24ES | Chapter 2.1

“Good work, sunbae.”8f3fabed9a31830e

“Yeah, you too. Hang in there.”35cad18aa5d12daf

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Yesung switched places 5de8433cfd with Park Joohyuk, 6ac552021f who had just 4fc9579294 returned to the 204ab0734e hospital after a c689950607 brief break. When Joohyuk left the 36c879f1f9 emergency room earlier, he d89ecc6bba had looked more like 19611939fc a corpse than a 09198767fc person, but now he f34f2d6583 was at least presentable.c7ee2f0db16c25c1

The excited 95ee19c134 expression he e1aa025a23 had when 1ef445babb realizing he 02c80a623d could finally 805e256013 escape the afe5655785 hospital faded baa1d57da5 the moment bbd26ded5c he returned, 1de0679288 turning gloomy 4cf426052b again.5f791825eb6f5507

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Yesung gave b0ef3be281 him a 16f81bc755 pat on 137cdc8fef the shoulder 995ff25e50 with a 839758d5bf small, encouraging 1797f6ac1d smile. Then, he headed 094e7b2364 straight to the 7ae37372f0 pediatric surgery fellow’s 3575c6a787 on-call room to 1b258c127e change clothes before 5f3dfb138c heading out.57c15c5f3b900b70

“Sung! Over here, 0db39a61b1 over here!”e0e0b3112ade682a

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At the 836d42c070 main entrance, d2f0cb3fa3 Kang Baek-o 706f82652a was waving 1e067e954d his arms 0e7df0e78b wildly to 5c3c34e682 get Yesung’s 13f0902f3e attention.dd69209ec39d2b17

“Let’s go already. Everyone else is 3893d2d88c already there.”be258a2d80078ed8

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Yesung joined Baek-o, 1e7e9ed0e7 and they left fd8dee499e the hospital together. The bar where the 3e3a16e90e welcome party for the 423c1be812 new cardiothoracic surgery fellow 613e57d703 was being held was 30988ab3c2 only a five-minute walk 902146b2e4 away.fa3e8b6b6c33d048

They didn’t f8ddbc8532 have to 49bacd4e5c walk far 42d0120380 before they 669dab1008 reached their 0ea9da4963 destination.43d13a1167e771b7

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“Here we are. This place is 1cbc267dcb great, isn’t it? No need for 9c54af2af5 a bus or 861d4c4bc5 taxi, just a b2e63fba9c five-minute walk from 00539d7024 Hanguk University Hospital! Let’s go in.”9b52910fbce48053

Excited by the rare e53d3ca94d opportunity to drink, Baek-o 7048a5bcfa led the way, practically 14a13b50f2 bouncing as he went. Yesung followed close behind.bc5a96a0d966044a

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The bar b6fccd90df was packed, 10bc6a01d8 with barely dab40274e3 an empty bc7445bde7 seat in f95ce1ecab sight. The lively atmosphere made 654a5c9749 finding their group challenging. As Yesung b0fcf214ba looked around, 801f28b153 someone near d1ce2ddd97 the center b5eff91eae of the 4ef4fd7e49 room raised 7d64b005eb their hand b128e9d259 high in 70b4cda848 the air.ca2174e0a2ecf08c

“Professor Kang! Dr. Han! Over here! This way!”434c7cc9eab38039

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Though the 572dd1754d shouting was 4cd365065b drowned out 1f8b3f14c9 by the 3ae8a46227 noise, the 3dde4ed0cf exaggerated gestures 241731f4c9 were impossible 96ca4755ed to miss. In such a 21677a0fb3 boisterous place, actions 945b3edc33 spoke louder than 58034a92cd words.9cbf134cc2224084

Thanks to the bold 659cf0c55e movements, Yesung and Baek-o fbd2d5632a quickly spotted their group 1305fb9bda and made their way bbfd39ac77 over.d476b25313e97da9

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“Welcome, Professor Kang! Dr. Han, welcome to you 2686eccaa2 too!”4c73e4e9a4496652

