The Apothecary Diaries - Volume 15 - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: During the Surgery

The surgery began.

Maomao and the others on the postsurgical team waited outside the operating room.

Dr. Liu would be wielding the scalpel, with two upper physicians as well as Tianyu assisting. Luomen's bad leg left him unable to stand holding a knife for very long, but he was stationed in the operating room so they could benefit from his wealth of experience.

For all their history, I think Dr. Liu likes my old man.

The chief physician might gripe and grumble, but he trusted Luomen implicitly. Otherwise he wouldn't have him there to offer advice should anything happen.

With that crew present, they should be able to handle some unexpected development.

Then, however, Maomao heard a crash from the operating room.

Did something happen?

There was a collective gasp as Dr. Liu emerged, blood pouring from his right hand. In the operating room, a doctor was collapsed on the floor, his face pale.

"What's going on ?! " someone exclaimed.

"Calm down," Dr. Liu said in a low voice. "It happens all the time."

"I'll explain," said Luomen, who emerged behind him, walking with his cane. "Liu, you focus on stopping the bleeding."

"All right."

"It seems the effect of the anesthetic wasn't quite strong enough for His Majesty. Just as the assistant was passing Liu a scalpel, His Majesty's arm moved, and the blade nearly cut it. The doctor instinctively avoided that, but unfortunately hit Liu instead."

The man on the ground in the operating room was the first assistant, one of the upper physicians. He'd stuck a scalpel into Dr. Liu's dominant hand, even if he hadn't meant to, and the shock of doing something so awful must have overwhelmed him.

"We can look for the lessons to be learned later. For now, we have to go on with the surgery," Luomen said placidly, looking at each of the people around him in turn. "I think the young man needs to wait here outside until he's feeling calmer. Would someone kindly bring him out?"

"Yes, sir." Tall Senior went into the operating room and helped the shocked first assistant to his feet.

"Now, as to our surgeon ... "

The other upper physician was the second assistant. With the first assistant effectively useless, the second would have to do it. He was clearly scared out of his wits. "I ... I couldn't! I can't!" His face contorted and his hands shook.

That left only one person.

Why did it have to be him, of all people? Maomao wanted to clutch her head.

While everyone else cowered and panicked and stewed in anxiety, one man stood looking absolutely the same as he always did.

"Tianyu, will you do the job?" Luomen asked, looking at him.

Tianyu pursed his lips and looked at the ceiling. Maomao would have expected him to jump at the opportunity, but evidently not. "Hmmm," he said.

"What's the matter? You're not going to do it?"

Concern mounted among the doctors.

'Aww, it just sort of takes the wind out of my sails, you know? Everyone talks about the 'jade body,' so I was sure he must have gold blood flowing in his veins!"

The doctors exchanged a look that said: What the hell is he talking about?

Maomao was better acquainted with Tianyu's personality than the rest of the staff. She knew about his interest in autopsies, and that he had become a physician not out of any altruistic desire to help others, but simply because it would give him a legal means to chop people up and observe their insides.

That absolute crackpot had been curious about the "jade body" of the Emperor himself, but now that they had actually opened him up, so to speak, he discovered that His Majesty was nothing unique. He was made of the same stuff as the commoners Tianyu had operated on.

It was just like the surgeries he'd practiced. Of course he was disappointed.

Some guy ...

"Foo ... I think I'm tired of this."

"What do you mean, tired of it ?! "

"Let someone else do it," Tianyu said.

"What ?! " the physicians exclaimed in unison. Unfamiliar with Tianyu's mental framework, they were at a loss for how to respond. Even Luomen looked more distressed than usual.

If this surgery went wrong, everyone there could die, but that didn't concern Tianyu. To him, it was a simple procedure. The other physicians had probably likewise assumed he could do it easily. His hand never shook from nerves.

Maybe I should explain, Maomao thought, but there wasn't even time for that. Tianyu would get hung up on some stupid detail, she felt sure.

"Is that so?" Luomen looked at Dr. Liu, who was still trying to stanch the bleeding from his hand.

"I'll do it," Dr. Liu said.

"You can't, Liu. You have to stop bleeding first. And you have to make sure your hand can still move."

"So, what? You're going to do it?"

"I suppose so-it seems to be our only option. We can't leave this any longer." Luomen was quick to appraise the situation. "Do we have any backup assistants?"

"Here, sir." One of the middle physicians raised his hand. He was clearly anxious, but just as clearly prepared to do what he had to do.

"Go inside. And I want ... " Luomen looked around. As everyone shuddered and quailed, he tapped Tall Senior, who had entrusted the incapacitated first assistant along with Dr. Liu to Auntie Liu, on the shoulder.

