Chapter 2 – 1952, Going to the UN Field Hospital (2)

“What are you dawdling for? Get up! I’m telling you, President Eisenhower is coming here!”

The man shook awake Kim Ji-hyuk, who was lying on a field bed. It was definitely a familiar voice.

As his vision gradually cleared, the man’s outline began to appear little by little.

‘Eisenhower? What kind of nonsense is that?’

Kim Ji-hyuk slowly sat up, and the figure of the man waking him up began to grow clear.

“I said wake up quickly!”

The man yanked away the green field blanket covering Ji-hyuk.

“W-who are you?”

Kim Ji-hyuk rubbed his eyes and stared blankly at the man’s face.

“Hey friend, stop playing stubborn and get up quickly. The nurses are having a hard time cleaning the clinic, so we should go and help too.”

‘What on earth is he talking about? Nurses… Huh? Where is this?’

As he gradually regained consciousness, his blurry surroundings became clear.

Kim Ji-hyuk looked around blankly.

‘I clearly went to sleep lying on the sofa…….’

When he came to his senses, wasn’t he lying on a green field bed instead of the sofa?

An old, worn chestnut-colored wall clock ticked,

[With the wishes of thirty million, we sincerely welcome the General’s visit to Korea!]

Clatter-

People’s voices could be heard outside the window.

As his vision and hearing cleared, the objects around him began to catch his eye one by one.

And a photograph of a man visible directly in front of him.

“Who on earth is that person?”

“Ji-hyuk! No matter what feelings you have toward President Syngman Rhee, referring to the father of the nation as ‘that person’? That is impolite.”

The man shook his head with his arms crossed.

“That person is Syngman Rhee?”

“Uh-huh! My friend! Are you still half-asleep, or are you teasing me? At this rate, you’ll be saying you don’t even know the name of your childhood friend!”

“Who are you?”

“I’m your friend Yun-seok! Got it?”

“Kim……Yun-seok?”

Come to think of it, the man standing in front of Kim Ji-hyuk closely resembled his grandfather in his youth.

“Hahaha, thank goodness you at least recognized me. Now that you’ve come to your senses, change your clothes immediately and let’s go down to the first floor. The whole hospital is in an uproar right now, and if you get caught by Professor Bower, you won’t get away with it. I’m going down first!”

‘Wait a minute… Am I dreaming right now? No, could a dream be this vivid?’

It hurt. When he pinched his forearm, the pain was vividly felt.

‘How did this happen?’

The photo of President Syngman Rhee, a Seiko wall clock that looked at least a hundred years old no matter how he looked at it, and all kinds of objects in the room were unfamiliar things only seen in museums.

Clearly, something was very, very wrong.

“Wait a minute! Is your name really Kim Yun-seok?”

“Sigh, cut the joking, will you, friend?”

‘Come to think of it, he looks so much like him. Even the voice… If there is a scar where a bullet grazed the back of his neck!’

Kim Ji-hyuk abruptly grabbed and lifted the man’s collar.

“W-what are you doing?”

Kim Yun-seok was startled.

‘There is none! Right. There’s no way this person is my grandfather. If so, this must be a dream…….’

Just as Kim Ji-hyuk was about to let out a sigh of relief,

“Hey friend, the scar is on this side. You treated it yourself, yet you get it confused?”

As the man pulled back the collar on the other side, his scar came into Kim Ji-hyuk’s view.

“Oh my god, it’s there. Are you really my grandf… Kim Yun-seok? Then where is this place right now?”

Kim Ji-hyuk had a look of utter devastation.

“Stop it now, will you? I’m starting to get angry.”

“So I’m asking you where this place is right now!”

Ji-hyuk raised his voice without realizing it.

“Uh-huh, Ji-hyuk, are you really going to be like this? It’s the UN Field Hospital where we work, where else would it be? Have you gone out of your mind from overworking so much lately?”

‘UN Field Hospital? Then what year on earth is it right now?’

“W-what is today’s date?”

“November 30th! Have you even forgotten the passing of dates now?”

“No, the year! What year is it today?”

“Sigh, it seems like you are playing tricks because you don’t want to work.”

“No! Not that! What year is it today?!”

“What year else? It’s November 30, 1952! It’s clearly printed on the calendar over there too. You are so strange today. If you don’t want to work, just be honest and say so!”