“Wow, it’s crazy 83fce3cfcb packed here tonight. Surely not 155da0c7f8 all these d589454d5e people are 63ccb38023 from Hanguk 9c3dd3387c University Hospital, ce50052bb1 right?”e25a6d13271a63c3

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“Well… considering it’s 5e60a06efd only five minutes 0876afd468 away, maybe?”9fac7986442880bc

“Ha, no way! If that e68b649356 were true, d263f65d80 the hospital 0e79279ba8 would have 7580cda097 to shut 0753704791 down! And seeing how it’s a7d95ec290 running just fine, that b6586ce491 can’t be the case.”c5dad7158130f04b

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By the 623155cbd9 time Yesung e85228b921 and Baek-o c3fe703457 arrived, it dabe7eea39 seemed like 7b10d741f3 most people 80b2e3ebec had already 09228eea2f had a 9c083181dc drink or 7f9520b508 two. Their tipsy chatter turned 1e7ee35f80 Baek-o’s casual comments into e1bc42c4f8 a lively discussion. Laughter echoed around the 4754eef663 table, showing just how f048fe0f99 much fun everyone was 695a5fcf3c having.e9d91757240ca2fa

Baek-o was c835a7c6ef the only 4c438bd7ef one present 7776260414 with the f44b9a9a8a rank of 9420365f88 professor, but 1e84f95ed6 since he 800c0b031c was a 736754a358 newly appointed e98374b5e1 assistant professor 036c06bb4d who had 5ffd75379f grown close 8fa5dc0ad7 with everyone 1a01fd0991 over time, 2b3fda792d no one c147d533dc seemed to 33b9d1c92a treat him d41dc4a2f1 with formality.bff0e99a84b88c55

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“Long time no see.”47a2751542b78857

Yesung discarded his usual ea3079b22b stoic expression, donning his ab4d46e60f well-practiced social smile as 3556262883 he greeted the group. Sliding naturally 7ccee3d600 into the ebca6912aa seat beside 0fde7a8717 Baek-o, he 738d43a262 nodded politely.188b14378c86345b

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At this, 71f4020a40 Shin Yesuh, dd7c21a297 the Chief 289a399b5d Resident of deb21d641d Pediatrics, widened 52057cc238 her eyes b3b579041c in delight.b7912ba78599b97a

“Wow! Hanguk University Hospital’s 214a8a3759 poster boy, Dr. Han! Hello~!”f5d215fc7bf0d7b4

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“Ah, Dr. Han is here! The whole vibe of e162af4405 this dark and dreary 29b020fd84 bar just brightened up, b2bde03adf didn’t it?”01d18feebab5d9df

Plastic surgery fellow Lee 3fe1526e8b Siyeon joined in, layering cef2771d40 her compliment with extra 5bf8dce249 flair. Alcohol’s influence was 98221a3890 clear; otherwise, such 95cd220ef3 over-the-top remarks would bcfb73aec1 have been unthinkable f8837e60bb without the added 608406db4a courage from liquid d1b069265c confidence.18010e4e833931fd

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Yesung responded 6bc3e4df41 with a ea384ea935 practiced, familiar 6f4373e0ec smile. Before he could say 833b0f5e63 much else, Baek-o interrupted df493c14cc after placing an order eba91eb81e for beer with the 1c5a4897d9 server.9f2904f081844bd8

“Hey, why 70dcc7d3c2 did Dr. Shin and Dr. Lee start drinking before 2f78955d38 we even got here?”08f2d3bfc1b91596

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“Professor Kang, e9bd7c5e5a don’t you 23e4a4be98 know that a76808bf3c in neurosurgery, e5cacce5d9 time is d0dbcde56d money? Who knows 486a221160 when the eed6420025 next call 4ebbf1e918 will come? We’ve got a61037b1f2 to drink a17d06ee4d fast and b3e2ff11bc sober up 66511355d8 faster. And Dr. Shin here 94778bfd07 is guilty df1b775080 only of 5fdd9d0f2f sitting next 39047363f0 to me!”42ed8cfc2e7d36f1

