Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture
Emergency Services, 24 Hours a day, 365 days a year Honjo Hospital
I screwed up
I regret
☎
A hardworking, honest young man like me.
was driven into such a blunder
because of such a poor environment
It's easy to imagine how this came about
Honjo Hospital Gastroenterologist Kurihara Ichito
Dr. Kurihara, another ambulance is coming in 10 minutes!
Yes.
Are you an internist*? *a doctor of internal medicine - not to be mistaken with interns
Of course, my name tag may have changed, but I'm still the same person I was during the day.
I'm an internist. But this is a fracture.
There's a chronic shortage of doctors in this town... internists, surgeons, otolaryngologists.
Dermatology, orthopedics, everything else, all covered by one emergency docter at night.
We provide medical treatment. Huh?
How can that be okay? Of course it's not okay.
But this is the reality of local hospitals.
You're the Kurihara the puller. Puller?
Chief Emergency Nurse Tomura Katsuko
Next, the ambulance from Omura.
65-year-old male, sudden severe chest pain, arriving in 6 minutes
Chest pain. Vitals?
(Ambulance siren)
As expected of Kurihara the puller, they've arrived in half the time
Hey, hey, hey, what?
Doctor!
I, Ichito Kurihara, work at Honjo Hospital.
I am a gastroenterologist in my fifth year.
Honjo Hospital is located in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture.
It is a core hospital with 300 beds.
This is a community medical center on the verge of collapse, where a small number of doctors are deprived of time and effort
It's no exaggeration to say that there are only a handful of doctors supporting this field hospital
Let me hear your chest.
Does it hurt here? Ugh.
Suspected acute myocardial infarction. Put him in the red bed.
One, two, three!
By the way,
please excuse my somewhat old-fashioned way of speaking,
which is due to the influence of Soseki Natsume, whom I have admired since my school days.
Ueda-san, I'm going to put an electrocardiogram on you.
Dr. Kurihara, I've got the ECG data.
As predicted, it's an acute myocardial infarction.
Contact the cardiologist and connect him to Dr. Kurihara.
Let go of patients with minor illnesses. Red beds first.
Yes!
9 November, 2015
What a blunder.
Today is the first wedding anniversary with my wife
But I've been staying in the ward since yesterday to manage the ICU.
As of today, I couldn't go home due to a sudden change in a patient in the hospital.
I was sent to the emergency room on duty...
☎
I'll at least send an e-mail to my wife by the end of the day...
Dr. Kurihara! Traffic accident on Route 19.
Three car collisions, four victims en route . Dr. Kurihara!
Please reopen the emergency room!
The waiting room is overflowing with patients.
This is the punishing environment.
Dr. Kurihara! Don't be so flustered
On nights when Kurihara is on duty, we get 1.5 times as many urgent patients as usual.
I'm sure the emergency department is prepared for this
Chief Nurse Tonomura, that jinx is not my crime.
But before the main body of the enemy army arrives.
Even if it's just the vanguard troops roaming around out there.
RAMPANT OUTPATIENTS
VANGUARD FORCE
Let's fight them off.
If you keep talking like that, Dr. Kurihara.
They're going to call you a freak.
Be careful in front of the patients, okay?
With all due respect, Chief Nurse Tonomura, we're taking enemy fire.
Who would want to listen to the ravings of a battle-hardened physician?
The delinquent with the broken bones. Wasn't he on his way?
Sir!
at your pleasure
Drama Special Kamisama no Karuta Night One
((Ichi-san, Ichi-san...))
Uh, Haru, why are you home?
I thought you went to Mont Blanc.
Today is our first wedding anniversary, Ichi-san.
Aah, Mont Blanc is a cake, I thought it was the name of a mountain.
I'm sorry to hear that Ichi-san is too busy.
Yes, ahh!
Aaaah!
Ichito, hey, Ichito, are you listening to me?
Hey, Ichito! Are you listening to me?
I said, are you listening to me?
My beloved wife is now a monster surgeon...
Hey, hey, hey, hey!
Free of Thought, Ten Nights of Dreams
That's what happens when you work 35 hours straight.
All right, I'm gonna wake you up with the most amazing Sunayama blend.
This guy is Jiro Sunayama, my classmate at Shinano University of Medicine.
I respect his exceedingly straightforward and bold nerves.
DOCTOR OF SURGERY JIRO SUNAYAMA
That's why we call them Kaiju*. *Monster
To tell you the truth, Ichito...
I need to consult with you.
Jiro... consultation with monsters is beyond the reach of humans.
It's the new nurse Mizunashi-san from the internal medicine ward.
I wonder why Mizunashi-san is so cute.
I don't care if you ask me. You son of a bitch
Are you saying Mizunashi-san is not cute? Very cute.
Right? She's cute right?
Oh... I'm sorry.
Mizunashi-san, does she have a boyfriend?
Ugh... oh, Jiro!
Why does your coffee always taste so bad!
Look, the powder has coffee powder has exceeded the saturation.
It's turning into slime. Dilute it 100 times!
I yearn for you, Mizunashi-san. You're so cute!
I hear surgery's tough too.
Yummy.
Please take care
Whoa!
Ah... ehehehehe.
Dr. Kurihara is always surprised by me.
The doctor always gives me too little notice.
I'm sorry about that.
This is Dr. Naito, Deputy Director of Internal Medicine.
With a ghost bound and gloomy aura
My endoscopy skills are top-notch!
Many times I felt as if I had been pinched by a fox.
That's why I secretly nicknamed him Old Fox Sensei.
