Chapter 146

: Chapter 19
 
It was just nonsensical to find something like a bone plate inside a doctor’s house call bag. Has any doctor ever done any surgery during a house call? Of course, it’s possible to see dressing or devices for simple wounds inside the bag.
‘It must be the hospital chairman who requested this.’
The Director of Chungmu Hospital, Kanghyok’s workplace in modern Korea, was far from the type of person who would lie for poor excuses. Though the director was very careful in every way, obviously he didn’t put the plate in the bag. So, it’s only logical that it was the chairman of the hospital, not its director, who requested the plate.
‘How come he did that? By the way, who the hell was this chairman?’
No matter how hard Kanghyok tried to recall that chairman, he couldn’t. He just felt compelled to think that some mysterious power forced him to fly back to old Korea.



Master, my arm aches so much!


Oh, sorry.
Kanghyok came to his senses quickly. He quickly put the plate on the shinbone he realigned a moment ago.

It’s going to hurt a lot from now on. I really can’t help you with this,
said Kanghyok.

No problem. I feel much better now than before,
said the patient, nodding with a satisfied expression.
It’s natural that he felt better now because Kanghyok already sucked out the blood pooled inside the wounds and realigned the shinbone, though the process was painful for him.

Great. Hey, Dolsok, hold it well.


I’m doing my best, master.


Good.

Kanghyok screwed in the plate.
As the shin bone was strong, it was hard to get the screw in it.


Squeak.
Beads of sweat formed on Kanghyok’s forehead while he was turning the screw to get it in the bone. He would have done it quickly with a drill in a modern surgery room. As he had to use a manual screwdriver, it was pretty hard to do it.
It was hard for Dolsok to watch that scene because Kanghyok was now grinding that patient’s shinbone right before his eyes.
That patient struggled to put up with the pain.

Ughhh…
he groaned, but didn’t move at all.
‘This guy is incredible!’
Doctors said one’s intestines were insensitive to pain. If not, it would be very difficult for them to do the surgery. But bones are an exception as they’re pretty sensitive to pain.
Nonetheless, this guy didn’t move at all when Kanghyok was grinding his shinbone.

Ughhh,
he kept groaning in pain. At one point he raised his head, as if the pain he felt was so deep. After all, he was a human being.
‘Let me finish quickly.’ The best Kanghyok as a doctor could do was to knock it off as soon as possible.


The screw was getting into his shinbone with a squeaking noise.

Good. Almost done. Let me stitch the wounds now.


Thanks…
slurred that patient, then he dropped the back of his head on the pillow.
Looking at him, who almost passed out with pain, Dolsok marveled,
I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but this man is really a terrific guy.


You bet. I’ve never seen a man like this.


Ouch! Look at that bleeding from his palms.


What? Oh, that’s understandable.
That man clenched his fists so strongly that his fingernails bit into his palms. Red blood stained some of the blanket.

Let me leave it there. The wounds don’t look that bad.


Yes, master.

Kanghyok now looked at the man’s leg again.


Its skin color that looked black and blue before was now back to normal to some extent. The gushing blood also stopped. Above all, the shape of his shinbone was back to normal.
Compared with its initial condition, Kanghyok’s successful treatment was like a miracle.
Suddenly, Kanghyok began to feel tired as his tension eased.
Let’s put the finishing touches now. I’m getting so tired.


Actually I was so tense from the start, sir. Huk!

Kanghyuok banged Doksok’s head with a screwdriver for teasing him, and then threw it away. He had no use for the screwdriver anymore.

How can you hit my head with that tool you used to screw in his shinbone?


That’s why you should have kept your mouth shut up, dude.


It’s you, master, who told me to do this or that.


Well, that’s because I’m the operating surgeon.


What did you say, sir?




Enough! Just pull the thread.


Oh my… Who knows my master is so hard on me?
Dolsok was a great man of manners when he first met Kanghyok. Now, he became bold enough to behave frivolously before his master.
Kanghyok didn’t want to bug him on that because he found it more comfortable. A master and servant relationship? Something strange to Kanghyok, who came from the 21st century.

Can I use the scissors?


Sure. Hold it like that as I have to keep the stitching distance even.


Thanks for reminding me.

Dolsok shook his head, and then suddenly shook the scissors.

Wow, this pair of scissors really works great,
he said, looking into the scissors in the bag.
Kanghyok recalled the scissors that Doslok used to cut his nails. Old and rough scissors, with some rusty spots here and there.

Does this one look mysterious to you?


Yes, master. It worked like magic when I cut my nails with it.


What the heck? When did you use it?


Last night when you went to bed.


I told you to keep an eye on the bag, but you stole it?


Stole it? No, it’s still there in the bag after using it,
said Dolsok begrudgingly.

Oh, I see. If you put it back, that’s fine. What I mean is you shouldn’t give it to someone else. Got it?


Do you think I’m crazy? I’m not going to give your things to someone else.


Whew! All done. How does it look, Dolsok?


His wounds?


Yeah.

Dolsok examined the patient’s calf Kanghyok carefully stitched up with threads.
The wounds were cut open a moment ago, so he had to pull it hard for his master to stitch.
Now, he noticed only a straight stitched line on it.

Wow, the open wounds got stuck back like it used to be.


Right? Just touch his calf. Do you feel different now?


Oh, it feels smooth now,
said Dolsok, nodding his head while squinting into it.

Umm…
The guy opened his eyes, making a frown.
It looked like Dolsok pressed on his calf too strongly in his excitement.

Oops!
Dolsok instinctively wrapped his head with both hands. Usually, in a situation like this, Kanghyok would hit him on the back of his head.
But Kanghyok didn’t do so this time. Anyway, he was going to wake this guy up.

How do you feel now?
asked Kanghyok in a very gentle voice.
He raised himself halfway up painstakingly and then looked down on his leg.

I feel less pain now.

Surprised at his reticence again, Kanghyok said,
I’m going to bind it up with a bandage first. As I stay here with you over the night, tell me immediately if you feel any pain.


Sure.

But Kanghyok was a bit doubtful because this man hardly expressed his pain. Chances were he would just put up with it instead of alerting Kanghyok.

You should really let me know if you feel pain. Let me lift your leg up on the pillow like this. Dolsok, can you help me?


What? Oh, okay, master.
Dolsok came to him hurriedly.

Do it like this, master?


Yes. Just leave it like this. Otherwise it’ll be swollen a lot.


Thanks,
said the man, bowing to Kanghyok.
Kanghyon felt much obliged at his bow
Ding, ding, ding.
A curfew bell was heard in the distance, which meant that Kanghyok spent many hours doing the surgery.
As Kanghyok’s clinic was located in the center of the market street, the bell’s ringing was louder.

Take a rest then. We’re going to go to sleep.


Yes, please.


Dolsok, make the bed now. It becomes harder for me to do so as I grow older.


Master, I’m twenty this year.
Stroking his beard, he pointed out he was old enough.
This was nonsense to Kanghyok.

Twenty is too young, baby. Make the bed quickly!


I’m an adult, sir. Don’t call me a baby.
Dolsok made the bed, grumbling a bit.

Good night, master.


Okay, you too. Thanks.

It was indeed a long, hard day for him.
Lying on his back, Kanghyok thought, ‘I think I have to close the shop tomorrow. By the way…’
He did the surgery without even asking for the man’s name.
When he turned his head, the man seemed not to have fallen asleep yet. As if he had complicated thoughts, he was looking up at the ceiling.

Hello, my patient?


Me?


Yes, may I ask for your name? My name is Kanghyok Paek. I’m 24.


Oh, I apologize. My name is Soonsin Lee. I’m 28.