Chapter 3: It's Not Indigestion [2]
“A black bag?”
“Yes! The one from earlier!”
“Ah, yes, young master.”
Dolseok muttered dumbly as he ran off in a hurry. The physician and Seungmun, who had been summoned, were left speechless.
“What are you doing? You need to quickly brew **Pyeongwi-san** and **Gwahae-san** for the boy to take!”
The physician, being a respected professional, regardless of his status, spoke with an air of authority. He wasn’t just a commoner; he was from a noble family, though illegitimate.
Of course, Kang-hyuk scoffed at this.
“**Pyeongwi-san** and **Gwahae-san**?”
Just from the names, Kang-hyuk had no idea what those medicines were. But one thing was certain—the patient’s condition wouldn’t improve with mere herbal remedies.
Kang-hyuk easily pushed the physician aside.
“You scoundrel! What are you doing to the doctor we’ve summoned with such difficulty?”
Seungmun defended the physician, but Kang-hyuk paid him no mind.
He still didn’t know where he was or what kind of strange situation this was.
‘But this patient is real.’
Who was Kang-hyuk? He was Korea’s top surgeon, recognized by all. Whoever the patient in front of him was, if they were under his care, they would live.
“Young master, here it is!”
Dolseok, cutting through the tense atmosphere, handed over the doctor’s bag. Despite everything, Dolseok was proving to be quite loyal as a servant.
“Good, you did well.”
Kang-hyuk hurriedly opened the bag. Since it was packed specifically for the chairman, it was well-stocked.
‘No wonder it was so heavy.’
It contained not only a simple incision and drainage set but also plenty of antibiotics and local anesthetics. There were even tools like a hammer, chisel, plate, and a small saw.
‘Why did they pack these? But actually, this is perfect.’
It was practically a mobile emergency room.
The physician didn’t dare approach Kang-hyuk any further, though Seungmun continued to shout.
A family’s servant was often closer to them than some relatives, so his concern was understandable.
“What are you doing? Explain yourself!”
Only then did Kang-hyuk turn to Seungmun, who looked uncannily like his own father.
‘This is too detailed to be a dream.’
But it didn’t feel like reality either.
‘Could I have traveled back in time? No, that would be absurd.’
It wasn’t entirely impossible, but first things first—he had to save the patient.
As Kang-hyuk put on sterile gloves, he spoke up.
“Father, please leave this to me for a moment. The boy’s life is at stake.”
“That’s why you should leave him in the hands of the doctor!”
“This doctor is a quack.”
“What did you say? This insolent fool…”
Seungmun’s words were harsh, but it was clear he deeply cared for the boy. His eyes were already showing signs of doubt.
After all, Kang-hyuk had shown brilliance even as a child, so there was room for belief.
“What are all those bizarre tools? Don’t tell me you learned this nonsense from that Hee-jun fellow?”
Kang-hyuk had no idea who Hee-jun was.
‘This makes for a good excuse.’
By now, he had already prepared the local anesthetic. Ignoring Seungmun’s words, he casually responded.
“Yes, I learned it from that friend. Dolseok, close the door. If the wind blows in, it will kill Okseok.”
“Yes, young master.”
As Dolseok rushed to close the door, Seungmun shouted again.
“Whose orders are you following?”
“If you want to save Okseok, you should follow my instructions.”
Kang-hyuk’s voice had suddenly dropped to a firm and calm tone, carrying an undeniable authority.
The aura of a master in his field, built through years of expertise, radiated outward like a halo. Seungmun, despite his resistance, began to waver, while Dolseok, whose younger brother’s life hung in the balance, found Kang-hyuk the most reliable figure in the room.
‘Despite his current state, the young master was once quite famous.’
When Kang-hyuk had mastered **Cheonjamun** (Thousand Character Classic) at age three, there had been rumors about a genius born in the Baek family. He had been so handsome that marriage proposals had flooded in when he was barely in his teens.
‘He’s a mess now, but…’
Still, Dolseok had always held respect for him. He vividly remembered the time when he, like Okseok, had fallen ill. The young master had gone out in the dead of winter to catch a rabbit to help lower his fever, presenting it with his hands red from the cold. How could Dolseok ever forget that?
“Master, if Okseok dies, it’ll be too late!”
Dolseok quickly shut the door and ran over to stand beside Kang-hyuk.
Yelling could still be heard from outside, but it lacked the sting it had carried earlier.
“Young master, is there anything I can do to help?”
“Just hold that lantern. I can’t see a thing in this darkness.”
“Yes, but… young master?”
“What?”
“You will save Okseok, right?”
At Dolseok’s words, the physician in the corner snorted.
“Save him? Ha.”
