He was the first resident of Wano Kuni to be brought here since the hospital was built. Actually, many local residents hold a sense of fear towards this hospital, finding the medical machines, skeleton models, and diagrams inside somewhat terrifying.
If they had any other choice, the old man's family might not have sent him here. They had previously consulted local doctors in Wano Kuni, but those doctors had already declared the old man dead.
However, they were not willing to give up. They couldn't afford the doctors of the noble Daimyo, so they brought him here to give it a try.
"Muscles stiff, breathing weak… Audino!" Relying on the stethoscope, he couldn't hear much; the heartbeat was almost nonexistent, and the pulse was very weak. According to the medical standards in Wano Kuni, such a person was already considered dead.
However, after Audino placed its ear on the old man's heart, it gave a definite answer.
"Cha-boo! Cha-boo cha-boo!"
"There's still a heartbeat. Open the airway, establish intravenous access. It should be a case of weak death!"
Due to the general public's fear of the Hundred Beasts Pokemon Center in Wano Kuni, there weren't many patients here, so not only the emergency department but also various other departments sent staff to help.
He almost received the full assistance of the entire hospital. After half an hour of rescue efforts, the elderly man finally regained his vital signs and was then sent to the inpatient department. They didn't let him go immediately.
After the resuscitation was over, a doctor walked out with his hands behind his back.
This was a habit among doctors. If they didn't have anything in their hands, they'd either put their hands behind their backs or in front of them, but crossing their arms over their chest is not a good sign.
They only make that gesture when bowing to apologize for a failed rescue.
"You brought him in just in time. The old man has been resuscitated, but he still needs to stay hospitalized for a few days for observation. If it's convenient, please go over there and pay the fee."
"My father is still alive, right!"
"Of course, although the situation was quite critical, everything is fine now. You can go over there and see him, but could you please pay the fee first?"
The person had already been saved, so talking about this didn't involve much restraint anymore.
During the rescue, he was solely a doctor, so he didn't mention anything about fees. Saving the person was the goal, but after that goal was achieved, his responsibility shifted from being a doctor to his profession.
He too needed to earn a living, so he began urging the family to pay the bill. He didn't think that sum of money would be unaffordable for an ordinary family.
When comparing the wage levels in Wano Kuni to the outside world, they indeed weren't high, but the prices here were similarly low, and the purchasing power of the currency was relatively strong.
The hospital fees were set according to the price levels in Wano Kuni by Kojiro, and as long as the ordinary residents worked normally, they could afford this fee.
"Understood, understood, I'll go right away. Hanako, you go settle the bill, I'll take Ichifu to see our father."
However, today's affairs didn't seem to end with this. After the old man was resuscitated, another group of people with food poisoning was brought in. The local doctor had already induced vomiting, but it was ineffective, so they were sent here in the end.
The doctors worked tirelessly into the night, only resting when things quieted down.
"Phew… We've relaxed for too long. Suddenly getting this busy is a bit overwhelming."
"Do you understand now why you're told not to speak recklessly? There's really some mystique in this, but aren't their fees practically subsidizing costs?"
"It doesn't matter; after all, there's no difference in the money we get."
This hospital wasn't built to make a profit, but it didn't matter, as the enormous profits from Hundred Beasts Fruit were more than enough to cover this aspect.
....
"How much did it cost?"
"70 silver, much less than expected."
This amount wasn't much for an ordinary family in Wano Kuni. If a family only purchased clean water, their water expenses for a week would be around 10 silver.
With the addition of other expenses, the living cost for a week totaled around 70 silver, which most people could afford.
After all, it saved a life. According to the doctor's suggestion, they should stay for observation for seven days, but they chose to go home after just two days. To them, since the person was fine, there was no need to stay here and spend money.
....
Hakumai Region, an ordinary household.
The residents here include the doctors of this village. Normally, villagers with minor ailments would come here for treatment, but today a group of unexpected visitors arrived.
"Miyamoto, come out! You quack doctor! You almost killed my father!"
The person was the son of the elderly man from before. This time he gathered a group of relatives to demand an explanation, as it was she who had declared his father dead.
This reflected the dark side of some people's nature; they won't remember others' help, but if their own interest is harmed, they will certainly hold a grudge.
This doctor had helped the village many times before, but now she was labeled a quack doctor by a group of people who had come to assault her.
It wasn't really her fault. She didn't have the equipment to measure ECGs, nor did she have an Audino's hearing. Not recognizing a state of apparent death was normal; even the doctors at the Hundred Beasts Pokemon Center might not have discerned it without equipment.
But these people didn't see it that way. Since their family member had been revived there, but declared dead here, naturally they resented her for it.
"What's going on?"
"My father wasn't dead at all, yet you said he was. What kind of quack doctor are you?!"
He was about to make a move, but a chain attached to a weight was suddenly thrown from the side, hitting his head directly and causing it to bleed.
"Bastard, and what do you want to do?!"
"Musashi… she's actually here..."
"Wasn't she supposed to be in Ringo? Why is she still here… maybe we should leave for today, doesn't look like we can accomplish anything."
They weren't causing trouble without cause; such actions held no benefit. They had spent quite a lot on medical treatment and didn't dare take money from Hundred Beasts, but aimed to get it from here.
In their view, Miyamoto, who regularly treated the village, should have quite a bit of money, provided she was alone.
Miyamoto was her name, and Musashi was her daughter. Unlike Miyamoto, she didn't stay as a doctor here but went to Ringo and made a name for herself after a few years, becoming the leader of a gang of delinquent girls.
Moreover, she wasn't the kind to bully or take advantage of others, thus avoiding suppression from Hundred Beasts, and her reputation had even spread back to Hakumai.
Those people were bullies who feared toughness. Seeing Musashi still here, they decided to leave.
"Mom, I told you not to continue being a doctor here; no one remembers your kindness."