WHITE BLOUSE

Tuesday, 3:45 PM

“Annyeonghaseyo, I’m here to meet Dr. Noh.

The man at the desk looked at Seung Woo suspiciously; the inspector glared back.

Not very tall with a predominant stomach, the man was not precisely what Seung Woo expected to see. The inspector hoped, like most, to meet a sexy nurse ready to take his temperature, and he did not want anything from the 남자 간호사[namja kanhosa= male nurse] in front of him.

“Dr. Noh doesn’t have visitors.

No calls, no visits, Seung Woo wondered if he made the right decision going there.

“I’m inspector Choi Seung Woo from Yongsan police,” he said and showed his insignia, “I talked to doctor Baek. He told me to come today.

“It’s Professor Baek, and didn’t he give you an hour?

Seung Woo frowned, “an hour?

“Yes, an hour when you should come?

Seung Woo looked at his wristwatch; he was fifteen minutes late, no big deal.

Seung Woo feigned ignorance, “no, he just told me to come.

The man at the desk shook his head in disapproval before getting up to accompany him. Seung Woo noted how the nurse carefully locked away everything, even clearing his desk before closing the little box-like office and joining him in the hall.

“Please follow me.

The inspector walked behind him; they entered a long corridor. From one end to another, there was no other door. The only exit was the one Seung Woo left behind.

Long and in a spotless white, Seung Woo wondered what a blue light would give in the immaculate place. Soundless, one could only hear the squeaks of the nurse’s clogs and Seung’s Woo own cap toe oxford shoes.

Even the door the nurse opened didn’t shriek; this made the hospital scarier.

Like many, Seung Woo imagined a place like this to be obscure full of unearthly cries and screams. The silence gripped him, and the nurse’s mouse cry clogs stressed the man.

They entered another wing where the doors were a line; this part at least resembled and hospital ward. They finally stopped in front of one where two gladiator type built men waited with a doctor and two nurses. All there eyes were stuck on the rectangle, which gave the view of the inside.

Seung Woo joined the crowd and watched the high voltage performance, which played in the room.

Here the sound was correctly locked in the soundproof room, which was white like the rest of the ward. Seung Woo felt as though he peered at a movie with the mute switch turned on as he stared inside the chamber. A man stood in the middle of the room. He was so tall he could be considered a giant.

He screamed and hit his head on his hand. About two meters away, a woman began to charge the man giving him a Viet Vo Dao scissor kick, which knocked the man out cold. Throning above the fallen Goliath, the woman beckoned the men behind the door to enter.

Fully open, Seung Woo now saw the scene in its globality, another person laid on the ground squealing, the white blouse he wore indicated he was a doctor. The woman walked over to him while the gladiators took and pricked the K.O patient with sedatives.

“Seongsaengnim, please grit your teeth when I count to three.

The woman knelt and took hold of his arm.

“Hana, dulㅡ.

Before reaching three, she twisted the man’s arm, who howled like a wolf. A smile appeared on the woman’s face during a split second, a sadic grin that made it seem like she enjoyed seeing the doctor’s agony.

She then walked out while the nurses assisted the injured man and took him outside. Two other wrestler type built men who arrived during the time the woman manipulated the doctor’s arm, escorted the strange woman down the hall as though they guarded a mafia boss.

The only person who remained at the door was the first doctor Seung Woo saw when he first arrived.

“Dr. Noh, I presume,” Seung Woo said, trying to grab his attention.

“He isn’t Dr. Noh; she just left the cell,” said the male nurse who accompanied the inspector from the ward’s reception desk.

Nevertheless, the doctor Seung Woo assumed being Dr. Noh turned to answer, “annyeonhasayo, you must be inspector Choi Seung Woo.

“Yes, we spoke yesterday, Professor Baek,” Seung Woo returned as he read the man’s badge.

Professor Baek took a glance at his watch, “I remember you wanted to speak to Dr. Noh, but I’m afraid she might not be well disposed to receive you today.

“I’m sorry, but I came a long way. You said it was possible to meet the doctor today.

Seung Woo had to intention of leaving without meeting her; he needed help more than ever now that he was in charge of the cases in his district.

Professor Baek sighed, “twelve minutes.

“What?

Was it the lack of sleep, or did Seung Woo have terrible comprehending the people around him?

Nothing the Professor said made no sense to the inspector who needed at least an hour to expose everything.

“Kim Kanosha [nurse Kim], please take the inspector to meet Dr.Noh and keep the count,” Professor Bark lowered his gaze, letting his eyes peer above his spectacles’ rims. “Inspector Choi, please come to my office if all goes well.

“Follow me,” nurse Kim prompted.

Seung Woo followed the nurse down the hallway to where Dr. Noh had stopped while wondering what the Professor meant when he said it all went well.

“Eh, you should give me your belt?

Nurse Kim’s words brought Seung Woo back to reality, “my belt is holding my pants,” the inspector replied, stretching out his arms and turning his palms. Eyes glaring at the nurse who he knew didn’t appreciate him.

“She’s a doctor, right?” Seung Woo asked. At this point, he needed confirmation, seeing the odd precautions the nurse took.

“As you wish, you have eight minutes and fifteen seconds,” nurse Kim said and opened the door without the intention of explaining the procedure to him.

“What? What happens after eight minutes?

“You don’t want to know.

Nurse Kim shut the door, which made the vacuum suction sound of a volt.

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