The Surgeon’s Studio

“Report yourself to the matron and prepare for the surgery,” Finally, the long-awaited emergency trauma case. Zheng Ren could almost feel the breaking of numerous high-energy phosphate bonds in the ATPs within his cells, releasing energy under the stimulation of blood.

 1The patient’s condition started to emerge on the upper-right corner of his vision when Zheng Ren shifted his gaze to him.

 An incised wound on the back without injury to the internal organs. Vital signs were stable.

 The patient would be placed under observation after the wound was sutured with a prescription of anti-inflammatory drugs for a few days. A simple case.

 The sight of mangled flesh and the bloody mess would not petrify an experienced clinician.

 Especially one like Zheng Ren, who was blessed with the System.

 Zheng Ren returned to the duty room and put on his white coat.

 White coats were prohibited in the cafeteria to prevent any potential outbreak of unknown microorganisms—for example, Acinetobacter baumannii, which was highly resistant to most clinically available antibiotics—from random departments. The entire hospital system would undoubtedly collapse if an outbreak started in the cafeteria.

 1The patient and his family members had arrived at the emergency surgery department’s doorstep when Zheng Ren left his room in proper attire.

 “Doctor, my brother was slashed. Please save him,” The patient was supported by a young man with horror all over his face, presumably terrified by the gruesome sight before him.

 3“Brother Yuan, please prepare an anesthetic and the treatment fee. I’ll suture this patient’s wound in the meantime,” instructed Zheng Ren.

 Multiple trauma cases that required wound closure would arrive at the emergency department every day and Yuan Li had been mentally exhausted by repeating the same procedure. Thus, the fact that Zheng Ren volunteered to personally suture the wound greatly satisfied Yuan Li.

 The simultaneous arrival of two or three trauma cases when there was only one doctor on duty was the most annoying thing that could happen in the emergency department. The question of which case to deal with first was almost as hard as completing an S-rank mission in games, which was extremely terrible indeed.

 1The patient was brought to the procedure room while his family members were asked to pay the treatment fee first. After that, Zheng Ren and a nurse carried the patient to the operating table.

 The operating table in the emergency department was relatively simple and covered by a brown, slightly soft antimicrobial fabric.

 Trauma cases in the emergency department usually consisted of minor traumatic injuries or wound contamination. Thus, the antimicrobial fabric was used for its bloodstain resistance and ease of cleaning without the risk of contaminating the patients’ wounds.

 The patient’s shirt was cut open and the wound, approximately twenty centimeters long, appeared before Zheng Ren’s eyes.

 Blood continued to gush out of a few small blood vessels in his exposed wound, which soaked his shirt completely before gravity pulled it down onto the operating table.

 Zheng Ren took a piece of sterile cotton to cover the wound and started his preoperative preparations.

 Xie Yiren, wearing a blue-colored disposable sterile cap and a surgical mask, entered the procedure room soon after. She then started assisting Zheng Ren by preparing the instruments without a word.

 Surgical tray, surgical suturing pack—scalpels, surgical scissors, needle holders, suture materials—opened, Lidocaine, normal saline…

 …

 Meanwhile, mist started accumulating above the crystal clear pond in the mysterious world buried deep within Zheng Ren’s mind. The mist became thick with seven different colors flickering in it, as if there was a rainbow concealed at the heart of that odd cloud. Countless vague shadows emerged and passed out of sight almost instantaneously, resembling a mirage.

 There was a shift in energy and the blurry image in the mirage started to clear.

 Zheng Ren would be extremely shocked if he witnessed this scene, because whatever he was doing in the procedure room was projected within the mirage.

 …

 …

 “0.5% Lidocaine prepared.” Xie Yiren was nimble in her movement.

 That was the difference between a normal nurse and a scrub nurse, who was more proficient in preoperative preparations.

 Zheng Ren removed the sterile cotton on the patient’s wound and said, “This is going to hurt a little, so try to endure the pain.”

 The patient nodded in response, but his movement was barely noticeable as he lay prone on the operating table.

 The wound was irrigated with normal saline before Zheng Ren used a pair of forceps to pick up a cotton swab, soaked in iodophor solution, and wiped directly on the wound, moving outward.

