Note before the chapter: I scheduled this chapter to be uploaded about 6 hours ago. I left my house early this morning and just returned now, for some reason it didn't get published. Sorry for the delay, enjoy! :D
---
After several minutes of playing catch with Gabe, we went back inside the house. Mom and Bob were in the living room watching TV.
"Oh, kids, it's good that you're back. Get ready for dinner; I don't want any sweat smell at my table," Mom said seriously, acknowledging our presence and then ignoring us as she returned to the television.
I gently nudged Gabe from behind and urged him to head to the bathroom. "Clean up quickly; I'll go next," I said as I continued on my way to our room.
In my room, I left Gabe's comic book on his bed and sat down at my desk. House's book, which he had left in my possession, was where I had left it a few minutes ago, on the desk. I picked it up and opened it to its first page.
The book was a typical old, non-commercial looking book that you'd find in universities. Unlike educational textbooks, it didn't seem like it came from a regular publisher; its cover and back had nothing more than a reddish hue, like synthetic leather.
I opened the book to the first page, where I could finally read the author's name, which surprised me greatly. In stylized cursive letters in the center of the first page, I read, "Notes by Dr. Edward Donnall Thomas." With the book still in my hands, I couldn't believe what I had just read. I quickly but carefully flipped through the book's pages and skimmed its contents.
In my past life, one of the most significant Nobel Prize winners for contributions to medicine was Dr. Donnall Thomas. He was a pioneer in bone marrow transplantation, and if I remembered correctly, he received his Nobel Prize in 1990.
How was it possible that House had a copy of Dr. Thomas's research? In my past life, there were no books published on the topic, only a few years later did they compile all of the doctor's published articles into a book, which I devoured along with several other books in my obsession with medicine.
Again glancing at the book, I quickly and superficially read its contents. When I reached the end of the book and saw a date written in the same stylized cursive font on the copy, I could feel my heart racing with excitement. I put my hand on my chest and tried to calm my breathing, but I couldn't stop my mind from filling with terrifying thoughts. The data was extremely advanced but still incomplete. "Maybe I could..." I said softly without thinking, still with my eyes fixed on this valuable compendium.
"PJ, the bathroom is free," Gabe suddenly said behind me, jolting me out of my daydreams.
"Oh, yes, thanks," I managed to reply after a few seconds, returning to reality.
Carefully placing the book inside one of my desk drawers, I locked it. I wasn't worried about someone stealing it or anything, but one could never be too careful with such important information.
Outside our room, I closed the door so Gabe could change clothes in private as I headed to the bathroom, still a bit spaced out by the weight of the research data stored in my desk. I walked with my mind occupied by my earlier thoughts.
I took a quick shower to wash off the dirt from my body, still thinking about the implications of having the knowledge I possessed. Would it be ethical, or not?
After the quick shower, I exited the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my waist, still debating internally whether to act on what seemed to be a formation of a plan in my head.
"Look at you; you're almost like your old man at your age," Bob said, standing a few steps from the bathroom door, interrupting my internal debate. "You just need a lot more muscles to be like me," he continued, flexing his chubby arms.
I couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
"What? Don't you believe your old man's word?" Bob said with exaggerated incredulity. "Yeah, right now, I could stand to lose a few pounds," Bob said, downplaying it as he patted his stomach, "but at your age, I had muscles the size of mountains," Bob continued, trying to pose dramatically.
"I believe you, I believe you," I replied with a slight smile. "Yeah, with the daily training I do and football practice, I've gained some muscle," I continued, which wasn't a lie. I had indeed gained a bit of muscle; PJ was already slim and not malnourished, sure, he had no physical condition, but with these few weeks of training, I was starting to see small improvements in my physique.
"It shows, son," Bob said with a hint of pride. "Maybe you could start lifting weights. A client wanted to get rid of his weight set after he found out his garage was infested with ticks," he continued excitedly after remembering, "maybe I can get it at a good price if I offer to buy it. Would you like that?" Bob asked enthusiastically.
"Yes, I could do weights; it would help keep my muscles healthy and improve my throwing strength," I replied gratefully to Bob.
"Perfect, that settles it. I might even get back to exercising myself with the new baby at your mother's and my age; a little more strength wouldn't hurt," he said, slightly talking to himself as he turned to go to the dining room. "By the way, I came to hurry you up; we're all at the table already," he said, pausing for a moment.
Amused by the interaction with Bob, I headed back to my room. Gabe was certainly no longer in our room, so I had enough privacy while getting dressed again. My eyes fell on my desk, and I couldn't help but daydream again about what was stored there.
