Dr. Kuramoto was quick to read when to press forward and when to back off.
It was the same this time.
He seemed to have decided it was time to withdraw.
His voice toward Taesu softened a little.
“I merely wanted to have a cup of tea with Doctor Choi.”
“Tea?”
“I told you before, didn’t I? That we should have a cup together from time to time.”
“Mm. I do remember hearing that.”
To be precise, it had been delivered like a threat.
He hadn’t considered it particularly important, so he had forgotten.
But Dr. Kuramoto looked genuinely hurt.
“I asked them to see if you had time today.”
“I see.”
“But you said you knew nothing about it, so I’m rather flustered myself.”
Dr. Kuramoto’s eyebrows drooped as he expressed his regret. Yet, thinking back over his words, something felt off.
Apparently Taesu wasn’t the only one who felt that way, because Dr. Talon, who had been listening beside him, asked,
“Doctor Choi, did you perhaps not receive any message?”
“I was in the tent next door all day.”
“Now that you mention it, that’s true.”
Dr. Talon had ended up testifying to what he had seen with his own eyes.
Just as the atmosphere was turning subtly strange—
“Dr. Kuramoto.”
Since Taesu was looking behind him, he knew at once who had called out.
It was Dr. Takeshi.
The other Japanese medical staff were also approaching in a crowd.
Taesu still couldn’t understand whether they really had to move around together like that.
His gaze toward them was lukewarm.
In the meantime, Dr. Takeshi approached first.
Rustle.
He moved close to Dr. Kuramoto and whispered something in his ear.
“Mm, mm.”
Dr. Kuramoto merely nodded with a serious expression.
Taesu didn’t want to pay any more attention to that side.
But just as he was about to turn away, others held his steps in place.
Dr. Schmidt and Dr. Oliver appeared from the other side.
Dr. Oliver was one thing, but Dr. Schmidt was different.
The moment Taesu saw Dr. Schmidt, a smile formed on his face.
“What brings him here?”
He was in a position where he couldn’t often come down to the medical tents.
So they couldn’t meet every day, but Taesu was always glad to see him.
Before long, Dr. Schmidt and Dr. Oliver had arrived as well.
Dr. Schmidt looked around at everyone and asked,
“Why are you all gathered in such an awkward place?”
“Good afternoon.”
Taesu and the doctors greeted him first.
Dr. Schmidt responded with a light wave of his hand, then asked again,
“I asked why you’re here.”
“We were on our way back after having a cup of tea.”
When Dr. Talon spoke first, Dr. Hassan followed up with an explanation.
“Dr. Kuramoto came looking for Doctor Choi…”
Dr. Hassan’s explanation was a little longer.
He was explaining the situation in that much more detail.
After listening to the whole story, Dr. Schmidt’s gaze turned to Dr. Kuramoto.
“It seems you had business with him.”
“They’re thoracic surgery residents, and I wondered if I had been too indifferent to them.”
“Then why did the message get cut off midway?”
When Dr. Schmidt asked in puzzlement, Dr. Kuramoto answered with an awkward smile.
“It seems the nurse who was supposed to deliver it went in as a surgical helper.”
“That’s entirely possible.”
“I didn’t know that and misunderstood Doctor Choi.”
“Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, that’s fine. By the way, didn’t you check the official notice not long ago?”
Dr. Schmidt asked in a low voice.
Dr. Kuramoto gave a bitter smile.
“You told us to do our best at our assigned positions.”
“And one more thing. It also said that if you had to leave your post even briefly, you were to notify us at least a day in advance.”
“I thought I might encourage them over a cup of tea.”
Dr. Kuramoto’s lie was not merely brazen—it was almost natural.
At his words, Taesu muttered inwardly,
‘He really lives up to his name.’
Whoever had named him, Taesu was certain they were the best among all namers.
It wasn’t as though Taesu had forgotten that Kuramoto was a family name rather than a given name.
Dr. Schmidt and Dr. Kuramoto seemed gentle at a glance, but sharp edges were hidden everywhere.
It had been that way ever since Vanessa’s case.
Dr. Schmidt’s inner reserves were far beyond ordinary as well.
Even with an opponent he did not particularly welcome before him, he spoke with a calm smile.
“I respect that thought, but I would appreciate it if you followed the rules as much as possible.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
“By the way, I came out to make a round myself. Shall we go together?”
Dr. Schmidt made the offer first.
There was no way Dr. Kuramoto didn’t understand his meaning.
“Thank you for the offer, but I’ll meet the patients and take a slow look around.”
“If that is what you wish, by all means.”
Step.
Dr. Schmidt stepped aside with a leisurely movement.
It meant for him to pass.
Dr. Kuramoto walked past him with an awkward smile.
And the Japanese medical staff followed after him.
Dr. Schmidt came up beside Taesu and murmured,
“He seems to be quite fond of Doctor Choi.”
“I’m very grateful, but excessive attention is burdensome for me too.”
“It looked like he still had plenty of attention left to give.”
“Exactly. It’s not a crime to be handsome.”
Taesu put forward a strange logic.
At that very moment—
Step.
“Doctor Jeong. What are you doing?”
Dr. Schmidt passed by naturally, letting Taesu’s words scatter into the air.
Even so, Taesu smiled gently.
Dr. Schmidt spent a short while in Medical Tent 3 with them.
Watching Taesu and Jeong Minsu administer emergency treatment, he offered light advice.
“Doctor Jeong, with burn patients, removing the heat first is…”
“Doctor Choi, with head trauma, rather than what you can see, the inside is more…”
He gave appropriate advice according to each situation.
