"He's on TV right now.."

"On TV?"

I toss my phone in a hurry to turn on the TV.

I frantically flip thru the channels.

Suddenly a headline leaps out at me.

MEDICAL NEGLIENCE AT SEOUL GENERAL HOSPITAL

"What on earth.."

"Next, Dr LuHan spoke on a programme this morning. Let's take a look at his shocking confession,"The announcer declared.

The picture changes.

'The Hope Of Medical Community - Seoul General Hospital.
Getting to Know the Real Dr LuHan'

The title fades, and LuHan appears in a studio.

This is that show LuHan refused to be in....

"You've accomplished so much at such a young age. Dr LuHan tell us. What had been the driving force behind your career?"

"It was.....A mistake I made during a surgery, twelve years ago."

The Interviewer looked shocked but quickly recovered with such a hot piece of news.

"What? I'm sorry, what did you say?"

LuHan looks calm as always.  "Twelve years ago, I was operating on a patient and I made a mistake during the surgery. I caused that person's death."

"Hmmm."

"I would like to bring to light for what I've done. And apologize to the family, from the depths of my heart, for the pain, I've caused."

LuHan looks directly at the camera and bows deeply.

"What is this?" I asked myself. 

With a shaking hand, I pick up my mobile and listen to the voicemail.

"Jiyoon....I'm going to confess to everything. Its not for you. Its...for me...I just wanted you to know."

For him....

Is this the proof of sincerity that he was talking about?

I didnt punish you, so you're punishing yourself?

"I didnt ask you to do this..."

I entered LuHan's number but the call's not going thru. Maybe his mobile is off.

I quickly get dressed and head for the hospital.

Its packed with reporters.

"Sorry, excuse me." I desperately pushed my way thru the throngs of people.

All of a sudden, somebody is pulling my hand.

"Eek!"

I continue to be pulled along, and eventually am away from the dense crowd.

The person who was pulling me turns out to be Lay.

"Why did you come at a time like this?" Lay asked in frustration. 

"Why?"

"You saw it right? On Tv."

"Yes, thats the reason why I am here."

"Do you even know what you're doing? A mistake twelve years ago. You know he's talking about your mother!"

"...."

"The media are going to have a field day if they get wind of the fact that you're the victim's daughter."

"But..."

"You knew?"

Lay looked disappointed.

"What?"

'You knew your mother died from this hospital's neglience. That's why you came here?"

I dont feel like answering him.

"I thought something was up. Coming to work at the hospital where you mother died.
It was like you were rubbing salt into a just-healed wound..Did you make Dr Lu do this?"

"That's right. I made him to do it," I asnwered, annoyed.

"Why?"

"Because I wasnt able to kill him."

"Yoonie, does that mean that last night....."

I remained silence.

"Goddammit...What have I been doing? I was this close to you the whole time and I didnt have the slightest idea of what you were feeling..."

"Its better that way... If you knew, you would stop me right?"

"I...."

"The way I was feeling, I would have had no choice but to hate you too. Its a terrible thing, coming to hate the people you dont hate."

"You mean Dr Lu?"

"I should get going."

"Dont do this. What are you gonna do when everybody at the hospital finds out who you really are?"

"I'll worry about that when the time comes. Right now, I just wanted to know how is LuHan doing."

I rushed toward the back entrance.

Lay no longer chased after me.

The hospital is inundated with patients and their families.

"What the heck is going on here?" Patient 1 asked.

"Are there going to be complications from my surgery?" Patient 2 asked.

"How was this hidden for twelve years?" Family 1 said. "What else have you been hiding?

"I want to get my wife outta here. I need her to be transferred to another hospital NOW!" Family 2 shouted at the nurse station.

"Please everyone. I'm sorry but one at a time please,"Nurse Oh calls out to everyone there. "You're absolutely right in feeling dissatisfied. We are currently investigating the matter.

LuHan has always put the highest priority on his patients.

But now the path he'd chosen is inviting all this confusion.

Until now, the only one after him was me.