After getting dressed, I approached the desk to retrieve the book, but Mom interrupted me by shouting from outside the room, "PJ, dinner is ready; come now." I replied, "I'm coming," as I closed the drawer of the desk and headed out of the room.
In the dining room, with the table set with large covered plates, the other members of my family were already seated in front of their empty plates, surely waiting for me. "Ah, the second special guest has arrived," Bob said with playful elegance.
"Oh, thank you, thank you," I replied, mirroring his elegance and playfully pretending I was being greeted with applause as I took a seat next to Gabe.
Tapping his fork against his beer glass, Bob stood up. "As you know, this dinner is special for celebrating two important things," he said with a big smile. "The upcoming arrival of a new brother or sister," he said, inclining slightly towards his wife beside him. "Sister!" Teddy interjected, momentarily interrupting. "And PJ's great opportunity," Bob continued, ignoring Teddy's outburst.
"Yes, yes, congratulations. Can we start eating now? I'm really hungry," Gabe interjected bitterly, with impatience.
Giving him a small kick under the table to get his attention, I winked at him with a calm smile, calming him down a bit.
"Yes," Bob said with an ironic smile directed at his younger son as he took his seat again, greeted by a kiss on the cheek from his appreciative wife.
"With you, the special dinner," Bob said ceremoniously as he removed the covers from the large plates.
"Spaghetti and meatballs," Gabe said with false excitement as he reached across the table to serve himself.
"Thank you, Bob, this is the best," Mom said as she held Bob's hand.
Despite being a 'special dinner', the evening proceeded relatively normally. Teddy and Gabe occasionally argued about trivial matters, Mom shared a seemingly exaggerated anecdote from her youth, and Bob, recalling specific details about insects with words that only he found interesting, talked about black ants from Cambodia.
Throughout the dinner, I didn't say anything. I simply smiled and enjoyed the interactions in front of me. It doesn't matter what I do with Dr. Thomas's research, as long as it doesn't affect my new family.
At the end of the meal, Bob ordered, "Alright, Teddy, Gabe, get ready for bed." Turning to his wife in a much less strict tone, he said, "And you, go rest your body. I'll join you in a moment." Finally, he turned to me, placing his hand on my shoulder and said, "PJ, help me with the dishes. I want to talk to you."
Gabe, who hadn't moved from his seat, had a big grin on his face and playfully remarked, "Someone's in trouble."
Giving his head a slightly stronger pat than necessary, I urged him to get up from his chair. "You heard Dad, go get ready, Frodo."
"Your insult doesn't work if I don't understand it," Gabe quickly retorted as he got up and left the dining room.
Chuckling in disbelief, I also got up from my seat, collected a few plates and glasses, and headed to the kitchen. A few moments later, Bob entered behind me, also carrying the remaining dishes. "You're not in trouble, PJ," he said calmly as he stood beside me at the sink.
After saying that, Bob remained silent for a few moments, during which he washed dishes and I dried them so they could be put away. "So, what did you want to talk about?" I asked after a few moments, unable to endure the awkward silence.
"Well, I just wanted you to know how truly proud I am of you," Bob said, pausing in his washing and turning towards me with seriousness. "When you said you wanted to study medicine, I honestly thought it was one of those impossible plans, like becoming a famous rock star," Bob continued with a slight smile. "But, since that day, you've shown me I was wrong. You're a star athlete, your teachers love you, and now you're going to study with a renowned doctor. Every day I see you growing more mature, more prepared, closer to being a great doctor, and that fills me with so much pride," he finished, placing his hand on my shoulder while maintaining his small but proud smile.
Seeing Bob's proud expression, I couldn't say anything for a moment. "Thank you, Dad," I replied with a slightly dry mouth before being pulled into Bob's arms.
"You have nothing to thank me for," he said softly as he gave me a tight hug, one I allowed myself to be absorbed into.
After a few seconds in the fatherly embrace, Bob pulled away. "Let's continue cleaning; you have school tomorrow," he said with a big smile, turning back to the sink.
Wiping away a tear I hadn't noticed had escaped, I took a deep breath with my eyes closed and, with a smile, turned along with Bob to continue our work.
"By the way, PJ, I noticed you were very quiet during dinner. Is there something bothering you?" Bob asked casually as he continued to wash.
"No," I quickly lied, making Bob nod slightly, and I felt guilty for lying after everything he had said. "Well, actually, I have an ethical dilemma," I continued after a few seconds of internal debate.
