A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 339

Chapter 65: Another Land (4)

“Wait! Please, both of you, stop fighting. I can get the patient back on his feet in ten minutes.”

Junhoo’s voice was brimming with confidence.

That confidence seemed to grab Taewon by the ankles, making him stop dead in his tracks.

He turned and stared at Junhoo.

Junhoo was looking back at Taewon with eyes that showed he had nothing to lose.

I thought he was just a naive kid…

But his eyes are shining surprisingly bright.

Can he really restore the patient?

Something that even I, who have treated countless patients at the clinic, can’t do—can that green kid do it?

That can’t be possible, can it?

Is he perhaps just trying to buy some time?

To gather public opinion from passengers who oppose turning back?

In the blink of an eye, countless thoughts and speculations flashed through Taewon’s mind.

“If the patient is in critical condition, shouldn’t we turn back as quickly as possible, even if it’s just ten minutes sooner?”

“What nonsense. Do you think a person lives or dies based on a mere ten minutes?”

“Ignorant man. Don’t you know about the golden time? [The critical period for effective treatment]. When saving someone, time is gold.”

“Always so fussy. Is there any guarantee that we won’t lose those ten minutes somewhere else? And what if the patient really regains consciousness within those ten minutes? What will you do then?”

Two passengers argued, their faces flushed over the issue of turning back.

Their argument quickly divided the passengers into two factions.

It was a confrontation between the so-called pro-turnaround and anti-turnaround groups.

The atmosphere inside the plane was gradually turning into chaos.

“Everyone, be quiet!”

Taewon commanded in a booming voice.

That command sucked in the surrounding small and loud noises like a black hole.

The passengers’ attention refocused on Taewon.

“Did you just say you could restore the patient within ten minutes?”

“Yes, I did.”

“You’re not lying in front of all these people, are you?”

“Do you perhaps treat patients with lies?”

Junhoo’s sharp counterattack seemed to hit Taewon, who tilted his head back slightly as if he had been struck.

Look at this guy?

Not only his eyes but also his eloquence is top-notch?

Taewon began to wonder about the source of the confidence that Junhoo was exuding.

“Then go ahead and treat him as you please. But, if it turns out that you’ve been talking nonsense…”

“…”

“Not only I but also the other passengers will not forgive you.”

“Then I’ll make a condition too.”

“What is it?”

“Apologize for calling me a selfish person who values his personal schedule more than the patient.”

“Of course. If you can treat the patient, I’ll even bow down to you.”

“Keep that promise.”

Junhoo and Taewon.

The leaders (?) of the pro-turnaround and anti-turnaround factions dramatically compromised, and the air inside the plane loosened for a moment.

Now, all eyes were on Junhoo.

All eyes were on what Junhoo knew and how he would treat the patient.

“Jiyoon.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

At Junhoo’s call, flight attendant Jiyoon approached him. Junhoo whispered something to her, and Jiyoon shrugged her shoulders in surprise.

Her eyes widened like an owl’s.

“Do you really think that will work?”

“Yes, that’s enough.”

Junhoo smiled, and Jiyoon hurriedly left.

Well, let’s see. What is your outrageous treatment method that will save the patient?

Taewon crossed his arms and looked down at Junhoo with a displeased expression.

Toc. Toc.

After a while, the sound of a flight attendant’s shoes was heard from behind Taewon.

Holding something that would either put an end to this situation or cause new conflicts.

“I don’t know if this is right, but I brought what you asked for.”

Jiyoon handed Junhoo a bottle of juice.

Junhoo opened the lid of that something.

Pop!

The yellow liquid inside rippled like a wave.

“Young man, you’re playing a serious joke. You’re going to save someone with just that?”

“Is that person really a doctor? Isn’t he just a crazy person pretending to be a doctor? Shouldn’t someone stop him?”

A tidal wave of distrust arose among the passengers.

This was because what Junhoo had asked Jiyoon for was orange juice.

Prescribing juice to a patient with a head injury who is unconscious?

It was no wonder the passengers were dumbfounded.

Meanwhile, Junhoo…

Regardless of what people around him were saying, he supported the patient’s neck with one hand and brought the bottle of orange juice to the patient’s lips with the other.

He carefully fed the patient the orange juice.

Checking if there was a swallowing reflex.

The patient’s uvula fluttered as the juice went down.

“I can’t bear to watch any longer. I’ll step in and stop him.”

A passenger stood up from his seat with a determined expression.

Step by step, he approached Junhoo.

But surprisingly, Taewon stretched out his arm and blocked the passenger’s path.

The passenger’s eyebrows shot up sharply.

“What are you doing? Are you just going to sit there and watch? You’re a doctor too. You should stop that nonsense right now.”

“The treatment… seems to be going well. There’s no need to turn back.”

“Are you serious?”

Taewon nodded instead of answering. He made a bitter expression and rubbed his face with both hands.

It was his complete defeat.

* * *

As Junhoo had confidently declared, the patient regained consciousness in just ten minutes.

Ugh, he groaned and struggled to lift his eyelids.

“Wow, what? No way. The patient really regained consciousness? What on earth just happened?”

“Did he put some kind of medicine in the orange juice?”

“I think I know why.”

The passengers, having far exceeded their expectations of Junhoo’s treatment, each added a word.

Despite being at the center of attention, Junhoo was only focused on the patient.

“How are you feeling?”

“My head is a bit foggy, but I’m okay. What happened? I remember losing my balance as my head went blurry…”

“…”

“After that, I don’t remember anything…”

The patient looked bewildered.

