Chapter 113

Episode 113. The Orthopedist’s Father (2)

Bernard lay in his hospital bed, furrowing his brow. What the heck is going on here? My leg’s broken and I can’t even escape.

About half a dozen people in surgical gowns were gathered around Bernard’s bed. He looked around hoping someone might come to help him…

But no one did.

The doctors surrounding Mr. Bernard started discussing among themselves before bombarding the poor patient with questions:

“Is this the patient with the broken leg?”

“Did you feel severe pain when we fitted the device?”

“When do you think you’ll be able to walk again?”

“Can you try walking with crutches right now?”

“Did Professor Asterisk explain things to you?”

“What exactly did he say?”

Bernard was just an ordinary guy, so it took him a moment to grasp what was happening. From what he could tell, the method used for fixing his leg must be some new technique they hadn’t seen before.

Other healers probably wanted to learn this method. Bernard sighed deeply.

“I’m not sure, but I think it’s fine. They said I’ll recover soon…”

And then came another round of questions:

“Can you move your toes?”

“In which direction is the bone fractured?”

“Does your thigh hurt when you apply pressure?”

Bernard finally waved his hands in frustration.

“Look, how am I supposed to know all this?! Go ask that professor yourselves! I have no idea!”

Hmmph!

Bernard waved them off, and the group of gown-clad individuals muttered awkwardly as they left the room. Some were even taking notes.

*

Asterix Leg Fixator.

The academy professors decided to call the newly invented device by that name. Professor Klaus sat cross-legged at the table.

There were three professors seated.

The graduate student, Anne, quietly nibbled on cookies from the untouched plate while the professors sipped their tea.

Klaus spoke up.

“I attended Professor Asterisk’s lecture today—it was quite interesting. Dean Fisher, do you know how to balance an egg upright?”

The elderly dean shook his head.

“What about it?”

“Just crack the bottom of the egg. Once the base becomes flat, you can easily stand it upright, right?”

“That’s a boor’s solution.”

“Exactly.”

Professor Croftler set down his cup.

“In my opinion, both the auscultation device for listening to internal body sounds and this new leg-straightening apparatus are groundbreaking innovations.”

“Even you, Professor Croftler, saying such things? I thought you didn’t like him.”

The dean chuckled, but Croftler shook his head seriously.

“That’s beside the point. I use the auscultation device every day in clinical settings. It’s especially useful for diagnosing patients with colds, pneumonia, or tuberculosis.”

“Yes.”

“It’s simply helpful clinically.”

To a doctor, there aren’t many things more important than results.

“Some may think it’s a dumb solution, but if a bent leg gets straightened and tied, and a shortened leg gets pulled back into place, that’s good enough. It works.”

“True.”

Anne nodded while listening to the murmurs of the professors. She kept nibbling on the cookies because she hadn’t eaten properly today—might as well take advantage of the opportunity.

“We should gather the surgeons together and explain the usage and effects of the leg fixator. Let’s issue a statement.”

“That’s a good plan. Didn’t the auscultation device get distributed across the academy through symposiums? It became a must-learn new technology.”

Dean Fisher nodded. The professors continued their discussion on the new treatment methods.

Anne picked up the last remaining cookie.

“Anne, did you come here just to eat?”

Anne flinched at Professor Croftler’s words. All three professors turned their gaze toward the graduate student.

“Uh… yes?”

“What do you think, Anne?”

“Um… I’ve been listening! In my opinion, we need serious contemplation on bone conquest and fixation techniques. I believe Professor Asterisk’s invention is the most practical one.”

Anne glanced at the professors nervously. Croftler seemed satisfied and nodded.

“At least you’re worth the cost of these cookies.”

*

This is my ward.

Bernard, lying in bed, wore an irritated expression. Did something happen?

I opened the medical record and looked at the patient. Amy stood beside me.

“Hello, how are you doing?”

“Not great.”

“Is anything bothering you?”

“Last time, a bunch of doctors came into my room asking about how my leg was fixed.”

Oh yeah, that happened.