Dr. Kurihara's face is pale.
I've been working for almost 40 hours now.
Old Fox Sensei, you're the one with the earthy look on your face.
Oh, is that so? I don't like it.
It's been three, maybe four days now that I've been staying here.
Even the big city hospitals, patients are often trampled
and refuse to accept them
A hospital in a rural area with a philosophy like this...
That alone is admirable.
But the truth is...
Actually, there's always an ambulance waiting for me.
Sleep deprivation and low blood sugar are driving me crazy.
That's a great sign for patients, though.
In reality, it's already a paper tiger
Itagaki-sensei was looking for you.
Oh, it's the Director. I'll go show my face then.
Itagaki-sensei is one of Kurihara-sensei's instructors.
You can't be too careful in front of him.
Yes, I do.
What?
I must be too sleep-deprived, Old F-
Did you say something rude about the Director?
No, no, no. Don't worry.
Yeah. Bye.
Dr. Kurihara. Yes.
Con.
He's been blurting out...
Drainage implantation for cholangitis.
The patient is 82 years old. His pancreas is atrophying.
We decided that a few days of stenting would be low risk.
DIRECTOR OF INTERNAL MEDICINE GENZO ITAGAKI
Is that the only reason?
Yeah... plus the patient has DIC*. *Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation
Dr. Itagaki is the Director of Internal Medicine at Honjo Hospital.
His endoscopic skills are divine, and he is known as the "God Hand of Shinshu".
so the imaging is kept to a minimum
We'll retest him once he's recovered from the sepsis.
Passed.
That's quite a feat, Kuri-chan.
Good judgment and good skill. Hanamaru*, full marks. My hat is off to you. *Flower Circle - equivalent of gold star awarded to kids for good work at school
Ahahaha, Dr. Big Ra-* *see timestamp 10:58
I was told that the director is off today for golf.
Golf is just a form of work.
Laying the groundwork for secret management talks with the pharmacies
when they request a dispatch to the university medical office.
Well, it's kind of fun.
There are 100 times more fun things to do in a hospital than that, right?
What's 100 times more fun than golf?
What about helping people who are dying
I can't see the real intention in all of this.
That's why I nicknamed him Dr. Big Raccoon.
Did I just say something nice?
Don't worry about it. I mean it. Ahahahahaha.
What, you're still here? You like your job that much?
I have my objections, but I'll ignore them for now
Because Tozai's coffee is the second best in the world.
Well, what's the best coffee in the world?
You don't have to ask me, my wife Haru makes the coffee.
Hmmm... Ah, hey, hey...
Hey hey... Here.
Sigh...
What's going on, Tozai?
Well, I was attending to Azumi-san
WARD CHIEF NURSE TOZAI NAOMI
but it seems that there is no one close to her who can be contacted
Azumi-san is undergoing therapy.
A 72-year-old female patient hospitalized for gall bladder cancer.
Her name is Kiyoko Azumi.
GALLBLADDER CANCER PATIENT AZUMI KIYOKO
For always giving the hospital staff a warm smile.
Azumi-san is popular with everyone
And Tagawa-san seemed to be having a hard time...
Mr. Tagawa is a male patient with terminal cancer.
Ms. Tagawa's pain control has been administered
But I've already used quite a bit of morphine.
Oh, yeah, I know. I'm sorry.
We just want to make his experience as comfortable as possible...
Yeah...
Dr. Kurihara. Yeah. What is it?
Tagawa-san's pain, can't you do something about it?
Mizunashi-san... "Ouch, that hurts."
He said, "Let me die now"
He cries out to me, "Help me, I'm in pain"
ROOKIE NURSE KAZUNASHI YOKO
I'm sorry, Doctor. Mizunashi is new here.
This is the first time she's taking care of a terminally ill patient.
Chief Nurse Tozai, I've reached my limit....
But, you know, nurses have to be strong,
for the patients, you know?
Pull yourself together, Mizunashi!
Does Ms. Mizunashi have a boyfriend?
What? Oh, no... the monster surgeon.
wondered why Mizunashi was so pretty,
yet is feeling troubled...
This is another punishment of an inferior environment.
ONTAKE VILLA
Ohhhh...
"Congratulations on your wedding anniversary.
I look forward to being with you for another year.
Haruna Kurihara".
I'm counting on you, too, Haru
"Dr. Dr. Dr.
Is that your voice, Danshaku?
I'm having a nice drink with a scholar.
ONTAKE VILLA RESIDENT DANSHAKU (ARTIST)
in the Wild Chrysanthemum Room
I'll be back.
Has your masterpiece been completed, Danshaku?
It's the best masterpiece, Doctor
It's still in here, though.
(chuckles)
Have you made any progress in your study of Nietzsche, Gakushi?
I'm going to finish one paper by spring, Doctor.
ONTAKE VILLA WILD CHRYSANTHEMUM ROOM RESIDENT GAKUSHI
The Dean also gave me a hard time.
Don't be in a hurry to learn, Gakushi.
Art is no different.
By the way, Doctor. Where did you and Haruna go this time?
Mont Blanc. Mont Blanc!
The highest peak in the European Alps at 4,800 meters above sea level.
I'm not kidding.
I'm not delusional.
My wife, Haruna Kurihara...
is a world famous mountain photographer
MOUNTAIN PHOTOGRAPHER HARUNA KURIHARA
This is the age of women....
Speaking of which, Doctor. Yeah?
I heard a rumor that you guys are moving
From the lower class of society, in Ontake Villa
I trust you and Princess Haruna are not planning to go out into the glorious sunshine.
