Chapter 83 – Devoted Couple (4)

“Where are we going?”

Kim Ji-hyuk asked Nurse Park In-seon as he ran.

“Gwiryung Pass!”

Nurse Park In-seon spoke, panting heavily.

“Gwiryung Pass? Where is that?”

“Did you not see the sloped hill at the entrance of our village? The one with a sheer cliff?”

“Ah, I did see it… But why there?”

“It is the place where Sister Mi-yeong first met hyeongbu.”

“Did she really go there?”

“My sister used to go there whenever something happened. It is just a hunch, but I think she will be there this time too. It is tiring, so do not ask more and just run.”

Nurse Park In-seon speeded up her steps, drawing rough breaths.

“A-Ah, I understand.”

After a short while.

In that way, the two crossed a shallow hill called Kkaldak Pass, passing through the pine grove that was a famous spot in Moeundong Village, and reached Gwiryung Pass.

And.

Just as Nurse Park In-seon had said, Mi-yeong was there!

“Sister! No!!!”

Nurse Park In-seon, discovering Park Mi-yeong sitting on the edge of the cliff, called out her name at the top of her lungs.

“Gasp. It is dangerous!”

Kim Ji-hyuk also raised his voice. Even at a glance, Park Mi-yeong was sitting in a precarious position.

“In-seon? How did you get here?”

She slowly turned her head toward the sound.

Compared to the urgent Nurse Park In-seon, her voice was calm.

“Sister! No matter how hard it is, you must not do this! Doctor, help me!”

Nurse Park In-seon walked up to her boldly without fear, wrapped both arms around Park Mi-yeong’s waist, and pulled her back.

“Why, why are you doing this?”

Park Mi-yeong had a bewildered expression.

“You should live with the courage to die. Does this resolve anything? What kind of foolish act is this?”

“I do not know what on earth you are talking about?”

“Nurse Park In-seon is right. Nothing is resolved by doing this!”

Kim Ji-hyuk also wore a face convinced that Park Mi-yeong was trying to make an extreme choice, just like Nurse Park In-seon.

“Did you two run all the way here because you were worried I would do something? I am not going to die.”

Park Mi-yeong, noticing the intentions of the two, wore a faint smile on her lips.

“…!”

“…!”

“You went through unnecessary trouble. I just came here to sort out my thoughts because my head was complicated, so do not worry needlessly, you two.”

“R-Really? Sister?”

Nurse Park In-seon still had a suspicious expression. She did not loosen her grip on the woman’s wrist out of anxiety.

“Yes. So could you let go of my arm? It hurts.”

“A-Ah, I understand. Sorry!”

Nurse Park In-seon blushed, embarrassed.

“Are you really okay?”

When the situation stabilized to some extent, Kim Ji-hyuk asked Park Mi-yeong.

“I am fine, except for being a bit cold.”

“Then let us return to the clinic quickly. It is not good to be exposed to such cold wind for long.”

“No. I know my body best. I will handle it. Thank you for looking after me all this time. I do not want to cause trouble to you two anymore.”

Park Mi-yeong slowly shook her head.

“Sister! Why are you really being so stubborn? Stop talking nonsense and let us return to the clinic. Your body is not normal right now!”

Nurse Park In-seon tried hard to persuade her, feeling anxious.

“No. In-seon. I think I must leave this place.”

“What is that about again?”

Perhaps relieved that Park Mi-yeong was not going to make an extreme choice, Nurse Park In-seon asked as she sat on a rock, letting out a sigh of relief.

“I plan to divorce him now.”

Park Mi-yeong spoke, dropping her head weakly.

“Really? You did well!”

“Did I do well?”

Raising her head to look at Nurse Park In-seon, Park Mi-yeong’s face looked infinitely sad.

“Of course you did well. Sister, you are in the prime of your age. Just forget that man and make a fresh start now! It is more than enough!”

Nurse Park In-seon grabbed both of Park Mi-yeong’s hands.

“…”

“Patient, let us talk about the rest after returning to the clinic. Staying here is dangerous.”

Park Mi-yeong was trembling. Her condition looked so bad that her lips were turning pale.

Kim Ji-hyuk took off his coat, wrapped it around her, and spoke.

“…”

“Yes. Sister! Please do as the doctor says. Please! You could really die at this rate. If you do not go down, I will not budge a single step from here either. So you decide.”

“I hate causing trouble to you and the doctor more than anything. I will not go.”

“Are you going to keep talking nonsense? This is the job for the doctor and me. Do you not know that acting like this is disrupting our work?”

“Still…”

“Forget it! Your stubbornness is causing more trouble. What if they throw a fit at the Seoul main hospital? Saying we neglected patient management? At this rate, the doctor and I might lose our livelihoods! Do you think we are doing this just because of you, Sister?”

“Yes? Ah, yes. That is right.”

When Nurse Park In-seon winked at him, Kim Ji-hyuk, catching her drift, nodded.

“I-I see. I did not know that… Then I will go down.”

As Nurse Park In-seon put on a stern front, Park Mi-yeong stood up in embarrassment.

“Yes, yes. Good decision. You have to recover your body first to divorce or do whatever, right? Let us go down quickly.”

With that, Nurse Park In-seon embraced Park Mi-yeong.

“I-I understand.”

Park Mi-yeong reluctantly followed Nurse Park In-seon’s wishes.

* * *

That evening, the clinic’s official residence.

“How is Park Mi-yeong doing?”

“I administered the stabilizer as you prescribed, and she just fell asleep. I came up after confirming she fell asleep.”

“That is a relief.”

“By the way, Sister asked me for a favor.”

“A favor?”

“She asked me not to report it to the station, since she plans to divorce hyeongbu.”

