"You're paying for the surgery to be performed…"
"Isn't that a devilish idea?"
"If someone did that in the 21st century, they'd…"
'Wait, but don't they conduct clinical trials? They do everything except practice surgeries, right?'
I was worried we might get caught, but after thinking more deeply, it didn't seem like it.
Yes, the intention is what's important.
Am I doing this to enjoy wealth and glory?
Of course, if I become a master of surgery, I'll likely become rich.
I'm already making some money.
But the ultimate goal… isn't money. It's something else.
I'm not interested in money.
-People who say they're not interested in money are actually obsessed with it.
Suddenly, a famous online instructor's words came to mind…
"We've got quite a crowd."
"Can't be helped. I heard some are even planning to cut off their noses for this?"
"No, that's not acceptable."
"They're offering a month's salary for a day's work. Isn't that understandable?"
Anyway, with the money we gathered, I wanted to practice one surgery a day, but we had over 20 applicants in just one day.
Of course, if the hospital had just said, "Come on in, patients," we wouldn't have gotten such a crowd.
The director and the police chief helped us.
They posted our recruitment ads in the slums, places ordinary people couldn't go without security.
Naturally, most of the people who came were from the slums.
For them, a month's salary…
"Yeah, I guess that makes sense."
"Right. They're people who don't know what will happen tomorrow. Or even today."
"True. Thinking like that makes me feel better."
"Why does it sound like you were uncomfortable before?"
"Well…"
I tried to respond, but it was pointless.
Liston pointed to the sommelier room.
There, I had a prisoner locked up.
Someone I locked up to taste urine…
I really had no choice.
That guy's talent is incredible, right?
Can you believe he can taste urine amazingly?
With a bit more training, he might even be able to guess the concentration.
"Shall we do the surgery?"
"Yes. But why are we excluding those who lost their noses due to syphilis?"
"Someone who's already lost their nose once to syphilis is more likely to lose it again, right?"
"Ah… could be."
"Just my thought."
"Well, it's your opinion, but it does sound plausible. No need to take unnecessary risks. But…"
"But what?"
"Can we trust these people 100%? How do we know if it's syphilis or not? Just by their word?"
"Ah… there's a way."
"Is there?"
Yes, there is.
Just strip them and check.
Well…
Early-stage syphilis might be harder to diagnose, but if they've lost their nose to it…
You can usually tell just by looking.
If it's ambiguous… well, there's nothing we can do.
I'm not a god, how can I diagnose everything?
"Let's see."
So, we started interviewing the patients who had gathered.
It's called an interview, but we mainly checked if they were physically capable of enduring the surgery, if they had diseases including syphilis when stripped, and if they had enough tissue, especially on their foreheads, to pull up.
Being articulate or having strong willpower was secondary.
Why?
What good is being articulate for a patient?
It's better to exclude people who seem suspicious, but in this era, someone from the slums can hardly do much against a hospital.
Besides, we're not just any hospital; we have gangs working under us, so it's safe to say there's absolutely no risk.
"About four people should do."
"Four… shouldn't we do more?"
"No. The basic surgery is already completed anyway."
"True, we just need to refine it. But will it work with rib cartilage? Doesn't cartilage need blood vessels connected?"
"Well… that's what we're trying to find out."
Actually… it doesn't have to.
That's already a known fact.
We've empirically figured it out.
Besides, the nose… is surprisingly resilient.
In plastic surgery, they insert all sorts of things, and usually, there's no issue.
Of course, if you get too greedy, like trying to raise the nose too high by inserting too many implants, it can get compressed and rot…
But that's not our problem.
If we ever do cosmetic surgery purely for aesthetics in the future, who knows? But for now…
"Let's start with this person."
"Alright."
"But if something else comes up, we'll switch."
"What else could come up? There are so many unemployed these days."
"Oh, is that so?"
"You really are from a noble family, aren't you? Try to also look out for the less fortunate."
"Got it… I got it."
Anyway, I called the chosen patient.
The patient, of course, said they had nothing else to do.
All they talked about was the money.
"You'll definitely give the promised money…"
"Yes, yes. We'll give it."
"Really, definitely…"
"We'll give it, we will."
How many times did they have to confirm it? It was tiring.
But…
What can I do?
They're that desperate.
And because they're desperate, they're here for the surgery.
"Alfred."
Our operating room is now quite well-established.
Well… considering the operating table, instrument tables, and lighting, there are still some shortcomings, but overall, it's incomparably better than before.
"Yeah."
"Let's anesthetize."
"Okay!"
Even the anesthesia tools are better now.
