“Maomao. That’s enough,” Luomen said.
Maomao didn’t say anything. She would have liked to add two or three more choice bits of invective, but she refrained. It was more important to hurry up so they could resume the surgery.
The moment they walked into the operating room, Luomen went to work. They couldn’t leave things one moment longer with the abdomen already cut open.
Maomao held Luomen up so he wouldn’t get tired. The second assistant became the first assistant, the backup assistant became the second assistant, and Tall Senior served as the third assistant.
“Scalpel,” Luomen said.
“Sir,” the first assistant said, passing him a fresh knife as he stabilized the surgical site. The second assistant kept mopping up blood and filth with gauze, producing an ever-growing pile of the stuff stained yellowish-red. The third assistant—that is, Tall Senior—took the used gauze and threw it away, then brought fresh; he was especially busy.
We could probably use one more assistant just to do the little chores.
Luomen cut carefully and precisely. As the blood was wiped away, they could see the object of their operation.
“I suppose I’m glad it was indeed appendicitis,” said Luomen. The organ, like a protruding worm, was attached to the large intestine.
The assistants looked at Luomen, worried. Their heads and mouths were covered with cloth to ensure that no saliva or hair got into the incision, but just their exposed eyes were enough to show how shaken they were.
“Why so shocked? We’ve done this procedure before. You were with me, Xiaodong.” It was the name of one of the other men—the first assistant nodded. “As we expected, filth has come out of the appendix. But it hasn’t been very long, so if we keep our cool and clean it up, it should be fine. Shensong is always attentive to detail. I know he can handle this.”
The second assistant nodded too.
“And—Dr. Wang, isn’t it? I’m sorry, I don’t remember your given name. I know you’re a man of fortitude. Just keep up the work you’re doing.”
“My given name is also Wang, sir. A different character.”
“Ah, I see. I’ll remember that.”
Wang Wang...
In that moment, Maomao learned Tall Senior’s name. She found it inspired an unexpected sense of closeness to him.
Luomen began to gently peel the appendix away from the large intestine, working quickly but very carefully so as not to damage the latter.
My old man is incredible, Maomao thought, unable to suppress the shock of amazement as she watched his hands move. She saw Dr. Liu had had a very good reason for including him on the surgical team.
Luomen, however, lacked one very important thing.
Maomao could feel him growing heavier and heavier as he leaned against her.
Luomen had lost a kneecap when he had been sentenced to physical mutilation. Hence, he had trouble walking, as well as standing for long periods. Maomao had spent many years ministering to Luomen, so she knew the knack for helping him stand. But amid the tension of surgery, even Luomen grew tired, no matter how accomplished he was.
Sweat dribbled down Luomen’s forehead, and (Tall) Senior Wang Wang wiped it away.
Once the appendix was successfully detached from the large intestine, Luomen grabbed it with a pair of tweezers. “Can you hold this?” he asked the first assistant.
“Yes, sir,” the other man said, taking the tweezers.
“Make sure you hold it up, but don’t pull too hard.”
Luomen fixed the wormlike part in place. His work was still exemplary, but his movements lacked the crispness they’d had earlier. He was growing ever heavier against Maomao. She gritted her teeth, holding him up with all her strength.
Come on, hurry!
Maomao was starting to panic. An hour had passed in the blink of an eye.
The wormlike part had been cut away and placed in a metal tray. There were careful stitches in the large intestine.
Yikes...
Luomen had to concentrate until it was completely finished. Maomao felt his weight slump against her; she struggled to hold him up, but he fell to his knees.
“Are you all right?!” Senior Wang Wang exclaimed, helping Luomen up.
“Do pardon me...”
Luomen was white as a sheet. He was pushing himself, and they all knew it. His hand was trembling. His breath came hard. Wang Wang helped him to a chair, but it was clear he couldn’t wield the scalpel anymore.
He’d taken out the source of the problem, but the belly was still open.
“The operation isn’t over yet,” he said.