It was time for them to learn, in real time, the parts they lacked right there on the spot.
As the only residents in the medical tent, it was like a gift that came only occasionally.
Experience learned by hand made it easier to recall the same symptoms next time.
Sometimes Dr. Schmidt stepped in himself.
“In this patient’s case…”
It was an explanation given in front of the patient after sufficiently asking for their understanding.
Patients who helped with the teaching were given something like emergency rations as a gift when they returned home.
For Taesu and Jeong Minsu, it was beneficial; for the patient, it was a time that let them spend the day with a full stomach.
Since it was good for everyone, time passed quickly.
They were in the middle of treating several patients together.
Tatadak.
Brad Kim approached with urgent steps, holding a cell phone.
“Doctor.”
Startled by the urgent call, Schmidt turned his head.
“Mm. What is it?”
“I think you need to go into surgery quickly. The problem you predicted…”
At those words, Dr. Schmidt’s expression hardened at once.
“Mm. Let’s go right away.”
Whip.
Since there was no need for separate farewells, Dr. Schmidt quickly turned around.
But just then—
Baaang.
From far away, the sound of a car horn rang out loudly.
“Mm?”
Everyone flinched and turned their eyes that way at the same time.
It was the truck that made rounds through the village and transported patients who had difficulty moving.
Buaaaang!
It was racing toward them at a tremendous speed.
It didn’t look like it would stop easily.
Baa, baa.
The horn blared repeatedly at intervals.
Even in ordinary horn sounds, the NGO had embedded signals.
That signal was—
“Emergency patient?”
Everyone instantly tensed.
Soon, the transport vehicle came to an abrupt stop in front of the medical tents.
Screeech.
“Emergency. Male in his thirties, injury to the right chest.”
A volunteer leaning out through the passenger-side window shouted at the top of his lungs.
Tatadak!
The medical staff from the tents quickly ran to the cargo bed.
Taesu, Jeong Minsu, and Dr. Schmidt were among them.
The medical staff who arrived first opened the cargo bed.
Thud!
Several villagers were gathered at the rear of the cargo bed.
Among them was someone lying face down, soaked in blood, while the doctor and nurse who had come with him were tending to him.
The moment the nurse saw her colleagues, she shouted,
“His chest was pierced by a sharp piece of wood!”
At that cry, everyone’s eyes sharpened.
“It’s hard to assess visually!”
“Hemoptysis detected. It looks like the lung was hit.”
“If he was stabbed in the center of the right chest, of course it was. You call that an explanation?”
The voices flying back and forth were biting.
Still, they were medical personnel; they weren’t only talking with their mouths, their bodies were moving as well.
That seemed not to be enough.
The medical staff in the cargo bed shouted sharply.
“First, hang more blood bags. What are you doing? Prepare emergency surgery!”
“We added more blood. Hey, please restock blood bags here. It’s Rh-A!”
Blood had pooled thickly on the floor of the cargo bed.
That alone was enough to make them instinctively realize this was no ordinary situation.
Standing just below the cargo bed, Dr. Schmidt gripped the hook and gave orders.
“Bring whatever’s needed first, and check for an operating room.”
But just before he climbed up, Dr. Oliver held him back.
“Doctor, the patient over there is in bad condition too.”
“Tch, damn it.”
“You have to go. There are many skilled doctors here.”
“Grr…”
A groan full of conflict flowed from Dr. Schmidt’s mouth.
He could not easily refuse.
That was how right Dr. Oliver was.
Even so, Dr. Schmidt could not readily make a decision.
At that moment, Dr. Oliver called Taesu in a low voice.
“Doctor Choi.”
“Yes, Dr. Oliver.”
“You can handle this, can’t you?”
Dr. Oliver asked with a sharp gaze.
And it wasn’t only him.
Several other medical staff were looking at Taesu as well.
By now, when people thought of emergencies, they could say: Doctor Choi Taesu!
This expectation.
Taesu didn’t dislike it either.
So just as he was about to answer—
Rustle.
Dr. Kuramoto pushed through the medical staff and appeared.
Without preamble, he raised his voice toward Dr. Schmidt.
“Dr. Schmidt. I’ll take that patient.”
“Dr. Kuramoto. I understand you want to be certain, but…”
“The guardians are there too. In front of them, and in front of our colleagues, I guarantee it. I will save him.”
Dr. Kuramoto made a bold boast.
Dr. Schmidt’s hesitation was brief.
Whatever the situation, he acknowledged Dr. Kuramoto’s surgical skill.
“I’ll leave him to you.”
“Don’t worry. Please go to the patient waiting for you.”
“Hoo. I’m going.”
Dr. Schmidt forced his reluctant feet to move.
Dr. Oliver and Brad Kim, who were scheduled staff, followed behind him.
Tatadak.
As they ran, Dr. Oliver turned his head and looked at Dr. Kuramoto.
“…”
He seemed quite full of dissatisfaction.
There was one other person with the same dissatisfaction—no, two.
Taesu and Jeong Minsu.
“What is he trying to do?”
“There’s a limit to cutting in.”
At that moment, one more dissatisfied person was added.
It was Nurse Casey.
“He slips in at that exact timing.”
“His sense of timing is an art.”
“What are you going to do?”
When she asked, Taesu turned his gaze to the cargo bed.
“He’s him, and I’m me.”
It meant what mattered was being of help to the emergency patient.
At Taesu’s resolute appearance, Jeong Minsu and Nurse Casey nodded together.