Chapter 103: Backpain [1]
“Eok”
The patient rubbed his chest because of the pain.
Although it was too tough, the effect was good.
“How do you feel?”
Ganghyuk held the hose that he took out from the patient’s throat before Makbong hit the patient.
At the end of the hose, there was bloody phlegm and red blood was dropping to the floor.
As it was made of metal, it could not help making damages on the membrane.
It was natural to Ganghyuk but the patient thought differently.
His voice was trembling.
“What did you do to me?”
“I performed an operation. What do you think?”
“Operation?”
The patient covered his head with his hands with embarrassed eyes.
The anesthetic made of Seomsu and Chooh was good, but it had a problem.
As it was too effective, it caused amnesia.
Ryu Seongyong was a very clever man, so it did not leave much aftermath.
But this common person may have chaotic moments.
“Operation… Ah, I drank something.”
“Yes, now you remember. Do you remember you had pains in eyes?”
“Eyes? Yes, I did.”
The patient looked at Dongpa.
They thought the patient would blame him because of his pains.
But he asked a question, which made all embarrassed.
“What is the doctor doing there?”
The patient did not remember what happened to him just before his operation.
Dongpa was found bound and gagged.
On his trousers, there were vomits.
Therefore, the patient might think he was in a jail rather than in a clinic.
“He made noises while I treated you. Thus, I had to make him quiet. Quack!”
“Eup, eup.”
Dongpa acted sensitively to the word ‘Quack’.
Dumb people become angry when they are called a dumb and a quack get angry when he is called a quack.
Ganghyuk ignored Dongpa and looked at the patient.
As always, an ocular inspection was the first thing to do.
‘It seems he does not have pains.’
He did not use any local anesthetic in this operation, so there cannot be an effect of the anesthetic.
Seomsu, Chooh and blowfish toxin did not have a pain killing effect.
So if the patient does not have pain now, it means his status is good.
‘He can see things without difficulties.’
We depended on our eyes more than we believe.
There was an article reporting the case that a person losing his function of equilibrium completely could walk properly depending on his eyesight.
It meant that there will be great disorder if the eyes are covered.
This patient did not look uncomfortable.
‘Ok, now it is time to ask questions.’
Ganghyuk approached the patient who looked around with puzzled eyes.
“Hey.”
“Yes, yes, sir.”
As Ganghyuk held a hose in his hand, the patient answered shuddering his body.
“Why are you so much startled?”
“Hik”
Ganghyuk patted the shoulders of the patient to comfort him.
But the patient’s response was different from what he expected.
“How do you feel with your eyes?”
“Eyes? Not painful at all. Thank you.”
“Good.”
It is natural that he did not feel pain any more as the hydatoid flew out.
Even now his tear drops were mixed with hydatoid.
‘I wonder if his iris ok. I cut some of that.’
He learned that it would not make much difference to cut some of that.
But the problem was he did not know what ‘some’ would mean in this case.
“How do you see? Do you see the things well?”
“Eo? Yes, I can see things well.”
“Good. No difference?”
“My eyes are little bit dazzling.”
“Ah, yes.”
The iris might make some effects.
‘But I saved him from blindness.’
If the holes that he had made would be blocked, that would make problems.
But the probability is very low.
‘I made 3mm hole and it would not be blocked easily.’
Ganghyuk looked at Dongpa.
‘If only Dongpa would not make the same mistake…’
The patient would not go to Dongpa again as he had severe pain in his eyes.
But Ganghyuk wanted to make it sure.
The patient looked very dumb and Dongpa did not acknowledge his fault at all.
“Good, your eyes will be ok, if you would not drink medicine that he prescribed.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you.”
“Good. Go now. Come back here every day for the check-up.”
“Yes, then what should I do with the medical fee?”
“Medical fee?”
“Yes.”
Ganghyuk looked at the patient.
He smelled bad.
If it was the first day that Ganghyuk arrived in Joseon, he would not go near to him.
The outfit he wore looked years old. It seems he had not washed the cloth for a long time.
‘I don’t want to get blood from a stone. And anyway, I made a practice.’
He had much money in Joseon and he doesn’t want to be greedy.
Ganghyuk shook his head.
“It’s ok. You can go.”
“Really?”
“Yes, go.”
“Thank you, sir.”
The patient left the clinic with a bright face.
Ganghyuk regretted the incident of that day later but he did not know what would happen later.
He felt sense of fulfillment as he had finished the eye operation successfully.
It was not only he but also Heo Jun who felt sense of fulfillment.
He told Ganghyuk with admiration.
“Wow, it is wonderful. You cured an eye disease. I have never dreamed of such a thing before.”
“Fortunately, I could sort it out. If it were not the glaucoma, I could not cure it.”
But it was not a perfect remedy.
Glaucoma which was caused by steroid mostly accompany cataract.
Ganghyuk thought that the patient’s lens was already murky.
He might lose his eyesight within years.
The operation would delay the time, but it would surely come.
‘In Joseon, it is already a great performance.’
