Chapter 202: The Bear's Silent Scream
The skin is the largest organ in the body, occupying the widest and biggest area.
It makes up about 15% of the body's weight and wraps around the entire body, so it's only natural.
The skin performs a variety of functions. It acts as a sensory organ, regulates body temperature, and performs an important role in preventing precious bodily fluids from leaking out. It also protects against foreign substances like bacteria, viruses, ultraviolet rays, and chemicals.
And more importantly, it serves as an immune organ. The skin is full of white blood cells that trigger immune responses, serving as a central hub of the immune system. That's why it's called the body's largest immune organ.
This important skin has peeled off the size of a palm. And it's around the buttocks.
Jun's expression, looking at the photo, became serious.
"Hoo, the infection seems too severe. The skin loss is also too widespread."
At that moment, when Jun was looking at the photo with a serious expression, Go Gi-jin entered the director's office.
"Hyungnim, is there no address?"
"No, it's not that..."
"Why? Is there some emergency?"
Go Gi-jin looked down at the phone Jun was staring at.
"Aigo, why is it like this? The epidermis, no, even the dermis is all smashed. Utta, why is the necrosis so severe? The subcutaneous muscle is probably all destroyed too?"
"Does it look serious to you?"
"Then it is. If we mess this up, it might be sendable..."
Meaning it could die.
Upon hearing Go Gi-jin's words, Jun nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, if it turns into systemic infection, there's no answer."
"But why did it happen like this? The antibiotics... wait a sec."
Go Gi-jin took the phone from Jun's hand and looked at the photo closely.
He enlarged the photo that showed the wound area large and furrowed his brows even more.
"Utta ya, is it a bear? Somang-i, right?"
"Yeah, that's right. The one I operated on, Haennim."
"Aigo, why did it turn out like this?"
"That's what I was thinking too."
"Antibiotics are being given?"
Jun shook his head slowly sideways in response to the question about whether antibiotics were being given.
"No, we couldn't give them. Haennim is too picky."
"Aigo. Well, that's why it turned out like this. If it had been disinfected and Aluspray sprayed, it would have been different. The bear..."
"Yeah, if that had happened, it wouldn't have been this bad. But we couldn't put it under anesthesia every time we dressed the wound."
"That's right. And the front paw is used very well. It probably scratched like a person."
Upon Go Gi-jin's words, Jun recalled Haennim scratching the wound with her only front paw.
His mood became heavy.
Without knowing Jun's mood, Go Gi-jin's voice, continuing, was filled with pity.
"Scratching with the paw and rubbing on the floor, right? No matter how clean the volunteers cleaned, it would be dirty."
That's why Haennim's wound became so severe.
It might have gotten inflamed or scratched somewhere, creating a wound.
Whatever the reason, there was irritation, and since it itched, it scratched and rubbed on the buttocks.
As a result, the skin peeled off and secondary infection followed.
Jun let out a long sigh.
The long sigh carried regret for not treating it when it was smaller, along with sympathy.
Then Jun looked at the wound.
It was useless to blame what had already happened.
The most important thing now was how to proceed with the treatment.
That was all that mattered.
"Hmm, I need to go directly to confirm, but probably all of this needs to be removed."
"Go?"
"Yeah, Senior Kang said he wanted me to come."
"Then there's hope?"
"That's good."
"But Hyungnim, shall we go together?"
"You?"
"I want to go."
Jun, about to say he'd ask the hospital to trust him in his place, nodded.
"If you go, it will be very helpful."
Go Gi-jin had handled large animals.
Perhaps he could be even more helpful to the bears than Jun.
And since they've done many surgeries together so far, their hands would fit perfectly.
It would be helpful in many ways.
"Since we said we'll go in the morning, let's ask the teachers if we can both take the day off."
Fortunately, the staff at Meongmeong Animal Hospital, including Yoo Mu-hwan, didn't worry about the hospital work and praised Jun's decision without holding back.
"Director, please fix it properly."
"Director, do a good job and come back!"
"Director, fighting!"
So, Jun and Go Gi-jin could leave for Donghae without worrying about the hospital work.
Jun and Go Gi-jin left the alley house early in the morning.
Before leaving, they received goodbyes from three animals.
Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi, who had woken up from sleep, had their heads ruffled and fur messy, but their eyes were sharp like leaders guarding subordinates in the park.
Because they could wake up instantly from anywhere, anytime.
In contrast, Sapsaree came out staggering with almost closed eyes.
However, all three had the same heart.
"Hyungnims, come back safely, and don't make the very big sister hurt too much."
"Hyungnims, please heal the very big sister well."
"Hyungnimayo. Please heal her very well!"
Sapsaree couldn't finish saying "very big sister" because he was sleepy.
The day before, Jun had told the three that they had to go heal the much bigger Haennim than Sapsaree, and the three called Haennim "very big sister".
"Yeah, I'll heal her well and come back. And as I said yesterday, today you have to eat your meals. Don't eat all at once!"
"Understood. Come back safely."
"Don't worry. I'll watch over you well."
"Gkamnyangi, I'll watch if you and Sapsaree eat well."
"I will do as Hyungnim says!"
"Yeah, I'll go and come back. If I can't come back late tonight, Meongmeong-nim or the cool Hyungnim will come and feed you."
Jun and Go Gi-jin left the alley house after receiving the goodbyes from the three.
'It is so fortunate that we can communicate with them. I can tell them why I'm late and tell them to adjust their meals.'
The three won't be anxious even if Jun and Go Gi-jin return late at night or the next day.
When Jun got into the car, he was grateful for being able to communicate with the three, but regretted it.
'It would have been better if I had tried to communicate with Haennim like them.'
