The main reason James took such care of Tae-su was his promise with Caprene.
Because Tae-su was the one who kept Caprene’s ring, he had to keep his promise to share his expertise.
The anxiety of the day they would return to Korea drawing near wasn’t something only Tae-su felt.
And personally, James had grown quite fond of Tae-su, so he wanted to spend even a little more time with him.
The time allowed with James lasted until lunch.
After parting with them, Tae-su, Jeong Min-su, and Gim Hyeok-gwon walked side by side toward a certain destination.
Where they were heading was all too obvious.
The soft, fluffy underclothes hidden beneath their garments had been the hint.
Just as expected, they were making their way to Dr. Warlick’s ward tent to meet Han-to and Nāshū.
Upon arriving shortly, the three immediately stepped inside the ward tent.
Since they were all personally acquainted with the medical staff, the greetings were brief.
“It’s been a while.”
“Dr. Carson, it was great to see you clapping awkwardly earlier.”
“Have you all been well?”
Since some had even come out to greet them, a warmer conversation ensued.
Then Dr. Gallion approached with a cold face and began with a scolding.
“Isn’t it common courtesy to walk quietly when entering a ward?”
“Dr. Gallion, I was disappointed our greeting earlier was so short.”
“Did you even see me?”
“I mean, you stood out even from afar. I wanted to come say hello, but I was watching Dr. James’s mood since he was with me.”
Tae-su subtly flattered Dr. Gallion.
Through what had happened with Nāshū last time, he had come to understand his personality more clearly.
Cold on the outside, but he secretly loved compliments.
Perhaps because Tae-su had read him accurately, his coldness shattered like thin ice.
“Ahem. Of course Dr. James takes priority.”
“I was truly grateful and happy that you came out to greet us.”
“I just happened to have time, so don’t read too much into it.”
Dr. Gallion’s furtive aversion of his gaze as he answered even looked cute.
Dr. Oliver was the same; everyone seemed to have a strong, distinct personality hidden behind their outward demeanor.
Then Jeong Min-su and Gim Hyeok-gwon muttered from behind.
“What’s with the pretending to be aloof when it doesn’t suit him?”
“I told you that guy looks like he’d enjoy watermelon seeds.”
“It’s pumpkin seeds.”
“You can shell and eat them yourself, then.”
Gim Hyeok-gwon responded to the nitpicking Jeong Min-su in a peculiar tone.
Since the conversation was in Korean, Dr. Gallion couldn’t understand a word of it.
Being so, he held out a chart to Tae-su.
“I suppose I can do you this much of a service.”
“Dr. Gallion is the best.”
“Just look at it already.”
Dr. Gallion responded coolly.
But to Tae-su’s ears, it sounded nothing but coy.
In the meantime, he opened Nāshū’s chart.
Tae-su’s expression gradually brightened as his eyes slowly traced down the page.
“Oh? Wow.”
“Why? Ooh, the red blood cell survival time has increased significantly.”
“His hepatomegaly is returning to normal, and the gallstones were removed via percutaneous procedure last week.”
“So they were both complications in the end. How great is it that he doesn’t need surgery?”
“The best. Absolutely the best.”
Tae-su and Jeong Min-su took turns reading Nāshū’s progress aloud, delighted.
That was consideration for Gim Hyeok-gwon.
Gim Hyeok-gwon listened attentively without so much as a change in expression.
“If he’s improved this much, he’ll be discharged soon.”
“It will probably be decided after an examination in about two weeks.”
“Why drag it out for another two weeks?”
“A chronic illness doesn’t end just because it got better once. And he needs a follow-up treatment plan too.”
Tae-su brought up a realistic issue.
Perhaps not wanting to think about that right now, Gim Hyeok-gwon quickly changed the subject.
“Let’s go see Nāshū’s face first.”
“That’s the right order. Excuse us, Dr. Gallion.”
Clack, clack.
Having taken their leave, the three headed toward the bed over there.
The closer the bed was to the nurses’ station, the more severe the patient’s illness.
In comparison, Nāshū’s bed was a bit farther away.
He confirmed on the chart that while it had been close at first, it had gradually been moved.
The walking distance had increased accordingly.
