Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 140

140. Doctor and Firefighter

Clunk-

Just then, the extracted structure, along with the sound of Kelly being secured, emerged from the muscle.

It was a nerve bundle, about the size of a pinky finger, running thick down the center from the top of the leg to the foot.

They had located and pulled that nerve bundle. This nerve treatment was crucial for the subsequent steps.

“Dr. Lee?”

“Yes?”

Tae-kyung posed a sudden question to Lee Chan-hee, who had been intensely focused. “Dealing with this is important in an amputation, but why exactly?”

“Well, I’m not entirely sure.”

“The cut end of such a thick nerve requires careful treatment. Otherwise, a neuroma [a benign tumor of nerve tissue] can develop.”

“Ah, I see. I didn’t know that.”

Almost as soon as Tae-kyung finished speaking, he tugged on the nerve and swiftly ligated [tied off] the end with two surgical knots (used to cut off blood vessels or nerves during hemostasis [the process of stopping bleeding]). Then, he made a deep cut into the muscle.

“Nerves are highly sensitive to even slight pressure, and neuromas can form at pressure points,” Tae-kyung explained, his eyes still fixed on the patient’s leg.

“When closing the muscle later, it must be done from the inside to prevent compression.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“Surgical tie, please.”

As always, upon hearing the order, the nurse handed Tae-kyung a long thread attached to a [⌒]-shaped surgical needle.

The leg contained thick blood vessels and nerves. Accurately tying off these structures was vital in an amputation.

Tae-kyung identified the thick arteries and veins in the center one by one with instruments and passed the needle through the center of the blood vessels. With swift, precise movements and an accurate path, he wrapped the thread around the blood vessels and tied a surgical knot.

‘1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds.’

Surprisingly, the entire process took only three seconds. Lee Chan-hee’s eyes widened as he watched the operating room clock and counted.

‘That’s why the doctor was so confident. Being a doctor is his true calling.’

Tae-kyung completed the necessary blood vessel treatment for the amputation in under 20 seconds, addressing all the major vessels.

“Cut!”

“Yes?”

Tae-kyung, who had lifted the long, knotted thread, looked up and spoke. Lee Chan-hee, engrossed in the surgery, was momentarily flustered and replied.

“Yes, cut.”

Afterward, Tae-kyung rose from his seat and approached Do Seung-won’s bedside.

“The patient’s surgery is nearly complete. Are you feeling any discomfort?”

“Not at all.”

“Now, I’m going to trim the bone. You’ll hear the sound of a saw, which will be quite loud, so I recommend you both wear the earplugs I mentioned earlier.”

“Doctor, are you sure we have to? We’re really okay,” Do Seung-won replied after exchanging a glance with Lee Seung-hee.

“Let’s do this then. I’ve prepared earplugs, so let’s just use the small ones. Without any earplugs, the sound will be quite loud and potentially bothersome.”

“Alright, we will. Oppa, let’s use the small earplugs as the doctor suggested.”

“Yes, I understand. Thank you for your consideration.”

“Please prepare earplugs for the patient and guardian.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

As the two put on their earplugs, the nurse handed Tae-kyung a gun-shaped saw as he sat back down.

“Then I’ll begin.”

It was a long saw, about 20cm long, with a saw blade at the end.

-Weeing

When the button was pressed, a strange roar echoed through the operating room, and the end of the saw blade moved rapidly from side to side.

-Wee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ng

Tae-kyung trimmed the end while cutting, using a ruler to ensure the muscles and bones to be sutured later wouldn’t interfere with each other, causing damage or pain.

The louder-than-expected saw sound reached the two people wearing earplugs. Lee Seung-hee flinched slightly.

“Seung-hee, are you alright?”

Although the voice was muffled by the earplugs, they could still communicate.

“Yeah, I was just startled by the sound. I’m okay. Are you okay, Oppa?”

“I’m fine.”

“I don’t think so, judging by your twitching eyebrows. Are you scared, Oppa?”

Lee Seung-hee playfully teased, trying to distract Do Seung-won from the noise.

“No, not at all. I’ve heard worse sounds than this on the field, so I’m okay.”

“Really?”

“Of course. When structures collapse in a fire, when the fire demon aggressively expands its territory, there’s a unique sound. This is nothing.”

“My oppa is amazing.”

Despite their worries, the two held each other tightly, unfazed by the sound of the saw.

Meanwhile, Tae-kyung cut the long protruding bone vertically and then trimmed the sharp edges along the surface of the muscle to be covered.

Tak- Tak- Tak-

The cut pieces of bone flew in all directions. Lee Chan-hee held a transparent shield in front of his eyes to protect Tae-kyung from bone fragments without obstructing his view.

“Hoo!”

Tae-kyung, who had been cutting for a while, took a deep breath into his mask and looked up.

“Irrigation, please, and then let’s release the tourniquet one more time when it’s done.”

After the cleaning was finished, the tourniquet was released to check the patient’s bleeding one last time.

It’s almost impossible to have no bleeding at all. When the pressure was lowered, a small amount of bleeding trickled out, but not enough to warrant an electric scalpel.

“Okay, I’ll close it. Vicryl 3-0, please.”

Tae-kyung received the thread, aligned the cut muscles, and pulled them to ensure the boundaries blended well.

