뒷골목 의사 글렌/12권

제１２회 수술

루퍼스는 곧바로 병원 내의 회의실에 ３일 후의 휴고의 수술에 들어올 의사들을 모았다.

명목은 더욱 효과가 높은 수술법으로의 변경. 글렌은 수술법의 발안자로서 소개되었다.

의사들은 처음에는 이를 냉담하게 받아들였다. 구시가지에서 의사를 하는 사내, 글렌…… 과연 실력은 믿을 수 있을까？ 악명 높은 그를 모르는 사람은 별로 없었다.

그러나 루퍼스가 적극적으로 추천하고 글렌이 말하는 고도의 수술법을 들으면서 점차 반발하는 자는 없어졌다.

그리고 수술 날까지 글렌과 루퍼스는 수술법을 보다 완벽한 것으로 만들기 위해 거듭 협의를 했다.

또한, 간호사 셰리는 휴고의 카운셀러 역할을 맡았다. 팔을 잃을 것이 정해져 있던 때와는 달리 소년의 눈에는 생기가 넘쳤다.

그리고──드디어 수술 날이 찾아왔다.

휴고의 부모님은 일이 바빠 지금까지는 좀처럼 병문안을 올 수 없었지만, 수술 당일만큼은 아들을 지켜보기 위해 시간을 냈다.

「……다녀올게.」

이것이 마지막 말이 될지도 모른다.

그럼에도 그는 걱정하는 부모님께 웃음을 보였다. 두 명의 우수한 의사의 존재가 수술에 대한 확고한 각오를 다지게 했다.

의사들은 휴고를 데리고 수술실로 갔다. 소독을 하고, 수술 기구와 최신 의료기기의 준비도 이루어졌다.

마취로 깊은 잠에 든 휴고의 앞에 집도의 글렌이 섰다. 루퍼스가 이끄는 다른 의사들도 각자 배치된 위치로 갔다.

글렌은 꾀죄죄한 차림새를 벗어던지고 옅은 파란색의 수술복을 단정하게 차려 입었다. 덥수룩한 머리를 올백으로 정리한 모습은 기품까지 느껴졌다.

간호사 셰리도 의사 사이에서 글렌과 루퍼스의 조수 역할을 했다. 셰리가 글렌에게 눈짓을 보내자 글렌은 고개를 끄덕였다.

「그럼……수술을 시작하겠다.」

글렌의 손으로 메스가 전달되고 드디어 수술이 시작되었다.

소년의 하얀 가슴에 절개 경로가 표시되어 있었다. 그 위를 익숙한 손놀림으로 메스가 지나가자 그 안쪽이 드러났다.

──인간이 이 땅에 태어난 이후, 오랫동안 사람의 몸은 서서히 진화하고 최적화되어 왔다. 그리고 어느덧 도력기의 톱니바퀴처럼 합리적으로 맞물리는 훌륭한 기능미를 갖게 되었다.

그러나 이는 병과 부상으로 부서지고 깨져버린다. 그것에 대항하여 이 예술적인 인간의 육체를 생명을 지키는 것이 의사의 일이다.

글렌은 수술에 임할 때마다 이런 자랑스러운 일을 하고 있다는 것에 기뻐하며 재능을 주신 여신님께 감사했다.

그의 깔끔한 손놀림으로 수술은 문제없이 진행되어 갔다.

가끔 글렌의 얼굴의 땀을 닦는 셰리도 집도를 보좌하는 루퍼스도 마취와 최신 기기를 담당한 의사들도 글렌의 더없이 훌륭한 수술 솜씨에 감탄했다.

그것은 그야말로 예술이라 해도 과언이 아니었다.

그리고 드디어 소년의 심장이 모습을 드러냈다.

여기까지 긴 시간이 지났을 터이지만 참가한 모두가 순식간이라고 느꼈다.

건강하게 활동하는 그것의 표면에는 불길한 거무스름한 것이 붙어 있었다.

……이것이 《결정병》의 종양이었다.

