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.
"I'll have to complain about this to the management," he mumbled. Then, he looked at the woman in embarrassment, "ah, if you don't want to drink it, it's fine!" He waved his hands, reiterating that he was not going to force her to drink it.
"Thank you, doctor. For the coffee," Han Yeoreum laughed, a slight blush covering her cheeks and making her tired face seem more lively.
The doctor stared at her dazedly, enamoured.
Han Yeoreum looked at him quizzically. Was there something on her face?
"Ah!" Han Yeoreum exclaimed in realisation. She had gone to the hospital, and in her haste, she had no time to care about her appearance. In the doctor's eyes, she must have looked very sloppy. She looked away in embarrassment, using one hand to smoothen her tangled hair.
The doctor stifled his laughter. The woman's flustered appearance was adorable. Masking his laugh, he motioned the woman to sit down, "Please take a seat, ma'am. I'm sure you're tired."
"Yes, thank you," the woman muttered. She gladly took up the offer. She had spent the whole night placating the younger boy and barely managed to get any sleep. It was only a few hours ago that she had managed to put him to sleep.
The doctor moved to sit next to her. He had already finished his rounds and didn't mind taking a break for a few minutes.
"You look a little young to be a mother," the doctor remarked. He was curious about the woman. At most, she looked to be in her mid-twenties. According to the records, her first child was about five years old. If she was truly a mother, then she probably had given birth when she was a teen.
"Ah..." Han Yeoreum smiled stiflingly. "They are children from my husband's first wife."
The doctor raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Oh, I see." He hadn't expected her to give an answer. After all, the question he had asked was rather personal.
"How about you, Doctor? Do you have any children?" She gazed at the ring on his left hand.
The doctor followed her gaze, smiling wryly. "Yes. A son, about the same age as your eldest."
Han Yeoreum nodded in understanding.
"It must be hard, raising kids that aren't yours," he commented. He paused, thinking that his remark might come off as tactless, but a peek at the woman's face showed that she didn't mind it.
Han Yeoreum merely smiled in response, "It's not as hard as it seems. Hyuk—the older one—is a handful, but he's a good boy. As for Gun," she glanced at the little boy sleeping by her side with a gentle smile, "he's always been on the quiet side, and he likes to help out, so I'm fine."
"I see," the doctor said quietly. His son was the product of an arranged marriage, so even though he did his duties as a father, he did not really dote on his son like her. He felt a lot of respect for Han Yeoreum.
The two moved on to less serious topics, spending some time chatting with each other.
Then, his pager beeped, signifying that he should go back to his duties.
"I'll see you around, ma'am," the doctor flashed a friendly smile, holding out his hand for a handshake.
Han Yeoreum accepted his hand, also smiling. It had been a long time since she last made a friend. "Yes. See you around, Doctor..." she glanced at the name embroidered on his white coat, "Heo Woo Seung."
The two exchanged nods, then parted ways.