Doctor’s Rebirth

Chapter 116

‘Lastly, the most important thing. The risk of paralysis during surgery.’

This was the number one risk.

People often mistakenly think, when looking at disc X-ray images, that the spine is curved in one direction.

The human spine can curve in all sorts of directions.

It can bend sideways, bend and then break, or curve like a corkscrew.

Fixing this is somewhat like supporting a tree, but it’s not as easy as it sounds.

‘The ribs have deformed into a pencil-like shape (Rib pencilling), and the spine is also deforming into a fan shape (Scalloping).’

Spinal canal, nerves, spinal deformity. Everything needs to be understood.

One mistake could lead to lower body paralysis.

‘This can’t be done without the Mysterious Origin Thousand Calculations Skill.’

It had to be thoroughly understood through qi pulse diagnosis. There was no room for even a single mistake.

Lastly, the prognosis.

Neurofibromas have a possibility of recurrence. There are cases where they appear again after surgery.

It doesn’t end with surgery; continuous follow-up examinations are necessary.

But that’s a story for after crossing the big mountain of surgery.

Jin Cheon-hee repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fist.

‘I’m the only one who knows the future of this world.’

Sama Hye’s death would mean the death of many others.

It’s frightening.

Jin Cheon-hee bit his lip.

‘I miss not having Yoo Ho here.’

There are nurses at this medical pavilion who have received training from Yoo Ho.

They’ve learned how to use the Five-Elemental Divine Technique to clean blood and filth, disinfect, and assist in surgery.

Being on the medical frontline, they’ve built up practical experience and are highly skilled. However, they weren’t quite at the level of Nurse No. 1, Yoo Ho.

‘I miss you. I miss you, nurse. My multi-purpose living surgical assistant robot…!’

If Yoo Ho had heard this, the man would have threatened to kill him while radiating killing intent. But Jin Cheon-hee didn’t care.

That’s how useful Yoo Ho was.

The best thing was that he understood perfectly after hearing something once, even while he cursed. And because the man never got tired, he could be used for all sorts of miscellaneous tasks.

The fact that she constantly threatened to kill Jin Cheon-hee also meant he felt no guilt when using him.

Like a modern person who had left their phone behind, Jin Cheon-hee clutched his empty chest.

‘Yoo Ho… I need Yoo Ho. Yoo Ho…!’

Unable to resist, Jin Cheon-hee sent a message asking if Yoo Ho could come.

However, the reply from Yoo Ho was a polite string of curses.

Saying that the Hangzhou branch nurse was Yoo Ho’s top disciple and could be trusted.

Jin Cheon-hee felt heartbroken.

‘Yoo Ho. My slave… unlimited labor force….’

***

All preparations were complete and the day of surgery arrived.

Jin Cheon-hee had thoroughly trained the branch doctors, working them hard.

He had pushed them as much as at the main compound, but they were very enthusiastic.

Some senior doctors collapsed from exhaustion midway, but Jin Cheon-hee, with an old-fashioned mindset, thought it was an unavoidable sacrifice to cram so much knowledge into them in a set time.

“The night before surgery, the surgeons who will be participating should get plenty of rest. Fatigue leads to mistakes. Don’t do anything the night before and rest well. It’s important.”

What awaited them was a long battle.

They had to fight against disease to protect the child’s body.

Both physical and mental strength needed to be at their best.

Early in the morning, after finishing his meditation, Jin Cheon-hee changed into his surgical gown.

He had run through the simulation in his head thousands of times.

He didn’t meet Sama Hyeon.

The results would speak for themselves.

The pressure of all efforts being meaningless if the patient couldn’t be saved weighed on him.

So Jin Cheon-hee pulled his facial muscles into a smile.

Because there’s nothing better than a smile to chase away tension.

Entering the operating room, he saw Sama Hye lying there, anesthesia completed.

It was such a small body to contain so much pain.

‘I hate it most when children are sick.’

He disliked it for adults too, but especially for children.

All the staff looked at Jin Cheon-hee.

“Did you eat well? I told them to make strong tea, I wonder if the kitchen heard properly.”

He stood before the operating table, joking glibly.

Jin Cheon-hee said:

“Let’s take it step by step. If we go step by step, it’ll be fine.”

Amazingly, there was no trace of tension in his voice.

“Well then, let’s begin.”

A long and tedious battle began.

It was the most challenging ring for a surgeon.

***

Neurofibromatosis.

Its characteristic is spots mixed with brown. They’re called ‘Cafe-au-lait macules’ because they look like cafe au lait among coffee.

It mainly manifests in children’s bodies and appears on the skin, optic nerves, spinal nerves, brain nerves, and so on.

‘Fortunately, there were no vision problems or learning disabilities.’

This alone was a stroke of luck for Sama Hye. But she was already carrying too many burdens.

‘But the human body doesn’t always do what we want.’

As quickly as possible.

After opening the chest, Jin Cheon-hee didn’t stop his hands for a moment.

How much could the child’s body endure?

Ischemic shock was absolutely not an option.

As the spinal cord was exposed, he quickly sucked out the cerebrospinal fluid and began excising the tumors.

He focused all his senses on his fingertips to avoid touching the nerves.

The neuromas were large and numerous.

Jin Cheon-hee had no words other than to say it was severe.

‘There can’t be even the slightest mistake.’

He succeeded in removing every last one.

Clank-

The last tumor rolled across the metal dish.

All the senior doctors watched, assisting.

‘My goodness… such precision…’

Afterwards, he needed to check the surrounding tissue for any malignant spread, but through qi pulse diagnosis, he knew it wasn’t malignant.

