In the 21st century, death was something that felt incredibly distant.
Of course, everyone knows that if you're born as a human, you're destined to die someday…
But it felt far away, especially for someone like me who was only in my 30s.
Sure, I had a brain tumor and even got hit by a truck, but still…
'This place is different…'
In this era, death was always close by.
It could take you suddenly, regardless of age.
So then…
Wouldn't executing someone be easy?
You'd think it would be that simple, but…
It wasn't.
"Professor."
"Yes."
Liston, as always, was carefree.
Even though his job involved cutting off people's limbs…
And now, he was about to receive a corpse…
'Sigh.'
Of course, wasting time thinking like this was pointless.
No one cared, right?
It's like…
Their sense of morality was different, I guess?
It wasn't unreasonable, considering that just 100 or 200 years ago, it was a truly barbaric era.
"So… how do they execute prisoners?"
"They'll figure it out."
"But… what if they try and the person doesn't die?"
"Huh? What are you… Oh. Hmm. That would definitely be a problem, yes."
Fortunately, Liston was still a doctor, no matter what.
It wasn't just about having the mindset of a doctor—he had actually seen such cases multiple times.
There were plenty of instances where patients declared dead in hospitals turned out to be alive later.
It wasn't an exaggeration—it happened a lot.
And if that was the case for regular patients, imagine what it was like for prisoners.
"Call Blundell."
"Ah, yes."
You'd think hanging someone would guarantee death, right?
Surprisingly, that wasn't always the case.
At the moment of the drop, whether it was due to neck strength or something else…
Sometimes the neck didn't break, and the person just passed out from the rope cutting off blood flow to the brain.
In the execution chamber, who could tell if they were unconscious or dead?
-'Save me…'
They'd just toss them into a coffin and wait for a burial spot to open up.
What do you think would happen then?
Everyone knew they were prisoners, and if you walked by and heard someone begging for help…
Or if the coffin started scratching or knocking…
How terrifying would that be?
And the people guarding the area were usually the ones who carried out the executions, so it was even worse.
-'They're unconscious! Save them!'
Whether they were weak or strong, some people would faint and end up in the hospital.
By that point, any doctor should have stepped in to assess the situation, but surprisingly, the only one who showed any interest was Blundell.
-'You're saying someone was almost buried alive…?'
-'They're already condemned to death, so consider it extra punishment.'
The words he heard when he rushed over in a panic were enough to leave anyone speechless.
Good heavens…
Burying someone alive as punishment?
There are things you can do to people, and things you just can't…
Of course, I was the only one thinking like that. Blundell had a completely different perspective.
-'No, it's not that. I just wonder if it's right for others to be buried after death…'
-'Citizens? Innocent citizens…? Oh, that would be unacceptable.'
Fortunately, it didn't spiral into something worse. With the cooperation of the police and some nobles who wanted to be buried after death, Blundell was conducting various studies.
One of the ideas that came out of it was attaching bells to coffins, but that essentially failed.
'Hmm.'
As I followed Liston's instructions to find Blundell, I recalled that incident.
The bell rang, and when they dug up the coffin, they found a decomposed body filled with gas that had set off the bell…
I thought I'd seen every horrifying thing imaginable as a surgeon, but…
That day was unforgettable.
"Professor."
"Oh, you're here. What brings you?"
When I entered, Blundell was wiping blood off his hands with a towel.
Why not use water…
And why was there blood on his hands in the first place…
The more I thought about it, the more I reached unpleasant conclusions, so I shook my head.
"Professor Liston said he needs to discuss something with you."
"Liston? Why? It's not about amputating limbs, is it…?"
"Well, it's about that."
As I explained the situation, Blundell's expression changed dramatically.
"No…"
"How…"
"Have you all lost your minds? The bodies of executed prisoners… Tsk."
From going to the police station to demand the bodies, to visiting murder scenes, to saving someone who wasn't actually dead, and now stealing the bodies of executed prisoners…
Well, looking back, his reaction wasn't exactly over the top.
"Anyway, that's why. After death, they need to be brought to the hospital."
"That's true."
"We need to determine death, so we need your help."
"If it were that easy, I wouldn't be making bells, would I?"
"I heard you made some money off that, but no other progress?"
"None. It's too difficult. At this point, the best option is to let the bodies rot in the morgue until they're buried."
"Sigh."
The morgue.
It was very different from what we think of as a funeral home.
In a funeral home, the temperature is set to prevent decomposition, right?
Here, there's none of that. They just leave the bodies out.
You're literally watching people rot in front of you.
And it's not just horrifying to look at—it's actually dangerous.
