Horse Doctor episode 7

Tension builds as Kwanghyun prepares to treat the sick horse – Kwanghyun and the other vets’ lives depends on it. But actually the horse seems to be the least of his problems – he can see what’s wrong and knows how to help the horse. But what about all the other people who want him to fail? Can he deal with them too? 

While Kwanghyun prepares to treat the sick horse, Jinyung is wondering what to do about Kwanghyun, since she has discovered that he has the SAME name as her childhood friend, but surely her friend is dead? He must be someone else. But just to make sure, she asks the guard Jung Doo if he is ABSOLUTELY sure that her friend died all those years ago. (Oh no. Don’t ask him for help.) And then she goes and tells him that she’s found someone with the same name as Kwanghyun. Of course this worries Jung Doo. Since he never found Kwanghyun’s body. He says he’ll investigate. (I bet he will.)

The guard Jung Doo is concerned at the thought that Kwanghyun is still alive

Kwanghyun explains that he will use acupuncture to knock the horse out so that he can treat it. But it’s very dangerous – putting a needle in the pressure point between the eyes and near the heart could kill the horse. But there is no choice. The vets can’t believe it. No one has ever successfully managed such a thing before. Who does this peasant think he is? But Kwanghyun is confident  – even though he knows he must take responsibility if everything goes wrong.

Jabong helps Kwanghyun prepare to treat the horse

Kwanghyun begins the treatment in front of Myunghwan and the other vets. They all seem to be standing around ready to pounce on him as soon as he makes a mistake. (no pressure) Frighteningly long, thick needles are pushed deep into the horse’s skin. ( I don’t know what’s worse – watching the needles go in or hearing the sound effects.)

But all the while the other vets mutter in the background. No one has ever achieved such a dangerous thing. And NOBODY (except Jabong) wants Kwanghyun to succeed now. The vets watch hoping he will fail as he prepares for the last two most dangerous pressure points – one false move and he could pierce the heart or the brain….but he’s done it. He puts the last needle in and sits back with satisfaction. The royal vets observe the scene looking glum.

Kwanghyun prepares to insert the needle into the horse’s head

Meanwhile Jinyung goes to the welfare hospital to take the exam to enter the hospital – she has decided that if Injoo won’t accept her as a student, then she will take the entrance exam like everyone else. Injoo is upset that she is still trying to get into the hospital. But when Jinyung comes top on the results board Injoo can’t stop her entering the hospital.

Injoo doesn’t want Jinyung to become a nurse – the job is lowly and dirty (cleaning up sick and blood for starters 🙁 ) And Injoo is worried that Jinyung will not be treated the same as the other nurses – no one will want to ask her to do dirty jobs since she is an aristocrat. But there’s more to it than that – Injoo also admits that she knows Jinyung from before and knew her father too. But she misses the bit out about her father being a peasant and swapping her as a child …

The princess wants to reward Kwanghyun

The princess is happy to hear that Kwanghyun is now working in the royal stable treating the horses. (He is sticking moxa up the horse’s bum as we speak. Yikes.)She wants to give him a present of silk but throws a wobbler when she receives (what she sees as ) substandard silk from the silk merchant. So she goes to the shop herself to choose the fabric.

The princess arrives at the silk merchant’s

But the other vets are unhappy that Kwanghyun is being so successful with the horse. They hatch a cunning plan to sabotage all his good work. They lure him away from the horse and then spike the horse’s moxa with some suspicious looking white powder – must be poison.

Next thing we know the horse is foaming at the mouth. Kwanghyun is shocked and confused but works out that the horse has been poisoned and tries to fix the problem but the other vets refuse to help him and get him what he asks for. Kwanghyun is desperate to treat the horse but Myunghwan has him arrested.

The other vets look on bitterly as Kwanghyun’s treatment is successful

Tensions rise as while the horse lies dying, the envoy from Qing arrives! There’s seems to be nothing that Myunghwan can do until he hears that Kwanghyun was using herbs to treat the horse. Myunghwan demands to see these herbs. The other vets try to get rid of the ‘evidence’ as fast as they can but Myunghwan insists on taking a look at it.

One sniff of the herbs tells him something is wrong. He realises that Kwanghyun was right – someone poisoned the horse. So Kwanghyun is released and the horse is treated with an antidote. Although Myunghwan didn’t seem that pleased to see Kwanghyun succeed with the treatment it is in his best interest for the horse to recover, as ultimately the horse is his responsibility. The head vet is demoted and exiled.

Kwanghyun and the vets are released

The envoy is in a meeting with the king being told that they cannot be given the horse after all. There’s tension as the envoy doesn’t take the news well. But suddenly Myunghwan interrupts the meeting to announce that the horse is fit after all. (I’m still not exactly sure why they couldn’t give them a different horse? and why only one horse?) Myunghwan has recognised Kwanghyun’s skill. But to the head doctor he plays it down telling him it was just luck. (Looks like he’s got a rival and he’s not happy about it. Can’t wait for him to find out who Kwanghyun really is …)

Just as it seems Kwanghyun is out of hot water another problem arises – the guard Jung Doo turns up to interrogate him about his past. Did he really grow up on the horse ranch? Kwanghyun remembers back to his childhood running away from guards and his father being called a traitor. There is no way he can tell the truth about himself. Jinyung overhears him tell the guard that yes, he grew up on the ranch. And so she thinks he is not her old friend after all. (Oh come on Jinyung why don’t you just ask him straight out yourself? Duh!)

So finally Kwanghyun and the others can get ready to go home when palace guards arrive with a royal command – but what is it – we’ll have to wait and see.

royal guards arrive to issue Kwanghyun with a royal command

Jinyung arrives at the welfare hospital to start her training. But she is sent to the stables to work there instead – Jinyung realises that Injoo is trying to make life difficult for her so she’ll quit. And things do start off badly – she falls over in the field straight into some poo. Then a maverick barrow comes flying towards her and Kwanghyung has to leap across the field and pull her out of the way to safety just in time (the sageuk equivalent of saving the damsel from an approaching truck on a highway. But isn’t this the third time we’ve seen this move in the drama so far?).

Jinyung starts work at the hospital

So Kwanghyun and Jinyung are now working together at the royal stables. This will be a good opportunity for Jinyung to come right out and ask Kwanghyung about his past. But will she do it? Probably not for another 40 episodes! grrrr. Anyway, I’m hoping we’ll see some chemistry between them from now on….