A Man with Nerves of Steel (Joseph Hart) novel Chapter 22

Chapter 22

At that moment, Joseph was in the operating room as an assistant, with Walt as the lead surgeon performing the craniotomy.

The first assistant was the head of the surgical department. He was in charge of opening the scalp, separating the skull, and cutting through the dura mater. Then, it was up to Walt to handle the intracranial lesion.

As the fourth assistant, Joseph had no chance to even touch a scalpel. Still, he silently worked through each step in his mind. In his view, after decades in the field, Walt’s surgical technique was polished to perfection, and his judgment of the condition was on point.

Nevertheless, age was catching up with him. When it came to speed and steadiness, he was just a little off his former peak.

Joseph felt that if he were the lead surgeon, he was confident he could operate with greater precision and speed. He could better control the bleeding and give the patient a higher chance of survival.

That thought grew even stronger during the breaks in the operation, when they went over the patient’s data and discussed the post-op recovery plan. The plan the hospital leadership settled on was conservative and safe-the patient’s life wouldn’t be in danger, but there was no way he would make a full recovery.

After a surgery like this, the patient would, at best, live another five to ten years. Comparatively, the plan Joseph had in mind carried some risk, but it could completely cure the patient and let them live out a natural lifespan.

Even so, Joseph accepted reality. In this hospital, what Walt said was law. He was just a lowly attending physician-he had no say.

Walt had already asked his secretary to arrange housing for Joseph-a single room with its own bathroom, kitchen, and even a washing machine. After the surgery, Joseph moved straight in. At least his accommodation problem was solved for now.

The next day, Joseph was called back to the director’s office by Walt, where he found Bernard waiting for him.

The last time they’d met, Bernard had punched him, and Joseph had been brooding about it ever since. He didn’t even bother greeting Bernard when they saw each other. Once he realized that it was actually Bernard who had come looking for him, he spoke, his tone stiff and cold. “What are you doing here?”

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