Chapter 34: The Knife is Mine [1]
“We need to move him inside. Dolseok, Makbong!”
“Yes, young master!”
Dolseok and Makbong were much stronger than the two men who had brought the patient.
Kang-hyuk had to give some instructions.
‘With a head injury like that… there’s likely trauma to the neck or other areas too.’
They couldn’t risk moving him carelessly.
Any movement could worsen the patient’s condition.
‘This might already be a lost cause.’
Kang-hyuk was used to handing over patients to well-trained paramedics, but this was the first time he had dealt with someone moved in such a reckless state.
“Alright, Makbong, you hold his head. Dolseok, grab his legs. I’ll support his back and neck. Let’s get him inside.”
“Like this?”
“Yes, just like that.”
“Got it.”
With the three of them working together, they moved quickly.
Kang-hyuk carefully laid the patient down on the mat.
Dolseok promptly closed the door.
The two men who had brought the injured man shouted something from outside but didn’t dare come in.
‘He’s unconscious.’
That wasn’t a good sign.
“Dolseok, take his blood pressure.”
“Yes, right away.”
“Yeon, bring some boiled water.”
“Yes, sir.”
Fortunately, both Dolseok and Yeon had become competent assistants.
This gave Kang-hyuk more time to assess the patient’s condition.
‘The skull isn’t fractured… but what about his eyes?’
He shined a penlight into the patient’s pupils.
The pupil reflex was normal, but the surface of the eyes showed some swelling.
There were no signs of bruising around the eyes.
A CT scan would have been ideal, but he had to make do with the available clues.
“There’s increased intraocular pressure. This indicates a brain hemorrhage. No signs of a basal skull fracture, though.”
The unfamiliar tools and terms made Heo Jun, standing at the doorway, visibly uneasy.
This method of treatment was unlike anything he had ever seen.
“Scholar Baek, what exactly are you doing?”
There was no reproach in Heo Jun’s voice, only pure curiosity as a fellow physician.
He clearly had an open mind.
‘Thank goodness for that.’
Had it been someone like Jeong Chang-gwon, they would have thrown a fit by now.
“I don’t have time for a detailed explanation. What’s certain is that if we don’t act now, this man will die.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
There was no doubt about Heo Jun’s expertise, but for now, Dolseok and Yeon would be more useful.
Their practical knowledge aligned better with the situation.
“Let me return the favor for what I’ve learned from you so far.”
“Hmm.”
Heo Jun let out a brief hum of frustration, his hands itching to intervene.
‘He’s a true physician.’
Heo Jun was cut from a different cloth—an admirable one.
He remained silently observant, watching Kang-hyuk’s every move.
“Wake up! What’s your name?” Kang-hyuk called out while pressing firmly on the patient’s chest.
There was no response.
“He’s in a coma.”
“Give me some scissors!”
Without hesitation, Kang-hyuk began shaving the patient’s head.
“Why are you shaving his head?”
“You want to just let him die?”
Dolseok hesitated but ultimately yielded.
Though unconventional, Kang-hyuk’s approach carried a sense of authority and purpose.
Heo Jun’s apprehension faded, replaced by admiration and anticipation.
“Alright. I’ll keep watching.”
‘And I’ll explain when I have the chance.’
Kang-hyuk wasn’t optimistic about having that opportunity, though.
Blood was seeping steadily from the torn scalp.
It was inevitable, given how well the scalp was supplied with blood.
‘Damn it. I can’t cauterize this…’
There were metal tools available, but they were too large, risking severe burns.
The patient might die from the burns instead of the injury.
‘Pressure should stop the bleeding. I’ve already administered a vasoconstrictor.’
It was a brute-force solution, but it was the only one available.
As long as no major blood vessels were severed, pressure alone would suffice.
“Here, press on this with the gauze,” Kang-hyuk instructed Dolseok.
“Uh… It’s going to get bloody, isn’t it?”
“You’re wearing gloves.”
“Still, it feels…”
“Today’s going to be messy. Get used to it. Yeon, are you okay?”
Though Dolseok was grumbling, he had experience—he had assisted with Yi Sun-Shin’s surgery, after all.
Yeon, on the other hand, had only helped with minor treatments, so Kang-hyuk wasn’t sure how she would handle it.
As expected, Yeon nodded resolutely.
“I’m fine.”
“Good. Let’s do this.”
Kang-hyuk picked up the scalpel.
The usual relaxed atmosphere was replaced with a heavy tension.
‘Can I pull this off?’
Even for someone as skilled as Kang-hyuk, performing brain surgery in a thatched house was daunting.
‘If I fail, he dies.’
It was clear the patient wasn’t from a high social class.
It would be a tragic end after a life full of hardship.
‘No one else can do this but me.’
Even the renowned Heo Jun wouldn’t dare touch this wound.
In Joseon, this was an injury with no hope of survival.
Realizing this, Kang-hyuk felt oddly calm.
-Bzzzt-
With a careful hand, he extended the incision along the scalp.
“Hold it open. Yeoju, sketch what you can.”
“Ah… Yes, young master.”
“Yes.”
Using the tools Kang-hyuk provided, Yeon pulled the wound open.
