The departure preparations were completed in an instant.
“Teacher, the carriage has arrived!”
In less than 10 minutes, Boris brought the carriage, drawn by two energetic stallions.
As Tanya draped the gown she had brought over herself and tried to climb into the carriage, Chloe was struggling to pull along a box filled with surgical tools.
The knights, upon spotting her, quickly helped carry the box, and she let out a sigh of relief.
“You should have had the knights do it sooner.”
“Um, I-I would have had to speak to them first…”
“Just talk to them.”
“It’s not that easy….”
With Chloe’s head hanging low, Acella, with her long hair tied back, crossed her arms and approached me with a clack of her swift footsteps.
I whispered to Chloe, “Why did you bring the princess?”
“Um, I’m responsible for her right now. We can’t separate since she is out in public.”
“So you brought her with you? You could have just told her to wait at the marquisate.”
“It’s not that easy….”
Chloe’s shoulders slumped. Acella approached me, her expression incredulous.
“I couldn’t believe they would leave the lord unattended with only the physician and nurse!”
“It’s an emergency. Please understand.”
“I understand, but if I get into an emergency, you’ll have to take responsibility for me, too.”
Acella had a point. By the rules, Chloe should be left behind.
However, looking at the commoner man, it seemed a dire surgery might be needed.
Right now, I needed Chloe.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t ask for your permission in advance, your highness. Thank you for your understanding.”
“Sure. Just be ready to pay me for my troubles later.”
Pay me, huh?
Now with a few usable weapons at my disposal, it felt less burdensome than before.
Since I had already treated her to bubble tea, maybe next time I could treat her to tanghulu.
Acella waved her hand and got into a different carriage with the head maid and the guarding knights.
I got into the same carriage with Chloe, Tanya, Bruno, and the commoner man.
“T-Teacher! I don’t know how to express my gratitude. I haven’t learned anything… Please forgive my rudeness!”
The man bowed deeply, looking frantic.
“First, calm down and explain the situation. What’s your name?”
“Ah, yes! My name is Pal. I’m a farmer.”
“You said your wife is in a critical situation. Is she in labor?”
“That’s right. Even the village women are helping, but the baby just won’t come out… She’s losing strength.”
“What’s the time elapsed since the first contraction?”
“It’s been a day and a half.”
“That doesn’t sound good. Chloe, prepare the IV fluids.”
“Yes!”
Chloe replied, diligently taking notes beside me.
“I’ve heard so much about you. They say you’re doing incredible work as a royal physician in the marquisate, and when I heard you were in the mansion, I took the liberty to come find you.”
“Indeed, I am the royal physician.”
Bam! Tanya emphasized this to the man with a threatening footstep.
“The teacher treats the most important body in the Empire. Even now, he is sacrificing valuable time to attend to your wife. Be grateful.”
“O-of course! I can’t tell you how surprised I am that you arrived so quickly. With my wife dying, everything else faded away…”
I understood his feelings.
If Neira or my father were injured right before my eyes, I’d go into a frenzy too.
“Don’t be too hard on him. It’s a medical professional’s spirit to not underestimate any patient.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. To me, he’s just one among many patients, but to him, this is a once-in-a-lifetime diagnosis.”
“Just once for the patient… That makes sense.”
Chloe nodded in agreement.
Soon, we reached our destination.
It was a wheat field in the east of the marquisate. We got off in front of a small hut and entered immediately.
“Oh my, what a world!”
“The prince has arrived!”
The women attending to the patient expressed their respect upon seeing me.
Tanya dispersed them while I immediately checked on the patient.
“Diagnosis.”
―――――――――――
Injury Status: Difficult Labor (abnormal fetal position)
Injury Status: Light Bleeding (hemorrhage)
Injury Status: Exhaustion
Injury Status: Anemia
Injury Status: Fracture (left pelvis)
―――――――――――
The situation was dire. The mother was almost unconscious from a prolonged labor. She didn’t even recognize our entrance.
“Chloe.”
“Yes.”
Chloe quickly set a syringe in the mother’s arm and connected it to the nutrient IV fluids. It was an emergency solution I had previously prepared.
“Commoners live like this, huh?”
That was Acella’s voice. I briefly turned to her and asked.
“Your highness, the patient’s condition is poor.”
“It seems that way.”
“I need to focus a bit. Can you clear the area?”
Acella seemed displeased with my insistence to chase her away, pouting.
“I’ll just watch quietly.”
“If you interject like this, I might make a mistake.”
“… I promise to stay quiet.”
Since Acella spoke with conviction, I couldn’t push her further.
