A competent doctor can cure everything

After arriving home and waiting for a bit, Min-hwa opened the front door and walked in.

“You’re back. Did you have dinner?”

“Ah, Hyung…! Not yet.”

“Really? Just wait a moment.”

I chopped up some leftover vegetables from the refrigerator and quickly made an omelette rice.

“Wow…! Hyung, is there anything I can help with?”

“Then, could you squeeze some ketchup for me?”

Min-hwa bit his tongue in concentration as he squeezed the ketchup into a heart shape on top of the omelette rice.

Once I took out the side dishes that the housekeeper had prepared, a pretty decent meal was set on the table in no time.

We sat facing each other at the steaming table.

“Wow, it looks so delicious…! Hyung, when did you learn to cook…?”

“I started cooking when I was a public health officer to get by. In the countryside, we couldn’t eat out.”

“Hehe… I’m so happy living with you, Hyung. I’m not scared at night….”

“Well, I should be the one grateful.”

Why is this guy, who seems like he could take down a ghost, afraid like that?

Speaking of which, I had some news that I thought Min-hwa would like.

As I scooped a spoonful of omelette rice, I opened my mouth.

“By the way, Min-hwa. Are you free this weekend?”

“I don’t have any specific plans… Why do you ask…?”

“Do you remember the last time Mika said she would visit the snack shop at Haet-nim’s? That’s happening this Sunday afternoon, so if you have time, we could go together….”

Clink—.

A loud metallic sound made me look up.

Min-hwa was frozen with his mouth wide open.

He seemed to have forgotten to pick up the spoon he had dropped on the floor.

“I-I-I want to go too….”

“Of course, you can.”

“Hyung….”

It felt like he was about to bow deeply while eating.

Please, hold it together.

“Then I’ll let you know that we’re going together.”

“Ugh… Hyung, what kind of luck do I have to have to meet a Hyung like you…?”

What does “a Hyung like you” even mean?

I chuckled and then suddenly remembered to add something.

“Oh, but you’ll need to leave first that day.”

“Gasp, why…?”

“I have to book tickets, and the timing overlaps.”

“Tickets?”

I explained that I needed to secure tickets for the Nahoonha concert to show my filial piety.

Min-hwa’s face immediately turned serious.

“Hyung, are you sure you’ll be okay…? It’ll definitely be a ticket war….”

“A ticket war?”

“It’s a bloodbath for tickets.”

“Right. To be honest, I’m not confident.”

As I let out a light sigh, Min-hwa cautiously suggested, “Hyung…! Can I help you with that?”

“You?”

“Yes! I’m actually pretty good at securing tickets….”

Come to think of it, this guy is a fan of Purple Angel, a top-tier idol group.

Suddenly, I felt a halo around him.

‘I’ve struck gold.’

After that satisfying meal, I went into my room.

Now it was time to get to work on my planned task.

I took out the spoils I had brought from the treatment room and laid them out on my desk.

These were the needles used by Professor Yeon Jae-wook.

Among the thin needles, there were several that had unique shapes.

They had thick, flat plastic handles and were much thicker than regular needles, with tips cut at an angle.

They were called “Dōchim.”

Dōchim refers to a type of needle that combines acupuncture needles and surgical blades.

It can be used to separate or incise adhesions in soft tissues and is applied to chronic musculoskeletal diseases.

It is effective not only for chronic muscle tension and muscle pain but also for spinal stenosis and herniated discs.

“Nothing works better than Dōchim for relieving pressure at places where nerves are trapped, like in carpal tunnel syndrome.”

You might think that with such a scary name, it could be dangerous.

However, if it is inserted at the correct location and at the right depth, there is actually less risk of damaging the nerves than with traditional methods.

Yes, as long as it is used accurately and skillfully.

I took out some books related to Dōchim from the bookshelf.

During my time as a public health officer, I used Dōchim on elderly patients with long-standing musculoskeletal disorders.

But that experience pales in comparison to the professor’s decades of clinical experience.

But what if I could experience it myself?

What if I could learn the theory from the books and then feel it firsthand?

It would create the perfect study environment.

I even felt a little excited.

“I’ll master Dōchim tonight.”

Resolutely, I picked up the first Dōchim.

* * *

“Doctor Lee Seon-Joon, there’s a new patient in room 5236. The intern and the attending physician both said you would handle this patient.”

“Understood.”

The next day, a nurse from the ward stopped me as I was passing by the station.

Seeing my face when I responded, the nurse exclaimed.

“Oh my, doctor! Your dark circles are going to reach your chin. Were you on call yesterday?”

“Not exactly, but I had some work to do.”

I had been up almost all night because I was having so much fun studying Dōchim.

It was not just watching; being directly involved in the procedure was incredibly enjoyable.

The thrill of inserting the Dōchim tip into the tissues and feeling the adhesion detach with a sizzling sound was…

‘Was that a bit perverted just now?’

While I briefly reflected on that, the nurse, who was clicking her tongue at my appearance, gave me a heads-up.

“Doctor, be careful with this patient.”

“Why?”

“To be precise, it’s the patient’s guardian. She’s a very famous PS from Hanbit University.”

I gave a wry smile at the nurse’s warning.

PS is a term used in hospitals, short for “Pigeon Style,” referring to a type of patient who tends to be difficult or demanding.

‘Let’s take the chart and head to the patient room.’

When assigning hospital rooms, similar patients are grouped together.

This is to ensure their living patterns are similar, reducing conflicts.

Thanks to this, just hearing the room number gives a rough idea of what kind of patients are there.

‘Room 5236 is for female patients in critical condition who require 24-hour care.’

I unfolded the chart I had already read several times.

