CHAPTER 56
Dr. Daniels was an emergency physician at a private hospital in Seoul and had provided urgent medical care for Yujin’s family before.
He arrived less than twenty minutes later with an emergency bag, portable monitoring equipment, and everything required for an initial emergency assessment, though not hospital imaging.
He spoke with Ji-Woo and Mrs. Kang before entering the bedroom.
“How long was he unconscious after the head injury?”
“Chung-Hee said only a few seconds,” Ji-Woo replied. “He opened his eyes when Chung-Hee called his name.”
“Has he vomited?”
“I don’t know.”
“Does he know where he is?”
“Sometimes I don’t think he knows who we are.”
Dr. Daniels’ expression tightened. “That concerns me.”
Duri looked at him. “Does he have to go to hospital?”
“I’m going to assess him first. But I want to be clear. If I see signs that suggest a significant head injury, severe dehydration, internal injury, or anything I can’t safely evaluate here, we don’t negotiate. He goes.”
Ji-Woo nodded immediately. “Understood.”
Duri looked toward the bed. “What if he refuses?”
“If he has the capacity to make that decision, we respect it.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“Then we deal with that if we get there.”
Dr. Daniels set his bag down. “Right now, I need information. Medication. Medical conditions. Allergies.”
“Dr. Kim knows his psychiatric medication,” Duri said.
“Good. Ask her to call me.”
Ji-Woo pulled out his phone.
Dr. Daniels stopped him briefly. “And tell her exactly what happened. I need to know what medication he’s taken recently, whether anything was interrupted, and what his baseline mental state was before this.”
Ji-Woo nodded.
Within minutes, Dr. Daniels had spoken briefly with Dr. Kim. Then he entered the bedroom.
Duri followed. Ji-Woo remained near the doorway.
Dr. Daniels stopped several feet from the bed. Noeul was asleep, or appeared to be. The doctor watched his breathing first. Then his color. The bandage on his head. The injured wrists visible above the blanket.
He did not touch him.
“Has he been trembling like that the entire time?”
Duri looked down. Small shudders moved intermittently through Noeul’s body.
“Yes.”
“And the way he keeps drifting away?”
“Since we found him.”
Dr. Daniels nodded. “I’m going to start with the least invasive things I can.”
Duri glanced at him. “Can you examine him without waking him?”
“I can observe him and check some things carefully. But I’m not going to examine someone who is asleep or too overwhelmed to consent simply because it’s convenient.”
Duri nodded slowly.
Dr. Daniels continued. “If he wakes, let him see who is here before anyone touches him. One person speaks at a time.”
Ji-Woo swallowed. “Will he be okay?”
The doctor looked at Noeul for a long moment. “I don’t know yet.”
Ji-Woo’s face fell.
Dr. Daniels’ expression softened. “But he’s here. He’s breathing. And you got him out.”
He opened his medical bag. “Now we find out what he needs next.”
Duri moved closer to the bed, stopping before he touched him.
“Noeul hyung.”
The words reached Noeul slowly, as though traveling through water. His eyelids moved.
Duri waited. “Dr. Daniels is here.”
Noeul’s brow furrowed faintly.
“He wants to make sure your head is okay.”
His eyes opened. Unfocused. For several seconds, they drifted around the room before finding Duri.
“Duri…?”
“Yes.”
Duri gave him a small smile. “I’m here.”
Dr. Daniels moved into Noeul’s line of sight, careful not to loom over him. “I’m going to listen to your heart first,” he said quietly. “Nothing else yet.”
Noeul stared at him. The words seemed to reach him slowly.
Dr. Daniels lifted the stethoscope where Noeul could see it. “It might feel cold.”
No response.
The doctor waited. “Mr. Jung, is it all right if I touch your chest with this?”
Duri stayed where he was. “I’m here,” he said softly.
Noeul looked back at the doctor. After a long pause, he gave the smallest nod.
Dr. Daniels moved carefully.
The moment the cold stethoscope touched his skin, Noeul gasped. His body jerked violently.
“No!”
Dr. Daniels withdrew immediately.
Noeul scrambled backward against the pillows, his hands clawing weakly at the sheets. “No, don’t!”
His breath fractured into short, panicked bursts.
Duri’s entire body moved instinctively toward him. Then he stopped himself.
“Hyung.”
Noeul didn’t look at him.
“It’s Duri.”
The room blurred around Noeul. The ceiling seemed to move. The blanket against his legs felt too heavy. Too familiar. His heart hammered.
“Don’t touch me.”
“I won’t.” Duri kept both hands where Noeul could see them. “No one’s touching you.”
Noeul’s eyes darted around the room, then finally landed on Duri. The panic didn’t disappear, but something in his expression shifted.
“Duri?”
The name came uncertainly, barely more than a question.
“Yes.”
Noeul lifted his head too quickly. Pain flashed white. His hand flew toward the bandage.
“My head…”
“I know.” Duri’s voice stayed low. “Dr. Daniels is here because your head is hurt.”
Noeul frowned. The information seemed difficult to hold.
“Doctor?”
“Yes.”
Dr. Daniels had already moved several steps back. “I’m sorry, Mr. Jung,” he said. “I touched you too soon.”