"An ethical dilemma?" Bob asked, surprised. "What is it?" he continued.
"Well, let's say you have a way to achieve something," I said as I searched for the right words, "something good," I clarified, "but the way to achieve it isn't very ethical," I continued. "Would you do it or not?" I finished, asking him.
"Well, if you do this, would someone be harmed?" Bob asked seriously.
"Oh, no, not at all," I quickly said.
"Would you be harmed?" Bob asked seriously again.
"No," I replied easily.
"Then I don't see why you shouldn't do it. If it's something good, what does it matter if the way you obtain it is somewhat unethical, as long as you don't harm anyone, including yourself," Bob said easily and lightly.
"Alright, thanks, Dad," I said, feeling somewhat relieved to have his permission, even though I didn't really need it.
That settles it. I'll contribute my past knowledge to Dr. Thomas's research.
We finished cleaning all the dishes Bob had used to prepare and serve dinner. After exchanging goodnight wishes, I headed to the bathroom to freshen up and then returned to my room.
Gabe was asleep when I entered, so I quietly approached my desk and slowly opened the desk drawers where I had stored the book. Taking paper, a pencil, a flashlight, and the book, I quietly moved to my bed. Lying down, I positioned the flashlight under my chin and began reading Dr. Thomas's data and comments again. Occasionally, I wrote notes on hypotheses that the doctor had written about his theory, and if necessary, I corrected them in the paper i took.
Several hours passed during the night. When I finished, I glanced at my desktop clock and realized I had only three hours left before my alarm would go off. Setting aside what I had on my bed, I turned off the flashlight and tried to sleep for those few hours.
It seemed like I had closed my eyes for a second when suddenly my alarm clock rang. I couldn't remember the last time I had heard it. I was used to waking up before it went off, but this time, due to my lack of sleep, it had been impossible. After getting out of bed and turning off the alarm, I began to prepare for my morning routine.
"PJ," Gabe suddenly said from his bed, startling me.
"What's up, buddy? Did my alarm wake you up?" I asked after recovering from the surprise, turning to see him sitting in his bed.
"Well, yeah," he said as he stretched a bit. "But I wanted to ask you if I can go running with you today," he continued, lowering his head a bit in embarrassment.
Surprised by his request, I couldn't respond immediately as I stared at him.
"Well, since you run every day, I thought, why not join you? You know, after all, you're my big brother. I heard Kevin McCallister say that brothers sometimes do exercise together, and it seemed like a lot of fun," Gabe quickly explained, even more embarrassed.
Due to his occasional sour attitude and sense of humor, I sometimes forget that Gabe is just a nine-year-old kid.
Seeing that I didn't respond, Gabe lay back down. "Never mind, it's silly."
"No," I quickly said, "come on, it just surprised me that you suddenly wanted to go with me. Get dressed quickly," I continued as I pulled the sheets off him. "I'll wait for you outside," I finished as I left our room.
Outside the house, I took advantage of Gabe not having come out yet to start warming up. "Good morning, PJ," I heard from the sidewalk. "Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson."
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are an elderly couple I encounter every day during their morning walk.
"Going for your morning run, huh, young man?" Mr. Wilson asked.
"Yes, sir," I responded respectfully.
"Very well, young one. As always, it's a pleasure to see you. I wish Dennis were as respectful as you," Mr. Wilson said, causing Mrs. Wilson to give him a slight tap on the arm. "Oh, George, don't be silly," Mrs. Wilson scolded. "Don't mind this old grouch, PJ. I hope you have a good day," she continued as she said her goodbyes.
"Likewise, thank you, Mrs. Wilson," I replied back to her and nodded at Mr. Wilson.
A few moments after the elderly couple bid me farewell, the door of my house opened, revealing Gabe in a makeshift sports outfit. "Let's do this!" he exclaimed with excitement as he approached me.
"Alright, first, we need to warm up. I've already started, so just follow my lead," I told him calmly while continuing to stretch my joints.
"What? Why do we need to warm up if we're just going to run? That's enough exercise," Gabe said incredulously.
"Warming up will increase your heart rate, breathing, and body temperature, making it easier for you to find a good pace and maintain it," I explained as I encouraged him to move. "Besides, it's important to relax your muscles, bones, and joints, so it's less likely you'll get injured. Okay?" I continued, looking at him seriously.
"Alright, alright," Gabe said, a bit defeated.
We warmed up for a few more minutes. "Alright, that's enough. Let's go," I told Gabe as I started jogging.