Ah, Danshaku.
I've been with the medical faculty of the Shinano University Hospital for some time now.
It is true that I received an invitation.
What? You were recruited from a university hospital?
Yes, but not to my credit.
There's a chronic shortage of doctors at university hospitals.
That's why they're looking to recruit a physician in his fifth year of practice.
It was a perfectly natural thing to do.
So, Doctor, what are you going to do?
I don't know.
No, I want to be a good doctor, too.
But what makes a good doctor?
This is what is coiled in my brain.
COILED IN MY BRAIN
You've been asked, but you're not sure what to do?
I know! As do I, if I can just form the masterpiece that's in my brain.
There is a path to becoming a billionaire.
If you finish your dissertation on Nietzsche...
There are plans for philosophers to spread their wings around the world.
But we're not sure what to make of it either.
Indeed! All three of us can't make our minds.
We're totally at a loss
If you declare it magnificently, somehow it will gain acceptance
If you work towards wisdom, things will get stormy
If you let your emotions get the better of you, you will be carried away.
Oh, Doctor is quoting "Kusamakura"* *A classic short story written by Soseki in 1903 that is widely quoted
Force through narrow stubbornness (more quotes)
In any case, the human world is difficult to live in (finishing the quote)
Soseki and all of us together.
To this difficult world... Cheers.
This is Kurihara. The number you've just dialed is...
Currently in use...
Tagawa-san has a high fever? I'll be right there.
I need a 60ml hourly infusion of Sollact, oxygen mask, and a first aid cart.
Yes. Ah...
Tagawa-san. Tagawa-san, are you all right?
Mizunashi-san, please contact his family. Done
Where's Grandpa?
Where's Grandpa? Grandpa!
It's gonna be okay, okay? Where's Grandpa?
Please, Tagawa-san's pain...
Dr. Kurihara, please at least take away the pain.
If I increase the morphine any further, he might stop breathing...
Please do something!
I'm not used to patients dying like you!
He shouldn't have to bear any more pain... For Tagawa's grandson
Even as a doctor.
I'll never get used to patients dying.
But patients still die.
Still, doctors do what they can.
Because...
It's tough being a doctor.
You're stuck with this old man's disgusting appearance.
I'll check your back.
The moment the pain was gone, Tagawa-san...
was smiling sometimes as if it was sunny
Thanks to you, I'm good today.
That's...
It is a dignified way of life.
Your fever has gone down today, hasn't it?
Thanks to Ms. Mizunashi and Dr. Kurihara.
No, it's because Mr. Tagawa is working hard to fight the disease.
Excuse my hand.
Ms. Mizunashi, whether she was crying or angry...
She always smiled in front of Mr. Tagawa.
I've been trying to adjust the pain medication, too.
I never reached a satisfactory point.
That feels good. Hahahaha.
One week later.
(Alarm)
Mr. Tagawa slept quietly for the last ten hours.
He stopped breathing.
In the end, he died peacefully and calmly.
It's 9:13 PM.
Thank you very much.
Tagawa-san.
That was painful...
I'm sorry.
Where's Grandpa?
Grandpa!
The grandson was angry.
Because the doctor who was supposed to help, couldn't.
Walking around the hospital in a lab coat.
I couldn't even get rid of the pain.
idleness, ineffectiveness, incompetence
Welcome home! Ichi-san.
And... I'm home.
Haru...
Did someone die?
Ichi-san, I know this is sudden, but I'm going to visit Fukamiya Shrine.
What? I haven't received your greetings yet,
I know it's the middle of the night, but please come with me, Ichi-san.
Oh, wait...
From the top of Mont Blanc, you can see an even greater number of stars.
It's a sea of stars that seems to suck you in.
But the way I see it
I love the gentle stars of this town more than anything else in the world.
Haru...
Ichi-san.
What a blunder! What?
My wife, who has just returned from the highest mountain in Europe,
I didn't realize this is what I should be thankful for
Welcome home, Haru!
I'm home. I love you, Ichi!
(dog barking)
Shall we go pay our respects? Yes.
Ahaha.
There's a shortage of doctors in hospitals everywhere without question.
Hence, a diligent and honest internist like me.
Going to other hospitals for support is also a regular occurrence.
This part-time job is hard on the body, but easy on the family budget.
It's now 6:00 a.m. after my shift at Kiso Minami Hospital.
Gentlemen, in this case
Going straight back to Honjo Hospital is a fool's errand.
On the roadside of Kiso in the morning rain...
Taste the coffee. Hehe....
(vibrating sound)
Yes, this is Kurihara. - Bloody bowel discharge?
Yes, Azumi-san, was discharging blood
Blood pressure is 40 over 95. Pulse is 108.
My level of consciousness hasn't dropped.
WARD NURSE MIYUKI MIKAGE
Five minutes into her rounds, Mikage-san noticed.
Bleeding to the point of staining the sheets.
Blood count and biochemistry tests. Prepare for transfusion.
Who's on duty? Sunayama, the surgeon.
wait until I return to give the monster surgeon instructions.
Don't panic, Doctor. Be careful driving.
That's very kind of you, but I'm a married man, Tozai.
Two months ago, Ms. Azumi underwent a group medical checkup in the village.
She was diagnosed with gall bladder cancer and came to the outpatient clinic.
But the tumor is in a difficult position to be operated on at Honjo Hospital.
I wrote a letter of introduction to the university hospital.
But...
It seems that surgery, is impossible
for a university doctor
"The conclusion is surgery is not possible. Everything has been explained to the patient."
The University Hospital's reply was a one liner.