After noting the alignment, Lee Chan-hee held the boundaries in place, and Tae-kyung began suturing.

The suture connected the two muscles with consistent intervals and tension, proceeding quickly and efficiently. The depth and spacing of the stitches were remarkably uniform.

“Now, let’s close the skin and the layer below at once. Nylon 3-0 and 4-0, please.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

Most amputations are completed with a single, large suture. However, Tae-kyung paid closer attention, using a robust suture for the primary closure and a more meticulous suture to connect the skin edges. This was Tae-kyung’s expertise gained through surgical experience.

“Here, cut.”

“Cut.”

After that, Tae-kyung finished the final suture and lifted the two threads, and Lee Chan-hee cut them, completing the surgery.

‘The fifth vital [a fictional measure of life force] is dropping quickly.’

As soon as the surgery concluded, the fifth vital surrounding Do Seung-won rapidly decreased to stage 2.

There had been no immediate threat to his life, and since it was only stage 3, the fifth vital quickly returned to a safe zone as the surgery progressed smoothly.

The entire amputation process was completed in just over an hour.

“1 hour and 15 minutes…….”

Ui-jin remarked, checking the operating room clock.

“You performed the surgery incredibly fast.”

“I know. How can I ever be like the doctor? I can’t imagine what you would have done if you hadn’t become a doctor.”

“Lee Chan-hee, don’t exaggerate.”

“I’m not exaggerating! These days, I don’t think I can measure up to the doctor, no matter how hard I try.”

“You can achieve anything if you put your mind to it.”

“Dr. Lee seems very impressed with the doctor’s surgery,” Nurse Lim Jeong-sook commented.

Leaving her words behind, Tae-kyung approached the patient and his guardian.

“Do Seung-won, you’ve been through a lot. The guardian has also been very patient. The surgery went well, and now all that’s left is to heal properly.”

“What did we do? The doctors did all the work,” Do Seung-won said.

“Oppa is right. Everyone here worked so hard.”

“You both endured a lot. It must have felt like hours or days waiting for the surgery.”

“Yes. I was completely out of my mind, and I don’t even know how time passed.”

“Now you’re going up to the ward. I’ll visit you again.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“The guardian should wait outside the operating room for a bit. We’ll clean up quickly and go up to the ward with the patient.”

“Yes, Doctor. Thank you so much for working so hard for my oppa and for performing the surgery so well.”

“You’re welcome. I just did what I had to do. You’ve been very strong.”

“Oppa, I’ll be waiting outside. Thank you, doctors.”

Lee Seung-hee bid farewell to the medical staff and left the operating room.

While Tae-kyung explained the post-operative instructions to the patient, Ui-jin detailed the precautions for spinal anesthesia, and Lee Chan-hee and other staff members wrapped bandages around the surgical site.

“Everyone worked hard.”

Tae-kyung, as always, removed his surgical gown before leaving and thanked the medical staff who had worked alongside him.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Doctor, you’ve worked hard.”

“Dr. Jung, thank you. You’ve worked hard.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Excuse me, Doctor?”

Do Seung-won called out to Tae-kyung, who was about to leave after exchanging final greetings with Ui-jin.

“Yes, patient?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?”

“I’m sorry for acting like a fool.”

Do Seung-won wanted to formally apologize to Tae-kyung.

He had apologized before the surgery, but he wanted to offer a sincere apology, different from his feelings at that time.

During the surgery, he occasionally saw the faces of the medical staff, including Tae-kyung, on the screen.

He witnessed how diligently they worked and how dedicated they were to performing the surgery for him. He was particularly struck by the sincerity in Tae-kyung’s eyes as he led the operation.

He recognized that genuine look.

It mirrored the expressions he and his colleagues wore when rushing to a fire scene.

Doctors and firefighters.

They were in completely different fields, but they shared a common purpose.

Both professions worked to save lives. He deeply understood the dedication of the medical staff during the surgery.

Consequently, he felt deeply ashamed of his foolish behavior and his false claim of impending death.

“I understand the value and preciousness of saving a life, and I wronged you, Doctor. I’m sorry. And thank you for continuing with the surgery for this difficult patient.”

“No, I understand how you felt.”

“But how did you know me so well?”

“Yes?”

“I was wondering how you thought to bring Seung-hee into the operating room and have her by my side. I can’t be stubborn when Seung-hee is around.”

“It seemed like a similar situation.”

“Similar… You and me, Doctor?”

“Yes, when I saw the patient, I thought he had a similar personality to me, so I considered how I would want to be persuaded if I were in his position.”

“I see. I’m even more grateful knowing how much you cared.”

Do Seung-won’s expression was completely different from when he arrived at the emergency room.

Perhaps it was because the surgery went well, or because he had talked to his girlfriend during the procedure. But the despair that had clouded his face was gone.

His face, which had been marked by mental anguish rather than physical pain, now held a slight smile.

That expression was a more valuable reward to Tae-kyung than anything else. For a doctor, the patient’s well-being was a source of strength.

“Patient, I hope you will remain positive and bravely recover. You’ve been through a lot.”

“Of course. I’ve made up my mind.”

“I’ll see you again later.”

“Yes, Doctor. Thank you.”

Tae-kyung followed Do Seung-won and left the operating room with a smile.