Chapter 34: I will take the Scalpel [1]

“Let’s move him inside, Dolseok and Makbong!”

“Yes, sir.”

Dolseok and Makbong looked stronger than the two people who brought the patient to the clinic. But, they needed the command of Ganghyuk.

‘If he has had his head injured like that, he might have other injuries in other places as well.’

Therefore, care must be taken, as the patient might go worse because of careless movement.

‘His status might be unalterable already.’

Ganghyuk always received patients from the well-trained paramedics, so it was the first time to have a patient in this state.

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“Makbong, hold the head, and Dolseok, hold the leg. I will hold the back and neck. Let’s go to the room.

“Like this?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Okay.”

The three transferred the patient quickly to the clinic, where Ganghyuk put the patient on the futon carefully while Dolseok closed the door quickly.

The two men who brought the patient yelled, but they could not dare to come in.

‘He is unconscious.’

It did not seem good.

“Dolseok, measure his blood pressure.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Yeoni, prepare boiled water.”

“Yes.”

Fortunately, those two were already good assistants. Therefore, he could examine the patient by taking his time.

‘His skull is not broken. How are his eyes?”

Ganghyuk pointed a pen light at the eyeballs of the patient. There was a pupillary reflex, but the eyeballs seemed to have protrusions. Fortunately, there were no bruises around the eyes.

CT would work well, but here, Ganghyuk had to make inferences with just those clues.

“Ocular pressure is elevated… It should be cerebral hemorrhage. It seems that he did not have a fracture at the base of the skull.”

Seeing the strange tools and language, Heo Jun was standing at the door with puzzled eyes. It was the first time for him to see such an examination.

“Scholar, what are you doing now?” He addressed Ganghyuk as Scholar because the latter was a nobleman, and Heo Jun himself was a low class person. He did not scold him, and just wanted to know what happened there.

It seemed that he had very flexible thoughts.

‘It is fortunate.’ If Heo Jun were Jeong Changgweon, he would have been angry and made a mess.

“I do not have time to explain. But, the certain thing is that he will die if we don’t do anything.”

“Is there anything for me to do?”

There was no doubt that Heo Jun was an excellent doctor. However, Dolseok or Yeoni would be a better help at this time. And it was because the knowledge system that they had built was totally different.

“I have learned from you up to now. Now, it is time for me to pay back.”

“En…” Heo Jun groaned. As he had a patient in front of him, he wanted to see him,

‘He is a born doctor.’

He was different from Ganghyuk… in a good way.

“En…” Heo Jun stayed there and watched Ganghyuk perform the treatment.

“Get up! What is your name? No response… It must be coma.” He yelled while pressing the patient’s chest strongly.

“Give me scissors.” Then, he cut the patient’s hair.

“Why are you cutting his hair?”

“Should I leave him to die?” He hit Dolseok when the latter protested.

It seemed almost brutalism rather than treatment, turning over all common sense. But, Heo Jun did not want to stop him, wanting to know about the unknown medical skills. His expectation and admiration was stronger than the repulsion against the new knowledge; the fame of Ganghyuk obviously played a part there.

“I see. I will watch from here.”

“Yes. I will explain whenever possible.”

But, when Ganghyuk saw the wound, he thought that he might not be able to explain at all.

Blood was gushing out of the torn open scalp, which was because it was the part where a huge volume of blood circulated.

‘Oh my goodness! I cannot burn it.’

He had a fire and iron. However, if he tried using it, he would burn the scalp as well, because the size of the wound was too big. At that time, the patient might die because of the burn.

‘Let’s do it as it is, I guess. When we press hard, it will stop hopefully. I have already injected vasoconstrictors anyway.’

It was primitive thinking, but it was the right decision in the given circumstances. If the blood vessel was not injured, the blood would stop eventually.

Besides, he had a good presser.

Dolseok had already worn gloves and was awaiting his command. Ganghyuk then gave him a few pieces of gauze.

“Use this and press here.”

“Eo? I may get blood stains.”

“You are wearing gloves.”

“But, I don’t feel like…”

“Yes, he will bleed a lot. Gather your senses… Yeoni? Are you OK?”

Dolseok had experience, as he had helped Ganghyuk when Sunshin underwent the operation. But, Yeoni had helped him with simple treatments only. But, considering her face, she seemed alright.

As expected, she nodded her head with confidence. “Yes, I am fine.”

“Good. Let’s do it.”

Ganghyuk took the mess as tension filled the room.

‘I can do it.’

He was an excellent doctor in his previous world, but he had never done a brain operation under a thatched roof. If he were confident in this situation, then that would be rather strange.

‘If I cannot succeed, he will die.’

He was not a nobleman, so he felt pity thinking of the man dying after all the pain.

‘Nobody can try it here, if I can’t.’

Heo Jun had given up on the patient by now. It was the kind of injury that would lead to only death in Joseon.

Then, Ganghyuk focused his mind and threw away to pressing stress.

Jeek!

Ganghyuk cut the wound with the mess.

“Open it. Yeoju, can you draw right now?”

“Ah… Yes, sir.”

“Okay then.”

Yeoni opened the wound with the tool that Ganghyuk gave her. The tool hit the skull and made a squeaky sound. Yeoju then tried to draw quickly in order not to slow the operation.

It was more difficult, but a livelier work compared to drawing herbs. After all, when could she draw a scene with blood and flesh?

