Healing Doctor

Chapter 19 The Surging Waves of the Next Generation

"Dr. Ji!"

As Ji Xiang emerged from the system space, the nurse's shouts rang out.

Both surgical points and experience points increased, but Ji Xiang felt that his gains lay not in these, but in his understanding of surgery.

"Here it comes." Ji Xiang rubbed his eyes and recalled the surgery that the system NPC had taught him.

The bleeding that may occur after using a suture device, as mentioned in books and by system NPCs, is a normal complication.

The book also mentioned the possibility of infection after surgery.

I've recorded it all, and I've heard it all, but nothing is more profound than witnessing firsthand the bleeding from my frenulum, the blood-stained pressure bandage, and the long, purulent discharge pulled out when the nail came loose.

As he walked, Ji Xiang reminisced.

Ji Xiang only smiled slightly when he entered the operating room.

Because he still had surgeries to perform, Ji Xiang hadn't exhausted his basic endurance. But his rapid improvement in skill level made him very happy, and he was sure he would do even better in the next surgery.

"Dr. Ji, what's wrong?" The nurse asked jokingly, noticing that Ji Xiang was walking stiffly and with a slightly unsteady gait. "Did you find your hemorrhoids were getting worse when you went to the restroom?"

"..."

Ji Xiang scratched his head. Although it wasn't quite him, it did look very similar.

"How did you know? Were you peeping again?"

Just then, Colonel Wang walked in.

"Colonel Wang, didn't you say you'd be here in ten minutes?" Professor Mo said. "It's been so long."

"Don't even mention it. Yesterday, a post-operative patient in the proctology department had his stitches come loose and started bleeding in the middle of the night. The sheets were all soaked. Luckily, they had him on cardiac monitoring, and the low blood pressure kept triggering the alarm, which is how they found out."

"And then?"

"I rushed over to see Director Yao, but ended up standing outside listening to him yell for half an hour."

"Look at the eyes? Look at what eyes?" Professor Mo asked, squinting.

It took Ji Xiang a moment to realize that Professor Mo wasn't asking questions, but rather making a suggestive joke.

The nurse seemed not to understand and asked, "Colonel Wang, are your hemorrhoids acting up again?"

"Don't even mention it, it's so annoying to talk about." Colonel Wang sighed deeply. "This morning, after I finished using the toilet, I glanced back and saw the toilet bowl was full of red stuff. It scared the hell out of me."

"You ate dragon fruit?" The nurse, being quite experienced, directly stated the truth.

"Hmm." Colonel Wang nodded. "I can talk so clearly with patients all the time, but when it's my turn, my first thought is always, 'Oh no, this much bleeding must be rectal cancer!'"

Ji Xiang recalled what he had just experienced and felt a deep sense of empathy.

Explaining a patient's condition to them is simple and easy, but it's a different story when it comes to your own.

It's understandable that Colonel Wang didn't react immediately.

"And then, did you write a will?" The nurse couldn't stop laughing; her laughter was no longer concealed.

"I thought another possibility was hemorrhoids. I touched it myself, and it wasn't external hemorrhoids, so I rushed to the hospital to see Dr. Yao. At the time, I was hoping it was internal hemorrhoids..."

As he spoke, Colonel Wang twisted his waist in a strange and indescribable posture.

"What are you doing...?" Professor Mo looked at Colonel Wang strangely, wondering what the guy's actions meant.

"A physical examination at the proctology department is truly humiliating, especially with Director Yao's stern face; I'm really not used to it."

"Let's get down to business. What's wrong?"

"Ding examination? He didn't even seem to apply paraffin oil, making me feel like I haven't completely emptied my bowels." (Note: This was an experience from a long time ago; I really suspect that Dr. Yao, who specializes in anorectal surgery, didn't use paraffin oil... What a pity.)

"Feed." Professor Mo's voice suddenly deepened, becoming so serious it sent shivers down one's spine.

"what?"

