The Nature of Possession

399 – EP.15 Treatment

***

Bangja’s condition, which had been worsening with each passing moment, was worsening.

A couple eating in the next room opened the door and came in at the sound of a thud.

“Master. Quickly, put the blanket on.”

The woodcutter’s actions were quick. He ordered his wife to clear the table and make a bedding.

While the woman prepared a place for the patient to lie down, the woodcutter untied Bangja’s clothes.

The stench of sweat tickled his nose, but he didn’t show it and continued his work silently.

I thought maybe it really wasn’t anything special.

“hmm….”

He was examining Bangja’s body when he looked at one spot and made a sound. I also saw the end of his gaze, and it was Bangja’s cheek where there was a trace of a small wound.

Even to me, who has no medical knowledge, the condition of the person with the raised bumps was serious.

The woodcutter, who was rubbing my legs and examining the boils growing on my body, asked me.

“Nari, did you happen to see a tree with dark green leaves while you were coming over the mountain? The leaves are pointy compared to the others.”

Ah- I think I’ve seen that.

“I’m not sure, but I think I saw it…”

“When you crossed the hill, did you happen to take a road that no one took?”

“That’s not true, because Bangja said he used the road that merchants use.”

“Is that so? Hmm….”

“Can you tell me what’s going on?”

“There is a tree called the Sudogmok. Its leaves are darker in color than other trees and have a pointed shape.”

“It’s a poisonous tree.”

“The leaves of the poisonous tree contain poison that repels insects. It seems to me that this person is currently poisoned by the poisonous tree. However….”

“but?”

“Actually, the poisonous tree can only be found deep in the mountains. I don’t know why there are poisonous trees even on the paths that people pass by.”

He moved his wife’s body onto the comforter and began to wipe her body with a wet towel.

There was a pretty big difference between the places where the heavens had passed and those where they hadn’t.

“Just from hearing the description, it seems like it’s a pretty dangerous tree. This is the first time in my life I’ve heard of a poisonous tree. Joseon is really big.”

“That’s actually a bit strange too.”

What a year of strange things.

As I shifted my gaze from the man to the woodcutter, he cleared his throat and began to continue his explanation.

“It is true that the poisonous tree is definitely poisonous. And the symptoms that this person is showing on his body are the same as those of the poisonous tree. However, this is the first time I’ve seen someone poisoned to the point of losing consciousness.”

“Isn’t it possible that Bangja reacted more sensitively than others because her constitution was different?”

“Ah… I’m an ignorant person, so I don’t know much about the field of medicine, Nari.”

He bowed his head as if he was sorry, and I patted his shoulder to show that it was okay.

“There’s no need to apologize. For now… I think I know the general cause, so I guess I should start treatment now. Is there a doctor in this town? If so, could you please direct me to him? I’ll pay you in return.”

“There is no doctor in our village, but there is one in the village next door. It is quite far away, and the weather has already changed, so it is too dangerous to move around now. Nari.”

“I see….”

I looked at Bangja again, trailing off.

Bangja’s breathing was labored, and the lump was getting darker and bigger. It was clearly a sign that her condition was getting worse.

“I, Nari.”

The lumberjack, who was looking at my complicated face, opened his mouth as if something had occurred to him.

“But it’s not like there’s no way.”

I looked at him.

“It’s a way to avoid the situation, but…”

The woodcutter muttered to himself and left the room. After a very short wait, I saw him enter the room holding something.

“What is that?”

On the woodcutter’s rough hands, like a turtle’s shell, lay a dried flower.

“It’s the golden eye herb.”

“Golden Eye?”

The light had faded, but looking at the color of the dried leaves, it was a dull yellow. If it were a fresh flower, I think it would be a bright, pretty yellow.

“Yes. This is a medicinal herb, and I have a few cans. I heard from the doctor that it has a detoxifying effect.”

While I was craning my neck to get a closer look at the golden eye grass, the woodcutter had his wife bring him some hot water.

At the woodcutter’s words, the wife quickly brought hot water.

“It’s a stopgap measure, but it will help improve your condition.”

The woodcutter, who had measured the temperature of the water, covered his palms and said.

As the woodcutter rubbed his hands, the dried flowers crumbled and fell into the hot water.

As I stirred the water with a spoon, the color of the water in the cup turned yellow, as if it had inherited the color of the flower. It felt as if spring had descended.

As the color of the water changed, a strong scent rose up.

Sweet and refreshing, mind-blowing….

The scent of flowers that I smelled as I climbed the stairs filled the room.

“The scent of the goldenrod is quite strong.”

“I guess so. I think I smelled it while climbing the hill.”

“I think it’s because the goldenrod grows in this area. Just one flower gives off enough fragrance to fill a room, so come spring, the mountain will probably be covered in the fragrance of the goldenrod.”

The woodcutter said as he watched me react to the scent. He held out the cup to me.

“If you drink this, the fever and boils will go down. However, this is only a temporary measure, so you must visit a doctor as soon as the sun rises tomorrow.”

The woodcutter emphasized again and again that he would go see the doctor when the sun rose.

I nodded and poured the water with the golden eye drops into Bangja’s mouth little by little using a spoon.

It’s not that I’m enthusiastic about treating him because he’s precious to me.

I started his treatment so that I could survive here.

It was not a matter of good intentions, but of calculation.

Even though Bangja was unconscious, he gulped down the water containing the golden eye herb.

“We will now withdraw.”

After about 30 minutes, when the boils on Bangja’s body had subsided, the woodcutter spoke.

“Thank you. I owe you a lot.”

When I expressed my gratitude with an awkward heart, the woodcutter bowed his head even lower.

“ah.”

Before opening the door and going out, the woodcutter turned to me as if he had just woken up and said:

“Often, patients will talk nonsense, but it’s not a big deal, so don’t worry about it.”

“gibberish?”

“Among the effects of the golden eye herb, it is due to its anesthetic effect.”

“Okay, I see.”

So the woodcutter went out. I spent the night napping next to the man.

As the woodcutter said, Bangja occasionally spouted out words that were a mix of nonsense and rambling, but nothing particularly interesting.

The sun rose to announce the next day, and I sighed as I looked at Bangja’s energetic figure as if nothing had happened.