“So what?”
He thought at most it would be asking him to come to work tomorrow morning. But did he have to call at this dawn to say that? At the blunt tone, the president called Eunchan’s name repeatedly in an even more desperate voice.
[- You know the client who came today? He’s in the emergency room right now. The stalker attacked him. Can’t you go once? I’m begging you like this, please……]
‘I should catch them and talk to them. Looking at it, they seem pretty vicious.’
What they briefly talked about during the day echoed back in his ears like a reverberation. How vicious must they be to even hit a person, a stalker……
Eunchan ruffled his still-wet hair.
“Emergency room?”
[- Just go once. Please, it’s my wish. He said he’d pay the commission fee however you want. This is a case we can’t miss.]
“……”
[- Eunchan-ah.]
“5.”
[- You bastard.]
Though he only said one number, the president perfectly understood Eunchan’s intention.
“Or forget it. I’m tired.”
The one who should feel regretful wasn’t him. Eunchan picked up pants from under the bed and replied in a light voice.
[- ……4.]
“I’m going to sleep.”
[- Ah, fine. 4.5, no more than that.]
“Okay. I’m leaving now. Please text me the hospital address.”
[- You insolent bastard.]
“Yes~ I love you too, president.”
Though the call ended with a curse, Eunchan grinned and made a love confession. It’s a windfall. They always divided the compensation with the president taking 6, Eunchan 3, and Hyungsik 1. 4.5…… What a stroke of luck, really. He thought it would be about 4 at most no matter how high. The president went big.
[Go straight to Seongwon University Hospital emergency room.]
Eunchan checked the text the president sent. Seongwon University Hospital was about 30 minutes by taxi. There would be a surcharge since it was dawn, but it didn’t matter since he’d get a receipt and hand it to the president.
Eunchan put on jeans and wore a shirt over a short-sleeved tee. After briefly wondering if he should bring something, he decided to just take his wallet. Go to the emergency room and roughly check the client’s condition, take him home, check the CCTV of nearby buildings…… His body was still tired, but thanks to the 4.5, his motivation overflowed. Eunchan looked once at the messy bed and blanket, then went out the front door.
2 AM. Only streetlights and the moon lit the streets, and only silence ran on the roads. Eunchan waited for the taxi he called and checked the alcohol smell coming from his body. This kind of work was about trust, so he had to pay attention even to appearances. He regretted not being able to dress up properly because he came out in a hurry, but since it was dawn, he decided not to think deeply about it. Instead, he thought he should buy gargle or something in front of the hospital to get rid of the alcohol smell.
Soon, a taxi stopped in front of Eunchan standing by the roadside. Eunchan opened the back seat door, got in, and stated his destination.
“You called for a taxi, right?”
“Ah, yes. Seongwon University emergency room.”
The meter’s hand began to run slowly. Watching the driver drive on the four-lane road as if it were a highway, Eunchan rolled down the window. The coolly blowing wind was welcome.
“Are you sick somewhere?”
Seeing Eunchan heading to the emergency room, the driver casually threw out a question.
“Someone I know got hurt.”
“Then you should go quickly.”
“Thank you.”
Rather than someone he knew, they were someone who meant money. Eunchan recalled the face of the man who was beyond white and pale. The man was tall, pale, had black hair, and red lips. Like a vampire. No, more than a vampire, he looked like a chaste priest. He looked ascetic and also seemed devout.
He could assert that he was a different person from himself who had lived roughly going with the flow of life. He must be a child from a good family. With a pretty face, he’d be popular too. Perhaps he could be an aspiring actor or model.
Watching the rapidly disappearing streetlight, Eunchan slowly closed his eyes. Whatever it was, it wasn’t his business, so there was no need to think deeply about it.
* * *
Unlike the relatively quiet streets, the emergency room entrance was rather crowded and had lights brightly turned on like daytime. After buying water and gargle from the convenience store in front, Eunchan blamed himself for not bringing a bag. Entering the emergency room with luggage in both hands, he saw emergency medical technicians and nurses running busily.
Eunchan scratched the back of his head once, then moved his steps to the place marked night administration. His ears hurt from the sound of a child crying and the angry voice of a guardian.
“……”
But he couldn’t immediately talk to the administration. The one employee was holding a receiver and concentrating on taking notes. Eunchan leaned against the wall and checked the clock hanging on the wall. 2:40. Almost an hour had passed since the president called.
“He probably already left……”
The stalker was probably a woman, wasn’t it? Then it wouldn’t be such a serious injury. That man had a big build, so he could have subdued the stalker by himself sufficiently. Whether that man was still at the hospital was uncertain. The errand company would have contacted him saying someone was coming, but there was no need to wait deliberately. He felt like he might have just made a futile trip at dawn for nothing.
“Sir?”
