Chapter 6 (1/2)
This is the 6th chapter of a story I a titled “House Ephemera” (蜉蝣の家) by Hatasu shi+kishi+ma (識島果)
Thanks to Sherayuki for helping proofread this chapter
You can read the full japanese text of this chapter
See which contains a brief synopsis and links to other chapters (as they are posted)
As usual, whether I continue translating this will depend on feedback/views fro a cos I should translate
Chapter 6: Not feeling well
”It's Kabayaki Sauce”
Keita Aoyama suddenly blurted this out as he watched the ical ible remark
”It's like Kabayaki Sauce The iodine, I mean”
”I've always thought the sa They're practically identical, even how you paint it on”
Ryoki shi+ndo concurred Longish bangs jutted out here and there from beneath his mask, probably due to his less than skillful atte it on The students' attention was directed at the patient lying down Antiseptic povidone-iodine had just been applied thoroughly to the body fro that this liquid had just the right dark brown color such that the act of painting it on with a brush strongly reserilled eel I frowned and stared down at Dr Sato's hands gripping the brush
”Couys can't take a joke Hey Ma?”
Akiko Mamiya smiled aardly when the conversation suddenly turned to her Our team of four-Aoyama, shi+ndo, Maether The ter undergone by 5th-yearfro ”General Hospital” We had coe's affiliated hospital
”Isn't using nay standard practice? Strawberry heioma, chocolate cyst, port wine stain…”
”Students”
We turned around when Dr Sato called to us after finishi+ng disinfecting the patient Aoyama went quiet
”I don't care who, but soet this operation started”
”Yes sir”
I was the first to answer and avoided contact with the others as I left the operating roo shi+ndo tried to say so to me, but there was no need to be concerned with him We weren't here because anted to be nobody on eon, and we should have been thankful that today was an especially long triple-bypass surgery I grabbed two brushes and cleaned hly down to the elbows My reflection in theme
”Curved forceps”
”Yes,” the nurse next to et out of the way The assistant doctor glanced at ly
”Student, put your hands upon the patient Crossing your ar an operation is not appropriate”
”Yes sir”
I took my arms that I'd folded to avoid contamination and rested thehtly; I could feel the warloves and the blood-stained cover
The patient was a 69 year old worandchild A lover of tennis, her o she had run freely about on the tennis court gripping a racquet She had been the perfect picture of health Now she was struggling just to survive, wearing a rib spreader on her chest like a tuna laid out before being cut and cleaned
”Electric scalpel”
The nurse scraped carbon off the electric scalpel's tip and passed it to Dr Sato The sound of fat being ripped open was acco There was a certain odor eed the human body Mixed in with a typical burnt sanic odor Whenever I was in the operation room, that terrible smell would easily penetratedifficult
I unconsciously turned away fro table and eyed the monitor The patient's blood pressure was on the rise The anesthesiologist stood up slowly froe with the contents of a fresh ampoule
The rhythmic pulses of the scalpel ain-as they vibratedintomachine was soon attached to the patient whose heart had stopped functioning The heart ceased all movement; yet the patient still lived The heart, normally required for survival, had to be stopped for the very same reason
Aoyama, shi+ndo, and Maaze at the patient's still heart displayed on the monitor
I took a shallow breath The bright red of blood burned into my retina,
its after-ireen of the cover
”Surgical scissors”
I realized the scissors were lying near my hands so I picked them up My left hand continued to absorb the patient's body heat as ical scissors
It suddenly dawned on me that a violent doard stab of these scissors would easily end this woht was terribly depraved, even inhuman, but at the same time bore a hint of sweetness I froze In that instant, in a very real sense I straddled the worlds of life and death, gazing into that motionless heart
Dr Sato looked at lasses
”Hurry!”
Hearing his voice, I snapped back to reality I relaxed ers aardly and passed the scissors to the doctor
”If you aren't feeling well, just say so”