Eternal life - Magdalena Wita (best summer reads .TXT) 📗

out, leaving Gil Dong alone. The curious neighbour peeked out from the side.

‘Boy, you really don’t remember? Poor you!’ She wanted to start a conversation, but she didn’t hear an answer, because soon the doors were open and three people walk in: the nurse, doctor Park Seung Min and another one, taller and slimmer than the one, which welcomed the man with amnesia back to this world.

The tall doctor was silent, listening to the nagging of the other one. He listened as Park Seung Min was in the middle of his eating and he should respect that. Finally the new doctor cuts the talk, having enough of it.

‘Mr. Park Seung Min.’ He said it with his teeth clenched, trying not to lose his temper. ’If you saw some symptoms of something wrong going on, you should’ve stay here and conduct the necessary examinations, not leave it to the nurse!’ He pointed at Aeri.

But the first doctor took it clearly as a lack of respect. ‘Hey, I’ve heard that you are good, but as a junior employee, you should respect your elder!’ Then he turned to the nurse and said to her quietly. ‘Why did you have to run onto him?’

New doctor also heard that, so he just scolded his friend with his eyes. Then they finally approached the patient’s bed. Kim Aeri hung her head low, definitely hurt and scared, because doctor Park Seung Min likes to baste on those, who angered him.

‘Hello, my name is Ahn Chang-Woo. I’m the neurologist here in the hospital. You’ve said you don’t remember your name?’ His voice was much more nice.

The man has no longer energy to talk, so he just nodded.

Doctor continued. ‘Neither why you’re here or whom we can call?’ The man also agreed. ‘Ok… We will first give you some CT, you’ve had the concussion. It just might be temporary, so don’t worry. Do you know maybe if you’ve been treated in hospital earlier? Maybe with that we will find some info on you…’

The patient shook his head. ‘I don’t know…’ he thought, unable to speak.

Ahn Chang-Woo saw that man was struggling. ‘Hey, I know it’s hard, but just answer those questions and that’s all. Who’s the president right now?’

Hong Gil Dong scowled and furrowed his brows. ‘Moon Jae… In…?’

‘Can you tell me the names of three kingdoms of Korea?’

‘Silla, Goguryeo… and… Baekje…’ He answered faintly.

‘Well, at least you remember something.’ He turned to the nurse. ‘Take him for the scan, call me later, when it’s ready. And, sir, please observe him.’ He said looking at his co-worker.

The patient closed his eyes and drifted away, tired of the constant pain in his head. Later, when he was resting, more people came into room and they took him out of the room. He thought, when he was laying on the moving bed, that he could hear the two doctors arguing in the corridor, but he wasn’t sure.

Chapter 2

Gil Dong looked at the same calendar he noticed the first day he woke up. He couldn’t believe that already moth and a half has passed. He was still in the hospital, but feeling much better. He was waiting for the nurse to come. She usually showed up at this time to take his pressure. He liked when she showed up, because she liked to joke with her. She was nice and kind, not pitying him for his lost identity.

Behind the door, still on corridor Aeri and doctor Ahn Chang-Woo were standing. He caught her, when she wanted to walk into the room. He looked into the window on the door, seeing as Gil Dong was smiling at the elder man neighbouring him. The man has changed, as the previous one, which noticed that the man woke up, was discharged. They were talking – mainly the neighbour, clearly telling some story to the young man, but the other was patiently listening. Doctor moved to the side and after some hesitation he started talking to the nurse.

‘It’s been more than a month and I have no idea what’s wrong with him. I’ve done many tests and honestly, if the concussion could be at fault for his memory loss, he would’ve start to remember something.’ He told her calmly and she sighed in response.

‘Like I’ve talked with him, you know? I’m just curious, because it’s weird. He knows a lot.’ He emphasized these words. ‘I can assume, that he was maybe in some history major or something like that, recently he helped me to fill the hardcore level crossword.’ He chuckled and nurse gave him a weird look. ‘Don’t judge, I like to solve them.’

‘That’s so old-fashioned…’ She said harshly.

‘Yeah, but by the way. He knew the name of one of the generals, like I think I never heard of him. And with given date he gave me name of one battles, and he even said how many men where there, and he started talking about it… like oh my god, literately - he can solve some math, he talked in Japanese, Chinese and English. He knows how to read most of the hanja signs, he knows a lot! Except what he’s been doing 3 months ago and basically who is he. Like, like he didn’t forget what happed in the world, but if something happened around him – a black hole.’ Doctor has said his diagnosis.

Aeri bit her lip. ‘So what now?’

Doctor Ahn shrugged his shoulders. ‘You’ve talked with the police?’

‘Oh, yeah, the detective called me in the morning. They still are looking through the missing cases, but nothing - as for now - matches with him. They checked his fingertips etc., but he just don’t exist in the system. Nothing.’

‘Social service?’

‘They said they could send him to some assistance centre, for those who struggle in life, but this idea just scares me. He’s not a drunkard or junkie, he just doesn’t remember.’

