Chapter 25
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Ep. 25 Goodbye
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Ep. 25 Goodbye.
So-yun lasted exactly one more day after A-yeon was put on ECMO.
Right up to the final moment when she lost consciousness, So-yun hugged A-yeon and chatted away laughing just like always.
No response came back.
She sang songs for her.
Cracked jokes.
She said she really loved her.
Thanks to her, she'd been able to live this long.
"You have to smile a lot! I realized there's nothing worth crying over!"
"These are the things written in the notebook—things our little sister absolutely has to do before she dies!"
"Our little sis can't sing well, so I recorded them too! Listen to this and sing better than me!"
"I want to help our little sis, so you have to help others when they're struggling too!"
"I think Dad's gonna have a tough time after I'm gone, so help him out if he struggles a lot!"
"...So it's a promise. A reaaally long time from now. You have to live at least a hundred years before coming to see me. If not, I'll get super mad? I'll smack your back silly. No joke!"
-Plop.
A single tear fell from So-yun's eye and touched A-yeon's face.
"And... don't forget me... You'll make lots of other friends, but still."
Tears flowed from A-yeon's eyes too, even though she was clearly in a state where she couldn't hear.
"Huh... My eyes... aren't working right. A-yeon, A-yeon. I'm so scared... I want to see you smiling..."
-
Beep—
So-yun's breathing stopped.
Kim, the department head on standby, widened his eyes to steady his blurring vision, inserted the tube with trembling hands, and hooked up the ventilator.
-Beep. Beep. Beep.
"You've... been through so much. So-yun-ah..."
The brain death committee was convened.
They meticulously reviewed So-yun's records, prescriptions, and ward footage.
Then they came in person to confirm her condition.
Primary disease: Glioblastoma, no treatment possible. Deep coma. No spontaneous breathing. No pupillary reflex in either eye.
Six hours later, the secondary exam and EEG confirmed unanimous brain death.
Kim, her attending physician and department head, escorted So-yun's father to the PICU per the committee's decision.
"...We declare."
Kim's voice was hoarse and gravelly from all the crying.
"...September 9th. 8:45 AM... Patient Jin So-yun has passed away."
The moment brain death was declared, the transplant surgery team whisked So-yun's bed straight to the OR.
Transplant surgeries have the best outcomes when done as quickly as possible after donor brain death, so they moved fast.
A-yeon's bed was taken over by thoracic surgery to the OR right next door.
One room prepared for eternal rest, the other for a shot at life.
Hospitals are busy places, but along the path to the OR, many staff lined up on both sides to clear the way.
The PICU team who'd spent time with So-yun teared up but kept clapping to see her off on her final journey.
Even those working in the ICU, where death is ever-present, couldn't bear the tragedy of a child's passing.
The kid who'd always smiled brightly and fought to the end—the PICU's little mascot.
The Honor Walk, the ceremony honoring the donor's final journey, came to an end.
"Department head, was there some special story with today's donor? 'Cause she's a kid? Never seen so many tears before."
A transplant surgery fellow asked the transplant department head while scrubbing up before surgery.
"You don't even watch YouTube? Didn't subscribe to our hospital's channel either, huh?"
"Department head, I'm a fellow this year. You know how busy that is..."
"PICU's longest-stay patient. She really hung on forever. They say pediatrics is the only department that cries when patients die—it's a joke, but yeah. Perfect recipe for burnout."
"But this patient's only donating heart and lungs? That's rare."
"Brain tumor patient."
"...Huh? Brain tumor and organ donation?"
"Sigh, you really know nothing... Hospital rumors spread fast. The recipient's a kid who fought alongside her in PICU. Laron Syndrome. Doesn't grow big, but gets cancer, type 2 diabetes, immune crap—so her organs got approved for transplant too. Enough chit-chat, scrub faster. The other side's prepping."
"Ah, yes. Got it."
"Heart and lung transplants are thoracic surgery's domain anyway. Hwang Chair Professor's leading. Current sub is thoracic department head. Lungs mean at least eight hours—tough on Hwang Prof at his age. Gotta prep quick."
"Ah, Professor Hwang... They say his hands are lightning-fast."
"Why do you think pediatric thoracic patients flock here? Way past retirement, still training successors, won't let go."
"Pediatrics understaffed again this year?"
"Zero applicants. We get a couple despite being shunned, but peds? Third year straight with none."
"Whoa... So a fourth-year resident's the baby there? Fellows and profs must be dying."
"What can you do? No kids, sensitive families, lawsuits like meals. We're lucky with active kidney/liver transplants at a top hospital like Korea University. If peds can't get staff, who does pediatric thoracic?"
"Yeah... Done here."
"Good, let's go."
-Clunk.
The transplant department head, hands sterilized and held chest-high in the air, footed the door open and approached the table.