I was at a loss as to what they meant by "Everything has been explained"
I was told that I had only six months left to live.
"There's no cure. You have six months left."
He told me to live my life the way I want to.
I'm sorry...
Why are you apologizing?
Ms. Azumi lost her husband early in life.
She is 72 years old and lives alone with no children or relatives.
She suddenly had six months to live.
"Live the way you want to!"
Can't I come back here?
I'm really sorry I can't be fixed.
I'm really sorry for being so selfish.
But I...
Six more months.
I can't believe I'm going to be alone until I die...
When's the next outpatient appointment?
Please tell us your preferred date.
This is the CT scan I took this morning.
Transverse colon invasion of gall bladder cancer. That's why the bleeding occurred.
So this is the CT from two months ago.
I can't believe the tumor grew this big in just two months.
It's a rare case. It's a lot faster than I thought it would be.
She can't last another month.
Think. Think about what?
There's no cure anymore. I'm not looking for a cure
Think about what you're going to tell Azumi.
Treatment is not the only thing a doctor does.
It doesn't matter what you say, hey you!
(door slamming)
I'm sorry, I messed up the bed.
I'm totally fine.
The hospital has plenty of beds for sale.
I bought my bed at a discount from the hospital too, Chief.
What's that, Mikage-san? Abuse of power?
No, that's not true.
If you'll excuse me.
I bragged about it to monster surgeon
Yet I couldn't get the first word out.
Is the tumor much bigger? Doctor.
It was a surprise attack.
Azumi-san...
I have no relatives.
You have to know your life expectancy.
This is the cause of the bleeding this morning...
I explained the situation in detail.
In other words, it's getting bigger.
But I didn't tell her that she only had a month to live.
We will monitor the progress of the bleeding from your blood transfusions.
Can you keep me here until I die?
Yes.
Oh, thank goodness.
I was really relieved.
Why is it that she can still smile
in this terrible situation?
Oh, that's thoughtful of you, Tozai.
Dr. Kurihara, I,
was so upset with Tagawa-san.
I'm so sorry!
Ms. Mizunashi, what are you talking about?
I heard about it later from Chief Nurse Tozai.
Nurses can go home and sleep when their shift is over.
Dr. Kurihara used Ms. Tagawa's pain control.
She said you had to stay overnight for the last three days.
She said I was taking it out on Dr. Kurihara.
I understood in that sobering moment, and I'm truly embarrassed
I'm sorry!
I don't need an apology at all.
The misconception that working long hours is admirable is even more troubling.
Mr. Tagawa said when you were there,
even if the medicine didn't work, he slept peacefully.
This is a job that only you could have done.
In short, you're important
Thank you.
Nurse Tozai also said
Dr. Kurihara's not very talkative, and he's not very well groomed.
he doesn't know what he's talking about,
Sometimes he doesn't make sense, but... Wait a minute.
She said he takes his patients seriously.
Do you know what a surgical monster is, Mizunashi-san?
A monster? Regretfully, he is my friend.
His name is Jiro Sunayama.
Oh, yes.
I think he is a good doctor.
You mean it?
Oh, I was with Nurse Tozai the other day.
Dr. Sunayama treated us to grilled meat.
It's a party to cheer me up. He had the nerve, that monster?
No, it was the chief. The chief invited Doctor Sunayama.
Tozai must have lured Sunayama
And then she treated herself to some grilled meat...
Huh!
Now I'm afraid of Tozai
(Sneeze)* *Japanese people believe that you will sneeze if someone is talking behind your back
I'm sorry.
Hmm?
Big news, Doctor.
This morning, from the Wild Chrysanthemum Room of the Hall of Scholars
I witnessed a beautiful woman sneaking out.
If I had to guess, I'd say the two of them spent last night alone.
Today, the master of science went out in a hurry.
Tonight, it's the beautiful woman's turn in her room
Danshaku, even if that's the case, don't make fun of me.
Doctor, as a nobleman, I know what I'm doing.
Maybe they're planning to move out of here.
Princess Haruna, what did you just say?
Yesterday, household items were taken out of the house.
There was also a book on Nietzsche, Ichi-san.
Gakushi abandoned Nietzsche?
Doctor, there's a problem! It's Gakushi!
Wake up! Doctor!
Gakushi!
Doctor! Pulse is weak. Body is cold.
Haru, call an ambulance. We're taking her to Honjo Hospital. Yes!
Danshaku, keep him warm
Hey, come on!
Open your eyes! Hey!
Are you okay? Gakushi! Hey!
He's taken at least 200 sleeping pills and tranquilizers.
200 pills...
The doctor on duty that day was an experienced cardiologist.
His personality is like a picture of calmness and self-control.
CALM AND SELF-POSSESSED
I nicknamed him Dr. Jijaku
DR. JIJAKU* *DR. CALM
I don't have a problem with that.
Vitals clear.
Patient's heart.
No problem.
But if he wishes to continue dying...
This beating is just the mechanical movement that pumps the blood.
Was there any suicide note?
There was none.
40 hours later.
Gakushi regained consciousness.
Gakushi
Oh, good, you've regained consciousness.
What... I'm alive.
You idiot!
What a thing to say.
Why did you try to die? Danshaku.
If only I could say that...
I'm not going to die.
You've got to be kidding me! Danshaku.
Doctor.
If you don't want to say it, don't say it.
You've come back to life. That's all that matters
Yes, your pulse and blood pressure have stabilized, Mr. Tachibana.
Tachibana.
It's been eight years since I've been called by my last name.
