Emergency Instinct - Chapter 57
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“We could each eat one. That would be reasonable.”
“Oh, how unromantic. This is what couples do.”
Ji-an burst into laughter with her puffed-up cheeks.
Couple? What pleasant words to hear. Soon it would be even better to be called husband.
Tae-jun couldn’t hold back any longer and cupped her particularly cute rosy cheeks today.
What could he do?
He was the type who preferred intuitive sweetness over waiting.
He didn’t want to lose those soft lips to a fish-shaped pastry.
Ji-an’s large eyes trembled at his burning gaze.
Saliva pooled as his chest tightened with thirst.
Her lips, which would taste even sweeter with the fish pastry inside, filled his vision completely. He lowered his intense gaze as if drawn in. Just as his hot breath was about to touch her.
“L-let’s take a picture.”
Suddenly Ji-an turned her head away and pulled out her phone.
At first he thought he was mistaken. But now it was certain.
Ji-an was avoiding his lips.
But why on earth…
“Here, look this way.”
Unaware of his burning frustration, she casually moved closer and quickly pressed the shutter.
Click! Click! Click!
Brief smiles and awkward glances were captured in succession in the photos.
“They came out well, right? Let’s take one more.”
“Ji-an.”
When he decided this couldn’t go on and tried to grab her, Ji-an quickly pulled away to avoid him.
The next moment, she hesitated and stumbled as her ankle twisted.
“Ah!”
Tae-jun immediately reached out to catch Ji-an. But as if trying to avoid him again, Ji-an turned her head and said.
“W-wait a moment. Don’t you hear something right now?”
Suddenly the night air changed, and Ji-an held her breath.
The moment Tae-jun also paused. As she said, low groans could be heard painfully from within the narrow alley without streetlights.
“It’s over there.”
Ji-an pushed him away and instantly ran toward the direction of the groans.
That was the moment. Suddenly two black shadows burst out from inside the alley.
“Watch out!”
Tae-jun shouted as he ran after her. But the owner of the shadow that had already burst out from inside, a large man, collided with Ji-an.
“Aah!”
Ji-an, pushed by his bulk, fell and collapsed to the ground.
“Ji-an!”
“Hey! Hurry up!”
After his shout, two sturdy young men wearing caps pulled low exchanged glances and fled.
Faces flashing by. Breathless panting. And the smell of blood.
Tae-jun’s heart sank with a chilling coldness.
He had no time to catch the men passing by him. He ran straight toward Ji-an.
“Ji-an? Are you okay?”
As he hurriedly checked if she was hurt, Ji-an jumped up and shouted, running into the even darker alley.
“Call for help. There’s someone collapsed here!”
There was no time to look around.
Ji-an urgently ran to the side of the man collapsed on the ground.
It was a mugging.
The young man lay motionless on the ground. A blood-stained brick was visible on the pavement, and dark red blood from his forehead was spreading across the alley floor.
“Are you okay?”
She approached and asked.
“Can you hear me? Try to open your eyes.”
She quickly pressed her hands to check his level of consciousness, but there was no response.
No response to pain stimuli. Loss of consciousness.
Ji-an’s expression hardened.
Head trauma. Possible traumatic brain injury.
Organizing his condition in her mind, Ji-an immediately examined his head and neck.
There was also a possibility of cervical spine injury, so moving him carelessly would be dangerous.
Ji-an stabilized his head with her hands.
The alley floor was ice-cold, and the flowing blood soaked her palms. But she didn’t mind.
Focusing on the patient, she leaned close to check his breathing.
Slow and shallow, but fortunately he had both breathing and a pulse.
Seeing the subtle rise and fall of his chest, Ji-an breathed a sigh of relief.
She quickly pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket and pressed it against the bleeding wound to stop the hemorrhage. Blood soaked through, but thanks to this, the bleeding gradually slowed.
While keeping his head stabilized, she also observed around the patient’s mouth. If vomiting occurred, she would need to secure his airway immediately.
“The ambulance will arrive within 3 minutes.”
Having finished the emergency call, Tae-jun informed her of the situation from behind.
As she nodded, a faint groan could be heard from the man.
