"You broke every protocol in the history of this hospital," Kang said quietly. "You mutilated a patient in an observation room. You assaulted an attending. You countermanded a senior resident. By all medical logic, you should be in a prison cell."He paused, leaning slightly closer. "But Mr. Han’s aortic graft is holding perfectly. The pregnant woman, Pyeong Yon, delivered a healthy baby boy via emergency C-section, and her bleeding is stopped. And the Chairman of the Daesan Group is awake and fully responsive." Kang’s eyes narrowed, searching my face for a secret he couldn't see. "You diagnosed a synthetic thallium isotope without a blood test, a tox-screen, or an ultrasound. How?"I looked away from his piercing gaze, staring at the drop of saline falling in the plastic IV chamber. "The smell," I lied, my voice remarkably steady. "Thallium has a distinct, metallic garlic odor when synthesized poorly. And her reaction... she was crying, but her eyes were tracking the monitor, not h

In the corner of the office, the old laser printer whirred to life with an incredibly loud, grinding noise. To my exhausted, paranoid ears, it sounded like a fire alarm. The paper slowly fed through the machine. I watched the hallway through the glass walls, praying the orderlies wouldn't hear it over the clatter of their carts. The printer spit out the single sheet of paper. I snatched it, folded it aggressively into squares, and shoved it deep into the pocket of my scrub pants. I had the proof. I had the exact documentation that tied the assassin to the surgeon. I slipped out of the glass office, navigating the maze of metal shelves, and walked out the heavy double doors right behind the orderlies as they pushed their empty cart back into the hallway. The cool air of the main corridor hit my sweating face. I just needed to get back to Kang. I needed to hand him the paper and let him call the police. I walked down the long, polished hallway toward the staff elevators. I passed

Park let go of my collar, giving my shoulder a firm, patronizing pat that looked entirely professional to the onlookers. "Get this intern to the infirmary," Park said loudly, addressing a junior nurse who was staring at us. "He is severely dehydrated and suffering from neurological tremors. He is in no condition to be on the floor.""Yes, Dr. Park," the young nurse said quickly, rushing toward me with her hands outstretched. Park didn't look back. He simply turned and walked down the long, polished corridor, his dress shoes clicking rhythmically against the linoleum. The perfect picture of an attending physician. "Intern Ryeong, let's get you to a bed," the junior nurse said softly, gripping my elbow. "Don't touch me," I croaked, ripping my arm out of her grasp. I stumbled backward until my spine hit the cold plaster wall of the corridor. My breath came in short, jagged wheezes. He knows I was there. I squeezed my eyes shut. It didn't matter. I had the requisition form. I had hi

I was left alone with Kang. I let my head hang heavy between my shoulders, my breath coming in short, painful gasps. The adrenaline was completely gone. I was a hollow shell of shattered bone and burning muscle. "You know he did it," I whispered to the mahogany desk. "You know Madam Chae couldn't synthesize Thallium.""I know," Kang said flatly, "that you handed me a wet piece of trash. I know that Dr. Park is deeply embedded in the hospital's board of directors. And I know that you are completely, utterly out of your depth."Kang picked up the ruined ball of paper with two fingers and dropped it into his wastebasket. "Suite 4B," Kang ordered, picking up his tablet. "Walk there now, before your kidneys shut down entirely."Isolation Suite 4B was a sterile, white box at the far end of the step-down unit. There were no windows. The air was heavily filtered, smelling exclusively of industrial bleach and ozone. The heavy steel door clicked shut behind me, the electronic deadbolt slidin

A sudden, terrifying rush of heat exploded from the center of my chest. It felt like someone had injected liquid fire directly into my aorta. The deep, agonizing burn of the rhabdomyolysis in my limbs instantly vanished. The sharp, stabbing pain of my fractured ribs was muted, pushed entirely to the back of my mind. The violent tremors in my hands stopped dead. It was a synthetic, artificial energy. It was the System burning the very last of my cellular reserves to keep me moving, but I didn't care. I felt strong. I stepped back from Si Jae. "If you move from this spot," I said, my voice dropping to a dead, icy calm that made the resident flinch, "I will personally make sure Dr. Kang gets those EKG logs."Si Jae slid down the metal door, collapsing into a pathetic, weeping heap on the wet linoleum, clutching his broken hand. I swiped the black keycard over the electronic lock. The light flashed green. The heavy deadbolt retracted with a heavy clack. I pushed the door open and ste