A competent doctor can cure everything

The only patient I had been personally managing, Morgan, had been discharged.

Thanks to that, my only task as an intern was to assist the pediatric residents.

“Since I have some free time, I might as well focus on studying pediatrics.”

But that brief period of rest didn’t last long.

Before much time had passed, another young patient came in requesting hospitalization.

♫♪-

One day, I received a direct call from Professor So Chung-yeon.

“Hey, Dr. Seon. It’s me. There’s a young patient who wants to be admitted due to night terrors, and apparently, they know you? They’ll be heading up to the ward soon. Examine them and then get my confirmation.”

As soon as I heard that, a familiar face immediately came to mind.

“Hyung-nim!”

Of course, my guess was right.

When I went to the single room the nurse had informed me about, the little country kid, Dong-soo, ran up to me and hugged me tightly.

Seeing this, Dong-soo’s warm-hearted parents laughed in delight.

“Doctor, our Dong-soo needs to be hospitalized, even if it’s just for a short time. His night terrors just won’t go away.”

“We thought it would get better if we just waited it out, but it’s been nearly a month now, and we’re starting to worry.”

As Dong-soo circled around me like a tail-wagging puppy, his parents eagerly explained.

At the end of August, during a medical volunteer trip, I had advised Dong-soo’s mother regarding his night terrors.

“Hm. When did these symptoms first start?”

“Well, about a month ago… back in August, Dong-soo had a severe case of the flu. He had a high fever and suffered a lot. Now that I think about it, it seems to have started after that. He didn’t have these symptoms before then.”

Night terrors mainly affect children aged 4 to 8 and are characterized by sudden awakenings in the middle of the night with extreme fear.

Because of this, there’s a significant risk of disturbing the sleep of other patients, so they can’t be placed in shared rooms.

I carefully looked around the private room and asked cautiously.

“The cost for a private room isn’t exactly cheap. Why not opt for outpatient treatment instead?”

“We don’t have much of a choice. The only place we could stay in Seoul is my parents’ house, but it’s far from this hospital. We decided to think of the hospitalization cost as covering accommodation for the three of us.”

“I see.”

“Yes, we moved to the countryside to follow my in-laws, but my parents still live in Seoul. Are you familiar with the area?”

Dong-soo’s mom mentioned the name of the neighborhood in Seoul where her parents lived.

As soon as I heard it, I couldn’t help but respond knowingly.

“Oh, that’s where my grandmother’s house is!”

“What? That’s amazing! Could it be in the XX apartment complex by any chance?”

“!”

Startled, my wide eyes answered before my words could.

This time, all three of us—Dong-soo’s parents and I—were momentarily stunned into silence by the coincidence.

“Oh my, really? It seems we were destined to meet!”

“It certainly seems that way.”

For a moment, we shared a warm, cheerful laugh before Dong-soo’s father spoke up.

“Anyway… we’re counting on you to take good care of our child. We trust you completely, Dr. Seon.”

“Of course, I’ll do my very best. How long do you plan for him to stay hospitalized?”

“We need to head back home before Chuseok, so we’re thinking about a week.”

It’s not common for someone to come all the way to Seoul to be hospitalized for night terrors.

But hearing that their child had been struggling for nearly a month now, I could understand how worried they must be.

It had been nearly three weeks since the medical volunteer trip, and the symptoms were still persisting.

“So, the night terrors have continued since then?”

“Yes. We don’t let him stay up late watching TV, and we’ve even started turning off all the lights early to keep the house quiet, but the symptoms haven’t gone away.”

Night terrors occur when a sleeping child suddenly wakes up screaming and expressing fear.

The symptoms include rapid breathing, dilated pupils, excessive sweating, and a racing pulse.

Unlike nightmares, the child does not remember the events the following morning.

“Doctor, what causes this condition?”

“The exact cause is unknown, but it’s believed to have a genetic component. If one parent experienced night terrors as a child, there’s a 45% chance their child will too. Stress and anxiety are also closely related.”

“Oh, now that you mention it, my mother told me I had the same issue when I was a child,” Dong-soo’s father admitted sheepishly, pointing to himself.

“Ah, I see. In traditional Korean medicine, night terrors are similar to what’s called ‘Yaje’. It’s a condition where children cry uncontrollably at night for no apparent reason but seem perfectly fine during the day.”

“That sounds a lot like what Dong-soo is experiencing,” his mother said, furrowing her brow and resting her chin on her hand.

“Leaving it untreated wouldn’t be good, right?”

“Correct. Sleep during childhood and adolescence is closely tied to growth. Many studies suggest that night terrors can negatively impact a child’s growth.”

“So, it’s not something we can just ignore. What are the usual treatment methods?”

When told the condition could hinder their child’s growth, no parent would feel at ease. Dong-soo’s parents started paying even closer attention to my explanation.

“Night terrors often resolve naturally as children grow older. In Western medicine, the focus is on ensuring a regular and sufficient sleep schedule and providing reassurance through education.”

“But we’ve already tried all those approaches….”

“If the symptoms are severe, treatment sometimes involves benzodiazepines, which are psychoactive medications. However, the downside is that stopping the medication can lead to rebound effects that worsen the symptoms.”

“I see. But aside from the side effects, we’re hesitant to give psychiatric drugs to such a young child,” Dong-soo’s mother said, nodding as she asked her question.

“What kind of treatment will he receive here in the hospital?”

