Squeak, squeak.
Liston was cutting his hair.
Ah, not his head, but his hair.
If the subject were anyone else, no one would be confused, but since it's Liston, it's understandable to get mixed up.
Whether it's squeak squeak or snip snip, isn't he someone who could cut off a head in an instant?
Because he's capable of that, his skill at cutting hair was also no joke.
'Wow... It's insane every time I see it.'
His hands are truly exceptional.
If he had been born in the 21st century... he probably would have gone down in history.
Well, being in the 19th century probably wouldn't stop him from making history either.
He would have been remembered by names like Master Severer or Sword Saint anyway, and now he's even met me.
"Wow..."
"It really is impressive."
Ah, it wasn't just our medical staff in this operating room.
Saying it's obvious makes me a bit sad, but it's because the concept of 'asepsis' is still somewhat lacking.
The acolyte came in with a confident face, and Sir Jamie, who introduced me, also came in with a face full of responsibility.
The odd ones are the police and the reporters...
At this point, it feels a bit awkward to tell them to leave.
Actually, when Sir Jamie had his surgery, didn't we call the reporters and let them watch everything?
If we tell them to leave now, the reporters would find it strange, and Sir Jamie would also think it very odd.
Anyway, with such incredible knife skills that even laymen could sense the divine mystery, the Doctor's head was shaved.
"Good. Joseph."
"Yes!"
It's called shaving, but it's practically a monk's shave.
He became bald, that's what it means.
Actually, isn't touching a bald head with your bare hands quite enjoyable?
On top of that, since Joseph is a madman for disinfection, he rushed in like a dog and started scrubbing according to his routine.
I didn't know Joseph's routine well until not long ago, but after separating to work in a center format and observing him closely, I finally learned it.
Swish, swish.
First, if it's an area without a wound, he applies iodine.
I use the word 'apply' because he uses it so thickly it could actually stain.
In the past, there were strange rumors about that medicine, like it was a miracle drug developed by commoners to turn white people into Asians or something...
But even if it does stain, it was revealed that it gradually fades as the dead skin cells shed later, returning to the original skin color, so it was able to clear its name.
During that time, since I had used it on some patients myself, its disinfecting effect was naturally proven.
Swish, swish.
Next is phenol.
The reason the order is like this is because the stained iodine gets somewhat wiped off when post-treated with phenol, which, in a way, is quite obvious.
Why?
Because phenol is a bleaching agent.
It's something used for erasing things, you see.
So the iodine gets erased too.
One might wonder if that reduces the disinfecting effect, but actually, iodine's action is finished by the time it dries after application.
In other words, all the bastards that were there are dead and gone.
"Phew..."
Since the structure of the head is simple and it was shaved smooth, he could finish the disinfection much faster and more accurately than usual.
Even without looking at the surgical site, just seeing Joseph's proud face told me it was done properly.
But I did look at the area.
It's done.
Now we can pick up the scalpel.
"Good."
In the meantime, Liston and I also washed our hands, put on gloves, and washed them again.
We also put on masks and caps.
Greedily, I wanted to wear gowns too...
- Gown? Can you guarantee that it's really cleaner than the clothes we're wearing now?
Due to Liston's sharp point, I had to give up.
Thinking about it, it was really true.
Except for our group, you could say there isn't a single person who has grasped the concept of disinfection or asepsis yet...
And entrusting something like gown sterilization to Joseph feels like a waste of the medical talent he possesses.
Although he's only acting as an assistant now, he's someone who must become an excellent surgeon someday.
So, we barely covered only the areas that would touch the patient's body and the places most likely to secrete fluids, and made an incision on the patient's scalp.
Ssskriiitch.
Then blood came flowing out.
I had forgotten for a while, but the scalp is a place with truly active blood circulation.
No wonder even just scraping the scalp makes it look like your head is gushing blood.
During surgery, we first inject local anesthetic mixed with lidocaine and epinephrine liberally.
Even that isn't enough, so we use clips to pinch the scalp to prevent bleeding...
But do we have any of that now?
We have neither.
Even if we die for it, we don't have it.
"Wipe it!"
"Yes, yes!"
But that doesn't mean we can't do anything.
Well, a 21st-century resident is no match...
In many ways, a 19th-century slave is much more diligent.
Though Collin is a noble to call a slave, and Joseph is my friend, but anyway.
Thanks to the guys wiping it clean with gauze, I was soon able to incise the scalp and spread it open left and right.
Then the white skull was revealed, and at that moment, Listn whispered to me.
'This patient's area here is clean.'
He meant that the corpse's area here was broken, but this patient's is fine.
In other words, he was saying it might be a 'dud'.
'It's probably just like this on the outside.'
'Or else?'
'We'll just gloss over it. It's bleeding a lot anyway.'
'Ah... So we deceive them by calling this dead blood?'
'Why... Does your conscience prick you?'
'No, I thought it was genius.'
Unexpectedly, he has a timid side.
He mostly becomes like that in front of doctors or nobles...
Anyway, I reassured the typically strong-weak-strong Liston with my silver tongue before giving up my spot.
