Golden Time

Chapter 116

Arum was drawing pictures in crayon in her sketchbook.

With the sleeves of a patient gown reaching the back of hand, she looked uncomfortable, but she moved her little hands very well.

Then, she turned her head to the door, sensing someone’s presence.

“Mom!”

At her screaming, she made a hearty laugh.

The tears welled in her eyes a moment ago were gone.

Hugging her closely, she patted her on the back.

“You wanted to see me very much?”

“Yeah, very, very much.”

Now she looked at her face to face, stroking her face.

Arum was all smiles, even without opening her eyes.

It looked as she was enjoying the sunlight, the warm sunlight of a mother.

Suhyuk, standing at the door, was just looking at them quietly.

Then, Arum, noticing him, said, “Oh, uncle doctor!”

With a smile, he approached them.

“Mom, this doctor put a needle here, but it didn’t hurt at all.”

“Really?”

“Yes, and he praised me for my pictures too…”

She was more excited now as her mother was with her.

“I drew some pictures today. I want to show you…”

Arum did not stop explaining about her pictures as if she wanted to boast.

Whenever she turned over the sketchbook with her little white hand, her mother took a picture of it with her cell phone.

Then, she turned it over again to show Suhyuk some pictures.

“Uncle, this is about…”

Then Arum stopped moving her hand suddenly, and turned her head to her mother.

It looked like she was about to cry at anytime.

“Mom, I have pain in my head again…”

“Come on, baby. Come on…”

She hugged Arum tightly, and patted her on the back and sung a lullaby.

There was nothing more she could do except hug and pat her like that.

‘My daughter Arum, I’m going to have you cured by all means.’

Then Arum, cuddled up in her arms, raised her head and said,

“Mom, I don’t feel pain anymore now…”

***

Going out of the patient’s room, he headed toward Han Myungjin’s office.

And he was handed back his cell phone.

He turned it on, and found the notification sound ringing continuously.

Most of the messages were from Im Gyungsu, which mainly was about the need for him to take care of Park Sungjae’s mistakes.

Im belatedly found out he was at the pediatrics department, but he sent him a final message saying, “Take care!”, and then nothing more.

Obviously Prof. Han took some action on his behalf.

Suhyuk kept on touching the cell phone display, and soon found a picture.

It was sent by Arum’s mother.

Looking at it quietly, he quickly moved to his lodging.

As soon as he arrived, he turned on the PC and sat down.

In the heart of darkness only the light of the monitor was illuminating Suhyuk’s face.

How long pa.s.sed…

After sitting before the PC for about two hours, Suhyuk lay on the soft bed.

And he confirmed the time. It was 8:22pm.

Putting his cell phone on his bedside, he closed eyes.

He would have to put up with this kind miserable situation until tomorrow.

If things did not work out as he wished, he would have to have her get the surgery by all means.

Suhyuk again opened his eyes at the notification sounds on his cell phone.

And using his cellphone, he had access to the internet:

The notification sound kept ringing.

***

4am.

Going out of the lodging, Suhyuk headed to the hospital lobby, and he stood before the ATM machine.

He put in the card, and pressed the withdrawal b.u.t.ton.

He had a deposit of 200,000 won in his bank account, but he pressed the number 300,000 won.

Inside the machine there was the sound of money counting.

Though he had only 200,000 won, he was withdrawing 300,000 won.

But he was not surprised because he expected this much.

At the same time he suddenly felt so moved as to almost shed tears when he noticed the balance on his account. It was 20,154,035 won in total.

Suppressing his emotion, Suhyuk murmured, “Thanks a million, from the bottom of my heart.”

Turning back, he went to Arum’s room, and cautiously opened it so as not to wake her up.

She was in sound sleep, and her mother was also asleep, crouching beside her.

“Arum’s mom…”

At his whispering voice, she stood up.

“Can I talk with you for a moment?”

Nodding her head, she followed him after tying up her hair.

Coming out of the room, Suhyuk told her, “Tomorrow she will get surgery.”

Her eyes opened wider.

—–

A piece about a picture was introduced on the morning TV program.

There was a close-up image of the message by Suhyuk.

The responses to this were in just one word, explosive.

