“I am holding it.”
“Turn it this way. Hurry.”
“This is driving me insane. What is it with these doctors, here and everywhere else? None of them know moderation.”
Kim Hyeokgwon vented his irritation to the fullest.
Even so, he obediently did as Jeong Minsu wanted.
Of course, it was not as though Jeong Minsu had suddenly become a genius capable of handling every illness.
Rather, the boundaries of what he could treat had become clearer.
The patients who made up the largest portion were trauma patients.
They had cuts and scrapes.
Those trauma patients were the most numerous.
The treatment mainly involved squeezing pus from wounds, digging out infected tissue, and then suturing.
Those were the most basic emergency procedures doctors could perform, regardless of their specialty.
Thanks to that, Taesu had to look after all the remaining patients.
He had no complaints about that.
If anything, he welcomed it.
“At least I’m not alone.”
Until now, he had been treating patients in order of urgency.
But now, he was not alone.
Since he no longer had to worry about that for the moment, it was good that he could examine the patients more thoroughly.
And so, Taesu and Jeong Minsu each tended to their own patients.
Fortunately, no more patients who needed immediate surgery were found.
Time passed, and night arrived.
Whatever the matter, if there was a beginning, there was bound to be an end.
The area around the medical tent, once packed with people, had somehow grown quiet.
In front of that medical tent stood a military truck.
Vroom.
Judging by the fact that its engine was running, it seemed about to depart.
Several people were already lying in the bed of the military truck.
They were patients who were difficult to treat here, or those whose symptoms were ambiguous and were being transferred to the NGO.
Taesu examined them carefully one more time.
He did not forget to tell the soldiers each patient’s symptoms and precautions.
“This patient is…”
“Yes, yes.”
Scratch, scratch.
The soldiers focused intently and took notes, determined not to miss a single word.
That did not take long.
Soon, after finishing the final check, Taesu got down from the truck.
Thud.
As soon as he stepped down, Squad Leader Sam approached.
“Have you finished checking?”
“Yes. I’ll have to ask you to handle the transfer until the very end.”
“That is why I came back. Don’t worry. I will hand them over to the NGO properly.”
Squad Leader Sam showed strong confidence.
Naturally, Taesu trusted him.
“Thank you. But…”
“I have no intention of delaying. We’ll leave right away.”
“Then I’ll see you on the day you return. Please stay well until then.”
Slide.
Taesu offered his hand.
Squad Leader Sam immediately clasped it and gave a deep smile.
“Dr. Choe, please do not push yourself too hard either.”
“I won’t.”
“Then we’ll be on our way.”
Squad Leader Sam raised his hand in salute and climbed into the passenger seat of the military truck.
The military truck set off at once.
Vrooom.
Taesu waved them off until the military truck disappeared from sight.
After seeing them off.
Taesu looked toward the medical tent.
“…”
He stood still, thinking about something.
Soon, as if he had made up his mind, he moved.
The place Taesu appeared was Bashu’s house.
“Sob, sob…”
The sound of weeping could be heard.
It was not just one voice, but several voices mixed together.
Taesu was staring at the door with a heavy expression. Beside him, Village Chief Kandor watched with an anxious face before finally asking first.
“Are you truly thinking of going in?”
“No matter what happens, please just translate for me.”
“She is not alone inside.”
“It seems that way. Then I’ll be counting on you.”
The moment his words ended.
Knock, knock.
Taesu knocked on the door without hesitation.
“…”
Some of the sobbing sounds subsided.
Then.
Creak.
The door opened.
It was one of the people who had carried Bashu’s body.
He seemed to be a relative.
With a startled face, he turned around and shouted.
“@!%#%#$.”
Village Chief Kandor translated what he said.
“He says a doctor has come.”
“May I come in?”
“Leaving the door open means you may enter.”
“Then I should go in. Hoo.”
Taesu steeled himself and stepped inside.
After he crossed the threshold, Bashu’s mother was approaching him, supported by others.
She looked as though she might collapse at any moment.
She must have cried so much that her eyes were barely visible.
When Bashu’s mother had come close enough, Taesu slowly lowered his head.
Bow.
“I have come to beg your forgiveness from the bottom of my heart.”
Taesu even closed his eyes completely.
He was prepared for any humiliation.
But then he heard something whispered.
Village Chief Kandor translated it in a surprised voice.
“She asks why she should forgive you.”
“Yes. Of course you cannot forgive me. Do with me as you wish until your anger subsides.”
“She asks why you are doing this.”
“Because I want to continue treating the people here tomorrow as well. I don’t want to feel this pain in my heart any more than I already do. I know you may not even want to look at me, but please forgive me just once.”
Taesu slowly lowered his head.
At that moment, along with the guardian’s voice, Village Chief Kandor’s translation followed.
“She asks if you can be certain.”
“No. I cannot be certain.”
“She asks what it is you are trying to say.”
“I am saying that I will not make the promise that I will save everyone unconditionally, because that would be a lie. But when I say that I will put in every effort I have, I mean it sincerely.”
Taesu expressed exactly what was in his heart.
Then he waited.
“…”
“…”
Silence filled the room, but Taesu waited like that without moving an inch.
A little time passed.
Village Chief Kandor spoke to Taesu.
“Bashu’s mother has gone into her room.”
“Then I should wait.”
“There was something she asked to be conveyed, and the messenger is waiting.”
“She had something to say?”
Slide.
Taesu opened his eyes for the first time.
