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“Kim Sabu, gwenchanayo? Gwenchanayo?”
He was still pretty much out of it, his vision was blurry and his hand and forearm felt sore but despite all of it, that voice was all the comfort he needed.
“Sussaem…”
“Kim Sabu?”
“M-mu…”
“Ne? Kim Sabu?”
“Mul.”
“Ah, jamsimanyo.” She hurriedly opened a bottle of water and poured it into a paper cup. “Do you want to get up?”
He nodded. She pressed a button on the side of his bed to raise it so that he could rest his back comfortably. He tried reaching for the pillow behind him but he was immediately stopped by the head nurse.
“Kim Sabu, andwaeyo. Your hand is not yet healed. Let me do it.” She propped the pillow on his back and fixed the blanket covering him.
“Gomawo, Sussaem.” He said as he took a sip of water.
He did not need to thank her. The fact that he woke up after his surgery was enough to take away her exhaustion for the past few days. His surgery was not at all complicated but it was something she had been dreading since she saw it on the surgery schedule board.
Before he got inside the OR for the surgery, he gave his team a reassuring smile, it was nothing to be scared of and that he’d regain consciousness and would be back in Doldam doing surgeries himself in no time.
As a doctor, he knew the risks of having such surgeries and he knew that for him, he needed to get his surgery now rather than later if he wanted to continue operating on people.
She decided to focus on her shoes to stop herself from crying. She would hate to be emotional in the OR especially since she was the scrub nurse for his surgery.
“Do-il-ah, after the surgery, you have enough time to cook samgyetang until the anesthesia wears off, right?”
“Aigoo. Kim Sabu, you want me to cook after your surgery?”
“It would be nice to have samgyetang after I wake up, right Sussaem?”
When she looked up, she saw him beaming. Her eyes started to tear up. Despite his upcoming surgery, all he was concerned about was how he could reassure his staff and not make them worry.
“Sussaem, ah jinjja. It’s nothing. No need for you to get worried. The surgery will be fast and I will wake up sooner than you think, algesseoyo?”
“Ne, algesseumnida… Kim Sabu.”
He suddenly put his hand above her head and patted it gently. His sudden gesture surprised everyone. He wanted to comfort her but thought giving her a hug would be too much and inappropriate as colleagues even if she is one of his close friends.
“Take care of Doldam for me.”
It was his last marching order to her before going under anesthesia but for the first time, she didn’t follow his order. Just this once, Kim Sabu.
After the surgery, she rushed into the ICU where he was being monitored by Nam Do-Il.
“Is he going to be fine?”
“His stats are normal so I think he’s going to be fine. We’ll continue with oral pain medication once he's awake.”
“That’s good to know.” She heaved a sigh of relief.
“Sussaem, you should rest. Your eye bags are getting big.”
“No, I will stay with him until he wakes up. You should go ahead and prepare that samgyetang he requested.”
“Ah, I almost forgot about that. Can you watch over him?”
“Ne. You go.”
“Okay, call me if anything happens.”
“Algesseumnida.”
She watched his monitor like a hawk, making sure his blood pressure was normal since it tends to go low. She kept checking his IV, and his charts, and her heart stopped every time he moved a little. Fatigue eventually crept up on her and fell asleep right beside him.
After hours of resting, his anesthesia finally wore off. His right arm and hand felt heavy, probably from all the anesthesia that went in it. He felt something warm holding his other hand and without looking he brushed his thumb over the delicate fingers that held it.
With his blurry vision, he looked down and immediately knew it was his head nurse peacefully sleeping next to him. Her hair covered the side of her face. He gently brushed away her hair and tucked it behind her ear.
“Kim Sabu?” She immediately got up and checked on her patient. “Kim Sabu, gwenchanayo? Gwenchanayo?”
“Sussaem…”
“Kim Sabu?”
After checking his vitals, she quickly sent a text to Nam Do-Il to inform him that their lead surgeon had finally regained consciousness.
“Where is Do-Il?”
“He is almost done cooking your samgyetang. He said he will be over here in a few minutes.”
There was an awkward silence between the two as they waited on Dr. Nam and his first meal after the surgery. It seems like they can talk for hours when discussing things about the hospital, but now that nothing much happened in the hospital while he was under, they can’t utter any word.
“Myung-Sim-ssi?” Since they started working at Doldam, he rarely called her by her name anymore. Hearing him say her name felt strange but somehow intimate.
“Ne, Kim Sabu?” Her brows furrowed, wondering why he decided to suddenly address her by her name.
“Did you get any rest yet?”
“I am fine, Kim Sabu. Do you need anything?”
