Taeho’s expression hardened.
Did that mean the number of patients was going from one to two?
“Does the princess require treatment as well?”
“No. Her Highness the Princess is in good health. It’s just that Her Highness cares deeply for her older brother. She wishes to personally observe His Highness the Prince’s treatment process.”
At those words, Taeho let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness the number of patients wasn’t increasing.
But when he looked at the embassy staff member, the man seemed to have more to say.
In that case, he should let him say it.
“The siblings must be very close.”
“Yes. Her Highness the Princess is the only daughter and youngest child of His Majesty Sheikh Zayed, their royal father, and she was raised with truly exceptional affection.”
The embassy staff member glanced around before continuing.
“She is extremely sharp and intelligent, and she pursues perfection in everything. If something does not meet her standards, she absolutely refuses to compromise.”
“She must have quite a strong personality.”
“She was born late and raised like a priceless jewel. Some call her a lioness, and others say she’s like a flame.”
Taeho pressed his temple firmly.
Treating the prince was already a burden, and now it meant he would have to deal with an even more difficult princess on top of that.
“What would happen if Her Highness the Princess opposed the treatment?”
“······.”
The embassy staff member pressed his lips together, then, watching the people around them, whispered softly.
“Even His Highness the Prince would find it difficult to go against Her Highness the Princess’s wishes.”
It meant the princess could turn out to be a bigger obstacle than expected.
***
The mayor of Samcheok’s voice was more excited than usual.
-The city hall is in a complete state of emergency right now. We’re controlling the roads, restricting civilian access within a one-kilometer radius of the hotel, and even restricting vehicle access within five hundred meters.
“You must be going through a lot. Will the press be all right?”
-We plan to announce only something along the lines of “medical tourism by a high-ranking Middle Eastern figure” in the press release. If handled poorly, this could escalate into a diplomatic issue, you see, haha. We’re also watching it as carefully as possible.
“Understood. Thank you for letting me know, Mayor.”
-No need to thank me. Hahaha. Thanks to Director Kang, Samcheok might become known as a world-class city. If you need anything, let me know at any time. The city hall will support you as much as we can.
“Thank you.”
After hanging up, Taeho once again looked over the thick medical records spread out on his desk.
Patient Name: Rashid Al Haitham (alias)
Age: 32
Chief Complaint: Chronic pelvic pain syndrome
Date of Onset: September 12, 20XX, after a fall from a horse.
Medical History: A total of 13 hospitals, including Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Charing Cross, Charité Berlin, and others.
“They couldn’t find the cause for fifteen years······.”
Taeho muttered as he checked the MRI scans one by one. He displayed images of the spine, pelvis, abdomen, and other areas on the monitor and examined them in detail, but there were no notable abnormalities.
Orthopedically, there didn’t seem to be a problem.
“That means there’s no structural abnormality······.”
Taeho turned to the next page. It was a difficult case. It could be neurological, or it could be something else.
After reviewing the documents several times, one part caught his eye. In the blood test results, the inflammatory markers were very slightly elevated. However, all infection and autoimmune disease markers were negative.
Taeho tilted his head.
“CRP is 5.2. It’s slightly above the upper limit of normal. ESR is also borderline at 28. But the rheumatoid factor, ANA, and complement levels are all normal.”
It meant there was an unknown inflammatory response.
“Rema, search for inflammatory response patterns like this. Cases where only mild inflammation persists without structural abnormalities.”
-Searching······.
-Common autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, metabolic diseases, and others appear in the results, but they do not match the patient’s other test results. No specific pattern has been found.
As expected, it wasn’t easy.
Taeho examined the pain diary in detail.
It had been meticulously recorded for fifteen years by the UAE royal family’s personal physician.
There was a pattern in which the symptoms periodically worsened. In particular, they often worsened at night.
“The pain intensifies between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. Could it be related to hormones?”
Taeho rummaged through the other test results. There might be an abnormality in the cortisol rhythm or melatonin secretion.
“Rema, search for pain patterns related to circadian rhythm as well.”
-Circadian rhythm disorders, sleep-related pain, pain caused by hormonal fluctuations, and others appear in the results. However, no specific disease directly connected to chronic pelvic pain persisting for fifteen years has been found.
Another dead end.
Taeho carefully reviewed the records from the time of onset again.
“A fall from a horse fifteen years ago.”
The emergency treatment records from the time of the accident contained only standard procedures.
Fracture examination, concussion examination, administration of painkillers.
There was nothing that looked unusual.
When he checked the clock, it was 11 p.m.
“I’ll have to judge after seeing the patient in person first.”
Taeho muttered as he organized the materials.
Neither Rema’s search nor his own experience had yielded a clear answer. At times like this, examining the patient in person was most important.
An illness whose cause the world’s best doctors had failed to find for fifteen years.
A mysterious pain with no structural abnormality and no clear disease markers.
It seemed like it would be a difficult case.
***
The VIP terminal at Yangyang International Airport.
At the end of the runway, a white private jet landed with the roar of its engines.
The UAE royal family’s crest engraved on the side of the fuselage glittered in the sunlight.
As airport officials and Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff moved about busily, the door of the private jet opened.
The first to descend were bodyguards in black suits. Then a man wearing a white kandura slowly came down the stairs.
Faisal bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
A neatly groomed beard and deep brown eyes. His gait had dignity, but upon closer look, his balance seemed slightly unsteady. Once every three steps, he would hesitate almost imperceptibly.
