The four of them walked briskly and arrived at the village.
Taesu urged them toward the operating room while keeping a close eye on Jo Jeongmin’s condition.
“Hnnng.”
The groaning repeatedly swelled and faded.
It meant his condition was severely unstable.
They were only maintaining this state thanks to the administration of fairly strong painkillers.
He had considered administering morphine.
But he held back because the operating room was near.
Right now, getting into the operating room quickly was more realistic than stopping even for a moment.
Just then, Jeong Minsu’s voice came from up ahead.
“Taesu, up front.”
“Why…… Hmm.”
Taesu looked up and scanned his surroundings, letting out a heavy exclamation.
All the villagers were out in the streets.
Their faces were filled with worry, but no one approached.
However, some villagers were positioned in the front yard of the operating room.
Among them, the most hot-tempered and strongly built elder was restless, unable to keep still.
Taesu knew him all too well.
He was the youngest of the three elders who always went around together.
And he was also Jo Jeongmin’s paternal grandfather.
Elder Jo was being held back by Elder Jeon and Elder An, who stood at his sides.
“Oh, my grandson. Jeongmin.”
His sorrowful cry was steeped in raw anguish.
Elder Wang merely watched with a devastated expression, supported by a villager.
Fortunately, no one was blocking the way ahead.
Thanks to that, the path to the operating room was completely clear.
Taesu spoke to all those carrying the stretcher with him.
“We’re going straight through.”
His voice carried a commanding pressure.
It wasn’t that none of them wanted to say something.
But there was no time to delay for even a moment.
Jeong Minsu, of course, and Gang Yeonghun and Kim Gwanghyeon all understood the severity of the situation.
“…….”
“…….”
No one said a word.
They only urged their steps toward the operating room.
With everyone’s gazes burning into their backs, they entered the operating room.
The moment they entered, disinfectant met them.
*Chik, chik.*
“What the hell is all this commotion?”
Kim Hyeokgwon walked straight to the operating table, sprayed by disinfectant from a mister.
“Slowly. All the way to the end, slowly.”
“Careful.”
The four of them carefully lowered the stretcher.
*Thud.*
The instant the stretcher touched the operating table, Gang Yeonghun and Kim Gwanghyeon quickly stepped back and said,
“Doctors, please take good care of our Jeongmin.”
“Please bring him through safely.”
They too seemed aware of the severity as they quickly exited the operating room.
*Thud.*
It was the moment the door shut.
Taesu ordered Jeong Minsu and Kim Hyeokgwon with fire in his eyes.
“Minsu, intubation.”
“Got it.”
“Mr. Hyeokgwon, connect the ECG.”
“Let’s do it.”
*Swish.*
The two quickly dispersed.
At the same time, Taesu reached the IV stand.
Blood packs and glucose prepared by Kim Hyeokgwon were hanging there.
Taesu grabbed a needle and headed for Jo Jeongmin’s arm.
*It’s hidden.*
The blood vessels were faintly visible due to severe bleeding.
But the light was there.
Taesu’s concentration had peaked as well.
“…….”
*Shhk.*
Taesu pushed the needle into the arm with bold speed.
Immediately, he opened both the blood pack and glucose to maximum flow.
It had taken only a single attempt, but it was connected properly and flowing in well.
Then Jeong Minsu’s voice was heard.
“Respirator connected.”
“ECG connected too.”
*Beeeeep. Beep-beep-beep.*
The ECG sound, which had been emitting a long tone, changed urgently.
Numbers and graphs appeared on the monitor.
The vitals were so disastrous it made one’s hair stand on end.
Taesu boldly vacated his position and shouted.
“Minsu, switch.”
“Going in.”
Jeong Minsu, who had quickly taken the vacated spot, grabbed the blood pack and glucose directly.
*Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze.*
His repeated, rapid squeezing was a sight to behold.
At the same time, Taesu, who had left his spot, was at the anesthesiologist’s position.
“Anesthesia machine activated.”
“Okay.”
“Anesthesia gas…….”
Taesu recited the checklist with concentration.
It was a formal procedure, but it was something everyone needed to hear.
In the meantime, Jeong Minsu was giving orders to Kim Hyeokgwon.
“Mr. Hyeokgwon, tear the patient’s clothes and pour disinfectant over the wound.”
“Let’s do it.”
*Shriiik.*
Kim Hyeokgwon hurriedly moved the scissors and completely tore off Jo Jeongmin’s top.
Looking at the exposed flesh, he frowned deeply.
“What the hell is this.”
They had no energy to spare for that irritation.
Taesu soon shouted to announce the anesthesia status.
“General anesthesia complete, muscle relaxant administered. Oxygen flow is set.”
“I’ve switched the blood pack and glucose once.”
“Then emergency surgery begins at this time.”
Taesu declared urgently.
At that moment, Jeong Minsu looked down at himself and turned his head.
“Surgical scrubs…… Like hell.”
“We don’t have time to put on surgical gowns. Just disinfect your hands.”
Taesu faithfully practiced what he had just said.
*Splash. Swish.*
He disinfected his hands and immediately put on surgical gloves.
Preparations complete.
Surgical scrubs? Surgical gowns?
