Chapter 158 Training Doctor In Remote Areas II
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”I think Grandma’s in the garden.”
The house Haruto arrived at, guided by a high school girl, looked every bit like an old countryside farmhouse.
Right beside the entrance, rusted farming tools and bulky machinery sat neatly in a row, untouched but cared for.
”Grandma!”
”Is that you, Yoshimi? Welcome back!”
An elderly woman with snow-white hair sat on the engawa, basking in the afternoon light.
She slowly turned toward the voice, her back straight despite her age.
Haruto stepped forward and bowed politely, but the old woman didn’t respond to him—her gaze seemed unfocused, not quite landing on anyone.
”Grandma, I brought the doctor from the clinic.”
”The doctor? Did something happen?”
”Nice to meet you. I’m Ichijou, the new doctor assigned to this area,” Haruto introduced himself, lowering his head respectfully.
He began to explain how he’d taken over the local clinic and why he’d come to check on her. But before he could finish, the old woman cut in.
”Finally. Someone who actually seems decent.”
”…I’m sorry. It sounds like the last doctor didn’t treat you very well.”
Haruto assumed she meant the old doctor who barely examined patients and just handed out medicine. He offered an apologetic bow.
But the next thing she said caught him off guard.
”It wasn’t just him. Every doctor who came here for years… none of them seemed to care much.”
”…I see.”
At first, Haruto thought Yoshimi—this girl guiding him—was just being cautious around a stranger.
But now, it felt more like she was cautious because he was from the clinic.
And thinking back… it was odd. There had been no formal handover from the previous doctor. Just an address and a vague instruction to “go visit.”
”So? What now?” the old woman asked.
”Ah—yes. Let me give you a quick checkup.”
Haruto took her wrist gently and began checking her pulse, then pulled out a small device to take her blood pressure.
As he did, something immediately felt off.
”…Her eyes. They can barely see.”
”!?”
Both Yoshimi and her grandmother stiffened at his words.
He hadn’t even looked directly into her eyes yet. Just a simple touch, and he’d sensed it.
”She’s suffering from both glaucoma and cataracts,” he said calmly.
*Glaucoma damages the optic nerve and narrows vision.
*Cataracts cause the eye’s lens to become cloudy, making vision blurry.
”Then why didn’t you go to the big hospital in town?” Haruto asked.
”I was told I couldn’t get surgery because I had both,” the old woman replied.
”…Who told you that?”
”The previous doctor. At the clinic.”
”…”
Haruto fell silent.
It was true—when both conditions exist together, surgery becomes more complicated.
A smaller clinic might turn away such a case.
But a large hospital? They should’ve been able to handle it.
Modern medicine couldn’t cure glaucoma, but it could slow its progress.
And treating the cataracts might help with that, too.
In other words—surgery should’ve been recommended.
”C-Can Grandma still get surgery?” Yoshimi asked, her voice trembling.
”…It’s already advanced. Recovery would be difficult.”
Once a person loses vision to glaucoma, it can’t be brought back.
That’s why early detection and proper treatment are critical.
”I… I don’t trust doctors anymore! Go home! Just leave!” the old woman snapped, her voice rising in anger.
”G-Grandma…!”
Yoshimi rushed to her side, but the commotion had already drawn attention.
Footsteps. The sound of doors opening.
Other family members began to gather, their expressions darkening.
”What’s going on?”
”Dad, the doctor—Grandma…”
”What? Some quack from the clinic?” a deep voice growled.
A man stepped forward, clearly the father of the household.
”What the hell are you doing here?”
”N-No, I was just—just here to give some medicine…”
”Shut it! Get the hell off our land!”
Before Haruto could explain further, the man stormed forward and shoved him away.
The next thing he knew, he was standing outside the gate.
Alone.
Haruto walked slowly down the dirt path back toward the clinic, his head lowered.
Notes:
• Yoshimi – Female. A high school girl who guides Haruto to her grandmother’s house. She is wary of doctors due to past experiences and becomes agitated when Haruto reveals her grandmother’s condition. Her relationship with Haruto is tense, and she sides with her family in distrusting him.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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