The sun rose over the makeshift camp, casting warm light through the thin walls of the tents. Inside, most of the doctors were still wrapped in their sleeping bags, unwilling to face the chill of the early morning. That was until a cacophony of sound erupted.
Dr. Boo Yong-joo, the ever-enthusiastic chief of surgery, banged two steel pans together with gusto, his laughter booming as loudly as the clanging.
"Rise and shine, people! Patients won't wait for sleepy doctors!"
Everyone groaned in unison, some covering their ears while others mumbled curses under their breath.
"Seriously, Dr. Boo?" muttered Yoongi, peeking out from his sleeping bag. "Do you enjoy watching us suffer?"
"It's character-building, Dr. Min!" Boo replied, grinning ear to ear.
Jihyo, who was already sitting up and rubbing her temples, let out a groan.
"Character-building, my foot," she muttered to Dahyun, who was hurriedly packing up their shared tent. "This man is a menace."
"You can say that again," Dahyun said, folding the tent with practiced ease. "How do you look this awake already?"
Jihyo sighed, holding up her phone as she wandered around the campsite.
"Trying to find a signal to check on Jun-wan. He’s supposed to be recovering, but knowing him, he’s probably operating already."
Lisa walked past with a steaming mug of instant coffee in her hand, looking far too composed for someone who had been abruptly woken up.
"Good luck with that," she said. "We're in the middle of nowhere. Even the birds here probably can't get a signal."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the campsite, Jisoo was busy preparing something for Dong-joo. She carefully unwrapped some pre-packaged food and laid it out neatly on a makeshift table.
"Here," she said softly, placing the plate in front of him. "You need to eat something before you dive into those files."
Dong-joo barely glanced up from the medical records spread before him.
"Thanks," he muttered, distracted.
Jisoo sat down across from him, her expression unreadable.
"You're really pushing yourself," she said after a pause. "Is it because you're trying to avoid talking to me?"
That made Dong-joo look up, his gaze meeting hers briefly before he sighed.
"Jisoo, I’m just trying to focus on why we’re here," he said. "We’ll talk later, okay?"
Across the campsite, Sana was watching all of this unfold with a pointed scowl. She nudged Jungkook, who was busy tying his boots.
"Can you believe her?" Sana muttered under her breath.
"Who?" Jungkook asked, glancing up.
"Lisa," Sana replied, nodding in the direction where Lisa was effortlessly organizing supplies. "She acts like she's in charge of everything."
"Maybe because she is in charge of the supplies?" Jungkook teased.
Sana rolled her eyes. "Whatever. She's just... annoying."
By 8 AM, everyone had assembled in the medical tent. The mood had shifted from sleepy grumbles to focused determination.
Taehyung, standing near the entrance, adjusted his gloves and glanced at Dahyun.
"You ready for this?" he asked.
Dahyun nodded, offering a small smile. "As ready as I'll ever be."
Jihyo entered the tent last, holding up her phone triumphantly.
"Finally got through to Jun-wan!" she announced. "He's doing fine—still stubborn, but fine."
"Shocking," Yoongi deadpanned. "A surgeon being stubborn? Never heard of that before."
Dr. Boo clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.
"Alright, team, here's the plan," he said. "Minor surgeries get handled here. Anything too complex, we refer to Seoul. Everyone clear?"
The team nodded, already moving to their stations. The first patients trickled in, most with injuries that could be treated on-site.
At one point, Dahyun and Taehyung were working together to stabilize a young boy with a deep laceration on his arm. As they stitched the wound, Taehyung kept stealing glances at Dahyun.
"You’re really good at this," he said quietly.
Dahyun looked up, surprised. "Thanks. I learned from the best," she said, nodding toward Dr. Boo, who was in the next station over.