Usually, during my morning runs, I go around the neighborhood for several laps. However, about 20 minutes in, I could see and hear Gabe starting to gasp for air. "This is your last lap, Gabe. We'll head back home, and you can take a shower to freshen up," I said, slowing down my pace.
"Alright, alright," Gabe said, struggling to catch his breath.
"After your shower, you can have some fruit for breakfast. If you keep eating cereal with milk every day, it won't do you any good to run with me. Of course, you can have cereal for breakfast from time to time, but not every day," I said as I stopped in our front yard.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Gabe said wearily as he headed inside the house.
Laughing at my brother's attitude, I continued with my run.
Having completed my usual run, I returned home completely sweaty. As is customary, there was a glass of water prepared in the kitchen to quench my thirst. Bob, who was preparing three different lunches, turned to see me as soon as I entered. "PJ, good morning," he said cheerfully. "Good morning, Dad," I replied, leaving the empty glass in the sink.
"Did you take your brother for a run with you today?" Bob asked as he took a sip of his coffee.
"Yes, surprisingly, it was his idea. He wanted to go with me," I replied with an incredulous smile, which he mirrored.
"That's good. He probably sees you as his role model," Bob said.
"Role model for whom?" Mom suddenly interjected as she entered the kitchen.
"For Gabe, dear. He went running with PJ today," Bob said proudly, patting my shoulders.
"Really? That's great," Mom said excitedly. "I know he's going through a phase of jealousy because of the baby. Exercising with you might help distract him from that," she continued, a bit sadly, as she approached the kitchen counter to grab a plate of scrambled eggs that Bob had left.
As Mom passed by me, she quickly covered her nose. "Phew, PJ, go take a shower. Pregnancy nose," she said as she moved away rapidly.
Incredulous at her sporadic reaction, I couldn't help but laugh a little, a gesture that Bob replicated. "Sorry, Mom, I'm going," I said as I exited the kitchen.
Continuing with my daily routine, I took a shower to clean off the sweat, brushed my teeth, and applied deodorant and body lotion.
Exiting the bathroom and heading back to my room, I encountered Gabe, who seemed revitalized with his backpack on his back. "Hey again, PJ. Tomorrow, I'm going to run even more than today. You'll see," he said as he continued walking towards the kitchen.
Happy about Gabe's enthusiasm, I continued on my way to my room, where I dressed for the day and packed what I needed for school, including Dr. Thomas's book, which I carefully placed in my backpack.
Back in the kitchen, now dressed for the day, I joined my family at the kitchen table. Gabe, following my advice, was having a glass of milk along with a big apple he proudly displayed.
"Good morning, Teddy," I greeted my sister as I grabbed an apple from the counter. "Hi, PJ," the teenager replied happily.
"Alright, if you're ready, it's time to go. PJ, remember, from today on, I'll pick you up to go to the hospital," Mom said as she gathered her things from the table.
"Okay, Mom. Goodbye, Gabe. Goodbye, Teddy," I said, bidding farewell to my siblings.
After finishing my apple, along with Bob, we left the house on our way to the dreaded yellow van.
During the ride to school, Bob remembered, "Oh, right, today I'm going to meet my client to offer to buy his weight set. Maybe if Gabe sees us working out with weights, he might want to do it too, like a father-and-sons activity," he continued happily, surely envisioning the future.
Upon arriving at school several minutes later, Bob said his goodbyes. "See you at home, PJ. Learn a lot, both here at school and at the hospital," he said before closing the door after bidding me farewell.
Walking through the school hallways and greeting every classmate who recognized me with a nod or a fist bump, I reached my locker, where my four friends were already arguing about something.
"SuperStar, it's good you're here," Brock said as he pulled me into a one-armed hug. "Tell David and Georgie that I could totally take down a bear," he continued arrogantly, puffing out his chest.
"Yeah, he could definitely take down a bear," I said, making Brock puff his chest even more, while I smiled and greeted my other friends with a nod. "I mean, I think a bear's sense of smell is one of the best in the forest," I added with a little laugh, followed by David and Georgie's laughter.
"Haha, very funny," Brock said, taking his arm off my shoulders and giving me a playful punch.
Continuing with their discussion, David, Georgie, and Brock ignored Alan and me as we retrieved our belongings from our lockers.
"Did something good happen?" Alan asked with intrigue.
"What?" I responded, surprised.
"Yeah, it seems like something good happened. You were walking happier than usual," Alan said seriously as he studied my face.
