"In this world,
the brain is the only unexplored region remaining."
The patient who will be transferred here...
Is that true?
Is she your wife?
Yeah. I called you here.
I would like you guys...
to cure her disease.
- See you. - Okay.
Take care.
Okay, now...
Good morning.
Sorry for making you come so early.
Doctor, I have to go,
would you take this to him?
Blimey.
Let's do more.
The patient transferred here from Kitahata Neurosurgery Centre
is Mrs Satomi Imadegawa...
Dr lmadegawa's wife.
The tumor grows near the sella turcica,
involving the left internal carotid artery.
It's also adhered to the optic nerve
and the circumstance is very difficult.
No doctor can perform surgery, her condition was only observed,
but she developed higher brain dysfunction.
Hence she's transferred here.
Her family wants her to have surgery.
"President Room"
We'll do cerebral angiography to evaluate her condition,
and plan the surgery for her.
Frankly...
this is pretty difficult.
To make things worse,
according to the last hospital's referral document,
she also has visual impairment and hypopituitarism.
"Resignation letter"
Why didn't you talk to me at all?
Just in case you would not allow me to do so.
Is that why you hired Dr Kuroiwa and Dr Nishigoori
based on your own judgment?
You used Touto General Hospital totally for your own personal use.
Yes, I did.
This is unforgivable.
I was aware of that when I asked them to come.
It is solely my arrogance.
Is that how far you're willing to go
to save your wife?
I made her life tough.
Very tough.
And now...
I want to do anything I can for her.
Where is Dr Kuroiwa?
He starts this afternoon...
Of course, Dr Kuroiwa will be one of the team.
So, what is her current condition?
Look, it's our department head... I mean, your husband.
Get out!
Get out of here!
Get out! You jerk!
"Top Knife"
I'll bring the new one!
- I'll play too! - Let's play.
- Let's play it. - Let's play.
Hey.
Let's go and have lunch.
What would you like?
Let's go have a big steak at a hotel.
Dr Kuroiwa, thank you as always.
How are you, Mr lizuka?
How is it after that?
- Very good, thanks. - Glad to hear.
It has been a while, so you're okay now.
Thank you!
- Well then, enjoy. - Thank you.
You could've chosen a more expensive restaurant.
You like the self-service drink area?
Just now...
You were...
kicked, weren't you?
Eh?
Does that happen a lot?
Occasionally.
You need to protect yourself.
Red Ranger won't save you when you need help.
For a man...
it's over if you're looked down on.
Have you been looked down before?
Have you?
Of course.
Everyone looked down on me.
In the past, that is.
Were you scared?
That is why...
I learned some skills.
Skills?
Surgery. Surgical skills.
And then, I became unrivaled.
Surgery is something powerful?
Yes!
We'll do the scanning now, please keep your head still.
She's delusional, so she doesn't recognise Dr Imadegawa.
This must be tough.
She's back to normal from time to time,
but that makes it even tougher.
They've been married for 34 years.
They met when Dr Imadegawa worked at a hospital in the country.
She became a homemaker after they got married,
and raised their children.
Just when they could enjoy a life on their own...
How ironic.
The man created neurosurgery's hall of fame, but his wife...
That is why he asked Dr Kuroiwa and Dr Nishigoori
to come on his discretion.
I've heard.
It's an Everest level case in a long time.
Yeah.
To make things worse, it's Dr lmadegawa's wife...
Pressure on her left temporal lobe is high,
the area of cerebral oedema is big.
We need to keep the optic nerve intact too?
This is difficult.
A team will do craniotomy and resect the tumor,
another will use an endoscope and remove it through the nose
at the same time.
Not only the temporal lobe's swelling is bad,
but it might've invaded parts of the brain parenchyma too.
Should we find the speech centre first?
So we'll keep her conscious at first for an awake surgery,
and do our best to reduce any complications after the surgery.
"Incoming call: Stupid Boss"
Yes?
"Medical Consultation Room Occupied"
This is a surgery that only the three of you can do.
I'm counting on you.
Okay.
It will surely be okay. You can count on us.
Okay.
We'll work out more details about the surgery.
Are you not curious?
We have to let him tell us more details about--
A man like him has done so much. Don't make him spell it out.
Why didn't you tell me anything beforehand?
When I asked them to come...
No.
When I was going to, I had made up my mind.
I made preparations for my resignation too.
Preparations?
I want you...
to take over my position.
Sorry, we woke you up.
Are you okay?
Thank you for helping my husband.
No, you're too kind.
It must be hard to work under him.
He's irresponsible.
No, we're used to--
Hey...
We're the ones comforted by his smile.
Glad to hear that.
People say Dr Imadegawa is a henpecked husband, right?
You see, we've heard his wife shouting over the phone.
That was because she called in a state of confusion.
