After finishing a delicious meal and relaxing comfortably, the village chief spoke to Kim Cheol-soo.
“Did you eat well?”
“I truly enjoyed it. Did you finish eating as well, Chief?”
The natural atmosphere was so pleasant that Kim Cheol-soo’s face brightened.
Then, the chief made a request.
“If you’re done eating, could you see a patient for me? My friend has been having a cold for several days now, but he’s just not getting better. I’m worried about him. It could be something more serious…”
“A cold? That’s more of an internal medicine matter…”
Kim Cheol-soo hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
After all, Kim Cheol-soo was acting as the village physician for now. A mild cold usually gets better with time, but you never know.
For elderly people, even a minor illness can lead to serious consequences.
If possible, he wanted to provide an accurate diagnosis and treatment. Besides, since it was the chief’s friend, he felt even more responsible.
“Let’s go right away then. It’s the house next door.”
“Yes, Chief.”
Crossing the green gate next door and entering the room, they were greeted by an elderly woman he hadn’t met before.
“Chief, you’re here?”
“Yes, I came to check on my friend. This is the doctor.”
“That’s a relief. We were just thinking about whether to go to the hospital. It’s been a while since he got sick… but he just doesn’t get any better.”
Kim Cheol-soo passed by Kim Joo-ok and entered the room.
No Moon-cheol, the patient lying down, sat up to greet him.
Hearing that Kim Cheol-soo was a doctor, he expressed his gratitude.
“I heard a doctor moved to our village, and I’m grateful to finally receive help. I started feeling sick five days ago, but it still hasn’t gone away.”
“What exactly are your symptoms?”
“I have a cough and phlegm… and a high fever. It’s probably just a cold, right?”
“Well, I’ll have to examine you further to know for sure. Let me take a look.”
Kim Cheol-soo hoped it was just a mild cold as he began the examination. But the signs were not good. The phlegm coughed up by the patient was bright yellow.
Purulent sputum.
Unlike normal phlegm, it was yellow and sticky… This usually appears when there’s a lot of inflammation in the bronchial tubes.
Kim Cheol-soo’s expression turned grave.
“It may not just be a cold. Usually, phlegm like this appears in infections like pneumonia or bronchiectasis. Please lie down and take off your shirt. I need to check more thoroughly.”
“Yes, understood.”
Kim Joo-ok, startled, cried out from beside them.
“Oh dear, is my husband going to die? What should we do now?”
The chief scolded her.
“Come now, let the doctor handle it. Why are you making a fuss? Keep quiet!”
“Yes… I’m just worried. He’s been sick for so long…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll do my best to diagnose and treat him.”
Kim Cheol-soo looked at Kim Joo-ok and reassured her. Treating the patient was important, but calming the family’s worries was just as crucial.
He understood the concerns for an elderly patient. After all, he himself felt anxious whenever his own mother fell ill.
Who knows what could happen with elderly people? Kim Cheol-soo wanted to be as considerate as possible toward the patient’s family.
“Is this the right way to lie down?”
“Yes, that’s good. Please take off your shirt as well.”
Looking at No Moon-cheol lying on the blanket, Kim Cheol-soo used the X-ray for the first time in a while.
Some may wonder, ‘Why use an X-ray in internal medicine?’ but X-rays are used in internal medicine as well.
“Hmm, I see an infiltration in the lower left of the lung. There’s an area that looks whiter than normal lung tissue.”
“Infiltration? What does that mean?”
Kim Cheol-soo kindly explained to the curious elders.
With the weather turning cold, the chances of colds and flu spreading were increasing.
It was never a bad thing for the villagers to gain some knowledge.
“It means there’s a lot of blood or pus collected inside the lungs. That’s what we call an infiltration.”
“Why does that happen? That’s strange… Are you saying something that shouldn’t be there is in the lungs?”
“That’s right. In your case, the infiltration is due to pneumonia.”
“Oh my! Pneumonia? What should we do? Are you saying a cold turned into pneumonia?”
Kim Joo-ok cried out in surprise. For people in the countryside who rarely visited hospitals, it was a shock.
After all, pneumonia is much more frightening than a cold and can even be fatal.
Calming her, Kim Cheol-soo said,
“Usually, it’s not directly related to a cold. But patients can be confused because the symptoms—like cough and phlegm—are very similar. However… there are some differences. Are you experiencing severe chest pain?”
“Yes, I am. My side hurts here. Sometimes it hurts a lot, especially when I cough…”
“If there’s pain in the side of the ribs, it’s more likely to be pneumonia than a cold.”
“It’s hard to tell the two apart.”
“Simply put, a cold is caused by a ‘virus’ infection in the respiratory tract, while pneumonia is mostly due to ‘bacteria’ causing inflammation in the lungs.”
“So what should we do now? Does he need medicine?”
“Hmm… It looks almost certain it’s pneumonia, but just to be sure, let’s check your temperature with a thermometer. Hmm… It’s 39 degrees. You definitely have a high fever. Now, let me listen with my stethoscope.”
