City ​​of Witches 91

Chapter 91 – #21_Treatment(1)

#89

1.
“How did it go?”

Yebin was surprised.
She had been so focused that she didn’t know exactly how much time she had spent on the detailed examination, but it seemed like quite a bit.
That was because Baron Marigold was still pacing anxiously in front of the door.
Without thinking, she realized how precious he must be to her.

At the same time, a sense of pressure washed over her.
She had to deliver the news that the condition of someone so precious to her was far from good.

“First of all… to give you the conclusion, he will be able to recover.”
“Ah…”

Amelia staggered as if her legs had given way.
If Yebin hadn’t been there, whom she had just met today, she would have collapsed on the spot.

“His whole body is a mess. There’s severe damage to his major organs, and most of all, the internal injuries caused by the short circuit in his magic circuit are extreme. If there hadn’t been emergency treatment, he probably would have been beyond recovery, but… fortunately, it’s not too late.”
“What does it mean that he can recover?”
“Could I organize some data and bring it to you for more details?”
“Yes, thank you for your hard work.”

She was too fatigued from the detailed examination process, and she needed a pen and paper for a detailed explanation.
So, the rest of the conversation between Amelia and Yebin took place after dinner, in the dining room.

Yebin showed Amelia the charts that summarized the contents of the detailed examination, one by one.

“This chart is a very brief summary of the organs that need healing… but before regenerating the brain, it seems like it would be best to take care of the various injuries that have accumulated throughout the body.”
“……..”

On the chart, where the human body and various organs were drawn with lines, only the injured areas were marked with circles.
It was easier to find the places without circles.
There wasn’t a single place from his toes to his head that wasn’t injured.
Even though she already knew this, seeing it on the chart was a different experience.
Amelia felt her head spin.

“It’s most important to rebuild his body to the point where regeneration magic is possible. And… this is a bit difficult to say…”
“Please tell me everything honestly. Understanding his condition is the most important thing.”
“Then, I’ll tell you about the condition of his brain.”

Yebin hesitated.
Amelia urged her on with a determined expression.
Yebin took out the second chart.
It was a four-part diagram of the entire brain.

“As you can see, the meninges are obviously damaged. The BA47, 45, and 44 areas, that is, the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, are severely damaged. Especially since the damage was inflicted through his left eye, the orbitofrontal cortex is almost completely lost… His condition is not good.”

The reason Yebin stopped talking in the middle was because Amelia was looking at her with a devastated expression.
She should have told her before dinner.
The fancy dinner she had after a long time felt like it was all stuck in her throat.
Of course, witches don’t get indigestion, but still.

“Then… what will happen?”
“There may be several changes even after the surgery.”
“In what ways?”
“First of all, the orbitofrontal cortex… is connected to various sensory organs. It’s where the receptors and pathways for taste, sight, smell, and synesthesia exist, so I can’t say for sure whether it will fully regain its function after resuscitation.”
“And?”

Yebin steeled her heart.
Right now, she was here as a doctor, not a witch.
It was a doctor’s duty to objectively convey the patient’s situation.

“Also, it’s directly related to the limbic system, so it’s a place that indirectly manages desires and motivations. To be more specific, it socializes human behavior by manifesting a reward system based on desires and motivations. There may be learning disabilities, and since it’s directly related to desires, there may be problems in terms of libido… Is it okay if I continue? If it’s too hard, you can take a break.”

Amelia, who had been bravely holding back her tears, finally couldn’t hide them.
Even as she dropped tears onto the back of her hand, she shook her head.
Yebin sighed inwardly and continued.

“…As for the prefrontal cortex, it’s where most of the ‘executive functions’ are handled. Decision-making, adjusting behavior according to the situation, verbal expression, and critical thinking are all executed here.
I’ve read papers about patients with damage to this part of the prefrontal cortex in the modern world, and the most noticeable change is the inability to process higher emotions and difficulty in controlling impulses…”

She couldn’t bring herself to use an analogy because Amelia looked too sad, but in short, it meant he would become like a robot.
And a very violent one at that, a robot that only moved according to primary impulses.

“Will it be like that even after treatment?”
“Would it be okay if I used a plate?”

When Amelia nodded slightly, Yebin used telekinesis to shatter one of the plates that had held a fancy dessert.
She began to piece together the dozens of broken glass shards like a puzzle.

“Reassembling torn skin and bones is like this. After all, what cells are responsible for is maintaining ‘structure’ and ‘function,’ and the pieces to assemble are also large. It’s not difficult, and even if they’re assembled incorrectly, you can just try again.”

The ‘surgical telekinesis,’ which was weaker than normal telekinesis but much more delicate, fitted the plate together without a single misalignment.
The plate, with all its edges aligned, maintained its original shape before it was broken.

“But the brain is like this.”

-Crack

The plate broke into even smaller pieces, thousands of them.

“The ‘structure’ of the brain is closely related to its ‘function.’ Moreover, it’s the most delicate and sensitive organ of all the human body’s organs. No matter how hard I try, it’s impossible to make it exactly the same as it was before. At best, it’ll be like this.”

Although she had restored it as close to the original as possible, the reassembled plate had spiderweb-like cracks all over it.
Even at a glance, there were gaps that were clearly visible.

“Are you really okay with this? Even if the patient who wakes up again…”
“It’s Shin Siwoo.”
“…Even if Mr. Shin Siwoo is a different person than before?”