Surprised by my friend's perceptiveness, I closed my locker and replied, "No, nothing really special happened. Well, my younger brother started running with me in the mornings."
"Yeah... that's probably it," suspiciously said Alan. "Well, whatever," he continued as he closed his locker and rejoined my other three friends.
The day went by relatively normally, everything was as usual, except this time I was tired by the last period. No matter how much data I have, I need to sleep well. I couldn't afford to have little rest right now. I'll have to get used to it when I get to the residence, not now.
During lunch, nothing really interesting happened, and like that, the day passed.
After school, I said goodbye to my friends at the main entrance, and on the main path, I could see my mom's car parked.
"Hi, Mom," I greeted as soon as I got into the car.
"PJ, how was school?" she asked cheerfully as she started the car.
"Good, it was a good day," I replied, still tired. I moved the seat back a bit, settled in, and closed my eyes for a moment.
"PJ," my mom woke me up by shaking my arm, "we're here," she said when I opened my eyes.
I had fallen asleep on the way; I really couldn't disrupt my sleep schedule, especially now that my brain wasn't fully developed.
Getting out of the car, I took my backpack and entered the hospital with my mom. Once again, I separated from her at the reception while greeting the other nurses.
"Nurse Florence, how are you today? Besides being completely dazzling," I greeted the older nurse with a smile, making my mom's boss laugh foolishly.
"Oh, PJ, I'm well, thank you very much," she said, smiling. "I hope that when you become a doctor, you'll treat the nurses with the same respect," she said seriously.
"Count on it. Well, see you later," I said, bidding farewell to my mom and the senior nurse.
On the way to Dr. House's office, I mentally reviewed what I remembered about Dan, the patient with night terrors, and also went over the book that kept me up all night.
Arriving at House's office, I found him sitting at his desk with the other three doctors, examining MRI images.
"Oh, the kid's here. Go ahead and tell us if you see anything, specifically if you see meningeal enhancement*, possibly viral meningitis," House speculated.
Approaching the images, I nodded and smiled at the three doctors standing next to them, receiving acknowledgment from only two of them.
"Is this Dan's MRI?" I asked as I studied the images.
"Yes," confirmed Dr. Cameron with a smile.
"So, what do you see?" prompted House.
"No, there's no evidence of meningitis in these MRIs," I replied to House as I approached his desk to put down my backpack and take out the book.
"Correct, there's not. He's completely wrong," said Dr. House cheerfully, pointing at Dr. Chase.
"Then what clue are you talking about?" asked Dr. Cameron, annoyed.
"He knew that I saw something on the MRI, so he figured there must be something there and took a guess. Clever, but also pathetic," House said sarcastically.
"So, what did you find?" asked Dr. Chase, irritated.
"Let's see if the kid saw anything. Did you only look for meningeal enhancement, or did you actually look to find something?" House asked seriously, looking me in the eyes.
This was surely a test. Being a teenager, he should have an absolutely pristine brain; any irregularity should be rare. There were no lesions, white matter, tumors, but there was a structural anomaly.
Studying my face, House smiled and said, "Ah, you did see something. Speak up."
"It might be nothing. I should mention that Dan could have moved during the MRI," I said, shaking my head.
"Or he could die at any moment because you doubted your own eyes," House said as he approached. "Tell me, Duncan, what did you see?" he continued, standing next to the other doctors who were examining the images more closely.
"Well, in the corpus callosum*," I said, causing the other three doctors to lean in to see that area and House to smile. "The corpus callosum what?" he asked with an ironic smile.
"There's some bowing, an upward arch," I replied as I approached the images to point it out.
"And that's absolutely correct," said House, dancing a bit.
"He probably just moved; nobody stays perfectly still for their entire MRI," Foreman said, shaking his head in annoyance.
"Yes, that's what I thought," I said with a small smile that he didn't reciprocate.
"Yeah, he probably got restless and shifted one hemisphere of his brain to a more comfortable position," House said sarcastically. "Something is pushing on it," House continued, leaning back on the side of his desk.
"If there's bowing, it could be a tumor," Foreman said as he sat in the office chair.
"Kid, did you see a tumor on this MRI?" House asked mockingly.
Without looking at Dr. Foreman, I shook my head and said, "No, there's no tumor, it's just a blockage."
"Yes, just a blockage causing pressure, causing symptoms," House said with a smile aimed at Dr. Foreman. "Today night terrors, tomorrow he's bleeding out of his eyes," House continued seriously. "Get him a radionucleotide cisternogram*. I guarantee you'll see a blockage," House finished as he took the book I had returned and sat down at his desk.
