Part 10: 2: Master Surgery
Chapter 2-2: Master Surgery
Hoffman: Dr. Kasal tells me you may have shown potential for the... Healing Touch.
It gets a dramatic pause and capital letters. Could this be... the requisite anime plot device/special power?
Derek: Healing Touch?
Hoffman: You don't know?
Derek: No.
Hoffman: Doctors with the Healing Touch can cure incurable diseases. They can even save patients who come within an inch of death. I don't know how long this gift has existed, but, the Greeks believed such doctors were descended from Asclepius.
Derek: You mean the god of medicine? Me!?
Asclepius is indeed the Greek god of medicine. His symbol was a serpent-entwined staff, the Rod of Asclepius, which is used in the logos of many medical organizations. It often gets confused for the Caduceus, which has an extra snake and wings at the top.
Asclepius was supposed to be such a skilled surgeon that he could even bring the dead back to life. So he did, and accepted money for it. Then Zeus got mad and killed him with a lightning bolt. That's Greek mythology for you.
Hoffman: ...the keenest judgement, unbreakable focus, and unmatched surgical skill. Haven't you noticed any changes during your operations?
Derek: Well, sometimes it starts to feel like time is moving much more slowly than usual.
Hoffman: Hmm... that must be a result of your extraordinary concentration. It definitely marks you as capable of the Healing Touch.
Derek: So, I have all those powers?
Hoffman: You need to forget about them. Those things are unnecessary.
Aw man you can slow down time and be the best surgeon ever it's awesome! BUT DON'T!
Derek: What?
Hoffman: If you pursue this, yes, you'll become an unparalleled surgeon. But, are you prepared for the pain that would bring you? Derek, a doctor's hands are heavy with responsibility. Patients depend on us. They put their lives in those hands of ours. Can you imagine how heavy that burden would be with the Healing Touch? There aren't many doctors who could endure such a weight.
Hoffman: Forget about that power and be a normal doctor. You'll never be happy, otherwise.
Derek: For my own good?
Number of times Derek has parroted something back as a question this update: 2
Hoffman: Think of it this way: Right now, you're standing at a large door; knocking. If you continue to knock, that door will eventually open. But, you can also turn your back on it, and it would stay closed.
I considered just cutting that metaphor because it makes no sense in the context of the conversation and adds nothing, but I'm just going to leave it there in all its glory.
Hoffman: Why not take a vacation? Get your mind off surgery for awhile.
Derek: But, I-
Hoffman: Trust me; it's for your own good.
Number of times Director Hoffman has found a legitimate use for the semicolon this update: 2
End of chapter 2-2
We'll proceed to the next episode so we can have an actual operation. Well... sort of, anyway. You'll see.
Chapter 2-3: Striving for Asclepius
Kasal: What's wrong, Derek? Shouldn't you be checking on your patients?
Derek: Dr. Kasal... do you think I should stop trying to improve as a doctor?
Kasal: So you spoke with Hoffman. I was hoping the news about your abilities would inspire him to start operating again.
Derek: Why would it do that?
Kasal: Back when the director was still operating on patients, he named that skill the Healing Touch and accepted its... gifts.
Derek: What? He has it too!?
Number of times Derek has made me want to shout "STOP THAT" this update: 1
Kasal: But the something... happened. He hasn't operated on anyone since. All because of one mistake.
"There aren't many doctors who could endure such a weight..."
Thank you. Atlus, for that flashback to a thing that happened five minutes ago.
Derek: Can I really do it? Can I master the Healing Touch?
Kasal: Well, I can't tell you what to do-I'm not the one with your abilities. But, I know that if you intend to use this power to help people, you need to take command of it.
Derek: Take... command?
Kasal: Yes. You can't be "halfway" with something like this. One simple mistake changed the director's entire life. He delved too far into something even he couldn't understand. I think you can learn a lot from the director's mistake. If you can't control this power, then it's going to cost you.
Derek: So, do you... think I can do it.
Kasal: Your skill seems to involve focus, so try to concentrate on that.
I think he just dodged the question.
Kasal: Once you adjust, I'm sure you'll be able to make this decision for yourself. I can't fully understand the Healing Touch because I'm not you or Dr. Hoffman. In the end, nobody's going to be able to make this decision for you. Good luck, Derek.
Derek: My dad used to say I could never concentrate on anything. He told me to imagine one shape, like a star or triangle, and focus on that. I'm pretty sure he just made that up, but it definitely came in handy for exams. Maybe that could help now. I'll imagine a star...
Didn't you have patients to get to?
No patient to talk about this time, but I love how engrishy the description reads.
Derek: Okay, how should I do this? First, I'll recall what happened during that operation. Now, I'll visualize a star. Concentrate... Concentrate! Okay, I can do it.
It's not until I set out to retype some of this stuff that I realize just how ridiculous it looks.
"OPERATION" VIDEO
Gamevee
Viddler
This isn't really an operation, and the video is under a minute long even though I did the operation at a fairly leisurely pace. So... yeah.
Derek: First, I'll recall the procedure...
To use the HT, one must first tense their left index finger (that means hit the Z button, although I played left-handed for a time, in which case it'd be your right finger.)
Next, hold the B button.
Now, draw a star and release B.
Derek: Almost! I was so close I could feel it! Okay, try again.
You need to practice drawing five stars in total.
Here's another example of a well-drawn star, at least as far as the game is concerned. From here on out, we can use the HT once per operation, and the time it lasts is determined by how well the star is drawn, so the practice is good.
In UtK, the HT was selected by tapping the hand tool twice. The time remaining on it was represented with numbers, which was a little hard to figure out at a glance. In SO, you get a bar, like the one for vitals.
Speaking of version differences, here's an incredibly major one if you care about score: In UtK you lost points for using the HT (except in the operations where it's required, naturally). In SO, most missions do not penalize you for using it. Since using the HT can get you a better time, it's often required for the best ranks. It really changes the strategy for some operations.
Here's an example on an unacceptable star. Sadly, this means I can't get the XS this time. Your rank in this stage is based solely on how well you draw, and whether or not you make any mistakes like this one.
Derek: I have the Healing Touch! Ugh, maybe I overdid it. Gave myself a headache.
The "patient" is "saved"!
As the difficulty increases, the "passable" number actually drops, as you need to get a better ratio of skilled to passable. The bonus I missed here is the one for not drawing and bad stars. It's worded rather poorly as "Healing Touch activated successfully" and is worth 1200 points, for a total of 2000 max. Note that there is no time bonus for this one.
And that's all!
Derek: I might be able to handle the Healing Touch, after all!
End of chapter 2-3
...
Not yet.
Okay, NOW I'm done.