"When Director Yao examined you, did he hold your shoulders with both hands to tell you not to move?"

Ji Xiang was taken aback. Wasn't he referring to Jian Yao?

Why would someone hold your shoulders with both hands?

"Old Mo, you've gone too far," the nurse said with a laugh. "Come on, come on, lots of surgeries today. I knew you wouldn't be doing proper driving. If you guys were even half as good at performing surgeries, Peking Union Medical College Hospital would be lining up to hire you."

Colonel Wang didn't care about Professor Mo's words, didn't even spit out a word, and glanced at Ji Xiang.

"I was thinking that Dr. Ji's exam would take some time, so it's okay if we come a little late."

"I've finished my exam," Ji Xiang said while wiping his hands.

When the topic of Ji Xiang's exam came up, Professor Mo fell silent. His sudden silence made Colonel Wang realize something.

"Dr. Ji just arrived?" he asked tentatively.

"One surgery has already been performed," Professor Mo said in a deep voice. "You'll be helping Dr. Ji out in a bit."

Like Mo Chenggui, Colonel Wang raised his eyebrows slightly.

The earlier banter vanished, and Colonel Wang became serious, revealing a sharp edge in his demeanor.

He and Professor Mo had worked together for many years and knew each other so well that they could understand each other's meaning with just a glance or a gesture, without even saying a word.

When Mo Chenggui asked him to lend a hand to Dr. Xiao Ji, Colonel Wang understood the deeper meaning behind his words.

He didn't ask any further questions, but instead became serious and swiped his hands to go on stage.

Filled with countless doubts, Colonel Wang's mind raced as he pondered various possibilities.

"Teacher Mo, I will do my best to be your assistant," Ji Xiang explained in a low voice.

"If you can do it, then do it. I think you did a good job." Professor Mo narrowed his eyes slightly. "Our team will be doing outpatient surgeries this week. You'll be there with us. Cherish this opportunity. The next outpatient surgery we'll be doing won't be for another month."

Ji Xiang looked at Mo Chenggui and, seeing that he didn't seem to be being sarcastic, nodded calmly.

If the teacher gives you a chance, then go for it.

However, there is still room for improvement in my operation; I must be careful and cautious, as if walking on thin ice.

The eight words spoken by the system NPC echoed repeatedly in Ji Xiang's mind, buzzing and resonating.

Standing in the surgeon's position, Ji Xiang looked at the patient with a professional smile. "Don't be nervous. Let me ask you a question. They say scars are a man's badge of honor, you know..."

Colonel Wang and Professor Mo locked eyes.

This child learns things very quickly. He even learned this seemingly unserious but actually quite important passage quite well.

"Doctor, you're not that old, are you? Saint Seiya is an old manga, you like it too?" The patient chuckled upon hearing the medal's explanation and started chatting with Ji Xiang.

"I graduated not long ago," Ji Xiang said. "I help my teachers out and observe surgeries. I like comics and have been to many comic conventions."

Hearing Ji Xiang say this, the patient's expression relaxed even more.

"Teacher Wang is an exceptionally skilled surgeon. We all call him Colonel Wang. He used to be a military doctor."

"Doctor, how many surgeries have you performed?" the patient asked curiously.

"When I was in school, I had a teacher who majored in military medicine. When he was young, he went to Africa for medical aid and performed tens of thousands of surgical procedures."

"Huh? There are so many over in Africa?"

While "chatting" with the patient, Ji Xiang began administering anesthesia.

Professor Mo didn't watch the surgery. He found a chair, sat down, and slowly closed his eyes.

If you don't look at Ji Xiang's face and just listen to him speak, you would never guess that he is just a "reserve" resident trainee who has just finished his exams.

When performing circumcisions in Africa, the procedures used are somewhat different from those in China; most people use ring removal.

This thing is no longer used in the country; it's an antique.

Unexpectedly, Dr. Ji knew all about this gossip.