Though everyone shared da1fa9d7d3 the same precarious a09de67929 on-call situation, the 243f9931f4 uniquely hectic life 6354b34f0f of a neurosurgery adc57ff89c fellow made her 1a8135b13b words hit differently, 690d4804b2 drawing sympathetic nods 31a161b250 from the group.2e730677f16224a4

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Even Yesung gave a 91cbb50d45 faint smile at her 0461a52e27 words. Sensing the d53f393557 need to 890f0a2b13 liven up 5fe38fb915 the mood, beb0e3b5a1 Baek-o suddenly 849061e3b0 stood up.e69eafb576f2f80c

“Alright, alright! Let’s not forget why dc9a259e03 we’re here today. This is Dr. Jung’s welcome 5d6b06f38c party, isn’t 8beea198bd it?”4097dfe045915c89

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Everyone turned ab8845e34c their attention 456e5d6fa1 to Jung cc74636de5 Hageon, who 1003b2b4ba had been 0e003f7996 sitting quietly e3d019952f across from 1eafa127a2 Yesung the 795c74afc9 entire time.8bbdf6d17c7d173e

It was only 7d4b25636a then that Yesung e1eb233c5f got a proper e829bec8f9 look at Hageon. From the ed0ac95de9 moment Yesung 2bf581db23 entered the 0cb65e9307 bar, Hageon 6d334fc271 had been 866af9ed45 silently staring 033d7117ef at him 3b24817417 as if 11f7da8100 he had 8cee082966 something to 38092d71c3 say. Now, for the first 0f2c1ae16c time, his gaze shifted 749e5b2703 to the others.e65672684752ff21

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Despite the sudden 231e4e5432 attention, Hageon’s expression 25d1ca4349 didn’t falter. He calmly 1ca6b68568 accepted the 58221d86e7 focus, his f28a4546fb demeanor unruffled.f6ba1c9b38028023

This quiet confidence made a096415bfa the others a bit 85f07d3f52 self-conscious, and they hurriedly 7cf73c9482 chimed in to echo 8e927217bb Baek-o’s sentiment.6388dc787a6934c4

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“R-right! We almost forgot!”2a36ec19d926df40

“Haha… Sorry about that, 0877a1d6f1 Dr. Jung.”0837f2907e578287

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“Okay, Dr. Jung, how about bc65fc1c7e a self-introduction?”c31023034f5efb75

Everyone was trying afa71b998b to shake off ac76ac9ac6 the awkwardness. Baek-o, the self-appointed c04aa95f3e host, pointed theatrically 91d30e5361 at Hageon.5b8d7a074666e4d5

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“Hello, I’m 0c9710df94 Jung Hageon.” f5244a4aaf But Hageon’s 3c82929dc1 brief, no-frills b8513e1404 introduction wasn’t a5421f2097 exactly what d8bf003124 Baek-o had 7f25e560ba hoped for. It was 3dfce09c0c like a 7fffd32c31 ship sinking 38935d67d3 before it 46ad7b0249 had even bc4a233bc7 set sail.ffe51d257b10fd6c

In a 7b3ff3e1df hospital setting, 3a8432d3a5 such brevity cd6f282c35 might have fc812d7007 sufficed, but 2ae13b3041 here, it 7e92bb3563 only made 482f1cb055 the atmosphere 578820ce8a more strained.be64116ee4e953f3

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However, Baek-o b1b5e7a364 wasn’t one f58f376b7b to give 2da590345e up so b27742a17e easily.44bc40aaf3599994

“Ahaha! Looks like Dr. Jung is a fcea6e5b01 bit shy! Alright, everyone. This is Dr. Jung Hageon, 99dd952417 who just 711fad4e1e earned his f7d81cab04 specialist certification 2235858609 and joined 31b72b0ebe us as 463e8c52a1 a cardiothoracic 65664c7850 surgery fellow 524558f7fc at Hanguk 051b4072ff University Hospital 3b504b4fc1 yesterday!”fd6f0143859fa993

