James's low voice was heard.
"We can save him well enough."
"……."
"Doctor Choe, isn't that right?"
It was a question predicated on the premise that the patient could be saved.
In other words, it also meant to answer how they would save him.
James asking a question during surgery?
It was quite different from the style Taesu had experienced from him.
But there was a reason for it.
The low sound of an order from Dr. Ijaksun, the anesthesiologist, was heard.
"Nurse Ellen. Come over here for a moment."
"Yes."
"I'll need your help. First, hang four blood packs for me."
"Okay."
"Then I'll……."
Rustle.
Dr. Ijaksun began preparing the medications he would need afterwards.
The vitals, which changed from moment to moment, also needed his attention.
His two legs moved swiftly left and right, not even knowing they were tired.
Only after hearing that did Taesu grasp James's intention behind the question.
He was buying time for Dr. Ijaksun.
With the most indifferent expression in the world, he was taking stock of every corner of the operating room.
'Such a sly fox……. Huh.'
Taesu was himself quite flustered, realizing he had been thinking of it as speaking ill of James.
It was a nickname that had suddenly popped out from Kaprene's memories.
The word 'sly' was not exactly a good meaning.
On the other hand, if it was something said jokingly between friends, the meaning changed.
It was a nickname attached with exactly that meaning.
James had called Kaprene a 'cunning wolf.'
It was a nickname mixed with various meanings, as they were the closest of friends and also rivals.
Now Taesu clearly understood that James had asked the question to buy preparation time.
Therefore, Taesu had to give an appropriate answer in return.
At Taesu's current skill level?
The probability of failing to save him was overwhelmingly high.
That was the truth.
But if they drew upon Kaprene's experience, the story changed.
In that moment, Taesu's eyes flashed.
They could save him.
As soon as that memory came to mind, Taesu couldn't help but inwardly exclaim in admiration.
But this was not the time to let out that admiration.
Hiding it, he answered first.
"Extract the bone and cause as much bleeding as possible."
That voice caused no small stir throughout the entire operating room.
First, Bread Gim and Jeong Minsu's eyes went wide.
'Cause as much bleeding as possible in the spleen? He'll die of excessive bleeding.'
'Hey, get a hold of yourself, man. Wake up and participate.'
From the opposite side, Bread Gim sent a frantic signal, blinking his eyes at Taesu like mad.
On the other hand, Dr. Ijaksun paused for a moment and looked at Taesu.
"……."
Click, click.
That expression lasted only a moment.
He formed a faint smile and continued his preparatory movements.
Finally, a small flicker of interest flashed through James's eyes.
But because of his cautious nature, he wanted to hear what came next.
"Aren't you already causing bleeding through the drainage tube?"
"But the blood clots aren't being expelled."
"Then?"
"If we push out the blood clots with bleeding, and proceed with the other necrotic areas via subtotal resection, I think it's possible."
As soon as Taesu finished answering, James posed another question.
"Do you have experience?"
"No. In the field, we couldn't prepare that much blood, nor could we secure a suitable environment for surgery."
"Then how are you proposing such a method?"
"I thought about it countless times. In similar cases, we had no choice but to remove the spleen entirely."
Strength entered Taesu's eyes as he answered.
The explanation of the surgical method was indeed an application of Kaprene's memories.
On the other hand, the unfortunate situations were also true.
A bitter feeling flashed through James's sharp gaze.
"I see."
"You can survive without a spleen, but it has a direct impact on immunity."
"It would be significantly weakened."
"I found that regrettable, so I tried to devise a surgical method even in the field. Though I haven't found a suitable one yet."
Taesu finished his answer heavily.
At that moment, Dr. Ijaksun's voice was heard faintly.
"Doctor, all preparations are complete."
Nod.
James gave a light nod.
And then he said something that made Taesu jump in surprise.
"Don't be bound by Kaprene's splenectomy method. That wasn't even a method he devised."
"Huh."
"Send the old surgical method to the museum; it would be best to refer to a more developed one."
"Th-that……."
Taesu was so surprised he couldn't speak for a moment.
But James didn't look like he intended to wait.
Swish.
He immediately adjusted his grip on the surgical instrument and declared in a low voice.
"We'll proceed with Autografting."
At those words, Bread Gim showed an intense reaction.
"Gasp."
"Bread, what is it?"
"What do you mean, what? Doctor Jeong, you don't know Doctor James's autografting?"
"Autografting is also called self-transplantation, and is usually called isogeneic transplantation as well."
Jeong Minsu gave a textbook answer, but Bread Gim scrunched up his face.
"Who's asking about the meaning?"
"Then?"
"It's the signature surgery that made Doctor James acknowledged as the world's greatest surgeon."
"But it's a surgery that's existed since before."
Jeong Minsu's eyes just stared blankly.
Since he had been aiming for thoracic surgery, he only knew that James was an amazing doctor.
Bread Gim opened his mouth with a feeling of wanting to pound his chest in frustration.
"That surgery……."
At that moment, Taesu's voice quickly cut in.
"What are you doing."
"Huh? ……Hup."
Bread Gim sharply drew his breath at James's glaring eyes directed at him.
Taesu had given a hint, but it was already too late.
James spoke in a cold voice.
"You seem quite relaxed."
"No, sir. I didn't know what we should be doing."
