The Patient Who Can‘t Be Numbed

The lights in the operating room were pale and glaring, like a pair of indifferent eyes. Anesthesiologist Lao Li was skillfully preparing the anesthesia. He had been in this position for almost twenty years, what hadn't he seen? From crying children to ashen-faced elders, all had calmed down under his needles.

Today’s surgery was a small appendectomy. The patient was a young delivery guy named Xiao Wang. Lying on the operating table, Xiao Wang seemed a bit nervous, but still managed a smile at Lao Li: “Dr. Li, thank you for your trouble.”

Lao Li nodded, signaling the nurse to prepare. He picked up the syringe and gently inserted it into Xiao Wang’s vein. The anesthesia slowly flowed in. Lao Li watched the data on the monitor; everything was normal. He waited for the patient to gradually lose consciousness, but a bizarre thing happened.

Instead of falling asleep, Xiao Wang sat up. He scratched his head, looking puzzled: "Hey? Dr. Li, I feel like, kind of, itchy?"

Lao Li was stunned. He was sure the dosage was correct. He checked the IV line again, confirming that the medication was flowing in normally. He frowned and motioned for the nurse to recheck the equipment.

The nurse looked confused: “Dr. Li, the equipment is all normal!”

Xiao Wang emphasized again, “It’s a bit itchy, and I feel like laughing, hehe.” As he said that, he actually started laughing, a laugh that was a little creepy.

An ominous premonition arose in Lao Li's heart. He injected another dose of anesthetic into Xiao Wang, this time doubling the usual amount. However, Xiao Wang just shrugged, scratched his arm, and said with a laugh, “Dr. Li, the anesthesia in your hospital is really interesting, it feels like drinking soda, kind of fizzy.”

The other medical staff exchanged bewildered glances. The operating room fell into an eerie silence. The chief surgeon walked over, also at a loss: “What's going on? Is this anesthesia fake?”

Lao Li shook his head. He had never encountered such a situation before. He checked the anesthesia again, confirming it was correct. For the first time in his career, he felt helpless.

"Maybe... should we increase the dosage again?" the nurse suggested cautiously.

Lao Li hesitated and injected Xiao Wang with another dose of anesthesia, almost three times the usual amount.

This time Xiao Wang finally quieted down. He closed his eyes and didn't move. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it had finally worked.

The chief surgeon began to prepare for the surgery. But as soon as his scalpel cut through Xiao Wang's skin, a shocking scene unfolded. Xiao Wang suddenly opened his eyes. He grabbed the doctor's wrist, with a bizarre smile: “Don’t move, try moving me?”

Everyone in the operating room was stunned. Even their breathing became cautious.

“You, you, what’s going on?” the chief surgeon stammered.

Xiao Wang sat up, looking at them like they were monkeys: “I don’t know, this stuff doesn’t work on me. But, shouldn't you give me some overtime pay? I've been acting this out for you for half the day."

Only then did Lao Li notice that Xiao Wang was holding a small remote control.

“You, what did you do?” Lao Li pointed at the remote control, his voice trembling.

Xiao Wang held up the remote and pressed a button: "I just installed an anti-anesthesia system yesterday. I just felt your anesthesia was a bit of a waste of time. You all work so hard, so, hehe."

“Anti-anesthesia system?!”

“Yeah, when I was delivering packages, I saw some research institutions developing this thing. They said it could control people’s nerves. I figured it must be useful, so I bought one. I didn’t expect it to actually work!" Xiao Wang said, looking pleased with himself.

The operating room was silent, everyone was stunned by this sudden technological twist.

Lao Li felt dizzy. He suddenly realized that it wasn't just about the anesthesia failing, but a larger absurdity. In today's era of rapid technological development, the experience of a doctor, the knowledge in textbooks, may not be able to compete with a small remote control in the hands of a delivery guy.

Xiao Wang suddenly asked, “Um, will you still do the surgery? Or is it extra pay?”

Everyone looked at him, unsure how to answer. This operating room was no longer a place to cure diseases, but instead, a theater of absurdity, where everyone was trapped in this bizarre reality. The anesthesia had failed. Perhaps, it was the times that had become numb first.