ALL BARK NO BITE | SADISTIC BEAUTY SPINOFF

Chapter 73

~ Inje University Hospital, 9 Mareunnae-ro, Euljiro-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul

Minhyuk pulled his gloves off, binning them and looking up at the clock. His shift was almost over and he needed a break. He looked at his chair in the staff room. They had finally given him his own after weeks of sitting on the common bench and insisting on one. The nurses gave him a wide berth, for the most part, realising quickly that as hard as the shifts were, he wasn't going to take anyone's bullshit. He sat down, massaging his neck as other nurses went about talking among themselves, drinking water and unwinding. He felt more and more like he belonged here.

Minhyuk walked out to the corridor, it was quite early in the morning so there was little rush and he could just look out the window unobstructed as everything became white noise in the back. Tinkling medical carts, padded footsteps, rolling IVs, machines quietly whirring in the back, the central air conditioner powering through the filters in every hall and room, washing over everything like a colossal breath of cold wind. Minhyuk looked out the tiny parked cars in the hospital lot and the green trees on the lawns surrounding the hospital.

He sighed... sometimes it seemed like there was nothing more peaceful than a hospital. Even though he knew that other times, ones far more frequent, it could be hell. "I see you've managed to do what no one in the medical profession ever has" he heard a deep, warm voice behind him and looked back in surprise, finding Dr Doh standing close with a hand in his doctor's coat and a clipboard, stethoscope around his neck... he looked different. His hair was tied back and his face looked... less gaunt... eyes brighter. Minho blushed "And what is that?" he asked and the doctor walked up next to him, looking out the window

"Take a breath" he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply as if trying it out for the first time. "Do you think fewer people would end up in the hospital if they took a deep breath every now and then?" he asked, eyes still closed and Minhyuk stared up at him. His hair had been swept back to the crown of his head, secured with a rubber band. The loose hair fell in waves around his face, curling down the sides where he had tucked them behind his ear. He had long lashes... a strong chin... his dark stubble. Minhyuk blinked twice to make sure he was seeing what he was seeing.

Dr Doh was beautiful.

He opened his eyes and looked at him and Minhyuk snapped his gaze away, forgetting that there was a question he had to answer. "Of c-course" he stammered and looked away as Dr Doh stared out the window "Sometimes, the hospital can be the most peaceful place in the world to be in..." he said and Minhyuk looked at him, that's what I thought too! he cheered to himself and smiled at the doctor "It is... um... I... was... I mean... do you want a cup of-" CODE BLUE! CODE BLUE! CODE BLUE!" a nurse ran yelling inside the hall, "Doctor! Please! We need you right away!" she told Dr Doh.

Without a second of hesitation, Doh sprung into action following the nurse into the following hall, gesturing for Minhyuk to follow him. Minhyuk jogged along the room, overwhelmed all of a sudden as he crossed a small family, all in their night clothes, huddled and scared. They entered a room with an older patient on a bed, his face blue. The Doctor put his clipboard down, took a torch out of his pocket and checked the patient's eyes "Unresponsive". He pressed the end of the stethoscope to his chest, then took the patient's wrist "No beat. No pulse" he said after a couple of minutes, placing a hand on the side of his neck.

"How long has it been??" he asked and the nurse looked jolted. "An hour after they found him. He was discharged from here 3 days ago, brought in for a heart attack scare, had a history of hypertension" she looked outside the ward "They celebrated his 78th birthday last night. Found him on his armchair in the morning. He hadn't slept the night" she spoke rapidly and Dr Doh nodded "Sorbitrate" "Adrenaline" he told to the nurse and then looked at Minhyuk "Defibrillator" he said and Minhyuk nodded, both scrambling around the stretcher as Dr Doh began providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation to the patient.