Chapter 35

: I will take the Scalpel [2]
Makbong came into the room without knowing what had happened inside.

Dolseok and Yeoni, you need to hold him fast as well. He will move soon.


Move?


Yes, you must hold him down.


I see.

There was not much time. Even though two strong men held him fast, it would be difficult to stop him completely, as he must be stricken with the fear of death.
‘I should have tied him before removing the blood.’
But, it was of no use to regret now.
‘If I have the same situation later on, I will tie him up.’ Ganghyuk took a thread while deciding.

Oh my God, he is moving!
At that moment, the patient’s fingers started moving. Dolseok shouted with surprise as Ganghyuk tried to finish quickly.

Hold him fast. It will be done in no time.


Leave me alone.

The patient, who was not aware of the situation, shouted out. He was powerful, and it was incredible considering that he had just awakened from a coma.
The two men waiting out there were moving as well.

What is it?


What happened?

Heo Jun went ahead to open the door and whispered.
Don’t worry. Everything is going well.

But, he is shouting in there.


He is going to be fine.
With that comment, he closed the door again.

What a situation!

The two outside wondered what was happening inside, but they did not dare to go in. On the other hand, the patient was making a scene inside.

They are killing me!


Why are you shouting like that? Do you know who he is?

Dolseok spoke while pressing him down. He clearly had gotten stronger because of all the good food he had eaten in the past few weeks. As a result, the patient’s protest dwindled slowly; however, the pain and fear did remain.

Ouch!

Ganghyuk had injected local anesthetic with vasoconstrictor a while before, but the effect was weakening clearly. The man yelled whenever the needle went through the scalp.
Ganghyuk spoke while sewing the scalp.
I will finish it as soon as possible. You can survive only when I finish this without difficulties.


What do you mean?


Should I let him sleep again?

If there was any good method to make him sleep, he would totally want to use it. It was really tiring and difficult to sew the wound when the patient was conscious and moving.
After hearing the monologue of Ganghyuk, Makbong responded.
Shall I hit him?

As his facial expression was very serious, it did not seem that he made a joke, so Ganghyuk laughed,
He just came back to life. There is no sense in hitting him.


I can make him asleep with a blow on the neck.


If you hit now, he will die rather than fall asleep.
Really?

The conversation was nonsensical, but it had an effect: the patient became silent. He probably was thinking that he would be killed if he didn’t.

Okay

The wound was finally closed. However, there remained a hole as large as a coin.
‘It should be fine, I reckon.’
It would not cause a serious problem after all… unless someone hit the very place.
Ganghyuk laid down the ligature instruments and said with satisfaction
Complete… He will live. Do not move now… If you do, you will die.


Yes, yes.
The patient answered with a tensed face.
‘He may misunderstand the situation.’
When Ganghyuk mentioned death, the patient probably thought that the former would kill him if he moved. His hands and feet were clearly sweating.
‘Anyway, my objective is fulfilled.’ Making him not move was what Ganghyuk wanted after all.

Get his head higher. Is there any pillow?


Here it is.
Dolseok immediately got him a pillow.

Good! Stay like that. Otherwise, the pressure will go to the head.


I see.

Once Ganghyuk finished the operation, Heo Jun came to the patient.

It is seamless.
Heo Jun investigated the wound. It was open wide earlier on, but it is closed now. The even more surprising thing was that the dying patient was now alive.

Where did you learn this skill?


En…
Ganghyuk did not answer right away. If he told the truth, Heo Jun would think that he was crazy.
‘I cannot say that I learned it from the Surgery Department of Chungmu Hospital.’
It was difficult to give an obscure answer.
‘His eyes are shining now.’
There was a reason why Heo Jun became the best doctor in Joseon: he was different from ordinary men. He expected Ganghyuk’s answer with sincerity; he could not spoil his expectation.
‘Might as well tell him that I am a genius.’
It was not a lie after all. Ganghyuk was indeed called a genius surgeon in his world.

I have not learned it.


What do you mean?


I learned it by myself.


Hmm…I have indeed not heard of such technique before, even though I have read a lot of books.
Heo Jun seemed to be moved.

Ha…


Well…

Seeing him admired himself, Ganghyuk felt guilty. He told a lie and made the knowledge accumulated over hundreds of years his own.
‘But, I cannot help it I guess.’
While Ganghyuk tried to rationalize his speech, the door opened slowly. There were the two men who brought the man. They could not wait anymore because things had suddenly gotten so quiet.

How is he? Oh, you opened your eyes?
They came in hastily when they saw that the patient was conscious. Ganghyuk did not stop them either.
‘Infection… I am worrying a little, but…

It was the time when the medicine seemed to work very well. He had antibiotics called Mayact, so he did not feel the need to worry.
It was a third generation antibiotic. It worked even in the twenty first century on various kinds of resistant bacteria.

