31 – Judging a hospital meeting after receiving crutches as a gift.
I’m currently running a clinic.
Back in Korea, I used to work at a hospital. I managed a whole floor with around 50 patients in a large hospital with 300 inpatients.
Managing 50 patients every day.
Just me and the assistant.
There was so much work that we often ended up working overtime.
The rumors about nurses dropping like flies were not baseless!
Sigh.
Still, I formed quite close relationships with long-term patients.
Daisy, the only inpatient of the Kim Chulsoo treatment team, naturally became very dear to me.
She may be a remarkable warrior, but to me, Daisy, the patient, feels closer?
“I hope she recovers quickly.”
A nurse’s heart is all the same.
Seeing patients in pain makes your heart ache and feel sorry!
It would be great if Daisy recovered quickly, regained her vitality, and was discharged.
Honestly, when a long-term patient is discharged, there’s a bittersweet feeling.
But the joy of seeing them leave healthy is greater.
“I should give this.”
I held two walking sticks that I received from Carpenter Cotton.
It’s been about two months since Miss Daisy was hospitalized.
She must have been getting weak lying in bed almost all the time.
If I give her the walking sticks, she might start rehabilitation exercises, right?
I asked Cotton to make walking sticks that fit Miss Daisy perfectly!
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On the handle of the walking stick, I neatly attached a mark that read “
“What are you doing so happily?”
Miss Catherine, who had come to my room to hang out, looked curious.
Since my room is right next to Miss Catherine’s, she often comes over to play.
I showed her the two walking sticks.
“Ah~ I ordered these from Cotton. It’s for Miss Daisy to do some exercises.”
“For the warrior, Miss Daisy?”
“Yes.”
“….”
Catherine’s expression somehow stiffened at my words.
“A gift?”
If you really want to put it that way, you could say so, right?”
“You’re not just taking care of Miss Daisy, Kim Chul-soo?”
Catherine sat down on the edge of my bed with a thud!
Catherine’s soft skin is close. Her hair, recently cut short, tickles my shoulders and arms like Pocari Sweat.
She smells nice.
I think Catherine said she bathes seven times a day.
I advised Catherine to bathe moderately, but her skin is as white as jade, probably because she’s been bathing frequently lately.
My heart flutters.
I spend a lot of time with Catherine, but when we’re this close, it’s inevitable for Kim Chul-soo to feel excited!
“Ahem, we’re quite close, Miss.”
“Should I stamp it?”
“Oh, Catherine! It’s something we do for a patient.”
Catherine lets out a sigh of exasperation from time to time.
Someone might think Catherine and I are in a romantic relationship!
But when Catherine finally spoke, her voice trembled.
Catherine’s body turned as red as a beet.
She seemed embarrassed.
Despite Catherine helping me in many ways, she’s still only 19 years old.
In Korean terms, she’s still a kid!
Even though I’m 32, the nursing teacher aunties say I’m young.
Ahem, it’s a bit strange to call myself a kid.
Let’s just say I’m reasonably adult.
Anyway, in that sense, as the older one, I should take good care of 19-year-old Catherine.
I subtly smiled.
“Hehe, have I been too negligent towards our national heroine of the medical team, Miss Catherine?”
“Well, I…”
“Come to think of it, I haven’t even given her a proper commemorative gift since we established the clinic.”
“A commemorative gift?”
“Yes! She’s been helping at the clinic for free, you know? I feel like I haven’t expressed my gratitude properly.”
They said it was love for the staff and love for the country!
At my words, Catherine’s stiff expression softened.
A bright smile bloomed on her face.
She seemed excited and brought up another topic.
“Then, Kim Chul-soo, the winter festival is coming up soon. Instead of a commemorative gift, would you like to go there with me?”
“The winter festival?”
“Ah, it must be your first time, Kim Chul-soo. Yes! It’s a big event held at the temple and our village.”
Catherine was explaining something so enthusiastically that, in summary, it involved praying in the morning at the temple and playing with fire in the village in the afternoon.
“Oh.”
A festival.
Isn’t this medieval boredom a bit like a drop of dew-like event!
They light fires, so there must be something like a campfire folk dance, right? I really wanted to try dancing.
“Sounds great!”
It’s going to be fun!
* * * *
“Now, lean on the crutch and try to walk a little.”
I explained the rehabilitation exercise to Daisy while giving her the crutch as a gift.
It was a complete success! Daisy seemed so touched that she was staring at the crutch with a dazed expression.
“I never expected to receive such a gift in my wildest dreams.”
“Hehe, do you like it?”
“Yes, of course.”
Daisy carefully cradled the crutch as if it were a precious treasure.
“I will cherish it for a lifetime.”
“Oh, come on, a lifetime! If it breaks, I’ll make you another one.”
I made the crutch for Daisy to use for exercising, after all!
Since crutches are made of wood that grows abundantly in the Viscount Roland’s estate, I can make as many as needed.
Just ask Cotton.
Daisy just smiled faintly.
“I remember the first thing you said to me, Mr. Kim Chul-soo.”
“Oh? What did I say?”
“You asked if there was a reason to save a patient. You insisted that you would make sure I could walk properly.”