“Gwenchanayo. You should rest soon. You were up all night preparing for my surgery and you came in early today. I am fine here. I could easily call the nurses outside if I needed anything.”
“Kim Sabu…”
“For once Myung-Sim, please do not fight me over this. I still need to recover and only you could watch over Doldam like I can.”
“But Kim Sab-”
The ICU door opened stopping her from pleading her case.
“Kim Sabu! Here, have the samgyetang while it’s hot.”
“Gomawo, Do-Il-ah.”
The anesthesiologist took out a small stone pot from inside an insulated food bag and prepared a bowl for his friend. She pulled an overbed table to place his meal.
The soup with a small young chicken was still piping hot as it was served to him. The doctor lifted the spoon using his non-dominant hand and took a sip of the warm soup.
“Masisseoyo, Do-il-ah.”
He tried to use the chopstick to get bits of the chicken however, even to a man who has spent his life doing complicated surgeries, eating with chopsticks using his non-dominant hand was proven to be challenging.
Just like how she is his second pair of hands in the operating room, she grabbed the chopsticks from his hand immediately and sat next to him in his bed.
“Kim Sabu, ah.” She said as if she were commanding a toddler to open his mouth.
“Myung-Sim-ssi, I can feed myself.” He laughed awkwardly, embarrassed. Dr. Nam was watching his friend try to grab back the chopsticks from their head nurse’s hand.
“Aish, Kim Sabu! This is not the time for you to be bull-headed! What if you spill this soup that you bothered Nam Seonsaeng to make after spending hours in the operating room? Not only have you wasted a perfectly good samgyetang, you would also burn yourself and we would have to clean up all the mess you have made!”
If there was one person who had power over him, it was her.
“Myung-Sim-ssi,” He looks over to Nam Do-Il who was stifling a laugh in the corner, amused at his friends' interaction.
“Don’t look at him. He’s not gonna save you. Palli juseyo, Kim Sabu. Aaah~”
He could not protest any more. She has won, again.
Nam Do-Il’s phone rang. It was Nurse Eom informing him that he was needed for an emergency operation of a trauma patient.
“Kim Sabu, Sussaem, I need to go. There’s a gunshot wound patient that needs an operation.”
The head nurse got up to prepare herself for the operation.
“Sussaem, aniyo. Eun-Tak-ssaem is scrubbing in. You could stay with him.”
“Do-il-ah, where was the patient hit?”
“Kim Sabu, you are a patient right now. We’re going to be fine. Seo Woo-Jin Seonseang will be the lead surgeon on this. Sussaem, don’t let him out of his bed.”
“Ne.”
As Nam Do-Il exited the room, Oh Myung-Sim went back to sit next to her stubborn patient. He watched her as she carefully peeled the chicken off its meat to expose the glutinous rice and bits of ginseng; she scooped a spoonful of rice from the bowl and blew on it to cool it off.
In their proximity, he couldn’t help but stare at her as she pouted her lips to gently blow on his rice. Even though his hand was starting to hurt, he must admit that getting this treatment from her was worth the pain.
“Ah, Kim Sabu.” Myung-Sim gently fed him rice and chicken. “It’s not hot is it?”
“Aniyo. You should have some, Myung-Sim. There’s enough for the both of us here.”
“Gwenchanayo, Kim Sabu.”
“You have to eat.”
“Aniyo, Kim Sabu. You should finish all of this so you can regain your energy back.”
“Myung-Sim, have a bite at least.” He insisted. “You probably haven’t even had anything to eat. Please, for me?” His voice was softer now, his eyes pleading.
She hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly took a small bite from the spoon he held out. "Gomawo, Kim Sabu," she said quietly, smiling a little.
"That's better," he replied, satisfied.
They continued like this, taking turns with the food, the silence between them now comfortable and filled with unspoken understanding. For once, they weren't just colleagues but two people who cared deeply for each other's well-being.
“I will rest up in the sleeping lounge later.”
“Aigoo, people are coming and going out of there. You wouldn’t be able to rest properly. You should go home and take the day off tomorrow.”
“I need to be here in case you need anything.”
“You’ve got plenty of competent people working under you. I am sure they can handle Doldam in your absence. I’m ordering you to rest.”
“Just this once, Kim Sabu. I want to stay here.”
“Gwenchanayo.” He gave in. “But please rest after you’re done feeding me. Please sleep in my office instead. You’ll be better rested there than in the sleeping lounge. You can use my pillows and blanket there.”
She was hesitant at first. It was his office after all. Somehow, it was a sacred place in Doldam. Of course, she has been there countless times but never to stay and sleep there but to get a full uninterrupted sleep in Doldam was too good to pass up.
