Heo Jun episode 13 The VIP patient

It’s getting so exciting, frustrating, inspiring, annoying, and IMPOSSIBLE to watch only ONE episode. I think the key is to stop watching in the middle of the episode when there is a lull and continue the next day. If you watch till the end you get caught up in a cliff-hanger and have to keep going … In this episode Heo Jun tries to save a Yangban lady. 

Heo Jun is devastated and ashamed realising that his family is starving because he can’t afford to support them. Watching his wife get beaten by the yangban and falsely accused of stealing is the final straw and he announces that he is giving up medicine – if he goes hunting he can make more money. But Da Hee and Mum beg him not to quit. But he is adamant.

Heo Jun’s wife and mum try to stop him quitting, meanwhile Do Ji is appalled that his dad has accepted lepers at the hospital!

The monk, Min-se, turns up at the clinic with lepers that need treatment, but Oh Gun and Do Ji can’t help flinching.  Do Ji even tries to dissuade his father from admitting patients with leprosy since it will ‘put other patients off’ coming to the hospital. (And more importantly, HE doesn’t want to go near the lepers. ) Of course Dr Yoo is outraged (and disappointed) that his son thinks this way. (Get a grip, Do Ji. You are supposed to be a doctor. 🙄 ) 

Two extremes at the hospital but which are more important: poor lepers or yangban?

Suddenly some VIP visitors arrive wanting the renowned Dr Yoo to come with them IMMEDIATELY to treat an ex-deputy prime minister’s wife. First Dr Yoo unceremoniously keeps them waiting while he treats some ‘serious patients’  (lepers!) and then he has the ‘audacity’ to send his PUPIL, Heo Jun, to treat the noble lady since he has other things to do…. (Dr Yoo doesn’t give a toss about class. We like! 😉 ) Do Ji is deflated though, because he realises that his own father trusts Heo Jun more than he trusts him. 🙁 Because if Heo Jun fails to cure the lady, Dr Yoo will be punished too. )

But there is uproar when Heo Jun arrives. Still he manages to convince the arrogant yangban to let him take a look at the patient – under the understanding that if anything goes wrong Heo Jun will pay with his life … 😮

Heo Jun arrives (unwelcome) at the yangban’s place supported by Ye Jin

Ye Jin (who was sent to help Heo Jun) tells the family to empty the chamber pot in the patient’s room as the air is ‘polluted’! 😳 The ex-official is (annoyingly) vocal about his opinions about Heo Jun’s unusual methods and he complains when Heo Jun leaves the patient in the middle of the night to go and draw water. Heo Jun calmly tells the VIP first of all to lower his voice (yes, shut up!)  and then that he didn’t go to get any old water – because there are 33 types of water each with different properties –  he needed a particular water to make medicine.

Meanwhile, Do Ji is depressed and drinking – humiliated that Heo Jun was sent instead of him. (Yeah. Whatever, Do Ji….)

Back with the patient, Heo Jun tries to persuade the yangban that his patient needs acupuncture, but it’s an uphill struggle since the yangban official doesn’t trust him and is waiting for the ‘real doctor’, Dr Yoo, to arrive and save the day. (good luck with that since he’s gone off to the temple!)

the yangban is not ready to trust Heo Jun!

FINALLY Heo Jun is allowed to do an acupuncture treatment. But much to everyone’s shock and consternation, it includes acupuncture on the lady’s ‘lady parts‘. (I wonder how many women died unnecessarily because they didn’t want to reveal their lady parts? 🙁 )

But even after this treatment the patient doesn’t get better and the yangban throws Heo Jun in prison …

Heo Jun treats the yangban and then gets arrested!

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Again, so the yangban can just lock anyone up if they feel like it? It’s SO annoying the way they treat Heo Jun here. But having said that, how is anyone supposed to know who is a good doctor or not? (Even Heo Jun doesn’t have any actual qualifications) It seems that anyone can practise medicine – although to be a royal doctor you have to pass the state medical exam. The yangban are just expected to trust Heo Jun since his teacher recommended him.