A competent doctor can cure everything

A young boy with a bowl haircut gets off the elevator.
The child, dressed in a patient’s gown, looks around anxiously.
In one hand, he holds a note with a list of errands, and in the other, his favorite dinosaur toy.

“Ugh, I’m so nervous about sending Dong-soo alone.”
Following him quietly are a young couple.

“Our Dong-soo is going on an errand by himself.”
“But he has his dinosaur friend with him. He’ll be fine. The dinosaur’s name is… Eu…?”

Dong-soo’s mom hides behind a pillar, wiping her nose while watching him.
Her husband pats her shoulder and comforts her.

“Eu-streptospondylus.”
“Right, anyway, he’ll do fine with his dinosaur friend. And it’s just the convenience store inside the hospital.”

Unaware that his parents are watching him,
Dong-soo heads in the wrong direction, not toward the convenience store.

“Dong…!”
Dong-soo’s mom instinctively calls his name and nearly runs out from behind the pillar.
If it weren’t for his dad quickly stopping her with a hand over her mouth,
she might have rushed out.

“Shh! Honey. Let Dong-soo handle it on his own.”
“’Sigh’. I understand what it means to feel like we’re sending a child into the wilderness.”
“Still, the doctor gave him an assignment.”

The pediatrician had said that the child needed to practice being away from his parents little by little.
First, he would go to school alone, then walk him to the classroom, then to the playground, and finally only to the school gate.

Dong-soo’s parents recalled what the pediatrician had said.

“Has Dong-soo ever run an errand by himself?”

“No, never.”

“Then, I’ll give him an assignment. Tell him to go to the convenience store on the first floor of the hospital by himself and buy something. After that, you can send him to a convenience store outside the hospital.”

“Oh my… But do you think Dong-soo can do it?”

“Honey, Dong-soo is in elementary school now. It’s time for him to do errands on his own.”

“He’s allowed to use support items if necessary, like a comfort object or a photo.”

By then, Dong-soo, who had been walking in the opposite direction of the convenience store, suddenly stopped in his tracks.
With a big smile, he waved the note he was holding excitedly.

“Baby! Hello! I’m Hwang Dong-soo!”

Dong-soo had stopped in front of a stroller with a baby inside.

The sight of the little boy admiring the even smaller baby was enough to make the nearby adults smile warmly.

The baby’s mother, who had been pushing the stroller, smiled and bent over toward the stroller.

“A handsome big brother is greeting you?”

At being called a handsome big brother, Dong-soo puffed out his chest a bit, feeling proud.
Then he became aware of the note in his hand.

“Ah! My errand!”

“Hmm? Were you on your way to run an errand?”

“Yes! I’m going to buy something at the convenience store!”

The baby’s mother tilted her head.

“The convenience store is not this way, it’s on the opposite side over there.”

“Ah! Thank you!”

Dong-soo, following the directions given by the woman, began walking in the correct direction.

“Phew, thank goodness.”

Dong-soo’s parents sighed in relief and continued watching the scene.

Finally, Dong-soo spotted the convenience store and confidently walked into the entrance.

Dong-soo didn’t forget to greet the store clerk cheerfully.

“Hello~!”

Dong-soo firmly held a shopping basket and, looking at the list, picked up items one by one.

Then, for some reason, he stopped and stared at the note, deep in thought.

“Was it a bit difficult after all?”

While his parents anxiously watched him from outside the convenience store, Dong-soo was seen through the glass window showing the note to an adult and asking questions.

“That’s right, good job.”

“Yeah. If you’re unsure, just ask someone around you, Dong-soo.”

Dong-soo’s parents were watching with bated breath, almost as if they were watching a sports broadcast.

However, there was a man who had been lingering around Dong-soo for a while.

“Hmm? Who is that?”

The man was dressed casually in a short-sleeve shirt and slacks, with a baseball cap pulled down low, so his face was hard to see.

Thinking he was a suspicious person, Dong-soo’s dad initially looked wary but quickly relaxed his expression.

“Oh? Isn’t that… Dr. Seon-Joon?”

“Yeah, that’s him.”

It turned out that their pediatrician, dressed in casual clothes, had been hanging around Dong-soo.

Once the couple understood the situation, they burst out laughing.

“Heh, I guess the doctor was worried about Dong-soo too.”

“Well… he’s such a kind person.”

“I hope our Dong-soo grows up just like that.”

Dong-soo’s mom rested her head on her husband’s shoulder with a contented smile.

* * *

I went up to the ward, took off my baseball cap, and let out a sigh of relief.

Then I returned the cap to its owner.

“Thanks for the hat.”

“You’re welcome.”

Around the time I was about to leave, I received information that Dong-soo was going to the hospital’s convenience store to run an errand.

After some thought, I borrowed a hat from an intern colleague and followed Dong-soo.

Fortunately, Dong-soo completed his first errand safely.

If we continue to foster his independence like this, he won’t develop separation anxiety disorder.

Click.

Before going home, I stopped by the ward station to access the EMR (electronic medical record).

I wondered if the golden-colored section at the end of Dong-soo’s chart had been updated.

I opened the chart, holding my breath in anticipation, and felt my fist slowly relax.

“Good. This is a success.”

Within a week, Dong-soo’s frequency of waking up frightened at night will decrease.

Even if he does wake up, he will be able to fall back asleep more easily, as indicated in the golden-colored text.

By the time he is discharged, he will wake up briefly and talk in his sleep, but will fall back asleep quickly, showing improvement.

“I’m glad I switched from the heat-reducing Dojeok-san to the calming In-suk-san.”