It seemed to be a habit created by fifteen years of pain.
The woman who descended behind him wore a black abaya, but she did not wear a hijab, letting her long black hair fall naturally. She was a woman in her mid-twenties with distinct features that anyone would have to call beautiful.
She was Princess Amira, Prince Faisal’s younger sister.
True to her nickname, the lioness, her gaze was sharp, and the way she swept her eyes over her surroundings was full of wariness.
Amira muttered in Arabic.
“Ya akhi, do you really think there’s an outstanding doctor in a countryside place like this?”
“Amira, you must observe proper etiquette here. Speak in English when you talk. Otherwise, convey it through Sara.”
Faisal answered in a gentle voice.
Interpreter Kim Sara and the attendants descended after them.
Three black limousines had been prepared for the party coming out of the airport.
The vehicle carrying Faisal and Amira entered the road heading from Yangyang to Samcheok.
As he looked at the exotic scenery unfolding outside the window, Faisal squeezed his eyes shut. A dull pain was rising from deep within his pelvis.
Amira asked with a worried expression.
“Ya akhi, does it hurt again?”
“I’m fine. It’s bearable.”
But Amira did not miss the expression of pain that briefly crossed Faisal’s face. For fifteen years, they had met dozens of world-renowned doctors, but none of them had eased her brother’s suffering. A resignation that this time would be no different occupied one corner of her heart.
“Will it really be different this time?”
“I don’t know. But if it’s the doctor I saw in Geneva, something about him will be different.”
Faisal recalled Taeho as he had seen him in Geneva. The dedicated figure who had rushed without hesitation into the scene of the traffic accident to care for the patient. The concentration and judgment he had shown in the moment he saved the mother and baby. It had been so impressive that Faisal had ordered an investigation into him.
As expected, Taeho had made a name for himself with innovative treatments at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, and within a short period, he had published a series of outstanding papers worthy of attention. He had also saved the life of the Gambian president, whom even the WHO’s dispatched doctors had been unable to treat, and most recently, he had even treated a mass food poisoning incident at an international conference in Brittany.
That was why Faisal had come all the way here, holding on to his final hope.
Just this once, Faisal earnestly prayed that Allah would, through that man’s hands, lift the punishment He had bestowed upon him.
***
Taeho was waiting at the hospital entrance with Honorary Director Kim Byeongjo and Planning Director Lee Jeonghun.
Beyond the glass doors of the emergency room, Lee Chaerin spotted them and asked Nurse Go Hayoung.
“Ms. Go. Is something happening today?”
“I heard a VIP patient is coming.”
“What kind of VIP would have both directors waiting outside?”
“I’m not too sure either. I think they said he was an Arab noble or politician or something.”
Go Hayoung shrugged and walked away.
A Middle Eastern VIP was coming to a small country hospital like this······.
As expected, Director Kang Taeho operated on a different scale.
Lee Chaerin thought that perhaps this opportunity might allow her to win back the points she had lost last time.
The limousines arrived one after another in front of Geumsan Samcheok Hospital.
The door opened, and Faisal got out. Since he had already seen him once before, it was not difficult to find Kang Taeho. When their eyes met, relief crossed Faisal’s face.
The devoted young doctor he had seen in Geneva was waiting for him.
“Dr. Kang.”
“Welcome, Rashid.”
Taeho greeted him politely, calling him by the alias they had arranged in advance.
Amira got out of the limousine after him.
She slowly looked over the hospital building, then gazed at Taeho with cold eyes.
“This place is even more shabby than I expected.”
Amira spoke in Arabic.
“Ya akhi, do you really think a small countryside hospital like this can do what the best medical teams in the world couldn’t? I think this is a waste of time.”
Interpreter Kim Sara could not hide her embarrassment. She did not bother interpreting Princess Amira’s words for Director Kang Taeho.
Amira stared straight at Taeho and continued.
“And that man is supposed to be the attending physician? He’s too young. Isn’t he someone who still has a long way to go and much more to learn?”
“······.”
Faisal let out a slight sigh. He had even warned her to be careful, but how could her finicky personality change all at once?
Taeho looked calmly at Princess Amira. Even without Kim Sara interpreting, he could understand everything. Rema had interpreted it for him.
‘This won’t do.’
At first, Taeho had intended to pretend he hadn’t heard, but he changed his mind. If Princess Amira was left like this, it was obvious she would interfere with the treatment again and again.
He put on a cold expression and declared in English.
“Rashid, I’m sorry, but I have no choice but to give up on treating you. You’ve come a long way, but please return home.”
“······?”
“······!!”
At first, the people were merely startled, but when they saw Taeho’s expression, they realized he meant it.
“Ya Allah! (Oh, Lord!)”
“Ya Allahul hawl! (Oh, my God!)”
Exclamations of bewilderment and shock burst out from all around.
The one most shocked was Prince Faisal. Urgent, Faisal asked directly in English without waiting for an interpreter.
“Dr. Kang! Why are you suddenly saying this?”
“I want to treat Rashid. But if your younger sister interferes with the treatment, I guarantee the treatment results will not be good. So let us not waste each other’s time!”
“······!”
“What did he say? Ya akhi! Is that man blaming me right now?”
Amira’s gaze turned cold.
Taeho glanced at Amira with a look that seemed to say, Where is this dog barking from? Then he turned his back and walked toward the hospital entrance.
At that moment, when everyone held their breath, Faisal roared.