Ah, I must have said that while treating Daisy’s leg.
I promised to fix Daisy’s leg.
Actually, there’s nothing special about saving a patient, it’s a natural duty as a healthcare professional!
“Of course, it’s something I should say, haha.”
“It’s a difficult thing to say to someone you’ve just met, Mr. Kim Cheolsu. You shine brighter to me than anyone else.”
Miss Daisy seemed somewhat wistful.
Should I say I feel deep affection?
It’s burdensome to be told I shine.
Naturally, it doesn’t feel bad.
It’s a feeling of gratitude.
Did Miss Daisy just compliment me in her own way?
When patients at the hospital commend me for doing a good job amidst the hectic schedule, it truly boosts my morale!
Even Kim Cheolsu dances a little at compliments!
“Thank you.”
“I didn’t mean it as a way to receive thanks. Just…”
Miss Daisy shook her head, her expression turning blank. She noticed the “Antibiotic Kim Cheolsu♡” mark I had made!
Miss Daisy’s face turned noticeably red.
“Heart.. Heart..”
“Is it okay? I tried to put in some affection!”
“Affection…”
Honestly, until I entered nursing school, a heart before that!? A man with a heart!? Who uses hearts!
She had a phobia of hearts.
After 4 years in nursing school and 2 years as a nurse, I simply became a woman with a male gender.
Well, of course, I like what men like too.
Could it be that my sensibility has become more feminine?
Wearing pink clothes, writing hearts without a second thought.
But Miss Daisy’s breath became so warm that it seemed to disappear!
“It’s… It’s too much stimulation.”
“Huh? Is the pain back?”
“Oh, no, it’s not..”
“Is that so?”
Miss Daisy couldn’t bring herself to meet my eyes.
* * * *
The somber atmosphere of the Western Hospital Society!
They suffered defeat in their rivalry with Kim Cheolsu and faced fervent criticism from the patients.
They neglected their responsibilities for the sake of winning the competition!
But the problem didn’t end there; sanctions came from the Urkyo Main Sect.
In summary, it was, “If you resorted to deceitful tactics just to win the competition, you are banned from hospital activities for 3 months!”
Businesses operating under the hospital society’s name came to a halt.
The hospital, with no patients, was as empty as a ghost town.
“William!!”
“…”
Vice Chairman William became a sinner.
Kim Cheol-soo was confidently declared beatable, but instead, William led the hospital association into crisis. What else can we call him if not a sinner?
His anger was solely directed at William.
“If it was about Letema, it was said that Mr. Charles Kim could be defeated!”
“Because of you, the hospital association has become even more difficult to regain its former glory!”
“…Ha.”
William felt a deep sense of disillusionment.
To be labeled as a sinner after decades of contribution to the Western Hospital Association. The fact that his position as vice chairman was already in jeopardy.
“How will you take responsibility for this!”
The public opinion of the hospital association was intent on pressing the responsibility onto William by any means necessary.
To expel William and make a grand public apology—wasn’t it a shallow scheme to bring back some patients?
“Disgusting people.”
No different from William himself, yet they treated William as if he were the problem!
William was furious.
“Do you think you’ll get away with this?”
“No, that man!”
“Do you think it will end with just me? You won’t get away unscathed either!”
“Drag him out!”
William fought with the members of the hospital association.
Thud! And that day, William was chased out of the hospital association.
It felt like a king being dethroned by the angry populace! William spat on the floor of the hospital association’s hideout and turned on his heel.
“Ugh, I won’t take another step here!”
William was left fuming.
Just like saying a pot calls the kettle black.
They were all the same, whether it was William or the hospital association.
None of them showed even the slightest sign of reflecting on their mistake of neglecting Letema.
And yet, were they here to judge them?
As William grumbled and walked away, a woman’s voice flew into his ears.
“Have you reflected, William?”
A voice that seemed as if it could tear one’s throat, a voice that seemed altered.
In the narrow alley of the hospital association’s hideout, there was a strange masked woman.
She seemed to be holding a crutch and had a peculiar appearance with two clubs in her hands.
“Gasp!”
It’s natural to be shocked when you see a person dressed strangely in the middle of the street, especially someone holding clubs!
William was taken aback and stumbled.
“W-who are you?”
“Have you reflected,” she asked, “on the sin of being hostile to Kim Cheol-soo?”
“I, I haven’t… What…”
“The punishment for the sin.”
“I, I haven’t received any punishment. A sanction came from the headquarters, but what…”
“You still haven’t reflected enough. At least you’re right.”
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Whoosh! A masked woman raised a club and began to beat William in a rhythmic manner!
“Thwack! Argh! Ack! Why are you doing this!!”
“Truly reflect on your sins, opposing Mr. Kim Cheol-soo!”
Not only William, but the members of the hospital association would also be given a lesson.
The masked woman was none other than Daisy.
As part of her rehabilitation exercise, Daisy hobbled with a crutch all the way to the hospital association’s hideout!
“Screaaam!”
William collapsed, turning into minced meat, not dead, just faint from being severely beaten by Daisy.
After beating William thoroughly, Daisy wrote “
Soon, the sound of pigs being slaughtered echoed mournfully.