The man also raised his voice, as if he could not tolerate it any longer.

[November 30, 1952]

Just as the man said, the date displayed on the calendar was indeed 1952.

‘W-what? Is it real? Then is this place really the UN Field Hospital?’

Kim Ji-hyuk clutched his head with a devastated expression.

The unbelievable had happened.

“Since you don’t seem to be feeling well, you should just rest. I will speak well to Professor Bower……”

‘This can’t be. Something is very wrong. I have to check.’

“N-no. Let’s go down together.”

“What is with the polite speech now? I seriously don’t understand what is going on with you. Fine. Then let’s head down quickly. Before we get scolded.”

“Ah, okay.”

A moment later, Kim Ji-hyuk followed behind the man.

“Is it really 1952 right now?”

“………”

The man only nodded his head, as if it were not worth responding.

“And your name is indeed Kim Yun-seok?”

“………”

“Then you must know Hong Mi-ju too?”

Hong Mi-ju was Kim Ji-hyuk’s grandfather’s wife, his grandmother.

“That’s a bit too much.”

Yun-seok’s expression changed.

“Yes?”

“How could you bring up Mi-ju to me?”

“W-why?”

Asked Kim Ji-hyuk, who was tailing right behind Yun-seok.

“Mi-ju is already… Stop it. If you mention Mi-ju again, I won’t let it slide even if you are my friend.”

Yun-seok flatly cut off Kim Ji-hyuk’s words.

‘What? Did they break up and get back together later? That’s not what’s important; the point is that he knows Grandmother… This is driving me crazy! Did I really travel back to 1952?’

Kim Ji-hyuk’s mind was a tangled mess of threads.

“Where are we going right now?”

“We should stop by to see Cheol-woo for a moment, then go do the cleaning.”

‘Cheol-woo? No way? That student soldier, Jang Cheol-woo?’

[I feel sorrowful and resentful. Cheol-woo, who was at the flowering age of eighteen, died.]

Suddenly, his grandfather’s diary entry flashed through Kim Ji-hyuk’s mind.

“Yes. Professor Bower is treating him right now.”

“Did you say that patient has asthma?”

“Right. But to call it simple asthma, something feels a bit off. A youth as big as a mountain has such low blood pressure. Moreover, the fact that his jugular vein is distended is unusual. I think there’s something wrong with his heart… Anyway, you go see Nurse May first. I will stop by the clinic for a moment.”

‘It is exactly the same as the contents of Grandfather’s diary!’

“N-no. Let’s go together. I want to see that student soldier patient too.”

“Will you?”

“Yeah.”

“Then let’s go to Clinic Room 8. That’s where Cheol-woo is being examined.”

‘It is certain now! This is not a dream! I must accept it as reality! That person is definitely my grandfather in his youth! And even the student soldier Cheol-woo. All of this matches the contents recorded in Grandfather’s diary. I don’t know the reason, but I have definitely returned to 1952. But……’

Kim Ji-hyuk felt a chill run down his spine at the fact that the person he possessed was none other than his grandfather’s friend, Kim Ji-hyuk.

‘My grandfather’s friend, that man, definitely died young, didn’t he? When was it again? When was it?’

Ji-hyuk tried to recall his past memories about this crucial fact.

‘That’s right! 1961! He said that was when he died! I don’t know if I should call this a relief, but at least it isn’t right away. Anyway, it is a fact that I have possessed the body of my grandfather’s friend. It is a date I must never forget. Never!’

Only now did Kim Ji-hyuk fully recognize the situation he was in.

“Ji-hyuk! What are you thinking about so deeply?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Let’s go! I’m coming.”

* * *

UN Field Hospital, Clinic Room 8

When Kim Ji-hyuk arrived at Clinic Room 8 with the man, a foreign man hurriedly walked out of the clinic.

“Professor Bower!”

“Mr. Yun-seok, what is it? As you know, today’s clinical service is closing early due to the arrival of an important guest.”

“Yes, sir. Actually, I came because I was curious about patient Jang Cheol-woo’s condition. Is Jang Cheol-woo alright?”

“Mmh. Do not worry too much. It is nothing major. He said he has asthma, so I prescribed medication and sent him home.”

