Chapter 69 – Actress of the Century (8)

Professor Jeong Gi-ryeo’s office.

Professor Steve Martin had finally arrived in Korea. He came straight to the National Medical Center and met Professor Jeong Gi-ryeo and Kim Ji-hyuk.

“I took a good look at the data you sent.”

Professor Steve Martin had a slightly flushed expression.

“Thank you for making such a difficult journey, Professor!”

Professor Jeong Gi-ryeo welcomed him warmly.

“Difficult? The data Dr. Kim sent was a highly interesting report! I was so excited after receiving that report that I couldn’t sleep all day. I ran all the way here in one breath because I wanted to meet Dr. Kim by all means.”

“Is that so? It is an honor.”

“I would like to receive a more detailed briefing from Dr. Kim, if that is alright?”

Professor Steve Martin glanced at Kim Ji-hyuk.

“You probably haven’t even recovered from your travel fatigue yet, will you be alright?”

“Of course! I would like to hear a more detailed explanation right now.”

“I understand. Dr. Kim Ji-hyuk, is it possible?”

At Steve Martin’s request, Professor Jeong Gi-ryeo asked Kim Ji-hyuk.

“Yes. All materials are prepared. I can brief you right now.”

“Great! Professor, then although it is humble, let us move to the conference room and receive the briefing.”

“Good! That is fine.”

Professor Steve Martin readily accepted Professor Jeong Gi-ryeo’s proposal.

A moment later.

The three of them moved to the conference room.

Kim Ji-hyuk hung the charts he had prepared in advance on the stand and completed a briefing of about an hour.

“Amazing! It is a truly marvelous discovery.”

Clap, clap, clap—

As Kim Ji-hyuk’s briefing ended, Professor Steve Martin flashed a satisfied smile.

“Thank you, Professor!”

“This is data that would not be out of place even if reported to the WHO (World Health Organization)! Cryptococcus neoformans seems worthy of being listed as one of the world’s top four harmful fungi alongside Candida species, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus fumigatus.”

The WHO was a world health organization founded and launched on April 7, 1948, with the noble purpose of eradicating diseases worldwide, improving the quality of human life, and promoting health.

“It seems more research is needed.”

“Of course that is so. However, looking closely at Dr. Kim’s briefing, I am excited because it seems we might even be able to develop a treatment if we are lucky!”

Professor Steve Martin had been investing a considerable amount of time and effort into Cryptococcus neoformans.

While he had been experiencing difficulties due to poor research results recently, Kim Ji-hyuk’s briefing was a clinical result like a sweet rain after a drought.

“It is an honor that it was helpful to you, Professor!”

“Good! Then, what is the treatment that Dr. Kim is thinking of?”

The attitude of Professor Steve Martin, a Nobel laureate and the foremost authority in infectious diseases, was highly humble.

“If it is definitely cryptococcosis, I believe an immediate antifungal injection must be administered!”

“Mmh, that would be natural.”

“However, if the patient’s immune status is extremely degraded due to AIDS, organ transplant, and so on, it seems a slightly different approach is needed!”

“Pardon? Did you say AIDS just now?”

‘Ah, shoot! It is not the time for AIDS to appear yet, is it?’

“Ahem, AIDS is an abbreviation for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome… It refers to a disease where the immune system is destroyed due to acquired causes. Well, I predicted it would usually manifest through sexual contact, so I just named it like that.”

Kim Ji-hyuk made a rough excuse.

“Oh! That is also an interesting topic! I think it is fully worth researching!”

Professor Steve Martin was excited, just like a child visiting an amusement park for the first time.

‘Indeed. If we invest time and money into research starting from now, the outbreak of AIDS that terrified humanity could become as if it never happened.’

“Let us discuss that more later… Is there a treatment for cryptococcosis?”

Professor Steve Martin asked in a highly excited tone.

“I do not think it would be significantly different from the treatment of leishmaniasis or the candidiasis infections for which you have already established the pathogenesis.”

“Mmh, you are right! I was thinking that way too. There were many similarities between candidiasis or aspergillosis and cryptococcosis! I was about to enter clinical trials soon!”

Professor Steve Martin was so joyful he looked ready to leap.

‘That is none other than the therapeutic agent, Amphotericin B!’

“Yes! Since I thought of it after reading your paper, I believe it will probably be effective!”

“Marvelous! To think there was a specialist with such profound knowledge in South Korea! Dr. Kim, could you provide consultation for the new drug development that I am currently conducting?”

‘Of course! If you give me a share of the new drug development patent rights, there is no way I would refuse, would I?’

“I will do my best to assist you, Professor.”

“Hahaha, I am a truly lucky man! If this is the case, it seems we can accelerate the new drug development by at least ten years!”

Professor Steve Martin rejoiced even further.

“Mmh… It seems it is still too early to rejoice. Isn’t meeting Miss Monroe the priority for now?”

Then, Professor Jeong Gi-ryeo cut into the conversation between the two.

“Of course. We must certainly do so.”

“It will not be easy to contact Miss Monroe, though?”

“Huhuhu, do not worry about that. I have already sent an urgent telegram to the Far East Command from Japan. Since I came together with a news agency reporter stationed in Japan, they would not dare to block me from seeing the patient.”

“Ah! I see.”

