Chapter 67 Surgery

Chapter 67: Surgery

"Mu: Daddy~ which of these three suits brother best~"

"Mu: [Image][Image][Image]"

"Yisang: The second one's cut and design suit Idris, and the other piece is also especially suitable for you!"

Samuel opened the second image again. On the screen, intricate ruffled lace occupied almost half of it.

Ignoring the lace, Samuel looked at the heavy embroidery on the ivory-white fabric, the slit and pleated trouser cuffs, and the matching set of collar buttons, cuffs, chest ornaments, waist ornaments, and hair accessories. His head began to spin.

So flashy, so complicated.

Samuel got a headache. He didn't understand why the Zerg's male formal attire was more complex than the female Zerg's.

Who exactly was the bride here?

"Mu: Daddy, this groom's outfit is too extravagant. Bawling.jpg"

"Yisang: It has to be extravagant! Our little male should shine brightly! Listen to me, little one, this is the one!"

"Mu: If it's this set, we need to add some details to brother's outfit. When brother comes out, I'll sketch it down for your reference."

Samuel remembered that at his cousin's wedding, his sister-in-law wore a Western-style wedding dress with a veil. The veil covered her face when she entered, and it was only lifted after the vows.

Samuel felt this process was very ceremonial and could be referenced. He couldn't help but imagine the moment the veil was gently lifted to reveal Idris, strengthening his resolve to include this step.

Besides the veil, steps like exchanging vows and rings could also be referenced, though Samuel didn't remember the later parts of the ceremony.

He had sneaked in to watch back then and had to leave quickly when he was almost discovered.

Hmm, if vows are added, then a respected elder Zerg would need to be invited to officiate the matching ceremony.

Samuel opened his memo app and wrote down his ideas. The preparation for the matching ceremony was quite complex. Even with Yisang's assistance, he still felt a bit overwhelmed.

For instance, he was only now starting to get a rough idea of the ceremony's flow.

Fortunately, there was still time. Finalizing the flow in the next couple of days wouldn't be too late.

With a plan in mind, Samuel leaned back in his chair. He looked up; the light above the operating room was still on.

It had been an hour, and it wasn't over yet.

Even though Idris and the doctor had told Samuel more than once that scar repair and detoxification were not complicated procedures and carried no real danger...

When signing the pre-operative forms and hearing the doctor explain the possible post-operative complications and precautions, Samuel couldn't help but clench his fists tightly.

After waiting nearly another thirty minutes, the surgical light clicked off. The medical staff opened the door and wheeled out a transfer bed. Seeing this, Samuel quickly stood up and ran to the bedside.

Idris was still unconscious on the hospital bed, his face wrapped in layers of gauze. Through the gauze, he could vaguely see blood seeping through the lower layers.

Samuel leaned over the bed, holding Idris's hand resting outside the covers. Feeling the warm body temperature, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Doctor, how did the surgery go?"

The doctor removed his mask, revealing a smile: "Very successful. After detoxification, the patient's self-healing ability has returned to normal. The new tissue should heal in about a day. Once the gauze is removed, his face should be restored to its original state."

"Great, thank you!" Samuel quickly expressed his gratitude, his gaze returning to Idris. "May I trouble you to ask one more thing? When will my spouse wake up?"

The doctor glanced at his Stellar Ring. "Based on the patient's physical condition, the anesthetic should metabolize in about ten more minutes, and he should wake up then."

Samuel thanked the doctor again and followed the nurse back to the ward. After about ten minutes, Idris indeed woke up as the doctor had predicted.

Since the gauze covered almost his entire face, Idris's vision was severely obstructed upon opening his eyes. He could only judge if someone was nearby by the light and shadows.

Turning his head towards the direction of a shadowy figure on his right, Idris slowly opened his mouth, trying to make a sound: "Master?"

Samuel quickly wiped the tears from the corner of his eye, tightened his grip on Idris's hand, took a steadying breath, and tried his best to speak in a normal voice, "Brother, it's me."

There was a slight wetness on the hand being held, a cool sensation that quickly dissipated in the air, but Idris knew the male had cried for him again.

Even though the male had known beforehand that removing the scar required cleaning off the scab, he was still frightened when the doctor explained the process in detail.

Idris had told Samuel more than once that the surgery was simple, the risk was low, and it wouldn't be very painful.

But each time, Samuel would say, 'A cut on my finger hurts for a long time. For you to have to tear open a scabbed wound must hurt even more, brother. Brother, don't lie to me because you're afraid I'll worry.'

Idris wanted to explain again, but thinking of Samuel's compromised self-healing ability and the scars on his body that still hadn't faded, he never said anything like that again.

"Master, I'd like some water."

Idris thought, giving the male something to do might leave him no time to be sad.

"Brother, wait a moment." Samuel got up from the sofa, ran to the table to pour water, tested the temperature, placed it down, opened a pre-prepared straw, put it in the cup, and hurried back to the bedside.

After drinking water, Idris began chatting with Samuel, one sentence at a time. Samuel held a piece of fruit, peeling it while responding.

When one topic ended, the fruit was peeled.

However, the peeled skin had taken most of the flesh with it. The remaining fruit was mangled and uneven, as if gnawed by a dog.

Samuel: ...

Without a word, he placed the mutilated fruit on the table. Unconvinced, Samuel picked up another one and started over.

