Chương 20: Chapter 5 It Started Like Any Other Morning(Part 3)

"Mr. Kuroe, I'm here to collect your tray."

"Go ahead." I was sitting cross-legged on the bed when a male nurse entered, pushing a cart. The moment he reached my bedside, he froze. For a split second. Then he abruptly looked away, grabbed the tray as quickly as possible, and practically fled the room. I stared after him. Then looked down at myself.

"... Right." I was wearing an oversized hospital gown. I was sitting cross-legged. Which meant the nurse had probably gotten an unobstructed view of my underwear. Possibly more.

"Well, congratulations." I grinned to myself.

"You just got a free look at a cute girl's legs." I paused.

"Too bad the underwear belongs to a forty-three-year-old man." Ignorance truly was bliss. Neither of us would likely see each other again. Still, I needed different clothes. Everything I had was far too large now. As if summoned by the thought, the door opened again.

"Mr. Kuroe. How are you feeling this morning?" Dr. Takatsuki entered alongside a younger nurse. Perfect timing.

"Doing fine. Though I was wondering—do you have smaller hospital clothes? These don't fit at all."

"Understood." Takatsuki turned toward the nurse.

"Bring either a women's size or a child's size." The nurse nodded and hurried out.

"In the meantime, let's start with your examination." Takatsuki looked absurdly cheerful. Like a child who had discovered a new species. He checked my temperature. Listened with his stethoscope. Examined me from every conceivable angle. I'd asked to prioritize the police interview, but apparently they still hadn't arrived. Honestly, the scene probably looked questionable from the outside. A middle-aged doctor grinning ear to ear while examining a small white-haired girl. Not exactly ideal optics.

Fortunately, everyone involved knew the situation. Eventually, the examination ended. A short time later, the nurse returned carrying replacement clothes. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. While Takatsuki and the nurse stepped outside, I changed. The new outfit fit considerably better. Most importantly, the pants actually stayed up. Once I was done, I called them back in. Takatsuki immediately began outlining the day's schedule. Height. Weight.

Blood work. Urine tests. CT scans. Basically every examination included in a full medical checkup. There was just one problem.

"Doctor."

"Yes?"

"Blood and urine samples are going to be difficult." Takatsuki tilted his head.

"Difficult?"

"My body's hollow." The nurse looked confused. Takatsuki looked intrigued. Very different reactions.

"I assume," he said slowly, "that statement is related to why I couldn't detect a heartbeat or normal breathing last night?"

"Exactly." I nodded.

"Though I'd rather explain everything once. Let's wait until the police arrive." The nurse continued staring at me like I was speaking another language. Honestly, I couldn't blame her.

"If you want to test it, go ahead. Try drawing blood." Takatsuki immediately nodded.

"Fair enough." Then he turned to the nurse.

"Prepare a blood draw." The nurse vanished again. At this point she was being used like hospital express delivery.

"And while you're at it," Takatsuki called after her, "see if CT can move him to the front of the schedule." Once she disappeared, he turned back toward me. Then proceeded to stare. Not casually. Not professionally. The kind of stare normally reserved for newly discovered alien life.

"What?"

"I'm thinking." That smile widened.

"You know, I've spent my entire career reading papers and studying unusual cases."

"That's comforting."

"And I've never seen anything remotely like you."

"Less comforting." Takatsuki ignored me and continued.

"Your appearance resembles extreme albinism. That part is straightforward." He gestured toward me.

"However, when I examine your body, I can feel resistance from the skin." He tapped the bed thoughtfully.

"But beneath that?"

"Nothing."

"Exactly." His eyes lit up.

"No muscles. No bones. No recognizable structure whatsoever." The nurse quietly returned with the blood-draw kit and froze as Takatsuki continued his lecture.

"Last night, during CPR, I applied enough force to fracture ribs in a normal patient."

"Please don't remind me."

"And yet there was nothing beneath the surface." He looked delighted.

"Resistance, yes. Internal structure, no."

"Most people would find that alarming."

"I find it fascinating." Of course he did. Takatsuki adjusted his glasses.

"Then there's the matter of sound."

"Sound?"

"I can hear airflow." He pointed toward my throat.

"But only here."

"The vocal cords."

"Precisely." He nodded.

"You can speak, so your vocal apparatus exists."

"Apparently."

"But beyond that, I hear nothing." He spread his hands.

"No lung sounds. No diaphragm movement. No heartbeat." The nurse looked increasingly pale. Meanwhile Takatsuki looked ready to write a hundred-page paper on the spot.

"Which leads to a very simple conclusion." He pointed at me.

"By every known biological standard, you should be dead."

"That's usually considered a problem."

"And yet here you are."

"Unfortunately."

"You are walking, speaking, thinking, and functioning despite possessing a body that should not support life." He leaned forward.

"In all my years of practice, I have never encountered anything remotely comparable." I scratched my cheek.

"That's one way to put it."

"The transformation caused it, didn't it?"

"Probably." Takatsuki inhaled. Then smiled. A dangerous smile.

"One more thing."

"Here it comes."

"I'd like to publish a paper." There it was.

"Would you be willing to cooperate?" Honestly, the man was impressive. Most people would have rejected what they were seeing. Takatsuki had accepted reality first and adjusted his worldview second. That level of flexibility was rare.

"Sure." His eyes widened.

"Really?"

"One condition."

"Name it."

"No real names."

"Reasonable."

"And if I help with your research, I may need favors from you in the future." Takatsuki immediately extended his hand.

"Mutual cooperation."

"Mutual cooperation." We shook hands firmly. At that exact moment, the nurse returned with the blood-draw equipment. Perfect timing.

"Alright," Takatsuki said.

"Let's see if you actually have blood."

The answer was no. The standard vacuum collection tube drew nothing. The syringe drew nothing. Even after inserting the needle properly and pulling back the plunger, the barrel remained empty. There was color beneath my skin. Enough to tint my lips and eyes. But whenever the needle disturbed it, everything immediately reverted. Like time itself was correcting the damage. No sample could be collected.

"Well," Takatsuki said at last.

"Nothing."

"Told you." The doctor removed the needle.

"Please apply pressure to the puncture site."

"No need." I held up my arm. The wound was already gone. The nurse stared. Takatsuki stared. I stared. The puncture site no longer existed.

"My body automatically reverts to this state," I explained.

"No aging. No growth. No lasting damage." Takatsuki exhaled slowly.

"Immortality."

"More or less."

"The oldest dream of humanity."

"Pure luck, honestly."

"Luck," he repeated.

"Yes."

"Interesting definition." The blood test ended there. As for the CT scan... That became complicated. Takatsuki decided only trusted staff would be involved. The scan would be postponed until proper arrangements could be made. Sorry, younger patients. Adult society was unfair sometimes. Instead, we moved on to something simpler. Body measurements.