Idiosyncrasy 특질

Chapter Two 🔥

                       "I felt like an animal, and animals don't know sin, do they?"                                                                                                                                                                    - Jess C. Scott

The following days were crunch time at the hospital. Not only were the trimester revues due, they had two little patients in NICU that Taehyung took an instant liking to. Both babies were preemies and needed a lot of care from both nurses and resident doctors.

During a break Taehyung had slipped into the unit where the preemies were and after having put on protective gear, he stood in front of the incubators and held very tiny hands through the incubator's service locks. He was so fascinated by the little hands that he almost missed head nurse entering the room.

The older woman stepped up to his side and watched the baby inside.

"It's a miracle, isn't it?" she asked and Taehyung smiled at the woman. "To think that only a decade ago such babies had a very low chance of survival. It's good to live in the times we do."

"Yes, technology is great," Taehyung replied.

"And compassionate doctors," the older woman said. "Speaking of which, here are the files Professor Oh Yoon-Shik requested. Can you hand them in on your way home? Your shift ended twenty minutes ago ..."

"Yes, Head Nurse. I'll do it," Taehyung agreed with a mischievous smile. Gently he disengaged his finger from the little baby's hands and withdrew his arms from the incubator.  He trashed his protective gear, then picked up the files the woman was holding out to him. After he had said his goodbyes, he made his way to the head of the paediatric ward, Professor Oh Yoon-Shik. The office was situated in the older wing of the hospital and the corridors where smaller here. While walking towards the office, Taehyung noticed three people coming his way. All of them walking abreast and taking up the whole width of the corridor. Two goon looking men flanked an elegant older man in a dark silk suit and it looked as if they were not stopping for anyone, especially not for Taehyung who tried to squeeze himself past near the walls. Still, one of the men shoved Taehyung further into the wall and his shoulder connected painfully with it.

The young doctor exclaimed an expletive under his breath and rubbed his shoulder while watching the retreating backs of the three men. Tae watched as the men disappeared around a corner on the way to the lifts. For some time now the hospital had been rife with rumours about strange men roaming the hospital and meeting with high ranking hospital staff secretly. At first Tae had dismissed whisperings about possible mafia connections but now having seen these men for real, he was not so sure anymore.

With a shrug he continued on his way to this own senior's office when the head of surgery, Kim Taeyeon, stepped out of his office, his face displaying a sickly hue. The middle aged man ignored Taehyung's acknowledging bow as he made his way to the nearest restroom.

~*~

Several days after his little hook-up at the club, Tae was back in Itaewon - at a little bar restaurant, nursing a soda. He sat and endured an after work get-together with some work colleagues, a so-called Hoesik. Tae had been reluctant to come but when his professor told him he needed to attend to increase the team spirit, he had reluctantly agreed. It was already bad enough that he felt like a third wheel with all the flirting from the female nurses and young doctors going on around him but he had to try to dodge any awkward dates requested as well.

Taehyung could have cheered loudly, when his cell phone went off and while he was quick to silence it he still had a look at the display. It was an unknown number. Excusing himself from the table, he stepped outside.