Doctor goes back to Joseon

Gulp!

The governor was intensely anxious. It was the first time for him to see an operation. Before, he had only heard that Ganghyuk used strange looking tools, but actually seeing it was a whole another thing.

“Hu…”

The monk could not breath when Ganghyuk put the mess in his mouth. On the other side, Yeoju came nearer to Ganghyuk, observing him closely without disturbing him.

She constantly sketched while the chief monk watched her drawing with curiosity.

“Now, I am going to cut.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you have the cotton swab?”

“Yes, yes.” Dolseok shook a small cotton swab.

When Ganghyuk cut the skin, there would be blood everywhere. It was the same for everyone. Nobody could cut the skin without causing blood to come out.

The difference was only in amount, resulting in the need to choose between wiping with a cotton swab or gauze.

“Good!”

Ganghyuk had not done this kind of operation in which he had to put the mess in the mouth. It was for an ENT doctor to do after all, and not for a general surgeon.

‘However, I have opened a brain.’

He did not have any experience of this before, so he just followed what he had learned. It was said that doctors in the third world considered YouTube as a teacher. In that sense, Ganghyuk was better, because he saw real operations with his eyes.

Jeek!

The tissue was cut by the sharp mess.

Specifically speaking, the entry of the passage from where saliva secreted in the left submaxillary gland flowed out was cut open.

At the same time, blood came out and blocked his view.

“Wipe it, wipe!”

“Yes.” Dolseok hurried to move with the cotton swab.

“Stop!”

“Yes, sir.”

Dolseok removed the cotton swab, causing blood to come out again. The amount was reduced, but Ganghyuk could not do the operation still.

“Blood… Wipe it again.”

“Yes.”

“It does not stop with just wiping. Press it.”

“Okay, sir.”

Dolseok felt tense. He did what he was told, yet he was scolded. If Ganghyuk were not his master, he would have hit him.

“Good! Well-done.”

“Did I? Hehe.” But with a single praise, Dolseok felt good once again.

“The next part is important. You must learn it.”

Dolseok opened his eyes wide, although that did not make his eyes too big.

“Look at this.” Ganghyuk used a new cotton swab to take out something from inside, causing pus and rotten saliva to flow out.

Dolseok murmured with gladness. “It came out…the bad things.”

“It is not the end.”

“No?”

“No… Not at all.”

Why was the pus in the gland? Every disease must have a cause, and pus was only the result.

“Now, it is going to be painful.” Ganghyuk pressed the cotton swab along with the warning.

Pok

With a vulgar sound effect, something came out, as big as a nail. With that, the saliva and pus stagnated in the passage flew out. It came out with a great force, and the smell filled up the room.

“Ugh!” The governor rushed to open the door.

“What is the matter? Huck!” Yeoni had come near the room because of the fuss inside, but she covered her nose quickly because of the strong pungent odor.

Ganghyuk, Dolseok, and Yujeong were the only people who did not lose their nerves.

“Tweezer!”

With the remark, Dolseok moved busily. He left the bloody swab and searched for the tweezer.

“Do you want this?”

“No, the one with teeth.”

“Teeth? Where is it?”

“There.”

“Okay, sir.”

Ganghyuk took out the thing with the tweezer that Dolseok gave him, then put it on the gauze.

“Wipe the blood and put it out.”

“Yes, sir.” Dolseok promptly wiped the thing with gauze.

“Wow!”

“What is this?”

When the thing became clean, the chief monk and the governor changed their facial expression. Dolseok wiped it carefully, seeming to be surprised.

“What is that? Clean it thoroughly. It will not be broken.”

“What is this, sir?” Dolseok asked while pointing at the white thing.”

“It is a stone.”

“Oh! Why is there a stone in the body?”

“Oh!” Ganghyuk thought that it was quite an intelligent question to ask. He felt that Dolseok was a quite a good student to think of the question and have the courage to ask it.

In the twenty first century, there was no student who would ask questions; they just listened to the professor.

He always missed having such a student as a professor.

‘He is a good student. Good!’

It had been a really long time since he had to explain why a stone was produced in the gland.

‘It is because of shortage of saliva… Sometimes, it is produced because the submaxillary gland bursts the saliva in the opposite direction of gravity.’

He was thinking of the answers with sincerity.

‘Why are they looking at it like that?’

They all look strange. Dolseok was about to bow to the stone; the governor and the chief monk could not stay in their seats either as they had stood up. Even Yeoju had stopped drawing.

Only Yujeong and Ganghyuk stayed calm.

“What are you doing?”

“It is a Sari (1).”

Dolseok could not touch the stone anymore, looking at Yujeong and the stone alternatively. His face showed that he was deeply moved.

“Sari? What are you talking about?”

“He is a living Buddha. He must be a living Buddha.”

Ganghyuk could not continue his speech any longer. Dolseok began bowing, and the governor and the chief monk followed as well.

