"Thank you for your hardwork, Dr. Park. We couldn't have done this surgery without your skills." A scrub nurse stated as she nodded in a respective manner towards a young doctor.

"Thank you all for your hardwork too." The doctor replied as he took off his surgical gloves. He sighed and stretched his aching body muscles. A complex mitral valve surgery had taken him 12 hours to complete it which means he is away from his sister for half a day. He headed on out of the surgical rooms and off towards the Department of Neurosurgery's patient rooms.

 

Room 1381. Park Haeyoung.

"Haeyoung-ah.. Oppa's here." Haejin spoke as he walked towards his sister's bed.

"Haejin oppa.. It's 4AM. Why aren't you going home yet?" The girl asked, her voice soft as a whisper.

"I've just finished surgery Haeyoung-ah. A complex one. Did you miss me?" The young doctor exclaimed as he sat at the edge of the bed, pulling the girl into a warm embrace.

"Yes, Haejin oppa. I miss you always from the moment I open my eyes until the moment I close them. Haejin oppa, you are so warm. Thank you." Haeyoung said as she returned her brother's warm embrace.

"Get some rest. I'll sleep here with you tonight. I'll hold your hand like always. Don't be afraid and close your eyes. Get some sleep okay?" Haejin's soft voice floated as his sister yawned a little in his embrace.

"Haejin oppa, what if I won't live to see tomorrow? What would happen then?" Haeyoung asked suddenly as she look into her brother's eyes.

"Stop saying that Haeyoung-ah. You will live to see tomorrow and the days after. Years even.. You're not going to leave me that easily. I will see to it that you get treated. I can't treat you but the doctors in the Neurosurgery Department can. I'm sure they can.. and they will." Haejin said as he hugged his sister tighter and closer to him.

"I am just wondering oppa. Just wondering. If that day happens to come, I hope you will..." Haeyoung stopped abruptly as she fell asleep.

"H-Haeyoung?" Haejin panicked shortly before he relaxed realizing that his sister had only fallen asleep. The young doctor kissed the girl's temple softly before tucking her into bed. He then went out of the room and into his office.

 

 

**********************************************************************

 

 

* Code Blue, Code Blue. ICU, Code Blue. Cardiothoracic surgery, ICU Code Blue. *

 

"Charge to 200 joules. Contact Dr. Park now!!" A third year resident screamed as he fumbled with the defibrillator.

"Charged." A nurse replied as the patient was shocked with the defibrillator.

"What happened?" Haejin asked as he took the defibrillator from his subordinate doctor.

The monitor beeped and showed no signs of the comeback of pulse from the patient after 5 minutes.

"Charge to 250." Haejin instructed as he got ready for the next defibrillation.

"Charged." Another nurse replied this time.

"Clear." He called out as he placed the defibrillator on his patient's chest. Soon, the monitor began to show fluctuations in its waves stating that the pulse had recovered. Haejin sighed in relieve and instructed the nurse on duty to keep an eye on the patient before excusing himself back into his office.

 

Back in his office, he slammed his hand hard on the wooden table as he tried to control his anger towards his subordinates.

"I am very sorry, Dr. Park. I thought everything was going well with the patient so I took it easy and forgot to check on him." A very young doctor muttered softly, eyes avoiding his superior's.

"I can't take anymore of this foolishness. Please remember the reason why you applied into this department. Better so, the reason why you became a doctor. If you are going to be such an ignorant doctor, please leave this place right now. I don't need people like you in the department or in the hospital." Haejin voiced out harshly as he let himself fall into his office chair.

"I-I'm sorry.. Dr. Park." The younger doctor pleaded as he begged for mercy.

"Please revise on post surgery precautions and report back to me." Haejin sighed as he pressed against his temples.

"Y-Yes, Dr. Park. I'll revise on them and get back to you. I-I mean report back to you." The young doctor stated as he slowly walked out of the room.

 

The clock struck 8PM as Haejin walked into his sister's room.

"Haeyoung-ah, have you taken dinner? H-Haeyoung?" Haejin rushed towards his sister as he saw her holding her head.

"Haejin oppa.. It hurts. It h-hurts so much." Haeyoung cried out as she whimpered and struggled with the pain.

"Haeyoung-ah, oppa's here. It's going to be alright." Haejin hugged his sister tightly as he pushed against the red button on the wall, alerting the nurses on duty for assistance.

Haejin fumbled for his phone in his pocket as he dialled a number on the phone.

 

"Hello? Haejin hyung?" A voice spoke on the phone.

"Jonghyun.. I-I need your help. My sister's in a lot of pain. C-Can you please get here now?" Haejin blurted out into the phone, his heart anxious as ever.

"Alright hyung. Give me 20 minutes." Jonghyun replied before ending the call.

 

The nurses entered the room soon after Haejin's call ended and Haejin administered painkillers for his sister before tucking her in bed. A CT scan was done as soon as Jonghyun reached the hospital and was told about the situation.

 

"Hyung, I'm sorry to say but it has gotten worst." Jonghyun explained as he pointed at the CT images taken earlier.

"W-What has? It can't be. Just last week, we took a CT scan and you said it was not deteriorating." Haejin stated out harshly in frustration.