The waiting anesthesiology professor spoke in a trembling voice.
"Time-out. Donor ID —. Jin So-yun. Heart and lung procurement per organ donation protocol. Surgeon Jeon Soo-hyun, assist Kim Won-ho. Correct?"
"Yes."
"...You may begin."
The coordinator dispatched from the Korean Organ Donation Agency said flatly.
"All, moment of silence."
After a brief silence, Department Head Jeon gave a short eulogy for So-yun.
Surgery began.
A sharp scalpel sliced down the center of So-yun's chest.
"Saws."
-Whirr—!
-Grind grind grind!
The medical saw cut through the ribs, revealing the still-vigorously beating heart.
Golden hour from heart extraction to transplant: four hours.
Plus simultaneous lungs—a insanely tough mega-surgery.
Success odds? Coldly under 50%.
But for a surgeon like Professor Hwang... Fifty-fifty. Or better.
'We'll do our absolute best for A-yeon... You'll go to heaven, kiddo. You did so well.'
Department Head Jeon, who'd never spoken to her, silently prayed for So-yun's peace.
"Your hands look steady—relief, Professor Hwang."
"...Director Yu in my OR? Who said you could come?"
"I'm the director. Where can't I go? Hm. 'Here to observe your legendary reputation'... That work?"
"You monitoring vitals?"
"Pain specialist here, Professor Hwang. Vitals by Jeong Department Head."
"Hoo... Fine. Jeong's reliable. Jeong Department Head!"
"Yes, Professor."
"Proceed."
"Yes."
I had a dream.
So ridiculous I realized it was a dream. Had to be. Or maybe I was dead.
A vast sea stretched before me.
Busan's ocean—the one I'd sought since childhood whenever life got hard.
The sunset lit the waves, sparkling with orange reflections.
Dream or afterlife, who cared? Busan's sea was just like this.
"Little sis~"
So-yun's voice called from afar, and my head turned naturally.
Way out there, So-yun ran toward me full tilt.
I started running too.
No shortness of breath.
Fresh evening breeze enveloped me; my heart pounded excitedly.
Without a thought, I dove into So-yun's arms.
She caught me but lost balance; we tumbled across the sand.
There was So-yun with long hair, in casual clothes not hospital garb, sand-caked and messy.
She was cute bald, but with pigtails? Adorably laughable.
"Wahaha! You laughed! Our little sis!"
"'Cause you're too cute, So-yun."
"Hey, Seol A-yeon. I'm the big sis?"
"Pfft!"
Like So-yun always laughed, I burst out too.
Yeah, this was how to laugh.
"How good does it feel!? Keep smiling like that!"
"Yeah. I will."
"If you're super sad, you can cry sometimes!"
"Yeah."
"But you're happy now, right? Me too."
"Yeah."
"Live smiling always, even without me!"
"...What?"
"Aw, failed."
So-yun laughed.
Not her usual vibrant one.
A bittersweet smile, tinged with sadness.
"...What do you mean? You said you were getting surgery."
"Hm, well! I dunno!"
"...Tell me straight, Jin So-yun."
"Welp, no choice... They said no chance I'd survive!"
"...Who?"
"Secret. Anyway, little sis. One favor? You'll do it, right?"
"...I'll hear it first."
"Nuuuh! No! Way! Promise first!"
"Fine, I'll do it."
"Not just saying that?"
"..."
"If you are, I'll be so hurt!"
So-yun puffed her cheeks.
Aw, my bad.
"...Okay. I'll do my utmost to make your wish come true."
"For real?!"
"...Yeah. For real."
Somehow, I might've known what she'd say next.
So-yun was that ridiculously kind.
"Then live suuuper long and come find me!"
"...How long?"
"Dunno? Like a hundred years?!"
"Live to 110? What if you forget me?"
"Don't worry. I won't forget you. You won't forget me. Right? I'll live in your body anyway. Pay 'rent' with yummy food!"
My ominous hunch came true.
Whatever. Live together, die together.
Not bad. Romantic, even.
To keep the promise, I'd have to live forever.
So-yun's words bound me like a curse, a chain.
"...Shouldn't you pay the rent?"
"Huh, true? Nah! Without me, you'd be dead. Heart rental fee! Huh?"
So-yun's hand stroking my head turned to golden dust and scattered.
With that, her form began to fade.
"...Time's up. Little sis, knew you were a crybaby."
"Am... not... crying."
"Crying and lying. Total brat~ Good girl? Stop."
"You're... crying too... Why only... with me?"
"Last time for me... Cut me slack. Don't cry anymore—smile. A-yeon."
"Yeah..."
"There, pretty face now!"
I hope it doesn't hurt there.
Thanks to you, I was happy.
Goodbye, Jin So-yun.