After they finished the meal, she cleared the dishes away and sat back down beside him. "Kim Sabu, you should rest now. You've been through a lot."
He nodded, feeling the weight of exhaustion settling over him. "Ne, I will. But promise me you'll rest too."
She gave him a small, reassuring smile. "I promise."
As he lay back down, he felt her hand gently take his once more. It was a simple gesture, but it conveyed so much: gratitude, relief, and an unspoken promise that she would always be there for him, just as he had always been there for her.
"Thank you, Myung-Sim," he whispered, his eyes growing heavy with sleep.
"Sleep well, Kim Sabu," she replied softly, watching over him as he drifted off, finally allowing herself to relax knowing he was safe and on the mend.
The next morning, she woke up finding herself tucked in his blanket which she doesn’t remember using. That melatonin sleep patch Nurse Joo gave her seemed to have worked its magic as she had a full eight-hour sleep for the first time in years. After washing up, she changed into her uniform to start her day. Her first order of business was checking up on the lead surgeon.
She peeked at the glass door and found him sleeping peacefully. She went in to check on his chart and his vitals. She noticed that there was no entry for his 2:00 AM check which she hurriedly checked with the ICU nurses.
“What happened at 2:00 AM? Why is the chart blank for that hour?”
The two nurses looked at each other with worry on their faces.
“Joesonghamnida Sussaem, we lost Kim Sabu earlier.”
“Huh?! What do you mean?”
“Well, he said he needed to go to the bathroom and we told him we could just bring a urinal container but he insisted on using the bathroom.”
“But the bathroom’s just around the corner. How can you lose a patient who was just using the bathroom?!”
“There was a patient who coded at the same time and we got distracted and when we were done taking care of the patient, we realized he was gone. Joeseonghamnida Sussaem.”
“Ah gwenchanayo. Just be careful next time. But where did you find him?”
“Mr. Gu found him in his office.”
“Eodiseo?!”
“H-his office, Sussaem. Waeyo?”
The head nurse was visibly flustered. “Are you sure?”
“Mr. Gu said he found Kim Sabu in his office. Is there something wrong, Sussaem?”
“Aniyo. It’s fine. Let me know when he wakes up.”
“Ne, Sussaem.”
She knew that there wasn’t anything odd in Kim Sabu coming into his own office but she was worried about what she may have looked like when he walked in. She wanted to kick herself for agreeing to sleep in his office when she knew that Kim Sabu would never stay at the place where he was told to stay.
She was delegating tasks to the nurses in the Emergency Room when she received a call from one of the ICU nurses to let her know that Kim Sabu was finally awake. On her way there, she bumped into Seo Woo-Jin who just checked the lead surgeon.
“Eo, Seo Woo-Jin Seonseang.”
“Sussaem. Joeun achimieyo.”
“How’s Kim Sabu?”
“He is doing well. I am thinking of sending him home in the afternoon. I don’t want him to stay here after the stunt he pulled last night.”
“What stunt?”
“He went into the ER and started giving orders while he was still hooked up in his IV.”
“Eh?”
“Then he went to his office to check on patient records. I need to send him home before patients think we are a mental institution.”
After discussing Kim Sabu’s home care instructions with Seo Woo-Jin, she marched her way to the ICU.
“Kim Sabu!”
“Eo, Sussaem?” His heart thudded.
“What did you do last night?!”
“Sussaem, let me expl-”
After checking on the patients he stole from Jeong In-Su and after the Emergency Doctor pleaded for him to go back to the ICU because he knew he would be in big trouble with Doldam’s Head Nurse, Kim Sabu decided to check his office and look at the ER patients’ records there.
All he could hear was the chatter from the ER and the noise the wheels of his IV pole were making as he walked down Doldam’s dimly lit hallway.
From a distance, he could see that the blinds in his office were drawn and only one of his lamps was lit. He knocked a few times, before unlocking the door.
“Myung-Sim-ssi?” He called out while looking down as he opened the door quietly. “Myung-Sim-ssi? Are you still awake? I just need to check something on my computer.”
Even after he called her name a few times, he did not hear any response. “I am gonna come in, okay?”
He spotted her sleeping soundly on his couch wearing an oversized hoodie and scrub pants. On his coffee table, she placed a few travel-sized skincare which she probably used before going to bed-or to the couch.
He carefully wheeled his IV pole inside his office, making sure not to wake her up. He booted up his computer and started checking the blood test results of a patient. While typing, he saw her move a bit.
“Myung-Sim-ssi?”
“Mmhm…hmm?”
“Myung-Sim-ssi?”
He peeked from behind his computer screen and saw his head nurse hug herself to keep herself warm. He hurriedly grabbed his blanket and covered her with it. He stretched out the fleece blanket to cover her. It wasn’t easy to cover her whilst standing up so he decided to kneel down next to her to tuck her in.
