25 – Challenge from the Hospital Association
Western Hospital Association!
An organization and cartel formed by small and medium-sized western hospitals to protect their rights.
When one member is targeted, the rest rush in like a pack (all ganging up on one) which wasn’t much different from dealing with a local gang, but…
They are adults engaged in the noble business of healthcare!
Not really ganging up, but exerting pressure in a business-like manner.
“Young talent Kims Charles’s free clinic is too threatening!”
The hottest topic in the current hospital association is none other than “Kims Charles.”
The rising star who has colored the capital with a bathhouse fever!
Many patients flocked to Kims Charles’s clinic due to his fame, causing a decrease in the hospital association’s patients.
If it were just that, the hospital association might have endured it, but…
“Kims Charles himself has swallowed the Matthew Clinic.”
Member Daniel said with a sneer.
Kim Cheol-su Clinic had swallowed Matthew Clinic.
This went beyond a simple piece of news.
Kim Cheol-su Clinic’s expansionist behavior.
Kim Cheol-su Clinic might be aiming for the hospital association!
In the minds of the hospital association members, Kim Cheol-su was depicted as absorbing and merging the hospitals of the association.
“Kims Charles won’t be satisfied with just the Matthew Clinic, he’ll swallow us too!”
“Oh…”
“Such…”
“How about… bringing Kims Charles into the hospital association?”
Some lukewarm opinions emerged.
Rather than being hostile, they suggested accepting Kims Charles into the hospital association!
But Daniel grimly shook his head.
“Accepting Kims Charles is risky.”
Kims Charles is rising to fame and thriving.
If Kims Charles enters the hospital association where small and medium-sized hospitals gather, it will be even easier for Kims Charles to swallow the hospital association.
Members who understood Daniel’s words felt a chill down their spines.
“Ugh… It won’t work. I’ll go make a decision.”
“Vice Chairman William!”
Vice Chairman William drew his sword at the hospital meeting!
He is the director of the Western Intermediate Hospital, as well as an outstanding healing priest.
With his skill, he could rival the newcomer, Kim Charles.
Vice Chairman William decided to pressurize Kim Cheol-soo Clinic with a sense of responsibility.
“I, William, challenge Kim Charles Clinic! We will challenge each other in patient treatment, and if we win, patients will come to us more than to Kim Charles!”
“Oh…!”
“We will show that we have better skills. It’s a great idea. I’ll take care of the security!”
“I’ll help too. If you need a healing priest, let me know!”
“I’ll take care of the investigation.”
The hospital members united as always!
* * * *
**”Challenge Letter”**
Kim Charles, you are aware of the fact that you forcibly merged with Matthew Clinic.
We can no longer tolerate your tyranny!
Let’s settle this with our healing skills.
From the Western Urkyo Hospital Association.
It was a letter from an odd group of envoys.
I felt frustrated.
“Why are they doing this to me…”
The merger with Matthew Clinic was at Matthew’s request, not something I forced!
“What tyranny have I committed…”
There is nothing truthful in the contents of the challenge letter.
I feel unjust.
I’ve just worked hard to treat the patients!
Matthew, who seemed to be the cause of the challenge letter, came to our clinic for some reason and vented his anger as if it were my fault.
“The Western Hospital Association is a union of small hospitals. The influence is no joke. It seems like Kim Cheol-soo is trying to establish his authority because of his fame, but that’s impossible!”
“Indeed.. There are conflicts with the privileged class in the early stages of business. If you sit back and take it, it seems like it will go their way. Kim Cheol-soo, how about accepting this challenge?”
Miss Catherine, who returned to informal speech as there were no noble gazes around.
It seems like we should accept the challenge, but what should we do if we fight with treatment..?
“Is there no way to avoid fighting?”
Peace, harmony, unity!
That is the basic principle of modern Korean hospitals.
The head nurse at the hospital I used to work at was friends with the head of another hospital.
They helped each other, stayed in touch, and were friendly.
Can’t we do the same here?
“Mr. Kim Cheol-soo, we don’t ally with relatively small organizations. If we reconcile, we will fall under their control, but is that okay with you?”
“Hmm… Fall under their control?”
“Yes, that’s what the Western Hospital Association is like.”
That’s a bit…
Entering the hospital council, it seems like things will get troublesome.
With so much work piling up, there’s a sense of unease, as if there won’t be any rest even on holidays!
“Ugh, ugh.. A challenge has arrived. Is this the end for our clinic at last!”
“It won’t be the end, Malboi Brothers!”
Cutting off Malboi’s strange words right away.
I nodded my head.
Looks like we have to fight this out.
I don’t want anyone above our clinic!
Hospital council’s challenge, bring it on!
And so, I decided to meet with the hospital council envoys and set the terms for the duel(?).
