Doctor Player

Chapter 6

The people of Lepentina believed there had once existed a remarkable civilization in ancient times. Raymond decided to make use of that belief for his benefit by describing the medical procedure he was about to perform as an ancient technique. It was a blatant lie, but there was nothing else he could think to say.

Fortunately, Hanson accepted Raymond’s words without suspicion. Not much was known about the ancient civilization that preceded theirs. That era was considered a mystery shrouded in the unknown, and so any lie he could cook up seemed plausible.

“Time is of the essence right now, so I’ll explain later. I just need you to get some things ready for me.”

“Yes, tell me what you need.”

“Get the cleanest water you can and then boil it.”

“Excuse me…?”

“Then sterilize the cleanest knife we have over an open flame, and go to my room and get a thin length of thread sterilized with herbs.”

Water, a knife, and thread? Hanson’s eyes furrowed in confusion. What on earth was he planning on doing to the patient? His reaction was only natural, given the state of healing in Lepentina.

Raymond cleared his throat awkwardly. “You’ll understand when you see it. Anyway, we don’t have much time, so get going!”

***

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for them to finish prepping for surgery. In order to minimize the risk of infection during surgery, the patient was moved to the cleanest room available and sedated with an anesthetic drug.

I’m glad I prepared catgut ahead of time. Catgut was a thread made from sheep’s intestines that dissolved inside the body over time, making it ideal for sutures. This material was accessible to him since the mages at the Tower of Magic often used it.

Hanson tilted his head and asked, “What exactly are you planning to do, Senior Raymond?”

“Surgery.”

“Sur— What?”

Hanson would understand once he saw for himself. Raymond’s heart was pounding so fast that he couldn’t explain any further. He didn’t have it in him to calmly explain what he was about to do.

Can I do this? Don’t think about the outcome. Just do your best. There’s no point in regrets now. I have to save the patient no matter what, to avoid being kicked out if nothing else.

If he failed, Lance was sure to strip him of his apprenticeship. Raymond had to save this man, no matter what it took. He knew this, but the tension mounting inside his chest left him feeling like he was on the verge of exploding. Without <Heart of Steel>, his legs might already have given out from under him, and he might even have made a run for it.

Incision.

After disinfecting the area, Raymond picked up the small knife that had been sterilized with fire. He bit his lip hard, hoping to steady his fingers as they began to tremble. Pull yourself together!

The bitter taste of blood in his mouth snapped him back to reality somewhat. He pressed down with the blade, cutting into the patient’s abdomen little by little.

“S-Senior Raymond?”

He saw Hanson sucking in a deep breath, but didn’t have any attention to spare on him, as Raymond was just as shocked by his first-ever incision.

The skin parted, revealing the yellow layer of fat beneath. Blood began to pour from the wound, and beneath that the bright red muscles hidden behind a transparent membrane became visible. He felt dizzy, his head filled with white noise.

[<Heart of Steel> is active! Your will is becoming steadfast!]

[<Heart of Steel> is active! Your will is becoming steadfast!]

If it weren’t for the continuous messages appearing before him, seemingly urging him to snap out of it, he might have let go of the scalpel clutched in his hand. I’m doing fine. I’m going to become an amazing healer, so this is nothing! Raymond repeated this like a mantra, reminding himself over and over. He’d always been convinced that he wasn’t vermin or trash, that he’d one day become the greatest of healers and earn everyone’s respect. Eyes on the prize, Raymond, eyes on the prize!

Trying his hardest to stay calm, he moved his hands over the wound. He made a midline incision according to the instructions given to him by <Surgery> to the letter, exposing the abdominal cavity concealed within the peritoneum. It was his first time doing an incision, but he had no time to dwell on this world-shaking moment, as his first internal view of the abdominal cavity left him reeling.

“S-Senior Raymond, what exactly are you planning to do to the patient…?” Hanson asked in a trembling voice, clearly debating whether he should intervene.

If it hadn’t been for Raymond’s mumbled response, Hanson might even have restrained him then and there. “I’m going to save him... By any means necessary. No matter what it takes.”

Hanson swallowed hard as he locked eyes with Raymond. Raymond’s eyes were a lush emerald green, and his gaze was always gentle, lacking in assertiveness. But those same eyes were set ablaze now, burning with the desire to heal this patient no matter what it took.

First, I need to identify the source of the bleeding. Eyes red with tension, Raymond summoned his surgical knowledge. Hematemesis was generally due to the same cause––gastrointestinal bleeding due to an ulcer, either in the stomach or the duodenum. He had to determine which of the two was bleeding. Luckily, it wasn’t hard to figure this out, as a sickly yellow liquid was seeping from the duodenum. Duodenal ulcer perforation! I need to ligate the vessels in that area and close the hole.

The surgical process was simple: identify the bleeding vessel, stop the hemorrhage, and suture the perforated organ. That was all. The procedure was almost cruel in its straightforwardness, but implementing that process in reality was an entirely different beast.