“I see.”

Kim Ji-hyuk nodded slowly.

“I do not know what that affection is, but it seems to be because Sister is so soft-hearted, but my thoughts are different.”

“…”

“It has not been a very long time, but living my life, I found this one thing to be an unchanging truth. People! They do not change so easily. I understand Sister’s situation, but shouldn’t we correct his bad hand habit on this occasion? I think if someone committed a wrong, they should pay the appropriate price.”

Despite Park Mi-yeong’s request, it was Nurse Park In-seon’s firm expression of her will to report it to the station. Kim Ji-hyuk, guessing the reason, spoke with a serious expression.

“The bruises on Park Mi-yeong’s body were not caused by her husband’s beatings!”

“W-What? Doctor, what do you mean by that?”

Nurse Park In-seon asked, her eyes widening.

“The bruises scattered on the patient’s body are all identical. The color and shape are the same. Generally, if violence occurs, and she suffered such continuous violence…”

“Ah! Technicolor! Yes, I also thought that was a bit strange. If there had been continuous assault, the colors of the bruises would be different. From dark red bruises to purple, to light brown, and so on!”

Thwack!

Nurse Park In-seon slapped her knee.

“Yes. But the patient’s bruises are uniform in shape. The colors are also similar. It is highly likely that the bruises spread all over her body simultaneously. In that sense, it can be assumed that the bruises were not caused by beatings.”

Kim Ji-hyuk calmly explained to Nurse Park In-seon.

“Hmm, that cannot be… There are definitely many people who said they heard loud arguments with hyeongbu at Sister’s house! Sister did not deny it either.”

“They heard sounds, but they did not witness it directly, did they? Furthermore, Park Mi-yeong did not deny it, but she did not confirm it either.”

“T-That is true… Then what are the bruises on Sister’s body?”

“It is still a guess, but I think it is highly likely Cushing’s syndrome.”

“Cushing’s syndrome? What is that?”

Nurse Park In-seon wore a puzzled expression.

Since it was a rare disease even in 2024, Nurse Park In-seon could not have known, no matter how much of a veteran she was.

“It is difficult to explain in detail, but it is a disease in which various symptoms appear due to the excessive secretion of glucocorticoids.”

Kim Ji-hyuk explained slowly.

“T-There was such a disease. I did not know it well.”

Nurse Park In-seon had a flustered expression.

‘Of course. Even in 2024, domestic cases are not very common.’

“Yes. Because it is a rare disease, cases are not common. The bruises and edema all over her body, plus the hypertension and diabetes she developed later—all of this seems to increase the possibility of Cushing’s syndrome.”

“Oh dear, then the recent weight gain, and the symptoms of wasting-thirst disease too? Ah. What on earth is going on? If Sister has Cushing’s syndrome…”

Nurse Park In-seon had an absurd expression.

“Yes. That is right. The bruises on the patient’s body are highly likely not from beatings.”

“So that is why you said hyeongbu did not beat her.”

Nurse Park In-seon blinked her eyes as if she could not believe it.

“On the day the patient came to the clinic, her husband was not home! Moreover, her husband did not even know that his wife was hospitalized at the clinic. Then who beat the patient?”

“No, the neighbors definitely said they heard crashing sounds! How on earth did this happen??”

Nurse Park In-seon wore a perplexed expression.

“It seems there is a story between the two of them.”

“A story?”

“I do not know that far either. The only thing certain is that the husband did not beat his wife.”

“…Come to think of it, until now, Sister has never said a single time that she was beaten by hyeongbu! We just made assumptions and jumped to that conclusion and misunderstanding. Well, hyeongbu always came home dead drunk, and there were loud voices every time, so we just assumed that was the case.”

“There must have been another reason. Most of all, that Gwiryung Pass earlier. Her husband had been there.”

“M-My brother-in-law?”

“Yes. He was keeping his distance. It looked like he went back after seeing that we were by her side, feeling relieved.”

“Gasp, I did not see him.”

“It is certain.”

“This is crazy! If your words are correct, Doctor, we have seriously misunderstood. What should we do?”

“That is not what is important right now. If the patient has Cushing’s syndrome, leaving her like this is dangerous. She must receive professional treatment.”

“Is it a disease that dangerous? There is a way to treat it, right?”

While feeling relieved that there was no assault, Nurse Park In-seon wore a complex face at the new bad news. Kim Ji-hyuk also had a heavy face.

‘Even in 2024, there is no definitive cure. However, if symptomatic treatment is carried out faithfully, it might not be very dangerous. That treatment is possible even now!’

“Judging by the fact that diabetes has already developed, the disease seems to have progressed significantly. However, although drug treatment will have some effect…”

“A-And if not?”

Gulp, Nurse Park In-seon swallowed her saliva.

“If an adrenal tumor is the cause, she will have to undergo surgery immediately.”

“A tumor? You mean cancer?”

“If it is an adrenal tumor, drug treatment is also possible, but if it is a pituitary tumor, surgery is the rule.”

“Oh no. This is a big problem. They are already hounded by mountains of debt, so what should we do?”

Nurse Park In-seon stamped her feet in distress.

“First, I will look into the disease, so please pay attention to the patient, Nurse. Especially tonight, it seems we must not leave the patient alone.”

“I understand! I will stay by her side, so do not worry about anything.”

“Yes. Please do so.”

That night, the clinic.

Late at night, a man came to find Kim Ji-hyuk.

“Who is it?”

“Doctor, I am the husband of Park Mi-yeong.”

“Ah, yes. Please come inside first.”

“I am sorry for the late hour, but could you spare a moment?”

The person who came to find Kim Ji-hyuk was Park Mi-yeong’s husband, Go Min-guk.