88 Han Yeoreum and Heo Woo Seung (1/2)

Fifteen years ago, OO Hospital.

It was approximately 9.15 p.m.

A woman rushed into the ER, carrying a sickly boy in her arms. Clinging closely behind her was another boy, much younger than the one she was holding.

”Doctor! Doctor! Anyone, please! Please help my boy!” She cried loudly.

A nurse came to her rescue, directing the woman to an empty bed.

Carefully, she placed the young boy on the bed, waiting anxiously for a doctor to come and cure him.

”What's the situation?” A doctor from the paediatric department came, his face serious. The ER had been short-handed due to an accident that had happened earlier that day, and he was called out by the nurse to help.

”His temperature is high, and he's been like this for two days. I thought it was just a common cold, but...!” The woman sobbed.

”Ma'am, please calm down. I'll help your son in any way that I can,” the doctor says, reassuring her. The doctor quickly asked her about the child's condition.

”Hyuk, he... he started coughing a few days ago, and he looked sick. I thought it was just a cold...” the woman said haltingly. She blamed herself for being inattentive. Had she paid more attention, the boy would not have needed to suffer for so long.

The doctor nodded. He moved to physically examine the boy. The boy wheezed, his breathing fast. Even as the doctor pushed and prodded him, he barely offered any response. After some time, he finally made a diagnosis.

”It looks like your son has pneumonia. I'll have the treatment start immediately,” he says, reassuring the woman again. ”Don't worry, your son will definitely be alright. Please trust me.”

”Thank you, doctor! Thank you!” The woman bawled, feeling extremely relieved. It had been her first time dealing with a sick child, and it was extremely nerve-wrecking.

After a while, the boy was moved to the ICU, where he would receive his treatment.

The next day, as the doctor made his rounds, he stumbled upon the woman again. She was sitting in the waiting area, watching as her other son slept on her lap.

Her eyes widened in recognition as she made eye contact with the doctor. She hurriedly moved the child's head gently off her lap, then stood up to bow. ”Doctor, thank you for your hard work,” she says. She was truly grateful that the doctor tending to her child had been so dependable. Now that she had some rest, she was more collected than the night before.

The doctor smiled faintly. ”No, it was my duty to save your child,” he says. Now that he had a good look at the woman, he felt his heart skip a beat.

The woman was beautiful; even when her hair was messy and tangled from her haste, she was still gorgeous.

”Would you like a cup of coffee?” Out of the blue, he offered to buy her coffee. Even the man himself felt strange at his action. But for some reason, he felt like he couldn't leave the woman alone.

”Ah...” the woman looked like she was dying for some coffee, but she hesitantly glanced at her sleeping child. How can she irresponsibly leave him alone?

”Oh, it's fine,” the doctor smiled, noticing her reaction. ”Stay here.” He motioned her to stop moving, and quickly ran to the vending machine. He inserted some coins and punched a few buttons with familiarity. Soon, he came back to her side, carrying two cups of freshly brewed vending machine coffee. It tasted like sh*t, but it was good enough to wake people up.

”Sorry about the taste,” he says, smiling apologetically.

The woman smiled in amusement. She chuckled lightly at the doctor's scrunched up face after taking a sip of the coffee.