A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 421

“Huh…”

That sound didn’t come from his chest.

It came from his lips.

It was the first sound of dismay Jun-hoo made as he looked at the division medical unit he was visiting for the first time as a medical officer.

He had been expecting a lot from a medical unit operated at the division level.

But what was this?

The building was one-story and not modern. It looked shabby, with paint peeling off the walls in places.

“Company Commander, are you disappointed?”

Jeong-min, the medic accompanying him, chuckled at Jun-hoo’s reaction.

“A little… or a lot?”

“I’ll get the soldiers checked in first. Would you like to look around at your own pace?”

“Sure.”

“Everyone, please come this way.”

Jeong-min gathered the soldiers in one place.

He explained the schedule.

Register for treatment in the department they want.

Remember the treatment report and details.

Meet in front of the public telephone booth in front of the medical unit by 6 PM.

As he entered the division medical unit building, Jun-hoo listened to everything Jeong-min said.

It was thanks to enhancing his hearing with internal energy.

‘Still, it’s not a completely terrible place.’

As he looked around the barracks, Jun-hoo somewhat shook off his disappointing first impression of the division medical unit.

Dermatology.

Orthopedics.

Internal Medicine, etc.

There were several departments, and when he asked the medical unit’s medics, they all said that the medical officers in those departments were specialists.

It was still poor, though.

The situation in the division’s inpatient ward was a little better than in the regiment’s.

There were two inpatient rooms.

And the patients were lying on proper beds, not on the floor of the living quarters.

The fact that the only test available in the division medical unit was an X-ray still seemed inadequate.

“Company Commander.”

As the tour of the division medical unit was coming to an end.

Jeong-min approached Jun-hoo.

“It looks like you should be going to the Korea Armed Forces Capital Hospital soon.”

“I heard that the division medical unit treats relatively minor patients, and serious patients go to the Korea Armed Forces Capital Hospital, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“I have something to do before I go.”

“What is it?”

“I want to meet the division medical unit’s pharmacy specialist.”

Jun-hoo said calmly, putting his hand in his pants pocket. He fiddled with the paper he had put in his pocket.

The paper listed the supplies needed to operate the medical unit.

According to what he had learned a few days ago, the regiment medical unit had a terrible amount of supplies.

There was only one antibiotic ointment, and when giving IV fluids, they didn’t have a catheter, so they used the basic needle provided in the IV set.

Bandages and plasters were also on the verge of running out.

If they didn’t even have such basic supplies.

How could the medical unit fulfill its role?

It was as precarious as a soldier left on the battlefield without a gun.

“I did send a request form a while ago, but…”

“You said you sent it last month, but you didn’t receive it. So, will they give it to us this month?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Guide me.”

Jeong-min took the lead at Jun-hoo’s direction.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Jeong-min knocked and entered the administrative office.

Jun-hoo followed behind.

The division medical unit’s administrative office was like a small- to medium-sized company’s office.

There were no partitions, and soldiers were expressionlessly working on computers at desks with only computers on them.

‘The name is familiar?’

Jun-hoo’s eyes were drawn to a picture of his direct superior as he looked around the administrative office.

Direct superior.

Division Commander Brigadier General Jang Hae-in.

Division Medical Unit Commander Captain Seo Tae-pung.

Jun-hoo knew Seo Tae-pung.

He had seen his face and learned his name at the Shinwon University Medical School alumni association.

He was eight classes below Jun-hoo, and he had come to greet Jun-hoo first, saying that he respected him.

Of course, there was no guarantee that that Seo Tae-pung was this Seo Tae-pung.

“I’m the regiment’s pharmacy specialist who contacted you a while ago. Do you remember?”

Jeong-min approached the division pharmacy specialist and asked.

The division pharmacy specialist’s name was Son Seung-hoon. The horn-rimmed glasses he was wearing were impressive.

“Yes, but why?”

“I was wondering if we could pick up the supplies we requested today.”

“If we had them, we would have given them to you. We can’t give them to you because we don’t have them.”

Seung-hoon said firmly.

Then Jeong-min gave Jun-hoo a look asking for help.

“I’m the regiment medical unit commander.”

“Attention!”

Seung-hoon belatedly discovered Jun-hoo and stood up from his seat and saluted.

Jun-hoo lightly raised his hand to acknowledge him.

“The regiment really doesn’t have any supplies. We have to take at least some with us today.”

“That’s… no matter what the company commander says… there are things I can’t do.”

“Why? What’s the reason?”

“I told the soldier a similar story earlier, but it’s because we can’t give you what we don’t have.”

His tone was polite, but the conclusion was the same.

It’s not that we’re not giving it to you, it’s that we can’t.

Jun-hoo stroked his chin.

He was trying to figure out if Seung-hoon’s words were true.

Isn’t it the division medical unit’s duty to supply the regiment medical unit with supplies? If so, then the division medical unit was not doing its job.

The problem was whether this stemmed from the frustration unique to military administration.

Or whether it was connected to a dirty connection that was siphoning off supplies.

He could understand the former to some extent.

But he couldn’t forgive the latter.

Because such corruption would be repeated in the future.

And the soldiers would bear the brunt of the damage.

“So, it’s not possible even if I ask directly?”

Jun-hoo said, subtly emitting internal energy to the outside.

Seung-hoon, feeling the pressure, swallowed hard. He couldn’t even dare to meet Jun-hoo’s eyes.

“I’m… I’m sorry.”

At Seung-hoon’s answer, Jun-hoo immediately made a decision.

This was not a problem that could be solved at Seung-hoon’s level.

“Where is the division medical unit commander?”

“He’s in the medical unit commander’s office right now.”