"Block the splenic artery and splenic vein first."
"Right away—no, I'll do it immediately."
Bread Gim rushed into action, his face turning deathly pale from tension.
Jeong Minsu couldn't even breathe.
It wasn't just those two who had gotten busy.
In the back, nurses Catherine and Lumière were away from their positions.
"The stuff we prepared earlier."
"I've got it. Mr. Gim."
At the urgent searching voice, Gim Hyeokgwon also grew frantic.
"Why? Wh-what should I help with?"
"Start with this, and this too."
"What the…… What are all these? Whoa, okay, okay, I'm doing it."
Gim Hyeokgwon startled and quickly moved his hands at the laser-like glares that would fly at him if he delayed.
Taesu's gaze turned to James for brief moments.
'The spleen with autografting?'
It was a surgical method currently utilized by many hospitals.
However, the affected area was one thing, but the environment was also restricted, making it quite difficult.
At least, that was what Kaprene's knowledge told him.
Therefore, Taesu was puzzled.
There was no way James didn't know that autografting would be difficult with the current operating room environment.
Of course, as Bread Gim had said, James boasted an unrivaled success rate in the field of autografting to the extent that it made him acknowledged as the world's greatest surgeon.
The situation was somewhat confusing.
As if noticing such Taesu, James asked in a low voice.
"Do you think I'm testing through the patient?"
"That's not it."
"But you seem to find it strange."
"My knowledge is lacking……."
Taesu answered as carefully as possible.
For his part, James asked without a single change in expression.
"Do you remember the Hippocratic Oath?"
"Of course."
"For us, that is the law."
The 'us' he spoke of were himself and Kaprene.
Taesu could realize that immediately.
But.
Law?
Taesu suddenly wondered what he was talking about.
"Huh?"
"We swore on the day we obtained our medical licenses. We said we wouldn't deviate from that oath until the moment we died."
"Until the moment…… you die?"
"Yes. I was happy to hear that he had asked Dr. Choe to recite it. It meant he hadn't forgotten. And neither have I."
James's eyes blazed intensely, having cut his words sharply.
It resonated so intensely with Taesu.
He had thought it was merely a belief that a doctor ought to have.
But he realized now that a lifelong promise was contained within it.
Kaprene, James.
Taesu was insanely jealous of the two's friendship and conviction.
And one more thing.
James's decision to perform a splenic autograft was a decision purely for the patient.
Now convinced, Taesu's expression also grew firm.
And a short while later.
Bread Gim's voice was heard repeatedly.
"I've secured the splenic artery."
"Spleen vein secured."
James shook out his hand lightly, surveying with the naked eye as he ordered.
"Splenic artery, clamp."
"Bulldog…… clamp complete."
"Ijaksun."
When James called out in a low voice, Dr. Ijaksun's heavy answer was heard.
"No abnormalities."
"Then Doctor Gim, proceed with the splenic vein clamp."
"……Done."
Bread Gim answered, raising his voice to the point of being stinging.
At the same time, Dr. Ijaksun's voice followed.
"Stand by for a moment…… a bit of potassium, more transfusion…… Yes, that's good."
It was simultaneous with his answer ending.
Swish.
A Metzenbaum approached with a thud right in front of James.
The hand that passed it over was directly from Taesu's direction.
James looked with sharp eyes.
No matter how he looked at it, it was a gaze rushing more actively into the surgery rather than merely observing a learning moment.
As if satisfied, James took the Metzenbaum.
And.
"Spleen extirpation."
"Extirpation commencing. ……Splenic artery cut, followed by splenic vein cut."
"Extirpation complete. Doctor Gim. You can manage the cleanup, right?"
At James's question, Bread Gim hardened his expression.
His previously flustered appearance was now filled with grave resolve to end things in one go.
"I will definitely see the cleanup through."
"Clean up with Doctor Jeong and come over."
James turned around immediately, holding the extirpated spleen.
In that moment, Bread Gim prodded Jeong Minsu in an uncharacteristic manner.
"Doctor Jeong, don't even think about breathing, just stick with me."
"Th-that…… suddenly?"
"What? You want me to just……."
"I'll stick with you."
Whether because he felt the fear that he might get hit, Jeong Minsu forced out courage he didn't have.
Bread Kim truly pressed him, perhaps having steeled his resolve.
"Here, hold this quickly."
"Yes."
"Is your left hand idle? Do I look like Makut's Bread to you right now?"
"No, sir."
Jeong Minsu was frozen stiff and busy just following the hand movements.
They say gentle people are scarier when they get angry; Bread Gim looked exactly like that.
Meanwhile, Taesu and James had stepped away from the operating table.
There, a medical cart was placed, and in the top compartment, a large basin was visible.
Red blood churned within it.
James first immersed the spleen in the blood and checked the time.
"Ijaksun, did you check the extirpation time?"
"Yes."
"Keep track of the time well."
"Understood."
Tension was contained in Dr. Ijaksun's answering voice.
It meant the surgery was of a degree that made the dedicated anesthesiologist of the world's greatest surgical team nervous.
Taesu's tension was no less, if not more.
He didn't even know the purpose of this special machine.
Next to the basin, a small surgical space was prepared, and surgical instruments were laid out as well.
Nurses Catherine and Lumière were standing close by on standby.