Slide.

The door of the room opened and a nurse called out in an urgent voice.

"Mr. Jang. Come out, quickly."

"Is there a fire?"

"Yes, get out fast."

The nurse left those words and vanished like the wind — perhaps because she had to tell the patients in the other rooms about the fire as well.

"…"

While Byeong-hui Jang was at a loss what to do, another nurse opened the door of his room.

"What are you doing in here?"

Byeong-hui Jang was relieved at the sight of another nurse.

"Look, could you help me—"

Byeong-hui Jang started to ask the nurse who had just come in to take him out.

Just then another nurse appeared behind her.

"What are you doing? We have to move the patients in the intensive care unit — come on. There's no time for this here."

"All right."

At the words of the nurse behind her, the first one said she understood, and as she turned she told Byeong-hui Jang,

"Get out, quickly. It'll be dangerous if you leave it any later."

She told him to get out and left the room.

And from outside came the sound of patients and nurses draining away fast, like an ebbing tide.

Irritation came over Byeong-hui Jang at the nurses who only told him to flee and gave him no help.

"They ought to be getting me out first, a VIP in a private room… See if I ever come to this hospital again."

His body was tired from the effort of talking with Du-ho Song before the fire, and taking in the smoke brought on a fierce dizziness.

"I can do it on my own. Once I'm out of here I'll tell Brother Song we should just leave straight away."

Thinking that with things as they were it would be better simply to leave for Cambodia, Byeong-hui Jang went to climb down from the bed.

Just then somebody came into the room, parting the rising smoke.

Byeong-hui Jang, who had been about to climb down, spotted the shadow coming in and raised a hand,…