Tokyo, 1994, starting with medical training

Chapter 66 Morning return visit

Out of consideration for the six-figure sum of money given to her by Congressman Ōkawara, Imagawa Ori decided not to expose Mizutani Mitsuma.

As long as she received the money she was entitled to, that's fine.

As for Kiryu Kazusuke, who was completely ignored, he stood expressionless at the back of the crowd with his hands in the pockets of his white coat.

This level of credit-grabbing is commonplace.

Moreover, as everyone knows, the credibility of words spoken by Assistant Professor Mizutani is questionable.

"Of course, honors belong to the past; responsibility lies in the present."

Mitsumasa Mizutani tapped the whiteboard twice with his thick-tipped black marker to move on to the next item on the agenda.

"Regarding emergency room scheduling at the end of the year and the beginning of the new year."

"It's a holiday, and everyone wants to rest, which is only natural."

"But illness doesn't take holidays, and car accidents don't follow the calendar."

"Therefore, we must also have people sticking to their posts."

"In principle, the first-line treatment in the emergency room is the responsibility of the on-duty trainee physician."

"I, along with several specialists and senior specialists like Mr. Minamimura, will be on standby in the second line."

"If it's a minor case that the trainee doctor can handle, don't call and disturb the senior doctor's rest. This is also a way to train your clinical skills."

"Of course, if it's a serious illness that can't be handled, or if it involves emergency surgery, it still has to be reported."

"The specific call procedure will be posted in the duty room by the head nurse later."

"Did you understand?"

"yes!"

Everyone responded in unison.

The senior doctor's standby status is that of being on standby at home.

The resident physicians waited on the emergency room floor.

This is class.

Afterwards, Mitsuma Mizutani arranged the work for the day, and it seemed that it was almost done.

"One last thing."

"Tonight's year-end party will be held at Matsuno's house, arranged by Representative Ōkawara."

"This is a special thank you from the congressman to our First Surgery Department."

"Everyone except those on duty must attend; no one may be absent."

"Dress presentably, don't embarrass the department."

He emphasized one last point, then waved his hand and adjourned the meeting.

The crowd in the clinic dispersed.

"Follow-up visit."

Without uttering any unnecessary words, Imagawa Ori took the lead and walked out of the clinic.

She was in a hurry; she needed to come back to write her thesis.

Following behind her were Takikawa Takuhei, a medical student, as well as Tanaka Kenji and Kiryu Kazusuke.

This setup was much more modest than when the professor returned for a consultation, but it still carried enough weight in the ordinary ward.

The group arrived at the inpatient department.

With only a few days left until the Lunar New Year, everyone has become quite restless.

The nurses pushed the dressing carts, moving much faster than usual, probably hoping to finish their work early so they could go home on time and have a good New Year.

Imagawa Ori stopped at the door of ward 603.

This is a triple room.

On the bed near the door lay an elderly woman in her sixties who had undergone a total hip replacement surgery last week.

Imagawa Ori walked to the bedside, and without even taking the medical record folder, she simply lifted a corner of the blanket and glanced at the amount of blood in the drainage bag.

How much traffic did you attract yesterday?

She asked the question without turning her head.

"Yesterday's 24-hour drainage volume was 120 ml, and the color was light red."

Kenji Tanaka quickly replied that he had specifically memorized the data before coming, just to show off in front of his seniors.

"body temperature?"

"37.5 degrees Celsius, a slight fever."

"What about antibiotics?"

"Cefazolin sodium, twice a day, intravenous drip."

Although Kenji Tanaka had a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, he did not get stuck.

This level of memory is just the basics.

If you can't even answer this, you'll be publicly berated until you shove your head into a trash can.

Kiryu Kazusuke stood to the side, watching him with a relieved expression.

This kid must have stayed up all night, memorizing all the data on those patients.

"Um."

Imagawa Ori simply responded with a nasal sound, which was considered passing.

She reached out and pressed on the old lady's thigh to check for signs of deep vein thrombosis.

"The tube can be removed now. We'll schedule a follow-up X-ray tomorrow. If everything is fine, you can be transferred to the rehabilitation department."

"yes!"

Kenji Tanaka responded loudly, unable to suppress a smile.

Not getting criticized is a victory.

Next were the two patients that Kiryu Kazusuke was in charge of.

One is a clavicle fracture surgery, and the other is a meniscus injury.

"How is it?"

Imagawa Ori walked to the next bed and turned to look at Kiryu Kazusuke.

"The third day after surgery for a clavicle fracture patient."

"The incision is dry with no redness or swelling. The patient's temperature was normal last night. The affected limb's fingers can move freely and feel normally."

"The patient with a meniscus tear underwent arthroscopic debridement yesterday."

"My knee is slightly swollen today, and the patellar tap test is negative. I have already started isometric contraction training of the quadriceps."

Kiryu Kazusuke's report was relatively concise and clear.

His speech was steady, without the hurried pace that Tanaka Kenji had due to nervousness.

This is a source of confidence, an absolute control over the illness.

Imagawa Ori glanced at him, said nothing, and simply nodded.

The group continued moving.

Imagawa Ori then saw several post-operative patients, examined their wounds, inquired about drainage, and adjusted medical orders.

Ward 608.

Walk to the third bed by the window, and there lies a patient with bilateral ankle fractures.

That is, the surgery performed by Takikawa Takuhei as the lead surgeon and Kiryu Kazusuke as the assistant surgeon.

Imagawa Ori walked to the foot of the bed, reached into the X-ray bag hanging at the head of the bed, and pulled out the post-operative follow-up films.

She held the film up and looked at it in the light coming through the window.

On the X-ray, the distal fibula is firmly fixed by a steel plate, with smooth lines and excellent flatness of the joint surface.

"Um?"

Imagawa Ori raised her eyebrows slightly.

The quality of this reset is quite interesting.

The fracture line was well aligned, the plate fit was excellent, and the length and angle of the screws were also superb.

While it wasn't a stunningly perfect reduction, it would be about the same level of achievement even if performed by a specialist in primary surgery.

Imagawa Ori turned her head and glanced at Takigawa Takuhei standing next to her.

Has the sun risen in the west?

With this guy's skill level, how could he have performed the surgery like this?

Takikawa Takuhei sensed the attention from his superiors and naturally knew that the film was beautifully shot.

This is the surgery he has performed most successfully in recent years.

But he first glanced nervously at Kiryu behind him, and seeing that the other party had no reaction, he mustered up his courage and raised his chin slightly.

"Well done."

Imagawa Ori nodded and said something in a low voice.

"Thank you for the compliment, Dr. Imagawa!"

Upon hearing the long-awaited praise, the long-standing sorrow on Takikawa Takuhei's face vanished instantly.

"I did a lot of pre-operative preparation for this surgery and researched a lot of information."

"To ensure the fibula's length is restored, I specifically..."

"Like a bookshelf that's tilted on both sides..."

He began to explain the principles that Kiryu had told him on the operating table, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

Imagawa Ori did not interrupt him.

But her gaze went past Takikawa Takuhei's shoulder and landed on Kiryu Kazusuke.

(End of this chapter)