A competent doctor can cure everything

The day after the consultation, 5-year-old Morgan Ahn was admitted to the Korean medicine ward.

The planned hospitalization period was one week, and instead of hiring a caregiver, his mother planned to stay by his side.

As the attending physician, I visited the hospital room to provide basic explanations.

‘The guardian requested a private room, but none were available at the moment.’

For now, they agreed to use a shared room and move to a private one as soon as it became available.

The little patient in the shared room was a huge hit with the adults around.

“Oh my, how adorable~.”

While Morgan was basking in the affection, I reviewed the test results and questionnaires conducted the previous day.

The ‘Suyangmyeong Meridian Function Test’ (autonomic nervous system test) showed that Morgan was under a relatively high level of stress.

As such, the following three Korean medicine diagnoses were suspected:

1. Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency: A state where the stomach’s motility decreases without any particular cause.
2. Liver Qi Overacting on the Stomach: A condition where stress affects the digestive system.
3. Stomach Yin Deficiency: Referring to damage to the stomach lining, chronic inflammation, and decreased secretion of digestive fluids.

We also conducted a child eating behavior questionnaire called ‘CEBQ.’ Out of a total of 175 points, Morgan scored 65.

Considering that other children typically score around 100, Morgan’s score is relatively low.

(CEBQ: Children’s Eating Behaviour Questionnaire)

‘For now, let’s proceed with treatment based on the most basic diagnosis for loss of appetite: Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency.’

I had already confirmed this plan with the professor based on yesterday’s consultation results.

After making that decision, I reviewed the future chart and noted that the CEBQ score would increase by about 10 points after a week.

‘But it’s still a bit disappointing. That alone isn’t enough to be satisfied.’

While I was lost in thought, contemplating the future chart, Morgan’s mother approached me with a packet of herbal medicine and asked,

“Doctor, what is the name of this herbal medicine?”

“It’s called Samryeong Baekchulsan, commonly used for constitutional loss of appetite. Studies show that it reduces Leptin, the hormone responsible for fullness, while increasing Ghrelin, the hormone that triggers hunger.”

“Oh, I see.”

“It also helps alleviate functional dyspepsia and regulates the gut microbiome.”

Samryeong Baekchulsan is a prescription made up of 10 herbal ingredients, including ginseng, poria, and atractylodes.

It is a representative herbal medicine used for loss of appetite caused by Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency.

The formula eliminates excess moisture from the digestive tract through urination, enhances digestive function, and aids nutrient absorption. It’s also used for post-illness loss of appetite, chronic diarrhea, and chronic gastritis.

Since this prescription was for a pediatric patient, I paid special attention to the dosage and taste of the ingredients.

‘I got a lot of help in this area by channeling Professor So Cheong-Yeon.’

Of course, the basics are taught during pediatric classes at the Korean medicine university.

For instance, if one packet of herbal medicine is typically 120cc for adults,
– Middle school students should take about 80cc,
– Elementary school students 60–70cc,
– Preschool-aged children 30–40cc.

‘But theory and practice often differ.’

In such cases, it’s more appropriate to consider the child’s weight rather than their age.

Another clinical tip is to add gyoi (maltose syrup), a sweet medicinal ingredient, for children who struggle with the bitter taste of herbal medicine.

I lack significant experience in prescribing herbal medicine to pediatric patients.

However, the fact that I can bridge this gap through the capabilities of my glasses is an enormous advantage.

“Then, I’ll also provide acupuncture treatment. I’ll use the shortest and thinnest needles.”

As expected, this was Morgan’s first time receiving acupuncture.

I explained each acupoint one by one as I inserted the needles slowly, for the benefit of both the patient and the guardian.

“Stimulating ‘Zusanli’ below the knee with electroacupuncture improves gastric emptying. Stimulating ‘Zhongwan’ above the navel increases Ghrelin hormone levels.”

In addition, I focused on acupuncture and moxibustion treatment targeting the ‘Spleen Meridian of Foot-Taiyin’ and the ‘Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming,’ which are commonly used to treat digestive disorders.

If the child showed significant resistance, I planned to switch to electroacupuncture or ‘intradermal acupuncture.’

However, Morgan stayed calm and tolerated the acupuncture well.

(Electroacupuncture: A method of providing stimulation without penetrating the skin by using low-frequency electronic devices.)
(Intradermal acupuncture: A sticker-type needle with a very short length of 5–7mm.)

“How can such a little one be so composed?”