Is Danshaku still angry?
Danshaku?
According to Haru, he hasn't been back to Ontake manor since then.
The doctor really doesn't ask any questions.
I'm always here if you need me.
I'll always be at the hospital.
That's really true. Dr. Kurihara loves hospitals.
Tozai, the context is slightly different.
(Knock)
Who are you?
I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
My name is Kaede, sister of Sensuke Tachibana.
Sister?
Oh, sister, please come this way.
When I went to the lodgings, there was a lady named Haru.
She was in your room.
Well, then, you must have learned a great deal from Haru...
I've heard. You're Dr. Kurihara, right?
Thank you so much for helping my brother.
No, no, no. As Gakushi's friend, I did what I was supposed to do.
Gakushi*? Do you understand, sister. *literal translation is Scholar
That's my name now.
I'm Mr. Gakushi!!
I don't know what's going on either.
Why don't you relax your shoulders and come back to Izumo with me?
Oh, you're both from Shimane?
Yes, I'm in the countryside of Izumo.
Sensuke was a child.
He was so smart that he was called a child prodigy.
Eight years ago, he moved to Tokyo to take a college entrance exam.
But...
I grew up in the country, and Tokyo was overwhelmingly foreign to me, Doctor.
Huh...
I was overwhelmed.
All the national and private schools defeated me
To my mother, who paid for my expensive entrance exams and travel expenses.
I couldn't tell her that I failed...
I lied and said I passed...
I took the money and wandered all over Japan.
I drifted to Ontake manor and found myself...
Eight years. That's a long time.
Does your mother know that... - No.
My mother always believed Sensuke's lies.
He is now in graduate school in Tokyo.
Besides, I lied at Ontake manor as well.
I am the worst
What was the lie?
It's Nietzsche, Doctor.
My doctoral dissertation,
and that I have a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Shinano University.
I don't have a degree. I'm a high school graduate!
I've never even been to college!
I've known that all along.
What?
I'm from the medical school of Shinano University.
Shinano University has a humanities department, but no literature department.
But... so what?
Your inquisitiveness is real. Your erudition is a fact.
When it comes to Nietzsche, your knowledge is beyond compare.
High school graduate? College graduate?
There's no room for those titles to be refuted!
What does it take to be an academic?
It's not about education, it's about grit!
It's not about appearances. It's about enthusiasm!
In that wild chrysanthemum room of yours,
It's an unquestionable place of university inquisitiveness!
Neither I nor the Danshaku nor Haru have been deceived.
What have you got to be ashamed of? Nothing! None! I'll tell you three times, no!
Doctor...
Huh...
He's progressing well, so we'll discharge him tomorrow.
The hangover he's had for the past eight years is gone now.
Isn't that right? Mr. Gakushi?
Sensuke.
Yes...
Yes.
I appreciate it.
Then go and meet your mother in Izumo with your heart on your sleeve.
Confess to 8 years of your lack of filial piety
You can ask your mother for forgiveness. Um, sensei...
Even if you can't be forgiven, I believe your actions.
will give you new strength.
Hmm?
Um... thank you so much, Sensei.
But my mother... she passed away the other day.
It was easy to guess, now that I thought about it a little.
With his mother's passing, Gakushi missed his chance to apologize.
Driven into a corner, Gakushi tried to die in a seizure
And I...
I'm the biggest idiot of all.
Your sermon wasn't so bad. Don't say that.
It's a fresh take on an old saying, and it's given me courage.
It's of no use to you. I'm sure Gakushi was encouraged.
Well, it was a little off the mark, but I could tell Doctor was passionate about it.
Cheer up.
Cheer up! I need to talk to you about something.
I refuse.
It's about Azumi-san. Tell me
There was a visitor at the outpatient clinic. I don't think you've ever seen him.
He's been coming every Friday at noon for a while now.
Ms. Azumi's visitor. - For Ms. Azumi?
Yes, a very nice gentleman.
The gray jacket is so fashionable, we call him the gray gentleman.
Ohh...
That gentleman... he told me that Azumi-san was given a blood transfusion.
He wants to ask Doctor how she's doing. What do we do?
Hmm... to someone who's not family or a relative.
You can't tell him about her medical condition, Tozai. Hospitals have confidentiality agreements.
I know...
He seems trustworthy... He seems like a nice gentleman.
But.
There is no point in isolating patients by complying with obligations too much
The discretion in this area should be left to the doctor in the field.
Um... what does that mean, Senpai?
So, you're saying, as the person in charge...
So to the gentleman in gray.
You're allowed to give informed consent, is that okay?
Don't make me tell you the same thing twice.
One month to live...
I've told Azumi everything except her remaining life expectancy.
Excuse me, but what is your relationship with Azumi-san?
Oh...
That was 50 years ago.
Azumi's husband saved my life once.
Something more important than life.
I'll be leaving now, Azumi-san.
Oh...
You like mountains, don't you?
Yeah.
I was born in a small village deep in the mountains of Hotaka.
That's where I met my husband. We got married when I was about 20...
Hehehe...
It was a poor village.
One day, our rice warehouse was robbed.
He was from the same village.
He had a sick and bedridden father and two younger sisters.
"This is something I did on my own.
I'll cut my throat here as an apology.
Please don't tell my family... no!
Please don't tell the village about this!"
And then, "What's wrong? Azumi-san, what's wrong?", they asked
The young men of the village heard the noise and rushed to the scene.
"There's nothing here! There's nothing here! Go home!"
And my husband came back to the rice storehouse...
"Take it. A bale will last you the winter."
"You died here once."