Not only did I change the herbal medicine, but I also modified the acupuncture treatment.

I switched the acupuncture points from those used for reducing heat to those for emotional stability.

“Especially adding electroacupuncture stimulation to the Shenmen point seemed effective.”

Shenmen is a point located at the inner edge of the wrist’s crease.

It is a well-known point for reducing stress, anxiety, and nervousness.

When electroacupuncture is applied to this point, it alleviates the stress in the organelles of brain cells that affect sleep.

There are studies suggesting that it helps with insomnia and caffeine addiction, so I used that information for the treatment.

“By the way, Professor So Cheong-yeon was right.”

He had mentioned that pediatric diseases are often intertwined with family environment and psychological factors.

Morgan, who complained of loss of appetite and stomach pains due to a lack of attention and affection.

And Dong-soo, whose overprotection came from too much love.

I realized through these two precious children that parenting requires delicacy.

“Take care.”

“It’s not even your on-call shift today, but you’re leaving so late. Thank you for your hard work!”

With a lighter heart, I exchanged goodbyes with the nurse and left the station.

Now, all that’s left is to care for the precious gold standard child, Myung Gyu-beom.

It’s been a while since I’ve headed home at this hour.

“Recently, whether I’m on call or not, I end up getting home around midnight anyway.”

During on-call shifts, I either study or write papers, and on my days off, I go for business trips to treat the women’s volleyball team, the Blue Whales.

The Blue Whales are in intense training for the upcoming regular season ‘V-League,’ which starts at the end of October.

There are always minor musculoskeletal pains, but fortunately, no players are complaining of serious issues.

Anyway, days like today, when I go straight home after work, are rare…

♫♪-.

At the sudden ring of the bell, I checked my phone screen and couldn’t hide my confusion.

Why is Heo Son-hwi calling me at this hour?

“What’s the matter?”

“A-yo, Mr. Seon~! Have you had dinner?”

“Not yet.”

I could faintly hear Heo Son-hwi’s voice from the receiver, saying, “He says not yet!”

Then, there were shouts from around him, but the voices were mixed, so I couldn’t understand.

It seemed like Heo Son-hwi was with the band members.

“Then, do you want to come to the practice room for a bit?”

“Why would I go there?”

“Our team has a performance at the end of September. We’re going to have a mid-term check with the audience. It’s there, so come quickly! Afterward, the director is buying us dinner!”

After chattering like that, Heo Son-hwi abruptly hung up the phone.

“……”

I was about to ignore it and go home, but then I changed my mind.

The main reason was that Heo Son-hwi had mentioned Director Myung.

‘It feels awkward not going when an adult is waiting, especially without a good reason.’

I don’t actually mind listening to the band practice either.

Though it’s loud, there’s something refreshing about it once you get into it.

“Oh, Dr. Seon, come on in.”

When I arrived at the practice room, Director Myung greeted me in his slippers.

I soon realized why he was in such a good mood.

“Gyu-beom saw the psychiatrist today, and if his condition continues to improve, they’re thinking about lowering his medication dosage. It’s the first time they’ve talked about reducing the dosage, not increasing it.”

Recently, Myeong Gyu-beom had been showing improvements in his tic symptoms thanks to acupuncture and Oriental medicine treatments.

I had already known that next week they would be reducing the dosage of his western medicine.

It seemed that Director Myung had just heard this directly from the psychiatrist today.

“It’s all thanks to you, Dr. Seon. Starting Oriental medicine treatment was the right choice. Our family has really met a great benefactor.”

“Wow, congratulations, Director!”

“Drum brother~. Your son will recover fully soon~.”

Everyone was offering their congratulations, but Yang Ki-tae, the pediatric resident from Western medicine, seemed less enthusiastic.

“Hmm, it’s too soon to say it’s all because of the Oriental medicine, but… anyway, congratulations.”

Amid the commotion, Director Myung tapped the drum to change the atmosphere.

“Alright, enough of the small talk. Let’s get to the practice and then head out for dinner.”

So, I ended up watching the practice from a corner of the room.

I didn’t know, but it turns out that the senior resident in Oriental psychiatry is actually a pretty good singer.

The other members are also quite talented.

As I enjoyed the music, time flew by in an instant.

“Cutie teacher~, how was our practice?”

“It was good.”

“Really? Truly?”

“Yes, truly.”

The OB/GYN fellow was overjoyed by my words.

Director Myung also seemed satisfied with the practice today and nodded his head.

“Okay, we just need to keep this up. Don’t slack off during the Chuseok holidays. Make sure to practice individually. I’ll only feel satisfied if we come in first place.”

“Yes~!”

Amid the members’ enthusiastic responses, I quietly asked Heo Son-hwi.

“Is there really a first place?”

“Ah, yes. We vote for the best performance of another team, excluding our own. It started as a fun thing among the participating teams, but now it’s become a tradition. By the way, our team, HANROCK, has never missed first place. It’ll be the same this time, of course. Hahaha!”

“Where is the performance held?”

“We rent a nearby underground venue, and several office worker bands around here gather to perform. Dr. Seon, you should definitely come too!”

Hmm, watching the performance sounds fun. I’m curious to see how the other teams do.

As I was thinking this, I suddenly felt an inexplicable emptiness.

‘…?’

And soon, I realized the reason.

I hadn’t received a notification on my phone. The update alert for Gyu-beom’s novel.

At this time, I should have gotten a notification by now…

A sense of unease crept in, but I tried to shake it off.

‘It should be up before midnight tonight.’

But Gyu-beom’s novel still hadn’t been updated that day, or the next.