And a short while later.
“Heehee. Hehe.”
Gang Songhui’s laughter could be heard from time to time.
It was the sound she made as she nibbled sparingly at the tube-shaped nutritional jellies held in both hands.
Choe Taesu watched her with a pleased expression and closed his medical bag.
“Heh, you little rascal.”
“You’ve worked hard.”
Gim Hyeongyeong’s greeting reached him.
But her gaze was fixed on her daughter in the sickbed.
It was clear she must have countless questions piled up.
Now was the time to answer them.
Taesu rose from his seat at once, stood facing her, and asked,
“You must have a lot you’re curious about.”
“Yes. A lot.”
“Shall we sit down first?”
When Taesu suggested it, Gim Hyeongyeong obediently followed.
It was a plastic chair with no backrest.
Of the two seated across from each other, Taesu spoke first.
“First, thank you for allowing Songhui’s surgery.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Then please ask whatever you’re curious about.”
At Taesu’s invitation, Gim Hyeongyeong began asking one question at a time.
“The bandages on Songhui’s face…”
“We wrapped the whole thing just in case…”
“Her face right now…”
“It’s better not to look…”
Taesu’s kind answers continued until Gim Hyeongyeong understood.
About ten minutes passed like that.
Gim Hyeongyeong’s expression had grown much more vivid.
Her wariness had also softened considerably.
“Thank you for explaining.”
“Even from now on, you can ask anytime, and as much as you like.”
Taesu showed, with an open heart, that she was welcome to do so.
Just as the conversation was drawing to a close in that gentle atmosphere—
Scrape.
Gang Yeonghun brought over a chair, sat down, and said,
“It looks like you two talked quite a bit.”
Taesu answered his question first.
“We had an excellent conversation.”
“Yes. Like you said, they seem like good people.”
Gim Hyeongyeong also directly expressed that her guard had clearly lowered.
Gang Yeonghun’s face was full of satisfaction as well. Then he looked at Taesu and, in a calm voice, offered a courteous greeting.
“I heard you arranged meals for us. Thank you.”
“Patients recover faster when they eat well.”
“But why go so far as to look after us too?”
“The guardians have to be healthy to look after the patient properly.”
Taesu answered with easy charm.
After that, a few more words of greeting were exchanged.
Then the topic of conversation shifted to the medical team.
Gim Hyeongyeong brought it up first.
“Songhui’s father talked a lot about you doctors to the villagers.”
“What sort of things did he say?”
“He said, ‘They don’t even know us, and they’re saying they’ll help us, so do we really have to oppose them this much?’”
“Mm.”
It was the first Taesu had heard of it, so his reaction came a little late.
Gim Hyeongyeong continued in a soft, measured voice.
“He asked, ‘Which one of us isn’t sick? Aren’t we just enduring it so we don’t make things harder for each other?’”
“……”
“He got angry too, saying they were coming from far away to treat us, and everyone was being too much.”
“Is that so?”
Taesu’s gaze turned toward Gang Yeonghun.
Gang Yeonghun quickly avoided his eyes and scolded Gim Hyeongyeong for no reason.
“Why bring that up?”
“You got angry at me too.”
“That wasn’t getting angry, it was…”
“You said I shouldn’t jump to conclusions without experiencing it myself. And you said Songhui was sick, so what was there to be picky about?”
As Gim Hyeongyeong drew out the conversation they had shared, Gang Yeonghun’s expression turned bitter.
“To be honest, my own desire for Songhui to receive surgery was a big part of it.”
It was then.
Gim Hyeongyeong looked at Taesu and apologized out of nowhere.
“I’m sorry.”
“Pardon? I’m not angry.”
“No. The truth is, I distrusted you a lot and was very wary.”
Gim Hyeongyeong spoke honestly.
Taesu had overheard enough that morning to have a rough idea.
But he was in no position to let that show.
And judging by Gim Hyeongyeong’s attitude, it was clear that Gang Yeonghun had also kept silent about the aftereffects and side effects of the surgery.
It was not something Taesu could reveal first.
He felt a slight pang of conscience, but outwardly, he responded gently.
“I would have done the same.”
“Surely not.”
“No. When I was young, I went to the hospital too. My mother dragged me there by the hand, and I had to bare my stomach in front of a doctor whose name I didn’t even know.”
Taesu slipped in a story from his childhood.
Perhaps because Gang Yeonghun had been given a rough explanation about auscultation, and Gim Hyeongyeong had heard it from him, both of them let out light laughter.
“Haha.”
“Hoho.”
Taesu, in good spirits for the first time in a while, was a little more glib.
“Butt injections were real torture. I can’t tell you how much I cried from the pain of that needle.”
“Butt injections… those did hurt a bit.”
“Ah, that’s right. Yeonghun, you received a multivitamin injection, didn’t you? I got one of those when I was younger than Songhui. Imagine how much it hurt me.”
“I understand completely. Haha.”
Gang Yeonghun laughed, but his hand had quietly gone to his backside.
It seemed it had not been a particularly pleasant memory for him either.
After that, the conversation continued in an entirely natural and gentle way.
Taesu also talked a great deal for the first time in a while.
Speaking in the same language, their meanings and intentions came through so clearly.
This time, it struck him deeply just how good that felt.
A little more time passed.
Jeong Minsu and Gim Hyeokgwon gave him a look.
Taesu’s conversation had just come to an end as well, so he stood and said,
“We’ll be heading back now.”
Scrape.
Gang Yeonghun and Gim Hyeongyeong rose along with him.
“Thank you once again.”
“Not at all. We’ll take even greater care so Songhui can recover well.”
Simple greetings passed naturally between them.
He also exchanged greetings with Han Juyeong.
Just as he was about to leave the tent—
I Changgyu’s voice stopped Taesu in his tracks.
