08 | Injury
—
After that, for some reason, I avoided the professor. Although I still had much to learn and many questions to ask him, I turned a blind eye to everything and suppressed my feelings by using the excuse that I was busy.
But love is bound to be cruel. Every single time I happened to run into the professor, my heart pounded. Not with the anxiety and fear of meeting while trying to avoid him, but with a heart of positive love.
“Hey, Yunseo!”
As I was walking down the hospital hallway to see a patient, I heard the professor's voice from behind. He approached shouting, but for some reason, his voice didn't sound angry. I was too scared to turn around, but as soon as I did, the professor was right in front of me, so I took a step back in surprise.
As I stepped backward, my foot tripped over the other, and I was about to fall backward. I wanted the professor to catch me like a scene from a drama, but I ended up hitting the floor. It made quite a loud noise, and I groaned as I clutched my right elbow, having hit it hard.
“Are you hurt? Where, your elbow?”
“Ugh… it won’t move, Professor.”
"Oh, I just called you, why are you so surprised...?"
You can get up, right? Bones aren't my specialty, so go see Professor Kim Nam-jun.
"yes…"
“If you’re seriously hurt, that’s a big problem… Who’s going to take your place?”
"Don't worry, I'll work even if my bones break."
“You’ve injured your arm, so why are you working… A doctor’s arms and hands are their life.”
It's because you called me suddenly, Professor, I was surprised!
"See, who told you to avoid me these days?"
“…”
I couldn't say a word, since it is true that I have been avoiding you, Professor, lately. But to think it was so obvious that you were aware of it—I thought I had come up with all sorts of good excuses to avoid you.
“Go see Professor Kim Nam-jun for now. You can talk to me later.”
Professor Kim Nam-jun will be in his room right after finishing the surgery.
“Uh… yes, but what about that patient's treatment…”
I'll do it, I'll handle it.
What? Professor, don't you have any surgery?
“No… even if there are no surgeries, emergency patients are everywhere!”
“It can’t be helped, you’re the one who got hurt.”
Every single word pierced my heart. I shouldn't be feeling this way about you, Professor; I shouldn't be in love with you. My head told me this, but my heart wouldn't obey.
I stammered as I walked away from the professor and went to Professor Kim Nam-jun's office. When I knocked, a low voice told me to come in, so I cautiously opened the door and stepped inside.
“Huh? Isn’t that Ms. Yoon Seo-ah, the only resident in Thoracic Surgery?”
Do you know me?
Of course I know.
You have no idea how close I am with Professor Kim Seok-jin. He talks about you a lot, Seo-ah.
"Really? What are you talking about?"
That's a secret. I can't tell you.
By the way, what brings you to my room?
“Um… I fell backward and slammed my elbow hard on the floor, but it wouldn’t move…”
“Let me take just one X-ray. Could you come over here?”
So I underwent tests, and the results showed a hairline fracture in my bone. I was told to recover in four weeks, avoid overexertion, and come back in two weeks. To think I would get injured when my job requires constant use of my hands and arms.
Thinking I was dead to the professor, I headed to his office. I wanted to look away, knowing my heart would race like crazy if I saw him, but I had to let him know the result.