Takao.
You seem to be doing okay.
Have I called Erika and Kanon?
You have, a long time ago.
International calls cost a lot and it was awful.
That's right.
You'll be okay.
Don't worry about unnecessary things and focus on getting treated.
Why did I forget?
I told you, didn't I?
You're taking a lot of medicines, so it's making you confused.
Everybody would be.
Don't worry about it.
What are you saying?
Sorry that this happened.
"From Domestic Helper. Tamotsu has gone to bed, so I'll go home."
See you.
You'll go home now?
Nishigoori's on duty.
It's bedtime for children. Have a drink with me.
"Bar Casablanca"
Here we go!
You'll take over Dr lmadegawa's job?
That's what he wants, right?
I'm nothing but a neurosurgeon.
I see.
I heard that you said you might stay in Japan?
You'll stay in Japan?
No, it's a possibility.
If I do, is it possible to let me work at this hospital?
Is that why you're worrying about who'll be the next department head?
You're staying for Tamotsu?
Don’t joke about it.
I've asked a private detective to look for his mother,
and I've asked a hospital in the US to test the DNA again.
I'll get the result soon.
You're a totally twisted man.
Well, indeed, maybe Tamotsu is nothing like you.
The boy seems nice. Just kidding.
He's exactly like me.
What?
He looks at people with searching eyes.
He's so weak he can't put up a fight no matter what others do to him.
It's me in the past.
I see.
My father was good-for-nothing.
He was violent when he was drunk.
My mum ran away with my younger sister when I was in primary three.
I haven't heard from them since.
I was abandoned by my mother.
My dad died when I was in high school,
so I went to a medical college in the country on a scholarship.
But making effort there wouldn't help much.
So I went to America...
to learn how to do surgery.
By making desperate efforts.
They treated me like a dog.
I didn't compromise, though.
Because that was all I had.
I stole the skills from my seniors,
worked many times harder than other people and became Top Knife.
And then...
I became stronger.
A person can only rely on himself.
Right?
Air ambulance requests for acceptance of emergency case.
I thought today was your day off?
That will be this afternoon.
Miyama speaking.
A 14-year-old boy is coming by air ambulance,
his head is impaled.
They'll arrive soon, please do the consultation.
Okay, coming.
Mrs lmadegawa's lost control of herself. Will you come?
"Air Ambulance"
Is it ready?
Hurry to the ER room!
Please hurry!
- One, two... - Three...
BP 108 over 60, SpO2 is 96,
state of consciousness is GCS 5, E1 V1 M3.
- Start one more IV. - Yes.
We'll do a FAST test.
A rebar pierced his head?
It dropped at a construction site.
The first-aider cut the rebar there and sent him here.
CT scan now, angio after that,
- prepare an operation room too. - Yes.
- We'll fix it again. Towels. - Yes.
One patient with his head impaled was sent here.
Please calm down.
Mrs Imadegawa, calm down.
- Get an oxygen mask. - Yes.
Midazolam infusion too.
- Okay. - Let me get out of here!
It's okay, Mrs Imadegawa.
It's okay. Calm down.
It pierced through his right frontal lobe,
touching the anterior cerebral artery, but no injury is observed.
A rebar pierced his head?
I don't think there's major vascular injury,
but we have to take it out first.
There's a risk of infection and the haematoma is spreading.
- Do a large craniotomy. Hurry! - Yes...
Doctor, please.
She has just calmed down.
Yeah?
We're worried she might hurt herself...
Would you take this off?
Yeah, it should be fine now.
Area around rebar done.
- Change to a cutter. - Yes.
Tooru...
When the surgery is over, we'll tell you at once.
Please wait here.
The mother of the boy sent here by air ambulance?
A rebar pierced his head. Will he be okay?
I'll take it out.
- Get lots of Delicot and surgical. - Yes.
It depends on how serious his vascular injury is.
Bleeding inside! Where?
- Bipolar forceps. - Yes.
Detached anterior cerebral artery.
It was touching the rebar, so it didn't bleed.
It won't stop if we don't trap it. What will we do?
A3-A3 anastomosis is the only way.
Prepare intracranial arterial bypass forceps and 10-0 nylon suture.
- Yes. - Yes.
Can you do it?
- Permanent clip, please! - Yes.
My wife and I met at a hospital in the rural area.
I liked showing off at that time.
Just like the way you are now.
I had absolute faith in my skills.
Then...
I had a conflict with my boss...
and he sent me away.
Someone introduced my wife to me at that time.
Love at first sight?
She was meek,
didn't seem like she'd complain, so I chose her.
That can't be why...
Yes, that was the biggest reason.
Well...
At that time, I was aiming to become Top Knife too.
But one day, I realised the limits of my ability.
I got out of control...
Since then, she started to stay away from me.