The adults around expressed their admiration, but to me, it didn’t seem entirely positive.

It would be more natural for a child to fuss or whine a little, but Morgan was too well-behaved.

After Morgan finished the acupuncture and lay down, a ward nurse came to call his mother.

“Mrs, I’ll guide you through the ward facilities.”

“Please go ahead. I’ll stay with him.”

“Oh, then I’ll leave him in your care for a moment.”

And so, I ended up staying by the little patient’s side while waiting for the needle removal time.

Looking at Morgan blinking as he stared at the ceiling, I struck up a conversation.

“Morgan, didn’t the needles hurt?”

“I can handle it just fine.”

“…What?”

“I don’t want to make things harder for Mom.”

His unexpected reply left me momentarily speechless.

After a pause, I asked another question.

“Do you think Mom looks tired?”

Morgan quietly nodded.

“Why?”

“Because Dad is really busy, so Mom takes care of me all by herself.”

“……”

The maturity in his eyes carried a hint of sadness.

After removing the needles, the guardian returned to the room just in time.

I considered asking about Morgan’s earlier comment but decided against it.

‘Let’s not bring it up hastily and observe a bit more.’

Then, I gave the guardian my phone number.

“If anything happens to Morgan on a night when I’m not on duty, please contact me at this number.”

“Sorry? Don’t you have an on-call doctor for that?”

“Yes, we do. But I’m concerned Morgan might feel uncomfortable with someone unfamiliar. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if needed.”

“But I couldn’t possibly…”

“It’s fine.”

This was the first time I proactively gave my contact information to a patient.

It was a gesture of care for Morgan, who sometimes complained of abdominal pain.

Morgan’s mother looked deeply moved.

“You’re better than his dad, honestly. His dad probably won’t even visit the hospital.”

“He must be really busy with work.”

“Yes, he’s a complete workaholic. It’s ironic, considering he works for a health-related company.”

She frowned for a moment but quickly smoothed her expression.

“I’ve ended up saying too much. Anyway, thank you so much for taking care of us.”

I nodded, feeling a great sense of responsibility.

After all, it was my recommendation that led to Morgan’s hospitalization.

‘I need to find an answer within this one week.’

Which of the three diagnoses would turn out to be the correct one?

—

That afternoon, I found a brief moment to head to the hospital’s basement promotional office.

When I opened the door to the PR team’s office, I saw desks and partitions tightly packed together.

‘I don’t see the PR manager or the filming team.’

The employees I had worked with on the WeTube video were nowhere in sight.

I approached the employee sitting closest to the door.

“Hello, I’m a Korean medicine intern. I’m here to request some materials.”

“Excuse me? Materials? What kind of materials would you need from us?”

The employee’s tone made it clear they found the request bothersome.

The employee didn’t even look at me, continuing to click the mouse repeatedly.

“I need the survey data for the pediatric Korean medicine department’s ‘Sambok-cheop’ treatment.”

“Oh, that… You only need the results before and after, right? Surely you’re not asking for all the raw data?”

“I’d like to receive not just the results but the full survey responses themselves.”

“You know how much work it would take to find and organize all that data, right? We’re already swamped with tasks. I don’t know when we can get it to you—would that be okay?”

“How long do you think it’ll take?”

“Who knows? We’d have to start working on it first to figure that out. It could take a month or two… or even longer.”

I was beginning to lose my patience with the employee’s unprofessional attitude.

Just then, the door opened, and the PR team manager entered with the filming crew.

When the manager saw me, his face lit up, and he quickly walked over.

“Wait, aren’t you Dr. Seon-Joon?”

The employee I’d been talking to widened their eyes in surprise.

“What? So this person is ‘that’ Dr. Seon-Joon?”

“Of course! This is Dr. Seon-Joon, the savior of our PR team. Dr. Seon, I’ve heard you’ve been doing incredibly well lately. Didn’t I tell you? I knew you had star potential! I have an eye for talent, don’t I?”

The PR manager was as warm and cheerful as ever.

“Thanks to you, we’ve been getting great responses with our new content. Even the videos you appeared in from a while back are still racking up views. So, what brings you here today?”

“Oh, I came to request some data, but it seems like it’s a bit difficult to get hold of.”

Hearing this, the PR manager raised his eyebrows and looked at the employee.

“What kind of data are we talking about?”

“Oh, uh! It’s… I’ll make sure to have the requested data sent over by the end of the day! Just leave your email address before you go!”

