Chapter 3: Rise To The Top

Words : 2420 Updated : Mar 13th, 2025

"Did it succeed?" Renee covered her mouth in disbelief. She never expected Walter, usually so quiet, to display such astonishing skills. He first accurately diagnosed "air poisoning" and then managed a surgery that even Max had deemed hopeless. Renee found herself reevaluating Walter. His calm and reserved demeanor now carried an aura of mystery that drew her closer, eager to learn more. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire, and she felt the rush of blood through her veins. "Walter, do you realize how dangerous your actions were just now? As an assistant, you didn't follow my orders. You violated protocol and acted on your own. What if something went wrong? Could you handle the consequences?" Max reprimanded Walter with a stern expression. Walter understood that his actions broke procedural norms, but the situation was too urgent, leaving no time for explanations. He had to take a gamble and act immediately. "I'm sor—" Walter began, but Max interrupted, his tone softening into a smile of approval. "Of course, if a sudden situation arises during surgery and the assistant notices the lead surgeon's decision is flawed, it's perfectly acceptable to step in and make corrections. Your performance was flawless. Without a doubt, you are the hero of this operation! Now, we leave the outcome to time. Let's see when the patient wakes up!" As the supervising teacher and nominal lead surgeon, Max had to make Walter aware that surgery was a matter of life and death, not to be taken lightly. Yet he had to admit that Walter was the hero of this life-saving mission, rescuing a surgery he had almost abandoned and saving the patient's life! Kai stood frozen like a fishbone stuck in his throat. His face burned as if he'd been slapped. With his actions, Walter demonstrated that he could accomplish what Kai could not! He couldn't comprehend it. When did Walter become so strong after four years of knowing each other? Had he been hiding his true abilities all along? ***** Upon receiving the call, Moses Zimmerman, the top surgeon in Xyros City, rushed to Quinton Hospital. By the time he arrived, the surgery had concluded. As a fellow expert in the field, Moses had a close relationship with Max. "Max, if I'd known you were here, I wouldn't have rushed over so anxiously. What a wild goose chase!" Moses said with a self-deprecating laugh after shaking hands warmly with Max. Max replied modestly, "As the host here in Xyros City, how could I avoid seeing you? By the way, have you seen the patient yet? You won't accuse us of showing off before you, will you?" Moses gently tapped Max on the chest. "Your surgery was impeccable. I must learn from it. I heard the situation was quite critical at the time?" Max felt a twinge of guilt, knowing the credit belonged elsewhere, but decided to keep it a mystery for now. "The patient was lucky to come back from the brink of death!" He was still savoring the shock of the experience. The patient remained under observation in the intensive care unit. Moses donned sterile clothing and entered to assess the patient's condition thoroughly. About an hour later, Moses emerged from the ICU and found Max. "You've improved a lot, Max, especially your suturing technique. It's impressive." Though Moses's tone was teasing, his eyes showed admiration. "I haven't improved; I'm just an old dog, set in my ways." Moses turned serious, "You used the Allgower-Donati suture technique. It's a modified vertical mattress suture technique that minimally interferes with blood circulation in the skin and subcutaneous tissue, greatly reducing skin incision complications. This technique is typically used more for calcaneal fractures. Who would have thought to see it here! And the suturing was perfect. You truly have nerve!" Max laughed heartily, knowing Moses had a keen eye. "To tell you the truth, there was another lead surgeon." Moses and Max had studied abroad together and were well-acquainted. So when he saw the traces left by the surgery, Moses was already somewhat suspicious. Surgical traces were like a person's handwriting, with fixed patterns and habits that wouldn't change easily once matured. "Really? There's a surgical expert I don't know about on this Gerton trip?" "I underestimated him. The lead surgeon this time was one of my students. I didn't expect him to be so deeply hidden. It's truly a case of the younger generation surpassing the old!" Max's voice brimmed with pride as he made this remark. Moses couldn't help but become deeply interested in this medical student. Surgical procedures, especially thoracic surgeries, carry significant risks. Procedures like heart valve replacement were