I handed the scalpel to Liston as I did.
Liston alternated looking between the scalpel handle and the patient's skull, then finally nodded.
Gulp.
Even people who knew nothing.
That is, people who absolutely couldn't know what was about to happen, could feel the solemn atmosphere.
I think this must be the atmosphere when a martial arts master reaches a state of enlightenment.
Thock.
In that quiet atmosphere, Liston tapped the Doctor's skull with the scalpel handle.
"Oof."
No wonder he's the Master Severer.
With each tap, one small hole was surely created.
The amazing thing was that no fragments flew around while doing this.
Even with a drill, small fragments are created, but Liston didn't have any of that.
- In the old days, damn, they really used a chisel for surgery.
Even I say this but...
I heard that even until the early 21st century, they used chisels instead of drills for head or ear surgeries.
I used to dismiss everything the professors said as tall tales, but seeing Liston do it, it seems it wasn't all lies.
Thock.
Anyway, Liston tapped the skull in a circular pattern with the handle.
Pop.
As a result, a round piece of skull bone fell off like a lid.
And at that moment, Liston and I opened our eyes wide and stared at the area hidden beneath the bone.
'Please!'
'Lord!'
It was with a praying heart.
Honestly, until just before, I almost thought it would be there.
Since there's blood, it must hurt, right...?
He hit his head, and after that, he kept saying it hurt more and more, right?
I had thoughts like that, but once the head was opened, I felt a bit... anxious.
Strictly speaking, you can't open a belly, say 'oops, it's a dud', and close it, but for some reason, the head felt even more different.
"Hallelujah!"
Fortunately, it was there.
"What did he say...?"
"He opened the head and said what...?"
At my exclamation, the reporters began to murmur, but it was still okay.
"Is that a worm inside?"
"He saw that and said hallelujah...?"
"Did T.P. Young put that in...?"
"How would you put something like that in?"
"Through the nose..."
"Ah."
The murmurs gradually started heading in a strange direction, but that was okay too.
"See? It's there!"
"It is there!"
I was too happy with the current situation to care about such trivial things.
'Am I really a genius?'
In an era without even an X-ray, let alone a CT scan, huh? I caught an SDH (Subdural Hemorrhage).
Wow... I really can't brag about this anywhere...
I really want to make a huge fuss about this.
Huh?
"Bring the suction!"
Separate from my feelings, Liston was already doing what needed to be done.
Following his instruction, Collin brought out the suction jar he had been treasuring like a sacred vessel.
Actually, that didn't need to be so clean, but because Joseph threw a fit, we boiled it once.
Maybe because of that, the glass jar is perfectly smooth.
Soon, that black worm...
No, no.
People keep saying 'worm, worm' in the back, so I'm getting confused too.
Clotted blood should have accumulated.
Tap.
Liston inserted the rubber hose attached to one side of that suction jar into the skull.
Then, as if it were natural, he directly put the rubber hose connected to the opposite side of the jar in his mouth.
- Why is the suction power so weak?
Considering seniority, it doesn't make sense for Liston to be the one sucking.
It should be Collin or Joseph...
It seems that because you have to suck through the jar once, an enormous amount of force is required.
Of course, the kids couldn't do it, and even I, who was forced to try sucking, was completely out of my league.
But...
Sluuuurp.
That guy seems like a monster.
Thinking about it, sucking blood out through that jar probably isn't easy...
But he just does it nonchalantly.
"Oof."
"Ugh..."
"What in the..."
Accordingly, black clumps of blood were streaming into the suction jar.
The amount wasn't small either.
It seems the Doctor drank quite a bit and then fell down.
Well... foreigners say things like 'they don't drink until they're drunk' or whatever, but I wish all those people who say that would come and see once.
They're worse.
They can't help it because these guys don't just drink alcohol.
'Cannabis... laughing gas... and even opium.'
If a party is held, you really get the thought that they're insane.
Well, it might be different if it's a party held by the upper class purely for socializing or for some event...
But the parties meant for real fun are insane.
Since he wasn't just drunk on alcohol, it's no wonder he didn't know his head was in this state.
"Let me see."
"Yes. Hmm... It's clean. Fortunately... it doesn't seem like there's any new bleeding either. Joseph?"
"Yes."
The inside of the head after Liston suctioned was clean.
Even when Joseph held the gas lamp close, it was the same.
Moreover, as I said, there was no newly flowing blood either.
Well, it's already been several days since the injury, so venous bleeding would have stopped by now.
Actually, bleeding could start again, but...
'What can we do? Lord!'
I had no choice but to resort to prayer meta.
Well, since he's a Doctor, he must have strong faith, right?
Surely the Lord wouldn't take one of His lambs away like this.
Right, if something goes wrong, it's not my fault, it's because this person's faith is lacking.
Thinking that, my heart suddenly felt even more at ease, and it felt like my back, which had been slightly bending, was straightening up.
So, I placed the skull lid I had set aside back on and closed the scalp as well.
Perhaps because the bone was chiseled so cleanly, it fit perfectly, enough to make a clicking sound.