Chapter 109 - Infectious Disease [3]

Chapter 109: Infectious Disease [3]
Ganghyuk led his fellows like a gangster.
Actually, he intended to act like a gangster.

Sir, what can I do for you?

Makbong said.
He had rolled up his sleeves and was ready to hit someone.

I will talk first.

If it did not work, he would give the job to Makbong.
It seemed that the fellows had already understood the situation.
Yeoni who was good at kicking checked her shoes.
Dolseok frowned.
Ganghyuk nodded his head looking back at his fellows.
‘There are not many people who have these faces and bodies.

There were more people around Dongpa than in the daytime.
But they would not be the match with Ganghyuk’s team.
These ones were martial art experts and Ganghyuk was a nobleman.
And there was Heo Jun who was a Grade 4 public official.
If it did not work, he could mention Prince Gwanghae.

Heum, you are busy at night.

Dongpa looked back.
Dongpa was to yell if he was a common man or a servant.
But he could not do that to Ganghyuk and he frowned badly.
He smiled awkwardly and said.

Yes, sir… What brought you here?

In his question, there was pride that he was called by the chief.
Ganghyuk was offended, but he did not want to make a scene.
The chief of Bojewon was looking at here.
‘Yes, Prince Gwanghae considers me a good doctor. I should behave.’
Ganghyuk tried to pacify himself.
He might have a public office soon.
Imjinwaeran was getting nearer so it might be better to have an office.
To do that, he must manage his reputation.
But he had already thrown Dongpa away from the room, so it might be too late to get good reputation here.

There seem to be many patients and I am worrying if you deal with them correctly.


Oh, did you worry? You don’t need to worry. I am doing well. I have finished isolating patients in one place.

Dongpa pointed the yard of Bojewon.
That was the place where Ganghyuk came from and Heo Jun, Heo Im and Yeoju were still there.
‘Heum, you isolated all the patients. That is good.’
As he experienced at the time of smallpox, it was very difficult to place the patients in one place.
Dongpa did that for him, which was good.
‘The people who collected the patients might be infected, too.’
Nobody wore protective gears.
They might not wash their hands after touching the patients.
It was just chaos and Bojewon became a nurturing place for the infectious disease.
If he left it like this, all the people in it would suffer from diarrhea.

It was nice of you to put the patients in one place.

Ganghyuk started with praise.
But to understand Korean language, one should listen to the statement to the end.

But what you do to them is totally wrong.


Wrong?

Dongpa raised his voice.
The chief could hear that.

Yes, you are doing the wrong thing. You told them not to eat.


Heo. You don’t know what you are talking. Diarrhea is from eating. If they don’t eat, they do not shit.

Dongpa proudly told his opinion as if he gave advise to Ganghyuk.
Ganghyuk through that it was the most ludicrous thing that he had heard.
Yes, he might be right.
They would not be able to shit, when they were dead.

Hey, Dongpa.


Why?


Did you see the patients?


No need to see. It was diarrhea. I have experienced it.

Dongpa thought that simple stomachache and cholera would be same.
His attitude irritated Ganghyuk.

Hey, did you see their tongue or lips?


What?


They are dehydrated. They are dying. You are the only one who is not worrying. Do you think all diarrheas same?

Ganghyuk threw his gloves to the feet of Dongpa.
They were almost same as germ themselves, so he felt sorry for Dongpa a little.
‘I can cure him, if he catches cholera, anyway.’
He urged Dongpa.

There are varieties and we have a classification method. We need to see if it has blood, if it is sticky, if it is watery and how much amount they discharge. Do you understand?


What are you talking about?


You don’t know, right? If you don’t know, go out and stay there. Do not pretend you know something. Ok? I will treat them.


You did the same thing in the day time and now you do it again. You are too rude.

While they were quarreling, the chief came to them.
He has been looking at them cautiously since Dongpa shouted.
They might hit each other if he would leave them alone.

Eo. What happened here?


Heum

Ganghyuk put down the fist.
Although the chief was not a high-ranking official, he was a noble man.
He might be in the public office when he was young.
On the other hand, Ganghyuk was nothing.
He should keep a courtesy.

Ah, here is the chief.


Dongpa is an excellent doctor. Please do not treat him badly.

He hid Dongpa behind of him.
He had already heard of the incident in the daytime.
Ganghyuk looked at the chief with complaining eyes.

