Golden Time

And she did not raise her head.

There was some sort of desperateness in her trembling shoulders and her occasional crying,

“Boohoo... He’s my father, my father.”

The face of the patient, Choi Jongchol, could not be seen clearly because of the white fogs inside the oxygen respirator he had on, but a closer look could confirm his faint smile.

Though she cried, he felt it was the most pleasant melody in the world to his ears.

Finally she recognized him as her father.

Though even one drop of blood was not mixed with her, he thought of her as his daughter the moment he saw her.

‘She was a child born into my heart. Yes, my daughter.’

Though her mother deserted her, she was still his daughter.

“Yuri...”

When he murmured something, she shook her head strongly, saying,

“Don’t say anything. Just stay still like that!”

Both of them reached out their hands and felt their warmth.

“Sir!”

Suhyuk turned his head back to find Park Sungjae.

He said, looking over the patient’s chart.

“What about his slipped discs in his spine? It looks like it’s very severe.”

“I think he can wait until he is fully recovered first.”

“Can I partic.i.p.ate when you perform the surgery on it too?”

Suhyuk made a bitter smile because he would have to leave the hospital for a while by the time when the patient needed the disc surgery. He was supposed to attend a n.o.bel Prize ceremony.

“I’m afraid I can’t because of the n.o.bel Prize award ceremony.”

Typically Suhyuk would not go anywhere if he had a patient like this.

But the situation changed now, because there were disc treatment experts at Daehan Hospital.

“Follow me.”

When Suhyuk moved ahead, Park followed him quickly.

Both of them got on the elevator.

“Where are you going,sir?”

Without replying Suhyuk just smiled at him.

Getting off the elevator, Park opened his eyes wider, because they were now at the desk of the cardiothoracic surgery department.

Nervously Park asked, “Why did you take me here?”

“You said you wanted to observe a spinal disc operation, right?”

Suhyuk walked through the hallway, exchanging greetings with the medical staff.

Looking at the nameplate of the office blankly, Park turned his head to Suhyuk suddenly,

“Hope not...”

Despite his surprised look, Suhyuk just knocked on the door.

“Come on in!”

When he opened the door, he saw Prof. Lee Mansuk.

When he saw Suhyuk, Lee stood up and greeted him gladly,

“Dr. Lee!”

“How are you, prof. Lee!”

Prof. Lee grabbed his hands all of a sudden.

“How come I can’t see your face more often? I called you the other day for a dinner appointment, but you didn’t answer the phone...”

“Oh, my cellphone was turned off, sir.”

Park joined them quietly now, looking at Prof. Lee nervously.

Park heard that Prof. Lee was very tough, but he did not seem like that now.

“Have a seat.”

At his gesturing, Suhyuk sat on the sofa, and looked at Park.

“Please sit down, Park.”

Brewing coffee by himself, Prof. Lee turned his head, asking,

“By the way, who is he? I have not see him before...”

Park stood up abruptly, saying,

“How are you, sir? This is resident Park Sungjae with the cardiothoracic surgery department.”

Seeing Park standing at attention, Lee scratched his ear and opened his mouth,

“Ooops, your voice makes my ears deaf!”

“I’m so sorry!”

Shaking his head, Prof. Lee offered coffee to Suhyuk and Park.

“Congrats!”

“Thanks.”

Putting down his coffee, Prof. Lee opened his mouth after looking at him for a moment,

“Are you leaving for the award ceremony next week?”

“Yes, I think so.”

“By the way...” Prof. Lee cast a doubtful look at Park sitting next to Suhyuk.

Park said with a stumbling voice,

“The problem is...”

Suhyuk quickly cut in,

“The patient I performed the open surgery on had a spinal disc slip. So, after he is recovered...”

Suhyuk asked Prof. Lee for the surgery.

Talking to Prof. Lee, Suhyuk suddenly turned to Park, and thought to himself.

He’s going to be really a good doctor. Like him, Park was acutely aware of the patient’s pain.

When he found it difficult to find the patient’s blood vessel, he used his own arm to find it.

Accordingly his forearm was covered with bruises due to countless needle punctures on it.

“I’m afraid he can’t catch up with you.”

At Prof. Lee’s remarks, Park nodded his head.

“You’re right, professor. Dr. Lee is like a hospital on the move.”

