"Guh… Guhk."
The fallen doctor, Matthew, the one obsessed with electricity, kept groaning incessantly.
Not only that, but his expression also looked extremely painful.
At times like these, it's common for guardians to come and ask all sorts of questions, or to confront the doctor, asking if this is really okay.
That's because in the 21st century, CPR, even if not everyone knows the exact method, has become somewhat common knowledge.
The problem is that there are more people who have a rough idea than those who know it properly, which is why many people panic when they see broken ribs rattling.
It's probably because the person themselves aren't aware that they died and came back to life.
I once saw a survey saying that in South Korea, trust in doctors is low, but trust in modern medicine is strangely high, leading to such tendencies.
'I really hated that back then…'
How could a situation where you save someone from death only for them to complain about why it hurts be good?
Thinking back, it's a situation that would make anyone's blood boil, and I'm sure almost all medical staff have experienced it at least once.
Given my field, I've experienced it multiple times.
I thought there couldn't be a more infuriating situation than that…
'Well, this isn't exactly infuriating…'
What should I call this?
Should I say they're regarding me with aversion?
"What in the world…"
"How… It's not like he drowned…"
Even the doctors were all hesitantly backing away.
Even Liston's face clearly showed he wanted to move back too.
He was tired from pressing the patient's chest until just now and was still kneeling, so he couldn't act on it, but if he had been standing, I'm sure he would have been the farthest away.
"Y-Your Majesty, please come this way!"
"Maintain your composure!"
King William IV also spoke with dignity, but his body was honest; he had taken a step back quite a while ago.
Well, it's understandable.
A person died, and I brought him back to life.
You'd only expect to see such things in the Bible, not in everyday life, right?
"Let me explain."
"Hmm."
If I leave it like this, I'm sure my image as a sorcerer will be completely cemented.
If I had drawn blood like during pericardial tamponade, they might have tried to understand it within their frame of reference, calling it bloodletting or something…
But all I did was chest compressions.
"W-wait a moment! This… is not medicine! Do not be deceived!"
I didn't think these fly-like fellows would dare to step forward over this.
In a way, it might be my fault.
I should have just spoken without giving them a chance to talk…
Being with Liston usually prevents such things, so I got careless.
I don't think this person is stepping forward because he's a hundred times braver.
His eyes look half-crazed.
Probably…
He's afraid.
Of me.
"Doctor Bowey. Speak."
I guess his name is Doctor Bowey.
He looked quite old, and as is often the case even in the 21st century, age often brings authority in the 19th century too.
He seemed to be no exception, as when he seriously began to speak, the murmuring noise gradually subsided.
In the ensuing silence, he said:
"It's not that there are no records of methods to revive the dead."
Oh.
This wasn't what I expected.
I thought he'd start talking nonsense about witches and whatnot, but he mentioned records.
"There are records of people reviving after using bellows to blow air into the mouths of drowned people, and there are still those who practice that method."
Listening on, it made some sense.
Certainly… in cases of drowning, artificial respiration alone can sometimes revive someone.
Though the probability would be much less than half without proper chest compressions…
"This is a method possible for those whose breathing has stopped, by blowing breath into them for them. It has sufficient theoretical basis."
"I, I see. Death is essentially the disappearance of breath…"
King William IV nodded at Bowey's words.
It wasn't incorrect.
Especially in this period.
It's an era where they determine life or death based solely on the intuitive indicator of breath.
The problem is that at most, they just put a hand to the nose like earlier, leading to frequent cases of burying people alive…
"But this man… he revived him without even assisting his breathing, didn't he?"
"Cough, cough."
"Indeed… he has come back to life."
Just then, Matthew was coughing and subtly trying to sit up.
He was also touching his chest as if it hurt, and it made a rattling sound each time.
His ribs were probably broken.
If this were a 21st-century hospital, we could perform appropriate tests afterward—find out why he went into cardiac arrest and provide corresponding treatment…
But that's not possible here.
He probably won't live long.
"Is that really Matthew?"
But that doesn't mean Matthew ceases to be Matthew.
"Perhaps another soul summoned from hell has entered his body. He hasn't even spoken yet."
"Good heavens."
Talk of hell and souls isn't very doctor-like…
But maybe because it's coming from a white-haired man, everyone seemed to find it plausible.
"Wh-what… are you talking about?"
"It… it looks like Matthew!"
"You're being deceived! This man uses dark magic…"
Even though Matthew himself was saying it was him, they started insisting otherwise.
Normally, in such a confrontation, the one who insists would just end up looking like an idiot…
But surprisingly, the 19th century isn't that rational of an era.
In fact, our side might end up being seen as the truly strange ones.
"Brother."
"Okay."
I have to step in before it's too late.
Fortunately, I have the ability to do so.
"Gulp."