The sound of metal scraping against bone was unsettling.
-Swish, swish-
Standing behind them, Yeoju worked quickly, sketching the scene with precision.
This was far more intense than drawing medicinal herbs.
When else would she have the chance to witness and document such a scene?
“Hand me the hammer and chisel.”
“Uh… Do you really need them?”
The bleeding had slowed somewhat, thanks to Dolseok’s efforts.
However, Dolseok’s expression darkened at the mention of the hammer and chisel.
The sight of the exposed white bone was unsettling.
“If I ask for it, give it to me.”
“Ugh.”
Dolseok hesitated, glancing at Heo Jun.
While Yeon and Yeoju trusted Kang-hyuk implicitly, Dolseok wasn’t sure how Heo Jun would react.
But Heo Jun surprised them.
“If the master asks for it, give it to him. What are you waiting for?”
“Ah, yes, sir!”
Dolseok handed over the hammer and chisel, looking sheepish.
“You listen to him but not me?”
“I… I’m sorry, young master.”
“Hold it steady. If it slips, it’ll be a disaster.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Yeon, help him.”
“Yes.”
Holding a bloody head still was no easy task, but Dolseok and Yeon did their best.
Kang-hyuk raised the hammer.
“Here we go.”
“Hngh…”
Dolseok let out an involuntary whimper.
And then came the sound they dreaded.
-Thunk, thunk-
Something fine and powdery landed on Dolseok’s hand—bone dust.
‘This is brutal.’
Dolseok grimaced and shook his head in disbelief.
“Hold it steady, or he’ll die!” Kang-hyuk barked.
The sheer force in his voice was terrifying.
It wasn’t clear whether he was referring to the patient or Dolseok himself.
Dolseok gripped the head even tighter.
“Yes, sir!”
The chilling sound of bone being chiseled echoed again.
-Thunk, thunk-
White bone fragments flew in all directions.
Even Yeoju, who had been diligently sketching, had to turn away momentarily.
What was even more unsettling was that Kang-hyuk’s face grew brighter with each strike.
“It’s working. Just a bit more!”
“Y-yes, sir!”
They had no choice but to follow his lead.
Who knew where that hammer might land next if they didn’t?
Kang-hyuk marveled at how well the hammer and chisel fit in his hands.
‘I’ve always used a drill, but this isn’t bad.’
It required more effort, but it was surprisingly efficient.
There was little difference in precision, too.
“Impressive,” Heo Jun murmured in admiration.
While Dolseok and Yeon couldn’t see what Kang-hyuk was doing, Heo Jun observed everything clearly.
Each tap of the hammer advanced the chisel ever so slightly.
It was nothing short of masterful.
-Crack-
With a satisfying sound, a small hole appeared in the patient’s skull.
A perfectly round opening, as if drawn with a compass.
“Alright, let’s open it up.”
Kang-hyuk removed the circular piece of bone.
Immediately, dark blood gushed out, relieving the pressure on the brain.
The patient’s condition stabilized almost instantly.
‘Just as I thought—a subdural hemorrhage.’
Amid the clotted dark blood, fresh red veins became visible.
If the bleeding had been deeper within the brain, there would have been no saving him.
At least, not here.
“We’re halfway done. Dolseok, keep holding him. Yeon, help me out.”
“Yes, sir!”
“See that spot where the blood’s coming from?”
“Yes.”
“Do you see it too, Master Heo?”
“Indeed. So, this is what the inside of a human head looks like…”
It was likely Heo Jun’s first time seeing a brain.
Even Kang-hyuk had only seen one up close during his medical training.
“Fortunately, it’s a vein, not an artery.”
“What’s the difference?” Heo Jun asked, blinking in confusion.
Dolseok and Yeon wore similar puzzled expressions.
‘Right, of course.’
Basic medical knowledge from the 21st century was an enigma in this era.
Kang-hyuk was reminded, once again, that he was in Joseon.
“I’ll explain in detail later. For now, we need to stop the bleeding.”
“Understood.”
Heo Jun accepted Kang-hyuk’s words without hesitation, while Dolseok and Yeon obeyed without question.
Kang-hyuk turned his attention back to the patient.
‘With a vein like this, tying it off should be enough.’
If it had been an artery, things would have been much more complicated.
“Give me the thread.”
“Here, sir.”
Yeon handed him a black thread, making sure to hold the wound open for better visibility.
“Nice touch.”
“Pardon?”
“Good job.”
“Thank you.”
Kang-hyuk’s years of experience as a professor shone through as he deftly tied off the vein.
The bleeding stopped, and the patient’s condition stabilized further.
‘Now comes the real challenge.’
Without general anesthesia, surgery was an act of sheer brutality.
No wonder medical history often emphasized the importance of anesthesia over surgical techniques.
No one would willingly endure brain surgery without anesthesia—it could cause shock or worse.
‘Once he wakes up, he’ll move.’
And that would spell disaster.
The wound needed to be sutured before he regained consciousness—or they had to restrain him.
‘Suturing isn’t an option. We’ll have to hold him down.’
Fortunately, there was one person up for the task.
“Makbong! Stop standing around and hold this man down!”
“Uh, yes! Right away!”