No time to think.
There was a patient in front of me who needed help. I'd already saved eight lives using a sewing needle, so treating someone with a broken leg shouldn't be a big deal.
But the situation was more complicated than I expected.
The guy couldn't stop screaming in pain, and more people kept showing up. The crowd just kept getting bigger.
"Poor guy. Looks like he'll end up like Hagan the Cripple."
"I heard Hagan broke his leg when he was young. He hasn't walked properly since."
"Isn't that Einar? He was talking about going on a raid down south. Looks like that's not happening now."
People started whispering about the man. Their gossip was as clear as the buzzing of flies.
And of course, the guy could hear every word.
"No! I don't want to be crippled!" he screamed.
He started panicking, getting even more hysterical.
Seeing him spiraling out of control, I quickly grabbed his head and locked eyes with him.
"Hey, hey, listen to me. Look at me. Everything's gonna be fine. Don't listen to them. I'll fix your leg, and you'll be back on your feet in no time, okay?"
He nodded, eyes welling up like he wanted to believe me.
He finally calmed down. But that didn't mean my problems were over.
The crowd was getting thicker. I told them to move or give us some space at least, but they weren't listening. They just stood around talking and did nothing to help.
It was driving me insane.
"Hey, move! I need to get through!"
In the middle of this mess, a red-haired woman pushed her way through the crowd. She looked surprised as she saw me.
Out of everyone in this settlement, I was hoping for Ingmar or Varin to show up. But, of course, it was always Ingrid.
"What's wrong with him?" she asked.
"He broke his leg. Help me get these people to leave or give us some space. I need to treat him, now."
For a second, Ingrid looked uncertain. I thought she was about to argue with me. But what she did next totally surprised me.
She turned to the crowd and shouted at them to back off.
"Move back, dammit! Give us some room! If you're not helping, get lost! You're just in the way!"
Shockingly, they actually listened to Ingrid. Some people left, and others stayed, but at least we had enough space now for me to treat the guy.
At the same time, a woman rushed over. She hugged the man, her hands trembling. I could see the worry on her face. And she was pregnant—her belly was huge.
"Einar! Einar! What happened?"
"My leg… Gyda…"
He trailed off, not wanting to say more.
The woman, Gyda, turned to me with wide eyes.
"What happened to my husband?" she asked.
"It's okay. He just broke his leg," I replied.
I was trying to calm Gyda down, but instead, she looked shocked. She gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.
"Don't downplay a broken leg, Maikal," Ingrid scolded me, her face deadly serious.
It seems like broken bones are a terrifying thing for people in this era. From the crowd's gossip, I got information that several people who had broken bones ended up crippled or disabled.
The lack of medical knowledge and technology makes treatments ineffective. As a result, many people suffer from permanent disabilities.
I understood the fear this couple was facing. They're Vikings. Raiding and sailing are their way of life. If they end up crippled or unable to walk properly, they won't be able to live normally.
And that sucks.
"Don't worry. I'll get your husband back on his feet," I said.
When I said that, both Gyda and Einar seemed to believe me. I could see hope in their eyes.
"Okay. Now, please help me gather some supplies. Bring me as many clean clothes as you can find, two wooden planks of equal length, and as much ice as possible."
Gyda looked confused when I listed off the items I needed.
"I don't know where to find ice," Gyda replied.
"Are you kidding me? It's not even winter yet. Where do you think you're gonna find ice?" Ingrid chimed in.
Damn. I forgot refrigerators don't exist in this era.
"Alright, then bring me a bucket of cold water. The colder, the better."
Gyda rushed off to find the things I asked for. Meanwhile, Ingrid started yelling at the crowd.
"Didn't you hear what he said? Go help Gyda find what she needs! Stop standing around like idiots!"
A few people finally left to follow Ingrid's orders.
Honestly, I didn't expect Ingrid to be this helpful in this situation.
"Now, it's my turn."
[ Ability "Spatial Visualization" Activated! ]
A 3D hologram appeared before me, showing the anatomical structure of Einar's leg.
His shinbone and calf bone were broken. The surrounding area was inflamed because the shinbone had shifted out of place. And just as I suspected, ligaments and muscle tissue were torn by the broken bone. Luckily, there were no damaged blood vessels.
"I need to adjust his leg. Hold him down so he doesn't move," I shouted.
But the crowd didn't seem to care. They were more interested in watching. That was, until Ingrid shouted again, right in their faces.
"Are you deaf?! Help Maikal hold him down, you idiots!"
After Ingrid's outburst, a few men finally did what I asked.
Three big, muscular guys stepped up. Two held Einar's arms, and one held his left leg.
"Hold him tight. This is gonna hurt like hell, got it?"
The three men nodded, and Einar looked pale when he heard me say that.
I handed Einar a piece of wood lying on the ground.
"Bite down on this, hard," I told him.
Einar nodded.
Taking a deep breath, I focused. One wrong move and I could tear a blood vessel, causing a fatal injury.
As soon as I adjusted his leg, I felt Einar's immense strength. If it weren't for the three men holding him down, I probably would've been thrown off. I could barely keep his reflexive kicks in check.
"Hang in there!"
The process was excruciating. Einar thrashed around for a bit before passing out from the shock. Without wasting any time, I used this chance to fix his leg.
"Phew. It's done. No blood vessels were damaged."
But the torn ligaments and muscles still worried me. With the limited tools and supplies, there wasn't much I could do about it.
Not long after, Gyda and a few others returned with the items I needed.
"Here's the wood and cloth you asked for," she said.
I set Einar's leg with the wooden planks, making sure the bindings were tight and the leg stayed straight. Last, I applied a cold cloth to the swollen area.
"Will my husband be okay?" Gyda asked, worried.
"He just passed out," I replied.
I placed my fingers under Einar's nose to check his breathing. It was normal, which meant he was stabilizing.
"He'll need time to recover. Don't let him move his leg for two months, and during that time, make sure he eats plenty of meat and drinks milk. If he gets a fever or his leg swells up, apply a cold compress. And if things don't improve, find me."
Gyda nodded.
Behind me, I could hear the murmurs of the crowd. Unlike before when they were talking about Einar, now they were talking about me.
"Wow, I didn't know broken bones could be treated like this. He's amazing."
"This guy's something else. Even the seers can't do what he just did."
"What's his name again? Maikal? We're lucky to have someone like him."
Honestly, hearing all this praise was getting to my head a little. I cleared my throat, trying to keep myself composed.
"Gyda…"
To my surprise, Einar had regained consciousness. Seeing her husband awake, Gyda immediately hugged him. She was crying in his arms.
I didn't expect to witness such a heartwarming scene from treating a broken leg. It was… kind of surprising.
However, I couldn't keep doing things like this. Performing surgery or treating trauma patients without anesthesia was incredibly risky. I could end up killing someone from shock.
I needed to find an anesthesia method.
DING!
Suddenly, a blue screen appeared in front of me.
[You've saved a father and husband! You've earned 20 virtue points!]
[Your total virtue points are 100! You now have enough points to access the Ability Shop!]