'We're due for a major epidemic…'
It's not just flies that gather, but rats too.
And where do you think they go?
They spread germs everywhere.
Anyway, that's a separate issue. Our immediate task was the problem at hand.
"Let's go. Putting our heads together might help."
"Yes, Professor. Thank you."
"I'm glad you came to me, by the way."
"Ah, yes. You're the expert."
"Strictly speaking, obstetrics is my specialty, but… well, anyway."
I returned to the lecture hall with Blundell.
Inside were not only Liston but also Joseph, Alfred, and Colin.
They were all people who needed to observe, if not participate in, this practice session.
I had insisted on training them separately.
"If they come here alive… can't we just kill them here?"
"That's not a bad idea."
As soon as we entered, someone made a terrifying suggestion.
Liston, who should have been the first to object, was nodding while fiddling with his Liston knife.
Don't do it, you bastards.
You're not doctors—you're just bad guys doing bad things.
"What are you talking about? Doctors killing people?"
Thankfully, Blundell was sane.
"Killing is the job of the police. Let's bring one of them here."
No…
That was the 19th century for you.
These lunatics…
Killing someone in the operating room and then practicing on them right there?
How is that any different from the ideas of William Burke and Hare…?
"Wouldn't that make people uncomfortable?"
At that moment, our hope, Alfred, spoke up.
"What would?"
The reaction wasn't exactly positive, but Alfred had been around Liston long enough not to back down.
"I've heard that many of the people coming for practice are from noble families. They're already sensitive because of the Edinburgh incident… and they wouldn't be coming alone… Killing someone there might be…"
"Ah… the nobles. Right, our noble lords usually don't come alone. It could be embarrassing."
It was baffling that the issue was embarrassment when we were talking about killing someone, but in the end, it was agreed that killing someone there was out of the question.
It was obvious, but the fact that we had to discuss it was pitiful. But what could you expect?
It was the 19th century, after all.
"Then we'll have to determine death there."
"Hmm."
"Hmmm."
"Any brilliant ideas? Blundell, what about you?"
"Hmm."
Nothing showcased the limitations of the era better than that conversation.
Two professors and four medical students, and not a single one was confident in determining death.
Even one of the professors, who was supposed to be a specialist, was clueless.
"I do have… one idea."
Oh?
Really?
Earlier, he said there was nothing, but had there been some progress?
Well, the 19th century was the dawn of the scientific era, after all.
Maybe my presence had accelerated the clock of progress a bit…
"I recently bought this."
Blundell, bearing the weight of my expectations, pulled something sharp out of his bag.
What is it? A knife? A drill?
"It's a needle."
Ah, a needle.
Now that I looked closely, there was a hole in it.
But to call it a needle…
-It was too big to be called a needle. It was enormous, thick, heavy, and crude. It was essentially a drill.
No, wait.
I got sidetracked for a moment, but anyway.
Let's hear him out.
"You stab the heart with this."
"What? What did you say?"
"Think about it. If they're still alive, their heart would be beating, right?"
"Well… yes."
"Then blood would gush out through this hole. If nothing comes out, they're dead. If blood comes out, they're alive."
"Wouldn't they die from that anyway?"
"We're talking about prisoners here. It's not a method you'd use on ordinary people."
"Ah. That's not a bad idea."
Not a bad idea…?
It sounded like overkill.
Stabbing someone with that… would kill them.
How could they survive?
It's more like a drill than a needle.
"But wouldn't the families of the prisoners come?"
"They do. We've agreed not to hand over the bodies. They're all violent criminals. Instead, the hospital will pay them. Money isn't an issue—the people coming for practice will cover it."
Saying "money solves it" didn't make the drill any less horrifying.
If you stab them and there's no movement, fine…
You could let it go.
But what if…
What if blood gushes out?
-Legally, only authorized personnel can execute prisoners.
You might think it's ridiculous to talk about legality in such a barbaric era, but England was a country that prohibited private retribution.
In other words, personal revenge was forbidden.
It could vary slightly depending on social status, but generally, that was the rule.
And among the people here, only Colin was of a status that went beyond the ordinary.
"The point is, if we kill them, it's not allowed."
"Then have the executioners do it."
"What if they miss the heart and stab somewhere else?"
"Ah. This is a mess."
"A more humane method… would be nice."
Blundell fiddled with the drill, then looked at me.
Everyone was watching him, so they followed his gaze to me.
'Why… me…?'
I'm a surgeon.
I'm good at cutting things open, not this…
Wait, no.
Wait a minute.
Maybe there was something.
'A stethoscope… would that be too hard to make…?'