The night was still young but people were already rushing to go home, including me. It's been a long time since I could go home that early. I even made plan on how I should spent my night. Probably with catching up dramas that I have been missed, or simply slept earlier (well, it depends on how you see early since I usually slept in the morning after my night shift).

 As interns, we usually had to stay all night in the hospital. Which sometimes would be really boring, considering all you have to do was stay up all night watching people in their sleep, making sure they weren't going on another relapsed or something and wondering how it'd be nice if you could just sleep as well.

But apparently, that night wasn't the night. I had to stay again on that very night.

My pager went off, signaling that I had to be in the emergency room right away. I ran as fast as I could, knowing how much my supervisor hated the laziness and tardiness. Basically, everything that could caused someone being late when he needed them right at that time.

Even though I could've just tell him that he just told me to go home early that night and probably he would let me go but the thought of making him proud of me blinded me right away. I needed to finish my internship with a full score. Also, who knew my supervisor would take me under his wings to becoming a great surgeon like he was.

I was blinded by the thoughts that I almost bumped to a crash cart. Bumped to a crash cart, what an irony.

7 months through my internship, I was getting used to the smell of the emergency room. That kind of distinct smell that could tell you right away if you were in an emergency room, incased you suddenly went blind or something. The smell, It was the mixture of alcohol, iodine, blood, and fear.

I instantly caught the sight of my supervisor on one of the bedside of the emergency room. "Sunbae, I'm sorry." I apologized immediately.

"It's okay. I've handled it" he said, while removing the stethoscope from his ears. "The patient collapsed and complained about pain in his chest. He's okay now but he's not allowed to go home yet. Also run some test on him and show me the result tomorrow, yes?"

"Yes sunbae."

My supervisor turned to excuse himself and bowed to the lady on the other side of the bed, he smiled sincerely and the lady reciprocated it. Her hands though, never left the man whose hands she was holding the whole time.  The man was either fall asleep or in still unconscious state, I wasn't sure. 

And that was how I met Do Kyungsoo.

Patient Do Kyungsoo, according to the chart on his bed; he was a 53 years old man. The man got a cardiac arrest (or at least that was what I thought since we haven't gotten the result yet) in the middle of playing the piano in their house.

But, the lovely lady who refused to leave his side told me more about him and their family. They have 2 children; their son was married and lived with his own family on the other side of the city, their daughter was currently living in another country for work. According to Mrs. Do , they were a happy family (which I could see it by the look on their eyes, they were really in love with each other).  Her husband was a healthy man, despite his hatred toward sports, Mrs. Do teased his husband playfully.  

They've been married for 27 years now, she said proudly. "Not so many couple stays together for such a long time like us."  Mrs Do intertwined her hand with her husband, eyes crinkled as they were smiling. I was in awed, they were so in love I was starting to get jealous.

"It's true," Mr. Do said as proudly as his wife "so Seyoon-ssi how about you? Any man in your life yet?" he asked all too sudden and surprising for me that I coughed hard that Mrs.Do had hurriedly gave me a bottle of water.

Way to go, Jung Seyoon. So embarrassing.

"I'm sorry." I smiled awkwardly, gulping the water the kind lady had given me.

"Oh honey you should've not ask her that, look at her poor thing" Mrs Do scolded his husband but still, there was an admiration and love in her tone.

"No no no, it's okay. I'm okay. I just- well, haven't found the one, I guess?" to tell you the truth though, I just broke up with my boyfriend. He was also an intern on pediatric. He was loving and kind, but we've had dated for 5 years and we got bored. so, seeing this couple in front of me, being married for 27 years and still in love with each other, I felt like hiding myself in shame.

"so what happened to my husband?" Mrs. Do asked again, snapped me back from my own reverie.

"oh oh yeah right, so you presented with lateral ST elevations and reciprocal inferior changes consistent with an MI."

Mr. Do's eyes were wide I was afraid they might popped out "a heart attack?"

"I think so, but I need to run another test. Just to make sure"

My supervisor had decided that I was in charge of patient Do Kyungsoo. I was indeed grateful knowing that I was in charge of such a lovely man like him, not like the other internship with annoying patients in their hands. It's been 2 days since Mr. Do (he told me to call him Kyungsoo, even though we were 30 years apart) came to the hospital. And each time I visited him, her wife was on his side. Talking and laughing, even playing card which I later joined them before went to another patient.

"when will I get home, Seyoon-ssi?" Mr. Do asked in a low tone when I visited him with my supervisor.

I chuckled because it looked like he was afraid to ask it to my supervisor, "I don't know. Ask my supervisor" I told him instead.

"Well, according to the chart, you hadn't had a heart attack, Kyungsoo-ssi" My supervisor, doctor Lee informed.

The couple looked at each other in confuse, "so we could go home today?" Mrs. Do asked.

Doctor Lee shook his head while inspecting the chart closely, "no not today at least, even it wasn't a heart attack. We still had to run another test to find out what it was" he placed the chart on its place before looking up to the man in the bed. "but my intern here will make sure you'd have a good stay here. Right Seyoon?"

I mocked salute "aye aye cap'n!"

As my supervisor excused himself to Mr & Mrs Do, I trailed behind him as well. There was something that bothered me with Kyungsoo's condition. If it wasn't a heart attack then what is was?

"Check it thoroughly, Seyoon-ah" he said simply, brushing me off like that as he walked away. Okay, my supervisor could be the angel sent from heaven and then he could turn into this annoying grandma (or grandpa, but really he acted like he was a lady) who threw rocks at kids in front of his lawn to chase them away.

"I am thorough" I almost yelled. He wouldn't hear me anyway.

I gave up and followed my supervisor's advice. Being thorough, which I thought almost impossible since what else I haven't done? Okay, there was one that I haven't done that time. I haven't checked his complete medical record. I cursed myself for being such an idiot, also taking a mental note to thank doctor Lee for being such a great reminder (he would so get me for that).

Thankfully, It didn't take them that long to present the Kyungsoo's complete medical record for me. I knew how bored he might feel with staying for 3 days in the hospital. I also felt bad for his wife, she seemed in need of a good sleep in a comfortable bed instead of the hospital couch.

I studied Kyungsoo's medical record thoroughly, making sure I wouldn’t missed anything.

And indeed something was wrong.

"Seyoon-ssi, it's been 3 days. Can I just go home now?" the look on Kyungsoo's hopeful eyes were showing how bored he was being in hospital.

I shrugged "I- I'm not the one who made decision here, Kyungsoo-ssi. But the good news is, there was no blockage in your arteries so it was certainly not a heart attack…which you already know."

"so, why couldn’t he go home then?" Mrs. Do asked, her hands were in her wife's. it almost painful to watch.

"Not yet. Your EKG shows significant changes. And I'm going to find out why before you leave the hospital." I smiled assuringly and quickly change the subject "uhm, Kyungsoo-ssi I have a question for you."

"shoot"

"I checked your medical record earlier and it seems like you've been admitted to the hospital on the same date and the same complained on your chest pain for the past seven years. What- do you know why?"

Kyungsoo's face turned darker by the question,