Dangerous Investigation Diary

Ep. 45 ° General Hospital Ghost Doctor Case (5)

Back at the office, the hospital investigation team and Detective Jeong were organizing their findings into reports. Only Detective Jeong, who hadn't investigated anything, sat there with blank eyes, scribbling meaningless pen strokes on a report form. What was Detective Jeong thinking right now?

Meanwhile, the team members who had completed their reports joined the research team, who had yet to finish analyzing the data. Although some time had passed since the investigation began, the sheer volume of documents had left the research team with dark circles and puffiness under their eyes.

김남준 [30]

"Ah... what on earth did these guys do to get the data..."

김석진 [32]

"How much time is left?"

민윤기 [31]

"I think there's about half left."

김석진 [32]

"Have you got the outline?"

민윤기 [31]

"Yes. I understand the general idea... but only the details remain."

김석진 [32]

"Let's brief that first."

민윤기 [31]

"Officer Ha. Go forward."

하여주 [28]

"Data Investigation Team, we will begin the briefing."

하여주 [28]

"Mr. Kang Jeong-ho and Ms. Yoo Bo-ra have been steadily collecting data on what's happening at the new general hospital."

하여주 [28]

"We haven't fully investigated all the major and minor incidents yet, but let's start with a briefing..."

하여주 [28]

"If you look at the list of medical students who have graduated from a new general hospital, you'll occasionally see the word 'dismissed' written next to their name."

하여주 [28]

"I think there are often cases where people who oppose the suspicions surrounding the new general hospital are cut off from the medical school."

하여주 [28]

"There are even fewer people who have 'dead' written on them."

하여주 [28]

"It is believed that those who could not keep their mouths shut even after being fired were killed."

하여주 [28]

"We are also investigating other medical accidents suspected to be related to proxy surgery and cases of labor exploitation of medical students."

하여주 [28]

"This concludes the briefing."

김태형 [29]

"The hospital investigation team... doesn't have anything to brief on."

김태형 [29]

"Because the new general hospital is large and has a long history, it is said to be a dream job for many medical students."

김태형 [29]

"The sooner we uncover the truth about this hospital, the more likely we are to reduce the number of victims."

김석진 [32]

"...Inspector Jeong, what did you talk about with Mr. Kang Jeong-ho?"

정호석 [30]

"...We didn't talk much."

김석진 [32]

"...Hey, Jeong Gyeong-ssi,"

정호석 [30]

"We didn't talk about the incident. It was a private matter."

정호석 [30]

“And from now on… please don’t let me spend time with Kang Jeong-ho.”

김석진 [32]

"what?"

정호석 [30]

"...There was something that made me feel a bit dirty."

Inspector Kim didn't say anything more to Officer Jeong, who seemed genuinely displeased, and the mood in Team 1 shifted to going back to the hospital to speak with the director. The data investigation team was left out.

민윤기 [31]

"Then we will finish organizing the data."

김석진 [32]

"Okay. Thanks for the hard work."

김석진 [32]

"Help me organize the data in the Jeong Gyeong-do office."

김석진 [32]

"If I go there, I have no choice but to meet Kang Jeong-ho."

정호석 [30]

"...thank you."

As Officer Jeong stood up from his seat with a slight bow and sat down on the chair in front of the desk filled with documents, the members of the investigation team and the Violent Crimes Unit 1, excluding Officer Jeong, left the office.

Sergeant Jeong, who had picked up a stack of documents, hoping to analyze them, sighed deeply. The conversation with Kang Jeong-ho lingered in his mind, making him dizzy, and he buried his face in his hands. It seemed he still didn't understand the meaning of his last words.

Meanwhile, the situation for Team 1, back at the hospital, was dire. Not only had contact with Yoo Bo-ra and Kang Jeong-ho suddenly been cut off, but their whereabouts were unknown anywhere in the hospital, including the examination room and the intern lounge. Asking the relevant staff, they were met with a resounding denial.

김태형 [29]

"Excuse me. This is Team 1 of the Violent Crimes Unit at the BU Police Station."