When Kang-hyuk turned around to look, the physician cleared his throat and pretended not to care, but he didn’t leave the room. It seemed he was curious about what Kang-hyuk would do.
“Dolseok.”
“Yes?”
“Stop saying useless things and hold the lantern steady.”
“Yes, young master.”
“Okseok, this might hurt a bit and feel cold.”
“Yes… young master…”
Kang-hyuk carefully injected the anesthetic into Okseok’s lower right abdomen several times.
‘I never thought I’d be doing this with just local anesthesia.’
Kang-hyuk glanced at Okseok with concern. He had no doubts about his own skills, but he was worried about the patient.
“Don’t move.”
“Yes, young master…”
“If it hurts, tell me.”
“Yes.”
Kang-hyuk picked up a scalpel. The sharp blade gleamed ominously in the lantern light.
Dolseok, his voice trembling, asked, “Young master… what are you going to do with that…?”
“Just hold the lantern if you want to save Okseok.”
“Yes, yes…”
Dolseok, overwhelmed with fear for his brother’s life, obeyed.
“Alright, no one moves.”
Kang-hyuk made an incision about 3 cm long on Okseok’s lower right abdomen, and red blood oozed from the cut.
The physician, who had been quietly watching, suddenly exclaimed, “W-what? Are you insane?”
“Quiet.”
“No, this can’t be! I must inform the master…”
The physician jumped up, ready to leave the room. His objection wasn’t due to the Confucian principle of respecting one’s body as a gift from one’s parents, as that strict rule wasn’t as strongly enforced in the early Joseon period.
Rather, he was simply horrified by the sight of blood.
If the physician was unsettled, Dolseok was even more terrified.
“Y-young master?”
“Hold the lantern.”
“Uh… yes.”
Dolseok, though obedient, was visibly shaken. But at least he wasn’t running around like the physician, who was now frantically pacing.
Dolseok glanced at Kang-hyuk, unsure of what to do.
Kang-hyuk didn’t take his eyes off the incision.
“Keep him quiet.”
“What? How?”
“Knock him out or something. He’s distracting me, and it’s dangerous for Okseok. Just hold the lantern properly.”
“Sigh, fine.”
Despite the physician’s higher status, Dolseok had no choice but to comply. His brother’s life was at stake.
“Doctor.”
“What?”
“Stop with the ‘you fool’ talk.”
“Wha—”
Dolseok landed a swift kick, sending the physician sprawling into a corner. The lantern wobbled slightly, but it wasn’t enough to cause any problems for Kang-hyuk, who was already cutting through the peritoneum [1] and facing a severely inflamed appendix.
‘No wonder he was in so much pain. At least it hasn’t burst.’
If it had, there wouldn’t have been much hope. Not without a proper operating room.
“Are you holding up okay?”
“Yes, young master…”
“You’re doing great. We’re almost done.”
*Gulp.*
Dolseok swallowed nervously as he watched Kang-hyuk work, cutting into a living person. If it had been anyone else, he would have been rolled up in a straw mat by now. Even Kang-hyuk wasn’t entirely safe if things went wrong.
“Hold the lantern steady.”
“Yes, yes!”
His response was extra quick, given his guilty thoughts. Kang-hyuk expertly tied off the swollen appendix and snipped it off with scissors.
It was hard to find, but once you did, appendectomies were one of the easiest surgeries.
“It’s done. Now I just need to stitch him up, so hang in there.”
“Yes, young master…”
“It doesn’t hurt, right?”
“No.”
Kang-hyuk quickly closed the peritoneum and stitched up the skin. The wound, which had been gaping just moments before, closed up as if by magic.
For Kang-hyuk, it was nothing—a routine operation he had done countless times since his residency. But to Dolseok, it was nothing short of a miracle.
He had just watched Kang-hyuk cut open and stitch up human flesh.
Kang-hyuk removed his gloves and patted Okseok’s head.
“You did well. Your fever should go down soon. Get some rest.”
“Yes, young master…”
“Good.”
Worn out from days of illness and the stress of the operation, Okseok quickly fell asleep, his face finally peaceful.
Only then did Dolseok find the courage to speak. He was still holding the lantern, his face illuminated with awe.
Having witnessed a miracle, his reaction was natural.
“Young master… what did you just do?”
***
Footnotes:
[1] The peritoneum is a thin layer of tissue that lines the inner wall of the abdomen and covers most of the abdominal organs. It is composed of two layers: the parietal peritoneum, which lines the abdominal wall, and the visceral peritoneum, which envelopes the internal organs. This structure helps to support the organs in the abdominal cavity and facilitates their movement by secreting a lubricating fluid that reduces friction.