"Once you die, you won't be afraid of hunger or cold anymore."
"Protect your family with that kind of resolve."
He repeated thanks and apologies over and over again.
As I looked at the boy.
I felt very sorry for him.
After that, the boy studied hard.
He went to college in Tokyo, started his own business,
and became the most successful person in the village.
The end.
Thank you, Azumi.
Why are you thanking me, Dr. Kurihara?
I say it because I want to say it.
Thank you.
At that time, I...
I felt greatly encouraged.
Just like that gentleman in gray.
I was about to say goodbye to my friend.
My sister will pick me up in the morning.
It's my last night at Ontake Villa.
Danshaku won't show his face after all.
I'm sure the Danshaku is lonely too.
Thank you.
It's my old copy, I didn't have any books to give to the erudite Gakushi.
Touson Shimazaki "Before Dawn".
All of Kiso Road is in the mountains.
One place is a cliff path that leads to a precipice.
Some places are dozens of feet deep.
It is the bank of the Kiso River.
There is no night that never ends. There is no rain that never stops.
This is not goodbye for this lifetime.
That's what I'm talking about, Mr. Gakushi
We can meet again anytime.
You can also meet Danshaku.
Yes, Princess Haruna, they say it's always darkest before dawn.
Shall we enjoy this night to the fullest?
Cheers! Cheers! Cheers!
How can you be so happy?
I am a cat. I don't have a name yet.
Nah, haha~!
Look at me, sometimes when I'm like that
You say it's good to take it easy.
If you don't mind....
I thought about this as I climbed the mountain path.
I don't know what to think. If you work towards wisdom, things will get stormy
If you let your emotions get the better of you, you will be carried away.
Force through narrow stubbornness
In any case, the human world is difficult to live in.
To a world that's difficult to live in... Cheers!
All of Kiso Road is in the mountains.
One is a cliff path that leads to a precipice.
Some places...
There is no night that never ends
There is no rain that does not stop.
This is not goodbye for this lifetime.
Cheers.
Time to say goodbye.
Now...
Water... ah~.
Hmm?
Danshaku.
If you're comfortable with it, go for it.
Don't make a big deal out of nothing
No one asked you to do it
(chuckles)
Come on, let's have another drink.
I've never been so reckless with my parents since I was a kid.
I'm losing money all the time.
Like this? Do you see the resemblance?
Doctor, what is this?
Danshaku...
Princess Haruna!
Oh... good morning.
You're just in time, Danshaku.
Ah, this is also thanks to Princess Haruna's reinforcements.
Cherry blossoms are a good way to start a new year.
Cherry blossoms in winter. It's elegant.
Danshaku... at the hospital, I did terrible things to you...
This is not a defeat.
You're off to a great start, Mr. Gakushi!
One step this morning is a step forward.
Progress
This is the path* (*Hanamichi - double meaning word, which means passage, as well as flower arrangement, hence the flower paintings)
Don't ever forget it.
I agree with the Danshaku.
Don't forget, Mr. Gakushi
I came to Ontake and really....
(sound of car stopping)
Your sister is here to pick you up
I've met you all here at Ontake villa
Let's give him a cheer!
Banzai! Banzai!* Banzai is a typical Japanese cheer, which means to live to 10,000 years old
Banzai! Banzai!
I had this dream.
Unkei was carving the statue of Nio with his disciples.
Unkei was a famous Buddhist sculptor (1148-1224) Nio are the two wrathful and muscular guardian of the Buddha standing at the entrance of many Buddhist temples
It's not like they're carving Nio into the tree.
They are digging out Nio buried within the tree.
Like digging out a rock that's buried in the ground?
Yeah, like digging out a rock.
This is a collection of Soseki's short stories that I read as a child.
This is one of the stories from "Ten Nights of Dreams".
The work of a doctor may be similar to this.
Life is beyond human comprehension, and our life span has been determined
If that life is buried in the ground...
Dig it out, let the wind blow, let the light shine.
Improving the time of one's last moment
Isn't that what being a doctor is all about?
That's... Why?
Why would the monster of surgery be Unkei?
Ms. Mizunashi! No! That's not Unkei!
He's a monster!
5-30 Hondaira, Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture Social Medical Corporation Foundation Emori Society Department of Gastroenterology, Honjo Hospital Ichito Kurihara
I've been having strange dreams because of this.
~Tour Information~ Department of Gastroenterology, Shinano University Faculty Hospital
Did the Director make this arrangement?
What? Are you going to the university hospital, Kuri-chan?
I wish you'd stop with the raccoon theatrics.
Gastroenterology, University Hospital Tour
Why don't you go?
If I'm told to go, I go. If I'm told not to go, I don't go.
But you're doing this without my consent.
I don't think it's right for you to do this without my permission.
I made the arrangements. Whoa!
Whoo-hoo-hoo...
Dr. Kurihara, you never cease to surprise me. Assistant Director, how long have you been there?
From the beginning. That's a lie.
Now, now, now
Dr. Kurihara is a graduate of Shinano University School of Medicine.
He did not join the university medical department, but started working at our hospital instead
That's right, Kuri-chan. Our intentions are pure
I don't know. As a doctor, is that a plus or a minus?
So you're saying the Assistant Director wants me to join the university hospital?
That's not what I meant.
The medical department is a terrible place.
A bloated, authoritarian monster.
But, thanks to the medical department.
Medical advances are being made every day, and doctors can be sent
to remote areas where patients can be saved, Kuri-chan.
What do you want me to do?
Hmm... I made it so that you can take two days off.