As Professor Mo listened to Ji Xiang chatting with the patient, he mentally rehearsed Ji Xiang's surgical movements.

"The surgery is minor, and medical conditions on the African savanna are extremely limited. Even so, postoperative infections are rare. So, there's nothing to be afraid of."

"I'm not afraid," the patient replied, though his words didn't reflect his true feelings.

"Once the surgery is done, it's all over. We used a suture device; it looks very neat," Ji Xiang said. "We can use it for larger tasks later..."

"What does 'a small horse pulling a large cart' mean?" Colonel Wang asked, noticing the embarrassed smile on the patient's face.

Having worked in urology for so many years, what kind of inside jokes don't I know?

Ji Xiang is quite an interesting kid; he's mastered the material so quickly and is even innovating.

"Hehe." Ji Xiang chuckled without explaining. He was talking nonsense, but it didn't affect his hand movements. Colonel Wang also forgot what it meant to be a small horse pulling a big cart, and stared straight at Ji Xiang's hands.

His surgery was performed with great precision. Each step was done slowly, but with a special rhythm that made Colonel Wang feel a sense of beauty.

It is extremely difficult to make someone feel beautiful even with a simple procedure like a circumcision performed with a suture device.

Even I would find it difficult to achieve, let alone Ji Xiang, who is just a resident trainee.

No wonder Lao Mo asked him to come up and lend Ji Xiang a hand.

With Colonel Wang's assistance, Ji Xiang felt somewhat awkward, since the person beside him was far inferior to the system NPC, and every movement was several minutes slower.

Ji Xiang felt awkward, but it was usable.

Professor Mo opened his eyes; in his estimation, Ji Xiang had already completed the surgery.

However, Ji Xiang was a little slow this time, having just removed the safety buckle.

"Hmm?" Professor Mo responded with a puzzled "hmm".

He saw Ji Xiang grip the handle tightly and apply pressure for about 30 seconds, then release the knob to push the bell out, removing the bell case, and observe the incision, especially the frenulum, for any active bleeding.

Ji Xiang was very careful in observing whether there was any bleeding at the frenulum, just like a surgeon who had been through countless trials in the clinic for many years, or even just like a surgeon who had just experienced a medical accident.

As cautious as a bird startled by the twang of a bow.

"No need," Professor Mo thought to himself, but he felt more approval towards Ji Xiang, to the point that Mo Chenggui saw a kind of amazing radiance emanating from Ji Xiang.

Ji Xiang did a good job in the last surgery, but that was just good; he lacked the experience and maturity to handle it.

"Just one surgery and this kid has evolved into what he is now?" Professor Mo thought he was hallucinating and stood up to observe Ji Xiang's movements carefully.

Ji Xiang patiently pressed the ligament with gauze, observed it for at least 15 seconds, then nodded and began to apply pressure to the bandage.

"I've written down all the precautions for when we get back," Ji Xiang said while bandaging the wound. "There are some things you need to be careful about. After the surgery, the sky's the limit, there's no rush."

"Oh," the patient replied.

"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, that's all for later. Be patient and wait for all the titanium nails to fall off, otherwise there's a possibility of bleeding. If there's any oozing, don't panic, come to me for a dressing change," Ji Xiang earnestly advised at the end.

"Oh." The patient didn't understand what Ji Xiang meant, and he just subconsciously said "oh."

After seeing Ji Xiang see the patient off, Colonel Wang asked, "Old Mo, what does 'pluck the flower while it's in bloom' mean?"

"Do not waste your golden robes, but cherish your youth. Pluck the flower while it blooms, lest you break an empty branch when there are no flowers left."

They're all experienced drivers; they understand immediately.

Even without explicitly stating it, it's clear; Colonel Wang was simply afraid of misunderstanding it.

"Don't wait until there are no flowers left to break the branch, that's interesting." Colonel Wang laughed as he took off his surgical gown. "This young man has some skills; I didn't even understand his driving. The younger generation is coming on strong!"

(End of this chapter)