“Kim Sabu?” she uttered sleepily.
“Myung-Sim-ssi?”
Her eyes were barely opened, probably drunk with fatigue.
“Myung-Sim-ssi, go ahead and sleep it’s still early.”
“Kim Sabu…”
“Myung-Sim?”
“Stop making me worried.”
“Mianheyo, Myung-Sim-ssi. I will try. Now go back to sleep.”
“Stop hiding things from me.”
“I don’t mean to. I am sorry.”
He was adjusting her arm to place it under the blanket when she grabbed his shirt and pulled him close to her until they were face to face.
His eyes widened, and his heart was beating out of his chest. He stared into her eyes, seeing the weariness and worry that had been consuming her. For a moment, the world outside the quiet confines of his office faded away. It was just the two of them, in this rare moment of vulnerability.
“Myung-Sim, I…”
“Shh,” she whispered, her breath warm against his cheek. “You don’t have to say anything. Just… promise me you’ll take better care of yourself.”
Her fingers slowly released their grip on his shirt, but he could still feel the warmth of her touch lingering. He nodded, unable to find the right words to reassure her, to tell her how much her concern meant to him.
“I promise,” he finally said, his voice barely more than a whisper.
He watched her for a few more moments, a soft smile forming on his lips. Gently, he brushed a stray lock of hair from her face and, unable to resist the tender emotion swelling within him, he leaned in and placed a soft, lingering kiss on her forehead.
But it didn’t feel like enough. The emotions he had kept hidden for so long demanded more. He hesitated for a moment, then, with his heart pounding, he leaned in further and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.
Her eyes fluttered open, surprise and something else—something warmer—shining in their depths. For a heartbeat, neither of them moved. Then, she responded, her lips softening against his in a brief but heartfelt acknowledgment of the feelings they had both kept hidden for so long.
When he pulled back, she was gazing up at him, her expression a mix of surprise and understanding.
“Kim Sabu…”
“Myung-Sim,” he whispered, his voice hoarse with emotion. “I’ve been a fool for not telling you sooner. But now… now I can’t imagine keeping it to myself any longer.”
She reached up, cupping his cheek with her hand. “Just promise me you’ll take better care of yourself,” she repeated softly.
“I promise,” he said, with more conviction this time.
Satisfied, she closed her eyes and nestled deeper into the couch, the blanket snug around her.
“Rest well, Myung-Sim.”
As he stood up and returned to his desk, he glanced back at her one last time. The sight of her sleeping peacefully brought a sense of calm to his turbulent thoughts. He knew he had to recover quickly, not just for himself, but for the people who cared about him. For Myung-Sim.
“What did you do last night?!”
“Sussaem, let me expl—”
“You think you can just leave the ICU and wander around?”
He blinked, taken aback. “Wait, you’re upset about that?”
“Of course I am! You were supposed to be resting, not running around the hospital!”
Relief washed over him, but he masked it quickly, unsure how to approach the topic that had been weighing on his mind. “I’m sorry, Myung-Sim. I just… I needed to check on some things.”
“Kim Sabu, you need to take your recovery seriously. You can’t just—”
“I thought you were mad about… something else,” he interrupted, his voice hesitant.
She frowned, confused. “Something else? What do you mean?”
He took a deep breath, gathering his courage. “About last night. When I… when I kissed you.”
Her eyes widened in surprise, her cheeks flushing slightly. “Kim Sabu, I—”
“I’m sorry if I overstepped. I just… I couldn’t help it. I’ve felt this way for a long time, and seeing you there, so worried about me… I just wanted you to know how much you mean to me.”
She stared at him, speechless for a moment, her heart racing. “Kim Sabu, I wasn’t… I wasn’t mad about that. I was worried about you overexerting yourself.”
“Oh,” he said, relief and a hint of embarrassment flooding his features. “So… you’re not angry?”
She shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips, realizing last night was not a dream. “No, I’m not angry. But you really need to take better care of yourself. You promised me, remember?”
He nodded, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. “I remember. And I’ll keep that promise. I just… I don’t want to hide how I feel anymore.”
She stepped closer, taking his hand in hers. “Neither do I. But right now, the most important thing is your health. We can talk about everything else later.”
“Deal,” he said, squeezing her hand gently.
As she helped him settle back into bed, a comfortable silence settled between them. They both knew they had a lot to discuss, but for now, they were content just being together, knowing that their feelings were finally out in the open.
And as the morning light streamed through the window, they both felt a sense of hope and anticipation for what lay ahead, knowing they would face it together.
.
.
.
.
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***END***