What? Dr. Kurihara.
Go on a tour of the university hospital.
Dealing with a big raccoon and an old fox.
I am just a human who can't win in the end.
I will consider it.
Excuse me.
(Door opening/closing sound)
Naito's been working here for what, 30 years?
Yeah. Do you regret it? Not at all.
That's not what I meant. Director/Doctor Itagaki
Hahahahaha...
You really are an old fox, aren't you?
If I'm an old fox, Dr. Itagaki is a big raccoon.
Me? A big raccoon?
I didn't give you that name, hehehehe
Oh, splendid. Ha-ha-ha!
(sigh)
Your seniors have high expectations for you, don't they?
Troublesome. Sometimes Haru...
Yes, Ichi-san. Bunmeido Castella
Have you ever heard of it? Castella?
Yeah, Azumi-san is still discharching blood
She's stopped solid food intake for now, but if the amount of blood coming down decreases...
I'm suggested that she eat a little orally
If I could eat anything...
Bunmeido Castella
Castella?
Huh... that was over 30 years ago.
I had traveled to Tokyo once.
I want to taste the memories of that time
I don't know when she'll be able to take it orally.
I wonder if I can get Bunmeido Castella in Shinshu.
I'll look for it.
Yes, Ichi-san, it's done.
Yeah, this is it.
This scent.
Haru makes the best coffee in the world.
I'll give you another new blood transfusion at noon, Azumi-san.
Doctor...
Just a little more bed rest, please.
If the bleeding stops, you can eat Bunmeido Castella
That would be wasted on someone like me.
Castella isn't that expensive.
I meant the blood transfusions
Please pass it on to someone else who needs a blood transfusion.
I don't want to prolong my life anymore.
Ichi
Your name was unusual, so I wrote it down.
someone named Ichi...
And then I understood what it meant.
I'm sure you'll agree that the word "correct" is the same as "stop at one.
The correct answer
My father was a hardcore eccentric
The name was given playfully.
He should have just named me "Right"*
*If the strokes of his first name (一止) are combined, it forms the word "Right" (正)
But I think I understand how your father felt
How did my father feel?
that people are alive.
All we think about is moving forward, moving forward.
We're leaving more and more important things behind, aren't we?
But what's really important
Is doing the right thing
at the very beginning.
So, only stop at one, Ichi
It's a beautiful name.
Hey, Mikage-san, did you know?
Tomorrow is the 73rd birthday of Azumi-san
But that doesn't mean the situation will change.
I asked her if she had any wishes for her birthday.
She said he wanted to see the mountains again.
Mikage-san, I can't give you permission to go out.
If she bleeds profusely, it could be fatal.
No, it's not like I'm discussing this with Doctor
Ah, I know how Azumi-san feels
she's been on bed rest for five days now.
You know, Tozai.
Come to think of it, the window of the hospital room where Azumi-san is now...
The mountains... she can't see the mountains at all!
Chief Nurse! Mizunashi-san, room 300 is extremely close to the staff station.
It's a room I can get to quickly if anything happens.
I know, right? And the gentleman in gray.
He'd like to take her outside if he can.
So to speak. Are you listening to me, Tozai?
Azumi-san was surrounded by the Hotaka mountain range.
where she's been living for a long time, right Chief?
The gray gentleman also said that the mountain is Azumi's life itself.
You said it yourself, Mikage-senpai. Hohoho.
You guys have been planning this all along. Even before you requested this from me
you've already confirmed the intentions of the next of kin.
Don't worry Doctor, it's me you're talking about
But, Mikage-san, the problem is...
It's to manage the risk of blood loss. Yes, Chief.
We nurses have to make do with the time we have.
We are up to the task of attending to her. Right, Mizunashi-san?
Yes, Mikage-senpai. But managing the risk of blood discharge...
is impossible without the cooperation of her doctor.
(sigh)
All right, let's take a break.
I'll make you the second best coffee in the world, Sensei.
So what am I supposed to do?
Slowly, Mikage-san. Slowly, slowly.
Thank you for waiting. Mikage-senpai, I'll go next.
Then, take this. - Yes.
Let me help you with your feet
Azumi-san, I hope you have fun.
Thank you. Oh, my hat.
Oh, the hat.
This is it.
Slowly, slowly. Hello.
Slowly, slowly.
Oh, Dr. Kurihara, you're just in time.
Doctor, you can't run in the hospital wing. Pretend you didn't see that, Tozai
Good. But who is covering gastroscopy?
The assistant director offered to bat for me.
What? Did you ask him? No, no, no.
However, it's the old fox. We had a meeting he'd rather everyone not know about
He must have been keeping an eye on me
Azumi-san, your hat looks really good on you.
It's a hat that my husband gave me 35 years ago.
I'll take it to my grave.
When I'm dead.
I'm sure you'll put it on my head.
Agreed.
Wow.
Ah~ Ah~.
We meet again...
I could see the mountain again.
Doctor, I've always...
thought of myself as unfortunate.
It's been 30 years since my husband died of cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 42.
I'm lonely. I've lived my whole life thinking I'm lonely...
Just when I thought I'd finally gotten used to being lonely.
Such a serious illness...
I'm lonely... very lonely.
But at the end of the day.
I never thought I'd have such a happy time waiting for me...
Oh, really.
This thing called life
You never know, do you?
Oh, I almost forgot.
Here, Azumi-san.
Bunmeido Castella.
My wife got it for me yesterday
This is like...
I heard that this is the smallest size.
No, Doctor.
I never thought I'd be so happy in my life.