Even so, I was busy.
I made my wife raise the children and do all the chores on her own.
Everybody of our age did.
My wife did not complain at all.
I thought she was a person like that.
Now, the accumulated grudge over the years
made my wife act violently.
She had been suppressing her real thoughts for years.
And they're now showing in the form of delirium.
I'll tell you this as one of her doctors.
It's impossible.
Impossible... huh?
I've said this thousands of times...
to the families of patients with delirium.
"Delirium is only a delusion that occurs in the brain."
Yeah.
As a doctor, I understand it in my head.
But...
it hurts...
when she says things to me.
I even feel frightened.
I'm pathetic, aren't I?
The boy whose head was pierced by a rebar
only suffers the minimal amount of brain damage.
Anything can happen here.
Unbelievably, bad luck and incredible miracles too.
That's what happens in the NS department, Dr Imadegawa.
The coming week is crucial.
We'll see how much he will react when he wakes up.
Yeah.
We can only find out after he wakes up.
But it's already a miracle the major parts weren't damaged.
Mr Detective? What have you found after that?
About the investigation result, I've found various things.
May we meet some time?
Hang on a minute... I'll call you back.
What the heck is this?
How dare you show up in front of me.
Will you give Tamotsu back to me?
Anytime soon. Today, or in the morning.
Don't be ridiculous!
Should I check your brain for you once?
I'm going to move in with a man, he said Tamotsu could stay with us.
Are you really not out of your mind?
Do you know what you're talking about?
I do.
Because...
Tamotsu isn't your son.
Without a doubt.
I was going to give you a report.
You asked a man you met at the club to do the DNA test, right?
Yeah.
He works at a medical college that carries out tests for the police...
Yes, it was staged.
He was in league with the woman secretly.
That was fake.
The woman planned everything to push her son to you
and went to live with a man.
However, the man said she could bring her son,
so she came to take him back.
The boy is not your son, doctor.
"Probability of Paternity 0%"
Mum!
Mami!
You're late, so I came.
I'm so sorry.
Oh, I'm starving!
- Hungry? - Yeah.
- Let's have something nice! - Wow! Yay!
It's so good! Everything is delicious!
I've never been to a restaurant like this.
- It's nice from time to time. - Yeah.
Dr Miyama.
- Oh! - It's been a while.
Mr Kataoka!
How have you been after that?
I've been very well.
Glad to hear that!
I have to thank you for being able to have good food again like this.
- You saved my life. - No...
Thank you.
I'm happy for you.
Please take care, and good luck.
Thank you.
Sorry for interrupting your dinner.
See you.
Maybe I interrupted for too long?
Let's go.
That was Tsurutaro Kataoka, right? Is he your friend?
Not exactly a friend.
I had done surgery for him.
Amazing!
That's my job.
You're so different from the people of my family.
People of your family?
- Mami? - Mum!
What we've been talking about...
Can I really not continue to stay with you?
She'll come for me?
I'll take you to your mum, so finish packing today.
Okay, let's go.
I'll go with you, so hurry up.
Look, you'll be in trouble if you forget this.
Hurry up. Your shoes... All right, this side...
Hey...
Do you remember the restaurant we went together the other day?
Yeah, where I can have fruit juice.
I'm their regular customer... Maybe you don't know what that is.
I go there very often, they recognise me.
If you say you're Kuroiwa's son...
I mean, friend, you can eat for free anytime.
- Really? - Yes, really.
It's called "on my tab."
Just say "put it on Kuroiwa's tab."
it can be any amount.
Okay.
Not only that one,
a steakhouse in Roppongi, Saga, is my regular restaurant too.
If you say you're my friend,
they'll say, "Welcome to our restaurant."
The bar on the third floor of Ginza's Yuraku Hotel too...
Oh, you can't go to a bar.
Well, if it's Ginza...
if it's Ginza, there's a restaurant called Kikokan.
Okay?
Tell them that you're my son, they'll give you any dish you want.
Not just Ginza. That's right, Meguro and Daikanyama too.
You can eat for free at all my restaurants.
I'll go!
Yes, go.
When you go to middle school...
high school and university too...
make sure that you go...
every week...
even every day.
Are you okay?
Idiot, I'm okay.
You've got surgeries so you're okay, right?
Yeah.
Listen.
Don't be looked down on.
It's over if a man lets other people to look down on him.
Get even with them!
Okay?
Wherever you go...
whoever you fight with...
you've got me.
Yeah?
It hurts...
In other words,
we'll remove the tumor
from above and below the optic nerve at the same time.
We'll do craniotomy to remove it from above
and from below, we'll use an endoscope from the nose
and they'll be done together.
The only thing worrying us
is the tumor is probably adhered strongly to the left temporal lobe.
This part is called speech centre and it's responsible for language.
