"A little slower, but you're almost perfect, keep going like that." Foreman, standing beside Elion, guided him through the entire process and was surprised by how calm he was, despite having seemed hesitant before.
This initiative told Foreman why Elion was so brilliant.
Not just anyone would be willing to take this risk, even if it meant participating in a surgery. Every intern's dream is to be useful, gain experience, and face situations that feed their emotions.
But not everyone had the qualities to receive tasks like these; that alone already placed Elion in very high regard.
Foreman could not deny that Elion had talent, and for that very reason he also wanted to guide him and be there for him until there was nothing left to teach.
At the very least, he would have liked his own growth to have been supported as much as Elion's was now.
"Can't you go faster?" the mother, who was watching everything, asked through tears.
"No, it can't be done."
Although House comforted her by saying that the local anesthesia would significantly reduce the pain, she still felt very distressed.
Because she could see her son's hands tightly gripping the sheet and cold sweat dripping from his forehead.
If it hadn't been for Dr. Foreman, whom House called a neuroscientist, who remained there very attentive, she would have thought that Elion had made a mistake that caused her son's suffering.
Fortunately, although everything passed incredibly slowly inside Dan's mother, in reality it ended very quickly.
Especially after Dan noticed that Cameron, who was a very attractive doctor, was telling him a story. Because of that, since he was embarrassed to show pain, he remained very strong.
Thanks to this, Elion's process of extracting the cerebrospinal fluid was also much smoother.
After instructing Dan to lie down without a pillow and drink plenty of water, Elion took the cerebrospinal fluid to the lab.
The test results arrived quickly.
Foreman congratulated Elion on such a brilliant procedure, but soon noticed an abnormally exhausted expression on him.
"You should rest, leave this to us."
"Yes, I will."
Foreman had observed Elion's entire cerebrospinal fluid collection process, and it had been as precise as a textbook, not at all like a novice.
He was fine, but it seemed that the pressure had been much greater for Elion than for Foreman, who had suggested that the intern do it.
But what he did not understand now was that Elion's hand, which had not even trembled during the cerebrospinal fluid extraction process, now seemed shaky.
Naturally, Elion would not tell Foreman the truth.
Because having a brain tumor, what he had right now was not fatigue, he was suffering from a severe headache.
Anyone else would have already collapsed, but Elion, who had suffered so much, was able to endure something like this.
Moreover, thanks to the previous owner of his body, who had been quite outstanding at university, he was able to live up to the expectations of his superiors.
Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to go to the diagnostic department where House worked to do his residency immediately after graduating.
Elion signaled to House with his eyes.
He approached Dan's parents and, like a professional doctor, handed them the report and the preoperative instructions, explaining as he did so, "It has been confirmed that the problem lies in the virus that mutated from measles."
In other words, Dan was diagnosed with subacute sclerosing encephalitis.
"The usual way to treat this disease is by injecting interferon into the ventricles of the brain."
"Then, an Ommaya reservoir is implanted, which is basically a device that pumps medication into the ventricles through a thin tube under the scalp and is connected to a ventricular catheter."
"The ventricular catheter will then deliver antipathogens directly to the left side of the brain…"
Dan's parents were completely confused by Elion's words, which were full of technical nouns.
They only understood one term from that long passage: implantation under the scalp.
They immediately realized that it was a surgical consent form.
"You mean you're going to perform brain surgery on him, right? Is it high risk?"
Elion looked at Foreman, and he nodded. "That's one way to understand it. Also, every surgery carries its own risks."
"Surgery involving the skull carries an extremely high risk factor, and no one can guarantee a 100% success rate."
"But Dan will only be able to survive if you agree. If you do not agree, Dan will definitely die, and you must be prepared."
"So, do you have any questions?"
Dan's parents exchanged a glance, sighed, and signed their names.
Between certain death and the possibility of death, everyone knows which choice to make.
"Don't worry, this surgery will be performed by Foreman, our best neurologist," Elion said, shifting the responsibility to Foreman, who stayed behind to speak with the parents.