Illusion Blind Date - Chapter 22

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#Chapter 22

“Good afternoon. I’m Cha Tae-moon, Professor of Surgery.”
The guardian glanced at Han Bom as Cha Tae-moon introduced himself.
The look seemed to carry a note of reproach—why call in a professor just to prescribe painkillers?
“So you came requesting only medication?”
“Ah, yes. She’s always been one to exaggerate her complaints, and there’s an important exam tomorrow. So we were planning to schedule the surgery after the exam.”
“You said she exaggerates her complaints?”
“Yes, she’s been like that since childhood.”
“Looking at your daughter right now, does her condition seem like exaggeration to you?”
Cha Tae-moon gestured toward the patient. She lay curled on the bed, groaning softly, cold sweat beading on her forehead.
“Han Bom, what’s her fever reading?”
His gaze sharpened as it fixed on Han Bom. She quickly retrieved the thermometer and took the patient’s temperature.
“38.5 degrees Celsius.”
When the inflammation count rises in the blood, body temperature climbs. The chills and body aches follow naturally.
Even in her pain, the patient kept stealing glances at her guardian’s face.
“She always does this right before an exam. Once it’s over, you’d think nothing was ever wrong with her.”
“From what I’m seeing, the pain will only intensify. Soon even painkillers won’t touch it. Are you still planning to take her home?”
“She’s just exaggerating, like I said.”
“Have you ever been stabbed in the abdomen?”
P—Professor!
Cha Tae-moon’s expression had shed all amusement as he posed the question.
“What are you saying? How many people have an experience like that to…”
“Your daughter’s pain right now is like being stabbed with a knife. If the appendicitis ruptures, it’s not just life-threatening—it can be fatal. Think carefully about what matters. If you leave now, I suspect your daughter will hold a grudge against you for the rest of her life.”
He’d heard that depending on the person, when appendicitis pain reaches its worst, it feels like being stabbed dozens of times.
“Is her condition really that serious?”
“Yes. However important this exam is, we need to save the patient first, don’t we?”
Cha Tae-moon seemed to have said all there was to say. He glanced at Han Bom and issued his orders.
“Get a CT scan and move her to the Hospital Ward.”
“Understood.”
“Once the imaging is done, we’ll prep for surgery. Will you sign the surgical consent form? Or would you prefer to discharge her as is?”
“…I’ll sign it.”
Cowed by his tone, the guardian exhaled and gave his answer.
“Appendicitis may be common, but it shouldn’t be taken lightly. The surgery will take about thirty minutes. I’ll see you after it’s done.”
“Um, will you be performing the surgery yourself, Professor?”
“Yes, I will.”
“Thank you. Please take good care of her.”
Cha Tae-moon gave a slight bow of acknowledgment before leaving the Emergency Room.
At least the patient would receive surgery—that was a relief. Su-ho, whose eyes met Han Bom’s, subtly raised his thumb in a gesture of congratulation toward Cha Tae-moon.
“You’re in a lot of pain, aren’t you? We’ll get you some analgesic right away. Let’s get your CT scan first, then head up to the Hospital Ward.”
“…Yes. Thank you.”
The patient’s voice was faint and strained.
Han Bom settled the patient into a wheelchair and moved her toward the CT Imaging Room.
If she did well today, she might get to serve as First Assistant. Han Bom, who had mostly only assisted as Second Assistant before, found herself mentally replaying the surgical videos she’d watched countless times.
This would be her chance to witness firsthand the surgical skill of Professor Cha Tae-moon, whom she’d heard praise without end.
The moment had finally come to wear that surgical cap.
She had to do this without mistakes.
Her heart was already beginning to race.