If that had been the case, this kind of incident might not have happened.
Jun's heart was heavy all the way to Donghae.
The time when the two who left early in the morning arrived at the Somang-i breeding site in Donghae was 8:30 AM.
Coo wa wa.
Koo ee e.
Kung kung.
"Utta, the voices are loud. Then, Hyungnim, do the ones barking sound better than before? The volunteers must be taking good care of them. The smell doesn't come out much, right."
"..."
"They are taking good care."
Jun's voice answering was a bit hoarse.
To Go Gi-jin, it would sound like "Koo ee", but to Jun's ears, the bears' conversations were heard.
Hungry, painful, itchy, bored. Why don't you give food soon, thirsty, hot. Etc.
Because the voices were stuck in his ears.
However, Jun, thinking that treatment comes first as he had decided yesterday, moved his steps.
A few steps later, the voice came.
"You came early."
"Oh, Gi-jin came too."
"Welcome."
"Thank you for coming."
Kang Han-ul and the volunteers came walking to the two.
"Everyone worked hard."
"Hello?"
"What hard work, we are the ones?"
"No. They are the ones who worked hard."
"Our hard work is nothing compared to theirs."
People with different appearances say the same things from their mouths.
Thanks to these people, we have reached the current situation.
Jun said with gratitude welling from the deepest part of his heart.
"What are you talking about? You are really working hard. It must be hard in this hot weather, I really admire you."
"Yeah, we really worked hard."
"Haha, anyway, thanks for coming. Did you eat breakfast?"
"I ate on the way."
"Yeah?"
"Yes, senior. I wanted to see Haennim first..."
"Yeah, let's do the greetings later and go see first."
Jun and the group walked to the enclosure where Haennim was.
Soon, Jun took a deep breath.
In front of him, a small bear was crouching and lying down, and the wound with pus flowing was fully visible.
It was Haennim.
"Ume, how much pain it must be!"
As Go Gi-jin said, Haennim was in so much pain.
Thud
- Kkang
- Kkangkkang.
Haennim was hitting the cage with her only front paw weakly and sobbing.
"[It hurts, huig huig it hurts. It hurts. A... pa...]"
Jun's throat suddenly became sore. And something hot seemed to rise from inside.
However, he forced all of it down.
Ggul.
'There are people who say to send Haennim because she's in so much pain.'
Yesterday, Kang Han-ul had suggested during a call with Jun that some volunteers should send Haennim as a bear.
Saying that seeing her in such pain is really not good.
If they could give painkillers, dress the wound, and prevent necrosis, no one would say that.
But they couldn't anesthetize every time they dressed.
On top of that, Haennim was refusing medicine.
How frustrated the people watching such a pained Haennim must have been.
The emotion Jun feels now is not even 1/10 or 1/100 of theirs.
While thinking this, Jun blinked his moist eyes and wiped away the tears.
If he hadn't known, but now that he knows, Jun wanted to save Haennim from pain as quickly as possible, even if it was just one hour.
'Haennim's condition now is not the issue of going to America or not. Not making her hurt is what I have to do.'
After deciding his heart like that, Jun told Kang Han-ul standing next to him.
"Senior, where will the surgery be done? First, let's set up and then do anesthesia..."
"Yeah, then let's go to the temporary operating room."
Kang Han-ul, who told Jun, said to his colleague.
"Prepare the anesthesia machine and stretcher. And the key too."
Thanks to the enclosure door that the farm owners had tampered with being repaired, Haennim could be easily taken out.
Before going to the temporary operating room to prepare for surgery, Jun said to Haennim.
"Haennim, I'll make it not hurt, so wait a little!"
He wanted to say even just that.
Jun looked at the back of the crouching Haennim and said that.
At that time.
The ears perked up.
Haennim's round ears, which had been sobbing in pain, twitched.
It meant she was listening to Jun's words.
A light shone in Jun's pupils. Jun said to the senior.
"Hmm, senior. I'll do the anesthesia."
"You? Have you ever used an anesthesia machine?"
"Yes, I've used it a few times before. But for Haennim, it might be okay to do local anesthesia."
"What?"
Kang Han-ul's eyes widened.
"Give me a moment. I'll try once and if it doesn't work, I'll use the anesthesia machine."
Jun had already planned how to treat Haennim.
To proceed with treatment according to Jun's plan, Haennim's cooperation was absolutely necessary.
That's why Jun had planned to talk to Haennim.
"Although it seems the dogs and cats listen to your words... yeah, then."
Kang Han-ul showed an anxious expression but nodded.
It was his junior who had rushed here from Seoul to Donghae in one day after one phone call.
Jun added one more thing to Kang Han-ul who respected his opinion.
"If there are many people, she might be anxious... You know, bears are smart."
"That's right. Okay, everyone, let's go prepare."
Alone, Jun quietly opened his mouth.
"Haennim! Long time no see?"
Gguung?
Haennim, who had been moaning while lying down, turned her head and looked at Jun.
Then her eyes slowly opened wide.
"[...
Haennim... Oppa?]"
"Y, yeah. Oppa. The Oppa who named Haennim!"
"[Hehe, it's Banana Oppa. Banana Oppa!]"
Haennim smiled with her distorted face.
She smiled brightly with a face like she was crying.
The same expression as when she first held Banana with her front paw as a child and smiled brightly.
Looking at those eyes, a drop of chicken egg-sized tear fell from Jun's eyes.
It was the tear he had been holding back until now.
"Y, yeah Haennim, Banana Oppa!"
Jun spat out the words he had been locked up in the deepest part of his heart since last night.
"Sorry. Haennim, for coming late, this Oppa really... really sorry."