Black Jack: Volume One, Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine - "Black Queen"

Dr. Konomi is a very skilled doctor. She can perform almost any operation, no matter how gruesome. She has no problem cutting off an arm, or amputation a leg, and she does so without even batting an eye. As a result, the her peers believe she is a cold, cruel, scapel-happy woman, and they have dubbed her "The Black Queen", and "the female Black Jack." Konomi knows rumors of the underground, unlicensed Dr. Black Jack, and, as she's explaining this to her boyfriend Rock, she tells him how offended she is that they'd compare her to a monster like him. Rock tells her to quit her job, but Konomi refuses to give up, simply because of what the other Doctors are saying about her. Frustrated, Konomi goes to a bar, and proceeds to get drunk. She shares her story to anyone in the bar who cares to listen, one person turning out to be Black Jack himself. Konomi tells him that they are birds of a feather, not afraid to "slice 'um up". The following morning, as Konomi is performing another operation, removing a man's fingers, a nurse rushes in an says she has a phone call; it sounds like an emergency. Konomi answers, and shes informed that her boyfriend, Rock, has had a severe accident; that a crane has fallen over on his leg, and it will need to be amputated. They send Rock over to the hospital and, upon seeing his condition, Konomi breaks down. She can't remove her boyfriend's leg. She just can't. Just then, Black Jack comes in. Konomi explains her situation to him, and Black Jack feels bad for her. He drugs her drink, and puts her to sleep so that he can perform the operation himself. Konomi wakes up to find her peers praising her that the operation went perfectly and that her boyfriend managed to keep his leg after all. (Little do they know it was actually Black Jack who's to thank) Konomi realizes this, and now knows just how fantastic Black Jack really is, and that any rumors about him were wrong. She's honored to be the female Black Jack, the Black Queen.