And those who knew Suhyuk on the the internet or news media would ask about her disease and symptoms through Facebook. Whenever he had free time, Suhyuk posted his replies.

That kind of caring att.i.tude shown by Suhyuk moved the hearts of lots of people.

—–

10am.

Suhyuk was heading for Arum’s room.

When he went in, he heard a child’s weeping sound.

She had her hair shaven for the surgery.

“You look pretty even without any hair.”

She wept more with emotion at his words.

Though her mother was soothing her, she kept crying.

“Can I see you outside for a moment?”

Outside the room he said, “She will be put into sedation in the room because she might be very surprised inside the operating room.”

She nodded, and asked with trembling eyes, “Isn’t it dangerous?”

Suhyuk said, with a smile, “Don’t worry. The best doctor in this field will perform the surgery.”

The doctor was Prof. Lee Mansuk.

“Thanks so much.”

Though she never heard of that name, she felt Dr. Lee before her eyes was more dependable.

“Shall we begin?”

A nurse asked Suhyuk.

When he nodded, the nurse went into Arum’s room, holding sedation medicine.

“Hi, Arum? You look more cute with your hair shaven like that.”

“Don’t lie to me!”

“Really!”

The nurse hung the syringe onto the IV line, which lasted about for 10 minutes.

Cuddled in her mother’s arms, she soon fell into sleep with murmuring sounds,

“Mom, I feel sleepy…”

***

Beep. Beep.

Arum was now lying on the operating bed.

Inside the room Prof. Lee continued to talk with other doctors, looking at her CT and MRI shots.

Even a little mistake would cost this little girl her life, who had yet to blossom her life.

And even a mere wrong touch of her brain would also cause not only speech defects but also countless other unpredictable defects.

Lee Mansuk tightened his gloves once more, and glanced at Suhyuk watching the patient.

This time he was determined to show him his skills, so that he would change his mind and switch to the neurosurgery department.

“Let’s start. Scalpel.”

He held her little head with one hand, holding a scalpel with the other hand.

“Drill.”

As originally planned, he would drill four holes into the skull in order to remove a rectangular piece of bone with a saw .

Weeeing, weeeing….

A ferocious sound of the machine was filling the otherwise quiet operating room.

Then Suhyuk opened his mouth, “Let me do it.”

Arum’s mother was anxiously waiting outside the operating room.

It had been already 6 hours since they started performing the surgery.

The red sign, ‘Surgery in Progress’ made her feel bad.

Then, the red light suddenly turned off, and then a blue sign, ‘Recovery Room’ was lit.

The automatic door opened, and a doctor in a surgical gown came out.

When he removed his mask, his face was revealed. It was Suhyuk.

“Dr. Lee! How did the surgery go? Is she okay?”

“In a little while she will wake up. Do you want to come with me?,” suggested Suhyuk.

She was still a little child. When she would open her eyes, she would see strange people, machines and the IV hung on her arms. That’s why she needed her mother beside her.

Of course, her mother would have to wear a disinfected cap and mask.

He headed to the recovery room with her nodding to his suggestion gladly.

Entering the operating room, she just became speechless at the sight of her daughter.

“Why won’t she open her eyes?”

Confirming the IV, the nurse said, “As she was injected with a medicine to recover from anesthesia, she should wake up soon.”

Then, she could see Arum’s pupils moving under her eyelids.

And her eyes were slowly opening as if to confirm it.

“Arum, Arum, can you recognize me. Mom is here.”

Suhyuk opened his mouth, “You can remove your mask now.”

As soon as he said that, she showed her face.

“Mom…”

“Yes, yes, your Mom is here. Can you see me?”

Then, Suhyuk waved his hand, saying, “Hi Arum.”

Arum slowly moved her pupils to the side, and saw him.

“Arum, did you have a good sleep? Do you know my name?”

“Yes, Uncle Lee Suhyuk.”

“She is okay, right? Right, doctor?”

Arum’s mother asked, alternately looking at Suhyuk and her daughter.

Suhyuk smiled, answering,

“Yes, the surgery did go well as planned. It’s perfect!”

Only then did she shed the tears she had been holding back up to now.