Everyone’s expressions hardened.
Squad Leader Sam’s expression, however, was bright.
“They say we can come in.”
“But why are you coming alone?”
Taesu asked, puzzled.
Then people who had appeared out of nowhere began approaching the trees blocking the road.
Step, step.
Moving in sync, they shifted the trees to the side.
Among them were the soldiers who had gone with Squad Leader Sam, helping out with the work.
Watching the scene, Kim Hyeokgwon murmured under his breath.
“Their security’s thorough, at least.”
“Makes me wonder how uneasy they must be.”
“We’ll know once we go in. Huh? Looks like they’re signaling us.”
“Let’s get in the trucks. We need to enter the village.”
After confirming the road had been cleared, the medical team headed straight for the trucks.
The soldiers were already behind the wheels.
Vrooom.
The trucks slowly entered the village.
The inside of Makut Village was unexpectedly quiet.
There wasn’t so much as an ant visible on the streets. Perhaps because of the terror attack, it felt as if the people had all hidden inside their homes.
But had they heard the rumor that the NGO had come?
One by one, people began appearing at the windows.
Taesu could see them from the middle seat in the passenger side.
Then Squad Leader Sam, who was seated by the passenger door and carefully scanning their surroundings, spoke.
“They say they prepared a treatment space in advance.”
“They did?”
“Yes. It’s a two-story building in the village square, so it should be easy for people to come and go.”
Every word from Squad Leader Sam was good news.
And yet Squad Leader Sam’s expression itself was not good.
Taesu asked about that.
“Sam. Is something worrying you?”
“Hmm. Once we escort you there, we have to return immediately, don’t we?”
“Are you uneasy about leaving only us behind?”
When Taesu asked, just in case, Squad Leader Sam looked at him and nodded.
“That’s right. We caught all the terrorists, but we can’t say the danger has completely disappeared.”
“You saw how wary they are of outsiders.”
“They’ll pay attention, but I still won’t be at ease.”
“Mm.”
Taesu let out only a soft sound.
Since persuasion would not work, he held back his reply for the moment.
It was then.
Click.
Squad Leader Sam opened the glove box in the passenger seat. To Taesu’s surprise, a handgun and a box of ammunition were inside.
Squad Leader Sam picked them up and handed them to Taesu as he spoke.
“Perhaps he anticipated this unease.”
“Did the colonel give you this?”
“Yes, sir.”
He answered crisply.
But Taesu immediately shook his head.
“I appreciate the concern, but you know me.”
“I do. But there is a saying in the military. It is…”
“Attack is the best defense.”
Taesu said it first.
Squad Leader Sam’s gaze deepened.
“If you know that, please accept it.”
“Because I know it, I won’t accept it.”
Their unyielding exchange was about to repeat itself.
Pressed for time, Squad Leader Sam called out heavily.
“Doctor Choi.”
“Sam.”
“…”
“…”
The two silently exchanged serious looks.
Screeech.
Even after the truck came to a stop, their stubborn staring contest continued.
Then—
Clack.
The passenger door opened, and Kim Hyeokgwon looked up at them diagonally, puzzled.
“Why aren’t you getting out? Why are you having a staring contest?”
“No. I’m getting out.”
Taesu spoke and tried to move.
But Squad Leader Sam’s hand stopped him.
“Doctor. This is the minimum safety measure. The colonel also gave strict orders that if the atmosphere was like this, I was to make sure to give it to you.”
“Thank you. But…”
Taesu tried to politely refuse.
It was then.
Suddenly—
Kim Hyeokgwon stepped up onto the footboard and grabbed the handgun in Squad Leader Sam’s hand.
“Hey. Nice finish on this thing.”
“Ah, Mister Kim.”
“Can I take charge of it?”
At Kim Hyeokgwon’s suggestion, Squad Leader Sam’s eyes brightened.
“Yes. You can. It’s yours, Mister Kim.”
“This thing’s got a nice heft to it. Looks like there’s plenty of ammo too.”
Grab.
Kim Hyeokgwon confidently took the ammunition as well.
That was something Taesu could fully accept.
“That’s true. It’s right for Mr. Hyeokgwon to have it.”
“All right, that settles it. Then stop playing around in here and get down. It doesn’t look like we’ll have time to be idle here.”
“We won’t have time to be idle… You’re right.”
Taesu, not quite understanding at first, turned his gaze and gave an awkward smile.
In the brief time they had been arguing, people had appeared throughout the square.
They were still some distance away, but he could glimpse wounds both large and small.
They had no time for this.
They had to hurry and prepare for treatment first.
Taesu turned his head to say as much.
But Kim Hyeokgwon and Squad Leader Sam had already disappeared.
When did they get down?
He had no time to wonder.
Squad Leader Sam’s urging voice rang out.
“If you’ve opened the cargo bed, hurry and move the medical equipment first.”
“Where did Doctor Jeong and Doctor Kim go?”
“They went to check the building’s interior layout. They said we need to secure the operating room first.”
After Kim Hyeokgwon’s voice, Jeong Minsu’s voice could be heard as well.
At this rate, the situation could turn into Taesu being the only one slacking off.
“You’re making me look bad.”
His grumbling lasted only a moment, and Taesu quickly jumped down from the truck.
Once his feet touched the ground, Taesu swiftly looked around.
Then he stopped short when he saw a nearby building.
It was a fairly large building, covered in soot and half-collapsed. That building had to be the one hit by the bombing.
Around it lay debris that had yet to be cleared away.
Blood clotted with dust, clothes half-burned by fire, and even household items.
