Chapter 119 Calm Before The Storm 1 (1/2)
Zero woke up early the next morning and at pancakes with Lovina and Hua Tuo. Cleo was out in the fields and that gave the witch some time alone to teach the brunet what he needed to do.
Hua Tuo looked tense and Lovina was worried. Zero had been exhausting himself for the past hour to perfect the magic. He'd experimented on all types of plants available and even on himself. Hua Tuo panicked when Zero wanted to remove his big toe entirely and try reconstructing a new big toe. Naturally, they didn't allow Zero to practice on himself. Lovina's heart almost gave out when Zero suggested it the first time. In the end, they agreed to let Zero try it out on some flowers outside.
Zero regrew petals, leaves, stalks, and roots with increasing efficiency as he practised. He didn't stop till the sun was up.
”We should get going now. I heard that it will be a busy day. We have patients to check up on later so save your energy. After that, you'll help me prepare some medicine.”
The brunet agreed and thanked Lovina for her hospitality before they left.
Standing in her living room, Lovina looked at all the plants that bloomed with vitality after Zero's treatment. The witch had mixed feelings about Zero's talent. On one hand, her heart was at ease knowing that the village would probably be alright even if they faced Count Carrabas' army. On the other hand, she was worried and afraid for the young doctor. The path he has chosen would not be a simple or easy one. Lovina only wished she could become his ally and accompany him on his travels. Unfortunately, she couldn't leave the village. Perhaps, she could teach Zero some magic to protect him and share with him some stories to deter him from walking such a thorny road.
With her mind made up, Lovina left her apartment to seek Zoe out.
***
”Good morning Zero! Did you sleep well?”
The brunet saw Grandma Moppo and grinned. ”I slept very well, thank you. How is your knee this morning?”
The fae-dwarf smiled warmly. ”It hurts a little but it's not as bad as it was last night.”
She welcomed them in and Zero glanced at Hua Tuo nervously. The physician said nothing and only gave him a reassuring nod. Zero sighed and mustered all his courage before surprising Grandma Moppo with a question.
”Grandma Moppo, what is the first thing you'd like to do if you could run and jump again?”
The fae-dwarf blinked and thought for a while. Zero's heart pounded in his chest.
”Don't you think I'm a little too old to do such things?”
Zero shook his head. ”Not at all.”
Grandma Moppo laughed at his honest answer and had to wipe tears from her eyes. Zero waited patiently for her reply.
”Oh Zero, if I could run and jump again, I'd visit the Sky Bridge.”
Zero nodded. ”The view from the Sky Bridge is something that should not be missed out on. I'll take responsibility for bringing you there if I do not succeed.”
Grandma Moppo blinked. She knew they talked about healing her knees before but didn't expect it to happen so soon. She wouldn't be surprised if she was told to wait for another year so Zero's declaration was a very pleasant surprise.
”I'm in your care now, doctors,” Grandma Moppo bowed humbly.
Hua Tuo assisted the old lady to the living room and made her comfortable before Zero started his work. Hua Tuo assisted by using acupuncture to numb all feeling in her legs. Zero cast a sleeping spell on the half-dwarf and concentrated. Hua Tuo's lecture stuck with him and Zero felt around Grandma Moppo's knees to feel the outline of the bone.
”Remember that once we cut open the skin to reach the bone, you have only ten minutes on each leg. If I think that she's losing too much blood, we stop immediately. Are you ready?”
Zero nodded and donned his mask. Hua Tuo wore gloves and a similar mask. Zero sterilised the surgical knives and Hua Tuo started cutting. Zero swallowed when blood began to flow without any signs of stopping for a while. The experienced physician held the skin open and was chanting some spell to keep the area around the wound isolated from the living room's air. Zero ignored the blood and focussed on examining the state of Grandma Moppo's knee. The bone structure looked frail and Zero noticed how badly worn her knees were.