"Ah, Dr Jeon," Gayoon calls outs to me 

"Thanks for calling me earlier."

"Don't mention it. Are you feeling better?"

"Don't worry about that. What's happening with Dr Lu?"

"Well, we haven't bern able to reach him," Jihyun said, appearing by our side.

"Oh."

"I'm so confused...what's going on with this hospital?" Gayoon said sadly.

"I don't know. I'm going to talk to Kris."

I am stopped by Jihyun on my way to see Kris.

"If you're looking for Dr Wu, he's probably in the director's office."

About to knock when I hear voices coming from inside.

This voice, its Kris.

"Its not here. It should be in this drawer but the Kim OK BIn file is the only file that's missing."

He must be talking to LuJie....

"Yes, the only other person with the key to this drawer is XiaoLu. It has to be XiaoLu."

I remembered earlier.

LuHan did take a file from the director's office.

It was my mother's medical record....they've kept them.

I wait for Kris to hang up the phone before knocking on the door.

*click*

"Kris...."

Kris looked at me with eyes wide. "Jiyoon, what are you doing here?"

"Nurse Gayoon informed me about what's happening. I couldn't just sit at home..."

"Ah..."

"Where is he?"

"Who knows. We were all wondering about the same thing. I have to go ton the director's house. I'm sorry you ask you this since you're sick yourself. But can you stay here and take care of the patients?"

Knowing LuHan, he may have contacted his father at home to apologize...

"Could I go with you?"

"What? Why?"

"I'm worried about LuHan and ..... There is something I need to talk to the director about."

He conceed with a nod.

LuJie looks at our faces as he shouts.

"Where is LuHan? What has he done!?"

"We....have been unsuccessful at reaching him,"Kris answered.

"What the hell is he thinking?! I put my career as a doctor on the line to protect that boy's future! For him to toss it away like this..."

So it was the director who ordered the cover up...

"What would possess him to speak now, after twelve years? Doing this doesn't make anyone happy. Nobody benefits. All he's done is unnecessarily shaken the public's image in this hospital and lost patients. What could he thinking after everything I've gone through. After I've made the hospital so big...."

"You don't understand anything, do you?" I speak out.

"Jiyoon..." Kris shakes his head, telling me not to agitate LuJie more.

"What is this, all of a sudden...?"the director asked, staring at me.

"How LuHan felt these past twelve years. The regret that's only been building....."

"What are you going on about?"

His eyes looked alarmed. 

"Of course he made a mistake that shouldn't have been made but he's gotten over it and now he's a renowned doctor, the hope of Korea. All because I protected him. Its up to him whether he feels regret, but I won't let you trample on my feelings as a parent."

"Your feelings as a parent...?" I asked, feeling incredulous. " That was for your son's future, you say?"

"....?"

"What were you protecting was yourself and the future of Seould General Hospital, isn't that right?"

"Jeon Jiyoon, what the hell are you saying?"

"That operation twelve years ago. The surgeon scheduled for that operation was you, wasn't it? Despite this, you made LuHan, an inexperienced resident perform the operation. If the truth got out, you would have to take responsibility. To prevent that from happening, you ordered a cover up. Yes?"

"How do you know all of this...?" Kris asked.

"Its nonscene!" LuJie denies. "I was the surgeon? You have no proof. Stop with your groundless accusations."

"Oh I have proof."

"Now really....Show me." He challenged.

I smile back instead.

"Impossible... Jiyoon....are you...?" Kris finely figured it out.

"Kris, do not say anything. You're playing right into her hands," LuJie warns. "There is no proof of what you're saying. You're just a coward, trying to shake things up like this. Waiting to unhinge the hospital."

"You have such confidence...," I mocked."I supposed your name is already missing from the medical records that LuHan took. You changed the surgeon's name right?"

"What....what are you saying? Changing names included. I have nothing to do with that operation. From start to finish...."

"You were her doctor..."

"What?"

"You left the operation room with an expression on your face as though you were the operating surgeon. Saying 'I did my best but'.... And you figured you should hang your head and look apologetic for show."