When the three doctors left the office, House invited me to sit down, pointing to one of the chairs in front of his desk.
"What did you think of the book?" House asked slowly as he put it away.
"Very interesting," I replied. "Do you think he can perform the transplant?" I asked as I settled into the chair offered by House.
"Yes, Dr. Donnall Thomas is a very capable physician. He was my professor during my student years. That's why I have this special copy; he sent it to me a few days ago," House said as he leaned back in his chair.
"So, you have contact with the doctor?" I asked House, sitting up in the chair.
"Yes, I even have his private office number," House said with false pride.
Now more excited, I asked, "Could you send him a few questions on my behalf?"
"Sure," House said as he propped his feet up on his desk. "As long as you can answer mine afterward," he continued with a sinister smile. "After all, I told you I would ask you a few questions, didn't I?" he finished.
House began to ask me questions about the data in the book—numbers, percentages, theoretical procedures, possible results or problems, and my own conclusions. I was able to answer most of the questions to my satisfaction.
Now with his feet under his desk, House said with a faint smile, "Well, it seems you really studied. For now, you pass," he said as he stood up. "Now, do you have those questions written down, or do you want some paper and a pencil?" he continued.
"I have paper and a pencil right here," I said as I opened my backpack again.
"Good, I'll be right back. I need to pee. When I return, you better have those questions prepared because it's time for the results to come out," House said as he left the office.
Writing a letter addressed to Dr. Thomas, I added a few questions along with 'possible' answers. I already knew the answers to the questions I was asking, so I hid my true knowledge in those 'possible' answers. If I really wanted to be part in a Nobel Prize, I had to stand out—not enough to arouse suspicion, but enough to generate interest.
A few moments after finishing the letter, House entered the office again.
"Are you done?" he asked as he took the letter and read it. "Very flattering," he said sarcastically. "But alright, I'll send it under my name. Let me add a note to it," he continued as he took a small Post-It note and wrote on it before attaching it to my letter.
"Alright, take this," he said, taking another book from his desk.
This time, the book seemed commercial. It was definitely an old and worn text, but it came from a publishing company. Taking the book, I stored it in my backpack.
"This time, you have more time. I'll ask you some questions in a few days, but I won't tell you when, so be prepared," House said seriously.
Taking an envelope from his desk, he folded my letter and placed it inside. "Let's go," he said as he left his office again, with the envelope in his hand.
Taking my now heavier backpack, with the new book inside, I followed him quickly. House was very fast with his cane.
Arriving at a desk outside the outpatient clinic, House dropped the envelope into a basket with other letters. "Let's go find your siblings; I'm sure the results are in by now," House said joking as he moved forward.
Following House, I couldn't take my eyes off the basket full of envelopes. This was the next step in my medical career.
---
Glossary
Meningeal enhancement*: This is a generic term related to the enhancement of the membranes that envelop the brain and spinal cord.
Corpus callosum*: It is the largest white matter structure in the brain, connecting the two hemispheres.
Radionucleotide cisternogram*: This is a nuclear scan test used to diagnose problems with the flow of spinal fluid.
---
Author's Thoughts
As always, I'm not American, and certainly not a doctor.
I know that in the previous chapter, I said that this chapter would be very long. Indeed, in my files, this chapter has another 5k words. However, this week I will be very busy with school, so to take some academic pressure off, I decided to split Chapter 14 into two parts. Therefore, the continuation will be in Chapter 15.
Now, I'll set a new goal so that starting next week, there will be two chapters per week instead of one for four weeks (8 chapters in a month). There are more than 1k collections (WHAT?!)—thank you very much for that. But there's a problem: studying other novels, I found that there is a 3% proportion of reviews per collection. So, if the story has 1k collections, there should be 30 reviews. The goal this week is to reach 30 reviews (substantial ones, please—I won't count filler reviews, only reviews where you genuinely share your thoughts on the novel, even if it's not entirely positive). Also, if this week reaches 300+ Power Stones along with the reviews, starting next week, there will be two chapters per week. :D
In this chapter, there were two 'cameos.' If anyone discovers one or both, you win an incredible prize (I think I don't need to specify anymore, but there's no prize). Good luck.
I think that's all. As always, if you find any errors, let me know, and I'll correct them immediately.
Thank you for reading. :D
P.S. Leave a comment too. It doesn't count toward the weekly goal, but I always enjoy reading comments.