Whoo~
The chilly autumn wind lays the grass of the eastern hill beneath it.
We met with the hospital council envoys at the secluded hilltop.
Like the gunfighters in a Western movie, facing off in a life-or-death showdown, a tension-filled moment.
William and I, representing our sides, stepped forward.
To determine the terms of the duel.
William was a stylish middle-aged man with blond hair.
Even without speaking, he seemed cool, but as we got closer, William suddenly picked a fight, shattering his cool image!
“It seems your sanctity is lacking more than expected, Kim’s Charles?”
“Yes. Still at the apprentice priest level, working hard…”
“Hahaha! The famous Kim’s Charles is just an apprentice priest! Was all that talent talk just a rumor!”
…”
Oh, I’m angry.
From Noble mtl dot com
Honestly, I wanted to reconcile if possible, but it’s canceled.
Can’t be friendly with someone who picks fights like this!
“Let’s decide on the terms of the duel!”
We’ll fight and win as our treatment team members wish!
“Hehe, sounds good. Just what I wanted.”
With a sly smile, William proposed the terms of the duel.
“Kim’s Charles, we are healers. We must have a match fitting for healers. Since winter is approaching and there will be many cold patients. Who can treat them better, that will be our contest!”
“What does that mean?”
“We’ll select two villages with many cold patients, each of us will take care of one village. We’ll treat the patients in our respective villages, and the results will determine the winner!”
Treating patients on a village scale.
Quite elaborate.
But with my busy schedule at the clinic, it might be challenging.
I shook my head.
“But our clinic is busy with work. Treating patients on a village scale might be difficult.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. During the contest period, our hospital council hospitals will treat Charles’ patients free of charge.”
“!!”
It felt like a lightning bolt struck my head.
To treat the patients..?
In this era, hospitals are honestly the exclusive domain of symbols and nobles.
Because they demand enormous donations as treatment fees, Mr. William says he will treat my patients for free.
“Oh..!”
I’ve been struggling with numerous patients every day, so if Mr. William takes care of them, I have no reason to refuse.
If I do well, during the competition period, I might be able to rest properly!
I have to accept this!
“Alright!”
“Hehe, good. To honor fairness, Mr. Charles Kim will choose the village I will be in charge of, and I will choose the village he will be in charge of.”
Is he a better person than he seems?
I feel a little better about the image of the hospital association as I accept the competition.
* * * *
A cold is an infectious disease.
If left alone, it’s a common respiratory illness that spreads to the family members you live with.
Therefore, it is important to isolate cold patients in isolation rooms so that they don’t spread it to others.
“This competition is about prevention.”
To prevent more cases of cold.
Even if we treat cold patients, if new ones keep appearing, it will never end.
This is something familiar to Kim Cheolsu, who was a modern Korean citizen.
Think about managing COVID-19!
If you get COVID-19, didn’t people who worked in certain occupations take at least 3 days to a week off?
Manage the common cold like you manage COVID-19!
I ordered a large number of masks from Mrs. Margaret at the clothing store.
And I decided to ask Miss Catherine for the assistance of the maids.
“Everything is falling into place.”
Since the competition is confirmed, I won’t take it lightly!
Moreover, the patients’ health is at stake.
The competition is in a week.
The competition period is one month.
Treating and managing the colds of the townspeople for a month!
I worked hard with the treatment team members to plan and prepare!
* * * *
A week later, the long-awaited day of the competition.
The location is the western Lette Village.
I was assigned to the Lette Village.
This village, located on a flat plain, had no firewood, and people were shivering in the cold.
“Mr. William, this is a deadly place..! No wonder he bet on treating colds. It’s a village where it’s difficult to even light a fire!”
There was nothing in Lette Village that could be used to light a fire.
It seemed like people had already taken everything from the fields, and there wasn’t a single weed root left.
If things continue like this, the people of Lette Village will freeze to death from hypothermia, not a cold!
‘Ugh.. Do I need to fetch firewood before treating a cold!?’
As I was pondering over William’s lethargy, Mr. Matthew approached and whispered quietly, “Ahem, Mr. Kim. Don’t worry. I have planted many spies in William’s village. They will resist and not comply with his treatment. It’s the so-called ‘fake patient’ strategy.”
The village I assigned to William was the Reble village near Lord John’s estate.
Since there were few places with cold patients near Viscount Roland’s estate, I had to search for a suitable location.
The Reble village belonged to Lord John, as Mr. Matthew informed me.
Thanks to him, I learned that Mr. Matthew had planted his well-known cold patients as spies!
…
I sensed a despicable competition unfolding.
Isn’t this more like a fight over who’s dirtier!
My conscience as a medical professional pricked me, making me restless!
…Interfere with William, but make sure those patients over there don’t suffer from the cold.
Hehe, of course.