Chapter 32:Procedure 1

Ghaz woke up early that day, just as the sun was rising, as he had a surgery to perform. The night before, he had gone to bed early after giving dinner to Nila and setting up the mattress for Neuman.

He knocked on their door to wake Nila.

"Nila, wake up."

No response.

"Nila!" he knocked again, louder this time.

"I am awake, teacher," Nila sleepily mumbled as she unlatched the door. Her eyes were still half-closed, and her hair was a tangled mess.

"Gorrock will be coming in a few hours. We need to get ready," Ghaz said, turning around and heading toward the box of maggots he had bought from the rat-kin the previous day.

"Where is Mr. Druth?" Nila asked, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

"Partying," Ghaz replied flatly.

"Partying? Wasn't he with Ms. Reza last night?"

"Get the smallest screw and the animal sinew we prepared yesterday. I'll be checking on the maggots," Ghaz said, deliberately ignoring her question.

Ghaz slowly took the wooden box and opened it. The maggots were still wriggling around inside, pale and plump with their translucent bodies glistening slightly.

"How is the sinew?" Ghaz asked, closing the box and folding a mattress. He placed it on one side of the patient's head, ensuring Gorrock's head would be elevated. This would make it easier to operate without having to bend too much or sit down.

"It's elastic and sticky," Nila replied as she slowly pressed it between her fingers.

"The stickiness is due to a protein it released," Ghaz explained while arranging the bed.

"Protein? What's protein, teacher?" Nila asked, confused.

"Protein is one of the essential substances in the body. I'll teach you more about it later," Ghaz said as he finished arranging the bed.

"Okay, teacher…" Nila's tone dipped slightly at the last word.

"Yes?" Ghaz asked, noticing the shift in her voice.

"Where is Pebble?" she asked, her eyes suddenly more alert.

"Pebble?" Ghaz muttered, suddenly remembering. "Shit, I left it at the inn."

The deal with Gorrock had completely made him forget about the rat. Varnok had probably killed it by now.

"We'll get him later," Ghaz said, wiping his forehead.

"Oi, shaman! Open up!" Zaer shouted from outside, his voice rough and impatient.

"Patient's here," Ghaz called back as he walked over to unlock the door.

"Took you long enough," Gorrock grunted, standing beside Zaer.

"Come in," Ghaz said, turning around without making eye contact.

"Figured out how to cure me?" Gorrock asked as he strode in with the air of someone who owned the place—which he technically did.

"Yeah. They poisoned your stash of weed with jimson weed. One of the symptoms is hallucination, which was masked by the iron weed," Ghaz explained.

"I don't care why or what poisoned me. Can you fix my pain?" Gorrock demanded, his voice sharp.

"Yes, but you'll have to visit me every six weeks for treatment," Ghaz said as they reached the treatment area.

"Lie down," Ghaz instructed, pointing toward the bed.

Gorrock grunted as he lowered himself onto the mattress. His head was propped up by the folded bedding, keeping it at a slight incline.

"Nila, maggots and tweezers," Ghaz called, extending his hand toward her.

"Maggots?" Gorrock's eyes narrowed with suspicion. He immediately sat up, and Zaer drew his dagger.

"Are you trying to pull something?" Gorrock growled, his hand twitching toward his belt knife.

"Maggots only eat dead flesh," Ghaz explained quickly, stepping protectively in front of Nila. "It's the only way to remove the necrotic tissue without cutting your jaw apart piece by piece. Trust me."

Zaer's grip on the dagger tightened slightly.

"Put that away, Zaer," Gorrock growled, shooting him a sharp glare. "If he tries anything, kill him after."

Without another word, Ghaz sat beside Gorrock and carefully opened the box. The maggots squirmed inside, pale and hungry for decaying flesh. With steady hands, Ghaz plucked a few with the tweezers and carefully placed them onto the rotting tissue along Gorrock's jawline.

Gorrock grunted softly as he felt the first tiny wriggle against his exposed wound. His fists clenched into the bedding, but he didn't move.

"Wait for the maggots to finish their work. I'll come back after I clean my hands," Ghaz said, wiping the sweat from his brow before walking toward the herbal storage area.

He grabbed a handful of turmeric and crushed it between his palms under running water, turning it into a thick paste. He rubbed it thoroughly over his forearms, using it as a natural antimicrobial soap. The pungent scent clung to his skin.

After drying his hands, he picked up a pair of pliers and returned to Gorrock.

The maggots had worked faster than he had expected, reducing the dead tissue to nothing but a few moist, discolored remnants.

"Nila, tweezers," Ghaz requested, extending his hand without looking at her.

Nila quickly placed the tool into his outstretched palm.

Carefully, Ghaz began plucking the maggots one by one, counting them as he removed them.

"Now, we'll remove the teeth and fix them back using the sinew," Ghaz announced.

Gorrock shot a glance at Zaer and gave him a subtle wink.

"If you fail, boss will have your jaw—along with your brother's," Zaer said, flipping the dagger casually in his hand.

"I won't," Ghaz replied with quiet confidence, gripping one of Gorrock's decaying teeth with the pliers.

Gorrock closed his eyes and braced himself. He knew Ghaz hadn't given him any anesthetic, but he was strong enough to endure the pain.

"Don't worry," Ghaz muttered. "This won't hurt much. Most of the tissue holding your teeth is dead anyway."

With a sharp tug, he pulled the first tooth free. Blood and blackened tissue clung to the root as he dropped it into a nearby pan. Without pausing, he moved to the next.

One by one, he extracted the rotten teeth—a total of eight—until Gorrock's jaw was a raw, bleeding mess.

"Now, I'll drill holes through them and tie them back to your jaw using the sinew," Ghaz said calmly, his voice steady despite the grim task.