No one mentioned that.
Soon the three arrived at Nāshū’s bedside.
But Han-to was nowhere to be seen.
All three were in a state of not having had a proper introduction with Nāshū.
When they first met in James’s surgery tent, the child had been asleep, exhausted from the long journey.
They didn’t know how Nāshū would take meeting strangers.
With a mixture of slight tension and the joy of seeing him after so long, they looked at Nāshū.
Nāshū was a child with large eyes and distinct features.
Seeing the red dot marked on his forehead, he seemed accustomed to Indian customs.
Nāshū was looking at the three with clear, alert eyes.
Among them, Gim Hyeok-gwon, who could interpret, stepped forward to speak first.
It was then.
Rustle.
Nāshū raised his hand and pointed at each one, calling out their names.
“Doctor Jje. Doctor Jjeong, Master Kin.”
His pronunciation was a bit deflated.
Seeing that he was missing a couple of lower front teeth, it seemed his baby teeth had started falling out.
It was a bit early for a five-year-old.
That part had been checked in the chart as well.
It had started early due to the effects of his chronic illness. However, his permanent teeth hadn’t formed right away, so they needed to monitor the progress over time.
Truthfully, there was little room for such theoretical thoughts.
They were already completely smitten by the sound of him calling them out one by one in his unclear pronunciation.
And with his beaming smile plus the missing teeth, his cuteness was doubled.
Uncle smiles were naturally forming on Tae-su and Jeong Min-su, and on Gim Hyeok-gwon as well.
Tae-su, who came to his senses first, quickly asked.
“You know us?”
Tap.
He lightly nudged Gim Hyeok-gwon and asked him to interpret.
As if a button had been pressed, Gim Hyeok-gwon immediately interpreted in Hindi.
“@$@#$@……. He says Dr. Gallion showed him a photo. This gentleman has a face with portrait rights, and he’s just using it freely.”
While Gim Hyeok-gwon was bewildered, Tae-su tilted his head.
“Dr. Gallion is definitely not the type to secretly take photos of people’s faces.”
“Then who was it? No, we can just ask if he knows…… #%#$%.”
When Gim Hyeok-gwon asked, Nāshū soon answered.
Hearing that, Gim Hyeok-gwon laughed with a somewhat bewildered face.
“Haha. So that’s what it was?”
“Why?”
“He says he doesn’t know how he got the photo.”
“Is that funny?”
As Jeong Min-su looked at him with a dumbfounded expression, Gim Hyeok-gwon shook his head.
“It seems Dr. Schmidt, Dr. Oliver, and Nurse Casey visited.”
“It doesn’t sound like he said all those names.”
“He says the chief doctor uncle and the dark-skinned doctor uncle fought here like crazy. The stiff uncle and the pretty lady covered it up so he couldn’t see.”
Just from the explanation, a picture clearly formed in their heads.
As they imagined it, Tae-su clicked his tongue.
“Why would Dr. Warlick and Dr. Schmidt fight in front of a child?”
“I think they can bicker just as much as we can.”
“Sometimes I really feel like Dr. Oliver and Dr. Gallion have it rough.”
“But when did Nurse Casey take the photo…… Ah, the commemorative photo from when we were in Padum.”
Jeong Min-su remembered a beat late.
Tae-su, who had recalled it first, had already moved closer to Nāshū.
And he spoke while looking at him.
“You recognized us right away from that photo?”
“@$#@ Doctor Jje, $@@$…….”
“He says yes. And his dad said that Dr. Choi and you two saved him.”
Nāshū’s voice was heard first, followed by Gim Hyeok-gwon’s interpretation.
But Tae-su didn’t quite like the expression Han-to had used.
“No. Nāshū, we didn’t save you.”
“#$%#$%……. Then who saved me, he asks.”
“Dad saved you. Because Dad loves you so, so much, we were able to meet like this.”
“I should interpret this a bit more elegantly for you. Ahem, Nāshū. #$%#$%#$%…….”
Gim Hyeok-gwon composed himself and interpreted in a calm voice.
As those words continued, tears gradually welled up in Nāshū’s eyes.
Seeing that, Tae-su was startled and quickly wiped the tears away.