연인이었던 카탈리나의 생명을 빼았아 간 원흉. 그것을 메스의 사정거리에 잡았다.

「얼마 안 남았어……힘내, 휴고야！」

셰리가 잠든 소년에게 말을 걸었다.

──그 순간 글렌의 손이 멈췄다.

Chapter 12: The Operation

Rufus summoned all the doctors who were to be involved in the operation--now taking place in two days--to one of the hospital's conference rooms.

There, he introduced Glenn's new surgical procedure to them, arguing it was the most effective means of dealing with crystallization. However, he received a cold response from the other doctors at first. They were not about to easily trust some unlicensed doctor running a back-alley clinic. Not only were his skills called into question, but his shady reputation preceded him, making it difficult for the pair to gain any ground in the prestigious hospital.

Despite this, Rufus was undeterred, and continued to lobby for their approval in performing the procedure. His ardent persuasion, combined with the impressive merits of the procedure and Glenn's thorough explanation of it slowly won them over, and one by one, they withdrew their objections.

With the hospital on board with the plan, Rufus and Glenn began going over the steps of the surgery over and over, every single day they had before it was scheduled to take place. They wanted to do everything they could to ensure things would go as planned.

For her part, Nurse Sherry continued to look after Hugo. His mood had undergone a dramatic change the past few days. Before, when he was certain he would lose his hands, his eyes were dull and listless, but now they were bright and alive. He had hope.

All too soon, the day of the operation arrived. Hugo's parents, whose jobs had unfortunately kept them unable to frequently visit the hospital in person, made time to come see their son into surgery.

'I'll see you soon,' he said to them as he was wheeled to the operating room.

Both he and his parents were aware there was a chance those would be his final words. And so, he gave them a brilliant smile as reassurance before he was taken away. He had no fear, himself. The presence of the two excellent doctors overseeing the operation was all he needed.

Hugo was given anesthesia and finally, taken into the operating room. Glenn and Rufus were sterilized and the surgical instruments that had been prepared were laid out. As the attending physician, Glenn stood before the unconscious patient. The other doctors, led by Rufus, took the cue and headed to their respective positions.

For the first time in nearly a decade, Glenn had tidied himself up. He was now wearing clean, light blue surgical attire. His normally scraggly hair had been tied back, and almost gave his appearance a hint of elegance--or at least it would have, had it not been safely tucked into a surgical cap.

Nurse Sherry was there as well, attending the operation as an assistant to Glenn and Rufus. She exchanged a wordless glance with Glenn, and he nodded in response. At long last, the time had come.

'Well then...I'll start the procedure,' Glenn announced. Rufus handed him a scalpel, and he began.

He skillfully drew the sharpened tool across the incision lines that had been marked on the boy's chest, and the skin parted without resistance.

As humanity evolved, so, too, did the human body refine itself over countless generations. Its various systems and parts came together to work as one beautiful whole--like an elegant link of orbal gears. The body is an incredible machine, astronomically more complex than anything mankind was able to create, despite all their advances.

And yet, as incredible as they are, bodies will still break down. Whether due to illnesses or injuries, a body will require repair and maintenance. It is the doctor's job to fix that which is broken and restore a body to working condition--to do whatever is required to prolong the dazzling gleam of life as much as possible.

No matter if it was in the spotless operating room of a prestigious hospital or the worn, grungy halls of his back alley clinic, each time Glenn performed a surgery, it was a duty he felt delighted and priviledged to be able to perform. He was grateful to the Goddess for giving him such a talent. With that gratitude in his heart, and the skillfull movements of the scalpel in his hand, Hugo's operation was progressing smoothly.

Everyone in attendence stood in awe of Glenn's artful surgical skills as they played their own parts to perfection. Sherry wiped the sweat from his brow, Rufus handled the surgical tools, and the other doctors oversaw key elements such as medical equipment and anesthesia.

At last, the boy's heart was exposed. Reaching this part in a surgery typically took quite some time, but after watching Glenn's effortless movements, it almost seemed to everyone there like it had taken no time at all.

