That was when it happened.
"Hey."
It was Gim Hyeokgwon's voice.
Swish.
Taesu and Jeong Minsu's gazes turned immediately in that direction.
Sure enough, Gim Hyeokgwon was running toward them.
But he was alone.
Where was the patient?
It was the very moment they were about to voice that question when something came running out from behind the burning bus and turned in their direction.
Locals were approaching, carrying a stretcher from front and back.
A young child was following behind, crying.
"Hueeeeng. Eeeeng."
The sight of the child crying was utterly heartbreaking.
The child's clothes were slightly dirty, but he appeared uninjured.
Taesu and Jeong Minsu's gazes were fixed on the child.
Then they briefly spoke, taking turns assessing the situation.
"Shocked, and a few minor injuries."
"If he's following them, it doesn't seem to be a big problem."
"Still, just in case, let's check again after the emergency is over."
"Of course."
The decision was made swiftly.
Immediately after, their gazes turned again to the stretcher—no, to the people carrying the stretcher.
The locals' faces were drenched in sweat. Among the crowds gathered all around, only they looked exhausted.
There was no doubt they had stepped forward upon seeing the dangerous situation and the patients in urgent need.
But this was not an appropriate moment to express gratitude.
Drip, drip.
Blood was pooling and falling from beneath the stretcher.
This was not good.
It had already been thirty minutes since the terror attack occurred.
If the bleeding had continued until now, they had to worry more about blood loss than the wounds themselves.
Taesu spoke in a low voice.
"Minsu, prep the IV. I'll get the injections."
"Okay, but we need to figure out the blood type first……"
Just as Jeong Minsu trailed off.
Rustle.
Gim Hyeokgwon approached, clutching a blood-soaked gauze, and shouted.
"Where are the blood typing reagents?"
"The reagents are here. Everyone, let's prepare quickly."
Taesu called out in a low voice as he handed them over.
At that same moment.
Swish.
The three turned their bodies in different directions. And they swiftly continued their preparations for the emergency patient who would arrive shortly.
Unfortunately, Tyler and Fabian were momentarily forgotten.
It was starkly obvious at a glance who was in more urgent need, so it couldn't be helped.
The time they had to prepare was a mere twenty seconds.
When that time was up, the stretcher bearers arrived right before their eyes.
"@%#$^."
They shouted in the local language.
The language was so different that they couldn't understand it. Nor was this a moment when Gim Hyeokgwon's interpretation was needed.
Given the chaos of the situation, there was no way they couldn't know what was going on.
Taesu shouted at them, gesturing.
"Hey."
Swish, swish.
At the precise gesture telling them to set it down in the middle, the men moved again.
Right then, Gim Hyeokgwon checked the reagent reaction and shouted to Jeong Minsu.
"Dr. Jeong, RH positive, type O."
"Roger. But can we clean the wound?"
"Only enough to pour saline."
"Please do. I think it would be best to completely remove the upper clothing."
Jeong Minsu gave rapid orders.
But Gim Hyeokgwon suddenly hit the brakes.
"It's a woman?"
"Yes. A wo……man?"
"She's the child's mother. Mid-thirties, apparently."
Just as Gim Hyeokgwon said that.
Slip.
The men set down the stretcher.
Only then could Jeong Minsu see the patient clearly.
As Gim Hyeokgwon had said, she was a local woman in her thirties.
His heart sank at the sight of her covered in blood.
It was in that very moment of heartache.
"Waaaah. @$^#$%!"
A sound closer to a scream than crying rang out.
Swish.
Gim Hyeokgwon and Jeong Minsu's gazes turned that way.
As expected, it was the child's voice.
It would do no good for him to approach.
Rather, it could become trauma.
Since emergency treatment was about to begin, having the child there was problematic.
But then.
The urgent expressions of the two had somehow settled into composure.
"Someone…… I was wondering why it was so quiet."
"He's already holding him back."
"Let's hurry up even more."
Rustle, rustle.
Jeong Minsu and Gim Hyeokgwon threw themselves back into preparing for the emergency surgery.
They paid the child no mind.
The reason they could rest easy was because the child was with someone trustworthy.
That person was none other than Taesu.
At some point, he had moved behind the struggling child and was holding him back.
Taesu wore an expression that was beyond troubled—to the point of utter bewilderment.
"Hey, kid."
"@^#$%."
Even when Taesu called out in English, the child couldn't understand and merely reached out his hand.
He was burning with the desire to explain thoroughly.
But the language barrier before him was far too high.
If words couldn't get through?
He could replace them with actions.
The moment he decided, Taesu acted drastically.
With a swoop.
He pulled the child into a strong embrace from behind.
"Not now. Later, please just give us some time. Huh?"
Taesu pleaded in Korean.
Though the other party was a child, he was presently the patient's guardian.
Rather, because he was a child, Taesu tried to convey his sincerity even through such drastic actions.
The child must have been greatly shocked by the explosion.
If he saw his mother undergoing surgery on top of that, his heart could be wounded.
Taesu wanted to avoid that situation at all costs.
Truthfully, if he had found Gim Hyeokgwon, the language barrier could have been overcome.