When we remove the tumor,
we have to keep the damage to a minimum.
We can't afford to damage the part of your brain that controls speech,
so we'll find its exact position.
In other words, we'll talk to you when we do the surgery.
Then...
How likely is the surgery going to go smoothly?
Even if we can remove the tumor...
it is possible that there will be complications.
It all depends.
However...
there is no doubt that this is a very difficult surgery.
In that case...
I want you to do it too.
Then I will have no regrets...
no matter how it turns out.
She used to only nod and say yes to everything I say.
She never voiced out her opinion.
It was the first time she talked like that.
That is how much she trusts you, isn't it?
I doubt it.
"Patients risk their lives to trust their doctors.
How do we respond to that?
That's what we're always tested on.
We, neurosurgeons, are."
That's what you said 20 years ago.
Excuse me.
Dr Imadegawa.
About your successor...
Accept it.
This is an order.
My last one.
When you become the department head, you'll retire from the front line.
Use the extra time you'll have for your family.
Don't become like me.
It's not too late for you yet.
Okay, I'll go at once.
He's woken up!
Tooru?
Can you hear me, Tooru?
Excuse me.
Tooru, can you hear me?
I'll pull it up.
Try to squeeze my hand.
Very good...
- What a relief, Mrs Soeno! - Tooru!
You did very well!
It seems that the mother is a single mother.
She has been working and raising Tooru on her own.
We'll see what complications he'll have.
I'm worried about what will happen,
but for now,
his regaining of consciousness is amazing enough.
It is!
It's a kind of miracle.
A young person's brain recovers quickly.
Don't worry, you are still young.
The awake brain surgery...
I will participate too.
Let's do our best.
After the craniotomy is done,
we'll check where the speech centre is when she's awake.
The ST will be here.
When we find the speech centre, get ready for general anesthesia.
Move the anesthesia apparatus for the time being,
put in the fiber-scope.
When she is anesthetized, set up the VEP and endoscope,
and we'll start to resect the tumor.
There'll be no collateral circulation,
so we should avoid clamping the internal carotid artery.
Move the monitor for endoscope a bit here.
Okay.
Communicating when she's awake will be a great burden to the brain.
We'll have no extra time, so we'll rehearse every step.
- Let's give it our all. - Let's do our best...
- Can we put the apparatus here? - Yeah.
Depending on the endoscope manipulation,
it's important where we put her head at first.
Yeah.
This is the last time?
I think work will be even tougher starting tomorrow.
I won't even have time to have a drink for the time being.
Yeah?
So...
I want to ask you something.
The lady said you couldn't love women. What does it mean?
You're so straightforward, Sacchi!
She said you can't love a woman seriously.
She told me to give up the idea.
That's how it's wired...
here.
This is the Casablanca I told you about.
A film in the past has the same title.
Humphrey Bogart starred in it...
Welcome, doctor.
I'll be busy tomorrow morning, so I reckoned I'd chat her up first.
- Laphroaig on the rocks? - Thanks.
- A mimosa for her. - Sure.
The two of them didn't get together,
- but we will tonight. - Welcome.
Bowmore, on the rocks.
What? But not at a hotel!
What?
Thanks.
Excuse me.
Hello?
You haven't been home after that, right?
I thought you'd be a bit lonely.
What are you talking about?
I stay at a hotel with a lady every night.
Alcohol and perfume are my source of energy.
I feel relieved.
That's the Dr Kuroiwa I know.
The horrible part.
I told you.
A person can only rely on himself.
I'm always the most awful and the greatest one.
Yay!
Sorry to have kept you waiting.
- Cheers! - Cheers.
Yeah!
Anyway, sorry, I have to do something urgent now.
Sorry, I'll call again.
Who cares about that stupid kid?
Is there a scary place at your home?
Let me think.
The washstand, maybe?
If you put one of them there, he will protect you.
"Touto General Hospital"
You can talk quite well now.
You still need to do many check-ups, but...
What a relief!
I'll go to the reception.
Oh, hello.
- How are you? - Dr Miyama.
The boy I told you about can talk normally and he can walk.
The power of the brain is amazing, right?
Don't worry.
You've got me.
Okay.
It's time.
What do you mean?
I said, my injury wasn't an accident.
What is it if not an accident?
She tried to kill me.
That jerk.
"That jerk"?
Don't tell me...
"Operation in progress"
We'll now remove the skull base tumor.
- Scalpel. - Here.
We'll search the speech centre now.
It's very close to the internal carotid artery.
Be careful not to injure it.
I love you.
I love...
This is bad!
Satomi!
That is an alien.
I tried to kill him.
I'm glad I came here.
Mum, I am proud of you!
Everything I did was wrong.
Sometimes, the surgeries I do don't go well either.
No! That jerk will come again.
Tooru!