Kim Jin-ah (24, female). Tetraplegia due to a traffic accident.

The chart is written very objectively, but anyone reading it would feel a sense of regret.

The spinal nerves cannot function below the site of the injury, so knowing what level was damaged is crucial.

Jin-ah was in a traffic accident last year, and unfortunately, she injured her cervical spine…

As a result, she was diagnosed with quadriplegia and is unable to use any of her limbs.

After that, she was hospitalized in the Western Medicine department of Hanbit University Hospital for six months for treatment.

‘It seems there hasn’t been any improvement beyond being able to lift her limbs briefly before dropping them.’

Entering the room, I confirmed the patient’s name tag on the bed and approached.

There lay a young woman with a bob haircut, surrounded by several vases filled with various flowers.

Next to her sat a middle-aged man, his head thinning, who jumped up when he saw me.

“Are you the attending physician?”

“Dad, wait a moment….”

“No, you look too young. I’m worried about whether you’ll take good care of my daughter.”

“Doctor, I’m sorry. My dad became a daughter’s fool after I ended up like this.”

The man, who had seemed ready to point fingers, immediately retreated at his daughter’s words.

The patient turned her head toward me, looking embarrassed.

It was as if she was demonstrating all the movements she could currently manage.

“I’m Lee Seon-Joon. For the next month, I will be the attending physician for Kim Jin-ah and will take care of her.”

There are guardians like that.

Those who think they’ll receive better treatment by speaking rudely and raising their voices at the medical staff.

But that’s a big misconception. There are no benefits that come from behaving like that.

It seemed I wouldn’t easily lose this power struggle.

The guardian huffed but didn’t continue the argument.

“Hmm, you transferred from the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine in Western Medicine. Let me check your limb strength.”

I instructed the patient to move her arms and legs one by one as much as she could.

She grimaced and lifted her limbs.

However, her limbs trembled in the air for a few seconds before dropping limply.

“This is about my limit. In fact, I hardly feel anything below my neck; it doesn’t even feel like my body.”

She muttered bitterly.

The strength evaluation resulted in Grade 3.

She could lift her limbs against gravity.

However, she was not capable of gripping objects or withstanding any resistance.

In other words, she couldn’t overcome any resistance greater than gravity.

A normal person is Grade 5, and to manage daily life, one should be at least Grade 4.

“Doctor, please help my daughter get better. It’s so pitiful for such a young person.”

“Oh, Dad, come on. Of course, he’ll do his best; why say such things?”

After waking up from a state of unconsciousness following the accident, she initially could only manage Grade 1 movements, which were just muscle twitches.

Fortunately, she quickly recovered to Grade 3, but that state has been stagnant for six months already.

It would be understandable if she felt frustrated, but surprisingly, she looked cheerful and bright.

I soon found out the reason for that.

She firmly believed that she would recover.

“The rehabilitation therapist told me that acupuncture is good for strokes and paralysis. She said she has seen many people get better from it. So, in a month, I’ll be able to walk out of here on my own, right, doctor?”

For a moment, Shim Ji-seop’s words came to mind, but I quickly shook them off and forced a smile.

As I left the patient room, I reviewed the chart I had brought with me.

On the back page, there was golden writing. There hadn’t been any significant changes after a week.

‘It’s frustrating that I can only see her for a week.’

While I was pondering the treatment direction, someone called my name.

“Doctor Lee Seon-joon!”

Looking up, I saw a caregiver who was taking care of Kang Eun-jeong.

Eun-jeong had naturally left the hospital when she was discharged.

“I’m back. I’m here to take care of the girl with quadriplegia.”

“I heard that her father is the main guardian.”

“But he’s so devoted to his daughter that he’s hired a female caregiver separately. He says she’s embarrassed about bathing and changing diapers.”

‘The cost must be significant, but for his daughter…’

Even if the man lacks manners, it seems he truly cares for his daughter.

Thinking that way, the guardian didn’t feel like a PS after all.

He just wants to help his daughter recover as quickly as possible.

* * *

The first weekend after receiving treatment at Hanbit University Korean Medicine Hospital.

Park Seok-jin was at an eSports stadium in Jonggak, Seoul, competing as the professional gamer “Rocky.”

Wow—!

With the excited shout of the caster announcing the end of the game, the audience’s cheers filled the stadium.

“GG!! Amazing! KST Shark, who has always been second, defeats AT Sky and successfully takes the lead, rising to first place!”

“Does this mean we can look forward to the upcoming playoffs?”

Rocky finally exhaled the breath he had been holding and wiped his face.

His palms were sweaty, and his fingers were trembling slightly.

“Hey! You did well!”

Feeling his heart pounding, he gathered his keyboard and mouse, but the coach shouted and rushed over, embracing Rocky tightly.

“You carried the team hard in this match. Your movements are completely different from a few days ago! What happened?”

At that remark, Rocky glanced down at his right hand.

‘Ever since I received treatment, I’ve been less aware of my wrist, and my concentration has improved.’

In the past, he often made mistakes or couldn’t focus on the game because his wrist would go numb and lose strength.

But ever since he received treatment from that acupuncturist, his wrist felt much lighter. The neuritis had completely healed.

As they moved to the waiting room, the coach continued to grin from ear to ear.

“Actually, the front office has been concerned about you, Rocky. Since your injuries weren’t healing, they were thinking about making you take a break for a while. But if you keep playing like today, victory is just around the corner!”

Though it sounded good to say he should take a break, it really meant they were considering removing him from the team.

Rocky realized that he was at an important crossroads.

Victory or dismissal.

‘I really want to win….’

He gripped his right wrist tightly with his left hand.