Liston immediately got up and moved behind Doctor Bowey.
Doctor Bowey saw it clearly but couldn't avoid it.
It was too fast and too powerful.
The moment he felt a slight pressure on his neck, Liston laid the slumped Bowey on the floor.
"M-murder!"
"We can just revive him again."
"No, brother. You didn't kill him."
"Hmm."
"Right…?"
"No. He's just unconscious."
I checked his pulse just in case; his heart was beating.
That's a relief, but one comment still bothers me.
-'We can just revive him again.'
This human physical restraint device… I think he might have had the thought that he could accidentally kill someone…
I'm worried that restraint might have come undone now.
Of course, I didn't think he'd do that to me, and since that's not important right now, I decided to let it go for now.
Absurd situations kept unfolding, followed by absurd conversations, making me forget that I'm currently before the King.
"Your Majesty."
"Y-yes. Speak."
The problem is that this damn King has grown somewhat afraid of me…
Why can't they understand people's feelings and keep misunderstanding like this?
Where in the world would you find someone as kind as me…?
Haven't I treated many people without receiving anything in return?
Suppressing my feelings of injustice, I continued speaking.
"A person dies when their breath stops, but they also die when their heart stops."
"Is that so."
"Yes. Because the heart is what makes the blood circulate throughout the body."
"I see."
"All I did was press firmly from the outside to pump for the stopped heart. It's not dark magic, just a method using simple medical knowledge, Your Majesty."
"Is that so… Hmm…"
"It is an era where sufficient medical knowledge has already accumulated. Especially in London, the capital of the British Empire."
Actually, no.
Sufficient, my foot.
They know so little it's frustrating.
But what can I do?
Since he's the King of this country, a certain amount of flattery is essential.
"By simply observing and applying that knowledge well, we can save those who couldn't be saved before. I merely have slightly better observation skills and the ability to execute. Calling it dark magic is utterly preposterous, I must say."
I paused here for a moment.
I was even considering the extreme move of threatening to leave London if this didn't work.
"Yes, that must be it. I've heard all the rumors about you… but I've also heard that many of those things about you being a sorcerer or whatnot ultimately stem from misunderstandings. For instance, the case of opening hearts or heads… wasn't that actually just a more precise form of bloodletting?"
"Tha… yes, Your Majesty."
I want to say no.
I want to vehemently say no, but I can't.
They're already looking at me with strange eyes; if I say, 'Actually, everything you know is wrong, and only I am right! Intracranial pressure! Pericardial tamponade!' and start that nonsense, I might truly end up as a corpse hanging in the square.
"And regarding cholera… I've even heard rumors that you assisted in the treatment, is that correct?"
"Yes, it is. I may not like the French, but as a doctor, how could I overlook a patient?"
"Yes… Then the rumor about creating and administering holy water must also be true."
"That…"
Ah, that rumor exists too.
I just didn't give them plain water but boiled and distilled it.
Maybe the process seemed sacred or something…
I heard they even call me Saint Pyeong in France.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Good. I had been thinking along those lines for a while, but you are indeed worthy of a knighthood. Come here and kneel."
"Yes, Your Majesty. It is an honor."
One must know when to bow.
They say a gentleman's revenge is never too late, even after ten years.
Though the metaphor might be a bit off…
Anyway, I knelt before the King.
Then a sword moved back and forth over my shoulders, followed by some complex ceremony I couldn't remember.
And so, I became a knight.
-'It also seems right for you to become the Royal Physician as you wish. Many will be disappointed… but what can we do with a doctor who can even revive the dead?'
Simultaneously, I became the sole Royal Physician to William IV, meaning the personal physician to the King of the British Empire.
Well, it's called Royal Physician, but it's not like being a royal physician in the Joseon Dynasty who has to be in the palace all day, every day.
Usually, I do my own work, and as an extra, I look after the King's health; that's the duty of the Royal Physician.
The problem is, even though the royal family doesn't seem to be struggling, they don't pay generously.
Well, they pay better than regular patients, but they act like, 'Why should we pay just for checking if we're healthy?'
'Don't you know check-ups are originally expensive?'
That thought rose to my throat and went back down.
And I also thought, are my time and effort supposed to be free?
This…
I need to compensate for this.
Frankly, a knighthood without a fief is just an honorary title, right?
And they expect me to be the Royal Physician for honor alone?
"Your Grace."
"Ah, haha. My friend Pyeongshin-in."
Lost in these thoughts, I found myself, without realizing it, arriving at Duke Adolphus, who was hospitalized after his brain surgery.
"What is this?"
"It's called Red Ginseng."
"Is it similar to black tea?"
"Haha, it's much better."
"Well, what is it really?"
"It's very good for men… and it's also an herbal medicine that prevents hair loss. It's my own secret recipe, one that only I can make."
"Good heavens!"