Returning to the leg, Lixue swished a rag around in the water before straightening it out and laying it on the half-sawed stump. Water soaked into the wound, cleansing it without the harsh scrubbing or dabbing that would have only caused more pain and suffering. Not that Lixue would have minded, but torturing someone was not in her nature, even when riled. She held the water bowl below the knee, to catch the red droplets. With the other hand, she scrunched the rag up; to force any excess water out and onto the stub. After, the rag was unceremoniously dropped back into the dish and handed to an assistant.
The assistant who had scurried away for sugar returned. Handing the wooden jar to Lixue, he stepped back into line. Thankfully, the man's sweat had washed away a hint of the blood on Lixue's hands. Without hesitation, she dived into the dish. Her hand was still wet and sugar clung. Sprinkling the edible crystals over the gap, making sure to have them land on any still bleeding areas. The same assistant took the jar back, setting it off to the side for future use. Lixue casually brushed the sugar off, watching the man. He seemed absolutely petrified, which was excusable. But he did not seem to trust Lixue. After her recent bout of anger, she could not blame him, but still felt slightly insulted. If she did not know she could help, Lixue would not have become a doctor!
"Bone saw, please," Lixue held out her hand, voice formal and devoid of emotion. Still she held the man's gaze, until the saw was placed in her hand. Then she glanced down, tested the sharpness of the teeth, and caught his eyes again. Almost tauntingly before turning away sharply.
Her right hand was placed on the man's thigh, her left holding the handle of the saw. "Keep him still." At such simple words, yet so commanding, the nurses scurried into position; forcing the man to stay calm. Carefully, Lixue lowered the saw back into position. Her right hand pressed down hard, situated on the outside edge of the thigh. With deliberate movements, Lixue slanted the saw so the handle was at an upward angle.
And then she moved.
Her elbow came backwards, fingers tight on the saw, and cool eyes concentrating on the job at hand. The saw bit into the bone, resisted movement and then gradually began to shift. Bone-dust fell to the floor below and, every now and then, a splinter tinged as it landed at Lixue's feet. Doing such an act was not easy on Lixue's tiny body and she felt the force in her upper arms and shoulder each time she completed a stroke.
The man whimpered once before his eyes rolled back in his head. "Pulse?"
A nurse was quick in answering, "Still there, Doctor Lixue."
Instead of answering, Lixue nodded. As long as there was a pulse, the man would be alright. Besides, he wasn't excessively losing blood. The saw continued the rhythmic motions until nearly half way through the painted red bone. And then she changed the direction of her sawing, angled the bone saw to move back and forth from her torso instead of up and down in the direction of her face. Tight fingers were readjusted.
And she moved again. The same resistance was met and overcome. Lixue settled her hand on top of the man's hairy thigh, pressing downward in an attempt to keep the leg from moving so much. There was a harsh sound of bone cracking before the saw took an unexpected downward twist. Lixue jerked upward, keeping the saw from mutilating even more flesh. The man's limp body gave a shudder before going still again.
Replacing the bone saw with an amputation knife, Lixue inspected the sharpness of the blade. The knife was curved and used to slice through flesh before meeting the bone. From there, the bone saw came into play. The flesh and skin was flapping uselessly, hanging from where the knee used to be. Though it was dangerous to angle any knife toward the body, this one was designed for the movement at any angle. Unless the person was amazingly flexible. Looking at the leftover skin, Lixue handed the amputation knife back.
Her fingers pulled the flesh upward, seeing if it would cover the gaping wound. It did. Barely. Pulling both sides when sewing would be difficult and tedious, but necessary. "Two assistants." The command was quickly followed with two Jamoura stepping up on either side of her. "Hold this side, pull it gently." Using her own hands, Lixue showed the Jamoura where to grasp; above where the knee had been. "Be careful, the skin risks breaking." To the other, she folded the skin upward again. With a quick nod, Lixue explained her intentions: sew the flesh together and hope the stitches don't break with any sort of swelling.
A sharp needle and non-colored thread were gathered. While she waited, Lixue kept a cloth pressed against the wound to keep the man from losing too much blood. She would have used sugar, but that could have gotten in the way of the needle and thread. Taking the sewing utensil, Lixue tested the tip for sharpness before having someone else thread it. Her own hands were too bloody and slippery.
Starting at the left side with both Jamouras holding the flesh together, Lixue pierced the skin. The movement had become so natural, she barely felt the resistance. She shoved through to the other side before having someone cut the thread. Taking both ends, Lixue tied them in a knot. As with all stitches, it was necessary to allow room for swelling and cutting. This pattern was completed nearly every inch, or inch and a half, until the skin was sewn together. Lixue sprinkled sugar over the end result, after washing the amputation. |
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by Lixue on August 12th, 2012, 6:25 pm 