As always, he praised himself and felt sense of fulfillment.
While he nodded his head with satisfaction, Heo Jun said.
“Heo Im must be very sorry to miss this great chance to see an operation.”
“Heo Im?”
“Yes, he was the one who showed the passion to listen to your teaching. If his acupuncture assignment at that moment was not for Prince Imhae, he would change the appointment and come here.”
“Heum”
Heo Im…
Ganghyuk thought Heo Im would make a better surgeon than Heo Jun.
Heo Jun was meticulous and timid but Heo Im was daring.
If categorizing, Heo Jun can make a better physician than a surgeon.
“Makbong, let him go out.”
“Yes, sir.”
Before Ganghyuk made a conversation with Heo Jun, he let Dongpa go.
Dongpa tried to protest but he could not beat the tough hands of Makbong.
Udantang
Makbong threw him away on the ground outside of the clinic and came in empty handed.
“Good job.”
“Not at all, sir. I will prevent him from coming in.”
“Yes, good.”
“Sir, I will guard here, too.”
Yeoni volunteered and Ganghyuk did not have reason to reject.
The clinic became a secret room in an instance.
Ganghyuk looked around to see if there were no other men than Yeoju.
And then, he opened his mouth.
“I will call him when we have an autopsy.”
“Yes, he will never tell anybody.”
“We must make it a secret. Don’t tell anybody.”
“Yes, of course.”
Heo Jun nodded his head.
Although it was for medical development, it was related to damage the corpse.
They could not say this to anybody else.
Heo Jun did not tell this story to anybody including Heo Im.
Ganghyuk also did not tell it to anybody else than his fellows.
“Dolseok said that there was a patient with back pain.”
“Ah, yes. He must lie down until now. Why has Dolseok not come back yet?”
They were wondering why he took such a long time and there was quarreling sound from outside.
“Hey, why do you smell like this? Did you have a drink?”
It was Makbong’s angry voice.
“I walked here all the way from the palace. How can I come without a drink?”
It was Dolseok’s voice.
‘Did he drink? Is he crazy?’
Ganghyuk came out with an angry face.
Dolseok and Makbong were surprised and stopped talking.
“Did you have a drink? I was waiting for you all the time while I made an operation.”
Dolseok bent his body at the scolds.
“Sir, it is not…”
“I smell alcohol even from here.”
Ganghyuk said going down to the ground.
“I had only one drink in front of Bojewon.”
Dolseok pointed the outside of Bojewon.
Looking at outside, there was a fuss.
“What?”
“Some of the people from Gyeonggi-do are in a critical condition and they called a Shaman. They give drinks to the people so I had some.”
“Critical condition?”
“Yes.”
Ganghyuk found a good opportunity at the word of ‘critical’ and his face became softened.
“Did you see them, too?”
“Yes, but they were very old and looked a senile infirmity.”
“Did they have family?”
“No, sir. They had some relatives. So the Gut was small and not many things to eat.”
Senile infirmity.
Without family…
Ganghyuk looked at Dolseok maintaining the stern face.
Dolseok is a smart assistant and he made good diagnoses.
‘He makes a good diagnosis. Then they must pass away soon.’
Ganghyuk made a decision.
If poor people who would be dead in a few days, they would not refuse a doctor’s hand.
And if the man who gave his hand was the doctor with fame, Baik Ganghyuk…
“Ok, then, take them to the place with Makbong. You know the place? The one we had prepared behind.”
Ganghyuk pointed the backside of Bojewon.
Even though the prince supported him, he could not perform an autopsy in the government agency.
He must have a place for the autopsy.
“Yes, sir.”
“I will take care of the patient with back pain with Dr. Heo. Yeoni, go there together. I cannot leave him, go alone.”
“Yes, sir.”
Dolseok sighed with relief.
He was worrying if he would be rolled in the straw mat again.
He still felt the pain from the straw mat rolling punishment last time.
‘Hugh, I was almost rolled again.’
He knew that he would be hit in the straw mat and it made him great pain, but he made mistakes again and again. Dolseok thought that it was very strange why he repeated the same thing although he knew the consequences.
“If someone got dead before I came here… You know? You know what you should do then.”
“Eum… Can I do that?”
“Yes, of course. You have to do it. If you cannot, you must be rolled in the straw mat. It is the punishment for the drink.”
“No, sir. I can do it.”
“Yes, you don’t need to worry. Yeoni will help you. Hey, get money. Give them drinks and take the patients here.”
“Yes, I see.”
Dolseok ran away from him with Makbong.
Ganghyuk watched him running fast.
In this case the net of the sleeper caught a fish. It was just blind luck.
But it was true that Dolseok had found the bodies for them.
Of course, Ganghyuk must see the status of the patients first.
“He is a lucky guy.”
“Yes, I think so. He found patients without families. And they are in a critical condition.”
“Let’s go to the patient with back pain. The back spine is profound and mysterious.”
“Yes, of course. I am ready to go anywhere you take me.”
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