Down in Hugo's chest cavity, his heart beat with a healthy tempo and color. Healthy, with the exception of the sinister, dark mass that clung to the organ's surface.

This was the cause of everything--the tumor that resulted in the body's crystallization. This malignant growth had taken Katarina's life and countless others.

'A little more... Hang in there, Hugo!' Sherry whispered to the sleeping boy.

But as Glenn stared at the murky tumor that sat in front of him, his hand froze in place.

第１２回　手術

ルーファスはすぐに、病院内にある会議室に ３日後のヒューゴの手術に臨む医師たちを集めた。

名目は、より効果の高い術式への変更。 グレンは術式の発案者として紹介された。

医師たちは当初、それを冷ややかに受け入れた。 下町で闇医者を営む男、グレン…… 腕は信用できるのか？ 悪名高い彼を知る者は少なくなかったのだ。 しかし、ルーファスの熱心な推薦と、 グレンの語る高度な術式の説明を聞くにつれ、 次第に反発する者はいなくなっていった。

そして手術までの期日、グレンとルーファスは 術式をより確実なものにするために 協議を繰り返したのだった。

また、看護師シェリーによって　 ヒューゴのカウンセリングも続けられた。 腕を失うと決まっていた時とは違って、 少年の目は生き生きとしていた。 そして──ついに手術の日が訪れる。

ヒューゴの両親は仕事の忙しさのため 今まで中々見舞いに来れなかったのだが、 手術当日は息子を見送るために時間を作った。

「……行ってくるよ。」

これが最後の言葉になるかもしれない。 その状況で、彼は心配する両親に笑ってみせた。 ２人の優秀な医師の存在が、 手術への揺るぎない覚悟を与えていた。 医師たちはヒューゴを連れ、手術室へ。 消毒を行い、手術器具や 最新の医療機器の準備も整った。 麻酔によって深い眠りにつくヒューゴの前に 執刀医グレンが立つ。 ルーファス率いる他の医師たちも それぞれの配置についた。

グレンは汚れた身なりを整え、 手術用の薄青色の着衣を着ていた。 ボサボサの髪をオールバックにまとめた姿は 気品すら感じさせるものだった。　 看護師シェリーも医師に混じって、 グレン、ルーファスの助手を務めていた。 シェリーはグレンに目配せを送り、 彼はそれにコクリとうなずいた。

「それでは……手術を始める。」 グレンの手にメスが手渡され、 いよいよ手術が開始された。

少年の白い胸には切開するルートが記されている。 その上を慣れた手つきでメスが滑ると、 その内側が露になる。 ──人間がこの地に生まれてから長い間、 人の体は徐々に進化し、最適化されてきた。 そしていつしか、導力器の歯車のように 合理的に組み合う、素晴らしい機能美を持った。

だがそれは病気や怪我によって脆く壊れてしまう。 それらに抗い、この芸術的な人間の肉体を、 生命を守るのが医師の仕事なのだ。

グレンは手術に臨むたびに この誇り高い仕事をしていることを喜び、 才を与えてくれた女神に感謝していた。 彼の鮮やかなメスさばきで 手術はスムーズに進行していく。

時々グレンの顔の汗を拭くシェリーも、 執刀を補佐するルーファスも、 麻酔や最新の機器を預かる医師たちも、 グレンの極めて優秀な手術の腕に感嘆していた。 それはまさに芸術といって過言はなかった。

そして、ついに少年の心臓が姿を見せる。 ここまで長い時間が経過していたはずだが、 参加していた全員があっという間に感じていた。 健康的に活動をするそれの表面には 禍々しく黒ずんだものが張り付いていた。

……これが《結晶病》の腫瘍(しゅよう)だ。 過去に恋人・カタリナの命を奪った元凶。 それをメスの射程距離に捉えた。

「あと少し……がんばって、ヒューゴ君！」 シェリーが眠る少年に声をかける。

──その瞬間、グレンの手が止まった。