Golden Time

Suhyuk went in, and he spread the medicine and other stuff he bought.

“What is all this?”

“Sir, you should not apply soybean paste on the wound.”

He read somewhere that the alkaline ammonia that soybean paste contains helps the wound healing by causing the neutralization reaction, but it is not clear, because it was not his specialty. However, one thing he can be sure of is that secondary infection can be caused by soybean paste.

“Sir, can I take a look at the wound?”

The old man nodded, with his eyes opened wide.

Did he steal all this stuff from a pharmacy? There were unknown drugs scattered about.

“Are you a doctor?” asked the old man. He’s never seen such a young doctor.

Suhyuk was laughing silently.

“Let me wipe away the soybean paste,” Suhyuk said, and carefully removed it from his forearm.

He saw a scar there. However, he could not confirm it because it was covered with soybean paste.

“You will feel a bit sore.”

Suhyuk picked up the saline solution. Saline solution is used to remove germs and bacteria, but this was the only thing that he prepared. But even this was a nice preparation.

Suhyuk, who thoroughly cleansed the wound, opened his mouth,

“How did you get hurt?”

“I fell down while working.”

“Where was it?”

“I fell from the stairs.”

Suhyuk’s face was a little relieved.

It means that he was not hurt by rusty steel. Still, damaged skin. How much was it damaged?

The skin consists of the epidermis, followed by the dermis and subcutaneous fat. The epidermis is fake skin. The outermost, non-nucleated dead cells are layers that make up the epidermis. When one goes to a public bathhouse, the dirt one cleans from his or her body is this.

And the dermis. This can be said to be real skin. It excretes wastes, and it includes thing like the immune cells, marine-algae, sebaceous gland, lymphatic etc, and plays a leading role including in skin nutrition and perception function. The last is subcutaneous fat. It is a layer where fat cells accumulate. It maintains body temperature, protects against physical shocks and damage, and accumulates the energy that the body consumes. Obesity comes naturally when the subcutaneous fat is thickened.

But the old man before his eyes was far from being obese. He had skinny arms like twigs.

After completely removing the impurities on his arms Suhyuk thoroughly examined the wound, and he smiled a little smile. The dermis was damaged, but fortunately the wound was not so deep, so did not have to be sewn. The wound was disinfected once again and the ointment was applied, and band and bandage were applied.

“Grandpa, you should not use soybean paste next time. Otherwise, you’d be in big trouble.”

Inflammation came secondary to infection, and if infection is neglected, it causes complications.

If so, the situation can change from light to worst.

“I’m done.”

The old man looked at his arms here and there. His arms wrapped with bandages.

Has he ever been treated like this?

“Are you from a public health center?”

Sometimes they would come for volunteer service from the health center.

But the prescription was different. Unlike those who put a stethoscope to him a few times and dropped off medicine, this young man made the old man feel he was like a doctor, or something more than that.

“I’ve come here for volunteer work, Grandpa, I’ll be back.”

When Suhyuk turned back, he said,

“Eat this once, it’s big and very sweet.”

It was a few steamed sweet potatoes that he offered.

Exposing his white teeth, Suhyuk took and bit it without peeling it.

“It’s delicious.”

“Isn’t it? I bought them from the market…”

At that moment, the two children living with him came in from the next room.

They were watching the sweet potatoes that he was holding in his hands.

“Now here you go,” Suhyuk said, handing them the sweet potatoes.

“Hey, that’s for the doctor,” said the old man.

“I ate a lot of rice before coming here. I’m full.”

When did Suhyuk eat rice? After school he rushed to this place.

Cough!

At the sound of coughing, Suhyuk bent one knee and adjusted his eye level with his.

“You have a cold?”

Then he felt the child’s forehead. No fever, no dry cough, which meant he had a light cold. Suhyuk offered medicine.

“Eat sweet potatoes and have this pill before you go to bed, okay?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Do you wash your hands every day?”

Even washing hands everyday can prevent one from catching a cold well enough.

Suhyuk, with a slight smile, turned back to visit the next house.

“Hey! What’s your name?”

He heard the grandpa’s voice when he was going out, but did not stop and moved to the next destination.

Suhyuk, who visited the old woman’s house in the hillside village, was looking at her swollen feet. He thought it was inflammation, but it was pus. It would be better if the drug treatment was done at the same time, but it was certain that she would not go to the hospital to save money. Suhyuk laughed, while looking up at her,

“You will feel pain a little. Please be patient as you’re an adult,” said Suhyuk.

He moved a scalpel, which then reached her feet.

Did blood come out? No. A yellow liquid flowed out instead of blood.

Suhyuk began to touch her feet and squeeze the pus again and again until blood ran out.

It did not last long. With her eyes closed and subtle wrinkles on her face, she opened her eyelids.

Suhyuk disinfected as before and took a bandage in his hand.

The more he put the bandage around her feet, the more uncomfortable he felt.

“This medicine is…”

Suhyuk rephrased his words. His complicated explanation only made her head complicated.

“Please take this medicine three times a day, and your feet will get better soon. If you feel pain or feel uncomfortable, you have to go to the hospital, okay?”

Of course she would not have to go there as a must, because he would come back again.

“You just keep giving me so much… Wait a minute.”

Entering the kitchen, she showed up again with corn and some milk.

“This is very delicious. Try it!”

“Thanks for the food!”

Then Suhyuk visited a few more households.

He was able to finish his work and return from the hillside village around 10pm.

He was holding a lot of foods in his hands.

“Oh, they’re heavy!”

Corn, plastic bottles of sweet rice drink, boiled sweet potatoes, etc.

Suhyuk’s visit lasted for two weeks. And when he did not go there anymore, a rumor was spreading in the hillside village: he was an unnamed white angel, who then flew to heaven with reattached wings.