Before, the wheel turned with a creak, and you couldn't tell how many degrees it had turned.
Literally, we had to gauge the gas volume by the sound it made, but now it's different.
At full capacity, the rotation angle is marked, so even if it's not the absolute volume, we can estimate the relative amount.
So, depending on weight, some people get 30 degrees per 30 minutes, others 45 degrees per 30 minutes, and so on.
It's not exact, but…
My comparison is always with the past.
Whoosh.
Anyway, Alfred turned 45 degrees and then covered the patient's face with a connected mask.
Now, the mask has small air holes, so there's no need to press and release like before.
Of course, keeping it pressed too long would kill the patient…
But at least in this team, we don't need to worry about that.
Thanks to Alfred.
That guy…
His other hand is checking the patient's pulse at the wrist.
'Teaching them one thing makes them learn another.'
At first, trying to teach one thing would result in ten nonsensical statements that would frustrate people…
"Haha."
It's almost like a miraculous transformation, isn't it?
I couldn't help but chuckle.
"You're not drunk, are you?"
"No, brother."
Liston made an absurd assumption seeing me like that.
Really.
Do they think I'm that weak to medication?
How ridiculous…
"Disinfect."
"Okay!"
Now that the anesthesia is done, it's time to disinfect.
For areas like the stomach or chest, it's better to disinfect before anesthesia to minimize anesthesia time.
But for the face, it's better to disinfect after anesthesia.
How did I know?
-F*ck… stop! Stop!
Thanks to Colin, I learned.
When I applied phenol to the face, he just freaked out.
Honestly, while applying it, I thought:
Ah, I shouldn't do this.
It's going to hurt like hell.
It's going to sting.
It's going to smell.
Swish swish.
Anyway, through various experiments, we found the optimal method.
Disinfect the chest for rib harvesting ahead of time, and disinfect the face right after anesthesia like now.
'Anyway, the disinfection alone is truly top-notch…'
Joseph's disinfection is perfect.
If we get better disinfectants, I'm sure he'll do even better.
The regret is…
It doesn't seem like we'll get better disinfectants than what we're using now, not just immediately, but for quite some time in the future.
"Done."
"Good. Then Joseph, you and the brother handle the ribs."
"Okay."
"Colin, come beside me."
"Yes!"
Minimizing anesthesia time is now common sense, at least for our team.
Even Liston acknowledged it, and the reason is simple:
-Damn… I cut well but…
His cutting skills have improved even more.
It's almost insane.
Honestly… if reconstruction isn't considered, I don't think there's anyone in the 21st century who cuts as well as Liston.
Yet… people die.
From the anesthesia gas.
'It's probably due to allergies or hypersensitivity… differences in the individual.'
The same drug can act as a potent poison for some while being just a medicine for others.
This is common sense in the 21st century, but not now.
And I didn't want to trample on the budding scientific thinking of these young people, as fragile as saplings.
-Kim Tae-pyeong: Led medical progress, but looking back, much of it was based on incorrect reasoning.
It seemed likely that I'd be judged similarly later.
It couldn't be helped.
It really couldn't.
No matter what future generations say, I need to save the people in front of me now.
And to do that, I need to make my team at least pretend to be doctors, whatever it takes.
"Scalpel."
"Scalpel."
As I finalized these thoughts, the surgery began.
Colin and I were at the face, while Liston and Joseph were at the chest.
Sssk.
Now, even turning the forehead muscle flap feels like nothing to me.
Just slice straight through.
Moreover, since we've already considered the patient's forehead muscles and facial structure during selection, there's no major deficit.
"Good… is this about right?"
Liston also showed that his practice hasn't been in vain.
Even though it was practice on corpses, he quickly harvested a rib.
Or should I say, the rib cartilage?
Anyway.
"Here, just one hole here."
"Good."
Liston used an awl-like tool to poke holes in the nasal bone, now devoid of cartilage.
Originally, we'd need a drill for this…
But Liston is a real monster.
His strength and skill are so precise, he makes holes like a ghost without damaging anything else.
"Done?"
"Yes."
Now, over there, it's time to suture.
Us?
We're attaching the cartilage to the remaining bone in the middle and covering it with flesh.
Saying it like this makes it sound very complicated, but since Liston has already made the holes for the stitches, and neither the patient nor I expect a perfect nose, it was quick.
Rather, the important part starts now.
How will this newly made part settle?
Will there be any infection?
You can probably sense it, but there's nothing we can do to control it.
It's the same for this patient and the others.
So, for a while, the hospital was filled with continuous prayers, almost like a chapel.