What happened to me?
The patient did not understand the situation completely. So, the two men answered his question while making a great fuss about their stories.

Don’t you remember? You climbed up a tree to get eggs from a nest.


You fell down, and I thought you were dead.


Did I? I don’t remember the incident at all.


You would have not survived if it were not for the doctor.

While they were talking, Ganghyuk picked up antibiotics and the anti-inflammatory medication.

Take this medicine.

The patient was intimidated by Ganghyuk, so he followed his order obediently.

Yes.


Swallow it with water… Good!

Since the tablet was not big, it was not difficult to swallow. Ganghyuk spoke again after checking that he had swallowed the medicine.
Take a rest. We will be in the next room. If something happens, report it immediately.


Yes… Yes, sir.


Doctor, please take a rest.


Yes, I will.

With that, Ganghyuk took his fellows to the next room. As the owner of the house thought of Heo Jun as a savior, he did not have any complaints. Rather, he gave them a table full of food.
The food quality was not good, though.

Ah, I am tired.
Ganghyuk murmured while eating a cucumber. Everybody was surprised at his cool attitude.
He opened someone’s skull and then closed it again just now. The people around him were still shocked, especially Heo Jun.
He opened his mouth after chewing his lips for some time.
Scholar Baik…


Yes?


Can I learn the technique?

Ganghyuk felt that he was in trouble right now.
‘Teach? Will I teach Heo Jun?’
It was an honor, but he needed to think of it deeply. The knowledge system was completely different after all. If he tried and the latter could not understand accurately and completely, he might ruin a good doctor.
‘Basic anatomy might help him I guess.’
If he knew what a normal man was like, it would help him to treat trivial injuries. So, Ganghyuk nodded his head slowly.

Yes, that might be good. Let’s do this way.


How?


I will tell you what the human body is like, and you teach me about herbs.


Good! I will teach you as much as I can. But, I want to learn the thing…

Heo Jun might want to learn the operation procedure. It was natural as he saw Ganghyuk bring a dying patient back to life.

The operation?


Yes, yes.


That is a little difficult. If I have the material, that would be of help.

With the comment of Ganghyuk, Yeoju gave him a sketchbook. In it were many drawings describing the operation, some of which were really accurate.

Wow!


I tried to draw. You did it very fast, so I could not draw all the processes though.


No, no… It is really good.
Most of them were croquis, but they showed the characteristics very well. They caught the very points that should be described precisely.

Oh! The hands with the mess and angle to make a cut… they are really good.
The posture holding the chisel and hammering angle were also accurate. They could be easily be used as materials for teaching.

Good. I can teach with them.


Really?


It is good to have you here.

At that moment, Heo Jun interrupted their conversation,
Then, can I learn it?


Yes, you can. I will explain the drawings one by one.


Please.


Now?


Yes, now.

When Ganghyuk looked outside, it was already dark. If he were in the marketplace, he could have heard the bell by now. But, Heo Jun did not mind it at all.
‘My good days are gone.’ Ganghyuk opened the book while consoling himself.

Here, you can see he had an injury on the head.

He told him why he was suspicious of the bleeding inside, why he held the mess like that, and why the angle should be like that.
He taught him in detail. His explanation was very concise, and contained his know-how as an expert. Not only Heo Jun, but Yeoni, Dolsoek, and Makbong also listened to his explanation.
While he was explaining, Heo Jun raised his hand,
Should we always treat the patient while he or she is conscious?

‘No sht!’
Ganghyuk shook his head with a bitter laughter,
It is better to make them sleep. But, I don’t know which herb I can use to make a patient sleep.

He had narcotic analgesic, but it was a painkiller at best; it was not an anesthetic. He used narcotic analgesic on Yeoju, but she woke up while Yeoni tried to remove the needle from her foot.

En?
Heo Jun rubbed his chin while thinking.
I think there are some useful ones.


Really?


I think so. I will look for them. I will tell you when I have confidence.


Oh, please do that.

If he had anesthetic, it would be akin to having wings. Not all patients were like Lee Sunshin after all.

Ok. Please go ahead.


Ok.

Ganghyuk forgot to go to sleep after the hopeful news, and thus, the anatomy class went on for many days…until the patient the with the head injury had almost recovered.
On that night, they were discussing with joy when somebody shook the door violently along with cries.

Help me!
It sounded even more urgent than the patient with the head injury.

What is it?


I will go and see.

Dolseok and Makbong went out, then yelled at the same time.

Doctors…. Please come out.


What?


It seems very bad.

Heo Jun was already running outside, and Ganghyuk followed him. Outside, the pale moonlight showed the face of the patient, with blisters on the pale complexion of his.
From the mouth of Ganghyuk and Heo Jun came a word each, filled with despair.

Smallpox!


Variola!