All that’s left is to sew it up.
The first and second assistants wore expressions that said I can’t. They were completely terrified.
Dr. Wang Wang didn’t look much better, but he at least had the presence of mind to summon help from outside the operating room. Maomao doubted, however, that there would be any doctors able and willing to sew up the jade body.
Maomao filled in for Wang Wang, preparing the needle and thread.
If no one else is going to do it, I will, she thought. Otherwise, this would never be over.
“Pops, keep an eye on me and make sure I get this right.”
Maomao picked up the needle, which was shaped like a fish hook, with a pair of tweezers. Her left shoulder was going numb from supporting her father for so long.
It’s all right. It’s all right.
Her right hand felt fine.
This is the first time I’ve done this on a real person’s abdomen...
She’d sewn people’s arms and legs a few times before, though, and had assisted at several surgeries.
I can do this.
“Hullo. Trade out, if you please.”
Maomao’s attempts to psych herself up were interrupted by a breezy voice. A man was standing next to her, and the coverings around his mouth and head couldn’t conceal the intense curiosity in his eyes.
“What are you here for, Tianyu?”
“You were always nasty to me, Niangniang, but now you’ve given up even the pretense of being polite.” Tianyu snatched the tweezers from her.
“Give that back!” Maomao tried to grab them from him, but a tingle shot through her arm as she reached for them, and she was left scowling.
“Don’t think so. Tell me, is your left arm tingling? You can’t sew like that, can you?”
He was right, but since no one else was volunteering, she had no choice.
“I thought you weren’t interested in a normal human body that didn’t flow with golden blood.”
“That’s true.”
“Then get out. The only thing here is a normal person that we happen to describe as having a jade body. If he dies, he’ll be just a normal lump of meat. I’m not going to get thrown to the wolves just because you’re not personally interested. I don’t care if you die, but do it on your own. Me and the rest of the medical staff happen to like living!”
“But if I don’t do this, you’ll cut off my fingers and dry them for prizes, right? Let me—what’s the expression?—get my honor back.”
“Like hell. You can’t half-ass this! Now scram, you’re in my way.” Maomao stamped her feet.
“Maomao. Calm down,” said Luomen. Auntie Liu had come in at some point and given him a damp rag.
✦ ✦ ✦
✦ ✦ ✦
“Say, mister. If this surgery succeeds, we’ll get to do harder and harder operations, won’t we?” Tianyu asked.
Who’s he calling mister?!
Now Maomao was angry that Tianyu had dreamed up this obnoxious way to refer to her old man. But Luomen simply said, “That’s right. There are many people in this world with strange diseases or born with unusual anatomies. There are even some people whose organs are all flip-flopped.”
“Oooh!” Tianyu’s eyes shone.
Dr. Liu came in, a bandage wrapped around his hand. It was still stained with red. “If you want to see the most-interesting cases, you have to become a doctor worthy of meeting those patients. Don’t decide whether to do surgery just based on your personal feelings.”
“I’m not saying I won’t do it,” Tianyu objected.
“Then do it! Show skills that will have your patients begging you to work on them. You hear me?”
Tianyu’s eyes went from goggling to completely focused. He was looking at the Emperor’s still-open surgical site.
Maomao watched him silently. She bit her lip, but there was nothing she could do. Tianyu was better at suturing than she was. He’d proven that all too well with Xiaohong.
“Maomao,” said Dr. Liu. “Watch him closely to make sure he doesn’t get any funny ideas.”
“Yes sir,” she said, and Dr. Liu left again. Luomen was obviously still tired, but he at least stuck around to observe.
“Since you’re here, Niangniang, you might as well be my assistant. I think you get how I work better than the other doctors.”
Maomao still didn’t say anything. Feeling deeply humiliated, she prepared a fresh needle and scissors.
I swear, I swear, I’m going to get better than this guy!
Infuriated though she was, Maomao still watched Tianyu’s quick, delicate work, intent on absorbing everything she could.