—–

“Why did you come again? I told you not to!”

With a cold gaze and a rough tone, she asked Suhyuk. He just laughed.

Hana leered at his gesturing like that.

He came to her father’s restaurant every weekend to wait tables and do dishes.

Despite her request for him not to come, he still showed a smiling face like he did everyday.

“Go back. Even if you’re coming here, there’s nothing you can change about it.”

She was talking about her dad’s legs. He has to forever lead a life with a limp.

“I’ll fix it,” said Suhyuk.

Hana knitted her brows slightly. That same promise of his again.

“How can you fix it when they said they can’t in the hospital…?”

She looked back at him very much embarrassed. For he entered the kitchen through a slight opening even though she was blocking him at the kitchen door.

“I’m here, sir!”

At his voice Hana’s father turned his head.

“Why did you come again? I told you not to…”

When he said that, he put his head down because Suhyuk, kneeling on one knee, grabbed his ankle gently.

“How do you feel?”

“I’m okay. I’m not sick and I’m just normal.”

Suhyuk nodded his head as he watched his feet carefully.

Suhyuk could not tell him he should take a rest: if he does not move because of his limp, the muscles supporting the legs will become weakened and deteriorate rapidly.

“Do not overwork yourself,” Suhyuk, emerging from his seat, once again said to hims.

‘I’ll find out how to fix it. Please wait a little while until then.’

“Are you medical students not busy? I hear they’re burning the midnight oil. How about you?”

This time again he could not finish his words because Suhyuk hurriedly got out of the kitchen at the sight of some customers coming in.

“Welcome, how many?”

“Two of us.”

Suhyuk smiled gently at them.

“Sit on the table here.”

Hana was trying to take out water from the refrigerator, but Suhyuk acted faster.

Putting down a water bottle on the table, he asked, “What would you like to order?”

“Soju with two bowls of rice and soup.”

“Okay. Your order will be ready quickly. Please wait a moment.”

“Two bowls of rice and soup!” Suhyuk raised his voice toward the kitchen, and started setting the table. And he approached Hana at the refrigerator staring at him uncomfortably.

“Looks like they came to see you. I see more college students coming,” said Suhyuk.

That’s true. In the past, those in their 40s and 50s were the main customers. Over time, however, younger people as well as college students started to come more often. It was because of Kim Hana.

Customers eating rice and soup pretended to watch TV, but took glances at her.

Of course, the taste of the rice and soup was also excellent.

“Go now. I can do this myself without your help,” Hana’s tone was cold.

However, Suhyuk just laughed.

Just asking for forgiveness with words alone would not be enough. Action had to be given priority. Until he fixes Hana’s father’s legs, he will come again, and again and again.

And that was how Suhyuk intended to apologize to him.

“Goodbye and come again.”

When the customers left, Suhyuk began to clean the table.

Obvious they ate very deliciously because the pots of rice and soup were as clean as if they were washed clean. He felt proud and satisfied.

The moment Suhyuk moved toward the kitchen after putting empty pots on the tray, he heard something dropping.

Cling!

One glass slipped and fell on the floor.

“Oh ..” Suhyuk started picking up the pieces of glass.

“Hey, if you touch it carelessly, you’re going to get hurt!”

While he was hesitating at her sharp voice, she approached and said,

“Because you broke it, buy the same glass or make up for it. Step aside!”

She began to collect the pieces and wrapped them in a newspaper.

Her cleaning like that created a smile on his face.

—–

Those taking preparatory medical courses played out as much as they could. Just having fun and games day and night. Alcohol, travel and romance. They took the essential courses that they could not skip, and enjoyed campus romance as much as they could. And there was advice from the seniors taking regulars courses: Just go to play as if there were no tomorrow. Suhyuk was no exception, and he played out like his fellow students.

However, he also waited quietly. He just hoped time could pass quickly so he could move on to the regular courses by as soon as possible.

***

His wish like that took neither a long nor short time.

Some took the heartless passage of time as cold-hearted, while others felt it joyful. The last vacation came for those about to start regular medical courses. At the same time, a stunning news was delivered like a bolt out of the blue to those preparing for regular courses.

It was none other than about osteology.

A senior standing in front of them formed a smile on his face.

Though it was a caring smile, it turned into a totally different look to the juniors watching him.

A smile of the devil.

“Did you play well for two years without regret?” he asked.

They whispered to each other, nodding their heads.

“Aren’t we locked in an auditorium?”

“I hear we’re going to be locked in motels until we memorize all the stuff.”

They are supposed to gather at one place to study human bones for one week.

They learn how the bones are stored in the human body in a certain form, and memorize the structure, direction, and even the muscles, nervous system, and blood vessels that are located around the bones. One week’s time. During this time it was not an exaggeration to say that they have to memorize all the names of the human body.

The senior opened his mouth at the juniors’ uneasy clamoring,

“You do not have to learn osteology right now, but I believe that you have to get the fundamentals if you don’t want to get lost during the regular courses.”

Osteology is the basics of basics for medical students.

They have to know the terms so that they can understand the professor’s lectures.

It also holds true for clinical practice.

“I will not force you to do this. Those who want to learn can stay, and those who want to study separately can go home now.”

It was not reflected in the credits, nor could it be enforced. It was just a school tradition. It’s the seniors’ drive to guide them in the hope that the one-week course can do them good. There were none of the students packing their bags to leave.

Instead, one student raised his hand, “Where will we study osteology?”

The senior who received the question laughed, “Right here.”

The juniors became disturbed.

‘This is the classroom? Where will we sleep or eat?’

They had a dark shadow covering their faces, however, Suhyuk’s eyes were shining.

Was there anything he did not know? The excitement and expectation of learning something new, something that he did not know, pounded his heart.

Suhyuk raised his hand.

“I have a question.”