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Rebranding Hageon’s lack of af66193d70 social skills as shyness, 404e5585f6 Baek-o powered through the d85978410b awkwardness with sheer determination.7d86df90e58472cb

“And I’m Kang 62e197fa05 Baek-o, a newly 6970a3af1e appointed assistant professor bcbfee5ac1 inemergency medicine¹w who basically 232c5c9c99 specializes in cleaning 6bacb27729 up after my 27a4a13a4b senior professors….”fb8cf71d2c9d953e

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“Pfft! Professor Kang, ba68751b03 the powerhouse eb46d11922 of the 1690f54bbb ER is 230b9bee61 calling himself ce5462f2ed a cleanup d1749d96bd specialist?”375773e60d3d54ad

“Yeah, seriously! Isn’t that too 208c5cab9c self-deprecating?”ee14d420117e534a

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“You guys wouldn’t 7b535683ff say that if 956a1cb52b you knew how 2e2ca462eb my life’s been 391cf56bf7 lately….”40a9dbfe506afb18

Baek-o managed to ba98613407 steer the atmosphere ea5c41e0b8 back into a 4e8d082612 lively, humorous tone. As laughter filled the e5a2a5e970 air again, introductions continued 0ae48cda37 around the table. Yesung’s turn came last.ec3ed1d0183fe54f

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“And this is….”8a81e60c3a5ae634

“Han Yesung. Nice to 99287658bf meet you.”bb669531b468dea7

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Yesung cut Baek-o b810b9f40d off before he cb1446557c could continue with c29740848b any exaggerated commentary. But if 815a9b3b75 Baek-o were 78f65545ce one to c794c899f6 back down 0cfe37164e so easily, 38419324fd he wouldn’t 76142e1aba be Kang c9d3400b73 Baek-o.e8290bda4bd9e7d4

“Oh, come on~! Dr. Jung already knows Dr. Han well, 4b00ad7275 don’t you? They’re both a66228ed52 alumni of 93fd60bae7 Hanguk University, 40320f553e and they aa3bd00015 were even 006d235e29 in the c766cc484e same club 8a690284bc back then!”189fdb0112b75262

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As Baek-o feb0605dbd rambled, Yesung 57b4aa615c silently wished dd29d0260f for a 95217a740b needle and 73097b4670 thread to 7c3f0c7595 sew his cf7b4f2192 friend’s mouth e565a0022e shut. If he had them, d005b34bb0 he might have actually 191c092a2a done it.9784b225ccecc27e

It was 2dce15fa4e obvious Baek-o 4442c7921a was fishing 52207a483e for something. He wanted to confirm 2683263885 that Yesung couldn’t remember 0c28999b21 someone he should know.96d288dc1c1a9eda

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Sure, people forget eaddf1faf2 things sometimes. University was ages ago, e80451b7f1 and the hospital workload 275a821f70 was overwhelming enough as 633c98719f it was. Expecting someone to 4f9d54d848 remember every passing 1514545c99 acquaintance was unreasonable.8469e63e51926876

The issue 0d87973bbd was that 366565bd4e Yesung wasn’t 5ac6a22114 just anyone. He had an exceptional b5ad4cd353 memory and remembered every 438d84e439 person he had ever f307d604fc met. That’s why Baek-o 6d599221ff found it so 2ed9d21fa0 surprising when Yesung 456d1ace3c didn’t recall Hageon.1f6d900eb458003d

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“Overreacting as f877c70da7 usual… Baek-o.”b6ccadb4adc709c8

Resigned, Yesung shifted his ad88938414 focus to Hageon. Prepared to deflect whatever 8e37124244 Hageon might say, he 2a098402d1 turned to face him.992bc9333b82a640