Dolseok had not even taken off gloves and the mask yet. They looked very serious, so he could not stop them.

‘Are they crazy? No. It must be something serious. Sari?’

Ganghyuk looked at Yujeong and the stone from the gland. ‘Aha! A monk and a stone.’

He remembered that when a monk died, he would be incremated. Sometimes, there remained some small crystals among the cremated remains of monks, which were called Sari.

Ganghyuk thought that those Saris should be stones in the body, probably from the kidney or the bladder…or in the saliva gland just like now.

‘So, they think that a Sari came from a living person…’

To Ganghyuk, it was all nonsense, but he could understand why they were reacting the way they did.

‘The reactions are quite vehement.’

The governor seemed to be fully displaying his hidden faith. Ganghyuk did not count from the beginning, but it seemed that he had bowed more than ten times.

Ganghyuk thought that the chief monk would stop them. But, he did the same thing instead of stopping them.

“He is a Buddha.”

Dang, Dang, Dang!

He held his Moktak(2) in his hand and sounded it.

‘They bow to him while he is still bleeding…’

He thought he must first stop bleeding. As he had cut the gland, it should be restored. In that case, he needed an assistant.

“Dolseok.”

“Buddha…”

“Dolseok.”

“Here is a living Buddha.”

“Dolseok, wake up!”

“Ouch”

It was a rude behavior to hit him in front of people, but Ganghyuk could not help it. He had to finish the treatment.

“I need your assistance. The treatment is not yet finished.”

“Yes, yes. What should I do?”

He was more active than usual, although he could no longer dare to touch him.

“Open his mouth. What are you doing?”

“How can I…?”

“Well…”

At this moment, Yujeong helped him. “Nothing is changed. You can do what you should do. Take it easy.”

“But…”

“I am not a living Buddha or a priest of virtue. I am a patient who needs to be treated.”

“Ok, I will follow your instruction.”

Dolseok opened Yujeong’s mouth, who acted just like before. Since the governor and the chief monk made a fuss, he could have been swayed. Ganghyuk felt that the latter himself could have thought that it was Sari.

‘He is a man of self-discipline.’

Even though he might not be a living Buddha, he must be a priest of virtue. Hence, Ganghyuk told him in a friendlier tone. “It is nearly done. Just a few more minutes.”

“Okay.”

With the remark, Ganghyuk opened his mouth again, causing blood, pus, and saliva to flow out. It gushed out fiercely, causing the swelling of the submaxillary gland to reduce.

‘It is really severe. How could he preach in such a condition?’

It was indeed unbelievable. Ganghyuk could not have believed it if he had not seen him preaching with his own eyes.

It was good to finish quickly, so he came back to his senses. After all, it was not good to prolong the operation time.

“Dolseok, open it.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I will finish it quickly.”

Ganghyuk made a small suture at the top and the bottom of the cut he made. As a result, there was a hole left between the sutures, around half a centimeter in size.

The saliva would flow from the hole from now on.

‘It may be enough.’

Even if a stone was produced again, it would come out through the hole. If they had to do the same thing whenever it came out of the hole, it might get serious.

On the other side, the governor had made a place for worshipping and bowing to the stone constantly. If Changgweon saw this, he would have cut the governor’s head rather than hair.

‘Ugh!’

Ganghyuk looked at Yujeong, turning away from the governor. He looked peaceful and comfortable.

“It is done now. As you still have inflammation, please take this medicine.”

“Thank you.”

Yujeong recieved the medicine without any question. The chief monk who was sounding the Moktak asked. “Is he cured?”

“No, not yet.”

As he had severe inflammation, he had to take the medicine for a few days more.

“Then, can you stay here longer till he has completely recovered?” The chief monk begged. To him, Yujeong was a living Buddha, and Ganghyuk was the one who had treated his sickness.

‘I like the government office better.’ Ganghyuk thought. But, it was a long way from the office to Chiljangsa, so he could not commute every day.

‘Anyway, when would I get to sleep in a temple again?’

It would be a very special experience. Moreover, even if he wanted to go, Dolseok would not listen to him, who was busy bowing alongside the governor.

“I will see his status by staying here for a few days more.”

“Thank you! Yujeong told me that he would have great helper today. It must be you.”

“Great helper?”

“Yes.”

Dolseok sprang on hearing the words of the chief monk. He remembered the conversation he had heard before coming into the room.

“He is marvelous.”

“What?”

“I heard the priest say that he would have a great helper today.”

“Did you?”

The chief monk added. “He has never said such a thing before. It must be about you.”

That was marvelous! His voice and attitude… He might be an extraordinary man. Although, Ganghyuk did not realize it at the moment…

“Surprising. Can you tell me who you are?”

“I am Yujeong. You can call me Samyeongdang.”

Sari – A sacred relic

Moktak – wooden percussion instrument used for chanting by Buddhist clergy