The employee’s attitude suddenly flipped, becoming overly polite and accommodating.

Why couldn’t they have acted like this from the start?

Having received the answer I wanted, I headed back upstairs to the 5th-floor ward.

On the way, I got a call from Heo Son-hwi, a first-year pediatric resident.

“Yes, this is intern Seon-Joon…”

“Doctor! Doctor! Doctor!!”

The voice on the other end sounded highly excited.

“Come to the outpatient clinic quickly!”

Thinking something serious must have happened, I rushed to the clinic.

And soon, I found out the reason.

“The medical director is here… what brings you here, sir?”

Director Myung from Myungmoon Medical Center and his son, Myung Gyu-Beom, had shown up at the outpatient clinic.

Not only the nurses but also Heo Son-hwi and Professor So Cheong-Yeon came out to greet them.

“No need for formal greetings—everyone, please go back to work,” Director Myung said.

The nurses gave polite nods and scattered, leaving the area.

In the meantime, Gyu-Beom spotted me and broke into a wide smile.

“Seon-Joon hyung… I mean, Doctor Sun. I’m here!”

As Gyu-Beom greeted me warmly, all eyes turned to me.

Professor So Cheong-Yeon looked particularly shocked, as if his eyes might pop out.

“Dr. Seon, the director’s son says he wants to receive treatment from our department.”

“My son here was the one who suggested receiving Korean medicine treatment. And it seems he’s particularly fond of that intern over there. He insists on being treated by him.”

“There’s no problem with that. Normally, assisting in outpatient care is a resident’s responsibility, but given the director’s request, we can make an exception. Right, Dr. Seon?”

Even though I hadn’t given an answer yet, the decision seemed to have already been made.

A warm breeze of camaraderie blew between the two professors.

“Thank you. I’ve been wanting to bring him here for a while, but the treatments he’s already undergoing have been hard on him. I couldn’t bring myself to suggest adding more. But suddenly, out of the blue, he’s the one being proactive about it.”

Director Myung seemed just as puzzled as he was pleased.

He ruffled Gyu-Beom’s hair affectionately.

“You only saw this doctor briefly that day, right? You liked him that much at first sight? You’re usually so shy around strangers—how unusual.”

“Haha, Dr. Seon has that kind of charm. Before we start treatment, let’s head to the Korean medicine diagnostic lab. You’ll undergo body posture analysis, stress testing, and pulse wave examination.”

Professor So personally escorted the father and son to the diagnostic lab instead of leaving it to the nurses.

It struck me again how the medical director held the highest position in this hospital.

As soon as we were alone, Heo Son-hwi grabbed my shoulders and shook me excitedly.

“Holy crap! Doctor, what on earth did you do? Why is the medical director’s son looking for you? And weren’t you clueless about Director Myung’s reputation? How did you even get close to his son?”

“It turns out we live in the same apartment complex. But what’s this reputation you’re talking about?”

When I asked directly, Heo Son-hwi flinched slightly.

“Well, it’s about his son dropping out of school.”

“Wait, his school incident became gossip at the hospital?”

“With the number of staff here, do you think not a single one would have kids attending the same school?”

Fair enough. A university hospital is a closed community where gossip spreads like wildfire.

After scratching his head and deliberating for a moment, Heo Son-hwi began to speak again.

“You’re going to be involved in treating his son, so you should know. Just in case you accidentally say something out of line.”

He lowered his voice and shared the details.

“Until middle school, his son was always ranked first in his class—a prodigy. He even entered a prestigious local high school as the top student. Naturally, he was chosen to give the freshman welcome speech… but then…”

“!”

I listened intently and couldn’t help but let out a sympathetic sigh.

If that’s what happened, it’s no wonder he dropped out due to trauma.

“All those nights spent watching over the playground were worth it.”

I knew from a vision roughly which night it would be, but not the exact time. That’s why I had to stake out the playground.

Fortunately, it paid off. Not to mention, how much effort it took to strike up a conversation naturally without seeming awkward.

‘Talking about novels was the perfect icebreaker.’

Seeing his eyes widen in surprise when he thought he’d met a fellow reader, I couldn’t help but think, ‘He’s still just a kid.’

Whatever the reason, I should be grateful that Gyu-Beom listened to me and came to the clinic.

Just then, Director Myung and his son returned after completing the tests.

“Dr. Seon, come in. You should join us for the medical history consultation.”

At Professor So’s call, I stepped into the consultation room with them.