“Give me the hammer and chisel.”

“Oh… Here they are… But, do you really need them?”

As he pressed hard, the stream of blood thinned. Dolseok became a bit relaxed seeing the reduced blood stream, but his face got darker when he heard the demand for the hammer and chisel.

He could see the white skull through the open flesh. It seemed Ganghyuk might hit there with the hammer.

‘I cannot help but follow his order, I guess.’

“Ah!”

Dolseok was worrying what Heo Jun would think of what all was happening. Yeoni and Yeoju did not care no matter what Ganghyuk did, but he could not guess what Heo Jun would think.

Considering the grace that they had received and the time that they had spent together, it was natural that they would have different thoughts.

However, Heo Jun made an unexpected comment toward him. “What are you doing? Your master wants them.”

“What? Ah, yes!”

Dolseok immediately gave the hammer and chisel to Ganghyuk while digesting the criticism from Heo Jun.

“Fellow, you did not give them when I told and listened to somebody else?”

“Sir, it is because… I am sorry, sir.”

“Hold fast. It will be critical if it shakes.”

“Ugh.”

“Yeoni, come and help me.”

“Yes, sir.”

‘Why does he want to hold the bloody head? Is he a human butcher?’ Dolseok closed his eyes while holding the patient’s head stably. Yeoni did the same thing, although she was not fussy about the little things.

Yeoju looked at the scene closely to draw it. She looked like a detective who was trying to take a picture for evidence.

“Well, here it is.”

“Ugh” Dolseok groaned. He wished that it would not happen, but right there were all the sounds that he had thought of.

Smack, smack!

The things that fell on his hands must be bone powder.

‘Cruel.’ Dolseok shook his head, which made Ganghyuk annoyed.

“Hold fast or you will be the one dying!”

A big man holding a hammer shouted, and causing fear to surge inside Dolseok, who was confused whether he would live or the patient would die. Nevertheless, he grabbed the head desperately.

“Yes, yes!”

Again, the sounds arose…

Smack, smack!

White and rough bone pieces were sent in all directions. Yeoju, who was drawing peacefully, turned her head away. But, the most frightening thing was that Ganghyuk’s face was getting brighter.

“Good, good. Hold it fast!”

“Yes.”

They did not know what was good, but there was no other choice except following. They did not know where the hammer could go if things went south.

On the other hand, Ganghyuk was surprised at the grip of the hammer and chisel. ‘It is not bad! I used to do it with drill only, but these are not bad at all either.’

Although they needed a lot of force, they worked faster than a drill. In terms of precision, there was no special difference.

“Great!” Hoe Jun exclaimed.

Dolseok and Yeoni could not see, but Heo Jun saw what Ganghyuk did. Whenever he hit the hammer, the chisel moved little by little. It was a really wonderful technique.

Puck!

With the clean sound appeared a hole in the skull. It was a round hole as if it were drawn with a compass.

“Ok, I will open it.’ Ganghyuk then removed the round bone piece. At the same time, red blood that was stagnated in the skull flooded out. The brain pressure which was heightened to the maximum got reduced and then stabilized.

‘As I expected, it was a subdural hemorrhage.’

Amongst the blackish red blood lumps, the red blood vessel was seen. If there were a bleeding inside the brain, then Ganghyuk could not have had helped the patient…at least, not in this world.

“We have come halfway now. Dolseok, keep holding the head, and Yeoni, come and help me.

“Yes, Yes.”

“Do you see the place where the blood is coming from?”

“Yes.”

“Brother Jun, do you see it?”

“Yes, good. I am seeing the brain for the first time.”

When could he have ever seen the brain? Ganghyuk saw it first when he was in practice, although it was much farther from this proximity.

“Fortunately, it is a vein and not an artery.”

“What is that?” Heo Jun asked while blinking his eyes. When Ganghyuk looked back, Dolseok and Yeoni showed the same facial expression.

‘Ah, so…’

The common knowledge from the twenty first century was a mystery that no one knew about in this world. Ganghyuk had clearly realized that when he came to Joseon.

“I will let you know in detail later on. Right now, I have to stop the blood.”

“I see.” Heo Jun agreed while Dolseok and Yeoni followed his orders without any questions.

Ganghyuk looked at the head of the patient again.

‘Upper cerebral-vein… I can tie it.’

If it were an artery, the situation would be more serious. If it were not properly connected, it might leave disabilities.

“Give me the thread.”

“Yes, sir.” Yeoni handed a black thread to Ganghyuk, not forgetting to open the wound for his sight.

“You have some sense indeed.”

“Pardon?”

“You are doing well.”

“Thank you.”

Gagnhyuk used most of his skills that he had learned till now. He tied the vein through the small space without any difficulty. With that, the blood stopped and the patient recovered his physiological stability quickly.

‘But, the real problem starts here…’

The operation at the time when the general anesthesia was not available was nearly violence. Most of medical textbooks placed more importance on the development of anesthesia than the operation itself.

If the patient was conscious and his head was split open, he would never be able to bear it. He could even be dead before the operation, or from the shock…

‘When he awakens, will he move right away?’ That would make the case serious. He needed to close the head or keep him from moving.

‘The former is impossible. In that case, we need to hold him fast.’

Thankfully, he had a strong man who was not occupied right now.

“Makbong. Come here and hold him fast.”

“Yes, sir.”