He had not seen it, but that horrific moment came vividly to mind.
Taesu’s brow tightened sharply.
But he soon turned his gaze away.
What mattered now was first caring for the patients who would come to them.
At that moment, Brad Kim, who had gone inside, came running out in a fluster.
“It’s clean inside. The living room is big, and the rooms are big too. But if we’re going to perform surgery, I think we’ll need time to prepare.”
“We’re going to be short on hands out here right away.”
“The soldiers told us not to worry and to go outside. Ah, and they asked for at least an hour, including setting up the generator.”
“Then we should lay out our positions first.”
The moment Taesu said that, Jeong Minsu’s voice came from behind him.
“We’re laying the mats out right now. Don’t just stand there spacing out—help us.”
“Let’s move quickly.”
Whoosh.
When Taesu turned around, Jeong Minsu and Kim Hyeokgwon were spreading out mats.
Jeong Minsu’s speed and enthusiasm, in particular, stood out.
The sight of him clashing awkwardly with Kim Hyeokgwon like before was completely gone.
It made Taesu curious all over again about what kind of conversation had taken place at the PKO PX.
But that was something to ask later.
Having grasped the situation immediately, Taesu suggested to Brad Kim.
“We should unload the medical supplies.”
“Let’s do that. Hey, soldier, not that—medical supply boxes first. Please.”
Brad Kim immediately switched to English as he approached the military truck.
Taesu followed close behind him.
Preparations for emergency treatment outdoors were completed quickly.
The doctors even put on their white coats to identify themselves.
In the meantime, the people had come somewhat closer.
At first, they had hesitated because the place was full of soldiers, but upon seeing the white doctors’ coats, their expressions looked a little more relieved.
The medical team, having laid out the medical supplies, looked at the people.
Now it was time to divide their manpower and begin treatment.
Brad Kim spoke first.
“Hey, Doctor Choi. Give the orders.”
“Brad.”
“In the field, Doctor Choi should step up.”
Brad Kim stated it firmly.
He was a specialist in surgery.
In terms of career, he could be called far more senior than Taesu. But he acknowledged and respected that Taesu had more field experience.
That impression had grown even stronger after the surgery with Schmidt.
He was not joking; he was truly waiting for orders.
His eyes also said not to bring up the matter any further.
Taesu found it a little unexpected.
But this was not a situation where he could drag out the issue.
He turned his gaze and quickly looked over the people.
They were letting down their guard and gradually approaching.
They were close enough for their features to be clear, so their wounds stood out plainly as well.
There were quite a few injured people.
And on top of that, these were wounds that had been left unattended for nearly two days.
They could not be left alone any longer.
Taesu quickly measured things by eye and gave his first orders.
“Brad, that patient over there with the severed leg—check his condition and call me.”
“Okay. Who’s coming with—ah, I have to do it alone. Whew. Let’s give it a shot.”
Whoosh.
Brad Kim was briefly flustered, but he immediately shook it off and moved.
Taesu’s next order went to Jeong Minsu.
“Minsu, that person over there with the bandage around their arm. Consult with Brad about who needs surgery first.”
“Mr. Hyeokgwon and I will do the dressings and decide the order of first treatment.”
“Let’s do that. This place is no less than Sahad.”
Whoosh, whoosh.
They were not merely shouting; their voices were filled with sharp tension.
Before long, the doctors, having taken their places around the mats, each gestured to patients.
But gestures alone were not enough.
Kim Hyeokgwon raised his voice on his own and shouted.
“$^#%$#%.”
He called out in various languages because he had not yet figured out what language was mainly used here.
The people were also coming closer at Kim Hyeokgwon’s calls.
But then—
“$^%#.^.”
A thunderously loud and urgent voice rang out from behind.
Then, pushing through the crowd, a large, imposing middle-aged man came forward.
Was he the village chief?
There was no time for a leisurely greeting.
Taesu was about to ask Kim Hyeokgwon to say something appropriate.
But Kim Hyeokgwon’s eyes, fixed on the middle-aged man, were filled with tension.
They should have been seeing each other for the first time.
Then why?
Taesu immediately asked.
“Mr. Hyeokgwon, what’s wrong?”
“What the hell is that bastard?”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s telling everyone to stop.”
“To stop?”
It made no sense.
Since the village had asked for help, it could not be because they did not know who they were.
Then what was it?
A deep sense of doubt rose in him.
Meanwhile, the middle-aged man approached.
Grab.
Without warning, he roughly seized Taesu’s coat and pulled. His aggressive action was enough to make Taesu’s body sway.
Of course, Taesu was not so weak that he would be dragged away by that much.
Instead, he looked at the middle-aged man’s face as he shouted frantically.
An urgent expression and desperate eyes.
That was real.
Something had definitely happened.
Should he follow him?
Just as he was wondering—
Grip.
Kim Hyeokgwon seized the middle-aged man’s hand and shouted fiercely at him.
“%@^@@%%^.”
“$$&*(%$.”
They were speaking to each other in the local language.
Taesu could not understand a single word, so he tried to guess from the mood, but even that was not easy.
But something was strange.
The people were no longer coming closer.
When Taesu quickly looked around, it was the same on Brad Kim and Jeong Minsu’s side.
Unable to suppress his curiosity, Taesu immediately asked.
“Brad, Minsu. What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. They were coming closer, then suddenly stopped.”
“They stopped?”
“I think it happened when that man appeared.”
Even Brad Kim’s answer was filled with doubt.
Jeong Minsu seemed to feel the same, as he was nodding too.