"Do you have experience assisting in surgery?" Luomen asked.

"Yes, sir," Tall Senior said.

"Can you do it?"

"Yes, sir."

He slapped himself hard on the cheek, then pulled on a spare surgical gown.

"And you, Maomao," Luomen said. "Do you know how to assist?"

“I do."

"All right, well, I'll need you to support me. I can't very well do the surgery while sitting in a chair."

"I understand, sir."

Maomao immediately began getting ready. She tried to put on one of the surgical gowns, but it was too big. She tied the sleeves back so they wouldn't get in the way.

Luomen turned to the frightened second assistant. "You may not be able to wield the scalpel, but you can at least assist, can't you?"

"Yes," the man said slowly, biting his lip, and then he went into the operating room.

"Hey, what about me?" Tianyu asked, obviously puzzled.

"We don't need you," said not Luomen, but Maomao. "You'll just get in the way. You can stay out here sucking your thumb. It's the only thing your hand is good for if you're not willing to do surgery with it."

She was careful not to raise her voice, but she was angry-of course she was. He vexed her to no end.

"Once this procedure is safely over, maybe I can ask the Emperor for a favor," Maomao joked, but no one replied. They were too busy. "Maybe I'll have him give me a few of your fingers, Tianyu. If you don't have any use for them, I can dry them out and put them on display-tell people they belong to a mummy! At least they'd serve some purpose then!"

Oops, now she was really leaning into it. She barely even cared that she was addressing him without any title of respect. The crowd around them muttered, but she ignored them. She had to say something, or the fury would keep her from doing her job.

"Maomao. That's enough," Luomen said.

Maomao didn't say anything. She would have liked to add two or three more choice bits of invective, but she refrained. It was more important to hurry up so they could resume the surgery.

The moment they walked into the operating room, Luomen went to work. They couldn't leave things one moment longer with the abdomen already cut open.

Maomao held Luomen up so he wouldn't get tired. The second assistant became the first assistant, the backup assistant became the second assistant, and Tall Senior served as the third assistant.

"Scalpel," Luomen said.

"Sir," the first assistant said, passing him a fresh knife as he stabilized the surgical site. The second assistant kept mopping up blood and filth with gauze, producing an ever-growing pile of the stuff stained yellowish-red. The third assistant-that is, Tall Senior-took the used gauze and threw it away, then brought fresh; he was especially busy.

We could probably use one more assistant just to do the little chores.

Luomen cut carefully and precisely. As the blood was wiped away, they could see the object of their operation.

"I suppose I'm glad it was indeed appendicitis," said Luomen. The organ, like a protruding worm, was attached to the large intestine.

The assistants looked at Luomen, worried. Their heads and mouths were covered with cloth to ensure that no saliva or hair got into the incision, but just their exposed eyes were enough to show how shaken they were.

"Why so shocked? We've done this procedure before. You were with me, Xiaodong." It was the name of one of the other men-the first assistant nodded. "As we expected, filth has come out of the appendix. But it hasn't been very long, so if we keep our cool and clean it up, it should be fine. Shensong is always attentive to detail. I know he can handle this."

The second assistant nodded too.

"And-Dr. Wang, isn't it? I'm sorry, I don't remember your given name. I know you're a man of fortitude. Just keep up the work you're doing."

"My given name is also Wang, sir. A different character."

"Ah, I see. I'll remember that."

Wang Wang ...

In that moment, Maomao learned Tall Senior's name. She found it inspired an unexpected sense of closeness to him.

Luomen began to gently peel the appendix away from the large intestine, working quickly but very carefully so as not to damage the latter.

My old man is incredible, Maomao thought, unable to suppress the shock of amazement as she watched his hands move. She saw Dr. Liu had had a very good reason for including him on the surgical team.

Luomen, however, lacked one very important thing.

Maomao could feel him growing heavier and heavier as he leaned against her.

Luomen had lost a kneecap when he had been sentenced to physical mutilation. Hence, he had trouble walking, as well as standing for long periods. Maomao had spent many years ministering to Luomen, so she knew the knack for helping him stand. But amidst the tension of surgery, even Luomen grew tired, no matter how accomplished he was.

Sweat dribbled down Luomen's forehead, and (Tall) Senior Wang Wang wiped it away.

Once the appendix was successfully detached from the large intestine, Luomen grabbed it with a pair of tweezers. "Can you hold this?" he asked the first assistant.

"Yes, sir," the other man said, taking the tweezers.

"Make sure you hold it up, but don't pull too hard."