***

After scrubbing in, Cha Tae-moon entered the Operating Room with his hands raised.
A quick sweep of the room confirmed everything was prepped and ready.
And there at the operating table stood Han Bom, wearing a surgical cap decorated with a yellow chick pattern, her expression grave as she watched him approach.
Should he laugh or not?
During his fellowship in the United States, he’d known a colleague who was oddly particular about surgical caps. From somewhere, the man had procured caps decorated with cartoon characters, which he treated like they were his most precious possessions.
Just like a little chick.
At the endearingly cute sight, Cha Tae-moon couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.
Han Bom, tensed and eager, bowed her head respectfully as she caught sight of him.
With the help of a scrub nurse, Cha Tae-moon donned his Surgical Gown and pulled on his Surgical Gloves, then stepped into position as the Chief Surgeon.
After the Surgical Time-Out, the operation began.
Han Bom’s eyes shone brightly from her position as First Assistant.
In the Second Assistant position stood a lanky intern, rigid as a telephone pole.
“Beginning the procedure. Number fifteen blade, please.”
Accepting the Scalpel, Cha Tae-moon made an incision starting from the center of the umbilicus, extending upward about one centimeter.
“Hemostat.”
He inserted the tip of the Hemostat and spread it open, dissecting the Subcutaneous Layer.
“Bovie.”
As he used the Bovie to achieve hemostasis and incised through to the Fascia, Han Bom carefully grasped the Fascia with a Hemostat and lifted it upward.
Cha Tae-moon paused for a moment, observing her. Her expression was utterly serious.
If she grew too tense, she might slip into careless mistakes—only time would tell.
Cha Tae-moon then grasped the Fascia with his own Hemostat, elevated it, and dissected it with the Bovie.
“What do you see?”
he asked.
“The Peritoneal Fat Layer is visible.”
Yellow adipose tissue came into view.
“Keep talking me through it. How should we proceed?”
“We grasp the fat layer bit by bit with the Hemostat, searching for the Peritoneum. The bowel lies just beneath, so we must be careful.”
When Cha Tae-moon grasped the pale, skin-colored Peritoneum with a Hemostat, Han Bom grasped it from the opposite side as well.
Without a word spoken, she was following his lead flawlessly.
Cha Tae-moon opened the grasped section with the blade, and peered inward to confirm the Abdominal Cavity and the bowel.
He widened the opening to accommodate the twelve-millimeter Trocar, then inserted it.
He then placed five-millimeter Trocars in the left lower abdominal area and the suprapubic area as well.
“Always watch for blood vessels and the bladder. Use the Surgical Camera to visualize before inserting anything.”
“Understood.”
“Anesthesia, please position the patient head-down.”
He requested that the patient’s head be lowered. This would allow gravity to draw the small bowel away, making observation of the Appendix easier.
Han Bom held the Surgical Camera while Cha Tae-moon gripped the Laparoscopic Instruments in both hands.
“Keep the image steady.”
“Yes, sir!”
Han Bom was skilled at focusing the lens and manipulating the instruments.
That skill spoke volumes about her dedication to practice.
After confirming the Cecum, Cha Tae-moon located the Appendix. He proceeded slowly, allowing Han Bom a full view.
“See how severe the inflammation is on the Appendix?”
“Yes, I can see it. It’s significantly swollen.”
Cha Tae-moon dissected and ligated the Appendiceal Artery, then used an energy device to resect the Mesoappendix. Now all that remained was to remove the swollen, inflamed Appendix.
“Endo Loop.”
Cha Tae-moon tied it securely in three places, cut it free, and sealed the stump with the Bovie. He extracted the severed Appendix using a Surgical Pouch.
He reinserted the Surgical Camera through the Trocar and meticulously checked for any bleeding. He carefully wiped away accumulated fluid near the pelvis with Gauze.
“Turn off the CO
2
and evacuate the gas.”
“Yes, sir.”
Han Bom evacuated the gas from the Abdominal Cavity through the Trocars, then removed them as well.
“Anesthesia, please reposition the patient to supine.”
Once the patient had been repositioned, he moved on to closing.
“Han Bom, do you think you can handle the closure?”
“Yes, Professor.”
Cha Tae-moon watched as Han Bom sutured with a deliberate touch.
Though slow, her hands moved with meticulous precision and delicacy.
If trained well, she had every mark of becoming an excellent Surgeon.
“Finished.”
“Your hands are excellent. Well done. Next time, you can be Chief Surgeon.”
At Cha Tae-moon’s praise, Han Bom’s eyes curved into crescents.
“Thank you so much!”
Was she the type who melted at a compliment?
Watching Han Bom’s carefully maintained composure dissolve into complete openness, he felt as though he’d grasped a crucial thread.
“You did excellent work today. Han Bom, I’ll be promoting you soon. Congratulations.”
Han Bom beamed at the Operating Room team’s congratulations, unsure how to contain her joy.
Watching her, Cha Tae-moon slipped out of the Operating Room with a meaningful smile.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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