I can't face my husband on the other side
I don't know how to thank you all.
Thank you
You don't have to say anything.
And I hope you're spending this time as happily and joyfully as possible.
We'd like to thank you as well.
Azumi's smile always makes us smile.
You make us feel great
Tozai-san...
Thank you, Azumi-san.
Two days later, Azumi-san took a sudden turn.
(Alarm sound)
Azumi-san, Azumi-san, can you hear me?
Weak...
Tachycardia. Hemorrhagic shock due to massive blood loss.
Tachycardia is the medical term for a heart rate over 100 beats per minute
Doctor... Open full IV. Prepare pressure booster.
Yes.
Azumi-san! Doctor...
Countless options raced through my mind.
The pressure booster will raise his blood pressure for an hour or so.
I'm going to put her on a ventilator to keep her breathing.
If we give her a massive blood transfusion, she might start to feel better.
Leave it like this...
Doctor, the pressure booster's ready.
Ventilator? Cardiac massage?
DC準備する？
Prepare the DC?
We have modern marvels of technology available to use in our medical treatments.
The heart that was about to stop would start to beat temporarily.
Keep the heart beating with cardiac massage
Oxygen will be administered to maintain respiration.
A large amount of drugs administered through countless tubes.
If we do that, Azumi-san's heart may keep beating
for two more days.
It's amazing how much power doctors have.
It's that these things can be done immediately.
Doctor, what are your instructions! Mikage-san...
Azumi-san.
This is the shape of Azumi-san's life.
It would be disrespectful to break this down just to get your heart pumping.
Are doctors allowed to do this?
SpO2 not measurable. Pulse in the 20s.
SpO2, also known as oxygen saturation, is a measure of the amount of oxygen-carrying hemoglobin in the blood relative to the amount of hemoglobin not carrying oxygen
Leave it like this.
You'll finally meet your husband.
Mikage-san, contact the gentleman in gray.
Yes.
Tozai, we'll watch over her.
Yes.
(Alarm sound)
December 15.
9:15 PM.
Yes.
Azumi-san.
That's enough for today.
Still warm.
I wonder if this was okay with Azumi-san.
Would she have wanted to live a while longer?
She was in a dangerous state of bed rest.
Taking her to the rooftop was a foolish act.
She's bleeding from her colon, but she's eating Castella
It's the worst thing I've ever done.
I've been keeping her in a hospital room, keeping her on absolute bed rest.
She was not allowed to take any food or drink.
I could've extended it by at least another week.
My husband gave me this hat as a gift 35 years ago
When I'm dead, you'll have to put it on my head.
"Dear Sir, my dearest
Doctor Ichito Kurihara.
"If you're reading this letter...
I suppose I've already left for my husband.
And when you do, you will
fulfil your promise to let me wear this hat.
It means that you have not forgotten me.
I can't thank you enough for what you've done.
You're always seem to be
thinking about something.
I didn't have the capacity or the time to give you advice.
But if there's one thing I can tell you...
Being sick is a very lonely thing.
The hardest thing for a sick person
is the feeling of loneliness.
Doctor took that loneliness away from me.
Even though there was no cure for this disease
you told me that there were many things
that I could enjoy while being alive.
Doctor gave me the best treatment.
If, by any chance, you're going to
If you ever stumble
or feel like you're losing your confidence.
I'll always say it out loud
"I thank you, Doctor"
I was able to have such a good time
in the 30 years since my husband died.
it was the most fun I had ever had.
I wish I could tell you how grateful I am for all you've done for me.
Too bad. I'm getting sleepy.
I hope you will take care of yourself.
From heaven,
with my heartfelt gratitude, Azumi Kiyoko.
Haru, it's me.
I'm sorry, but I'm going to have a few drinks before I leave.
Did a patient die?
Ichi-san.
Where are you now, sir? Are you already at the store?
I'll be there.
Hang on, I'm coming out.
Azumi-san wrote you such a letter...
You are a really kind person.
It is not the job of university hospitals to take care of patients who cannot be treated.
But I...
Buying a Castella for a patient like that...
I don't hate it.
Stopping at one, is the correct way to write it (she is writing Ichi's name which also combines to form the word "Right")
If that's the case, I think I'll stay at Honjo Hospital and not rush ahead.
Yes.
You're an idiot.
The director and deputy director are both Doctors
I'm sorry for all the arrangements you made.
There's no need to apologize. I did it on my own.
But, hey, it's a university hospital, you know?
If you kick this opportunity, it's old people from here onwards
You'll be spending time with terminal cancer patients.
Medical care is constantly evolving, and you want to stay in this (demonically) busy hospital in the middle of nowhere.
Hah, demon? Staying here as it is
are you sure you want to be a doctor?
At the risk of repeating myself, it's when I'm confused and distressed.
I have to stop.
Huh? Huh?
Stop, and my feet will strike the soil
Hitting the ground with my best effort
Then the most important things will show up
To put it simply, that's how I feel, so if you'll excuse me.
"Put it simply", is that it?
Do you feel like you've been outwitted by a fox?
What's up, Naito? You look happy.
Yes, I'm glad.
Because a young, brilliant doctor like Kurihara-kun.
affirmed this hospital as his base of medical care.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
We finally received an application for a doctor of internal medicine
What, in this (demonically) busy hospital that's open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year?
This.
Doctor of Hematology Shindo Tatsuya.
After this, I, Kurihara Ichito...
will fulfill a fateful reunion.
It's a situation that could shake the very foundations
of what we in the medical profession are all about.
Ladies and gentlemen, for now...
I'm on my rounds.