The rain hadn't let up since morning, battering the neon-lit city with relentless fury. Kai holed up in his makeshift clinic and tried to focus on the textbook before him, his eyes skimming over complex diagrams of cybernetic spinal implants. But the drumming of the rain against the window proved a constant distraction.
Suddenly, the silence of the clinic was shattered by the squeak of the front door opening, letting in a gust of wind and rain. A figure stumbled in, clutching his side and leaving a trail of blood on the worn-out linoleum floor.
Kai sprung into action, rushing over to help the stranger, who he now saw was a young man no older than twenty. His pallid face was contorted with pain, and a dark stain spread rapidly across his jacket.
"Help me," the man gasped, his knees buckling.
Kai quickly moved to support him, lowering him gently onto the operating table. As he peeled back the soaked jacket, he caught sight of the wound. It was a nasty gash, jagged and deep, and an alarming amount of blood was seeping out.
"I need to stop the bleeding," Kai muttered, grabbing a medical kit. This was it—his first actual patient. The textbooks and holographic tutorials were one thing, but this was a human life hanging in the balance.
Despite the dire situation, Kai felt a strange sense of calm envelop him. The chime of the RPG system sounded in his head, a glowing '1' appearing next to the 'Surgery' skill.
He started by applying a quick coagulant, followed by a Bioware bandage that sealed the wound and delivered painkillers directly into the bloodstream. The patient's face relaxed slightly, the creases of pain smoothing out.
The wound now stable, Kai turned his attention to the more complex problem. The young man was a cybernetic user, and the injury had damaged his internal cybernetic infrastructure, leading to the failure of his leg prosthetics. The flickering neural interface by the patient's temple indicated a disrupted connection, causing a critical malfunction.
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Turning to his technical manuals, he looked up potential solutions. With each piece of relevant information he absorbed, he felt the pleasant chime of his RPG system, his 'Technical Ability' skill steadily rising.
With meticulous precision, Kai began the delicate task of rewiring the damaged cybernetics, rerouting the neural signals through functioning pathways. It was a tedious task requiring an immense amount of focus and technical know-how.
When he was done, he stepped back, sweat trickling down his forehead. His first surgery. He looked at the young man lying on the table, his breath steady and his face peaceful. He had done it. He had saved a life.
The chime sounded again in his head, louder this time, and the 'Surgery' skill rose from '1' to '2'. A sense of accomplishment washed over him, the adrenaline rush leaving him slightly light-headed. He was one step closer to becoming a real Ripper Doc.
The door to the clinic swung open again, and the woman who had become his mentor stepped in, shaking off her wet jacket. She looked at the patient, then at Kai, her stern face softening into a small smile.
"Good job," she said, nodding approvingly. "You're learning fast, kid."
Kai couldn't help but smile back. This was the first affirmation he had received since he had woken up in this new body. It was a small gesture, but it meant the world to him. It symbolized his progress, a testament to his hard work. He was unlocking his system, improving his skills, and saving lives. He was becoming a Ripper Doc.
Kai felt a renewed sense of purpose as he helped his mentor move the patient into the recovery room. His first trial was a success. There would be more patients, more surgeries, more trials. But he was ready.
He looked back at the operating table, now clean and awaiting the next emergency. His gaze then shifted to the textbooks and manuals scattered around the room. There was still so much to learn, so much to do. But for now, he felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
Gratitude for this second chance, the system that guided him, and the lives he would save. And as he cleaned up the clinic, ready for another day, another challenge, he couldn't help but think that maybe, he was exactly where he was meant to be.