A Prescription that Teaches the Brilliance of a Doctor 2

We found him. Let's try to keep our distance while we follow him.

Dammit, every last one of them's in great health. The Normalization Committee's health services must be working.

While that isn't a bad thing, it sure is boring.

Doesn't anyone have any interesting conditions? Unusual places are supposed to have unusual cases to study. Dammit...

Hm!?

Aaaaaargh! It huuuuuurts!

Hehehe. Collapsing in agony and spiraling in place? Now that's something you don't see every day!

Go on then, tell me what's wrong! Where and how does it hurt? Any idea what may have caused this?

(Oh my. For a pretty boy, he's a lot stronger than he looks.) (Swoon...)

Well? What are you waiting for? You're supposed to answer a doctor's questions quickly and honestly, with all the obedience of a slave!

Yes... I know exactly what caused this...

First thing this morning, I got a lottery ticket for the new limited edition figurine that went on sale today.

But alas, when I went to buy it, I realized I had gravely mistaken the store's opening time, and it was...it was...completely sold out!!!

Aghhh! It hurts! It hurts! It feels like my poor heart is about to burst from sheer envy and regret!

No, wait. Hehe, if one of the people who bought it turns out to be a scalper, I'll kill 'em and take it for myself! Why shouldn't I!? I'm a goddamn pirate!

But if the other buyers all turn out to be like-minded comrades who bought it purely out of love, then I won't be able to do anything except curse my own stupidityyy!

And that's why I'm suffering.

Hey! Why scoop me up in your strong but gentle arms if you're just going to unceremoniously dump me back on the ground when you're done!?

This incredibly boring exam is over. As for your treatment...this should do the trick.

Huh? A bandage?

Wait just a damn minute, Doc. You can't expect to heal my broken heart with a freakin' banda

... ...

Wait. I just realized I scraped my elbow a bit when I hit the ground.

Is that what the bandage is for?

...(Swoon)...

？！

... ...

... ...

So, um, I think all we learned from watching him there...

...is that when the symptoms bore him, his bedside manner is...um, brusque. Are we sure this is a good idea?

Well, um, I think that...

I'd say the fact that he stays calm even while the patient is acting up just proves he's a first-rate physician, no?

One shouldn't be stingy with resources when they're needed, but neither is there any sense in wasting them.

Making judicious use of them is an important skill for any profession.

(Wow, everyone in this club really sees things the same way. I guess that's part of what drew them together?)

Even so, don't you think he's a little...unbalanced to use as your manga's protagonist? Are you really sure this is a good idea?

That may be, but the results will speak for themselves...I think.

Yeah. At least...most likely.

What's the big deal? Doesn't every memorable manga character have a quirk or two?

Besides, it's not as though we have to depict our protagonist exactly like his model.

We just need to take a few creative liberties.

In fact, one of the secrets to maintaining good relationships is knowing when to overlook the faults in another.

Pobody's nerfect, after all. Hohoho.

Just a little life advice from your friendly neighborhood elder.

？！

Right?

Well, I don't think that's true of every fault. For instance, don't expect us to go overlooking a certain elderly Taoist's tendency to try to brainwash everyone anytime soon.

I'm sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about. Now, um, when are we having lunch?

At any rate, I think we should keep observing him a while longer. We still need an idea for where to take the story.

Good point. Then let's keep tailing him.

Graaah! Graaah! Where's the next chapter!? I wanna read the next chapter already!

Eeek! A customer who read an unfinished underground doujin is raging out of control!

...Good grief.

I just wrote you a prescription for pankration.

I never devoted myself to refining it, so I'm sure it's more generic compared to Teacher's and Achilles's...

...but don't worry, it's still good enough to get the job done.

Take care.

？！

"Surprisingly violent and physically oriented"... Should I write that down?

No, that's all right. There's nothing surprising about it.

Every good physician relies on their stamina. That's especially true in times of war, but no less so for peace.

There will always be more patients than there are medics, so endurance is essential for keeping up with treatment.

That seems like it might be something worth writing down...

Hurk!?

Good timing! I've always found those blood-coughing fits of yours fascinating!

How can a Servant be so sickly? Which of your organs causes you to cough up blood? Why?

All right, leave it to me. Lie down and don't move a muscle. I am justified in performing as many exams on you as I deem necessary! Do you mind if I vivisect you for science!?

(Why me?)

"Personality changes instantly when dealing with rare and unusual cases"...

Write that down as, "Has immense passion for treating critically ill patients."

Are you all sure about this? It really feels like our notes are mostly fabrication at this point.

We're not fabricating anything. We're just taking creative liberties.

？！

Hmm. Good question.

All we witnessed essentially amounted to Asclepius going about a typical day, so there was nothing particularly new or interesting.

Indeed. If we're going to build a story around him, we're going to need more to work with.

So that really was just a typical day for him, huh...

Um, I don't mean to speak ill of the guy, but can I ask a possibly stupid question?

I get that he's a medical genius, but don't you all think he goes too far? I'd be afraid to be one of his patients.

Hehe. Well, my answer to that would be

...?

I wonder what all the commotion is about?

Be careful. There seems to be some unrest up ahead.

