59ㅣGuilt
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Jehee must have suffered psychological trauma from this incident, and Serin suffered serious physical injuries. Seeing Serin injured for the first time was a shock to me, too.
“Seo-ah, are you okay?”
“I’m… okay, except for the shock.”
“You were with the criminal too, so you stopped him.”
“… Serin is more serious than me. Serin is trying to save me…”
“You’re feeling guilty again, I told you it’s not your fault.”
“He wouldn’t like you feeling guilty because of him, because it was his choice and he knew his future.”
“It’s not your fault, it’s all the culprit’s fault.”
I thought it was Jehee and Serin who needed comfort, not me. But instead, I found myself being comforted, which made me think more deeply. Then, Serin received a call saying her surgery was over, and I felt the professor's foot press harder on the accelerator.
Fortunately, the surgery went well, and we were told to rest assured. Nevertheless, Serin's wounds were so deep that she was transferred to the intensive care unit. While I've often been in intensive care units as a doctor, it's rare for me to do so as a guardian. It was a strange experience, but it was certainly heartbreaking to be there as a guardian.
Serin, struggling to breathe, was even more heartbreaking because she lived and died for work. The intensive care unit had designated visiting hours, but now was not, and with the patient care center already fully booked, I could only see her face before turning back.
I couldn't let my personal feelings get involved in public affairs. When I was treating patients, I focused solely on that, trying not to think about Serin. Then, the visiting hour arrived, and I was about to face Serin, who had just woken up. I gathered my thoughts, took a deep breath to keep from crying, and stepped into the intensive care unit.