In front of him, he saw a familiar face.
It was the bearded patient with a compression bandage wrapped around one arm. None of his features resembled Bashu’s at all.
No, this was not the time to think about such things.
But he was the first to open his mouth with a heavy smile.
“@#ㅆ%#$$”
“Bashu’s mother asked him to tell you this.”
“@#%#$”
“I will not forgive you.”
The words of the heavily bearded patient and Village Chief Kandor came alternately.
Taesu…
“…”
Listened quietly.
Their voices continued at once.
“%!@$@#$.”
“Until you leave this village, I will never appear before you.”
“@#%#@$#.”
“But on the day you return, if I see the villagers healthy again, I will be grateful. That is what she said.”
Hearing the last words, Taesu opened his eyes wide.
“What?”
“A mother’s heart is like that. A heart that forgives, yet cannot forgive.”
“…”
“Our gratitude toward you is the same for everyone.”
“…”
After Village Chief Kandor translated.
Grip.
The heavily bearded patient tried to help Taesu up with one hand.
It was difficult to do with only one hand.
Seeing his weighty expression, Taesu had no choice but to slowly rise.
Soon, after he stood upright.
The heavily bearded patient hugged Taesu tightly with one arm.
“@^%#$”
“That is the greeting Bashu’s mother asked him to convey. She knows everything.”
Village Chief Kandor translated in a calm voice.
Only then could Taesu set down even a little of the weight in his heart.
Tightly.
He wrapped both arms around the heavily bearded patient and hugged him firmly as he replied.
“Thank you. Truly, thank you.”
“Hoho.”
Pat, pat.
Together with a gentle laugh, the heavily bearded patient patted Taesu on the back.
Taesu returned to the medical tent.
As much as his heart had grown a little lighter, he now had enough room to smile faintly.
Beside the medical tent was another identical tent.
It served as both their lodging and storage.
Rustle.
He pushed the cloth aside and went in.
Kim Hyeokgwon was checking inventory in front of a tall stack of boxes.
“One fellow, two-sigi, three-sam…”
His way of counting was unique.
Taesu’s face instantly turned dumbfounded.
‘Is he Korean?’
It was a strange way of counting that had been popular when Taesu was young, so he was surprised that Kim Hyeokgwon knew it.
At that moment, Kim Hyeokgwon looked at Taesu and asked.
“You left earlier, so why are you only coming in now?”
“I went down and came back.”
“You’re quick, as always. But why does the look on your face feel like a piece of half-chewed gum?”
When Kim Hyeokgwon asked, Taesu asked about what had puzzled him.
“Where did you learn that way of counting?”
“From a Korean uncle.”
“What?”
“The uncles who came to India for business used to say it like this. They called it old-man humor or something. It does roll off the tongue.”
At Kim Hyeokgwon’s indifferent answer, Taesu smiled awkwardly and looked around.
“Well, I suppose it has that sort of feel. But why are you alone?”
“How would I know that?”
“You don’t know where he went?”
“I did see some life-form crouching at the end of the hill, but—ah, I forgot. Where was I?”
Kim Hyeokgwon answered vaguely and continued checking inventory.
He gave off the feeling that he did not want to talk any more.
So Taesu did not disturb him either and went back out of the tent.
When he walked to the end of the hill, Jeong Minsu was there, just as Kim Hyeokgwon had said.
It was a place where one could see all of Myeongsahad below at a glance.
That would have been the case during the day, but now it was evening.
The world was being dyed in darkness, and the distance was great, so the movements of the people were not easy to see.
Jeong Minsu was sitting on a large rock with his knees drawn up.
Just as Kim Hyeokgwon had said, he looked all shriveled up.
It was hard to believe that, not long ago, he had been moving among the patients with venom filling his eyes.
That extreme change made him seem like a superhero whose transformation time had run out.
As if he had expected it, Taesu remained calm.
Slide.
Taesu sat down beside him, looked up at the sky, and spoke as if letting the words drift.
“There are a hell of a lot of stars.”
“…”
“I’m sorry. For hitting you earlier.”
Taesu tossed out the apology.
At a glance, it felt indifferent and dry.
That was how men usually apologized to one another. Whether because of pride or not, they dug straight to the point rather than rambling on.
But instead of answering, Jeong Minsu called him in a faintly trembling voice.
“Taesu.”
“What?”
“…”
He had called him, but then fell silent.
Puzzled, Taesu turned his head and looked at Jeong Minsu.
He was trembling, arms wrapped around his raised knees.
The atmosphere around him was far from ordinary.
Just as Taesu’s expression was about to harden with worry.
Jeong Minsu opened his mouth again and said.
“I… I can’t remember.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know either. My memory’s been hazy since I left the surgery tent.”
At those words, deep wrinkles furrowed Taesu’s brow.
“What hazy memories do you have?”
“Just that I was moving around like crazy.”
“You bastard. You really lost it back then. Though you were a little cooler like that.”
Taesu changed his serious expression into a smile.
But Jeong Minsu did not.
“Are you really okay?”
“With what?”
“Someone died. And in our hands, right in front of our eyes.”
Tremble.
As Jeong Minsu’s trembling grew worse, he hugged himself even tighter. It seemed that moment was impossible for him to forget.
This was not a situation that could be laughed off lightly.
Sensing that, Taesu spoke in a calmly subdued voice.
“As if my heart could feel fine.”
“Then?”
“You engrave it deep in your heart and look ahead. That’s all.”
Taesu answered heavily.