Then suddenly at a voice calling him, Eunchan lowered his head and met eyes with the employee beyond the administration window.
“Ah, yes. Hello, is there a Jang Miro-ssi here by any chance?”
“Who are you?”
When he said the client’s name, she asked sharply, which was strange. Isn’t finding patients routine here? He thought there was no need to react so sensitively, but soon it made sense when he recalled that the man came because of a stalker.
“Guardian…… not really, just a related person? I came from the company.”
He came in without even taking the president’s business card, so there was no way to prove his identity. Just fiddling with his back pants pocket in awkwardness, the employee asked for his name.
“What’s your name?”
“Jang Miro.”
“No, the related person’s name.”
“It’s Kim Eunchan.”
Standing there awkwardly holding water and gargle was embarrassing. Even though it was dawn, he should have thought about it before coming out. Eunchan hoped there wasn’t a strong alcohol smell coming from his body.
“You need to go up, not here. If you wait a moment, a guide will come out.”
“Up?”
“Yes.”
Did he have surgery or something? Eunchan swallowed at a bigger matter than expected. This must really be a big deal.
“Please sit down.”
“Yes……”
People started standing behind him, so Eunchan answered in a small voice and then roughly leaned against a chair close to the entrance automatic door.
[President, I came to the emergency room but they say he’s upstairs? He’s not dying, is he?]
Don’t tell me it’s not the operating room but the morgue? Regardless of money or anything, he was scared he might also get caught up in a stabbing. Eunchan tried sending a text to the president, but the president seemed to have already fallen asleep as no reply came.
I definitely passed my three calamity years. Why is this happening lately? Is it because I drank alone at the bar? Only strange requests keep coming in, and I didn’t even spit toward my hometown but I’m going to end up going home. I thought I should just send Hyungsik, but it’s better that I came rather than bringing a kid and making him see blood……
“Kim Eunchan-ssi?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
As he was just pressing his lips in a bitter mood, as the employee guided, soon another person came and called Eunchan’s name. The woman in a neat suit smiled and extended her arm toward the outside of the emergency room.
“Let’s go this way.”
Passing through the opening and closing glass doors, they headed to the university hospital main entrance. Though it was dawn, hospitalized patients and their guardians were sitting here and there having conversations.
“They said he’s not in the emergency room, did he go into surgery?”
He thought they’d take the escalator located in the center, but the guide led Eunchan to the elevator located inside the main building. Standing behind the woman who scanned her employee ID and pressed a high floor button, Eunchan subtly asked about the client.
“Treatment is finished and he’s resting and stabilizing.”
“Ah, yes……”
Watching the rapidly rising floor numbers, Eunchan leaned against the wall. The night view of the hospital visible beyond the glass window was nice. Seeing the elevator size was small, it didn’t seem like an elevator heading to operating rooms……
“How was parking, did you do well?”
“I came by taxi.”
“It must have been inconvenient coming in the middle of the night, that’s fortunate.”
“No, not at all……”
At the question asked kindly with a smile, Eunchan answered awkwardly and roughly. If we’re talking about inconvenience, you working wearing a suit until this dawn are more so. Eunchan felt kinship watching the struggling worker.
“Since it’s dawn, you must be hungry too, shall I bring you something to eat?”
“No. I’m fine.”
It was a response that made him confused whether this was a hotel or a hospital right now. Eunchan waved both hands to refuse the goodwill. Come to think of it, who is that woman and what kind of work does she do?
“But are you a hospital bodyguard?”
A woman holding a walkie-talkie in one hand and wearing a body-fitting suit. No matter how he thought about it, she only looked like a bodyguard.
“I’m sorry. I’m late with introductions, I’m called Jeong Jinyoung, a ward manager.”
“Ah, nice to meet you. I’m Kim Eunchan.”
At the formal greeting with a bowed head, Eunchan also bowed his head in return. There are managers even for wards. Well, illness doesn’t discriminate against people. The woman seemed to be managing wealthy patients.
Fortunately, before an awkward atmosphere could flow, the elevator reached the destination floor. 21st floor. A high hospital floor that ordinary people wouldn’t come to. Getting off the elevator, an atmosphere different from the 1st floor greeted them. Like a hotel lobby, there was a soft floor and furniture in light brown and beige tones lined up. Even in the middle of the night, there were many people working.
“This way.”
“Yes.”
Even the medical staff uniforms seemed different here. The name tags they wore were different too. Unlike the busy and complicated emergency room, it was a leisurely atmosphere, and moreover, there were many medical staff on standby. Eunchan looked around and was sightseeing when he soon made eye contact with a doctor. Then he immediately bowed his head in greeting, so Eunchan also bowed his head in return. It must be hard to greet so much in a hospital. Eunchan smiled bitterly.