When's ServantFes gonna happen already!?

We can't wait any longer!

I can only hold out so long! What're we supposed to do!?

Our hopes and dreams for it keep growing, and our impatience has nowhere to go!

Ohhh crap! This is not good!

I only meant for this to be a casual get-together where like-minded fans could pray that the next ServantFes would go off without a hitch...

...but between the unexpected number of attendees, and their overwhelming passion...it's just too much!

Hmm. This may well get ugly.

Indeed. That is a dangerous number of people for a small enclosed space.

If something isn't done, those people could end up collapsing on top of one another, or suffocating from a lack of oxygen.

Hmm. Perhaps we should try to evacuate the venue while there's still time.

Though I can't say whether we'd make it in time to prevent a deadly breach.

？！

Right. Let's split up and try to evacuate as many attendees as we can.

Here goes nothing!

What the...!? I can't move!

The hell? Am I hallucinating? It feels like our passion is...fogging the place up...

So hot... Can't breathe... I feel...dizzy...

It looks like we were too late. I was afraid of this.

Understood. Initiating emergency search and rescue!

There's so many people here. We'll need to work together to evacuate them before we

Oho, look at him go. He's the spitting image of the wind deities Fengbo and Fei Lian.

Those of you feeling sick, lie down where you are until I can come to check on you!

Those of you who can move, head to the exits. Whatever you do, don't push, don't panic, and don't step on the patients.

The first thing we need to do is improve the ventilation. Open the windows and get some fresh air in here.

Ghhh. Are you a doctor...?

Yes. Now stay there and let me handle this.

...Hmm, this is no ordinary asphyxiation. This fog is a toxic miasma.

It must have leaked from the bodies of certain attendees, collected in the air...

...and mingled with the magical energy all this passion has created and resulted in an unusual reaction.

In which case...these medicinal herbs should do the job.

Here. Chew on this for a while, but don't swallow it. It should help you feel better.

Huh? (Munch, munch)

Oh wow, you're right. I feel much better now. Thank you, Doctor.

Good. Okay, next. I'll get to everyone eventually, but if any of you have unusual symptoms, speak up!

This is both an order and an obligation. Got that? Make sure you foolish patients speak up, or else!

I can't do anything but watch right now, since I can't fight the tide of people, but...

Wow, look at him go. How is he able to treat so many patients so quickly!?

I'm sure part of it is because he finds these symptoms interesting. That's just not all of it.

It's so obvious, we tend to forget it, but there's another crucial element at work here.

Indeed. He's Asclepius.

No matter how fanatical, overbearing, or unconventional he may seem...

...he's still known as the god of medicine, with good cause.

And his raison d'être has always been to be a hero who saves lives with medicine.

Not only that, but he saves them in such a way that none can deny his contributions...

...and so effortlessly that it seems the most natural thing in the world.

？！

Hehe. I'd say we finally found the core of what to build our manga's story around, no?

This is no time for idle talk.

Once the rush of people has died down, that's when we move in to help!

Follow Dr. Asclepius's lead!

Aaand finished!

... ...

Huh? What's with the look? I thought you were helping because you were on board with this project now.

？！

No, it's not that. Yes, while the story's plot is allegorical and completely unrealistic...

...I have no issues with the accuracy of its depictions of the practice of medicine.

Setting to one side that it is fictional...

...this manga should improve trust in doctors and spread awareness of the benefits of modern medicine.

Then what IS the issue?

It's the doctor protagonist, A.

He reminds me of someone, but I can't think of who. It is nagging at me...

Well, no matter.

There's no way a doctor who looks and acts this ridiculous actually exists, anyway.

Oh, I get it! You just don't have a shred of self-awareness! Well, not much to be done about that!

Good grief. At least we managed to finish in time.

I have to say, drawing comics is far more taxing than I'd imagined.

Still, it's also been a great learning experience.

Story composition. Dramatic tension. Comic relief. Buildup and payoff. Foreshadowing and rising stakes.

Indeed, one can never be too proficient when it comes to moving hearts and minds.

Did you just say you feel taxed?

That sounds like fatigue, which could be a sign of a more serious condition. We need to examine you.

Hmm. Maybe he has come kind of malady peculiar to those drawing doujin.

It's certainly not impossible. Perhaps this warrants further inspection...

C-come now, stop that.

I'm a medical professional myself. There's no need to trouble yourselves on my account.

...Hang on. Maybe I can save myself by creating talismans that make drawing easier on the body?

I could customize them to focus on stiff shoulders, lower back pain, and tendonitis...

And then, once they take off and everyone starts buying them, I could sneak in a puppet program and... Oho, now that sounds like a dream come true.

An elixir focused on relieving the pains that come with drawing could be a good idea...

Hm? They were so close to ending on a happy note, but now it feels like they're back to square one.

？！

That sounds an awful lot to me like you're worried about what they might do when they're NOT practicing medicine.

Eh, then again, I guess that's just what Happy Infirmary is like.

A group of professionals who dedicated their lives to medicine.

Without them, I'm sure the medical field in Proper Human History wouldn't be nearly what it is now.

And this doujin they made just proves how passionate they are about it! This is one of the things I love about ServantFes!