"I'm sorry, hyung. You know the think with neurosurgery is that we can't really be sure if it's going to deteriorate or get better. We based our judgements on test results and CT scans. I'm sure you are aware of it. I'm really sorry." Jonghyun replied in a matter of fact tone, sighing as he looked at his colleague of another department.

"So what are the options now? Surgery? Would it help this time?" Haejin questioned the younger doctor as he looked hopefully into his eyes.

"I will have to talk to the other professors on this. In my opinion, it would be risky." Jonghyun admitted honestly to Haejin, making Haejin fall into a chair.

 

 

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Haejin paced around his office as he thought about his sister's condition. It pained him to see how sick she was and yet he wasn't able to do anything for her despite being one of the many skillful doctors in his hospital. His phone vibrated softly on the wooden table reminding him of his surgery in an hour time. He glanced at the little screen of his phone before proceeding towards the surgical theatres.

"Good morning, Dr. Park." A scrub nurse greeted him before tying the surgical protection attire around him.

"Good morning." Haejin replied as he walked towards the surgical table where his patient is lying.

"Haejin-ah, I'll be your first today. Dr. Choi had just taken emergency medical leave, I was informed." A senior doctor voiced out as he stood on the opposite side of the operating table.

"P-Professor Lee? Okay. Thank you for your assistance. Shall we start now?" Haejin asked as he closed his eyes, preparing himself mentally for the surgery.

"Scalpel." Haejin stated before taking the surgical tool from the scrub nurse and beginning the incision on his patient.

 

 

Haejin walked out of the surgical theatre and headed straight into his office after the surgery. Some time must have passed for when he woke up, Haeyoung was sitting next to him on the sofa in his office. Her hands were comfortably warm although she was so sick and pale.

"Haejin oppa, you woke up." Haeyoung's sweet voice ringed in his ears.

"Haeyoung-ah, why are you here? Come, I'll take you back to your room." Haejin stood up as he held his sister's hand, nudging her to follow him.

"Just one minute. Can we sit here, just for a while?" Haeyoung asked as she pulled her brother's hand, making him sit next to her.

Haeyoung leaned on her brother as she closed her eyes and sighed softly. She held onto her brother's hand and gently pecked his cheeks before closing her eyes again.

"Why Haeyoung-ah?" Haejin was puzzled with her actions but decided to sit still and let his sister do what she wanted to do.

"Nothing oppa. My brother's so handsome when he's in his surgical attire with a doctor cloak on. Oppa, do you want to hear me sing a song? I'll sing this in English. It's December and well, I thought about this song. Would you hear me sing?" Haeyoug asked, her eyes still closed as she listened quietly for her brother's heartbeat.

"Sure Haeyoung-ah. English? English sounds pretty good to me. My sister's so smart." Haejin replied as he kissed his sister's head softly.

 

Dancing bears, painted wings

Things I almost remember

And a song someone sings

Once upon a December

 

Someone holds me safe and warm

Horses prance through a silver storm

Figures dancing gracefully

Across my memory

 

Far away, long ago

Glowing dim as an ember

Things my heart used to know

Once upon a December

 

Someone holds me safe and warm

Horses prance through a silver storm

Figures dancing gracefully

Across my memory

 

Far away, long ago

Glowing dim as an ember

Things my heart used to know

Things it yearns to remember

 

And a song someone sings

Once upon a December

 

 

As the song ends, so does Haeyoung's life. Haeyoung sighed as she finishes the last sentence of the song. She closed her eyes shut and her last breathe left her. A paper she was holding tightly in her little fist fell to the floor. Haejin picked it up and read it.

Haejin oppa,

It's 1st of December. Happy Birthday, my dearest brother, Haejin. Haeyoung-ie will always love you. Thank you for your love and care these past years we have been together. I know I am such a burden to you and you had to stay in the hospital just because I was sick. When I go, I hope you'll have a better life. Get to know girls, get married and have children. I'm sorry that I didn't have a good present for you this year. So, I came up with the song Once Upon A December. How was it? I wrote it myself. Ain't your sister very smart? Let go of me now, and start life anew. I signed the DNR form some time ago without your knowledge. I hope you will forgive me and don't take it out on your other friends. Oh, Haejin oppa.. Dr. Kim Jonghyun is handsome. If I'm given the chance in the next life, I wish I can date him. Don't cry for my loss instead smile since I'll be able to go see appa and omma a little earlier. I'll go to heaven and wait for you with appa and omma. It won't be long now before we meet again. Until then, stay healthy and remember that Haeyoung-ie will always look after you from above. Saranghae, Haejin oppa. :)

Haejin scrunched up the paper as he felt so much pain he could almost pass out. Lying on his chest was his sister. Now dead, she left him all alone with nobody else. Hot tears rolled down from his cheeks as he cried his heart out.

 

"Haejin-ah, honey wake up!" A woman called as she shook his shoulders softly.

Haejin woke up to find himself in tears and his wife looking at him with a concerned face. He sat up and wipe his tears before closing his eyes again. The pain never left him. And it will continue to haunt him for the rest of his life. And it hurts especially much every December, ever since that one December, years ago.