this morning.
Today, the first case was a nineteen-year-old with a neuroblastoma. The surgery was fairly routine, but complicated by the fact that the girl was a hemophiliac. Any bleeding in her dura would be almost impossible to control. With a distant chill, Josh entered OR six.
At that moment, he saw Dr. Hench step back from the table. The craniotomy was done and they were ready to begin the main procedure.
Hench looked over at Josh. "Glad you could join us Dr. Logan. I thought perhaps you'd taken the day off."
Josh felt himself flush. "It's only seven forty-five."
"Well, be that as it may, Dr. Logan, when I'm running the OR, we start at seven-thirty. If that's not too much to ask, of course."
Josh could feel his anger building, but he resisted the urge to verbally spar with Hench. "No problem."
"Good, then let's begin. As you can see the craniotomy has already been done, so the first thing we need to do is to tent up the dura."
Deftly, Hench bent over and made a small opening in the dura while Josh held it back. A pinkish-gray mound of brain could be seen through the hole. His relatively small hands worked quickly and deliberately and within a minute had exposed the cover of the patient's brain. He gently palpated the surface of the brain with his index finger.
"Ah yes, I feel that bad boy right there. Nurse, suction please. Now let's have that nitrogen needle."
The nitrogen needle was not a needle at all, but rather a cryogenic scalpel that Hench himself had invented. It actually froze tissue instantly as it dissected it, leaving virtually no blood, and unlike the electric knife that cauterized tissue as it cut, the cryo-needle left the perimeter of the wound undamaged.
"Would you like to have the honors, Dr. Logan?" Hench asked.
Josh stepped forward and took the needle from Hench. The device was no bigger than a toothbrush and the tip was as fine as a human hair.
"Just cut like it was a scalpel," Hench said. "It will do the work for you."
Josh visualized the tumor through the craniotomy window and slowly began to dissect the outer edges of it. He was shocked at how easily the cryo-needle cut through tissue. "This is amazing."
"You see, I told you."
What Hench hadn't told Josh was that he really didn't invent the nitrogen needle completely by himself. His affiliation with Aurora Life Extension had provided him with the means to acquire several pieces of their equipment, which he then modified. Josh had found that out himself.
Continuing around the perimeter of the tumor, Josh made a final incision and lifted the walnut size tumor from the skull. A few small veins could be seen underneath, but there was no bleeding. Josh heaved a sigh. "That's it, let's close her up."
"Nice work," Hench said.
Josh was too stunned to speak. It was the first compliment Hench gave him since his arrival. Perhaps he could work in peace with him after all.
Chapter 11
The accident OCCURRED at precisely 6:00 P.M. The exact location was the Arizona Route 101, ten miles west of Tucson. The weather was clear, the road, bone-dry. It took all of ten seconds to occur.
The young girl driving the Honda Accord never saw the oil tanker, laden with two thousand gallons of diesel fuel, bearing down on her. With her mind somewhere else, she was driving at only fifty, perhaps not fast enough for the heavy traffic on the Interstate.
She was in the right lane and southbound when the road widened at the exit ramp to Route 52, which traversed beneath it. By the time she woke up to where she was going, there was only just enough time to swerve back onto the parkway itself.
A scream of tires, and the tanker's right front slammed into her. The Honda slewed diagonally and smashed against the high curb separating the Interstate from the descending exit ramp. The impact launched the Honda into the air. It hit a utility pole, then slid down the ramp on its side, slamming roof-first into the rear of an SUV. The SUV catapulted forward with a violent
Today, the first case was a nineteen-year-old with a neuroblastoma. The surgery was fairly routine, but complicated by the fact that the girl was a hemophiliac. Any bleeding in her dura would be almost impossible to control. With a distant chill, Josh entered OR six.
At that moment, he saw Dr. Hench step back from the table. The craniotomy was done and they were ready to begin the main procedure.
Hench looked over at Josh. "Glad you could join us Dr. Logan. I thought perhaps you'd taken the day off."
Josh felt himself flush. "It's only seven forty-five."
"Well, be that as it may, Dr. Logan, when I'm running the OR, we start at seven-thirty. If that's not too much to ask, of course."
Josh could feel his anger building, but he resisted the urge to verbally spar with Hench. "No problem."
"Good, then let's begin. As you can see the craniotomy has already been done, so the first thing we need to do is to tent up the dura."
Deftly, Hench bent over and made a small opening in the dura while Josh held it back. A pinkish-gray mound of brain could be seen through the hole. His relatively small hands worked quickly and deliberately and within a minute had exposed the cover of the patient's brain. He gently palpated the surface of the brain with his index finger.
"Ah yes, I feel that bad boy right there. Nurse, suction please. Now let's have that nitrogen needle."
The nitrogen needle was not a needle at all, but rather a cryogenic scalpel that Hench himself had invented. It actually froze tissue instantly as it dissected it, leaving virtually no blood, and unlike the electric knife that cauterized tissue as it cut, the cryo-needle left the perimeter of the wound undamaged.
"Would you like to have the honors, Dr. Logan?" Hench asked.
Josh stepped forward and took the needle from Hench. The device was no bigger than a toothbrush and the tip was as fine as a human hair.
"Just cut like it was a scalpel," Hench said. "It will do the work for you."
Josh visualized the tumor through the craniotomy window and slowly began to dissect the outer edges of it. He was shocked at how easily the cryo-needle cut through tissue. "This is amazing."
"You see, I told you."
What Hench hadn't told Josh was that he really didn't invent the nitrogen needle completely by himself. His affiliation with Aurora Life Extension had provided him with the means to acquire several pieces of their equipment, which he then modified. Josh had found that out himself.
Continuing around the perimeter of the tumor, Josh made a final incision and lifted the walnut size tumor from the skull. A few small veins could be seen underneath, but there was no bleeding. Josh heaved a sigh. "That's it, let's close her up."
"Nice work," Hench said.
Josh was too stunned to speak. It was the first compliment Hench gave him since his arrival. Perhaps he could work in peace with him after all.
Chapter 11
The accident OCCURRED at precisely 6:00 P.M. The exact location was the Arizona Route 101, ten miles west of Tucson. The weather was clear, the road, bone-dry. It took all of ten seconds to occur.
The young girl driving the Honda Accord never saw the oil tanker, laden with two thousand gallons of diesel fuel, bearing down on her. With her mind somewhere else, she was driving at only fifty, perhaps not fast enough for the heavy traffic on the Interstate.
She was in the right lane and southbound when the road widened at the exit ramp to Route 52, which traversed beneath it. By the time she woke up to where she was going, there was only just enough time to swerve back onto the parkway itself.
A scream of tires, and the tanker's right front slammed into her. The Honda slewed diagonally and smashed against the high curb separating the Interstate from the descending exit ramp. The impact launched the Honda into the air. It hit a utility pole, then slid down the ramp on its side, slamming roof-first into the rear of an SUV. The SUV catapulted forward with a violent
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