In 29 Days

2. Meeting

Emerald City
March 19, 2024, 2 Am

"So, you didn't ask her? Why?!" Charlie squeals, tilting his face to Taehyung, looking unimpressed.

"Shh..keep it down! We are in the canteen," Ben hushes Charlie, noticing a few nurses at a nearby table staring at them.

"But why wouldn't he ask her?" Charlie says in a whisper, a frown creasing his features.

Taehyung lets out a sigh and leans back on his chair, smoothing his coat. "I didn't feel like pressing her again. She already said she was at home. She might have her reasons if she actually went to meet someone without telling me," then he grabs his coffee mug from the table and carefully takes a sip.

"What reasons?" Ben frowns. "Why wouldn't she tell you she was out with her friend?"

"Charlie, you sure it was Freya? You saw them from a distance, right?" Taehyung asks looking up.

"Oh c'mon Tae, I know your girlfriend. You don't believe me?"

"Shh.. Charlie," Ben mutters.

"Hmm..okay," Charlie mumbles and bends forward, continuing in a hushed tone. "It was Freya. I'm 100% sure. It was her."

"So, are you implying she is cheating on me?" Taehyung asks.

"I wouldn't say that. She was just having a drink with the guy," Charlie says and leans back on the chair. Taehyung chuckles and shakes his head, looking at the Orthopedist who, for some reason, seems to dislike his girlfriend. Nevertheless, Charlie has always regarded Taehyung as a younger brother, dating back to their time together in college. Charlie was three years his senior at Emerald National University. They both specialised in Orthopedics and now they are both doctors at the Emerald City Hospital, Charlie a junior Orthopedic surgeon and Taehyung in the second year of his residency.

"Let's drop it. It's not worth dwelling on," Ben sighs. Right then his phone suddenly buzzes on the table and he swiftly snatches it up, only to abruptly rise from his seat. "It's an emergency! I have to go!"

"Surgery?" Charlie inquires.

"Likely! The patient was hit by a car," Ben replies as he hurries off.

Next second, both Charlie's and Taehyung's phones beep together. "Oh! We are also coming!" Charlie calls out to Ben and both of them rush behind the neurologist in the direction of the operation theatre.

"This sure is something serious!" Taehyung tells Charlie as they rush. He usually doesn't receive calls for emergency surgery since he is in his medical residency period.

"Dr Pritchard isn't available, so, I'll have to lead the surgery. Hope the fractures aren't too complicated," Charlie mutters.

Within five minutes, they are in the operating theatre, and Ben has already begun the procedures for craniotomy. Two nurses are cutting the the patient's hair. Taehyung's mouth slightly parts on seeing it is a teen korean boy. Taehyung quickly grabs a pair of scissors to cut through the boy's blood-soaked pants while Charlie opens the boy's shirt.

"Thankfully, no rib fractures," Charlie mutters. "And no signs of internal bleeding. You can proceed with the craniotomy," he signals Ben before going to examine the boy's bleeding legs.

"There's a fracture in the right leg," Taehyung says. "Not open."

"Clean the wound," Charlie instructs a nurse before turning to examine the boy's right arm, which appears to be severely broken.

**

8:00 Am

"Why aren't you eating?" Charlie asks watching Taehyung simply stare at his drink.