They turned towards the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, located in the Sakhalin Oblast. This city was in southern Russia, close to Japan, and was the main administrative city filled with medical facilities. The St. Petersburg office had contacted the hospital in advance, so the helipad with a clear H marking allowed them to land safely. However, was this really supposed to happen when they had almost died? They were immediately transferred for emergency treatment, but the feeling of devastation felt when lifting the severely injured Jin Hoje, whose face was a mess, and Yoo Dawit, whose back was torn to shreds, still felt very vivid. The severely injured members immediately underwent emergency surgery. Seoryeong felt her body lose energy as if she had aged years in the process. However, the bigger problem was Lee Wooshin.
“Instructor, please calm down—!”
“Throw that needle away, I don’t want anesthesia or anything.”
“……!”
As he swung his arm, his eyes drooping, the treatment table moved, its wheels falling to the side with a loud clatter. The medical staff screamed and backed away, while Lee Wooshin, despite his shaky state, managed to pull out the IV needle and throw it to the floor. The metal safety rail fell to the floor, and the medical chart slid off like a domino, causing the medications on it to fall, creating a loud commotion. Five doctors tried to calm him down as he rose from the bed, but they seemed unable to restrain the man who looked like a wild animal. The doctor who examined Lee Wooshin’s eyes with a penlight quickly stated that excessive adrenaline levels were causing nerve instability, and he frantically yelled for a sedative.
“Адренали́н...― транквилизатор...!” (Adrenalín...― trankvilizátor...! - “Adrenaline...― tranquilizer...!” in Russian) However, Lee Wooshin covered his ears and pushed the doctors away more forcefully. He strongly refused to completely lose consciousness. Seoryeong felt her blood run cold. She had once heard from a training colleague that some members went on missions with adrenaline injections to increase their heart rate, blood pressure, and provide more energy. This hormone helped muscles tense and the body move faster, preparing it for combat conditions. However, Lee Wooshin’s state of being unmedicated and able to be in this condition infuriated her. He had pushed himself in an overly tense state, through the minefield, the tower, and solely with a sense of responsibility, controlled the helicopter and rescued all the members before arriving here. Seeing the man who couldn’t even lie down peacefully, her heart felt constricted.
“Instructor, it’s me.”
Finally, unable to bear it any longer, she stepped forward. With a syringe she had taken from a nurse, she hid it behind her back. Lee Wooshin, whose head was spinning, pulled Seoryeong closer and quickly closed the privacy curtain, as if he were still on the battlefield. Seoryeong tried to calm him down by stroking the back of his neck, even though she felt uneasy. She looked at the man, who had been severely injured, suppressing the feeling of detachment from the reality of his wounded body.
“Instructor, just lie down. We can treat you if you stay still.”
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t get treatment. I just don’t want to be anesthetized.”
“…….”
“Just stitch it up without anesthesia.”
Seoryeong suppressed the urge to scream and scold the man, knowing that persuading him further would only make things worse. Behind his covered military boots, she unknowingly bit her lip with both hands when the medical staff cut off his boots. Otherwise, she was afraid a groan would escape. The toenails and soles of his feet were severely damaged. His feet were crushed like dough beaten with a hammer. She felt a spreading heat in her eyes.
“Instructor, you’re more injured than I thought.”
“Do you think something else will happen here?”
“But, we made it out of the Sakhalin monastery safely.”
“Do you think this place is safe?”
“…….”
“You’re still so naive with that face. Nothing in this world can be trusted, Seoryeong.”
Lee Wooshin said those words in a sarcastic tone, while hugging Seoryeong tightly, indicating that he wouldn’t let go. He remained vigilant as if danger was lurking.
“Everything can disappear in an instant.”
“…….”
“I know that very well.”
Seoryeong felt cold sweat trickle down her neck, and she stroked his back with a trembling hand, trying to calm the man. Even though his body was shaking from the pain, he held her tighter instead of pushing her away. Seoryeong touched the man’s cheek with her own, trying to soothe him little by little, before suddenly tapping the back of his neck with an open hand.
“――!”
Lee Wooshin’s vacant eyes instantly narrowed. Without waiting any longer, Seoryeong immediately injected the needle into Lee Wooshin’s arm. However, Lee Wooshin couldn’t push her away, only stare at her with a face full of disappointment.
“Why is the instructor looking at me like that?”
“……!”