As practised, Zero focussed his magic and reconstructed the bone to how it would have looked like. Hua Tuo was very alert and paid attention to everything from the spell to the blood, Grandma Moppo's condition and Zero's progress. He admitted that Zero worked very quickly. In three minutes, Zero had completely restored one knee. Hua Tuo had to stitch the cut back and Zero took over maintaining the area around the wound isolated. According to Hua Tuo, it was important so that the germs in the air will not enter the wound.
Once the wound was sealed, Hua Tuo took over the chanting and Zero focussed on closing the wound with normal healing magic. Once that was done, he cut away the stitches quickly and healed the rest. Hua Tuo let the spell drop once Zero was done. He needed a breather and it hasn't even been twenty minutes. Working with magic always tired him out.
”I'll be taking a short break to recover the mana. Please ensure that the patient does not wake up before we are completely done. Do you require mana potions?”
Zero checked his status and shook his head. Grandma Moppo's venison stew helped a lot and he still had some reserves for a few more operations.
”Can I use healing magic to improve Grandma Moppo's overall health? From the examination earlier, it's not only her knees but all her bones suffer from calcium deficit.”
Hua Tuo thought about it. Normally, he didn't want to interfere that much but with Count Carrabas' army prowling around, they could use any help they could get. Even if Grandma Moppo couldn't fight, it would be good if she could carry her own weight to run.
”Alright. Don't overdo it, we still have two more patients before lunch.”
Zero agreed and Hua Tuo took a short break, drinking the mana potion he brewed yesterday with Lovina's help. It took about a minute before the potion's effect kicked in and the physician glanced over to his student. Zero was still busy feeding mana and Hua Tuo didn't think the brunet would be done soon. He took that chance to inspect Grandma Moppo's knee. The cut had been beautifully healed and Hua Tuo frowned. Zero did a really great job and there was no scarring. Normal magicians less proficient with healing magic tend to over-heal which causes scarring so Hua Tuo was proud of his student for not making such a rookie mistake.
”Have you recast the sleep magic?” he asked.
Zero blinked and looked at the still sleeping half-dwarf. ”The magic is still in effect...?”
Hua Tuo smiled. ”You're right. It's not necessary but sometimes there are people who have magic resistance so it doesn't last for as long as it should. Casting it twice is simply a precaution. You can dismiss the spell when we're finished. Zoe will cook a lot later for you to replenish the energy you require so until then, use it sparingly.”
Zero nodded and they commenced operation on the second knee. Zero no longer flinched at the sight of blood. In fact, the success for the first round had boosted Zero's confidence and he moved with greater ease. Hua Tuo didn't feel as tired as he did the first time. Zero worked very quickly and the physician felt pride swell in his chest, watching Zero pass him the scalpel before he asked. It wouldn't be long before Zero could become a real doctor.
The process took no more than fifteen minutes this time but Zero was mentally fatigued. The operation atmosphere was so stifling that Zero needed some time to recover his state of mind. Hua Tuo saw how his disciple slumped over in exhaustion and grinned. To cheer the brunet up, he patted the boy's head.
”Congratulations on having helped perform your first surgery. Once we return, you'll be training how to hold a knife and practice stitching. Speaking of which, maybe we should ask Mitchnew to teach you the basics.”
Zero grinned.
After Zero dispersed the sleep magic, they waited for Grandma Moppo to wake up. At first, the half-dwarf didn't feel anything strange. Hua Tuo ran an assessment of her health and had her walk around.
Out of habit, the fae-dwarf reached for her staff to help her stand and was surprised to find the staff heavier in her hands than without. The next thing she noticed was how she was able to straighten her back. That never happened in years. Lastly, when she took her first step, the half-dwarf noticed how light it was. Soon, she was trying to jump and threw her staff down.
”Does anything feel funny?” Zero asked nervously when the old lady didn't speak after a while.
Grandma Moppo startled Zero by hugging him with a force he never knew she had.
”Thank you, child. This old bag of bones still has a few more years of fight left. With this, I can take down some of Carrabas' men with me.”