Chapter 28

EUNJEE

"So how did your meeting with the chairman end up last night?" Doctor Kim asked as I entered the doctors lounge, shes been trying to ask me that question since I got up this morning. 

"Unnie can you please give me a break? I've been up whole night because of that stupid meeting. I didn't get to sleep at all" I whined, grabbing a cup of coffee and some noodle from the cupboard. 

"What happened? Seriously?" she asks me again. I guess I just cant hide thing from her anymore, she'll keep bugging me about it anyways. 

"The meeting was fine, chief Park was there so was Kang Jin, although he was kind of weird during dinner, he didn't utter a single word, he just kept listening to whatever his grandfather tells me. Even when we were both left alone, he didn't say anything to me, he  just left after finishing his wine." I told her. 

I still remember how awkward it was between us after Chief Park and his grandfather left us. He didn't say anything and I was also afraid to start any kind of conversation with him so we both stayed quiet as we keep drinking our wines, but when I was about to go and leave him behind he suddenly stood up and left me without saying anything or even taking a glance at me. Its not that I care so much on how he acts but he can at least look at me, he was being rude. 

"Are you telling me now that the person who was trying so hard to get your attention months ago is now ignoring you?" she teases me "That must have been so fun to see. I can still all the things he did just so you would notice him, he even end up ruining everything for you. I mean no offense, we had to give him some credit, he was really trying his best and not to mention he actually succeeded" Doctor Kim added making me remember all the things he did that ruined me. I grew silent for a second and Doc. Kim realized what she just said. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said the last part" she tells me

"Its okay, it doesn't hurt me like it used to now" I told her, reassuring her that I am fine. Well that's what I also want to believe that I am fine and everything will be okay. "Anyways, his grandfather was a little bit different, his very straight forward and he knows what he wants.  He is making me lead a new set of team, a team that can become one of the greatest in all Korea, he wants me to choose my own team and make them great in emergency and trauma patients" I told her. She comes closer to me with curiosity written in her eyes. 

"What did you tell him?" She asks

"I told him I can't. I mean I just came here a few months ago, I still need to learn a lot of things and I just cant accept that kind of job right now" 

"And what did they say?" 

"He gives me another offer, he wants to send me to one of our hospitals somewhere, he wants me to help there somehow. I still get to decide and if I do accept his offer he'll allow me to go there just until I decide I want to lead the thing he wants me to lead." I told her everything and she nods at my statement. 

"Well, if you're going to ask me, the Chairman is actually giving you a great opportunity and if it comes to leadership, you have it in you, I mean just look at how great Boom, Annie and Yuyu is. They are probably one of the best fellows I've worked with in awhile. They are like you in making decision and they are good. They can be trusted and they know what to do when they are left behind. They can still a few more things, yes, but in our field of work, learning is a day to day process, you can't stop ascending just because you still need to learn more." She reminds me, its true that I've been doing a lot of great jobs and its also true that i've been guiding my fellows well but I still don't think that its enough reason to put me in charge of something so big. 

I looked at Doctor Kim and she looks dead serious with what she told me, she did present some good points. I know how great this opportunity is and I know that how this opportunity can help a whole lot of people, but do I really deserve this all? Can I really do this without making anyone disappoint at me and the outcomes of my work? 

"Stop thinking so hard about it. If you are going to accept the job of leading doctors into something great then i'll be here to support you. If you'll need a helping hand, I will always be willing to extend mine. Trust in yourself a little bit. I've seen your work, you'll do great." Unnie assured me, making me feel touched and secured. 

"There are times that I see you so cool, and right now is one of those times. I cant thank you enough for always being there. I wouldn't survived it here if it wasn't for you and the others. Thank you so much. If I ever choose to what Chairman wants, i'll ask him to assign you with me, I can't do this on my own, i'll need you. So you better take responsibility" She laughs at my words which made me laugh as well. We both end up looking like two crazy woman laughing nonsense inside the doctors lounge. 

//MARK

We were currently staying at one of the hotels near the airport and seeing as we were all tired because of the packed schedules, we didn't have much time to do some shopping or roaming around the city. While the other guys are resting I decided I needed to hit the gym, I've been dreading to do some weights since my muscle are literally yelling for me to lift some.  We still have a few more hours before we need to go to the airport so I went a few floor below our rooms because that's where the hotels gym is located. 

I saw the gym right away, it didn't took me a lot of turns and it was fortunate because the place was empty. The instructors inside welcomed me but they didn't bother me that much they just let me do my own thing. 

I scanned through my phone to hit up some good music and start doing my warm ups before I do some lifting. I usually go to gym with Jackson and the others but they were all resting so I didn't bother asking them.  I just told one of the staffs that I was going to the hotels gym and they let me since the hotel is pretty much secure and no one seems to bother going  down here during this hour.

