Part 6: Episode 1-6: Awakening

Episode 1-6: Awakening



Markus: You're free to return to LA whenever you're ready.

Elena: Have you thought any more about that favor I asked? I'd really like to go with you and assist you in the O.R.

Markus: You don't give up easily, do you? Sorry, but the answer's still "No." Trust me, I have my reasons. You don't owe me anything,. You need to think about your future.

Elena: That's why I'm asking. I want to train with the world's greatest surgeon.

Markus: I don't think you want to put your fate in the hands of a doctor who's about to lose his job. Go back to Concordia. You owe them an explanation.



Valerie: I can't believe the hospital is actually closing. Well, I didn't make any major medical breakthroughs, but coming here wasn't a total waste. I suppose I'd better start thinking about which hospital I'd like to work at next.

Ring Ring Ring I'm a cell phone.

Valerie: It's the hospital… Hello?

Marcy: Dr. Blaylock!? Are you nearby?

Valerie: Yes. Why?

Marcy: There's been an accident at the construction site! We need your help!

Valerie: I'm on my way.



Awesome. Erik's back.

Valerie: Where's the injured party!?

Markus: She's in no condition to be moved! We'll have to treat her at the scene. She's lodged beneath the frame of the church. Our equipment's already been loaded onto the helicopter.

Valerie: Elena?

Elena: Dr. Vaughn! Please let me come! I know I can help!

Markus: I can't let you do that. You're still--

Elena: I'm fine. You've seen to that, Doctor.

Erik: We can't waste any more time.

Valerie: Come on, Elena. It's better to be safe than sorry.

Markus: Suit yourself, but it's your life that's on the line!

I wonder if there's any room for a malpractice suit here…





I can't imagine a picture of her actually, you know, under the rubble, would have cost that much more than a background and new character art.

Valerie: Sister Catherine!?

Catherine: Dr. Blaylock… M-my chest. I can't…

Valerie: Don't worry, sister. We'll get you out of here!

Erik: It's no use! The frame's too heavy; we can't move it.

Catherine: Oh Lord… Please help me…

Valerie: Don't give up, Sister Catherine! That's what you told me when I was down, so please, hang in there.

Markus: It's risky, but we'll have to leave her where she is. Elena, get the instruments and anaesthesia ready.

Valerie: She's suffering from chest contusion and cyanosis. We'll need to operate immediately.

Markus: All right, Valerie. You take the lead.

Cyanosis, which is actually defined in the manual for Under the Knife, is when the skin turns blue due to a lack of oxygen in the blood. Contusion is another word for bruise, which is a pretty serious thing when applied to your heart, I imagine.

Anyway, we've got a pretty loose definition of "immediately" here, so there's a conference.



I am frankly unable to explain anything more about having a roof fall on you, but stay tuned during the briefing.

Valerie: Her chest must have been compressed when she was caught in the collapse. Her heartbeat may be suffering from cardiac tamponade.



This means the heart's been compressed by a large amount of fluid building up around it.

Elena: If that's the case, then blood will collect in her pericardium and cause diastolic heart failure.

Diastol is the phase of the heartbeat when the heart relaxes and fills with blood(the contraction is systole). If the heart cannot relax fully, then blood can dam up into the lungs, which is diastolic heart failure.

Markus: We don't have time to transport her back to the hospital. If Valerie's diagnosis is correct, we need to drain the blood. You lead, and I'll assist.

As Markus implies, this is the second of two operations where you're forced into using a certain doctor. This time, we'll be using…



Valerie(A second time)!



I aimed to provide a much better run this time, and was somewhat successful. I've done much better, but I at least got all special bonuses.

OPERATION VIDEO

Viddler Backup
After dealing with those wounds you can already see, you have to delve inside the mysterious depths of A Nun.



Other than the obvious wounds, the big deal this time are these blood pockets. They appear as shadows on the ultrasound, and they grow quickly. Let them get too big, and they burst, causing massive damage to vitals. To prevent this, you need to puncture them first, then drain the blood and suture the incision. This still results in a blow to vitals, but it doesn't break your chain, and the damage is much less.

My recommendation here would be to make sure you have good vitals going in, and cut all of them at once before you do anything else. You've got no chance of getting them all individually before they explode on you.



After dealing with the first wave, another one starts. Once again, you should raise vitals beforehand, and quickly scalpel them when you get the chance. This operation is actually very unforgiving if you let any burst on you. After this second wave, it's finally over.



Just kidding!

Valerie: If I can't save her life, I have no business calling myself a doctor!





Val's Healing Touch works differently from Markus'. You might think it would be the same as Naomi from Second Opinion, but it's actually a new one altogether. When active, vitals are locked onto their current number. They won't drop, but you also can't raise them. I don't find it to be as generally useful as the ability to slow time, but it can get you through things normally intended to be fatal.

It lasts for an unlimited time here, so you're invincible, as least as far as vitals go. Note that there are more blood pockets to deal with, so find them right away if you're going for score.

Valerie:She'll be okay now.

Markus:Don't tell me. Was that…?



And it's done.



OPERATION END



That's all of them, and you can see that they're all pretty straightforward. If I wanted a higher score, I should have raised vitals before the end, and gone faster. A quick look at my high score reveals I also had a higher chain on that run, probably from draining. It's actually to your benefit to allow the wounds to bleed a little.



For what it's worth, I know 8000 is an S. I'm not sure what the cutoff for XS is.



Markus: Let's head back, then. She's through the worst of it, but we need to watch for signs of crush syndrome. You did it, Valerie. I knew you had it in you, but I never imagined your gift would awaken so suddenly.

Valerie: I'm surprised, myself. It wasn't the technique that was important for the Healing Touch; it was the opening of my heart.

I'd say it was the nun's heart that opened, actually.

Valerie: I finally understand what Dr. Montgomery was trying to say in his book. It was difficult, but I feel I can make a decision now. I want to continue working as a doctor.

Markus: I guess I've got some thinking to do, myself.


- One week later -



Valerie: Yes, just now.

Hoover: I apologise for being so selfish.

Markus: No worries. This is the hand fate's dealt us. As long as I remember that Concordia's just a stepping stone, it won't be that bad.

Valerie: What about all the staff members here? What are they going to do?

Marcy: We were able to negotiate a deal with Fairbanks Hospital. Everything is going to be transferred there: all of our patients, staff, and equipment, though we may have a shortage of world-class doctors.

Within the next month, nine tourists die from bear-related injuries.

Hoover: My daughter has offered to look after me, so I'll be going to Seattle. The warmer climate should aid me in my recovery.

Markus: If you happen to relapse, please contact me immediately. I'll drop whatever I'm doing and come operate on you.

Hoover: Thank you, Dr. Vaughn, but I'll do my best to make sure you won't have to.

Markus: Elena, I gave Concordia a number of conditions under which Valerie and I would return. The most important being that you would be our assistant in the operating room.

Elena: Dr. Vaughn!

Valerie: We expect nothing less than your very best.



Valerie: But it's true; the greater the challenge, the more you appreciate the experience. Dr. Hoover was a strict but amazing teacher.

Markus: Val…

Valerie: Yes?

Markus: The operation that the professor is asking us to perform will be extremely difficult. If we're going to be successful, we'll have to work together.

Valerie: What are you saying? Of course we will. We're a team.



Chapter 1: Northern Lights - Complete

That's it for the first chapter. I hope for the next update to be a brief intermission in which I tackle the first bonus challenge operation. After that, we'll begin Chapter 2, in which our heroes travel to California and tackle the mysterious Stigma disease, an annoying co-worker, and the blatant recycling of ideas. All that and more in Chapter 2