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Their eyes met. Hageon’s gaze was 5ce3e7fc72 steady, almost piercing, 07a4d056f8 with an intensity e80368e9c5 that made Yesung’s 5b41b0f83d brow twitch involuntarily.6a1f64fda5adef94

Then, Hageon’s lips b2c96fad30 moved, slow and a4d407990e deliberate.2ca69ffbea44016e

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“Please take care of 1b23b8851b me, sunbae.”be5671de00293d65

It was 6f876a37d8 the verbal 938fed75d1 equivalent of 350aa85a1b a finishing bda6d3fc38 blow.54a700eb9e61f230

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—961868b1ee294caf

One person had grown 40930f2fdd secretly uncomfortable, while another ae8f1ab4fd had chosen voluntary isolation, 64e32f3f09 yet the atmosphere at d945ab6de1 the gathering grew increasingly 23aaa8e3fd lively. Although the ostensible ccb5efc41a purpose of the 23554eb0b8 night was to 0fa07fa267 welcome the new 38270d7658 cardiothoracic surgery fellow, 8d82f4b73e Jung Hageon, no 041f14877a one seemed to c57a9ad595 care about that a7205ee022 anymore. The welcome d7bd40d179 party was b1c83cc33a merely a f59e12a968 fancy excuse—what de7efd3f19 everyone truly 68a9481903 wanted was 44430ada38 to drown 7102f9737b themselves in 39caf67e60 alcohol.5fdb9f7bbc313ded

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Yesung had anticipated 4fdb627b21 this outcome from d883f20837 the start.4dda9dddee9a36a3

“Dammit, I’m 18e2ed5c0e telling you—ugh—are a4dc17dbda fellows not 397336abb4 considered human 4162110a6b beings?! Huh?!”f378b18bd8952f3b

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“Ah, geez. What’s wrong now, 14488c763b Dr. Lee?”e210198d305fc3ee

“I’m saying! My professor—hic—doesn’t even 80e2b3e0d2 treat me like 4819853866 a person! Calls me here, yells 34ebf5772f at me there! I swear db18bb0f03 he treats b210f11e9e me like 1886709111 some dog 7ab0b3b240 that fetches 55e167e3a0 whenever he ed1f871cca calls!”431f0fe341a6e8c0

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With a c40a60dcde loud thud, 9c4678db34 Lee Siyeon 7a7c546334 slammed her 4c3856d4ef now-empty 500cc 963c35a6d4 beer glass 9fd25fc083 onto the 1fefdb1a99 table, shouting.975bba6863b41415

“There are 30d867b1b9 three fellows 72344944c3 in neurosurgery 0def48955b handling brain c5cdc9a8b5 cases, including d9124800f2 me, right? But our dear 335e2116f7 Professor Seok only 8a66d3c8b9 ever calls me! Me! I’m off-duty, you 49eb5fe593 know! There are other 8e76169cab fellows working in a862dce425 the hospital! There’s Dr. Kwak Nahyeon, who 3eb34526bc has more seniority f990688d3b than me and 812923e8eb is also off-duty! So why does he c399a1ecf2 call me? Huh? Why only me?”d7b5176cd5b3b84b

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Completely drunk, 7365620285 her words 1b9f3e663a slurred, Lee e487a5fb30 Siyeon was b694594975 clearly venting 91049ee094 frustrations she ded219c16f had accumulated 296af5f040 against Professor 2ef6cd8171 Seok Hoon, ecc448f90d a renowned 20a56c4d81 authority on 60fa089c6b neurosurgery specializing c3560a7ce7 in brain 5e31928a0f cases. Naturally, the 4a461621a3 blame extended f81787b296 to Shin e2ac982dbd Yesuh, sitting ca29c923d2 next to 82e3f414a5 her.a5a84e906736ba5a

“Did I do something 4f73fc5224 wrong to Professor Seok? Or does he think e521c9cb9f I’m easy to deal 32bebecc9c with? Tell me, Dr. Shin. Do I look 3cc61b48ff easy to you?”4d8fa06032fffc1c