“Um… Doctor Choe Taesu.”
“Huh?”
Taesu quickly turned his head.
His eyes truly met I Changgyu’s.
The reason Taesu was surprised was that it was the first time I Changgyu had called out to him first.
On top of that, there was something calm in his gaze.
As they looked at each other, I Changgyu bowed his head and greeted him.
“Thank you for saving me, and for letting me meet my mom again.”
His voice was calm.
That sound resonated deeply in Taesu’s chest.
They were words he had truly wanted to hear.
He had had no idea when he might ever hear them.
And he certainly had not expected to hear them so suddenly like this.
That was why he was even happier.
As much as his heart, Taesu’s face bloomed brightly.
“You little brat. You sure kept me waiting a long time.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m just saying. Eat a lot and get on your feet soon.”
“Yes.”
“Good. I’ll be going, then. Excuse me.”
Taesu gave another vigorous farewell and moved.
When he soon stepped outside, the sun had set and darkness had arrived.
Whoosh.
A cold wind blew in as well.
But to Taesu, it was a refreshing wind that seemed to sweep clean through his heart.
“That feels nice.”
Taesu was not the only one who felt that way.
Jeong Minsu and Gim Hyeokgwon were also wearing bright smiles.
It seemed they had already received I Changgyu’s thanks.
With smiles that left their chests feeling light, the three headed toward the lodging tent.
The next day.
The three of them each threw themselves into their studies.
Their visits to the ward tent were limited to about twice a day.
All other time was poured into studying.
During the day, sunlight lit their papers; at night, the glow of a lightbulb did.
They had gained a great realization from Gang Songhui’s surgery.
—Half-baked medical knowledge becomes poison. To turn it into medicine instead of poison, one had to possess the corresponding certainty.
They made effort upon effort so that realization would not fade.
There was a mountain of material to study.
It was far too thick to consist only of disease names and symptoms.
With cases added on, the volume had multiplied several times over.
They were cases vividly experienced by the NGO specialists.
They were precious treasures that could not be bought with money.
They devoted themselves fully so as not to waste this leisure they had now.
That studying did not stop after a single day.
The next day, and the day after that.
They steadily and repeatedly honed their abundant knowledge.
Several days passed quickly in that manner.
Around morning.
Taesu was seated in the surgery preparation room.
Unexpectedly, Gim Hyeongyeong was sitting alone in front of him.
Her face was full of anxiety.
Taesu calmly soothed her.
“This time, it isn’t surgery. We’re just checking her progress.”
“Yes. That’s what you said.”
“It won’t take long.”
“You’ve told me several times.”
She knew, but it seemed she could not stop worrying.
Taesu instinctively realized that continuing to persuade her would be meaningless.
It would be better to quickly check Songhui’s progress and tell her the result.
Once he reached that judgment, Taesu asked for her understanding.
“Then I’ll go in now.”
“Please… please take good care of her.”
“Yes. Then, in a little while…”
Taesu asked her leave and went inside the operating room.
Flap.
As he lifted the partition and entered, he saw Gang Songhui lying on the operating table.
Taesu went straight to her and asked,
“Songhui. Is it scary coming in here again?”
“No. It was scary when I thought about it, but now that I’m actually here, it’s not that scary.”
“Good. Today, you won’t be going to sleep, and I’ll finish quickly so it doesn’t hurt.”
“Songhui can endure it well.”
Gang Songhui showed spirited determination.
Of course, it was because she knew the reward for that endurance would be sweet. With such a clear goal, her face said there was nothing to fear.
Taesu smiled and turned his gaze.
“Doctor Jeong.”
“Everything’s ready.”
“I’m ready too.”
Gim Hyeokgwon answered right after him.
A surgical instrument stand had been set up.
On top of it, several necessary surgical tools and auxiliary supplies were laid out.
“Good. Then let’s begin with disinfection.”
“Songhui, let’s take off the bandages first.”
Jeong Minsu moved first with a good-natured smile.
Rustle, rustle.
He immediately began undoing the bandages.
Whether because she had grown accustomed to it over the past few days, Gang Songhui helped Jeong Minsu.
Soon, all the bandages wrapped around her face had been removed.
Only then did the gauze broadly covering the operated left side of her face appear.
Jeong Minsu removed that gauze as well with careful hands.
Sssk.
As the gauze disappeared, the first thing to appear was skin stitched with sutures.
The sutured state was puzzlingly rough.
There were only a few stitches, just enough for the skin to barely hold together. And scabs and a little exudate were also seeping out.
Taesu aimed the bupivacaine in his hand at the area and said to Gang Songhui,
“It’ll sting a little… sting.”
“Hup.”
“You’re holding up well. Another sting.”
“Mm.”
Gang Songhui squeezed her eyes shut and endured it.
She was clearly different from a few days ago, when she had been unable to withstand even the faintest throbbing. Still, pain was pain, and tears gathered in her tightly shut eyes.
That grimace lasted only a moment.
Perhaps because of the strong and fast-acting bupivacaine, her frowning face slowly relaxed.
Then she was amazed.
“Huh? It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
“It doesn’t hurt even if I touch it like this, right?”
Tap, tap.
Taesu lightly touched the sutured area with the Mixter.
Even though the surgical tool was moving right before her eyes, Gang Songhui was more fascinated by the fact that she felt no pain at all.
“It really doesn’t hurt at all. It doesn’t even feel like you’re touching it.”
“Good. Then I’ll take a proper look now. Our Songhui, shall we keep your eyes closed for a while?”
“Yes.”
Squeeze.
Gang Songhui quickly shut her eyes.
Seeing that, Gim Hyeokgwon covered her face with a widely spread surgical drape.
There was a hole in it, so there was no problem at all examining the operated area.