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06: silver lining

I walked into the lobby of the hospital. As usual, the place was bustling, all kinds of people coming and going. This place never sleeps. On my way to the lift, I was preoccupied with mentally preparing myself for what's to come during this shift. I didn't mind the noise in the background. Once you've been in the hospital as long as me, you'll be surprised to find it as comforting in some ways. With that deep in my thoughts, I walked inside the lift pressing the button for the fifth floor where I was supposedly assigned for a month.

When I got there I saw Namjoon already having small talk with the nurses, a typical day for him. They were quite giddy as I walked past them. I nodded my head meekly when they greeted me. I don't know why but I don't feel like being here right now, but, unfortunately, it's how I make a living.

"Hey, what happened last night? Everybody's acting weird." Namjoon had followed me into the On Call room, "Jimin and Nanhee are not talking and deliberately avoiding being in the same room with each other. The nurses were saying something about them dating. Is it true? Do you know something I don't?"

I wore my coat over the clothes I came in and put my phone in my pocket then I turned to him, "You're asking the wrong person. I know nothing."

I lied. Namjoon just shrugged his shoulder as we head to the nurse's station again. I got my charts and was reviewing them one by one when Dr. Kim asked to see me in his office. I left what I was doing to figure out what he wanted with me this time. I knocked on the door twice before entering, finding him reviewing some papers on his desk with his glasses perched on the bridge of his nose.

"Sit down, Jung."

"Why did you call for me?" I asked him once I was seated. "Is it something important?"

"Nothing of importance really. Just want to know how you're doing with that case I gave you last week.." said Seokjin. He leaned back on his chair.

"You mean, that girl?" I replied, looking directly at him.

As a chief doctor, I know he can be a bit intimidating since he's practically a genius, the reason why he's rumored to become director of the hospital soon. Many objected, mostly the higher ups, but I'm not one of them. As a person, I know him to be a good natured man. He's the kind who takes care of his team and trusts them as much as he would trust himself. He's always smiling and encourages everyone. The reason why I believe that he's the best candidate for the director position. He knows my secret yet he has never used it against me to gain leverage or to try and control me.

He smiled, "Yes, that girl. How is she?"

I relaxed on my seat, "Well, her X-rays are showing great results, her fracture seem to be healing very well and her CT scans are from last week-"

"I don't need you to tell me what I already know." Jin had cut me off. I was confused and lost for a moment. "What I meant is how she's coping?"

"You didn't brief me about her history of being constantly abused by her boyfriend." I told Dr. Kim. "Her previous history showed that she bled when she was brought here due to lacerated vaginal tissues."

I clenched my fist when I remembered the first time I met her and the words she told me. That hopeless look in her eyes, "What kind of animal would do that? He should be given a death sentence."

"It's not our problem anymore. We are doctors, not prosecutors. It's out of our hands." Dr. Kim answered, making me even more angry because he is right. "Focus on your job. How is she?"