External Patient (3)
“Your Excellency...”
“Yeah.”
Na Hye-won’s condition was far more serious than I’d imagined. She was little more than a breathing corpse, just as Na Jong-hoon had described. I seriously reconsidered the deal I’d made with him. No rot anywhere, but she was skin and bones, barely clinging to life.
“Hospital Director, can you save her?”
“Your Excellency! I’ll do everything in my power to treat her!”
“Thank you...! Thank you!”
Na Jong-hoon grabbed my hand, tears streaming down his face.
“I’ll be straight with you. I never imagined it’d be this bad. It’s a miracle she even made it here alive... I can’t make any guarantees.”
“Yes, Your Excellency... If she can’t recover even here, it might be kinder to let her rest in peace rather than inflict more suffering on my daughter.”
For now, they’d start with IV nutrition. According to Lee Kyung-min and the other doctors, she was too weak for surgery—she’d die on the table—so they planned to keep her in a single recovery room until she regained some strength, then slowly transition to solid food.
It was a massive gamble. She’d monopolize the room for an unknown stretch of time. But if we could heal her, we’d unlock that ability for use. I wasn’t about to run her into the ground like the Korean Reconstruction Government had, but I intended to make active use of her power. And I figured a single recovery room would outperform any lineup of their healing Awakeners.
“Your Excellency, thank you so much for taking my daughter... I’ll step outside now.”
“Sigh... Where’s a girl’s dad going to go? Stay here with her. There’s a bathroom, and meals will be brought. Just stick close. Oh, and there’ll be extra fees, so keep that in mind.”
“Thank you!”
Na Jong-hoon dropped to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
I locked down the single recovery room—no one but Lee Kyung-min allowed inside. Na Jong-hoon didn’t seem the type to try anything shady, but I left a radio on inside anyway. All the executives could hear any voices from there.
“Master is so kind-hearted.”
“Huh? If she dies without her parents around, they might blame me. Not that it’d change anything if Na Section Chief held a grudge... What do you think? Can that girl pull through?”
Han Byeol pondered for a moment, then smiled.
“The hospital you built has abilities beyond common sense... She might recover, right?”
“Your Excellency! Your Excellency! Thank you! God bless you!”
“Keep it down...”
“S-sorry!”
A week after Na Hye-won was admitted to the single recovery room, she opened her eyes. Incredible. The woman who’d looked one breath from death was rolling her eyes, staring right at me.
“D... Da... Dad...”
“Don’t talk.”
She wasn’t strong enough for speech yet. Her primary physician, Lee Kyung-min, said her breathing improved daily. They’d keep her bedridden another week, then introduce solid food with internal medicine support if she could handle it.
The doctors agreed: her body was just a shell, devoid of any real vitality. No telling how brutally they’d worked her.
After that week, most of the Korean government soldiers who’d come with her loaded up their payment in hospital fees and left. Only a handful remained, pitching tents outside the barrier and showering nonstop, day and night.
Just in case, I warned them: talk to barrier residents, harass women, act threatening—any of it meant instant execution, no warning. The other soldiers snapped to attention, but their leader, Colonel Kim, smirked and nodded.
Surprisingly, it didn’t piss me off. He was like a bug wriggling in front of me. No need for Im Jui—even Han Seol could bisect him in a second.
Inspecting the goods we got for hospital fees confirmed they were brand-new, no issues. At night, when surveillance slacked, Na Jong-hoon’s secretary slipped in with a duffel bag containing a corpse. Apparently embalmed, good for a while.
“I... I’m sorry I couldn’t greet you properly...”
Na Hye-won coughed, propped up in bed.
“Stay sitting.”
“Your Excellency!”
Sixteen days since admission. Astonishingly, she could now sit up and eat solid food. Still shaky on her feet, but compared to her arrival—skin and bones gasping her last—it was a miracle. With her blonde hair and golden eyes, she looked like a fragile girl.
Lee Kyung-min and I were stunned by the single recovery room’s monstrous performance. Lee Seong-guk had risen from half-paralysis after over twenty days, but he was a powerhouse Awakener with superhuman regeneration—not comparable to a normal person. Na Hye-won’s base physicals were just slightly above average human.
Only eleven soldiers waited for Na Jong-hoon now. Time for him to go. We executed our prepared plan.
Lee Kyung-min laid the corpse on a gurney, covered it with a long white sheet, and wheeled it out toward the barrier. I kept the kids inside so they wouldn’t see.
Lee Kyung-min approached the barrier, head bowed, tears flowing, and spoke to the soldiers outside. Han Seol and I watched from the hearse window.
“Wow... Our hospital director’s got acting talent.”
“Yeah... He’s really crying.”
Na Jong-hoon soon shuffled out, clutched the gurney, collapsed to the ground, and wailed. The soldiers bowed their heads in mourning.
