Chapter 56 Maybe Talented?
Evelyn's POV
Listening to Vicky's patient questions, I felt a warmth in my chest and nodded in agreement. "Yes, I can."
"Good, then I'll continue. Especially when dealing with open wounds, you can't just focus on making them heal. If there are impurities in the wound, or if broken nerves aren't aligned before forcing them to heal, it will only cause more serious internal injuries, or even lead to tissue death."
I listened even more intently, my gaze following Vicky's explanations as if a three-dimensional anatomical diagram were slowly unfolding in my mind.
So healing wasn't just about casting a spell—it required the same precision and care as surgery.
"Do you understand?"
Vicky looked at me, her eyes full of expectation.
"I understand, Professor."
I nodded earnestly. "Guide it, don't force the change."
"Very good."
Vicky nodded with satisfaction.
As she spoke, she pulled out a small silver knife from her pocket—the one she usually used to cut potion ingredients.
She didn't use a spell, but directly drew the blade lightly across her left index finger.
"Hiss!"
I gasped and instinctively moved to stop her.
"Professor! What are you..."
A bright red drop of blood welled up from the wound, sliding down her finger and dripping onto the floor with a soft plop.
The wound looked pretty deep—I could even see the pink flesh inside.
"Don't panic, Ms. Gray."
Vicky raised her hand, signaling me to stay calm. "Look, this is a standard open wound. Without magical intervention, it would take at least a week to fully heal, and it would leave a scar."
She looked at me, her expression turning serious.
"Now, what I want you to do isn't simply to make it heal but to clean the wound, stop the bleeding, and then stitch it up."
"Stitch it up?"
My eyes widened—I must have heard wrong.
Wasn't that something only doctors did? In the magical world, shouldn't we just use magic to heal wounds?
"Yes, stitch it up."
Vicky nodded. "Although the 'Healing Charm' can cure many bruises, not all wounds can be healed directly. Especially when the wound contains impurities, or when the wound edges are uneven, blind healing will only lead to infection or worse scarring."
"As a healer, you must learn the most basic methods to deal with the most complex situations."
She extended her hand toward me, the bright red wound wavering before my eyes, making me feel dizzy.
"Come on, let's see what you've got."
I took a deep breathand forced myself to calm down.
I remembered what Vicky had just said—healing magic requires peace of mind above all.
If I couldn't stay calm, I had probably have to stop here, and I didn't want to stop moving forward.
I closed my eyes, imagining that warm, gentle white light, like the life force I had felt in Basic Potions.
Then I slowly opened my eyes and raised my wand.
"Scourgify," I said softly, trying to keep my voice steady.
A thin stream of water shot from the tip of my wand, washing carefully over the professor's wound.
The dust and fibers mixed in the blood, even a bit of rust left on the knife, were all gently carried away by the stream.
The wound became clean, leaving only the bright red flesh.
"Very good, Ms. Gray."
Vicky nodded approvingly. "You controlled the magic very steadily, without hurting the surrounding skin."
Encouraged, I felt my confidence grew.
Next came the hardest step—stopping the bleeding and stitching the wound.
I didn't directly use a powerful Hemostasis Charm, but tried to guide the magic around the wound, coaxing those ruptured capillaries to slowly contract.
The blood gradually stopped.
Then I took out a suture needle and catgut from the medical kit.
My hands trembled slightly.
Although I knew what to do in theory, this was my first time using a needle on a living person.
"Don't be afraid, Ms. Gray."
Vicky's voice came softly in my ear, carrying a reassuring warmth. "Think of it as mending a precious silk garment. Your movements should be gentle, your pressure even."
I took a deep breath, trying to do as she said, and picked up the forceps, gripping one edge of the wound.
Holding my breath, I pushed the needle into the skin.
There was a slight resistance, then the feeling of passing through muscle. I even thought I could feel the sensation of the needle piercing skin.
I carefully brought the needle through to the other side, then pulled the catgut tight and tied a knot.
The first stitch was complete.
Although the knot was a bit uneven and the thread a little loose, the wound edges were indeed pulled together.
"Very good!"
The satisfaction in Vicky's eyes was unmistakable. Encouraged, I began the second stitch, the third...
As the number of stitches increased, my hands grew steadier and my movements more confident.
The initial nervousness slowly faded, and I seemed to enter a strange state where everything around me fell away. My eyes held only that small wound and the thin needle in my hand.
I could feel the wound's pain,the muscle tension, even those cells yearning to reconnect.
After about ten minutes, the wound was finally fully stitched.
Although it looked a bit crooked, like a red centipede crawling across Vicky's finger, at least it was closed and no longer bleeding.
"Done."
I put down the forceps and let out a long breath, fine beads of sweat already gathering on my forehead.
Vicky raised her hand, examining her finger carefully in the light.
She was silent for so long that I began to doubt myself, sure I had messed something up.
"Although..."
She finally spoke, her tone carrying a hint of hesitation. "Although your stitching technique is still a bit rough, the way you tied the knots isn't very neat, and it's even... a bit ugly."
I couldn't help but blush, because she was right.
"But!"
Her tone shifted, her eyes wide with amazement. "Your hemostasis was absolutely perfect, and during the stitching process, you unconsciously applied a small amount of healing magic. This prevented the tissue around the wound from swelling or showing any rejection reaction."
"Do you know what this is called? It's called active suturing."
Vicky looked at me. "This isn't something you can do on the first try, and I never taught you this, but you did it yourself!"
I was overjoyed, feeling like maybe I had really found something I was good at.
Vicky waved her wand, and a soft green glow enveloped her finger.
That was the final Healing Charm, used to reinforce the sutures.
"Although..."