“What? He was discharged?”

Kim Yun-seok asked in surprise.

“Why? Is there some problem?”

“Did you not admit him?”

“It was not serious enough for admission. Given the current hospital situation, we do not have the luxury to admit even asthma patients.”

“No, sir. I think that patient had some issues with his heart.”

“There are no abnormalities.”

“I checked his pulse, and when he inhaled, the pulse weakened and then disappeared……”

‘Pulsus paradoxus!’

Kim Ji-hyuk listened to the conversation between the two closely.

“Look, Mr. Yun-seok! I believe I told you there is no such thing. He merely experienced breathing difficulties due to asthma. I will handle the patient myself, so run along outside and prepare to receive the guest!”

“Ah, yes. I apologize, Professor!”

Even today, a mere resident could not argue with a professor’s word. The situation in Korea in 1952 was likely even more extreme, not less.

Kim Yun-seok had no choice but to bow his head.

As Professor Bower turned his back on Kim Yun-seok and left,

“Yun-seok, did the patient have pulsus paradoxus?”

Kim Ji-hyuk ran over and asked Kim Yun-seok.

“I think so. The pulse especially faded when he inhaled.”

“By any chance, did you hear a muffled sound from the heart during auscultation?”

“Yes!”

‘Jugular vein distention! It is a phenomenon that appears as venous return circulating back to the right heart becomes congested. In other words, Beck’s triad! There is a high probability of cardiac tamponade!’

“Grandfa… No, Yun-seok, you are right. I think this patient has a problem with his heart! Judging by the symptoms, fluid seems to be pooling in the pericardium!”

“Do you think so too? Then what should we do?”

“What else? We must go out right now and treat him.”

“But all the professors must be gathered in the hall preparing for the welcoming reception right now. Besides, you saw it just now, didn’t you? They don’t listen to a single word we say.”

“That’s why we have to do it.”

“We? H-how?”

“Yun-seok, listen to me carefully. Right now, go get some alcohol disinfectant and a needle… Well, the thicker the better. It must be at least 16 gauge. Bring those. A syringe would be nice to have, but if not, we can do without. Draining the fluid pooled in the pericardial sac is the top priority.”

“Is it really alright for us to do it?”

“Yun-seok! If we don’t do it, Cheol-woo will die! You must hurry.”

“O-okay. By the way, are you going to keep talking politely to me?”

As if having made up his mind, Kim Yun-seok nodded his head.

“Sorry… I’m still getting used to things… Anyway, quick, hurry! He wouldn’t have left in a car, so he couldn’t have gone far. If we go quickly, we can catch up with Cheol-woo.”

“Okay. I will prepare it right away.”

‘Let’s find out whether this is a dream or reality later, and save this student soldier first! Otherwise, Grandfather will suffer for the rest of his life.’

Kim Ji-hyuk quietly watched the retreating figure of his grandfather, Kim Yun-seok, who went to fetch the medical tools.

A moment later,

“Ji-hyuk, I brought the things you told me to fetch. But there is no syringe. What should we do?”

Yun-seok showed the first-aid kit to Ji-hyuk.

“It is fine. If we don’t have teeth, we use our gums. Let’s go!”

“Okay.”

The two ran down the stairs and dashed toward the main entrance.

Murmurs.

—That person must be Eisenhower!

—That’s right. He is the hero of World War II, General Eisenhower!

—Wow, he is so cool!

It seemed Dwight D. Eisenhower, the President-elect of the United States, had already arrived at the hospital with his entourage.

“Ji-hyuk, what do we do?”

“What do you mean what? We have to push through. Let’s go!”

“Okay!”

As Kim Ji-hyuk and Kim Yun-seok pushed through the massive crowd holding the first-aid kit, Eisenhower’s figure finally came into view.

‘That person is the famous Ike??’

Dressed simply in a military uniform and a field jacket, he was Dwight D. Eisenhower, definitely one of the most beloved presidents of the American people.

Ike’s eyes locked with Ji-hyuk’s.

He nodded slightly and smiled.

Ji-hyuk and Yun-seok hesitated for a moment in front of him. Soon, they tried to squeeze past the entourage to exit the main door.

“Doctor! Wait!”

At that moment, Eisenhower stopped Ji-hyuk in his tracks.