 Every muscle fiber on the patient’s back contracted as soon as the iodophor solution touched his exposed nerve fibers.

 The constant muscle trembling appeared symmetrical, as well.

 “Bear with me, please. I’m disinfecting the wound,” said Zheng Ren with a flat tone.

 “Doctor, can you anesthetize me first?” asked the patient.

 “Of course, but only a local anesthetic will be given.” Zheng Ren threw the used swab after the first disinfection, picked up a new one soaked in iodophor and applied it on the patient’s wound without the slightest hesitation.

 The patient howled in pain instantly. “Ouch…”

 2“Disinfection is required before I inject the local anesthetic. Don’t worry, it’ll be over soon,” Zheng Ren tried to comfort him.

 Fortunately, iodophor solution was used in wound disinfection nowadays. If they time-traveled back to twenty years ago when iodine solution and alcohol were the main disinfectants, the pain would be much worse.

 1“Put on gloves,” Zheng Ren instructed Xie Yiren when he noticed that the patient was able to endure the pain.

 Zheng Ren put his on as well before injecting the patient with the local anesthetic.

 “Needle holder with suture, size four¹,” Zheng Ren located the damaged small blood vessel skillfully and held out his hand toward Xia Yiren.

 The needle holder was placed on Zheng Ren’s hand gently with its size-four suture thread resting on his little finger perfectly when he proceeded to suture the wound.

 Xie Yiren had achieved a Master rank in her coordination with the surgeon in an operation.

 “Surgical scissors…”

 “Needle holder with suture…”

 “Size one…”

 The only sounds lingering in the procedure room were Zheng Ren’s droning instructions and the patient’s heavy breathing. However, Zheng Ren soon realized that there was absolutely no need for him to ask for anything at all as Xie Yiren would pass him every instrument he required before he could even finish his sentence.

 The wound was long and deep, and Zheng Ren had to suture each layer carefully and patiently. Otherwise, any remaining cavity could end up with complications such as infections, abscess formation and many more.

 This sort of wound closure was a piece of cake for Zheng Ren, who had 330 skill points in his general surgery skill. He started wondering if the System would give him any missions while his hands danced elegantly through the procedure. Perhaps a mission where a chest would be given upon completion of a surgical wound closure.

 Sadly, whatever he wished for did not come true, which meant that the System’s robotic, female voice had basically disappeared into thin air.

 Zheng Ren was slightly dispirited but remained meticulous in suturing every damaged layer in the wound.

 “Reverse cutting needle, size seven.” The corresponding needle holder was then placed gently on Zheng Ren’s outstretched hand.

 There was a sudden loud noise outside the procedure room.

 A few young men with the strong smell of alcohol barged into the procedure room, having kicked the door open.

 1Zheng Ren let out a silent curse.

 Why did the emergency department have a shortage of doctors? This was the answer: no doctor would prefer to perform surgery or consult any patient under such stressful situations.

  “Where is my brother?”

 “F*ck! Treat my brother properly. If he suffers any problems, I’ll kill you myself!”

 “Brother, brother, are you okay?”

 The patient’s followers expressed their loyalties while threatening Zheng Ren at the same time.

 1Zheng Ren had no idea how to react. What they should be doing was to treat the surgeon well so that he could concentrate on the operation and finish it sooner, right?

 Well, perhaps these alcoholics—especially drunkards who binge-drank even in the afternoon—did not possess such reasoning after all.

 “All of you, get out!” roared the patient in exasperation. He seemed rather rational and knew exactly what the most appropriate action in this situation was. He then apologized to Zheng Ren with a mix of sycophancy and anxiety. “Doctor, my brothers are immature, so please don’t mind them. I’ll compensate for all damages later, so please treat my wound properly…”

 The drunk ruffians straightened their backs immediately after the patient reprimanded them. After scolding Zheng Ren again briefly, they finally left the procedure room and closed the door under the patient’s command.

 Zheng Ren sighed in response. His needle pierced the skin, came out the other side of the wound, and an instrument tie was finally and proficiently made.

 3