Novel Bin Chapter 19: Jack the Lizardman
Chapter 19: Jack the Lizardman
"Surprisingly, there's still a clinic here, although it looks a bit small. I hope it's not a shady place."
On Baka Street, Jack, the lizardman, stood at a distance, examining the small clinic with only the signboard "Clinic," his expression conflicted.
"Sss! It hurts so much! If my hand doesn't receive treatment soon, it'll be completely ruined!"Fi𝒏d 𝒏ew upd𝒂t𝒆s on novel𝒃in(.)com
"If I lose my hand, no lizard beauty will ever look at me again. My lizard life will be finished!"
"But I only have three copper coins in my pocket. If I can't pay for the treatment, will they beat me up?"
Jack held up his scaly left arm with his right hand, his expression filled with conflict and worry.
Last night, he experienced the 81st night ambush in the Abyss.
Although he emerged victorious in the end, he still couldn't understand why those lurking in the shadows always targeted hima big guy with thick armor but indeed very poor.
However, this time he was attacked, and his left arm was struck.
As the iron rod bent, he also heard the heart-wrenching sound of bones cracking.
This was not the kind of injury that would heal with a good night's sleep.
As soon as the day broke, tormented by intense pain and unable to sleep, Jack immediately took to the streets in search of help.
In the Abyss, entering a period of weakness was a dangerous situation.
As an orc mercenary, losing an arm would undoubtedly greatly diminish his strength, making it impossible for him to continue to thrive in this profession.
Losing his means of livelihood, he might end up falling just like those hiding in the shadows.
Jack had heard of the small clinic on Baka Street within the mercenary circle.
Being a mercenary was a high-risk profession, and getting injured was a common occurrence. Some injuries only required buying one or two bottles of hemostatic potions to solve, but others necessitated seeking the help of a doctor.
There were a total of seven or eight hospitals in the Abyss, varying in size, each backed by a powerful force.
The strength of the hospitals varied, but at the very least, they all had healing mages to handle most injuries.
Correspondingly, the fees were exorbitant!
Even a minor injury could bankrupt a mercenary.
As a destitute wretch who was already on the verge of bankruptcy before even entering a hospital, Jack could only exclude those hospitals for now.
Trying to run away without paying from such places was tantamount to seeking death.
The small clinic on Baka Street was different. It was said to be run by a human without any backing.
However, this human didn't know magic, only potions. It was said that they would even perform surgeries on patients, using peculiar methods that sometimes proved effective.
The crucial point was that they were said to offer credit!
With three copper coins in his pocket, Jack still wanted to keep them to buy breakfast. If he could get treatment on credit, he could wait until his arm healed and then take on missions to earn money and repay the debt.
After some inner turmoil, with no better options, Jack finally approached the clinic's door and knocked.
The clinic door opened quickly, revealing a female orc who was the doctor's assistant. She was dressed in a black gown, and two beast ears emerged from her black hair, quite adorable.
"Are you the doctor?" Jack looked up in confusion, glancing at the signboard. Wasn't it said that this was a clinic run by a human?
"No, I'm Dr. Charlotte's assistant. How can I help you?" Vivian quickly replied, her voice trembling slightly. It was her first time working at the reception, so she was a bit nervous.
"Yes, my life is ruined!" Jack nodded hurriedly.
"Hmm?" Vivian looked at him with confusion.
"I mean, my hand is broken. If it can't be fixed, my life will be completely ruined," Jack raised his left hand and said with a painful expression.
"Please come in," Vivian stepped aside to let him enter, her gaze turning to Charlotte.
If it was just a fracture, she could easily heal him with a healing spell.
But Charlotte didn't know any healing magic, and there were no intermediate options available at the counter for treating fractures.
So, how would he handle this patient?
As soon as Jack entered, he saw a young human, fair-skinned, and somewhat delicate-looking.
Ugh! He didn't like this type!
His hopes for his future were now pinned on this weak human, which made him a little uncertain.
He remembered some rumors that many mercenaries who entered this clinic never came out again.
"Doctor, please save me!" Jack mustered up the courage to look at Charlotte and said.
"Please have a seat." Charlotte motioned for the tall lizardman to sit on a stone bed nearby and said, "This patient, tell me about your injury."
Charlotte was satisfied with Vivian's reception, which allowed him to focus more on treating the patients.
In front of him stood a lizardman over two and a half meters tall, covered in yellow-brown scales, and it seemed like his left hand was broken.
"I was ambushed last night... uh, it was a sneak attack. I blocked an iron rod with my arm, and it seems like it broke," Jack held up his left hand, wincing in pain from the movement.
Charlotte reached out and touched his left hand. The tiny scales, the size of fingernails, felt ice-cold to the touch, hard and devoid of any sensation.
As an experienced veterinarian, he had never treated a lizard's fracture before!
He couldn't discern anything by touch, but the visibly displaced arm of the lizardman indicated that he did indeed have a fracture and a severe one at that.
A fracture surgery was not a major operation, and Charlotte had performed many fracture surgeries on cats and dogs, gaining some experience in this field.
Of course, he wasn't sure if this experience could be applied to a lizardman.
According to the diary's records, his predecessor, Charlotte, had performed numerous fracture surgeries on patients.
Of course, the success rate was still quite low, often resulting in amputations during the process.
"It is indeed a fracture, but I can't confirm the internal condition, so I need to make an incision and take a look before determining the reduction and fixation based on the situation," Charlotte frowned, as without imaging assistance, the uncertainty of the surgery would be greatly increased.
"Make an incision?!" Jack was greatly shocked.
How could this guy speak of such a terrifying procedure so casually?!
"Yes, in your case, surgery is necessary for treatment," Charlotte said seriously.
"Can't it be treated with magic or potions?" Jack whispered.
Charlotte shook his head and said, "If you need healing magic, I'm afraid I can't help you. You can go to other hospitals for treatment."
Jack's lips twitched. If he had the money to go to a big hospital, would he still be here?
"Will the surgery be very painful?" Jack asked cautiously.
"The process may be a little painful, but it shouldn't be a big problem for you," Charlotte looked at the thick-skinned lizardman and thought that cold-blooded creatures might not be so sensitive to pain. After all, lizards were tough characters known to sacrifice their tails for survival.
"Will the surgery guarantee the preservation of my left hand?" Jack still had concerns.
Charlotte shrugged and said, "I can't make any guarantees. The success of the surgery and the postoperative management will both affect the outcome."
Isn't this a bit of a rogue? Jack felt uneasy, but the pain in his arm made it unbearable for him to continue. He could only grit his teeth and say, "I'll do it!"