김태형 [29]

“Have you seen psychiatry resident Dr. Kang Jeong-ho?”

"Oh, yeah... I haven't seen it."

김태형 [29]

"Are you not seeing a doctor right now?"

"Excuse me... huh?"

"Professor Kang Jeong-ho has taken a leave of absence and is out."

전정국 [27]

"Huh? When?"

"I think it's been about 30 minutes."

양신임 [49]

"What are you doing here?"

Finally, I was talking to the desk clerk, who was offering me some useful information, when Director Yang Shin-im suddenly interrupted the conversation. He even dragged the clerk down the emergency stairs, then returned to Team 1 of the Violent Crimes Unit shortly after.

김석진 [32]

"...What are you doing now?"

양신임 [49]

"What are you guys doing to ruin the hospital atmosphere?"

양신임 [49]

"Why are you talking about the disappearance of a doctor and a trainee as if it were some big deal?"

김태형 [29]

"It's not right for a hospital director to treat people like crap."

김태형 [29]

"And you said you would cooperate with the investigation, but then you do this..."

김태형 [29]

"This is a clear case of obstruction of investigation."

전정국 [27]

"Where did you take that employee?"

전정국 [27]

"I'll have to bring you."

양신임 [49]

"What does it matter what I do to my employees?"

양신임 [49]

"If you're done talking, let's go now."

The 1st Violent Crimes Team, who were watching the back of Yang Shin-im, who had unilaterally ended the conversation and was heading back to the emergency stairs, decided that this was not the time and went out of the hospital to look for Kang Jeong-ho, who had gone out.

But finding Kang Jeong-ho outside in this vast city was nearly impossible. He'd been running so much during the family arson and murder incident that he'd been warned that running like that again would be truly dangerous, so he couldn't run again.

I stopped passersby, showed them the photos, and asked them questions, but they all said they didn't know. That was natural. As I wandered around the city, dumbfounded, I heard a crackling sound from my earbuds, and the walkie-talkie turned on.

정호석 [30]

@ "Strong Team 1, this is Sergeant Jeong Ho-seok. Please respond."

The voice of Officer Jeong, which sounded a bit urgent but also calm, rang through the on-site team's earpiece, and Officer Kim pressed down on the earpiece to answer.

김태형 [29]

@ "Detective Kim Tae-hyung has responded. What is the matter?"

정호석 [30]

@ "...A traffic accident report was just received."

정호석 [30]

@ "It seems like the victim is Kang Jeong-ho."

Detective Jeong's radio transmission cut off, and the field team exchanged glances before running to the hospital parking lot. Even though he was a doctor with a hospital, he ran, convinced that if a hospital disapproved of Kang Jeong-ho, they wouldn't be able to properly handle the surgery or even the admission process.

김석진 [32]

@ "Detective Jeong! Where is the hospital?!"

정호석 [30]

@ "Transferred to Korea University Hospital."

Hearing Officer Jeong's words, he got into the car and started the engine, setting off immediately. It was a bit of a stretch to imagine what might happen in this hospital, which didn't even seem like a hospital. And if Kang Jeong-ho died, he couldn't even imagine the consequences. So, Officer Kim pressed down hard on the accelerator.

Upon entering the hospital room, Kang Jeong-ho was surrounded by a plethora of large medical machines, and team members who had been conducting research stood guard beside them. A steady heart rate was being monitored, but as if to indicate the severity of the traffic accident, Kang Jeong-ho was unconscious.

김남준 [30]

"Are you here?"

김태형 [29]

"What happened? Who is the perpetrator?"

민윤기 [31]

"...Mr. Kang Jeong-ho's car was seriously damaged."

민윤기 [31]

"The perpetrator abandoned the car and ran away."

민윤기 [31]

"There's no CCTV, no witnesses... nothing."

김석진 [32]

".....ah."

The team members each let out a sigh as they watched Inspector Kim lean against the wall of the hospital room, clutching his pounding head. Not only was there a sense of despair, as if another case had been created, but even though they knew who was behind it, they lacked any evidence, making it impossible to pinpoint a specific individual.