After doing my warm ups, I was going to start lifting some weight when suddenly, I saw Jackson behind me through the big mirror in front of me.

"Why didn't you tell you were going to hit the gym? I could have come with you" He tells me

"I thought you guys were resting so I didn't bother" I told him after grabbing some weights for my arms. 

"Aren't you tired?" He asks me

"I am but my muscle are shouting for me to get some weights. Does that make sense?"I told him and he just smiles at my direction. He pauses for awhile before grabbing the same weights I have and he does some lifting.

"So" he sighs then lifts his weight again "We talked to her awhile ago. Aren't you curious how shes doing now?" He asks me and I know exactly who he is talking about. I mean there was never an unspoken rule between Jackson and I, he is always free to ask me anything even if its about someone I don't know anything about anymore. 

"What about her?" I spoke to him silently as I also lift the weights in my hands. 

"She sounded like she's doing good. The others are planning to meet up with her when we get back to Korea in a few weeks." Jackson informs me releasing another breathe after he continues to lift the weights his holding.

"What do you want me to do?" I know I sounded a little bit irritated but I really wasn't, I don't really know what am I supposed to do when the time comes that I meet her once again. I mean I know its about to happen no matter how we both try not to meet up, we still hang around with same people so we are still bound to meet up anyways but even with that thought,  I can't help think of how she'll react or how will I react once I see her. 

"Don't ask me that, we both know the guys and I only want the same thing. The question is, what do you want?" he says to me helping me at one of the weightlifting benches. He helps me adjust to the weight i'm lifting and guides me as well. 

"I don't know what to do. I mean we just might as well see each other as strangers now. She's probably happy now, I don't want to mess up again." I honestly told Jackson and he makes me stop lifting and pushes me to sit up. 

"You still need to talk to her Mark, you two still need to clear thing up between you. Some wounds can only be healed completely when treated nicely. You should start healing what needs to be healed." He tells me with so much sincerity in his eyes. There are time that I thing Jackson is the mature one than me. He can really give good advises when you need one, but don't tell him I said that. It will just inflate his head more. "Now come on. We still have a few hours before we go to the airport, why don't we grab some coffee downstairs" he pulls me up and drags me behind him not letting me refuse his offer.

//EUNJEE

I was yet again doing another part of my rounds together with Annie and Yuyu, Boom was helping Doctor Kim in her surgeries scheduled today. 

"Ah, Miss Kim, President Lim would like to see you in his office after you finish your rounds" Nurse Pyo told me after handling me one of my patients charts. I gave it to Annie and she immediately looks at it together with Yuyu. 

"How come you're the one relaying the message to me Nurse Pyo, did something happen to his assistant?" I asked Nurse Pyo, feeling the curiosity inside ne building up. 

"His assistant came here few minutes ago and informed me to tell you. Apparently his been looking for you but you weren't around so he left you a message instead." Nurse Pyo explains to me and that made me understand, i must have been doing my rounds at another floor when he came looking for me. 

"Lets go visit the patient first then I'll leave you for awhile to meet up with the President. Call me if something happens then" I told both Yuyu and Annie and they both nodded to my instruction. 

We entered my patients room and we checked everything from all his test result to his vital signs. He looks a little bit fine now, I guess the treatment was working well for him. 

"Replace his IV drip after he consumes the remaining of his antibiotics. Check his vitals from time to time, request tests if necessary, if something goes wrong, call me" The patient was asleep so he wouldn't really hear us talking now. We leave the room and both Yuyu and Annie bowed in front of me before excusing themselves. 

I went to the President office and there his assistant was already waiting for me. He leads me not inside the presidents office but to one of the conference rooms inside this hospital. 

"He is waiting for you inside" his assistant smiles at me before leaving me behind to enter the room. I knock three times to the door but no one answered so I dared myself to open the door and take a peek inside the room, at first I thought no one was inside and maybe I was led to a different room but when I was about to leave the room when someone coughs and there I saw Kang Jin rising from one of the chairs, he kept coughing until he notices me and tried to hide his discomfort by drinking water. 

"Are you okay?" I asked him curiously since he looks really pale and dysfunctional

"I'm fine" He coughs again and drinks another gulp of his water "I called you here so you can read your new contract in case you agree with my Grand fathers terms and conditions. He wants you to decide sooner" He sprays some disinfectant to his hands then hands me the new documents. 

"Why does he want me to decide sooner? I though I can just freely tell him whenever and however I want his request to happen?"  I asked him but he just looks at me. "Why are you looking at me like that?" 