“Ugh…”
Ji-an immediately called out.
“If you can hear my voice, try to move even a finger.”
His fingertips twitched very slightly.
Fortunately, it wasn’t complete loss of consciousness.
Ji-an lowered her voice to calm him.
“Don’t move. An ambulance is coming now, so don’t lose consciousness and hold on just a little longer.”
She couldn’t tell if her words reached the man.
But she continued talking to him as she always did in the emergency room.
Finally, the awaited sound of sirens could be heard.
The moment the paramedics entered the alley with loud footsteps.
Ji-an quickly explained the situation without removing her hands.
“Middle-aged man. Suspected assault with blunt head trauma. Unconscious when found. Currently minimal response to pain stimuli. Breathing maintained with forehead laceration bleeding, applying pressure for hemostasis. Possible cervical spine injury, maintaining stabilization.”
“Are you a doctor?”
“Yes. I’m an Emergency Medicine resident.”
A cervical collar was immediately applied and a stretcher was brought in.
Only then did Ji-an remove her hands and say.
“Take him to nearby Hanyeong Hospital. They’ll be able to provide immediate treatment.”
Ji-an followed along and watched until the patient was loaded into the ambulance.
The ambulance doors closed instantly, and the siren cut through the night again as it disappeared into the distance.
“Phew. Thank goodness.”
Ji-an finally breathed a sigh of relief.
As she wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked for Tae-jun, his voice could be heard from a short distance away.
“Yes. It appears to be an assault. Two young men burst out from inside and ran away. They were wearing caps and went toward that crosswalk, so they should be caught on CCTV.”
He was already giving a detailed explanation of the incident to the police who had arrived.
Watching him efficiently handle even the cleanup of the surroundings, Ji-an couldn’t help but be impressed. This seemed like a moment when his exceptional ability to take action truly shined.
But now, what should she do?
Ji-an sighed deeply as she looked at her blood-stained clothes and hands.
She thought she just needed to avoid his burning gaze. Why did this have to happen too?
It felt like all her plans had gone completely awry.
And somehow, Tae-jun seemed to have an extremely angry expression on his face.
***
Ji-an took a shower and changed into comfortable clothes.
The blood was washed away, but scratches remained on her knee. She must have gotten hurt when she fell.
“Sit here.”
Tae-jun, who had somehow found a first aid kit, made her sit on a dining table chair. Ji-an had no choice but to comply obediently.
The intimidating aura emanating from his stern expression was considerable.
Tae-jun, who had handled the situation and come to her house, had maintained a grim expression the entire time.
“I’ll do it myself.”
“I can handle this much too.”
Tae-jun knelt down in front of her and applied medicine to the wound. Though not skillful, his careful touch was ticklish, making Ji-an bite her lips tightly.
After putting on the bandage, he suddenly grabbed her ankle. At that moment, his hand touched the sole of her foot, and Ji-an’s toes curled up. She couldn’t bear the ticklish trembling.
“My foot is fine.”
She tried to pull away. But he gripped her foot even tighter and wouldn’t let go. As she swallowed dry saliva, he asked again.
“Are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital?”
“I just twisted it slightly. There’s no discomfort when moving either.”
“Huu…”
Tae-jun let out a heavy sigh.
Even though she refused to go to the hospital, and despite having scraped knees and dark bruises, Ji-an still acted as if nothing had happened.
Recalling the moment that made his head spin, Tae-jun’s heart began racing like it was having an attack again. But he opened his mouth calmly with a low voice.
“Ji-an, please take care of your body. Why are you so fearless?”
“I’m fine. This much is nothing…”
“You’re not fine. You got hurt like this. You could have been injured as seriously as that man.”
“I couldn’t just stand there and watch because I was scared. I’m a doctor. Running to a patient isn’t a choice, it’s natural.”
Seeing her eyes that showed no intention of backing down, Tae-jun’s sigh deepened again.
He was anxious. Since he couldn’t always be by her side.
If he could, he even wanted to hide her away somewhere safe.
“…Thank you. I know too, that you’re saying this out of concern.”
Looking at his wavering eyes, Ji-an began to share her honest feelings.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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