Doctor breathed heavily. ‘He’s completely healthy now…’

‘But he’s got nothing… not even a name…’ Aeri was feeling sad for him. She liked to chit-chat with him, he seemed to be very engaging person.

‘So he’ll have to start a new life with new identity. Well, as far I know there are a lot of people that would want to be in his place. Tell him that, as comforting information. Because we have to tell him also, that we’ll discharge him in next week.’ He started to walk away, but he stopped and turned around to say something more to the shocked nurse. ‘Oh, tell him also, that he should take surname Jo… or Do! Because you know – in American shows… unknown people… John Doe…’ As he saw again the weird look on nurse’s face, finally walked away, shouting into the air. ‘Never mind!’

Aeri bit her lip, as it was her habit and kind of stress relief. She spoke to herself. ‘And of course I have to do that…’

She sighed and cleared the mind to enter the room with a smile. Even though she tried to hide her anger, the man immediately looked at her, because he sensed something. She was avoiding his eyes, as she was approaching his bed.

He was in much better condition, after all of this time. Hair, washed and tied in bun showing his face, without the bruises. With dishevelled hair he already was enrapturing everyone with his handsomeness and right now it was even better. His beauty was not typical, but it was compelling.

Earlier he was smiling at the man beside him, but as soon as he saw her attitude, his smile faded. Finally she stood in front of him, she took a deep breath and wanted to say something but he interrupted her.

‘You’re discharging me?’

He guessed correctly, so she just put an apologetic face and spoke after a moment of silence. ‘Yes...’

‘When?’

‘Next week.’

He became quiet. This place somehow became his home. How it will feel like to leave it? He didn’t want to do that.

‘But Gildong-a…’ Aeri wanted to appease him, yet he became slightly irritated.

‘I told you that I don’t like this name. Also I think I’m older than you.’

‘You think?’ She looked at him suspiciously. ‘But do you know, when you’ve been born?’

He didn’t know how to answer, because there was no such an information in his head. She slid the curtain, as it could’ve stopped the neighbour from eavesdropping. ‘Hey, listen… I really don’t know what could’ve been the reason for your hiding, but if police don’t have you on wanted list, than whatever you’ve done…’

He raised his hand, halting her from continuing. ‘I know what all of you think, that I’m faking it. Fine, great. I will go out of the hospital straight to my home from which I’ve been running. You know, I’m a heir of really rich family and they don’t want me to pursuit my dreams of charity.’

She felt guilty again, from pushing him into uncomfortable area.

‘That was a joke, if you didn’t catch. I don’t know who I am. This is the truth. I also I know that I don’t like the name Gil Dong.’ He firmly said.

‘As for that… I’ve talked with doctor Ahn and he suggested surname Jo or Do… as John Doe, or something like that, as he said it…’

‘You see? He’s the only one that takes it seriously.’ He made a break for a second. Then he continued with more collected voice. ‘What should I do after I’m discharged?’

‘Well…’ She bit her lips and pouted.

He rested his head on the pillow behind. ‘Great, just great.’

‘There is still a week, we’ll figure out something. It’s just the fact, that you’re healthy right now, so you should really start new life…’

He didn’t look at her. ‘Ok. Still, thank you. For at least trying…’

‘Everything will be alright.’ She smiled and walked out. She didn’t know, that the man is escorting her out with his eyes.

‘You are left stranded, aren’t you?’ The man from the bed beside grabbed the curtain and peaked at the young patient.

‘Thank you, grandpa. You’re genuinely helpful.’

The old geezer just laughed.

Chapter 3

Gil Dong and Aeri both sat in car parked on a parking lot in front of the hospital. The nurse was behind the driving wheel and he sat on the passenger seat. Kim Ae Ri was in casual clothes, light ones, with pink jacket resting on her shoulders, while the man finally was out of hospital pyjamas and he was wearing black T-shirt and track trousers, with slippers on his feet.

Nurse was staring blankly ahead and Gil Dong fixated his eyes on her. Finally the silence is broken by him.

‘So that’s your plan? To abduct me?’

Aeri didn’t look at him, just sniffled. ‘If you don’t like it, then go back to your family.’

He grabbed his chest and pretended to be shocked. ‘Touché!’ Right after he stopped joking and looked at her seriously. ‘But you really meant it, when you said that I can live with you?’

She closed her eyes. ‘Yeah…’ Then she quickly turned her head to him. ‘Of course until you’ll start new life, etc… It’s just… I looked into that and you know – it won’t be so easy to begin… and you need some place, you’ve just been discharged…’ She wanted to justify what she was doing, not to him, but to herself. She really gone crazy.

‘So you’ll let a man you don’t know into your house?’ He smirked.

She showed first finger. ‘Police knows about it.’ She stretched second. ‘And I have a taser under a pillow.’

‘Oh… harsh. So that’s why you also took a day off? To have an eye on me?’

‘Don’t make me change my mind.’ She took the fingers and showed at her eyes, then at him. ‘I’m