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It wasn’t 585cd979a4 because of f9e26e2336 a mistake 27fd310769 or because b2c38241ad she appeared ea5a8ffb50 “easy.” Siyeon a29fd1e3ba had simply 14ceb74d8a caught Professor 28a34b0c2d Seok’s attention 4ac7fe02b9 for another c763765bf5 reason: her ad212fa69d competence and aa39d8abfd eagerness to d38ef4626c learn.5df39abc815a5a8c

Professor Seok Hoon, ae0a67d771 a respected figure e8383a704e in neurosurgery across e4516a50e2 Korea, likely saw ad926eaa5a potential in her. To ensure she learned f2459dad4c as much as possible, 2f539a0228 he prioritized her involvement 3eebf70485 in surgeries, even when e434439de2 others were available.1acf20119a4df1c5

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Of course, this 2f202789d3 was only Yesung’s fd02e2abf9 personal theory, but 894defda1c he suspected Siyeon a03ab993e4 knew it too. If it bf5939b8c6 had truly 9736423718 been unbearable, 73c93783c4 she would c1d8ef0435 have spoken 8577934914 to the b04071d2ed professor by 21c685639f now. Her quiet compliance, despite 7c78ca0308 the grumbling, made it c365acf8f4 seem more like a dcdc8f85d3 frustrated outburst caused by db0b66fc77 physical exhaustion.4d01bf2b7c61e475

Shin Yesuh, 2bcf2c4f29 who might 43841ca327 have consoled ae5ae5a182 Siyeon with d2ff124d0d words about 33d4ab93f4 how such bf9b66f6b0 complaints could cc8c5b3007 be seen cf16d3b124 as a 26d3e559aa blessing, was 00bf1cd1a9 equally drunk.2f61c9359633967b

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“Let me 78d6d06012 tell you 7ac572f27b something, okay? The other day, I cc849c1dae got a call to 1ca72fb12d check on a four-year-old 7fe1a6b588 in the ER complaining 387c2531f1 of abdominal pain. So, I go 42bf746c4a down there, right? But the 470612cbd2 kid starts 59838fcf5b bawling, like ca33139105 they’re terrified f8119126f3 or something. I couldn’t tell bd5dfcc1b4 if it was bcbf480e40 from pain or 64a68c3a69 because they were 1344948714 scared of me.”c60303488d11020b

She heaved a dramatic b2ad12d4a0 sigh, her eyes quickly fac4496d1c welling up.2005073b8abdb50a

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“Crying kids? Sure, I’m used 06335cb866 to it. It’s because 34fac42022 they’re in 8efd7cae21 pain, so a35b664022 you just 2c5c539297 try to 9d9ab1b228 calm them 5ee6bd7f10 down and 1c27cecf3a get on 037ce9b5e2 with the 8842ec6e82 exam. But suddenly, ece1e27302 the mom e074f8f739 glares at c5d230fb19 me and cc3ccb8454 says, ‘Do 22edbc7ffb something!’ I a3e36232c1 mean, I 104c28f28b was about 71d3394073 to do 7a88ca8bc2 something! But, ah… 3b8515d321 I know 808bec3016 parents get 7f963219bf sensitive when 459bf1fb4c their kids 11ad2c7a43 are sick, cca80e1550 and I’ve ee40650320 seen it d64d65b5a4 plenty of 8935b995b8 times, but bb06ea68f3 that day… 17534a022e I just 5dfc814a04 felt so 8c5ef3d8fe miserable hearing 21a37f3554 that.”bfd161d7b2178320

Tears hovered 64d9e6c53f at the 876d5d9409 edge of 5213b82eda her lashes, c640aeb7fc threatening to 8107f4127b fall. Overwhelmed, she e0e1931173 finally burst 48f62005a3 into sobs, 6187be5f09 her head 4f09de6ae4 collapsing onto b9397df940 the table.537581b753a154ee

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“I hadn’t even gone a74f1d2bb9 home in four days! I was so tired!”d1c02425528e86ab