“He’ll primarily receive herbal medicine combined with acupuncture and moxibustion therapy. The herbal medicine, which has anti-anxiety and calming effects, will improve sleep quality and reduce stress, helping alleviate the night terrors. Additionally, if there are other issues that need treatment based on his condition, we’ll address those as well.”

Even as I explained the treatment for stress, I couldn’t help but feel skeptical about something.

“Unlike Morgan, Dong-soo doesn’t seem to have any family-related issues.”

My first impression of Morgan was that he seemed depressed and withdrawn.

Dong-soo, however, was a lively and energetic boy, the complete opposite. His family also seemed warm and cheerful, always smiling and giving off a harmonious vibe.

Watching this family reminded me of a famous animated show with a mischievous little boy as the protagonist.

“Oh my, where did Dong-soo go?”

While I was talking with his parents, the little rascal had disappeared.

The three of us panicked and rushed out of the private room, only to hear laughter coming from the shared room next door.

“A little patient was discharged, and now we’ve got another kid around. Hey, what’s your name?”

“Hello! I’m Hwang Dong-soo!!”

Dong-soo was already introducing himself to the patients in the next room.

“Oh dear, you can’t bother other people like this.”

“It’s fine. He’s so cheerful, it’s actually nice to see.”

Although Dong-soo’s parents were flustered and worried they were being a nuisance, the patients in the other room seemed to welcome the adorable little visitor.

We brought the little rascal back to the private room and began his medical history taking.

“Dong-soo, do you have any nasal congestion or a cough?”

“No, hyung-nim! None at all!”

“Dong-soo, at the hospital, he’s not ‘hyun-gnim’; he’s your doctor, so you need to speak respectfully.”

Dong-soo’s father looked embarrassed at his son’s overly casual response, but I chuckled.

“It’s okay. Dong-soo doesn’t have any history of rhinitis, otitis media, or asthma, right?”

“No, he’s been fine in that regard, Doctor,” his father answered.

“Does he often have trouble with digestion, like frequent indigestion, constipation, or diarrhea?”

I directed the question to Dong-soo’s parents, but Dong-soo chimed in with an odd mix of casual and polite speech.

“I eat well and poop well, Doctor!”

“……”

I had checked whether respiratory or digestive issues were disrupting his sleep, but it seemed there were no problems in those areas.

That left two possibilities in traditional Korean medicine: ‘Gae-go’ or ‘Simhwa Wangseong’.

‘Gae-go’ refers to a condition where a child experiences nighttime crying after being shocked or traumatized.

In modern terms, it is similar to stranger anxiety or separation anxiety.

“They mentioned the symptoms began after he had a severe case of the flu.”

However, it’s hard to classify that as a traumatic event. Usually, examples include moving to a new home, transferring schools, or experiencing a car accident.

“In that case, could it be ‘Simhwa Wangseong’ instead?”

This refers to a condition where the heart fire ‘Simhwa’ becomes overly excessive.

In traditional Korean medicine, ‘Simhwa’ can signify anger caused by stress or the side effects of consuming herbs with hot, spicy, or warming properties.

Symptoms include a stifling sensation in the chest, fever, restlessness, difficulty sleeping, mouth ulcers, dry mouth, and a rapid pulse.

“Dong-soo doesn’t appear to be under stress, but that’s not something you can always tell just by looking.”

Traditional Korean medicine describes the general physiology of children with the concept of ‘Sunyang Jiche’.

This means children are naturally full of ‘yang energy’, reflecting their boundless curiosity and high activity levels.

In fact, the normal body temperature for infants under one year is 37.5℃, and for children aged three to five, it’s 37.0℃.

“So, using the process of elimination, the diagnosis points to ‘Simhwa Wangseong’.”

I carefully crafted a treatment plan based on textbooks, research papers, and cases of night terrors treated by Professor So Chung-yeon.

I had to deliver good results for Dong-soo’s family, who had come all this way placing their hopes in me.

“…Therefore, I considered ‘Dojeok-san’ as a prescription to treat ‘Simhwa Wangseong’.”

‘Dojeok-san’ is a formula composed of licorice root (gamcho), Akebia (moktong), raw Rehmannia (saengjihwang), and bamboo leaves (jukyeop).

It is effective for conditions such as:

– ‘Gyeonggye’: Sudden palpitations from fright.
– ‘Beongal’: Chest discomfort accompanied by thirst.
– ‘Simyeol’: Excessive heat in the heart, causing a flushed face and chest discomfort.

“Hmm, sounds good. Well done, Dr. Seon. Your diagnosis is thorough as always. Let’s go with that prescription.”

Receiving Professor So Chung-yeon’s approval felt different from before.

Back in early September, I was just an “exceptional intern” at best. But now, it felt like the professor regarded me as a full-fledged attending physician.

After receiving approval, the chart displayed the prescription in golden text.

However—

“Why is the treatment progress like this?”

The expected effects didn’t show within a week.

I repeatedly opened and closed the chart, even taking off and putting back on my glasses, but the result was the same.

I had been praised by Professor So for my detailed diagnosis, so why wasn’t it working?

“Hmm…”

I bit my lip. What was I overlooking?

Of course, one can’t expect instant results, nor can every decision be perfect from the start.

But Dong-soo’s hospital stay was limited to about a week. I needed to find the right direction within that time, and it seemed ‘Dojeok-san’ wasn’t it.

“Stay calm and think.”

I remembered what I had told Morgan’s guardian:

“The root cause of stress must be addressed within the family.”

Could a similar issue exist within Dong-soo’s seemingly harmonious family?

“……”

I glanced back toward the private room, where the sound of Dong-soo’s family laughing together spilled out.