But Taesu didn't do that.
Would a child who didn't even look ten years old understand words in this situation?
If he had, that would have been even stranger.
Struggle, struggle.
"%$#%$……. Eung-eung. %#%$……"
"Please, kid."
"@$%@#@$%……"
The child merely struggled to break free from Taesu.
Time continued to pass.
Now Taesu had no choice either.
'Damn it.'
Squeeze.
Taesu pulled the child into a tight embrace.
He absolutely refused to let go until the child's struggling stopped.
Please stop.
I can't show you the surgery.
Taesu closed his eyes, holding the child, and prayed over and over in his heart.
He had no other wish than that this moment would not leave a scar on the child.
It was while this was happening.
A pause.
The child's struggling gradually stopped.
"……."
Taesu sensed the stillness too.
That's when it happened.
"@%^#$%@$#."
Gim Hyeokgwon spoke to the child in the local language at the perfect timing.
He was supporting Taesu, understanding the meaning behind his actions.
Taesu couldn't understand the words, but he felt the strength leave the child's body.
'Did it work?'
It was around the time that thought crossed his mind.
Tap.
A local woman approached behind Taesu.
"@%#@%@#$."
She spoke quickly, but Taesu still couldn't understand.
Then Gim Hyeokgwon, who had seen her first, explained to Taesu.
"A temporary guardian appeared behind you, so let the kid go and hurry over here."
"A temporary guardian?"
"She seems to have a child the same age. She said she'd take good care of him."
That must have been what the woman said earlier.
Only then did Taesu lower his arms and rise from his spot.
At that moment, the child slowly turned around.
"……."
The child stared silently.
Trickle, trickle.
Tears streamed down noiselessly.
Just because conversation didn't work didn't mean their hearts were blocked too.
The child's eyes, expression, and even tears. The wish harbored within them was only one.
It must have been the most desperate longing in the world.
Taesu received the child's wish in his heart.
And.
"……."
Pat.
Taesu lightly patted the child's shoulder and headed toward the patient.
In the meantime, the thick clothes wrapped around the patient's abdomen had all been removed.
As if that weren't the end of it, Gim Hyeokgwon was cleaning the wound with saline.
Splash.
Taesu passed behind Gim Hyeokgwon.
At that timing, Gim Hyeokgwon opened his mouth as if muttering to himself.
But it was a report directed at Taesu.
"Dr. Choe, the patient's vitals are……"
The numbers checked with an automatic blood pressure monitor.
Taesu silently took them in and appraised them in his head.
'Hoo.'
It didn't feel easy.
He hadn't even properly examined the wound yet. Even so, that feeling had instinctively popped up unbidden.
He didn't show it on his face.
And so Taesu arrived in front of the patient.
Jeong Minsu had connected an IV to one arm, and blood packs and glucose were hanging from an iron rod they had somehow acquired.
Taesu returned to his original position and handed over the prepared syringes.
"Lidocaine, anesthetic, sleeping aid, muscle relaxant, antibiotic……"
"……."
Click. Shhk.
Jeong Minsu too moved only his hands without a word.
The vital signs Gim Hyeokgwon had mentioned were creating such a heavy atmosphere.
It was after Taesu handed the last injection to Jeong Minsu.
Taesu's brow furrowed as he suddenly looked around.
"Damn it."
"Yes. I'll damn well put an end to this situation."
Gim Hyeokgwon responded, but they were referring to different things.
Taesu didn't mind and explained the reason for his exclamation.
"This is going to turn into an emergency treatment with spectators."
"What? Ah, damn."
Only then did Gim Hyeokgwon accurately grasp Taesu's meaning.
All four sides were too exposed.
The people had stepped back, but not to a distance far from sight.
Even now, several hundred eyes were fixed on them.
When he broadened his view, Squad Leader Sam was by the burning bus.
The fire hadn't been extinguished yet.
The situation over there wasn't good either.
But the problem on this side was no less serious.
Taesu had no choice but to pick up the radio and call Squad Leader Sam.
Click.
"Sam."
-Go ahead.
"We need something to block the view over here. Setting up an A-tent and preparing emergency treatment."
Taesu explained the situation as briefly as possible and asked for help.
Squad Leader Sam's answer didn't come immediately.
'Is this too much?'
Chewing it over himself, it was an abrupt and reckless request.
He couldn't unconditionally expect help.
Taesu quickly turned his head and began looking for anything useful.
It was as he was looking left and right.
Murmur, murmur.
A commotion was heard from behind the gathered crowd.
Taesu furrowed his eyes and snapped.
"What now?"
"They're saying to move aside?"
"Move aside?"
At the out-of-the-blue words, Taesu's expression turned puzzled.
Then people stepped aside to the left and right.
Through the opened space, Squad Leader Sam's figure became visible.
Surprisingly, he was pulling a cart.
The sight of tall wooden poles erected at the front of the cart was unique.
And behind him, a local police officer was pulling another cart.
Rumble, rumble.
The carts approaching in a line split to either side.
Soon Squad Leader Sam approached the front.
"Nngh."
Clack, clack, clack.
Whether because the carts were quite heavy, he stopped them with great effort.