Chief of Orthopedics Jang Gi-hoon was making his rounds through the patient wards on the fourth floor.
By nature, he was a perfectionist who managed every patient admitted to the orthopedic ward with meticulous care.
While making his rounds with the assistance of Captain Son Woo-hyun from Orthopedics, Jang Gi-hoon suddenly stopped in front of Private Joo Kyung-sik.
“Give me this patient’s chart. Huh? A cyst? You admitted him just for a cyst? Who’s the attending doctor for this guy?”
“I am, Chief.”
Son Woo-hyun spoke awkwardly from the side. To be honest, even he didn’t want to admit Joo Kyung-sik.
But he couldn’t disobey orders from his superior.
“Hey, you bastard. Do you think a military hospital is a joke? There are so many serious patients wanting to be admitted to orthopedics, and you admit this guy just for a cyst? Are you crazy?”
Jang Gi-hoon was furious that someone so insignificant was admitted to the department he insisted must be perfectly managed.
Captain Son Woo-hyun protested helplessly.
“The general surgery department told me to admit him here. I didn’t want to admit him either. But since the Major gave the order… I had no choice.”
“Major? You mean that guy named Kim Cheolsu or whatever? He told you to admit a patient to orthopedics?”
Jang Gi-hoon’s blood boiled instantly.
It was true that general surgery was an important department in the hospital since it dealt with saving lives.
But that didn’t give them the right to interfere in orthopedic admissions.
And the idea that some green Major who had only been in Hampyeong for a few days was ordering orthopedics around was simply absurd.
“Are you really a military doctor in orthopedics, taking orders from other departments like that? Where do you belong? General surgery? Or orthopedics?”
Jang Gi-hoon jabbed his finger sharply into Captain Son Woo-hyun’s chest, completely enraged.
This was utterly ridiculous.
A junior military doctor from another department meddled with orthopedics, and the orthopedic captain admitted the patient as instructed.
If word got out, Jang Gi-hoon would find it impossible to hold his head high as chief.
“I’m sorry… I’ll correct this.”
Son Woo-hyun clasped his hands politely, but Jang Gi-hoon shouted furiously.
“Correct? You expect me to forcibly discharge a patient who’s already admitted and had surgery scheduled? That’s impossible, even for me! Once morning rounds start, we’re going straight to general surgery! I’m going to confront that human Lee Young-chul!!”
*****
When they arrived at the hospital and went up to the general surgery clinic on the second floor, Lieutenant Shin Se-myung greeted them with a bright smile after a long time.
“Salute! You’re early today. Good job. Today is the Major’s clinic day, so you need to come quickly. Patients will start coming in at 9 a.m. Rest for a bit beforehand. You don’t want to be nervous for your first clinic, right? Want something to drink?”
The nurse officer’s cheerful smile lifted Kim Cheolsu’s spirits.
He entered the clinic and sat in a chair, speaking leisurely.
“Coffee, then. Do you have any?”
“We have instant coffee. Would you like some?”
“Yes, please.”
Soon the familiar aroma of coffee filled the room. Shin Se-myung seemed to want a cup too, so she brought a small chair and sat facing him.
Slurp
Kim Cheolsu took a sip and smiled.
“Tastes good. It’s a store brand, right?”
“Yes. But why do you ask?”
“Well, coffee in hospitals tastes special. It’s good! Not bitter and pleasantly sweet.”
“Heh heh. Everyone says that when they drink the coffee I make. Maybe it’s because I use a secret golden ratio only I know?”
“I see.”
The coffee here was almost as comforting as the green tea or coffee he drank at home in the morning.
He thought briefly of the white-walled clinic he used to dread walking into eighteen years ago.
Then his mind drifted to the orthopedics clinic at Hongcheon Hospital. Captain Park Jung-hyun.
A truly despicable man. He wondered if that bastard still wore the uniform.
If they ever met again, he wanted to make sure he knew that he was that patient back then.
Still, the time spent drinking coffee facing Shin Se-myung was surprisingly pleasant.
She chatted nonstop about hospital gossip, and Kim Cheolsu quietly drank his coffee.
Then she pouted and said,
“Aren’t you just listening to me too much? I’m curious about your story, Major…”
“My story? If you’re curious, just ask. Since we’re in the same department, it’s good to know each other.”
“There’s already a lot of talk about you at the hospital. They say you’re a strange doctor who left the army but re-enlisted as a military doctor. But why did you come back? Oh! Is it rude to ask that? If so, I’m sorry…”
Kim Cheolsu’s face darkened as he looked at the sulking Shin Se-myung.
He seemed reluctant to speak at length, so he changed the subject.
“Well, everyone has their reasons. I’m satisfied taking care of patients now and intend to stay dedicated to this work.”
Though it was a generic response, Shin Se-myung didn’t press further.
In a moment, she glimpsed sadness in Kim Cheolsu’s eyes.
She assumed there was some story and shifted the topic.
“But our chief was really angry. On your first day, you left before finishing surgery on a patient with gallstones. Are you really okay?”
Chief Lee Young-chul of general surgery must have been boiling inside.
He had tried to pin his mistake on a subordinate but failed because the bleeding was controlled and the surgery was not completed.
He was humiliated for trying to bring back a ‘dog who messed up,’ so it was understandable he was angry.
Still, knowing the situation, Kim Cheolsu sipped his coffee with a calm face.
“It’s fine. I just said what needed to be said. Drinking on duty before surgery—how can that be? It’s unforgivable. Even worse than drunk driving.”
“… That’s true. I agree with you, Major.”
Although his tone was somewhat blunt, Shin Se-myung nodded.
In fact, Lee Young-chul had frequently operated while intoxicated.
She had harbored secret resentment toward that, so Kim Cheolsu addressing it directly felt relieving.