I scratched my head sheepishly. During a lecture, I heard about a patient being treated by Thomas Splint at the hospital, and several people rushed to the ward.

“Were there many visitors?”

“Yes.”

I understood the situation. If there’s a patient in the neighboring ward receiving treatment using new technology or inventions, it’s natural for medical students to want to observe.

“Sorry about that. My colleagues can be real boors sometimes. But your case will greatly help future leg injury treatments.”

“Oh, really?”

The patient looked at the splint on his leg.

“So this is the new technology?”

“You could say that.”

“Meeting Professor Asterisk was truly lucky for me. I could have died or become permanently disabled, but now it’ll just take a few weeks of rest.”

I nodded. Someone else might not have achieved the same result. That’s just how it goes sometimes.

The patient continued talking.

“Someone I know broke their leg in the construction site and passed away. That’s why I pushed hard to come to the Academy Hospital.”

“That’s unfortunate. We’re researching ways to prevent such incidents. The reason those people bothered you earlier was because they wanted to learn how to treat cases like yours better.”

“I understand.”

“Back to the topic. Are you experiencing any other discomfort? Is there any part of the splint rubbing your skin?”

“I’ve developed some calluses.”

“Ouch.”

It’s likely not a major problem, but ignoring it feels unsettling. There’s always a chance something could go wrong.

“Otherwise, everything’s fine.”

“Let me check where the callus formed. We can either apply a bandage or some ointment.”

“I know that much already.”

“Still, we need to confirm.”

This is also one of the advantages of the Thomas Splint. It allows us to monitor the wound area even while wearing the splint. When parts are hidden, the risk of problems increases significantly.

Under a plaster cast, even small wounds can develop into severe gangrene. Plaster casts are often unsuitable for open wounds.

We still need to check the areas where calluses have formed.

“I’d like to write a paper based on your case so future generations can receive better treatment. Would you agree to that?”

In truth, the empire lacks laws regarding medical ethics or portrait rights, so even without consent, nothing can be done if a patient’s case is written into a paper. This is just out of courtesy.

“Sure, of course.”

I nodded.

*

One task remains.

Elise visited the clinic as promised.

We had already planned the treatment: minimizing toxin exposure and prescribing medication to help expel arsenic.

Since arsenic doesn’t accumulate much in the body, taking the medicine should improve the condition significantly. Honestly, it wasn’t even clear if any symptoms existed yet.

However, one concern remained: peripheral neuropathy caused by arsenic exposure has no guaranteed cure.

I needed to conduct an examination.

“You came because I asked you to, right?”

“Yes.”

“Are you experiencing any special discomfort?”

“Not really sure.”

I opened the medical record.

“Hmm. Since the toxin exposure was gradual in this case, you might not have noticed any symptoms. After removing the arsenic with medication, you might start feeling differences.”

“What kind of symptoms could appear?”

“Hypothetically, rashes, respiratory issues, or peripheral neuropathy. But you mentioned you haven’t experienced any symptoms yet, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. Have you thrown away all green clothes and stopped using eye drops?”

“I intend to. I’ve already discarded them.”

“That should be fine then.”

Elise crossed her legs again.

“Could you place both hands on the desk?”

“Why?”

“I want to test the sensation in your fingertips.”

The biggest concern is damage to peripheral nerves.

Elise placed her hands on the desk, and I prodded each finger joint symmetrically with a toothpick. She frowned slightly.

“Does this diagnose anything?”

“Are there any points where the sensation differs between your left and right sides?”

After thinking for a moment, Elise shook her head.

Looks like there’s no peripheral neuropathy. Young people would likely notice if they had such damage; it wouldn’t go unnoticed.

“Shouldn’t we check movement too?”

“No need, since the nerves controlling finger movement aren’t part of the peripheral system. Are your fingers moving fine?”

“Yes.”

Ugh, so anticlimactic.

Elise withdrew her hands.

“Well, since it’s not a serious illness, that’s a relief. By the way, Professor Asterisk, did you receive the letter I sent about investments?”

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