Suhyuk took the coffee cup to his lips with an awkward smile.

Then Prof. Lee looked at Park gently.

The resident recommended by Suhyuk.

Prof. Lee was now forming some sort of expectation of Park.

“I hope Park is in good hands, sir,” said Suhyuk.

Suhyuk stood up with a polite greeting.

Suhyuk headed to the exit.

“Where are you going?” said Prof. Lee, looking at Park.

Park, who was following Suhyuk, looked at Lee with wide eyes.

“I need to talk with you some more,” said Prof. Lee.

“Oh, yes, sir...”

So, Suhyuk went out the office alone, leaving Park behind.

Lee’s loud voice came out the office.

“Don’t you know that, man!”

Suhyuk walked through the hallway.

It seemed like Park needed to make lots of efforts to learn from him.

—–

After he got back home early, Suhyuk was on the bus to go somewhere.

It was only 9pm.

He looked out the window quietly.

The street lights pa.s.sed by, leaving a long tail behind.

The bus stopped at the traffic light.

He saw a couple walking hand in hand.

The lady walking behind her boyfriend smiled brightly.

There appeared some smile on Suhyuk’s blank face.

He looked happy.

Then his cellphone in the pocket buzzed.

It was a call from Prof. Han Myungjin.

“Yes, professor.”

“Are you busy?”

“No, sir. Please go ahead.”

“Well, the Korean Doctors a.s.sociation made a request for your lecture on stem cells.”

Suhyuk did not refuse it.

“When is it, sir?”

“Well, it’s tomorrow.”

Suhyuk shook his head before he knew it. Why so suddenly...

But he changed his mind. It did not matter.

“What time do I go and where?”

“3pm. They’ll send someone to pick you up when you report to work tomorrow.”

“Got it.”

“Okay, have a good rest then.”

After the call, Suhyuk pressed the bell inside the bus because he already arrived at his destination.

Getting off the bus he looked at the street while walking up the overpa.s.s.

Somewhere there he was. .h.i.t by a motorcycle a long time ago.

The suspect was none other than the son of the hospital director.

The incident was vivid in his memory as if it just happened yesterday.

He could not remember how many times he walked up and down this place.

Walking down the overpa.s.s now, he turned into an alley.

The rusty street light was still flickering occasionally.

It was there that he noticed Choi Suryon’s abnormal symptoms.

He wondered how she was doing these days.

Suhyuk had to walk several more minutes to his destination.

Finally he stopped before a restaurant with bright lights inside.

Hanas’ Rice and Soup restaurant.

“Hey, one bottle of soju, please!”

“Yes!”

“Please give me one more dish of oxhead slices!”

“Okay. Oxhead slices, please!”

A lady with her long straight hair tied up was working, busy with taking the orders.

She was none other than Hana.

“Here you are,” said Hana, offering a bottle of soju on the customer’s table.

At that moment the entrance door of the restaurant was opened.

With a smile, she turned back to greet the customer.

“Please come on in...”

Frozen like a stone statue, she found her pupils trembling.

A handsome man was smiling before the door.

“It’s you...”

Suhyuk came in, saying, “How have you been?”

Hana could not say anything.

It was Suhyuk who opened his mouth first.

“I’m here, sir.”

Hana’s father, who came out of the kitchen with a dish of oxhead slices, greeted him,

“Oh, you came here. Have a seat at any empty table.”

Having said that, Hana’s father put down the dish on the customer’s table.

He did not walk with a limp anymore. He was walking normally just like an ordinary man.

That made Suhyuk’s smile brighter.

Seated at the table Hana’s father pointed to, Suhyuk looked around.

As only two tables were occupied, they did not seem busy.

Then Hana moved to the refrigerator.

“Aunt, give me rice and soup, and a bottle of soju!” said Suhyuk.

Hana turned back suddenly, demanding, “Who dared call me an aunt?”

With a smile, Suhyuk pulled away her wrist, and she squatted on the seat next to him.

“I’m going abroad for some business briefly. I hear the landscape is terrific, along with fresh air there.”

“You’re going there to win the n.o.bel Prize...”

Suhyuk continued, blocking her mouth, saying, “Let’s go together.”

It took him so long for him to confess his true feelings to her like that.