Luomen fixed the wormlike part in place. His work was still exemplary, but his movements lacked the crispness they'd had earlier. He was growing ever heavier against Maomao. She gritted her teeth, holding him up with all her strength.

Come on, hurry!

Maomao was starting to panic. An hour had passed in the blink of an eye.

The wormlike part had been cut away and placed in a metal tray. There were careful stitches in the large intestine.

Yikes ..

Luomen had to concentrate until it was completely finished. Maomao felt his weight slump against her; she struggled to hold him up, but he fell to his knees.

"Are you all right ?! " Senior Wang Wang exclaimed, helping Luomen up.

"Do pardon me ... "

Luomen was white as a sheet. He was pushing himself, and they all knew it. His hand was trembling. His breath came hard. Wang Wang helped him to a chair, but it was clear he couldn't wield the scalpel anymore.

He'd taken out the source of the problem, but the belly was still open.

"The operation isn't over yet," he said.

All that's left is to sew it up.

The first and second assistants wore expressions that said I can't. They were completely terrified.

Dr. Wang Wang didn't look much better, but he at least had the presence of mind to summon help from outside the operating room. Maomao doubted, however, that there would be any doctors able and willing to sew up the jade body.

Maomao filled in for Wang Wang, preparing the needle and thread.

If no one else is going to do it, I will, she thought. Otherwise, this would never be over.

"Pops, keep an eye on me and make sure I get this right."

Maomao picked up the needle, which was shaped like a fish hook, with a pair of tweezers. Her left shoulder was going numb from supporting her father for so long.

It's all right. It's all right.

Her right hand felt fine.

This is the first time I've done this on a real person's abdomen ...

She'd sewn people's arms and legs a few times before, though, and had assisted at several surgeries.

I can do this.

"Hullo. Trade out, if you please."

Maomao's attempts to psych herself up were interrupted by a breezy voice. A man was standing next to her, and the coverings around his mouth and head couldn't conceal the intense curiosity in his eyes.

"What are you here for, Tianyu?"

"You were always nasty to me, Niangniang, but now you've given up even the pretense of being polite." Tianyu snatched the tweezers from her.

"Give that back!" Maomao tried to grab them from him, but a tingle shot through her arm as she reached for them, and she was left scowling.

"Don't think so. Tell me, is your left arm tingling? You can't sew like that, can you?"

He was right, but since no one else was volunteering, she had no choice.

"I thought you weren't interested in a normal human body that didn't flow with golden blood."

"That's true.'

"Then get out. The only thing here is a normal person that we happen to describe as having a jade body. If he dies, he'll be just a normal lump of meat. I'm not going to get thrown to the wolves just because you're not personally interested. I don't care if you die, but do it on your own. Me and the rest of the medical staff happen to like living!"

"But if I don't do this, you'll cut off my fingers and dry them for prizes, right? Let me-what's the expression ?- get my honor back."

"Like hell. You can't half-ass this! Now scram, you're in my way." Maomao stamped her feet.

"Maomao. Calm down," said Luomen. Auntie Liu had come in at some point and given him a damp rag.

"Say, mister. If this surgery succeeds, we'll get to do harder and harder operations, won't we?" Tianyu asked.

Who's he calling mister ?!

Now Maomao was angry that Tianyu had dreamed up this obnoxious way to refer to her old man. But Luomen simply said, "That's right. There are many people in this world with strange diseases, or born with unusual anatomies. There are even some people whose organs are all flip-flopped."

"Oooh!" Tianyu's eyes shone.

Dr. Liu came in, a bandage wrapped around his hand. It was still stained with red."If you want to see the most-interesting cases, you have to become a doctor worthy of meeting those patients. Don't decide whether to do surgery just based on your personal feelings."

"I'm not saying I won't do it," Tianyu objected.

"Then do it! Show skills that will have your patients begging you to work on them. You hear me?"

Tianyu's eyes went from goggling to complete focus. He was looking at the Emperor's still-open surgical site.

Maomao watched him silently. She bit her lip, but there was nothing she could do. Tianyu was better at suturing than she was. He'd proved that all too well with Xiaohong.

"Maomao," said Dr. Liu. "Watch him closely to make sure he doesn't get any funny ideas."

"Yes sir," she said, and Dr. Liu left again. Luomen was obviously still tired, but he at least stuck around to observe.

"Since you're here, Niangniang, you might as well be my assistant. I think you get how I work better than the other doctors."

Maomao still didn't say anything. Feeling deeply humiliated, she prepared a fresh needle and scissors.

I swear, I swear, I'm going to get better than this guy!

Infuriated though she was, Maomao still watched Tianyu's quick, delicate work, intent on absorbing everything she could.