“Let’s go see him for a moment.”

“Then this way.”

Jun-hoo followed Seung-hoon out of the administrative office. He stood in front of the medical unit company commander’s office at the end of the hallway.

It was the same in the Murim Alliance [martial arts alliance].

To get the job done, you had to hit the top dog first.

In fact, the lower ranks have no choice but to follow the words of the higher ranks.

“Company Commander.”

Seung-hoon said, looking at Jun-hoo’s expression.

“Why?”

“The order to reduce supply distribution was our company commander’s instruction. It’s likely that it won’t work even if the company commander speaks.”

“That’s for me to judge.”

“I understand.”

Knock. Knock. Knock.

A voice told them to come in after he knocked.

Jun-hoo entered the medical unit company commander’s office with a dignified air.

The division medical unit company commander’s office was definitely different from the regiment medical unit company commander’s office.

It felt like a real office.

The square footage of the office was almost three times larger, and furniture such as sofas, tables, and bookshelves were quite noticeable.

“……”

“……”

Jun-hoo and the medical unit company commander’s eyes met head-on.

A moment of silence flowed in the office.

Jun-hoo had a hunch.

That the probability of returning to the regiment with supplies was 100 percent.

* * *

“Wow… it works.”

Jeong-min muttered to himself in admiration.

Jeong-min came out of the division medical unit barracks with plastic bags in both hands.

The plastic bags were filled with supplies. The plastic bags were as bulging as Majin Buu’s belly from Dragon Ball [a popular Japanese manga and anime series].

“Private First Class Seo Jeong-min, I’ll help you.”

Ambulance driver Chan-young hurriedly ran to Jeong-min.

He quickly snatched one of the bags containing supplies and held it.

“Didn’t you say we wouldn’t be able to get the supplies?”

“I thought so too. But the company commander solved it.”

“Even if it’s the company commander, he can’t have influence in the division, can he?”

Chan-young tilted his head and asked.

“But it worked.”

“How?”

“The division medical unit company commander is our medical unit company commander’s distant junior [someone who graduated later from the same school or university].”

Jeong-min clicked his tongue and said.

That was the only thing he remembered from what he heard outside the office.

Because the division medical unit company commander’s voice was so loud.

-Jun-hoo sunbaenim [senior in Korean]? Are you a medical officer now? Wow. Awesome! I never dreamed I’d see you here!

He didn’t hear the rest of the story, but it wasn’t difficult to figure out what kind of story unfolded afterward.

The proof was the supplies he had brought back in abundance.

“But the division medical unit guys… When I think about it, they’re hateful. In the end, they had supplies but didn’t give them to us, right?”

“You have to see it that way.”

Jeong-min frowned and continued.

“I don’t know if they hid them to live well on their own or if there’s another reason.”

“Cheapskate guys.”

“Anyway, it’s a relief that we have the company commander. We won’t have to worry about supplies in the future.”

Jeong-min looked down at the bag in his hand with satisfaction.

He brought back not only supplies but also plenty of painkillers, antipyretics [fever reducers], and muscle relaxants, which were already in short supply.

As a pharmacy specialist, he couldn’t be happier.

“After all, you have to meet the right superiors in the military. Isn’t that right?”

* * *

That day at 11 a.m.

Jun-hoo was walking around the first floor of the Korea Armed Forces Capital Hospital alone.

The soldiers had scattered to get treatment.

The medic, driver, and evacuation team leader said they would spend time at a nearby PC cafe [internet cafe].

It was Jun-hoo’s first time at the Korea Armed Forces Capital Hospital, so he wanted to check out the scale.

The Korea Armed Forces Capital Hospital was definitely on a different level from the division medical unit.

As the best military hospital, it was comparable to most university hospitals.

The building was also state-of-the-art, with a convenience store and food court on the first floor, and all the departments found in university hospitals.

There were also tests such as CT, MRI, and ultrasound, etc., that it could do everything.

As a place where sick soldiers and officers from all over the country gathered, there were many soldiers visiting this place.

The camouflage was all over the hospital.

While looking around the Korea Armed Forces Capital Hospital.

Jun-hoo’s desire for surgery surged once again in his heart.

Imaginary training was almost identical to actual combat, but it was not the same as actual combat.

Imaginary training was done according to Jun-hoo’s will.

Actual combat was not done according to Jun-hoo’s will.

Unexpected situations.

Crisis management skills.

Elements such as conflicts between staff members were difficult to fill with imaginary training.

‘Can’t I ask someone to let me do surgery?’

Jun-hoo was seriously considering it.

And he thought that if he did well, his sincerity might be accepted.

Even in the Big 5 hospitals [the five largest and most prestigious hospitals in South Korea], tragedies had occurred because there were no neurosurgeons available for emergency surgery.

Then wouldn’t the situation at the Korea Armed Forces Capital Hospital be even more dire?

If he found someone suitable and talked to them well, he might be able to have surgery here.

Thinking about this and that, Jun-hoo walked aimlessly on the first floor.

Then he spotted two men approaching from afar.

One was an elderly one-star general, and the other was a colonel-level officer.

The two men approached Jun-hoo from the opposite side.

The one Jun-hoo was paying attention to was the one-star general.

The name of the one-star brigadier general on his rank insignia was Im Cheol-woo.

His expression was unusual.

The left corner of his mouth was stiff and did not move. His gait was also strangely unnatural.

He had a bad feeling.

“Excuse me.”

Jun-hoo deliberately blocked the path of the two men.

The two men stared at Jun-hoo with a what-are-you look.

“I’m the regiment medical unit company commander. Brigadier General Im Cheol-woo, let’s go to the emergency room with me now.”