"You....who are you....?" He stammered.

"You still don't know? I'm Kim Jiyoon. Daughter of Kim Ok bin."

"What on earth....?"

"You're that patient's..."

"Daughter," I continued. ". We meet again Doctor."

"Kris! W-what is she doing at our hospital?" He raised him voice aloud.

"You hired me yourself."

"Nonsense!"

"Your reason for coming here....was revenge?"Kris asked.

"Yes."

"So when you were in the director's office before..."

"I was searching for evidence. Evidence from which you wouldn't be able to run. You came into the too so suddenly. You startled me."

I faced the director again. "Do you get it now? You can deny your participation all you like. It won't matter. LuHan gracefully owned up to his guilt. Why don't you acknowledge your responsibility and the crime of your cover up , like he did?"

"For something like that..." 

"What?"

"It was an unhappy accident. It could happen to any surgeon. As fate would have it, it happened to LuHan."

"So?"

Unrepentant, he answered back," Its not something for a doctor to lose his career over. That was handled correctly. If I let LuHan quit like he wanted to, the many lives he's saved after that point would have been lost. It was my decision and as a result, many lives have been saved."

"That argument again." I sigh. "No matter how many lives are saved , you can't erase the crima you'be committed."

"It wasn't a crime. I told you, it was an accident "

"They are the same thing! You obviously thought so too or you wouldn't have covered it up!"

"...."

"LuHan's been suffering all this time. He had nightmares, night after night. He told me when I was holding a knife to him. He said that he had been waiting for that moment...."

"Kn-Knife! Did you try to kill LuHan..."

"Yes..."

"Jiyoon," Kris calls out softly.

"But I couldn't do it...I think that's why he did what he did. To punish himself "

"What are you.."

"Kris, get her outta here!"

Kris was hesitant.

"Just do it!"

I lunge at LuJie, grabbing him by the collar. "Admit it!"

"Let go of me, you crazy woman!"

"Admit to everything. You should take responsibility too!"

"You must have not heard me. Let Go!"

"The way things stand, LuHan would be the only one to take the blame while you get out of this unscathed. I can't let that happen."

"Kris, call the police!"

But Kris couldn't decide on what he should do.

"What, can't you hear me? The police, Kris, the police! She needs to be handed over to the cops."

" Give it a try, hand me over and I'll tell them everything!"

"Who do you think I am. Being the director of a large Seoul hospital, means that I'm friends with a lot of important people. Of course, that includes connection in law enforcement. I'm sure I can handle a little girl like you"

"You.    What kind of monster are you..."

"You need to learn to give up when your opponent is stronger than you."

Click..."

"Father, enough already..."

"LuHan...."

"Son..."

LuHan stood there, looking no different from his usual self. 

The director pulls away from my grasp.

"Son, do you realize what you've done?"

"Yes.."

"Your words have destroyed the career that you've built for yourself and your reputation too. Its all gone "

"It was built on a lie. I've always prepared to throw it away."

"Even if its all right with you, what about the hospital. You're nit the only one working there. Because of you, the livehiods if  lot of people could be lost"

"That what you said to me twelve years ago. You said the same thing and I listened. But now I know that it was a mistake. Even with the impact, it would have had on the hospital, I shouldnt have listened to you back then. I should have followed my own convictions."

"You're saying this now..."

"Its late. You're right.but what to us is late, is nothing to the victim and the family. Its not too late, its not anything. For them, time has stopped."

LuHan looks at me.

"LuHan...."

"I will make sure that the director takes responsibility."

"LuHan!"

"So don't try to do anything else,okay"

"Kris."

"Yes."

"Take care of the hospital, all right?"

"LuHan, what do you think you're doing? What do you think you're doing, entrusting the hospital to Kris? That hospital is my hospital!"

"Please give up, you and I need to take responsibility for this. You can't be the director of the hospital anymore."

"Y- you would say something like that..."

"I will, you can be sure of it."

LuHan suddenly takes me by my arm and drag me away with him...........