"Because you are asking me a very stupid question and also because you are still here" he tells me with annoyance in his tone. I still feel indifferent to him, I want to understand his attitude, I really do, but he always finds a way to make things complicated. 

He releases another cough and this time he wasn't able to hide the discomfort his feeling, he tries to clear his cough with some water but even with that he kept on coughing. I didn't want to show him that I care but as a Doctor I just cant ignore a sick person. I approached to his side and touched his head, he was looking so pale awhile ago and just as I suspected, he is indeed having a fever.  After realizing what was I doing, he removes my hand from his forehead then looks at me. 

"Just leave me alone" He tells me

"Well, I'm still a Doctor and even if I really want to ignore you right. I can't, that's basically going against my field of work and the oath I made. What you need right now is a complete check up and a good night rest" I dialed Annie's number in front of him and he didn't dare stop me seeing as I was dead serious. Annie answered after a few rings..

"Doctor Kim?" 

"Annie, send one wheelchair up here now, I'm in Conference 2A, also bring  the venipuncture kit" I calmly instructed her and she says yes before I closed my phone.

"Are you really going to do this? If the staff sees me in a wheelchair and if it reaches the media, a lot of assumptions may arise and it could cause a lot of trouble with my career" he tells me 

"I pretty much don't care about your career, all I know is you are a patient and you need medical attention" I told him as I waited for Annie to arrive.

He didn't bother arguing with me, so we both waited for Annie in silence. Who would've thought i'd last inside the room with the person I used to hate?

"Doc. Kim?" Annie knocks and peeks inside, she sees me then she goes to my side with the kit and the wheelchair. I took the kit from her hands and prepared the tubes and syringes. Annie was cautious with Kang Jin but I wasn't. 

"I'll take the blood sample, run every test needed. I'll bring him down to one of the private rooms. As soon as the results come out, give me a call" I tied Kang Jin's arms with the tourniquet after cleaning with alcohol, I took extracted a few blood samples and gave them to Annie as she labels them for testing. I helped Kang Jin moved to the wheelchair and luckily he didn't complain, he looks a bit more sicker now than he was before. "President Lim, I'm going to move you now to one of our private rooms, I'll notify your assistant to cancel all your appointments for today. You need to rest and you need to be properly monitored. Do you understand me?" I asked him but he already looks like his way past his consciousness. "Go, run his tests asap, his top priority for now. I'll bring him downstairs" I instructed Annie and she follows my orders, I pushed Kang Jin's wheelchair towards the exit and to the elevator. His assistant cam rushing beside me and he saw Kang Jins state which made his eyes poped out. 

"Whats wrong with President Lim? What happened? He was just fine when I left him. What happened? Do I need to call someone? If the media sees him like this, they'll definitely throw criticisms towards him. What do I do?" I waited for the elevator to come and didn't bother consoling Kang Jin's assistant. When the elevator finally arrives I faced his assistant and looked at him.

"Give me your coat" I told him and he follows, curiosity placed in his eyes. I covered Kang Jins face with the coat and pushed his wheelchair inside the elevator. I pushed the button going to the VIP floor, Kang Jin was unconscious now so it wasn't that hard for me to bring him there. When the elevator finally opens up, the nurses were already waiting for me, Annie must have informed them, they took the wheelchair from me and rushed him to his room. I went to get some IV drips from the nurse station and followed them towards Kang Jin's room. 

"This stays confidential for now, until President Lim regains his consciousness, nothing goes out of this room. Our only focus is to monitor his fever and to see what else is wrong." I told the nurses and they all nodded. I passed them the IV drips and let them do their work. I watched as they placed all the monitors to Kang Jin's body, his body temperature is really high and other than that nothing seems to be abnormal to me, I just need to wait for his blood test results. "Monitor is body temperature from time to time, i'll prescribe him some fever medicines make sure that he takes it after he eats a meal also make sure to take some sputum sample later when he wakes up. Tell me if he regains consciousness, i'll be in my office if anything happens." I told the nurses and they all bowed to me as I went out of the room. 

"Chairman Lim is on his way here now Doctor, he wanted me to keep things silent while the President in unconscious." I looked at Kang Jin's assistants badge and it says Song Joo Hyuk. He must have been new because I havent seen Ji soo in awhile

"Can I call you Joo-hyuk?" He pauses for awhile then nods "Everything is fine, you dont need to worry so much. I've already instructed the nurses to make sure everything is confidential until he wakes up so you better start fixing yourself or you might just give everyone the idea that something is up" I assured him and he slowly nods at me, understanding what I'm trying to say.

"Thank you Doctor" he bows down in front of me and I gave him a smile. 

I left him after our encounter and went to the Doctors lounge and waited for Kang Jin's result to come out.