a fan of hospitals—" he said with a weak smile. "—The smell of disinfectant makes me nervous—". "—Then try not to get shot again. Believe me, it helps—" I replied.
"—Do you have experience in this?—" he asked. I looked at him; I didn't know if he was trying to read me. "—I'm a doctor, Park—". "—Alright—" he replied.
His posture, though relaxed, had a marked rigidity—as if he could never truly rest. "—Rest. Your body needs it—" I said, more abruptly than I intended. "—And if I don't want to sleep?—". "—Then look at yourself in the mirror when you wake up—". He gave a short laugh. "—Touché. I like that about you, Doctor Ahn—".
I stopped halfway to the door. I didn't turn around, but his words floated behind me like an echo. I left the room with the feeling that this conversation was only the first shot in a war I didn't yet understand.