I can do it. Because I’m going to be the best. No matter what happens, I can do it. “Hanson, lift this red organ here.”

He was indicating the liver. Hanson hesitated, but ultimately decided to follow Raymond’s instructions, shuddering at the squishy yet firm texture.

Now, I need to cut around the perforated area with the knife. But there was a problem. Raymond knew what to do, but his hands just wouldn’t cooperate. He kept fumbling and making mistakes. No! After several blunders, his determination bolstered by <Heart of Steel> began to waver, his body tensing up once again.

Get it together! If this keeps up, the surgery will fail! Snap out of it, you idiot! Raymond racked his brain, desperately thinking through what needed to be done and how he could make it through the operation. Then, a brilliant idea flashed through his mind, and he made the choice he’d been putting off regarding which unique skill to buy. Physical strength and intellect are important too, but in the end, what’s most crucial is the ability to save the patient! Buy skill, <Surgeon’s Finesse>!

[You have purchased a skill!]

[Perk activated! Point consumption decreased!]

<Surgeon’s Finesse>

Category: Attribute Skill

Rank: Unique

Points Consumed: 40 (perk applied)

Proficiency: D

- Once a week, you will be able to break through the limitations of your surgical skill! Your attunement stat increases by 10!

- Greater proficiency will lead to decreased skill cooldown and increased Attunement stat.

The moment he saw the message, Raymond activated the skill.

[Attunement temporarily increased!]

[Attunement: 6 → 16]

Right then, Raymond experienced something incredible. The sensitivity in his fingertips improved noticeably, and actions that he could previously only conceive of in his mind were suddenly possible for him.

Is this the surgical skill of someone at the Skilled Resident rank? Raymond shook his head. It didn’t seem so, since he still didn’t feel familiar or comfortable with the operation. But there was an enormous difference in the sensitivity of his fingertips that made it easier to execute intricate movements more smoothly, just as if he were compensating for his lack of experience and skill with natural-born talent.

In any case, none of that mattered in the face of the knowledge that he could now proceed with the surgery one step at a time. His knife carefully sliced through the duodenum, revealing a fountain of blood spurting within—arterial bleeding.

“Thread.”

“Uh, yes, yes!” Hanson, who had been frozen in place, handed Raymond the thread that had been sterilized in boiling herbal water.

Ligation! Raymond tied off the thread to stop the blood vessel from bleeding any further. Can I really do this…? A fleeting moment of doubt hit him, but his fingers moved as naturally as if dancing. Securely fastened, the perforation in the vessel silently closed. Good! Now, I need to close the hole in the duodenum!

Raymond proceeded cautiously with the surgery. Careful, careful. No mistakes allowed. His heart pounded with tension, and sweat beaded on his forehead. He pulled the omentum (a layer of fatty tissue connected to the stomach) closer to the hole, using needle and thread to secure it in place. This was a Graham patch, a technique that used the omentum to plug up minuscule duodenal perforations.

Having taken care of the source of the problem, Raymond let out a sigh of relief. Now it was time for the aftercare. To prevent the ulcer from returning, he found and severed the nerves related to stomach acid secretion, then used boiled, sterilized water to clean away the gastric fluid that had contaminated the peritoneum. After completing the treatment as prescribed by <Surgery>, Raymond performed the last step—suturing by carefully stitching up the abdominal incision.

[You have successfully completed your first open surgery!]

[This was the first open surgery to ever be carried out on the continent of Lepentina!]

[Achievement <Father of Surgery> complete.]

[You will go down in history as a pioneer of surgery for generations to come!]

[Your achievement was too high-leveled for your class rank! Skill point acquisition limited!]

[100 skill points awarded!]

[Bonus level up!]

The messages didn’t end there.

[You have treated a patient afflicted with an ailment beyond the capabilities of your rank!]

[Achievement <Passionate Healer> complete.]

[30 skill points awarded!]

[Bonus level up!]

[Bonus level up!]

[Perk: You will gain a small amount of additional courage when treating a patient beyond your capabilities!]

He’d earned an incredible 130 skill points and leveled up three times. It was an amazing reward, but none of the messages were really registering in Raymond’s eyes.

“Ahaha...”

His legs gave out.

Thump.

Before he knew what was happening, Raymond had slumped to the floor, hot tears streaming down his face. He didn’t know why he was crying. Was it because he’d saved a dying patient for the first time? Or because he’d successfully completed his first-ever open surgery? He wasn’t sure. Foolishly, he just found himself laughing and crying at once, his chest tight with emotion.

How stupid, he thought to himself.

***

“What? Senior Raymond treated the patient with hematemesis?” Lance, who had been enjoying a leisurely cup of tea in his office, surged to his feet in surprise. “That’s impossible!”

“I-it’s true. We have no idea how he did it, but the patient pulled through and is recovering.”

Lance scowled and stormed straight to the patient’s room to see for himself. Treating a hematemesis patient when his healing ability is lower than grade-F? There’s just no way!

Yet, unbelievably, it was true.