I see everything went wonderfully without me."
"Yeah... Wonderful."
Shimabukuro, coming back to work immediately after his vacation, was surprised to see my face in his office. Now, as I am asking him quite a few questions regarding MFUU, he just laughs as he opens his lunch box and offers me a clean pair of chopsticks. Apparently, he stopped by his parent's house in Okinawa and they had put out lots of purple sweet potatoes for him.
"An MFUU... Wow, I've never seen one. If he didn't escape, I would like to take him right away to the university."
There's no doubt that this is a rare case, but Iwamoto is not a circus freak. He is just a young man struggling to come to terms with the changes in his body. Academic interest should not be a priority for us. It hurts me too. I feel uncomfortable thinking about it―Iwamoto is so much more than about his body.
"I couldn't measure his rectal pH."
"Well, isn't he coming anymore?"
"Here? I doubt it."
If Iwamoto is a real MFUU, he would certainly have to bleed every month. He has no other choice but to consult a medical facility again. But I doubt he wants to come back here because he basically thought I'm unhinged.
"Well, it doesn't matter since now he's blacklisted. The patient is aggressive. There's a surveillance camera and the clinic director is very sensitive about these things."
I'm terrified as they treat Iwamoto as "dangerous." He isn't a bad guy, he was just scared.
"Are you okay though? It looks like the bump was hard."
"Oh, fortunately it was just a bruise."
"A lot of patients asked me about you, you know? The bandages are kind of scandalous."
"Oh? And what did they ask?"
"Doctor, you're very popular with our maternity patients. I'm sure if they didn't come accompanied by their husbands, they would beg you on their knees to be the father of their children."
"Is that so?"
I never know.
"Doctor, you are attractive! Nerdy, a weird, myopic fanboy, but attractive nonetheless."
Popular with my patients, possibly. Loved by men, never in life.
To be honest, since that day, I've always been thinking about Iwamoto. About his face and how much he was crying... Ah, but thanks to him, I'm easily worn out now. Idiot. It has become a habit of mine to be an idiot!
Rubbing my back, I leave Shimabukuro's office. It still feels a little sore.
* * *
After a morning surgery, I walk down the hall while cleaning my glasses.
I don't have any major plans for today. I'm just going to fill out a discharge form and review my paperwork. Maybe also ask some nurse to step on my head while I lay dead on the floor for a while. That said, I'm not motivated to do anything right now.
I sigh.
I've been trying to contact Iwamoto all weekend―I was so f*cking stupid! It was absolutely out of line to recommend a test where a probe had to be inserted up his anus! He was right, I did not think he has a tumor, I just thought it would be faster to convince him. But what the hell was wrong with me? Even if I show him the image result, it will still be difficult for a patient to recognize a uterus.
In other cases, a tumor for example. Even if the doctor has informed in detail and carefully, an overly shocked patient will usually not remember more than half of the explanation. News of gynecological cancer is also difficult and distressing. And many cervical cancer patients are young. I should have thought the same way as when I explain to a cancer patient that they have cancer! Iwamoto was shocked, scared. Somehow, at the time, part of my mind was paraphrasing, "What's wrong with having a baby? You're not going to die." Maybe it was because I had seen too many couples suffering from infertility. What a fool I was!
Da*n, Iwamoto is a man. And, indeed, he's not going to die...but his life changes. His sex changes. His self-consciousness changes too. How is it different from death if what makes you were before suddenly disappears?
"Ah! Yuge-sensei!"
Kitagawa, the outpatient nurse rushes toward me, running through the hospital lobby even though it is forbidden to do so. She looks...somewhat dreadful.
"What happened, Kitagawa-san?"
"Sensei, run away!"
Her voice is cracking, she is sweating and repeating, "Run away!"
What the hell does that mean?
"That man! The patient who hit you is back!"
"Huh?"
Looking towards the exit, I can see that the reception area is noisy. That bald head in the background is the principal...and that other bald head is the intern. Some guards are shouting something at a muscular young man in front of them. Iwamoto, with a towel on his head, is yelling too. He is waving his hand and pointing at my office. He looks as upset as ever, although now he has a mysterious face. No watery eyes. He holds a paper bag in his hand.
Iwamoto's strong body, black sleeveless shirt, and safety shoes are horribly visible in a hospital full of white shoes.
"I told you, Yuge-sensei is not present today!"
Fuwa shouts loudly. To protect me, then, Kitagawa holds me to remove the large photo tag on my chest, "Takashi Yuge."
I have a bad, bad feeling...
"Please, I really need to see him..."
"He's on vacation...in Canada," Fuwa continues, interrupting Iwamoto again and again. "Besides, the big emergency here is you, MFUU. You're not important! We're not going to stop our work just because of your menstrual cramps."
Son of a―
I rush just as Fuwa screaming that. Talking about Iwamoto's special condition IN A LOUD VOICE! What the hell is wrong with him? Da*n son of a bit*h.
MFUU. Fuwa called him MFUU! I know, it's just an abbreviation and the name of the disease is not well known yet, but seriously? Talking about his condition like that?
"Okay, enough..."
"Ah... Yuge."
"Don't Yuge me. Where's your da*n professional attitude? He's a patient, and he's just as important as everyone else. Have some respect."
"What are you talking about, man? Wasn't he the one who hit you in the head?"
God, seriously... Can you make him mute for just a week? How many times do I have to pray to you?!
"No. I'm his doctor, he's my patient. I forgot to write down that we had an appointment today."
"Bulls*it. He didn't even pay last week's consultation fee."
"Yes, he did. And he paid for today's session too didn't he, Kitagawa?"
"Oh...yes. I forgot! But I just remembered just now. He paid and...he booked."
This nurse is a terrible liar. But I guess it would do for now.
"Well, okay. If you say so, then I can't help it."
"I'm very sorry, Fuwa-sensei. Thank you for your consideration."
I wish a patient would vomit all over you!
"Well...you all can go now, too. It's not that I don't appreciate your efforts, but you make everyone uncomfortable."
The reluctant security guards lift their shoulders, then turns away as well.
"Perfect."
"Sensei..." I look back. Iwamoto is looking at me with a strange expression. His eyes are completely calm now, he doesn't look dangerous. "I..."
Iwamoto wants to say something, but the patients around us are still paying attention. It would be better to get out of here.
"Ah, Iwamoto-san, I'll give you your wife's results right away."
Da*n, I suck at lying too.
Author's Note:
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