Chapter 37: Working Together To Treat Infectious Disease [2] (1/2)
To speak of the conclusion first, there was no need for Ganghyuk to look for the patients. The patients came to the clinic one by one late at night. All of them had contacted the first patient and they all showed similar symptoms.
”What is this…?”
The patients seemed to be very sociable. Nearly everyone in the village had come to the clinic, so it was more than expected.
The infectious ability of the smallpox was outstanding indeed.
”What can we do?” Heo Jun asked with embarra.s.sment. He was making Yanggyeoksan using all of his herbs. But, it was not sufficient to cover the queue of the patients.
”I should ask for help.”
”Help? To whom?”
”The governor and my father.”
”Yes! Those two can help us for sure.”
Those were the number one and two in Suwon. They could surely supply herbs without any difficulty.
Rice for patients… Hands to isolate them...
'I must let them know even if they cannot help us.'
He could not hide the fact that there was an outbreak of the disaster. It was not unusual for a small village to disappear because of smallpox, even though it did not happen very often.
He must make them prepared.
If it spread to other villages, then there would be no solution at all.
”Then, who will go?” Ganghyuk looked around at the fellows with the operation caps.
'Dolseok and Yeoni had better be here to help me, and Yeoju can draw. Heo Jun should be here as well, of course.'
In that case, there was only one man left: Makbong.
When Makbong felt Ganghyuk looking at him, he bent his head. He was not very quick, but he was faithful.
”I will go and let them know.”
”Hmm…”
Ganghyuk was clearly moved by the loyalty of Makbong.
”Okay, but I will give you immunity first.”
Even a strong man could not beat a virus. He must be prepared before leaving for the long trip.
”What is 'immunity'?” Heo Jun asked while making Yanggyeoksan. Others had the same question as well.
Why was he not afraid of smallpox? What on earth was 'immunity'?
He let others wear a mask, gloves, and cap, and then prohibited them from going near the patients. He told them to boil water, make medicine, cook rice, and paint.
On the other hand, although Ganghyuk did wear gloves, he did not hesitate to treat the patients.
Dolseok knew that Ganghyuk was not the kind to sacrifice himself. Not only he was not the type, but he also did not show any kind of worries.
He moved like a G.o.d in this depressed situation.
”It is the strength to fight against smallpox.”
”Strength?”
”Yes. Yeoni and Makbong, help doctor Heo Jun. I am going somewhere with Dolseok. Yeoju, keep drawing.”
”Yes.”
Although they could not understand the meaning, they all followed his orders. They had not experienced any bad results after ever following his orders anyway.
Dolseok whispered with a small voice, ”Where are we going? This late at night?”
”We have an emergency. Did you see the status of the patients?”
”I did. I think many of them will die.”
”Why are you not feeling sorry for them?”
”We cannot help it. It is smallpox after all.”
Dolseok had given up on the situation. He had seen people dying of smallpox constantly since his childhood, so it was no wonder.
It was not the twenty first century when youths or children hardly died of disease. There was a custom to celebrate being an adult because it was not an easy job to survive and grow up to become one.
Ganghyuk could feel the bitterness of the times.
”We can help it. We have a solution.”
”That is impossible, sir. Even you cannot do anything. It is smallpox.”
”Shut your mouth and follow me.”
”Yes, yes.”
Dolseok followed him with a torch. Fortunately, the moonlight was very bright, so it was not very dark.
”Where are we going?”
”I told you... We are going to find an ox.”
”Cows are here as well.”
”Not just any ox. I need THE ox.”
It was very difficult to find an ill ox. It is just like when they had animal experiments in that world; a mouse with cancer was thousands of times more expensive than a healthy mouse.
At least right now, the ill cow was the most precious.
”However, can we take an cow at our convenience?”
”Why not?”
”It is an ox, not a chicken anyway.”
”It is an ill ox. If they don't want to give it away, I will buy it.”
”Buy the ill ox?”
”Yes.”
”Why do you want to buy an ill ox?”
”Wait, we are almost there.”
As it was a very small village, it did not take much time to arrive at the mouth of the village. In the stable there was an ox. It stood there unstably; it was precisely the cow that he saw last time.
”Why is it so dirty?”
”It has caught smallpox.”
”Smallpox? An Ox?”
”Cows catch smallpox as well. But, they can beat it.”
Ganghyuk did not whisper, and was speaking loudly. Furthermore, as they held a torch, they were easily spotted.
”Who is it?”
When they looked back, they saw an old man with a sickle. The latter thought there were bandits; after all, Ganghyuk and Dolseok were big and were acting with confidence.
”Are you the owner?”
”Yes.” His hand that was holding a sickle was trembling.
”I came here for the ox.”
”Ox? You cannot steal it.”
With Ganghyuk's remark, he shook his hand that was holding a sickle. But, as he was far from them, it was of no use.