Chapter 243
Checked into a 6-bed ward. Honestly, I thought it was fucking sweet to be hospitalized for a mission when I'm not even sick. But I was wrong. My fucking head hurts so damn much. Shit, I told hyungnim Taesik to hit me lightly, but he fucking smashed it hard. No bullshit, not just my head—even my bones ache... ㅠ Maybe hyungnim's harbored a ton of grudges against me? ㅠ He even called me a motherfucking prosecutor or whatever, shit, maybe he's got some trauma from beating up prosecutors. It was fucking scary;; But the head nurse is someone else, so I don't know what to do;; And these minion doctors keep yapping at me too much, it's burdensome;;;;
Sudden footsteps made Sanggil snap his flip phone shut. Standing before him were the professor on rounds and a group of young doctors.
"Patient Choi Sanggil, how are you feeling today? Still got that headache?"
"Ah, yes. It hurts so fucking much. I'm going crazy, really."
"Hmm, why is that? No major abnormalities on the scans. There's a mild concussion, but the headache's lasting longer than expected?"
The professor tapped his pen against his lips, tilting his head.
"We're scheduling an additional MRA scan, so we'll know more once those results come in. Even if the accident wasn't the cause, there could be some pre-existing condition."
One of the 'minion doctors' standing behind stepped forward to report to the professor.
Sanggil sneered inwardly. Bullshit. Everyone knows they're just excited to rack up more scan fees because I said it hurts.
"Good. Anything else bothering you?"
The professor had probably asked as a formality, brushing past it. But Sanggil had a laundry list.
He glanced around the room. It was crawling with malingerers. None of them were actually sick, so they were all too damn lively. Chattering nonstop all day was bad enough—they kept peeking behind his curtain, being a pain in the ass. And whenever he tried to tail Gu Sojeong, they'd follow him around asking where he was going, acting all buddy-buddy!
"Uh, no. But..."
"But?"
"Could you switch my head nurse?"
"The head nurse? Is there a problem?"
"Not exactly, but she looks just like my ex-girlfriend, so every time I see her, it rips my heart out... Seriously, it's killing me. My body's already wrecked, and now my heart too... Sob."
He'd considered saying she resembled his late mother, but lying about his still-living mom felt too unfilial. Plus, if she looked like his deceased mom, they'd probably say it was perfect for building rapport and refuse the switch.
"Hahaha. Is that so? Alright, got it. Haha."
But the professor took it as a joke and laughed obliviously. The minion doctors behind him chuckled softly too.
Don't laugh, you top-of-the-class nerds. I'm serious.
Day two of his hospitalization. He still hadn't even caught a glimpse of Gu Sojeong's face.
* * *
"Hello?"
"Hello. This is lawyer Cha Juhan."
"Ah, lawyer. Doing well?"
Kim Seongwoo's voice, once laced with suspicion when they first met, now sounded bright, treating him like an ally. Good thing it was a phone call—face-to-face, Cha Juhan couldn't have hidden his stiff expression.
"Thanks to you, yes."
"No need for that. Haha. So, what's up? More questions?"
"No, nothing more for you right now, Doctor. I'd like to meet nurse Gu Sojeong."
"Nurse Gu Sojeong?"
Kim Seongwoo sounded flustered but quickly relaxed and added,
"Makes sense—you should talk to the key figure first."
"Yes. I meant to see her that day originally, but I ran into you first, so we talked then. By the time we finished, she'd clocked out, so I headed back."
"I see. Didn't Yang give you her number?"
"I'm keeping this from Dongjin for now."
"Ah, yeah, better not get his hopes up unnecessarily."
"Yes."
Cha Juhan hadn't prepped an excuse, but Kim Seongwoo got it on his own. Grateful for that.
"Should I check with her first and send you the number?"
"Yes."
"Got it. She might balk if I say you're Yang's friend..."
"But it's a favor from a friend—he has to show some sincerity. It won't be a big deal for her, so please convey that I'd like to meet as soon as possible."
"Understood."
Cha Juhan hung up and fiddled with his phone. Even if Kim Seongwoo was friendly, an outsider poking into the case must annoy him—he'd set up the meeting quick to get rid of him. He'd probably already texted Gu Sojeong.
While skimming the case Kang Minjae was handling, he waited.
"Lawyer, you're late today. Tardy, tardy."
He'd barely flipped a few pages when the office door opened. Kang Minjae and office manager Oh came in, each with a coffee, fresh from lunch.
"I told you ahead of time."
"Anyway, Lawyer, there's something on our case that needs your input. Mind taking a look?"
Oh set a box stuffed with copies on his desk. They'd agreed to let Kang handle cases for now—why ask his opinion? Worried Kang might feel slighted, Cha Juhan glanced at him.
"...Not sure, haha."
Kang scratched the back of his head and sidled up to Oh.
"I skimmed the case before you came, but what's the issue?"
How could he refuse when Kang, who'd planted himself in the office to learn from him, admitted not knowing something? Reluctantly, Cha Juhan let Kang drag him into the documents.
"Ah, I get it now!"
It took three hours for that confident exclamation from Kang. They'd debated nonstop—Kang countering every point Cha Juhan made—leaving his throat parched. Still, Kang had grown. He used to nod along to everything Cha Juhan said; now he had his own views and convictions.
Sitting at his desk, he checked his forgotten phone. An hour ago, a text from Kim Seongwoo:
As expected, Gu Sojeong had let her guard down with Kim Seongwoo and okayed the meeting. She picked up immediately and agreed to meet today. Afraid of rumors if spotted near Myeongdae Hospital, she'd come here instead. Normally, the one with business visits, but her offering to come all this way—not even a midpoint—stoked suspicions she'd gotten orders from Kim Seongwoo to meet, nail down that it was Dongjin's fault, and be done.
"Ah, hello."
Thanks to the photo from Taesik, spotting her was easy. Hard to believe this tiny, kind-faced woman had induced anaphylaxis in a patient, turning him vegetative. She was 27, but looked younger. Her voice and speech felt more like early 20s.
Appearances didn't matter much. Even among brutal criminals, some evaded capture for years with charming looks, winning over lovers for help.
"Thanks for coming out on short notice."
"No trouble."
They settled in a quiet spot and ordered drinks.
"Could you tell me more about the incident as Dr. Kim understands it?"
"...Straight to it?"
She asked, straw in mouth, surprised.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, no. Just... jumping right in after sitting down."
"That's why I wanted to meet you."
"True. Haha. Yes, then... Um, you said you're Yang's friend, so you've heard his side first?"
"Yes."
"The overall story's the same. The discrepancy is just one point. Yang thinks he ordered moxifloxacin, not cephalosporin—but I clearly heard him say cephalosporin. That's the issue."
Cha Juhan had worried about a [Truth] tag over her too, but no such luck. If so, it'd be a tragic mix-up of mishearing or faulty memories. But Gu Sojeong had deliberately twisted Dongjin's order.
The rest matched expectations. She hadn't raised an objection because she'd gotten burned before for questioning similar orders, so she figured Dongjin was right.
"I know how shocked Yang must've been. He'd worry about the patient too, and it breaks my heart."
She cast her eyes down, voice soft. The tag that popped up? Shockingly, [Truth].
She'd dragged Dongjin into the mire, yet pitied him. Clearly, she'd been forced into unwanted actions. No chance to press her on it today, though.
"When Dongjin ordered the cephalosporin injection, was anyone else in the room besides the patient? Caregiver? Family?"
He'd confirmed with Dongjin already, but double-checked.
"No one."