Even the time to put on masks and surgical caps was a luxury.
Taesu, his heart as cold and grim as it could be, sought out Jeong Minsu first.
“Minsu, the transfusion?”
“I’m squeezing it.”
“Hang up double.”
“Huh?”
Jeong Minsu flinched and looked up.
His expression suggested a bad feeling.
Meanwhile, Taesu moved away from the anesthesia machine and walked toward the operating table.
*Thud, thud.*
His steps felt almost slow.
His gaze was fixed solely on the branch.
“I’m pulling it out.”
Taesu muttered softly.
Jeong Minsu heard that.
“That bastard…… Hurry, hurry.”
*Clack-clack.*
Jeong Minsu nimbly hung up as many blood packs and glucose bags as he could.
Then Kim Hyeokgwon approached, his arms full of hot packs, shaking them.
*Swish-swish-swish.*
He pushed the hot packs one by one underneath Jo Jeongmin’s body.
The moment his hands were free, Jeong Minsu called out.
“Mr. Hyeokgwon, switch.”
“Switching.”
*Swish, rustle.*
Kim Hyeokgwon filled the empty spot.
Jeong Minsu, who had stepped back, urgently gathered syringes.
“Pentaspan, and…… Lidocaine, calcium, and magnesium.”
In an instant, he drew the medicines with syringes and injected them directly through the rubber port of the IV.
There was a reason Jeong Minsu was hurrying.
Taesu had arrived in front of the branch.
He raised his hand and gripped the branch.
“…….”
After a brief pause.
He pulled the branch straight out.
*Rrrip.*
A horrifying sound of tearing muscle echoed.
It hadn’t even been a minute since the muscle relaxant was administered.
The force of the muscles contracting was tremendous.
Taesu didn’t care.
*Heup.*
*Shhk.*
In the end, he pulled it out.
But its length was longer than expected.
“This…….”
“Taesu, even from here it looks over twenty centimeters.”
“The bleeding is getting worse.”
“What? Ugh…… Damn it.”
Jeong Minsu was startled.
Now was not the time for Jeong Minsu to prepare syringes.
He immediately delegated to Kim Hyeokgwon.
“You only need to add calcium and magnesium.”
“Roger.”
“Going in.”
*Scrub-scrub-scrub.*
Jeong Minsu rubbed his hands frantically with disinfectant and headed for the operating table.
Then Kim Hyeokgwon, who was adding the injections, looked for Taesu.
“Dr. Choe. We don’t have that much blood left.”
“Pour in everything we have for now.”
Taesu, who had given the order, was holding the suction.
*Gurgle, gurgle.*
He was pushing it deep inside the wound.
Then he picked up the scalpel and made a long incision in the abdomen, centering on the hole.
*Slice.*
As the belly split open, the bleeding increased even more.
The interior was an impenetrable fog of crimson surging waves.
“Hoo.”
“Taesu, I’m her—…… Huk.”
“The retractor first.”
“Got it.”
*Click, click.*
Jeong Minsu urgently found it and immediately began installing the retractor.
The wound slowly opened left and right.
In the meantime, Taesu scattered gauze over the affected area first.
The white gauze was instantly drenched full of red blood.
*Plop, plop.*
Taesu picked them up one by one with the Mixter and simply dropped them on the operating room floor.
This was bleeding that the suction couldn’t handle alone.
There was only one possibility in a situation like this.
“I think a vein was hit.”
“Which vein?”
“We have to find out. So, the retractor?”
“Nng, installation complete. You just stop the bleeding.”
Jeong Minsu quickly grabbed the suction.
He seemed determined to clear away the bleeding himself.
It wasn’t just talk.
He repeatedly scattered and removed gauze with one hand.
*Swish-swish-swish.*
It was remarkably fast.
And with the suction on top of that.
He was doing the work of two people alone.
When the mind is driven to desperation, one can’t help but find a way.
Taesu was no different.
He added bulldog clamps to the forceps he was holding.
And using the bright light as a lighthouse, he began finding the cause through the raging torrent of blood.
“Urk, uup, eek.”
Various groans burst from Taesu’s mouth.
He had to wrestle with intestines resisting external intrusion to find the blood vessel.
Whether it was thanks to his mountain life, not only Jo Jeongmin’s muscles but even his intestines were firm.
But Taesu’s desperation to save a life was more intense.
*Shhk, slice.*
He pushed the resisting intestines aside and dug inward.
When Taesu found direction, Jeong Minsu nimbly assisted with suction.
“Here.”
“I’m going…… Suction.”
“Moving to the side.”
“Got it.”
Their teamwork was as good as ever.
But the source of the bleeding refused to reveal itself easily.
*Beep-beep-beep.*
At the continued bleeding, the ECG sound pierced sharply and urgently.
Taesu and Jeong Minsu knew it too.
But they absolutely could not stop until they caught the bleeding.
“Nng.”
“Hngh.”
As much force was exerted, various grunts flowed out.
Only after moving his hands several more times did he push the intestines aside.
Having passed through the twisted and coiled intestines, now an even larger organ blocked the way.
It was the liver.
But the liver’s color was somewhat strange.