Tokyo, 1994, starting with medical training

Chapter 4 The Straw That Broke the Camel

The next morning, the air had a crisp, refreshing scent.

Kiryu Kazusuke was awakened by hunger.

He sat up from the single bed, then walked barefoot to the cold floor, went to the bathroom, turned on the tap, scooped up a handful of cold water, and splashed it on his face. He was completely awake in less than three seconds.

He looked up at himself in the mirror.

Kazusuke Kiryu, 25 years old.

His parents died in a traffic accident when he was in high school, leaving behind a sum of compensation.

I have to say, capitalist society is harmful.

I studied at the National Gunma University Faculty of Medicine for six years, and the tuition alone cost several million yen, not even counting other expenses.

I finally graduated, but I've already spent most of my compensation money.

These days, he can only make ends meet with the meager salary he receives as a medical trainee, which is quite a struggle.

If nothing unexpected had happened, this should have been a story of struggle and upward mobility from the bottom up.

You accumulate years of experience and seniority, wait for your training period to end, become a fully qualified doctor, and then gradually advance through the ranks... If you're lucky, you can become a professor and stand at the pinnacle of the medical field.

But unfortunately, he met Ayaka Nagata.

She possesses the gentleness and charm of a mature woman, which is fatal to the original owner of this body who has just left school and is sensitive and confused.

What breaks the camel's back is every single straw.

The death of her parents, the long-standing economic pressure, the high-intensity work, and the uncertainty about the future had been suffocating the original owner of this body.

As for Ayaka Nagata, she just happened to be the last one.

On Thanksgiving night, the original owner witnessed her beloved senior Nagata get into a Toyota sedan and drive away, never to return.

In a moment of despair, he hastily ended his life.

Kiryu Kazusuke had no right to say anything about this, since it was precisely because of this that he was able to come and see Tokyo in the Heisei era.

Moreover, everyone has the right to choose their own life.

Since the original owner had it, he also has it.

The current belief of Kazusuke Kiryu is that you can't hide your love for one person, but you have to hide your love for two people.

Back in the bedroom.

Kiryu Kazusuke took out the jacket he had worn yesterday from the closet, preparing to change into it.

When he reached into his pocket, he felt something hard, like a piece of paper. He pulled it out and saw that it was a 10,000 yen banknote with Fukuzawa Yukichi's portrait on it.

This is from last night...

Kiryu Kazusuke's mind was filled with images of the girl named Saionji Mina and the timeline convergence plan.

A thought flashed through his mind.

[Saionji Mina's world line has been resolved]

[Reward: 1 yen]

Immediately afterwards, a light screen that only he could see unfolded before his eyes.

[Name: Kiryu Kasuke]

[Assets: 92,120 yen]

[Item: None]

[Skills: None]

Assets refer to money, that's clear.

When I got home late last night, I helped Mina Saionji, who had fallen, to treat her wounds. That's how my assets went from over 6 yen to over 7 yen.

However, that's not the point.

The skill list still shows none because he hasn't reported Nagata Ayaka yet.

So, what are the props?

Is it like a consumable item that provides a one-time effect, like in a game?

For example, a bottle of potion that would allow him to work continuously for 48 hours and maintain his energy.

Unfortunately, no item rewards appeared during either of the two consecutive world line forks.

But it's not a big problem.

He planned to report Nagata Ayaka to the hospital first, and then get his hands on the "Kirschner wire fixation - Perfect".

Yes, even though he just finished a 24-hour shift yesterday, Kiryu Kazusuke still has to go to the hospital today.

According to the regulations, he is entitled to a full day off.

However, rules are rigid, but people are flexible.

In Japan, graduating from medical school and passing the national exam only grants you a medical license.

There is still a long way to go before one can become a true doctor.

Currently, Japan's medical system has not undergone major reforms and still operates under the old doctor training system.

In other words, the vast majority of graduates will choose to join university hospitals and work as trainees in a specific medical department.

The new clinical training system for doctors will not be implemented until 10 years later, in 2004.

At that time, an initial clinical training program known as "super rotation" will become a legal obligation for all medical students, requiring them to rotate through different medical facilities.

The old system was like an apprenticeship, which allowed doctors to grow rapidly and become deeply rooted in their fields.

The new system places greater emphasis on breadth, cultivating doctors with stronger comprehensive abilities who can cope with more emergencies.

It's difficult to say which system is better or worse.

Anyway, from the day Kiryu Kazusuke joined the First Department of Surgery, he took care of all the miscellaneous tasks, from writing endless medical records and changing countless medications to rotating shifts in the emergency room and assisting senior doctors.

This is just the beginning.

Only after accumulating several years of clinical experience in the department are you qualified to take the exam for "certified physician" or "specialist physician" qualifications.

Only by passing rigorous exams and obtaining qualification certificates can one be considered a true "professional" who has mastered this field and is qualified to provide independent medical treatment.

Only then will we truly have made it through.

……

Kiryu Kazusuke opened the door and went out.

He glanced at the next room; the door to room 301 was closed.

Today is Saturday, so the possibility of accidentally bumping into the girl next door is unlikely to happen, at least for now.

Kazusuke Kiryu walked down the stairs and left the apartment.

The streets were almost deserted in the early morning, with only the occasional sound of a car passing by in the distance.

He went into a convenience store, bought a rice ball and a bottle of milk, and quickly ate them at a table near the store entrance, finally having something in his stomach.

After arriving at the hospital.

He first went to the medical department.

The investigation into the medical malpractice case involving Ayaka Nagata has officially begun.

He was received by a middle-aged staff member from the medical department.

"Dr. Kiryu, please recount in detail what you saw in the First Surgical Ward on the evening of December 13th."

Kiryu Kazusuke neither embellished nor deliberately concealed anything.

He simply gave an objective account of what he saw and heard as an eyewitness.

From the moment Ayaka Nagata entered the ward, to her manually adjusting the speed of the infusion pump, to the patient's sudden condition, and the subsequent rescue process.

The staff member in charge of taking notes wrote quickly on the paper, occasionally interrupting to ask questions.

"Okay, Dr. Kiryu, thank you for your cooperation. We will proceed with further verification based on your testimony."

After Kiryu Kazusuke finished speaking, he closed the notebook.

It was at this time that...

[The world timeline of Ayaka Nagata has been resolved]

[Reward: Kirschner wire fixation - Perfect]

In an instant, it was as if countless pieces of knowledge and experience had been forcibly crammed into Kiryu Kazusuke's mind.

It's all about Kirschner wires.

Kirschner wires of different diameters and lengths are suitable for different types of fractures.

The selection of the needle insertion point and how to accurately locate it on the body surface based on X-ray images.

How to control the angle and depth of Kirschner wire drilling by subtly adjusting the wrist to counteract the recoil when holding an electric drill.

And then there are those tactile sensations that can only be felt, not described.

The changing resistance as he penetrated the skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle, and cortical bone was like a clear muscle memory formed from countless manual operations.

He subconsciously raised his right hand and made a gesture of holding a needle in the air.

The movements were so precise, like illustrations from a textbook.

(End of this chapter)