June knows that his parents are expecting almost everything from him; excel in studies, excel in job, successful in life. But they didn’t know that being on top has never been their son’s game.   So he rebels, yet still going on with his father’s idea to become a good doctor and all. In the middle of his training, he met one patient who intrigued his interest; a patient named Jung Chanwoo.

 

 

 

One word, messy.

 

Two? Messy day.

 

He’s been up for almost 10 hours and his feet is aching badly from all the walking around the ward. He knows that sleep is essential, but at this time of the day one of his colleagues Donghyuk just get to fall sick leaving him to do the round floor around the ward all by himself. Not a good start of the week he could say.

 

“Done yet with those patients?” One of the nurses asks as he walks to the desk, taking over a file to scribble some notes. He looks up to face her for a minute before turning his head back to his writing.

 

“I’ve checked all of them in this floor. Got another 3 wards to look through.” June says, right hand scribbles fast onto the white clean sheet of paper, handwriting off check; everybody knows how messy and almost ‘unreadable’ a doctor’s writing is. But well, he isn’t a qualified one yet—still an intern, but he will get there someday.

 

Another 1 year of clinical posting, he’ll graduate and his parents’ dream will come true.

 

“Must be pretty bad for you, huh? Covering up for Kim Donghyuk-shii.” Said the nurse while she’s sorting out the files. “How’s he by the way?”

 

June closes the file when he has finished. “Just some stupid food poisoning.” He put his pen into his white coat along with the stethoscope. “He’ll get back on his feet soon.”

 

“Glad to hear that. It’s a pity that you and your other friend got to cover all the wards by yourself. Take care.” After the last word from the nurse, he bows down and left for the door. He takes the lift to another floor. Although it is taught to him that as a medical staff, time is money and losing time results in risking patient’s life. All of his lecturers would always nag into his and the other classmates’ ear to use staircase, but June never does that. He doesn’t even care if some of his patient’s life go down the road.

 

Well truthfully, he gives no about the thing he’s doing right now.

 

He waits for the lift, hops on it when it has arrived then proceeds to the next ward on the 7th floor. Pediatrics floor. Great June thought. He is absolutely in an awesome mood to handle some snotty kids; the other way around though. He walks out from the lift, bumping into some colleagues before heading towards the ward. When he enters, the sweet smell reaches his nostril. That’s the only good thing about the kids’ ward; the sweet smell is calming unlike all the anesthetics striking through the nasal in other department. He really hates that. ICU is the worst. Though he enjoys being inside it, peaceful. No loud noises unlike in here.

 

He makes it through the desk, greeting the nurses with his charm; though the only thing he does is smile, they’re the one being head over heels for him, yet it is no secret that he is one handsome young man in his 20. Looking for the file on the table, he searches for the patients’ names he needs to see through. A new name listed below the list written in green ink catches his attention. New patient. He hopes it’s not some real snobbish brat like the one he got a week ago. That girl is a real mess, can’t even stay still for a second.

 

Jung Chanwoo, 13 years old Date of admittance: 15/12/2018 Date of referral: 16/12/2018 Doctor’s diagnosis: TBI – DAI

 

He lifts his eyebrow up in amusement. June rarely has cases with traumatic brain injury, and this one already got its own specific diagnosed. That would be much easier to treat, he doesn’t have to crack his head up for treatment plans. But he feels slight pity though, the kid must got problem to walk around for sure with DAI problem. Some nerves might sustain injury, can’t tell which part of him is functioning well in this acute stage. He takes out a piece of paper from his coat then jots down the ward room number. He got 6 kids to go through in the ward for the day; 3 for him including the new case and other 3 for Donghyuk’s part.

 

Making his way to the rooms, he sees one of his friend along the way. June halts watching Yunhyeong playing around with some kids gathering around him like flies to moth. Not like he could say the other way around, Yunhyeong has always been bright and cheerful. He has been hearing from some staff that he is the kids’ favorite. Something June feels divided to be proud of or not.