“I’ll explain the details later. First, sit down and get some rest. I’ll help you.”

Junhoo supported the patient and crossed the aisle.

After making sure the patient was sitting comfortably,

He disinfected the wound on the patient’s head with a first aid kit that the flight attendant had brought, placed gauze on it, and wrapped it with a bandage.

With this, the commotion was over.

With a refreshed mind, Junhoo returned to the restroom area.

The story, which had been full of conflict, had concluded with a happy ending, but it was time for an epilogue.

Meanwhile, as Junhoo returned, the passengers, flight attendants, and Taewon looked at Junhoo as if he were the main character on a stage.

“Everyone has seen that the patient is safe. Now, please don’t tear each other apart over turning back.”

“But Doctor, why did the patient collapse in the first place?”

Jiyoon asked, her eyes sparkling.

She was still holding the bottle of orange juice that the patient had finished drinking.

Others also looked at Junhoo with eyes that showed they were curious about the reason.

“First of all, the patient was suffering from diabetic hypoglycemia [low blood sugar in a person with diabetes].”

“If he has diabetes, why didn’t any medicine come out when we searched his bag?”

“When traveling, you may run out of medicine in the middle. Maybe he prepared snacks instead.”

Junhoo’s index finger pointed to the patient’s chocolates, candies, etc., that were still scattered on the floor of the plane.

“The patient was in a state of sugar deficiency, and there was another misfortune on top of that.”

“Misfortune…?”

“There’s a hint in the fact that the patient collapsed in front of the restroom.”

“The answer is orthostatic hypotension [low blood pressure upon standing].”

Taewon, who had been silent, joined the conversation.

Orthostatic hypotension.

This was a condition in which blood pressure drops momentarily when standing up after lying down or sitting for a long time.

Junhoo nodded as if it were the correct answer.

“The patient collapsed because hypoglycemia and orthostatic hypotension overlapped. That’s why the symptoms seemed more severe.”

“…”

“And by chance, he injured his head while falling, and everyone mistakenly thought there was a problem with his brain because the patient didn’t wake up quickly.”

Junhoo neatly summarized the situation and conveyed it to the people around him.

Only then did people nod as if they understood.

As the misunderstanding was resolved, the eyes of the people softened.

Only then did Junhoo feel relieved.

Diabetic hypoglycemia and orthostatic hypotension.

Junhoo had quite a hard time making these two diagnoses.

Taewon suddenly appeared and threatened him.

The passengers were tearing each other apart.

Even when he used his internal energy cerebral angiography, there was nothing wrong with the patient, etc.

Even amidst the extreme pressure around him.

Junhoo had the calmness he had cultivated in the Murim world [a fictional world of martial arts experts].

Observation skills to look at the patient’s belongings and the situation the patient was in with a cool head.

He succeeded in the treatment using these two things as weapons.

In other words, the treasures obtained from Murim were not only martial arts and internal energy.

The attitude of dealing with and solving problems was also a precious legacy.

“Still, isn’t there a possibility that he injured his brain? We haven’t even done a test?”

A passenger raised his hand and objected. Some passengers nodded as if it made sense.

But Junhoo shook his head firmly.

“If it was really a cerebral hemorrhage [bleeding in the brain], the patient’s condition could not have improved so dramatically.”

“…”

“Then why would there be a neurosurgeon? You could just buy orange juice from a convenience store and drink it.”

Some passengers burst into laughter at Junhoo’s witty answer.

The atmosphere inside the plane had become so friendly.

Since the patient had regained his health, there was no reason to fight each other over turning back.

“Doctor, thank you. Honestly, I felt a little guilty while opposing the turnaround…”

“…”

“Thanks to you, I think I’ll be able to have my meeting without any setbacks.”

A passenger wearing glasses bowed his head to Junhoo as a sign of gratitude, and Junhoo also bowed his head to the passenger.

The passenger smiled brightly and returned to his seat.

The flight attendants also thanked Junhoo and scattered to their respective positions.

Now, the only ones standing facing each other in the long aisle were Junhoo and Taewon.

A strange tension flowed between the two.

“Ha… I lost. The patient was so unconscious, and there were even traces of head trauma…”

“…”

“So… I couldn’t escape the error of thinking it was a cerebral hemorrhage due to trauma. I sincerely apologize for calling you selfish.”

“I’m glad you recognized my sincerity, even now.”

A smile spread across Junhoo’s lips.

He had argued with Taewon, but he had no grudge against him.

Both had simply done their best to save the patient from their respective perspectives.

“Oh, dear. What are you going to do if you take a joke seriously?”

Junhoo rushed forward like lightning and supported Taewon’s body, who was bending over with his hands on his waist.

“You have to keep your promise. You said you would bow down if you lost.”

“I just said that because I was upset in the middle. What good would it do me to receive a bow from my senior? At best, I’d just be called rude.”

“Still, I feel too sorry to just let it go. I feel like I condemned the young doctor as a bad guy…”

“Anyone can make mistakes. But if you’re still worried, please forgive someone who makes a mistake around you later. I’ll repay the debt with that.”

“I would have insisted on receiving the bow… The young doctor speaks so kindly.”

“No, I still have a long way to go to cultivate my character.”

A bitter smile hung on Junhoo’s lips as he spoke.

In fact, Taewon’s mistake was nothing compared to Junhoo’s.

Junhoo had once driven countless colleagues to their deaths due to his own fatal mistake.