The rustling sound of peeling stopped. Idris thought the fruit would be brought to his lips next, but after a pause of several seconds, the rustling started again.

Guessing what had happened, Idris couldn't help but secretly curl the corners of his mouth upwards.

It was hard for the one who usually relied on him for everything to now be clumsily looking after him.

Being cared for like this, he was probably the first in the Imperial Capital Star.

Idris "gazed" at Samuel's focused "profile." Warmth spread from his heart, dispelling the pain on his face and chest.

"Master, are you sure you don't need my help with preparing for the matching ceremony?"

The matching ceremony affairs were numerous and complex. Recently, Samuel had been busy making calls to confirm outfits, finalizing the venue, and squeezing in time for livestreams, running around all day. Watching from the sidelines, Idris genuinely felt distressed.

"No need." Samuel clumsily controlled the paring knife. As a piece of peel much thinner than the last one came off, he narrowed his eyes in satisfaction. "With Dad and Father helping, brother just needs to wait to attend the matching ceremony."

"But in a few days, when the outfits are ready, brother will need to go for a fitting. I added some accessories; brother can see then if he likes them."

"Alright." Idris agreed.

Previously, Idris had secretly asked his father about what the mating ceremony would be like, but the other party remained tight-lipped. This left him extremely curious about the arrangements for the ceremony.

"Brother, have some fruit."

Finally managing to peel the fruit somewhat evenly, Samuel felt a sense of accomplishment as he cut off a small piece and brought it to Idris's lips.

The two of them fell into a comfortable rhythm, one feeding, the other eating.

Until the hospital room door was pushed open, and a nurse entered with a medication cart, instantly dispelling the warm atmosphere.

Seeing the male actually feeding the female, the nurse looked surprised.

By the Insect God, His Excellency—an S-rank—was so gentle and considerate.

Lieutenant General Idris was one lucky guy!

"Your Excellency, it's time for Lieutenant General Idris's check-up," the nurse said as she approached the bedside.

"Do I need to leave?" Samuel tossed the fruit core into the trash and stood up to make room.

"No, it's just a basic check-up."

The nurse took Idris's temperature, checked his heart rate, recorded the results in her notebook, and then took out an IV bottle and needle to start the IV.

Before leaving, the nurse reminded them, "If there's any discomfort, remember to press the call button."

Samuel nodded and sat back down by the bedside.

Perhaps due to the medication, after a while, Idris's breathing gradually steadied, and he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Staring at Idris's sleeping face, Samuel was lost in thought, reflecting on how overly reliant he had been on Idris.

He reflected that when the other needed care, he was like a headless chicken, knowing nothing and having to learn everything on the spot.

He couldn't depend on his brother for everything. He was the Master, and even if he couldn't be perfect in every way, he needed to be someone Idris could rely on.

Lost in thought, Samuel stayed by Idris's bedside without leaving for the entire day.

The bandages were scheduled to come off after lunch the next day. When the doctor entered the room, Samuel couldn't help but feel nervous.

He stood by the bedside, watching as the layers of bandages were slowly peeled from Idris's face, coiling and overlapping on the bed, his heart in his throat.

When the final layer of bandage left Idris's skin, Samuel saw that the area once crisscrossed with scars was now smooth and flawless, as if it had never been injured.

Idris opened his eyes. Looking past the doctor by the bedside, his gaze settled on Samuel. The male looked somewhat tired, but his spirits were good—not as bad as Idris had imagined.

"Master," Idris called out to Samuel.

Touching Idris's restored face, Samuel's eyes reddened slightly. He walked over, leaned down, and hugged the insect on the bed, his voice choked up: "That's great... Brother's face is finally back to normal."

Samuel knew that Idris had insisted on having the surgery before the mating ceremony because he was afraid Samuel would be gossiped about by other insects.

Samuel knew that Idris cared about him.

Idris raised his hand to return the hug and said softly, "I'm sorry for making you worry."

Samuel shook his head.

After removing the bandages, the doctor and nurse didn't linger. They turned and quietly left the room, gently closing the door behind them.

"Brother, you scared me to death," Samuel murmured into Idris's shoulder.

"It's alright now, it's alright," Idris soothed him.

"Let's go home," Samuel said, sitting up and gently touching Idris's right cheek. "I hate hospitals."

It was afternoon when the two insects left the hospital.

Entering October, the weather had turned cooler, but the sunlight was still pleasant. With a rare day off, Idris didn't take Samuel directly back to the villa but instead went to a park nearby.

On a weekday, the park was quiet. The two insects chose a quiet corner to sit down.

In front of them were vibrant petunias in full bloom, and a few steps away, hibiscus flowers swayed in the breeze. A few small, delicate birds called to each other among the branches, sometimes diving into the foliage, sometimes huddling together.

Beside the flower bed was a small pebble path. Occasionally, two or three insects would approach and then walk away along the path. Scattered conversations mixed with birdsong, making the corner feel particularly cozy.

Samuel leaned against Idris's shoulder, enjoying the gentle breeze. Following the direction of the wind, a few children were playing and chasing each other.

Watching the chubby toddlers who had just learned to walk, Samuel found himself asking almost involuntarily, "Brother, will we have our own little ones in the future?"

Idris: ?

It wasn't like he couldn't have children, so why wouldn't they?

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Author's Note: Stellar Calendar 4056, October X, Sunny, Weekday X

My reproductive cavity is perfectly fine. 🙂