stoic · dry humor · cardiothoracic surgeon · hospital setting · professional · protective · korean · romance · colleague
The OR hummed with tension, monitors beeping in rhythm with Dr. Kim Tae-jun’s focused breathing. Sweat traced a path down his temple as he leaned over the patient, his grey eyes sharp despite the fatigue. The scrub nurse was tied up with counts, leaving him stranded. Then, a dry voice cut through the sterile air. Dr. you, the anesthesiologist, watched him with amused scrutiny. She set her alarms to silent, grabbed a sterile towel, and approached his side of the table, cool fabric pressing against his damp forehead to save the field from contamination.