“Indeed! Today is a very joyful day. It is surprising that the patient suffering from cryptococcosis is the great actress Marilyn Monroe, but it is also surprising that there is such an excellent doctor in this war-torn country! Today, I feel as if I have met a lifelong partner! Let us discuss all night tonight!”

“It is an honor, Professor!”

Hahaha, Professor Steve Martin’s mouth seemed to stretch from ear to ear.

* * *

U.S. Army Medical Battalion, Far East Command.

After arriving at the National Medical Center and finishing a delightful all-night discussion with Kim Ji-hyuk, Steve Martin headed straight to the Medical Battalion of the Far East Command the next day.

“Professor, welcome!”

“Glad to meet you, Lieutenant Colonel Anderson!”

It appeared that Professor Steve Martin was already acquainted with Lieutenant Colonel Anderson.

“I confirmed the telegram. Even though you must be busy, how did you come to this distant place?”

“As a doctor, if there is a patient, shouldn’t I naturally come check?”

“Pardon? Wh-what do you mean by that?”

Lieutenant Colonel Anderson stammered, seemingly flustered.

“I understand that Miss Marilyn Monroe is hospitalized here?”

“Ah, yes. That is true, but…”

“Why? Because I am an infectious disease physician, does it not apply to me?”

“Well, y-yes. It is judged that the disease Miss Monroe is suffering from has nothing to do with the infectious side, Professor!”

“Are you sure?”

“Pardon? Ah, yes. For now, our diagnosis is indeed so.”

“How confident are you, Anderson!”

Professor Steve asked demandingly, even changing his tone to Lieutenant Colonel Anderson with a solemn expression.

“Pardon? Th-that… We cannot be 100% sure, but we are confident that it is over 90% likely not on the infectious disease side.”

Lieutenant Colonel Anderson flushed, looking flustered.

“Where did you go to school?”

“Well, it is Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.”

“Huhuhu, then you must have taken my class too.”

“Ahem, yes, Professor! During my medical school, I never missed your class.”

“Then you must also remember what I said during class?”

“What words do you mean…”

“I believe I said that in medical practice, a doctor must keep all possibilities open? Therefore, I said that what a doctor should guard against the most is absolute certainty. Is that correct?”

“Ahem, yes. You said so.”

“Doctors are not gods. Therefore, there is no such thing as 100% certainty when dealing with patients. I emphasized so much that a doctor must never fall into the error of probability, but have you already forgotten it?”

Professor Steve Martin strictly scolded Lieutenant Colonel Anderson.

“But since this matter is so critical…”

“Has there ever been a matter as critical as a patient’s health? Even if the patient were not Miss Marilyn Monroe, would you have acted this way?”

“Th-that is not it…”

Lieutenant Colonel Anderson, with a troubled expression, blushed.

“I stopped by the Korean National Medical Center yesterday and examined Miss Monroe’s chart before coming here. It seems Professor Jeong Gi-ryeo and Dr. Kim at that hospital made a different diagnosis from yours?”

“I understand that the issue has already been settled. The National Medical Center decided not to involve itself any further in Miss Monroe’s medical care and treatment, Professor!”

“Isn’t that only the case if the diagnosis of the medical team, including you, was correct?”

At that, Professor Steve Martin raised his voice.

“In that case, are you saying our diagnosis was wrong?”

“Isn’t that why I am here to check? Will you still stand in my way even now?”

“Professor! There seems to be some misunderstanding…”

“Stop! As far as I know, there is a Korean proverb that says, ‘Even from a three-year-old child, there is something to learn.’ Let alone them, who are the best doctors in South Korea. Sunk in prejudice against a weak nation, how can you dismiss and ignore their opinions to this extent?”

Professor Steve Martin yelled with an angry face.

“Professor…”

“Get a grip, Lieutenant Colonel Anderson! Rather than putting up useless pride against them, making an accurate diagnosis is the priority. If Miss Monroe’s illness falls into that 10% instead of the 90% you spoke of, what do you plan to do? That would be committing an indelible mistake against the patient as a doctor. And then, you and the other parties involved would try to escape responsibility. Hiding behind the authority of being a doctor, that is.”

“…………”

Lieutenant Colonel Anderson was left with nothing more to say.

“I came here to correct such mistakes of yours. So, please do not interfere with my clinical treatment of Miss Monroe. This is the minimum consideration I can offer you.”

“But…”

“If you continue to interfere with the medical examination like this, I will have no choice either. I will have no choice but to expose your narrow-mindedness and incompetence to the world through the news agency reporter who came with me!”

Professor Steve Martin pressed Anderson in a firm tone.

“Pr-Professor! Th-that is not a matter I can decide alone. It is a matter where I must report to the higher-ups and obtain permission…”

“Then report it or brief them immediately. The disease does not pause while we dilly-dally!”

“Yes, yes. I will report to the command right away!”

Lieutenant Colonel Anderson, repeatedly wiping the sweat trickling down his forehead, was at a loss for what to do.

* * *

In that way, Lieutenant Colonel Anderson conveyed Steve Martin’s proposal to the command, and the command, unable to ignore his authority, accepted his proposal with a heavy heart.

And.

Immediately, Steve Martin entered into the medical examination of Marilyn Monroe, and it did not take very long for her disease to be identified.

Marilyn Monroe’s final diagnosis was indeed cryptococcosis, which is caused by an infection of Cryptococcus neoformans.

It was the moment Kim Ji-hyuk’s diagnosis proved correct.