Surely, she wouldn’t break that promise after going this far.
I decided to proceed with the examination of the patient.
The large, swollen belly rose and fell with weak breaths.
“Chloe, see? That’s the baby’s arm.”
“It’s not the head.”
“The position inside is oddly twisted. I can’t accurately judge here, but it won’t be able to deliver like this.”
“What happens if forced delivery occurs?”
“Depending on the position, the umbilical cord could wrap around the baby, causing complications, and in severe cases, it could lead to death. That would also put the mother at risk.”
“Um, teacher. Will my wife be alright?”
The man gazed at me with trembling hands. I stood and asked him.
“Where is the cleanest place here?”
“A clean place? Hmm… Ah, the next room is decent. It’s empty, as it was prepared as a baby’s room.”
“Commander, please sterilize that room. We have no time; just the basics.”
“Understood.”
Tanya took two knights and entered the next room. I spoke to the man.
“From now on, I’ll proceed with the delivery to save both the mother and the baby. You wait outside.”
“…I trust you, teacher. I’m counting on you!”
I patted his shoulder reassuringly.
I instructed the man and the women to wait in the kitchen.
I took off my gown.
“Chloe, prepare for the surgery. We will perform an emergency cesarean section.”
“A cesarean… That’s where the mother’s belly is cut open to take out the baby and then sutured, right?”
“You’re remembering well. It’s a significant surgery. Normally, it shouldn’t be done in a place like this, but we have no choice.”
“Shall we start with general anesthesia?”
“We have to prevent infection, so let’s begin with shaving. I’ll also step outside to prepare.”
I briefly stepped out of the hut.
In a hurry, I checked the contents of the doctor’s bag from the carriage to see if I had all the surgical tools.
Scalpel for cutting, syringe for suctioning, forceps, needles, and absorbable sutures.
I checked the surgery skills on my status window when Acella approached me.
“Um, Prince.”
“What did I say to call me?”
“That, but… Can I ask just one thing?”
“Later.”
I responded firmly, and Acella didn’t press further.
Her shoulders seemed unusually slouched.
Really now.
She had me worried for no reason.
“What is it?”
“Huh? No… I was just a little surprised.”
“Surprised?”
“Cutting open the mother’s belly.”
“Yes.”
“If you do that, she’ll die. With her so weak, can we really save her?”
“We must save her.”
Even with my firm response, Acella fidgeted.
“Well… I didn’t know you could wield a knife. What if something goes wrong, and rumors spread that you killed the mother?”
“That makes saving her all the more essential. And the baby too.”
I confidently raised the syringe.
“It’s nothing to worry about. The princess was scared at first too, but now she loves syringes more than anyone, right?”
“I don’t! I mean, I wasn’t scared at first. Who said that?”
“Haha.”
Seeing Acella folding her arms and looking away from the syringe lifted my spirits.
“Prince.”
“Yes.”
“… I’ll be cheering for you.”
Well, how about that.
That was something hard to hear from Acella.
Thinking about all kinds of oddities, I put on my mask.
*
While I can’t say it’s perfect, the room had basic sterilization completed and was at least somewhat prepared for surgery.
The mother lay on the bed with a syringe in her arm.
Nutrient IVs contained a strong anesthesia trickling in slowly.
[Status: Under General Anesthesia (88%)]
Maintaining this above 80% would prevent the patient from waking during the incident.
Disinfection and antibiotic treatment were complete to avoid bacterial infections.
As I raised both hands, Chloe helped put on green surgical gloves.
“I’m starting the surgery.”
[Surgery C is now in effect.]
“Number 10 blade.”
Chloe handed over the scalpel.
It was the type of blade needed for a large incision.
An artifact powered headlamp illuminated the incision area as I donned it on my head.
Swipe!
My hands moved as if enchanted, making clean cuts.
I made a 9.5 cm horizontal incision, 3 cm above the pubic bone, considering the patient’s body.
I tied off each blood vessel to avoid further bleeding, using suction at the incision site.
The pulsating uterus was revealed, showcasing the new life it held.
The amniotic fluid had already ruptured.
I checked for placental abruption, as cesarean sections can lead to many complications.
…No issues so far.
I replaced the scalpel and made another incision, carefully maneuvering my hands to avoid touching the fetus.
I peeled away like removing the skin of an apple.
The head became visible.
As expected, the umbilical cord was tightly wound around it.
Gingerly, I held the baby’s head and untangled the cord slowly.
As soon as the foreign substances were cleared from its mouth.
Waaaaah!!
The newborn took its first breath with a robust cry.
“What a little fighter.”
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