This man has a round face, too. He must be a steroid addict.

Ganghyuk could understand why the chief called Dongpa an excellent doctor.
Ganghyuk determined that he would treat all the steroid addicts in Bojewon some time later.
‘But it is not an urgent matter.’
Dongpa might kill all the patients, if Ganghyuk let him do what he wanted.
If it was unavoidable death, Ganghyuk would not be bothered.
He would have more dead bodies and he could give a dead body to everyone for an anatomy practice.
‘But I cannot leave them dead.’
Of course, Cholera was a dreadful disease.
The death rate can be up to 50% without proper treatment.
But the death rate drastically dropped with the oral liquid therapy.
In the 21st century, the death rate of cholera was around 1%.
There were about 200 patients. If they were properly treated, half of them, so to speak, 100 patients could be saved.

Chief, do you see over there?


What do you mean?


There. The man with official uniform.


Yes, he is Dr. Heo Jun.

Ganghyuk pointed Heo Jun.
He wore his official uniform as he hurried to come here from the palace.
His official uniform showed that he was a public officer.
Furthermore, Heo Jun was very famous.
Even the chief lived in the outskirt of Hanyang, he must have heard of the fame.

He is serving as Chemjeong in the Naeeuiwon and he defeated smallpox with me.

Ganghyuk praised Heo Jun and himself at the same time.
That was an advanced technique and it was very effective.
The psychological resistance was reduced.

Ah… I have heard of the news.

The fame of Baik Ganghyuk was not negligible at all.
Most people know Ganghyuk and his achievements.
He was involved in nearly all large incidents happening near Suwon.

Dongpa might be good for the muscle pain.

As a matter of fact, he was not good at muscle pain, either.
But Ganghyuk praised Dongpa tactically.
With the praise, the chief showed generous smile.

Yes, he is good. He is really a good doctor.


But for infectious disease, Dr. Heo Jun and myself would be better. We had experience in smallpox.


Heum.


If you leave them like this, they all will be dead. The mayor gave you the authority trusting your capability. If all people became dead, what would he think? What do you think about it, chief?

Ganghyuk mixed some threat with his speech.
Then he looked at the chief and found his implicit threat was effective.
He had a chicken heart.

If you let us treat them, you have something to report. Two doctors who could defeat smallpox failed. Then they will not blame you.


Eum

The chief was thinking.
Then he gave his conclusion after some thought.

Ok, then. Divide the patients into two. Dongpa will take care of this half. The rest of them will get treatment from Dr. Heo and Scholar Baik. How about it?

He would not give all to Heo Jun and Ganghyuk.
He believed that Dongpa was an excellent doctor.
Ganghyuk decided to accept the offer.
As a matter of fact, cholera did not develop very quickly.
If Ganghyuk showed that their treatment was better, he might give all the patients to Ganghyuk.
Of course, there might be some victims during the course.
‘But I did my best. I cannot help it.’
Some patients might be sacrificed.
But if he persisted, the chief would be offended.
Ganghyuk thought he made a big deal.
Ganghyuk nodded his head.

Ok. We will do that.


Eum. Please treat them well.

Dongpa was complaining, but the chief shook his head.
Ganghyuk could hear something about prince…
The chief might make a decision because of Prince Gwanghae.

Let’s go to the patients.


Should we leave him intact?

It seems that Makbong felt sorry because he could not use his fist.
He became a modest girl at the anatomy scene, but now he is a man of great strength wishing to use his might.

The chief came and intervened. No use to hit him.


Eum. I am feeling a sense of frustration, sir.


You will have another opportunity.

Ganghyuk murmured watching the shit trace on Dongpa’s trousers.
He would not catch that the shit was the source of infection.
It seemed that he did not wash his clothes very often.
Then Dongpa would be the medium of infection. He might deliver germs here and there while seeing the pateints.
‘Then he will come to me.’
Cholera has 3 to 5 days’ latency.
He can see Dongpa asking help.
Ganghyuk walked to the inside of Bojewon with smile.

Now we have many things to do.


What should we do first?


I will classify the patients. Boil some water while I examine and classify them. Boil water in a big iron pot. Get some salt. Do we have honey? Get it here, too.


Yes, sir.

All moved quickly with the order of Ganghyuk.
Ganghyuk stopped Heo Jun and Heo Im who were running to the iron pot to boil water.

Leave the work to the fellows. You need to learn how to classify the patients.