The Odd Doctor Out | A Drama | S. 1

83 🩺 Unexpected Encounter

Seonghwa was reading the patient file in his hands as he walked along the corridor towards the elevators to the specialist offices.

But he glanced up as he saw a pair of feet enter his peripherals, and was surprised when he saw they belonged to someone he knew. He was pacing back and forth next to the entry to Emergency, and Seonghwa looked between the ER entrance, and his friend.

'San-ah...'

The boy looked up, and Seonghwa immediately knew something was wrong.

San walked straight up and into his arms, holding on tightly around his waist.

Forced to put his arms around him, Seonghwa tried to look down at him. 'San-ah, what's wrong? What happened?'

'I'm an idiot, I feel so guilty.'

Seonghwa, trying not to drop the file in one hand, did his best to get a look at his face. 'San-ah, tell Hwa what happened?'

'I knew he should have gone to hospital! I knew it. B-but he wouldn't go, a-and now he's got an infection and they're testing for s-s-sepsis and I feel so bad, Hwa. I feel sick. It's all my fault. I should have just taken him anyway.'

Seonghwa frowned, forcing him back. 'San, who's being tested for sepsis?'

'W-Wooyoung,' he choked out. He looked up at the clock again, and with each passing minute, he became more anxious.

Seonghwa's eyes widened. 'San, what happened to Wooyoung? When did all this happen?'

He watched San take a deep steadying breath, swiping at his eyes. He looked as guilty as someone who'd just robbed a bank and regretted it like nothing else.

'A few nights ago I went for drinks with some uni friends and we went to Club X and Wooyoung was working there-'

'Wait, I thought he said that he worked at the Post Office.'

San ran his hands roughly through his hair. 'He does. But he also works at the club as a waiter or stripper of god knows what. I assume he needs the money, because he was doing all kinds of things for tips. And then when I went to find him after his shift, I- I saw... I-'

'San, what did you see?'

He rubbed his face with his hands, distressed. 'H-he was b- being... assaulted, in the alleyway, by this g-girl...' He was so worked up that Seonghwa had to move him over to sit down on the ledge.

'I don't understand-' Seonghwa was hyper aware that he was still supposed to be working, but also unwilling to leave San alone in this state, and so he sat down beside him. 'What was she doing to him?'

San's hands shook as he nervously looked down at the ground.

'San...'

'She was f- f- she was using a sex toy on him... Roughly... so roughly...' He ran his hands through his hair again. 'There was blood and I knew he should have gone to the doctor, but he refused...I didn't know what to do. Mingi convinced him to go to the doctor at the GP, but he didn't let them do anything, and, and, and-'

Seonghwa pulled him into a hug. 'Shhh, it's okay. You did your best, and he's here now. He's in the best place he can be...' He would be lying if he said he wasn't worried. But San knew enough to understand how serious a systemic infection was... how deadly...

San suddenly sat back, wiping tears that were pooling in his eyes. 'Are you still working?' he asked, and Seonghwa immediately felt guilty.

'Yea...'

San nodded. 'I'm okay. I just feel so guilty... But I'm okay. You should go back to work.'

Seonghwa nodded slowly, every cell in his body wanting to stay.

'Go. It's okay. I'm just going to wait until someone comes and get's me.'

Seonghwa nodded. 'Are you sure?'

'Mhm. Go. Don't get in any more trouble. I'll be fine.' He nudged his shoulder, and Seonghwa felt his heart break.

'I'll come find you as soon as I get off, okay?'

San nodded.

'Be strong, San.'

And with that, he returned to work, feeling nervous for both his friend, and for the poor boy, somewhere, in the depths of these hospital walls.

~~~