Seoryeong smiled faintly, carefully touching Lee Wooshin’s eyebrows. Even though his body was broken and he couldn’t rest, Seoryeong felt the need to turn off the switch inside him so that he could calm down a little. However, her touch felt awkward, and she hurriedly clenched her fist.
“Until we get to Korea, I’ll stay here. If anyone suspicious comes, I’ll drive them away. So, please get some sleep. I won’t go anywhere. Please trust me...”
After she said that, she was slightly surprised. Asking him to trust her... wasn’t that ridiculous? After Kim Hyeon disappeared, she herself had lost all trust in the world. However, when she saw Lee Wooshin’s tense eyes, as if he would never close them, the words came out so naturally.
“No... Ki...”
“Ki, officer? Is that what you’re worried about? If such a situation comes again, I won’t just give up. Trust in the days you’ve trained for, instructor.”
Sure enough, slowly, Lee Wooshin’s increasingly regular breathing and his increasingly heavy eyelids indicated that he could finally sleep. And as his eyes closed completely, Seoryeong let out a sigh of relief. Now it was time for real treatment. The special security team members only underwent the most urgent emergency surgery at the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Hospital, then they were transferred back on stretchers and taken to the airport. The decision to continue the journey on a Blast Inc. transport plane to Korea for further surgery was made after considering that it was better than waiting here any longer. Since no one else could make the decision, Seoryeong had to bear it all alone. In the process, she was so worried that someone would be more seriously injured that she couldn’t sleep at all. Jin Hoje, who suffered burns on his face and organ damage and had been unconscious from the start; Yoo Dawit, who suffered bruises and bleeding on his back, as well as broken ribs; and Lee Wooshin, who suffered internal tissue damage from shrapnel and torn ligaments in his instep. According to Ki Taemin, who was in relatively good condition, the incident started when they tried to step on the landmine with the truck, but suddenly the truck’s rear wheel came off and went towards the mine, which exploded without warning.
Fortunately, Yoo Dawit was in a position slightly elevated from the ground, and because the explosion occurred quite far away, he was able to survive. Seoryeong tried to imagine the extremely urgent situation at that time, but she found it difficult to picture. The team members who finally survived and returned to Korea began their recovery with intensive treatment at a hospital run by the Sehwa Group. Because the injuries they sustained made their return to duty highly uncertain, the special security team ceased operations, but the most urgent tasks slowly began to stabilize. Seoryeong stopped trying to remember when she had last slept, and continued to stay with the team members who were hospitalized. Enduring an increasingly severe headache, she opened the door to the first treatment room.
“――.”
A man with his face wrapped in thick bandages from his face to his neck. Seoryeong paused for a moment as she was about to place a vase of flowers in his room, then looked at him. It was Jin Hoje’s treatment room, and he was still unconscious. ‘Kim Hyeon is near you.’ Upon hearing that, the first people who came to her mind were the special security team members, and especially Jin Hoje, who seemed very similar to Kim Hyeon. Even though she already knew that Kim Hyeon used a false identity, in her heart, doubts slowly began to arise. With just similar facial bones and body structure, maybe it could match. Moreover, looking at this man whose face was wrapped in bandages, Seoryeong’s feelings grew increasingly strange.
“Mask….”
It was as if someone had given her a clue beforehand. Could such a coincidence happen?
“That means a mask.”
When her eyes suddenly fell on Jin Hoje’s lower body, she was startled and hurriedly rubbed her face.
Now… what was she thinking about this comrade who was still unconscious? Her heart felt like it was being pricked, as if a large stone was lodged inside. Seoryeong rubbed her face until it was red and picked up her phone. The very helpful voice during the trip to Korea echoed in her ears again. ―Yes, Sis, speak casually…!
“Can you tell me about team member Jin Hoje?”
―What do you mean… are you curious about some dirty personal life that hasn’t been revealed yet, is that it?
“It’s not like that…”
―…Actually, I’ve been waiting for this day…! If you point out one guy, I’m ready to spill everything about him…! Is it because Jin Hoje got hurt that your heart feels so messed up?
“…….”
―Then trust me…! To know a guy from South Korea, you also have to investigate his family…! The sound of rapid typing on a keyboard could already be heard. Seoryeong could only rub her forehead, wondering how to stop Channa, who seemed to be sinking into her fantasy world. Calmly, she left the treatment room and walked slowly down the empty corridor. She gradually slowed her pace and said, “There’s one more question…”
“Isn’t it true that foreigners can’t enter the NIS?”