How could they possibly find the missing Yoo Bo-ra? If either of them died, the case would be effectively a failure. Detective Jeong's anger grew as he listened to the doctor's opinion, saying he didn't know when she would wake up, or if she might not.

정호석 [30]

".....Is Ms. Yoo Bo-ra okay?"

전정국 [27]

"Contact with Ms. Yoo Bo-ra has also been cut off."

전정국 [27]

"The situation is not good right now."

하여주 [28]

"...It looks like you used your hands."

박지민 [29]

"Ha, what kind of hospital is this..."

정호석 [30]

"Can I go to the hospital for a moment?"

김석진 [32]

"...Hospital? Why a hospital?"

정호석 [30]

"I have something to ask the director."

민윤기 [31]

"It's dangerous, so if you go, take two more people with you."

전정국 [27]

"I will go."

김석진 [32]

"Okay. Officer Ha, you go too."

하여주 [28]

"...yes?"

김석진 [32]

"Detective Kim will be busy because he has to check on the witness."

김석진 [32]

"Can you do it well?"

하여주 [28]

"...I will do my best."

So, Officer Ha, Officer Jeong, and Officer Jeon headed back to the new general hospital to meet with the director, and the rest of the team members also divided up the work to find witnesses and protect Mr. Kang Jeong-ho, and the Violent Crimes Unit 1 started rolling again.

Thanks to Yang Shin-im, who showed a more favorable attitude toward the interview than expected and opened the director's office, the Violent Crimes Unit 1 entered the director's office with ease. Officer Jeong gritted his teeth at Yang Shin-im, who sat in the center chair with her legs crossed, her attitude arrogant.

정호석 [30]

"...Ms. Yang Shin-im."

양신임 [49]

"yes."

정호석 [30]

"Mr. Kang Jeong-ho, Ms. Yoo Bo-ra. Do you have any ill feelings toward either of you?"

양신임 [49]

"No ill feelings. There's nothing like that."

정호석 [30]

"Then why did you refuse to admit Mr. Kang Jeong-ho to this hospital?"

정호석 [30]

"There are a lot of hospital rooms, and there are a lot of professors who don't have surgery appointments."

정호석 [30]

"I don't quite understand."

양신임 [49]

"Are you aware of what you're talking about?"

양신임 [49]

"You'll have to take good care of the aftermath."

정호석 [30]

"I'll take responsibility for it, so just answer my questions."

양신임 [49]

"There are no empty hospital rooms. Half of the professors are on vacation."

양신임 [49]

"It's really unfortunate that Resident Kang Jeong-ho's case has ended... but it's a bit much to push things this way."

정호석 [30]

"...The director shouldn't react like that."

정호석 [30]

"Don't you remember who I am?"

양신임 [49]

"...yes?"

정호석 [30]

"I'm Jeong Ho-seok, a neurosurgeon training student."

The director, who had been babbling sarcastically at Sergeant Jeong's words, shut his mouth, and Officer Ha and Officer Jeon, standing beside him, froze. They could only glance at Sergeant Jeong out of the corner of their eyes, unable to even turn their heads. The director studied Sergeant Jeong with trembling eyes.

정호석 [30]

“It’s only been four years, so I’d be sad if you forgot.”

양신임 [49]

".....Jung Ho-seok?"

정호석 [30]

"This is Jeong Ho-seok, whom the director cherished so much."

The director reacted with surprise, as if the words were true. His voice trembled but his tone firm, his clenched fists reddened, his eyes brimming with tears. All of these were Officer Jeong's current appearance, and they spoke of his forgotten past.

It seemed like Detective Jeong finally understood what Kang Jeong-ho meant by his last words. He finally understood that Detective Jeong was absolutely essential to solving this case.

Long time no see, again~? 🥲 It's so hard living as a K-3 high school senior... The next episode will reveal some of the much-anticipated backstory of Officer Jeong and his first encounter with the Violent Crimes Unit 1! Thank you for your anticipation and patience 🙇🏻‍♀️💓

I will become a writer who repays with better writing 🩵🩵

_ Number of characters: 4900 characters