That was one thing better than modern medicine.

“Phew… moving on to the next stage.”

He began to correct the twisted spine.

This process was crucial for posterior fusion and instrumental fixation.

Crack-

Thankfully, the spinal deformity itself was at a level that could be corrected, for which he was grateful.

Now it was time to insert pins into the corrected spine.

‘Master showed me once.’

When treating Imperial Prince Consort Yoo-rang’s open fracture, he had pushed in a half-pin in one go.

Thanks to sword qi, the pin went in as if into tofu.

Jin Cheon-hee focused his internal energy and inserted the pin.

Thud-

‘I’ve practiced this thousands of times.’

Quickly, with precise strength.

While constantly monitoring the child’s vitals, Jin Cheon-hee didn’t stop his hands.

The Hangzhou branch nurse assisted such a Jin Cheon-hee.

Watching the nurse diligently assisting with everything he needed, he thought:

‘Not as good as Yoo Ho, but definitely excellent. The teamwork is quite good too.’

This was what you’d call a place worth nurturing.

There was no need for long instructions.

They assisted Jin Cheon-hee’s movements thoroughly without even taking a breath.

‘Ah, right. They probably have more practical experience than the White Dragon Medical Pavilion main compound.’

The surgery needed for emergency trauma patients.

Jin Cheon-hee had what they desperately wanted.

‘They’ll grow even more from today.’

Jin Cheon-hee calmly continued the surgery.

***

Watching Jin Cheon-hee, the Hangzhou branch senior doctors were filled with reverence.

‘I heard the main compound doctors were high-level, but among them, the Surgery Hall Master is truly one of a kind.’

All the dispatched senior doctors praised the Surgery Hall Master until their mouths went dry.

To them, Jin Cheon-hee was both a sect leader and a god.

The fights in Hangzhou never ceased, and when dawn came, people injured in various ways would flood in.

As doctors and as humans, they had a strong desire to save people, but they had to keep sending patients away, and they had to watch families despair.

It was the feeling of defeated soldiers.

When the Surgery Hall was established and they learned that traumas were being miraculously treated, there wasn’t a single person whose heart didn’t race.

They sent their most skilled senior doctor to learn even one more thing, and when that senior doctor returned, they passed on the knowledge to the intermediate doctors, junior doctors, and other senior doctors.

But still, their thirst for learning wasn’t quenched.

That’s how they met the Surgery Hall Master.

He was taller than they had heard, but just as young. And his ability to handle people exceeded what they had heard.

‘And he’s annoyingly calm.’

Is he fearless?

Or does he have confidence?

Thanks to this, the other doctors could follow Jin Cheon-hee’s instructions without much tension.

Everyone opened their eyes wide to remember even one more thing.

The long surgery was coming to an end.

What was amazing was that Jin Cheon-hee was still moving his hands without showing any signs of fatigue.

He was even smiling leisurely while checking the nerves, soft tissues, and muscles.

Yet his unwavering focus was enough to make one’s tongue stick out.

‘Is he human or a monster?’

Can we really grow to be like that?

The doctors’ eyes met each other.

‘I want to be like that.’

***

The white qilin is the symbol of White Dragon Medical Pavilion.

The qilin was said to be an auspicious and wise being that helped humans and did not tolerate injustice since ancient times.

Just as ancient Greece used the snake as a symbol for doctors, medical arts have their own symbols.

White Dragon Medical Pavilion, with its roots in the Zhuge family, had influenced its branches evenly.

They passed on medical skills and saved lives.

Because its roots were in the martial world, it was different from modern Earth, but the desire to defeat disease was the same.

Sama Hye, who had finished surgery, repeatedly opened and closed her eyes.

“Ugh…”

As she woke from anesthesia, her consciousness flickered and then returned to normal.

It seemed like the ceiling had changed a few times, and she might have spoken some nonsense.

“Mom… Mom…”

Her mother no longer exists. But why does it remain on her lips, making her mutter it continuously?

Mom is gone, but the qilin pattern on the ceiling is vivid.

Someone held her hand.

-It’s okay. You’ll be able to get better.

Whose voice was it?

She couldn’t remember.

A strange sensation came over her, feeling both painful and not.

Her hazy mind finally surfaced above the water.

With an ancient human instinct, the child said:

“Mom…?”

Towards someone who no longer exists.

“Are you awake?”

It was Jin Cheon-hee. Jin Cheon-hee rubbed his eyes for a while and sat beside her. Had he been watching her condition constantly?

Again, she couldn’t remember.

Jin Cheon-hee’s eyes were dark underneath, clearly showing signs of fatigue.

“Did the surgery go well?”

“Hmm. Mechanically speaking.”

What could that mean?

Jin Cheon-hee pressed the child’s toes with his finger.

“How does it feel?”

“Um… you’re pressing. It’s cold.”

“I guess my hand got a bit cold.”

Jin Cheon-hee pressed Sama Hye’s arms and legs to check if the nerves were properly connected.

“Can you move your toes?”

Twitch-

“Okay, no damage.”

Sometimes doctor Jin Cheon-hee uses strange words.

Okay, surgery, penicillin…

There are too many unfamiliar words. Sometimes even other doctors don’t understand and ask again.

At those times, he would joke that it was just a habit.

“Temperature is fine too. Phew. Yes, as expected of me. I really am amazing.”

With a bit of self-praise.

He might be eccentric, but Sama Hye knows he’s a better person than anyone.

“Let’s check your back too.”

Jin Cheon-hee performed a few additional checks.