considered top-tier techniques, and Moses and Max were among the few experts proficient in them. Heart valve replacement surgery was Moses's ladder to career success. Because of this key skill, he was promoted from thoracic director to vice president at a leading local hospital. Although the young man hadn't performed a valve replacement directly, he possessed the potential to master the procedure. ***** Moses and Max didn't leave the hospital. The county hospital's administrative staff arranged for them to stay in the inpatient department's office to rest while monitoring the patient's condition. This arrangement also allowed Moses and Max to have detailed discussions. Once Max described the surgical details, Moses was eager to meet Walter. And so, Max called Walter to join them. Upon seeing the slender Walter, Moses felt like he was looking at a younger version of himself. He spoke warmly. "Walter, the patient's condition has stabilized." Walter sighed with relief. "That's great news." "I have a question. Where did you learn the Allgower-Donati suture technique? As far as I know, local medical students wouldn't encounter this technique at the undergraduate level," Moses asked with a smile. Max also harbored this curiosity. "To be honest, I learned this suturing technique from an old military doctor," Walter replied, not entirely intending to deceive. "A military doctor?" Moses's eyes lit up. "No wonder you used manual organ hemostasis, a typical military approach. Could you tell me the name of this military doctor? I'd love to meet him." "He passed away six months ago," Walter replied, ensuring there would be no way to verify his story. Moses sighed with regret. "He must have been a top master in the field of surgery. What a loss." A knocking sound interrupted their conversation. Moses' assistant opened the door and reported, "A reporter from Xyros Evening News wants to interview Mr. Showyer." Moses nodded. "Let her in!" A young female reporter with short hair entered the office soon after that. "Mr. Zimmerman, Mr. Showyer, I'm Tara Spears, reporting for Xyros Evening News," she said, having done her homework and knowing these two were top thoracic experts in the country. Having met Tara several times, Moses smiled. "I arrived at Quinton Hospital after the surgery. You should focus on interviewing Mr. Showyer's team." Tara had already concluded that Max was the main subject of the interview. If Max hadn't happened to be on the high-speed train, the life-saving operation would likely have failed. Tara smiled lightly. "Mr. Showyer, could you explain the patient's condition?" Max clasped his hands together. "The patient had previously undergone heart valve surgery, which requires seven days of hospitalization and over three months of rest. However, the patient was discharged on the sixth day after surgery due to urgent company matters. Considering heart surgery patients should avoid flying, the patient chose high-speed rail, but the wound tore during the journey." Tara furrowed her brow and asked, "Could you describe the difficulty of the surgery?" "It was sudden, with no preparation. The county hospital's lack of equipment made detailed patient examinations impossible. During the surgery, there was even unexpected massive bleeding. Walter, as the lead surgeon, played a crucial role." Max suddenly turned to Walter. "I can't shamelessly claim credit that isn't mine. Walter, why don't you say a few words?" Tara focused on Walter, her heart pounding. Had she heard correctly? The woman thought Walter was just Max's student or assistant. But Max had clarified that Walter was the key figure in the life-saving operation. "Many people were involved in this rescue effort. The high-speed rail staff took emergency measures to avoid worsening the patient's condition, prompting an emergency stop. When the train arrived, the hospital's ambulance was waiting at the platform. The local police even opened a fast lane. As for the surgery, it was extremely challenging and couldn't have been completed by one person alone. My teacher and classmates all did their best to heal the patient. After the surgery, the Xyros City medical team brought equipment and medication for timely post-operative care." "In summary, the patient's rescue was not the achievement of any single individual but a collective victory!" What a sense of perspective! No one had expected Walter to demonstrate such maturity and breadth of vision beyond his years! Tara felt excited. An incredibly difficult surgery and the lead surgeon was a fourth-year medical student yet to graduate? This was undoubtedly a news story that would capture attention!

Chapter 3: Rise To The Top

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