 

Unlike him, Yunhyeong’s first option has always been a doctor. The first semester they met Yunhyeong had told him about his wish and ambition to save people, help them in needs and save thousands of life. June remembers how he snorts hearing that the first time yet Yunhyeong doesn’t get angry at him. Nice guy he can say. Always been positive and helping him and Donghyuk so many times especially when it comes to assignments and mock quizzes.

 

He decides to greet Yunhyeong but seems like the guy has his hands full of them kids. So he let him be and proceeds to his assigned tasks. But Yunhyeong sees him already. “June-ah!” He calls for him, making all the kids also look at June’s direction. All innocent eyes on him, somehow June feels nervous afraid if some of them going to disturb his privacy. June has never like it with kids.

 

“You got patients in here?” Yunhyeong asks while lifting one little girl in his arm. June looks at the scene before him. That girl is the one causing him trouble last week but now she’s cuddling up with Yunhyeong. He snorts at that, he hates that kid.

 

“Yeah 3 case. Cerebral palsy, pneumonia and a new case, TBI.” He says. “And other 3 for Donghyuk.”

 

“Got your hands full of them.” Yunhyeong utters with a smile. “Need help? I’ve finished already. I can give you a hand.” He offers.

 

“I will be very glad if you can take Donghyuk’s. One of his patient is not on my liking. Very spiteful.” June makes a face saying that earning a light smack on his stomach from Yunhyeong.

 

“Don’t say that. No matter how bad it is, they’re our patient. We need to help them alright?” June can only nods his head at that. Yunhyeong is surely the angel when it comes to treating people. But well, he has always been the best. Top in the class. June’s parents always try to make him compete with Yunhyeong but June knows he can’t, although he has tried. Yunhyeong is just gifted, when he got himself in pile of anatomy books, all June does is sleeping or playing games.

 

But he doesn’t care. If there’s anything he just hates what he’s doing right now.

 

 

 

 

He finishes the other 2 patients in a flash. Luckily as he is so damn tired right now. Although all he does is only observing, taking down few notes and giving advice, it is tiring to handle kids especially when they don’t know when to stop being quiet and letting you do your job. June is thankful that Yunhyeong takes on Donghyuk’s part or else he’s surely going to faint. The lack of sleep surely doesn’t help.

 

Another one left then he’ll leave. The break time is almost up and June doesn’t want to be late to the cafeteria again. He walks up to another room, inspecting the name and referral number on it to make sure he doesn’t get the wrong patient. As he enters, he is greeted with silence. There on the bed lies down a young boy, though June’s first impression tells him that he doesn’t look like 13 years old kid. He is taller and quite skinny but his body build is big. He doesn’t care much though. He opens the patient’s file on the overboard and read it. The TBI patient; Jung Chanwoo. His current history is interesting enough.

 

Fall of a chair during a recess and hit his head on the floor hard. Unconscious for 20 hours afterwards.

 

That’s a funny way to get yourself a brain injury he thought.

 

He closes it afterwards and put the file down, purposely makes a little noise to check on the patient’s alertness. Even though the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) stated in the file is updated, he wants to check on it by himself. That would help to improve his skills and his paperwork of course. But the noise doesn’t get the patient awake, not even a stir. June decides to call him awake himself.

 

“Jung Chanwoo-shii, can you hear me?” He calls for him and only then the boy opens his eyes. It’s very big, June has to give credit to that. Much to say, somehow he looks alike to Yunhyeong. That’s very funny, he thoughts to tease his friend later. He would like to touch the boy on the hand to check on his motor response but what he gets is a good slap of his hand. June winces in surprise and pain, surely his motor response is on a full score.

 

“I—I’m sorry.” Chanwoo mutters in surprise, he starts to sit up and face crunched up with fear? June wonders why but he guesses his reckless action must have scares the kid out. He tries to coax him up slowly, “Hey, it’s okay. Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.” He says, hands both up in defense to assure the kid he is not a bad guy. Chanwoo eventually relaxes. That ease June up a little.

 

“I’m an intern doctor here to check up on you.” June utters. “If you cooperate with me, it will all be done quickly. Okay?” He tries to reason with the boy and luckily Chanwoo believes him. The boy looks much relaxed and that is a good sign for June. He starts to get down to business by examining the patient.