This was all Yebin had to say.
It wasn’t enough to simply save him.
The patient was in a coma, so his will couldn’t be asked, but the guardian’s will had to be respected.

“I can say this with certainty. No one else could say anything more than this, even if they were in my place.”

Amelia took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away her tears.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s something I have to bear.”

It seemed like she was prepared.
Then, all that was left for Yebin was to do her best to help Siwoo recover.

“Then, I’ll explain the upcoming schedule.”

Yebin spread out a paper with the surgery schedule in front of Amelia.

“Before regenerating the brain, I’ll partially restore its functions to help the body recover.
The brain has a property called neuroplasticity, which changes the arrangement of neural circuits even when damaged, transferring roles to other parts of the brain.
I’ll induce this redesign ability to secure the functions necessary for recovery.
This will take about a month. In addition, during this period, ‘mapping’ of which part of the brain is responsible for which function will also be done.”
“I’ll provide all the necessary supplies.”

Yebin nodded and finished the rest of the explanation.

“After that, I’ll regenerate the damaged parts of the brain. I’ll focus on securing as much of his original memories and functions as possible.
Once the regeneration is complete, I’ll bring the rearranged neural circuits back to their original state. No matter how perfectly the recovery is completed, there will be a clear difference compared to the performance of the parts that were given from birth.”
“Okay, when can we start?”
“I’ll write down the necessary items, can you prepare them? I’ll start right away.”

Yebin was burning with enthusiasm.
Her academic passion to use the surgery she had only experimented on coyotes and seals directly on a human was the second reason.
The first was to alleviate the worries of Baroness Amelia, who was shedding tears in front of her.
She was once again reminded of how serious and important the task of dealing with life was.

“I understand.”

With Amelia’s full cooperation, Siwoo’s treatment began.

2.
Yebin devoted 16 hours a day to Siwoo’s recovery.
The magic that slowed down the biological clock deployed throughout the room.
It was excellent as an emergency treatment, but it was only an obstacle to fundamental recovery.

Yebin’s primary goal was to rebuild Siwoo’s body to the point where he wouldn’t die even if his time was returned to normal.
Even just restoring the recovery ability of cells that had been reduced to the extreme required a huge amount of magic power and stamina.
It was a task that literally required stitching each cell one by one, using surgical touch and telekinesis to the fullest.

“Huu…”

Yebin, wearing a mask, sighed and blinked her blurry eyes.
It had taken almost three days just to recover his tattered cardiopulmonary system.
Should she take a break first?

Yebin, holding her throbbing head, opened the door and immediately encountered the twin sisters.
They looked like dolls, so beautiful and identical as if they were looking in a mirror.

“How is the assistant’s condition?”
“Are you okay…?”

The twins asked, holding each other’s hands tightly and pacing anxiously.
Yebin could easily recognize their identities.
They must be the apprentice witches from the Geminai family that Shin Siwoo had helped escape using magic.

“Ah, hello. I’m Yebin Smirna.”
“Ah, I’m Odile Geminai.”
“I’m Odette Geminai.”

The twins, who had forgotten to greet her in their haste, finally bowed their heads, holding their skirts together.
Their movements were so synchronized that Yebin felt amazed.

“I just finished recovering his cardiopulmonary system.”
“Is that good?”
“That’s a huge relief, right?”

Odile jumped up and down and expressed her relief and gratitude at Yebin’s nod.
Yebin felt a renewed sense of emotion at seeing how worried they were at a glance.
Just like Baron Aveneu, who had come to visit a while ago, and Amelia, the owner of this mansion.
She could feel their deep affection for him, and these twins were even more so.

“Is it okay to go in now?”
“We want to see the assistant’s face…”
“No, he needs absolute rest for the time being… I don’t think that’ll be possible.”

Seeing the twins’ shoulders slump at the same time, she felt sorry and pitiful.
She hadn’t even exchanged a single word with him yet, but if he had built up this much goodwill, he must be a good person.

“Is there anything you need?”
“Is there anything we can help you with?”
“Ah, no… there’s nothing in particular…”

Since Amelia was already providing all the necessary supplies and conveniences, Yebin could focus solely on the treatment.
Nevertheless, the twins grabbed Yebin’s wrist.

“Don’t say that, come to our carriage.”
“We’ve prepared something that Ms. Smirna might like.”
“Huh? Uh?”

Yebin, who was half-dragged into the carriage, received an enormous pile of gifts, from fancy clothes to rare magical tools, along with the twins’ request to take care of him.
The tearful tales of Shin Siwoo’s heroism, which continued for an hour without a break, were a bonus.

“Our assistant is a slave and a man, but he also uses magic.”
“He even fought bravely against a vicious 21st-level exile. To save us…”
“Oh, I see.”
“Even though he had a chance to escape, he evacuated us first.”
“He’s our hero.”

She felt like her mind was going to spin from the way they took turns speaking.
The twins’ last request was not much different from Amelia’s.

“Please take good care of our assistant.”
“The Geminai family will not forget your kindness.”

After the conversation with the twins ended, Yebin returned to the mansion with a burden on her shoulders.

“………”

She already knew that he had used magic to fight against the exile, but this was the first time she had heard the full story in such detail.

Knowing that he could die, he risked his life to fight the exile and protect the witch.
Just like the twins said, he was a ‘hero’ worthy of the name.
She was directly treating a wonderful person she had always only seen in the news or newspapers.

“What kind of person is he?”

He might not be the same as before after the treatment, but
Yebin wanted to talk to Siwoo as well.