Chapter 28: Fever [2] (1/2)
'His body is trembling.'
Clinically speaking, it could be said as having chills, which was a sign as well as result of a high fever.
In either case, it was not good at all.
”Trembling?”
”Yes, he is.”
”Ok. Let's see.”
”Yes, sir.”
Just a few minutes ago, he had finished a whole chicken. Did he suddenly shake his body?
It was way too sudden.
Ganghyuk did not forget to bring the home visitation bag while Dolseok followed his master with a stern face as well.
”He is in his room.” Okseok stopped in front of Seungmun's room.
'Chattering!' There was a teeth-chattering sound coming from inside.
'What is this?' Ganghyuk listened to the sound, trying to find what had happened.
”His teeth were chattering. Is it serious?”
Ganghyuk's face became dark. Although Seungmun wasn't his real father, his look and characteristics exactly resembled his father, and so did the love for him.
'No.'
Ganghyuk took off his shoes and stepped in, seeing which, Suns.h.i.+n asked anxiously, ”He must be very much sick, right?”
”I have to examine him first.”
”Yes! If you see him, he will get better for sure.” Suns.h.i.+n said as he looked down at his leg, which was already good enough to walk with. After removing the st.i.tches, he did not feel any inconvenience at all.
He felt that Ganghyuk's medical skills were most likely the best, although he was not sure about the latter's personality. He thought of someone who had had the same injury and ended up becoming lame.
If it were not for Ganghyuk, he would have been in the same shoe.
”Father, I am here.”
”Yes.” Seungmun's voice sounded bad as Ganghyuk opened the door and went inside. The former could be seen trembling in his quilt; it was a hot summer night, yet he seemed to be very cold.
”I will do an examination.”
”Yes, yes.”
Ganghyuk opened his home visitation bag; it was the first time for Seungmun to see the bag, even though he had heard of it many times. It had a lot of strange tools, which looked very different from what he had learned up till then.
”They are as strange as I have heard.”
”Yes, but the effects are verified. Let's check if you have a fever.”
Ganghyuk inserted the clinical thermometer in Seungmun's ear. The latter frowned because of the strange feeling, but he did not avoid it. If Ganghyuk were not good, there was no reason why governor Kim Yungil and Changgweon would praise him so much.
'Beep'
The battery was always fully charged because the bag replenished every day. Hence, Ganghyuk could observe the body temperature of Seungmun quickly.
'39.8 degrees? It is too high.' It was no wonder he was trembling like that. It was not the kind of fever an old man could endure.
”It is cold.”
”I can understand.”
Seungmun let Ganghyuk do what he had to do; the latter did not intend to give an injection or use some other intrusive treatment anyway.
'Yes, the lungs are still fine.'
That was a major good news; pneumonia could be very dangerous for such an old man after all. But, there was nothing to make him sick like this.
'Throat, ears, and even stomach… they do not have any problems.' He just could not find the cause of this high grade fever.
”What do you see?” Seungmun trembled out of pain. Ganghyuk only groaned lightly in response; he could not see what was the underlying issue here.
'Let me first give him medicine.'
If it were the hospital in that world, he might have observed him a bit more, or actually gotten him tested. But, there were no tests available here, neither blood tests nor x-ray. He could not take a risk and make an incorrect diagnosis.
”Take these medicines with water. It will help you.”
”All of these?”
”Yes, father.”
”Ok.”
Seungmun swallowed the four tablets that Ganghyuk gave him. Those were antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications, which might together be too strong for him.
'As I have given him antacid along with these, he should be fine.'
Anyway, Ganghyuk lived with him in the same house, so he could quickly discover any side-effects that might appear.
”I will see if the medicine works.”
”Yes… Ugh… Okseok!”
”Yes, sir?”
”Heat the room. I am too cold.”
It was a very absurd order because it was a summer night. Okseok and Dolseok couldn't help but look at each other; but that was only for a moment.
”Yes, sir. I will.”
It was fortunate that they had plenty of wood for the fire at home, as they had cooked chickens that night. A few slaves came and heated Seungmun's room following the order of Dolseok and Okseok.
The room got warm in no time. Ganghyuk did not have fever, and hence, did not feel cold; so, the heat was unbearable for him.
'Ugh… It is too hot!' But, he was not immature enough to complain about that to Seungmun.
”How do you feel now?”
”Much better. I don't know if it is because of the medicine or because they heated the room.”
”Let's wait and see what happens.”
”Okay.”
Fortunately, he did start feeling better after some time. No matter what the reason was, people in these times were very susceptible to medicinal effects.
”I feel much better. I think I can finally sleep now.”
”Yes, father. Good night!”
”En... You did a good job.”
With that, Ganghyuk came out of the room with his bag.
'He will have the fever tomorrow again.' Even though the medicine was very efficacious, it couldn't cure the infection in one administration.
Suns.h.i.+n, who had been waiting out there for some time, asked him with concern. ”How is he?” It seemed that he had built a good relations.h.i.+p with Seungmun.
”The fever has subsided for now.”
”Wow! You are an excellent doctor.”