Still, she worried if this awkward man would get hurt within the military.
Cautiously, she advised,
“If the chief brings it up again, just apologize, okay? That’s how social life works. I think the chief is wrong too, but just saying things bluntly isn’t always the best way. Sometimes you have to take the longer, smoother path…”
At that moment, a heavy shadow fell behind Shin Se-myung.
It was the flushed and fuming Chief Lee Young-chul from general surgery.
He had caught the nurse officer gossiping about him and was trembling with anger.
His potbelly puffed out as he clenched his fist in fury.
“Hmm… So this is how you really think of me, Lieutenant Shin Se-myung. I’m very disappointed.”
“I-I’m sorry, Chief! When did you get here? I didn’t know you were around…”
Flustered, Shin Se-myung jumped up and stammered excuses, only making the chief more irritated.
So he decided to pick a fight with Kim Cheolsu instead.
“Major Kim Cheolsu, since you came, the atmosphere in our department has gone to hell. Do you know that? How do you behave to be gossiping behind the chief’s back with the nurse officer?”
But Kim Cheolsu calmly finished his coffee and said,
“If you don’t do wrong in the first place, your subordinates won’t gossip about you.”
“What… did you say?”
Lee Young-chul raised his hands to the sky in disbelief.
He was about to slap this insolent man as a lesson.
“Ahk!”
Startled, Shin Se-myung shut her eyes tightly and screamed.
But the expected slap never came.
She peeked through her fingers to see the unimaginable scene.
Grasping her collar with delicate hands, she exclaimed,
“Oh my god. What is this…!”
Kim Cheolsu had grabbed Lee Young-chul’s wrist and refused to let go.
The flushed chief struggled to pull his arm free but couldn’t.
Then Kim Cheolsu spoke in a voice colder than ice.
“Striking others without cause is one of the military’s corrupt practices that must disappear. Don’t ever show such behavior again!”
Snap!
He threw off the reddened wrist and stormed out of the clinic.
Lee Young-chul glared back like a venomous snake, but there was nothing he could do.
Being physically outmatched, he knew acting tough would only make him the loser.
Embarrassed to show this weakness in front of the young nurse officer, Lee Young-chul left in a huff, saying nothing but scowling.
“Damn! Insolent bastard!”
Left alone in the clinic, Shin Se-myung said in confusion,
“Sigh… The chief and Major have completely fallen out. What are we going to do?”
*****
“Are you Major Kim Cheolsu?”
Someone approached slowly on the second-floor terrace where Kim Cheolsu had stepped out for fresh air and was smoking a cigarette.
The person wore a patient gown, so Kim Cheolsu knew he was an inpatient but didn’t recognize the face.
He stubbed out his cigarette and asked,
“Who are you? Do you know me?”
“I’m Sergeant Han Yong-soo, the patient who underwent gallstone surgery with Chief Lee Young-chul. Salute!”
The soldier gave an awkward salute and nervously explained himself.
It was clear Kim Cheolsu didn’t seem too pleased.
Military doctors were often arrogant and self-centered, so Han Yong-soo had braced himself for a harsh scolding.
He had prepared to be reprimanded for interrupting his personal smoking time.
But Kim Cheolsu’s expression suddenly brightened and he said,
“Oh! Sergeant Han Yong-soo! Are you feeling better now? You’re walking well. But what brings you to me?”
“Yes. Chief Lee Young-chul didn’t tell you, but the whole ward knows. When my surgery went wrong and I was dying, the genius doctor who saved my life came all the way from Seoul. The only new military doctor at this hospital is Major Kim Cheolsu, so it was easy to find you.”
“Oh… So it’s gone around? That’s embarrassing. Saving lives is what doctors do, after all. But I’m really glad to see you up and walking again. Since the surgery went well, you’ll get better soon.”
“Thank you! When my grandmother heard that you saved my life, she was very grateful. She even came by the guard post a little while ago to give you some rice cakes she made herself.”
“You came all the way to Hampyeong? Does she live nearby? It’s not exactly a short distance. And today isn’t a visiting day, so she must have just dropped off the gift and gone home, right?”
Kim Cheolsu was surprised to hear that Grandmother had come.
Hampyeong was quite far.
“She came from Daejeon. It’s not too far, so don’t worry. My grandmother is still very healthy. She’s actually stronger than me.”
Usually, it was hard enough to have visitors come once for a ward visit over such a distance.
How did Grandmother manage to come all this way? He worried she might collapse.
Feeling bad for the trouble, Kim Cheolsu accepted the pink bundle Han Yong-soo handed him.
“Daejeon? This is Jeollanam-do! That’s really far. Why do you say it’s not far? And what’s all this? It’s heavy, too. Your grandmother carried it herself? I’m grateful, but… wow.”
“She wants to repay the person who saved her grandson’s life. Also, on weekends when there are visits, you’re not here since it’s your day off.”
“… She thought that much of me… This looks really delicious. I’ll try one.”
Kim Cheolsu unwrapped the pink bundle to reveal soft, tender potato rice cakes made by Grandmother in the early morning.
He quickly popped one into his mouth.
The white bean paste inside and the chewy translucent potato rice cake combined in perfect harmony, making it incredibly delicious.
To think she had traveled all the way from Daejeon just to bring such wonderful potato rice cakes made him emotional.
He was honestly close to tears but tried not to cry in front of the patient.
Instead, he smiled more brightly than anyone and sincerely expressed his gratitude.
“These potato rice cakes are really delicious…! Please thank Grandmother for me. Next time she comes to visit the hospital, have her tell me in advance. Even on weekends, I’ll meet her myself and thank her! By the way, these potato rice cakes are completely different from store-bought ones. Maybe it’s because of all the care put into making them? Haha—”