Then their leader gestured and spoke. Han Byeol returned to the hearse.
“Master! That Kim Colonel guy’s insisting on checking the body.”
“Mm... Guess I’ll handle it myself.”
“Do-hyun, I’ll come too.”
Han Seol strapped on her sword from the table and followed.
“Hold up... Something before we go.”
“Do-hyun?”
“Han Seol... You’ve got the key role. I’ll talk to Kim Colonel. If anything rude slips from his mouth, latch onto it. Got it?”
“Huh? What do you...?”
I quickly explained my on-the-spot plan, then headed out.
“What’s going on?”
“Ah, Your Excellency! This Kim Colonel insists on seeing the body...”
“Kim Colonel! Are you insane? You think I’d hide my daughter’s death from you now? Huh?! Want to die?!”
“S-Section Chief, that’s not what I meant!”
Na Jong-hoon lunged; Lee Kyung-min held him back.
“Section Chief, I understand, but calm down!”
“You fucking bastards! Quick to use us when it suits—argh!”
Incredible acting duo. No need for theater actors from the Reconstruction Government. Lee Kyung-min was a star.
“Section Chief, sorry. But orders from above say confirm...”
Kim Colonel looked troubled as Na Jong-hoon raged. We’d prepped a corpse resembling Na Hye-won as a last resort. Best scenario: no inspection, cremate here.
I stepped in.
“For now... Checking the body right away feels wrong. Cremate first, then head back and inter the ashes. Colonel, understand?”
Kim Colonel bristled.
“You... No, Your Excellency, please stay out of this. It’s our business.”
“...”
There it was. Now Han Seol just had to bite.
She did, perfectly executing the plan. Shing. She drew her sword, advanced on him.
“What? ‘You’? Who the hell do you think you’re talking to? Say it again. Say it. I’ll rip that filthy mouth apart.”
Kim Colonel panicked, backpedaling, hand to his greatsword.
“Stop!”
I bellowed. All eyes on me. Im Jui, Han Byeol, First Guard Unit—all armed, swarming in.
Couldn’t lose Na Hye-won. I’d considered ditching Na Jong-hoon if recovery lagged, but this pace was usable. Above all, that ability was too tempting.
Now it hinged on my acting. I approached Kim Colonel.
“Kim Colonel.”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know your rank’s importance in the Korean government, but I’m the Supreme Commander of Gangbuk’s largest alliance.”
“Yes, Your Excellency...”
‘Supreme Commander’ made him flinch, bow slightly.
“Calling me ‘you’ earlier? That’s problematic.”
“Ah... I formally apologize for that.”
Now. Strike while hot.
“Insulting me twice? Is that apology saying, ‘The alliance Supreme Commander’s on par with a government colonel, so his apology suffices’?”
“What?! No, that’s not— I mean...!”
He panicked at my nonsense.
“Then what? I was ready to let ‘you’ slide, but this? You want trouble?”
“Y-Your Excellency! Hear me out...!”
“Trouble. War.”
“War” from my lips—he dropped to his knees.
“I formally apologize for my rudeness! Your Excellency! Please accept it!”
“If you want war, declare it outright. No need for games. Oh, wait... I get it. Send a hopeless patient my way, let her die, blame me to force submission. That your plan? Do I look stupid?”
“No! Absolutely not! No such plan, Your Excellency!”
I glared down, feigning fury.
“Tried to let it slide, but it’s pissing me off more. Hey, you fucking prick. Answer me.”
Kim Colonel broke, trembling, kowtowing and wailing. His men realized the gravity, prostrating too. They floundered in the swamp of irrational power.
“Sorry! Sorry! Your Excellency, truly sorry!”
“Fine, I’ll accept your declaration of war. History-making: Seoul splits over one colonel in this ruined world.”
I glanced at Na Section Chief; he licked his lips, then played along.
“Your Excellency! I’ll discipline Kim Colonel myself—forgive him for my sake!”
Na Jong-hoon clung to my pant leg, snot and tears flowing.
“Sigh...”
I adopted a reluctant tone.
“Making a scene with the deceased right there... Kim Colonel.”
“Yes! Your Excellency!”
His face streaked with tears and dirt.
“Maybe you enjoy pawing at corpses in front of mourners. I don’t. Got it?”
“Yes, Your Excellency! I’ll remember! Truly sorry! T-to superiors, I’ll report body confirmed! Sorry!”
“Good. We’ll cremate here. Move your tents far away. Your face annoys me.”
“Yes! Thank you! Thank you!”
I turned and headed to the hearse. Han Seol trailed like a puppy.
“Do-hyun, how was I?”
“No better actor around.”
“I thought you were really mad.”
“Just realized—I’ve got talent too.”
Han Seol covered her mouth, laughing.