Noeul looked toward him.
“I won’t do anything else until you’re ready.”
For several seconds, Noeul only breathed. His hand remained pressed against his head.
“Hurts.”
“I know.” The doctor kept his distance. “I need to look at the injury eventually. But we can wait.”
Noeul’s gaze drifted away again.
Ji-Woo stood near the doorway, rigid. His hands were clenched so tightly that his knuckles had gone white. Everything inside him wanted to move. To hit something. Someone.
But he stayed still.
Rage would help no one. Not now.
“Hyung,” he said quietly.
Noeul’s eyes shifted toward the sound.
“It’s Ji-Woo.”
A pause.
“Ji… Woo.”
“Yes.” Ji-Woo swallowed hard. “I’m right here.”
Noeul stared at him for another few seconds before his gaze slipped away.
Dr. Daniels waited until his breathing had slowed slightly. “Mr. Jung.”
Noeul didn’t respond.
“I’m going to explain what I need to do next. You don’t have to answer immediately.”
That seemed to register.
“I need to look at the wound on your head.”
Noeul’s fingers tightened against the blanket.
“I won’t touch you until you tell me I can.”
Silence.
Duri remained seated beside the bed. Not touching. Not speaking.
After a while, Noeul looked at him. Duri gave him a small nod. Not permission. Reassurance.
I’m still here.
Noeul turned back toward the doctor. “Head?”
“Yes.”
Dr. Daniels pointed toward his own temple. “Only here.”
Noeul swallowed, then gave another faint nod.
Dr. Daniels didn’t move. “Can you say yes or no for me?”
Noeul’s brow furrowed. It took several seconds. “Yes.”
The word sounded distant.
Dr. Daniels studied him carefully. “Do you want me to do it now?”
Noeul hesitated again. “Okay.”
Only then did the doctor approach.
“I’m going to remove the bandage.”
Noeul’s fingers dug into the sheets.
Dr. Daniels moved slowly enough that every action could be followed. When the adhesive pulled against Noeul’s hair, his breathing hitched.
Duri leaned slightly forward. “You’re here,” he said.
Noeul looked at him. “Duri.”
“Yes.”
Dr. Daniels removed the bandage. The smell of antiseptic reached Noeul. His stomach turned. His eyes lost focus again. The room stretched. Voices became distant.
Dr. Daniels noticed immediately. “Mr. Jung?”
No response.
He stopped touching him.
“Noeul hyung?”
Duri said his name gently.
Noeul blinked. Once. Twice. His gaze returned slowly.
Dr. Daniels waited. “We can stop.”
Noeul stared at him, then shook his head faintly. “Head.”
“You want me to finish checking your head?”
Another pause. “Yes.”
Dr. Daniels continued.
When Dr. Daniels finished examining the wound, he stepped back. “I’m done with your head.”
Noeul’s shoulders loosened slightly.
“Your wrists are injured too.”
Noeul looked down. For a moment, he seemed surprised to see the raw skin there.
Dr. Daniels noticed. “I’d like to clean them.”
Noeul stared at his wrists.
“Is that okay?”
Silence.
“Yes.”
Dr. Daniels didn’t move.
“Mr. Jung.”
Noeul looked at him.
“You can say no.”
Noeul frowned. “No?”
“Yes.” Dr. Daniels nodded. “If you don’t want me to touch your wrists, say no.”
Noeul stared at him. After several seconds, Noeul looked down at the wounds again. Then back at Dr. Daniels.
“It hurts.”
“I know.”
“Clean?”
“Yes.”
Another long pause. This time, when Noeul answered, the word came with slightly more intention.
“Okay.”
Dr. Daniels nodded. “Thank you.”
He cleaned the injuries carefully. Noeul flinched several times but didn’t pull away. His eyes remained fixed on the far wall. His mind drifted in and out, voices stretching and contracting around him. Time slipped sideways.
When the doctor finished, he covered the wounds lightly.
“That’s enough for now.”
Noeul’s eyes moved toward him.
Dr. Daniels stood.
But Dr. Daniels didn’t immediately reach for the blanket. He pulled a chair closer instead and sat where Noeul could see him.
“Mr. Jung.”
Noeul’s attention returned slowly.
“There’s something else we need to talk about.”
His body tensed before the doctor even continued.
Dr. Daniels noticed. He stopped.
“You don’t have to do anything yet.”
Noeul stared at him.
“You were hurt in other places.”
His breathing changed.
Duri saw it immediately.
Noeul turned his face away. “No.”
The word was quiet.
Dr. Daniels nodded. “Okay.”
Ji-Woo looked at him sharply.
The doctor lifted one hand slightly, asking him to wait.
“No one is examining anything right now.”
Noeul’s breathing remained shallow.
Dr. Daniels kept his voice calm. “But I need you to know that some injuries can’t safely be ignored.”
Noeul squeezed his eyes shut. “I can’t.”
“I understand.”
“No…”
His fingers tightened around the blanket. “I can’t.”
Dr. Daniels did not argue. “We stop here.”
Noeul stared at him as though the answer itself was difficult to understand.