Dr. Im Nayeon walked briskly down the hospital hallway, her surgical cap still in place and her hands clasped behind her back. Assisting in Dr. Kang Dong-joo's surgery on Dr. Kim Jun-wan had been intense, even for someone of her experience. But they had done their job. Jun-wan had made it through the surgery, and now it was time for recovery.
She knocked lightly on Jun-wan's room door before stepping inside. The sight of the man lying in a hospital bed, his usually sharp and commanding presence muted by weakness, sent an uncomfortable pang through her.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, her voice soft but professional.
Jun-wan shifted slightly, wincing as he adjusted himself against the pillows. "Like someone who just had three doctors rummaging around inside his chest. But I'm alive, so there's that."
Nayeon allowed herself a faint smile. "That's a relief. Do you need anything? Ice chips? Water? Morphine?"
"No," he replied, his voice steady despite his condition. "But if you could get me Jihyo, that would be great."
Nayeon blinked, her brows furrowing slightly. "Jihyo? Wait where are they? She should be here, along with the rest of them, fetching you ice chips and hanging on your every word." She crossed her arms, her tone sharpening. "Wait. Where are all my interns? Where are the surgery hungry animals? Dr. Kim, do you know anything about it?"
Jun-wan's lips curved into a faint, with a confused face. "I wouldn't be asking for Jihyo if I knew. Right?"
Her irritation flared as she turned on her heel and walked briskly out of the room. She barely made it halfway down the hall before a nurse approached her, looking hesitant.
"Dr. Im," the nurse began cautiously, "you might want to check with your interns."
"My interns? Why?" Nayeon repeated, narrowing her eyes. "What exactly did they do?"
The nurse hesitated. "Well, while the patient was on the OR, the room was cleaned and we found this." as soon as Dr. Im saw what the nurse was holding, she wasted no time and sprinter towards her interns but told the nurse to not say a word "This is just between us, you're not gonna tell another soul."
---
Nayeon pushed open the door to Room 302 without knocking, and it slammed against the wall, startling everyone inside. Her eyes immediately scanned the scene: five of her interns-Dahyun, Jihyo, Sana, Jungkook, and Yoongi-were standing around Suho's bed. The patient looked far too comfortable for someone who had narrowly survived cardiac failure.
"What," Nayeon began, her voice dangerously calm, "is going on here?"
The interns froze, their faces betraying guilt. Not a single one of them spoke.
"Everyone," Nayeon said coldly, "step outside. Now."
One by one, they filed out of the room, avoiding her gaze like children caught doing something forbidden. Nayeon followed, her heels clicking sharply against the floor as she led them to the interns' lounge. Once they were inside, she shut the door, turned the lock, and stood in front of it, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
"Where," she began icily, "is your rational thought? Your cognitive thinking? Do you even have those? Because no one in their sane mind would have done what you just did! Why would you cut a fully functioning LVAD of a person who isn't supposed to get an emergency surgery?"
"Dr. Im, we-" Sana started, but Nayeon cut her off with a sharp wave of her hand.
"No. I don't want to hear it," Nayeon snapped. "Don't say a word. I don't want to have to testify against any of you in court."
The room was silent, the weight of her words pressing down on all of them. Finally, Nayeon turned her attention to Jihyo.
"You," she said, pointing toward the door. "Jun-wan's asking for you. Go."
Jihyo hesitated, her gaze flickering to the others, but she didn't argue. She nodded once and slipped out of the room.
Sana took a step forward, her face troubled. "Dr. Im, I-"
"Not another word," Nayeon interrupted sharply, silencing her with a glare.
---
Jihyo entered Jun-wan's room quietly, closing the door behind her. He stirred at the sound, his eyes fluttering open.
"Hey," he murmured, his voice hoarse but warm.
"Hey yourself," Jihyo replied, walking to his bedside. "You look good." She offered a small smile as she picked up his chart and scanned it, her eyes narrowing slightly as she flipped through the pages.
"You're thinking something," Jun-wan observed.
She set the chart back down and met his gaze. "Dong-joo wants to wait it out?" Jun-wan said. "He thinks the numbness might subside on its own. But he also said he could operate-if I want to take the risk. If it goes wrong..." He hesitated, his jaw tightening. "I could lose all function in my hand. If that happens, I'll never operate again."
His voice was steady, but Jihyo could see the fear behind his composed exterior. She took a deep breath, her brow furrowed.
"You want me to tell you what to do," she said softly.
"I trust your judgment," Jun-wan replied.
Jihyo sighed, glancing at the door. "I told Nayeon I'd be back. Let me think about it, okay?"
Before he could respond, she turned and left the room, her mind spinning with possibilities.
---
By the time the interns were lined up in Dr. Boo Yong-joo's office, the tension was palpable. Each of them looked nervous, though Sana was the first to step forward.
"I cut the LVAD wire," she said firmly.
"No, I did," Dahyun added immediately.
"I did it too," Yoongi said with a shrug.
"Same," Jihyo chimed in, her voice soft but steady.
All eyes turned to Jungkook, who stood with his arms crossed. He shook his head. "I had nothing to do with it."
The others turned on him, their expressions a mix of betrayal and disbelief.
Before the argument could escalate, Dr. Boo raised his hand, silencing them all. His gaze was sharp, and his voice was as cutting as a scalpel.
"I know who did it," he said coldly. "But I can't prove it. One of you stole an organ, compromised a patient's life, and jeopardized this hospital's integrity with UNOS. Until someone comes clean, none of you will scrub in again. And," he added, his tone even harsher, "you're all being deployed to Gochang for the upcoming medical outreach program. Dismissed."
As the interns filed out, Sana whispered, "I should tell him the truth."
"Don't," Dahyun hissed. "We're all keeping quiet. No one says a word."
"I'm sorry," Sana said, her voice trembling. "I really appreciate what you all did for Suho."
Jungkook scoffed. "I don't care about Suho. I only lied so I could scrub in."
"Enough," Jihyo interrupted, her tone firm. "We're all sticking together. Got it?"
The others nodded reluctantly. Together, they walked away, the weight of their decision pressing heavily on their shoulders.