Kim Cheol-soo took out a stethoscope from his bag and placed it on the patient’s chest.
Crackles and bronchial breathing sounds were heard through the stethoscope. Such sounds don’t occur with just a cold.
With his suspicion of pneumonia confirmed, Kim Cheol-soo asked gently,
“It hurts more when you breathe in, doesn’t it?”
“Oh my, how did you know? You must be a real expert—yes, it hurts more when I inhale. The pain is especially bad in the side where you mentioned.”
“If there’s intercostal pain, it’s definitely pneumonia. Fortunately, it hasn’t progressed to a very severe state. If it were severe pneumonia, it would be much more serious. If you come to Hampyeong Hospital tonight, I’ll arrange for you to receive antibiotics. There’s a pharmacy inside the hospital. Go there and you’ll be taken care of. I’ll call ahead.”
“Thank you so much. I thought it was just a cold… Thank you for coming all the way to our house for an examination… I’m really grateful.”
In response to Kim Joo-ok’s words, Kim Cheol-soo smiled and said,
“I may be an army doctor at the hospital, but in the village, just consider me the town doctor. If anything happens in the future, don’t hesitate to call for me.”
They could run tests to determine exactly which bacteria caused the pneumonia, but usually, antibiotics are prescribed based on experience.
Hospitalization can be uncomfortable for the patient.
Statistically, about 20 percent of pneumonia patients require hospitalization.
If the patient has the time, they can be admitted for blood tests, sputum tests, and even invasive bronchoscopic exams to identify the specific bacteria.
“For now, I’ll prescribe a combination of penicillin and clarithromycin antibiotics. Take the medicine and let’s monitor your progress. If you don’t improve, come see me anytime. I can prescribe a different antibiotic or arrange for new tests and hospitalization if needed.”
Kim Cheol-soo kept the possibility of admission to Hampyeong Hospital open, just in case.
“Thank you, doctor. I’ll go get the medicine.”
“Thank you so much… I feel relieved now. There’s so much work to do in the fields, but I was worried from being bedridden for so long.”
As they bowed their heads in gratitude, Kim Cheol-soo added,
“In addition to the antibiotics, the medicine packet contains antitussives and expectorants to reduce your cough. They’re safe, so please take them as prescribed.”
“We’ll take whatever you give us. Thank you so much again. I heard you were an excellent doctor, but I’m amazed at how quickly you diagnosed it!”
People were surprised to see Kim Cheol-soo using the X-ray with his eyes alone.
They’d visited many hospitals, but never met such an impressive doctor before.
As the thanks continued, Kim Cheol-soo replied,
“If you keep saying that, I’ll feel embarrassed. I’m just doing my duty as a doctor. I’ll be going now. Ah! And here’s my phone number. If the patient’s condition worsens, call me anytime, no matter how late. I’ll come right away.”
“How can we thank you enough… Truly, thank you.”
“We’re all villagers here. Call me anytime you need. Well then…”
Screeech…
Finishing the consultation, Kim Cheol-soo left through the green gate.
He reflected that he had been so focused on severe patients that he’d neglected the villagers.
But that couldn’t continue. Treating mild cases was just as important as caring for serious ones.
With renewed resolve, Kim Cheol-soo gazed at the beautiful nature of Hampyeong.
“Hoo… The air is so fresh—it’s really different from Seoul. It’s so easy to breathe.”
The beautiful crape myrtles and red spider lilies blooming in Hampyeong were truly stunning.
Just looking at them made his mind feel at ease.
It was the perfect scenery for renewing his determination to become an even better doctor.
At that moment, the village chief approached and patted him on the shoulder.
“You’re truly a good doctor. Skills aside, I’ve never seen such a kind and caring physician in my life. Why do you humble yourself so much? I’m curious. Most doctors are arrogant and standoffish. They think they know it all because they’ve studied a lot.”
“……”
Kim Cheol-soo took a slow breath and thought for a moment.
He pondered carefully about how to answer. It wasn’t an easy question for him.
Why does he treat his patients kindly? He had to think deeply to find an answer.
Then, upon seeing the beautiful red spider lilies along the roadside, his thoughts gradually became clear.
Now, as a doctor, he understood how he should treat his patients.
With a gentle smile, he finally shared what he’d always thought.
“A doctor is not a god. Matters of life and death are ultimately left to fate. All a doctor can do is struggle against that cruel fate. No matter how skilled a physician is, it’s the same. That’s why I believe we must be humble before terrifying illnesses and our patients. Otherwise, arrogance can lead to unexpected mistakes, causing us to lose patients who might otherwise be saved.”
Hearing his answer, the chief burst into hearty laughter and turned his gaze to the green scenery that Kim Cheol-soo was looking at.
He wanted to look at the exact same place Kim Cheol-soo was seeing.
He was truly proud of this young man.
“You really are remarkable. That’s why I like you. Please continue to take care of us! To Hampyeong village’s renowned doctor, Doctor Kim Cheol-soo!!”