Swish, swish.
And from an angle Nāshū couldn’t see, he frowned and scolded Gim Hyeok-gwon.
“How elegantly did you interpret to make the child like this?”
“He says his father’s prayers reached God, and his mother in heaven also prayed to God. His parents wished and prayed with one heart, so Nāshū got healthy.”
“Well, I mean, tch. You’re practically writing a creation myth.”
Perhaps flustered by Tae-su’s scolding, he muttered complaints for no reason.
That phrasing had been tailored to fit this culture.
And Gim Hyeok-gwon, the magician of many languages, had polished it.
Being at an age sensitive to emotions, Nāshū seemed deeply moved.
Tae-su wiped Nāshū’s tears once more and spoke.
“There’s only a little left now. Soon you’ll be able to go home with Dad.”
“@$@#$$#$……. He says he wants to get better quickly himself too.”
“Home is the best, right?”
“#%#$%……. He says Raku promised to buy him candy.”
Gim Hyeok-gwon interpreted with a hollow laugh.
Tae-su too let out a laugh at the completely absurd remark, having let his guard down.
“Oh my. Even while crying, he asks for candy.”
“Isn’t that the charm of children?”
“Then please tell him I’ll buy him a drink.”
At the same time as those words.
Suddenly.
Jeong Min-su poked his face in and cut in.
“I’ll get cookies!”
“He’ll rot his teeth.”
“They’re just baby teeth anyway, not permanent teeth, so it’s fine.”
“Well, it’s just once in a while. I’m in too.”
As Tae-su coolly made the decision, Gim Hyeok-gwon immediately interpreted.
“$##$%#……. He says he wants to say the next part himself.”
“What is it?”
“Listen…… Nāshū, #$%#%.”
Seeing Gim Hyeok-gwon call his name and add something, he seemed to be encouraging him.
Then Nāshū immediately stopped crying and spoke.
“Doctor Jje, Doctor Jjeong, Mister Kin, t’ank you. #%$##%$#%#…….”
“His English is short. Anyway, the rest means that all three of us are people sent by his mom, so we’re good people.”
After Gim Hyeok-gwon’s interpretation ended.
At that exact moment, Nāshū smiled brightly again.
The pure smile with missing front teeth reached them so warmly.
Tae-su, Jeong Min-su, and Gim Hyeok-gwon all responded with equally pure, spotless smiles.
They didn’t think about where or how the bond had started.
They were simply grateful and happy to be looking at each other and smiling now.
A short while later.
The three came out of the ward tent.
They had wanted to meet Dr. Warlick too, but he was in the middle of a procedure, and they were told it was difficult because he had back-to-back procedures scheduled.
Tae-su smacked his lips bitterly as he looked at the ward tent.
“I wanted to at least say that I’d stopped by to see him before leaving.”
“He has free time tomorrow evening. We can visit him then.”
“We should. More than that, Han-to’s news is unexpected.”
As Tae-su mentioned it, Gim Hyeok-gwon joined the conversation with a strange expression.
“The ranch owner rehired him; I suppose he regretted the advance payment he’d given him?”
“Would a man who regrets that money drive him here every weekend and tell him to come while nursing his child?”
“That’s what I’m saying is strange. No matter how cheap gas is, vehicle maintenance costs aren’t trivial.”
“The ranch owner said so himself. If Nāshū hadn’t been pretty, or if he hadn’t been friendly, he wouldn’t have gone this far.”
As Tae-su defended him firmly, Gim Hyeok-gwon no longer pressed the attack.
“Let’s just say the ranch owner is a bit lacking or strange.”
“I wonder if sometimes we can just take things as they appear.”
“The world hasn’t really given me much reason to believe in it like that.”
Gim Hyeok-gwon said, letting it slip casually.
At that answer, Tae-su and Jeong Min-su smiled faintly.
Before, he had asserted that the world had never given him reason to believe.
But now he had lowered the intensity of his criticism considerably, saying “not really much.”
A slight bit of faith had sprouted in him, who had been a mass of disbelief.
They had been chatting convivially like that and had just arrived again at the main building entrance.
Squeak.
The door opened first, and someone rushed out urgently.