"What? How is this even possible?!"
Dr. Lane stared at the CT scan in his hand, disbelief written all over his face.
In the image, there was an embryo resembling a mudskipper lodged near Peter's chest.
"Is this a tumor? No, it can't be! It's too close to your aorta. If it's a tumor in your heart's artery, it could seriously compromise your heart's function."
As he spoke, Dr. Lane turned to Peter and asked, "Have you ever experienced shortness of breath, a rapid heartbeat, or any other heart-related issues?"
"No, not yet."
Peter shook his head.
Since the doctor had mistaken the alien embryo for a tumor, Peter avoided having to explain the truth.
Shifting his gaze back to the CT scan, Peter frowned.
This was his first time seeing the alien embryo growing inside him.
It reminded him of the parasitic facehugger from the alien movies.
"If any of the major organs near your heart were to be damaged, you would die in seconds. It's a miracle you're still alive with something like this!"
Dr. Lane sounded amazed.
"But..." Peter hesitated for a moment before asking, "How likely is it that this tumor can be removed surgically?"
He knew it was unlikely, but he still held onto a glimmer of hope.
"It's impossible. It's connected to almost all of your major organs, not just your heart," Dr. Lane replied, shaking his head as he examined more of the CT scans. "Also, this doesn't look like a typical tumor. There seems to be a membrane around it, like an amniotic sac, which seems more like a protective layer—almost as if it's safeguarding you."
His earlier belief that it was a tumor was now in question.
"It seems to have its own biological activity, but how is that possible? How can such a creature live inside a human body?"
Dr. Lane's understanding of medicine, honed over more than a decade, was on the verge of collapse.
"If it's a parasite, how does it survive?"
His mind raced with thoughts, each one more baffling than the last.
Peter, ignoring the doctor's muttering, picked up the CT scan and studied it.
"Dr. Lane, whether it's a tumor or a parasite, what I want to know is: how can we stop its growth?"
Peter got straight to the point.
"If it were just a tumor, we could use standard drugs to inhibit its growth, but with something like this, I'm not sure drugs would be effective," Dr. Lane replied thoughtfully. "Are you worried it might damage your organs?"
"Yes. This thing is feeding off my body, growing, and one day it might even replace me," Peter said, voicing his fear.
"I don't think that's a concern for now," Dr. Lane said after a moment of thought. "If it were going to replace you, it would have already grown much faster."
He paused before continuing, "Although I don't fully understand what it is, given how closely it's connected to your organs, it seems to be acting more like a second heart than a destructive parasite."
Peter's expression shifted at those words.
"A second heart?"
He considered the changes in his body, wondering if the embryo's connection to his organs was somehow causing his genetic structure to evolve.
"Have you noticed any positive changes recently, like improved sleep or other enhancements?" Dr. Lane inquired.
"Actually, yes," Peter admitted.
Dr. Lane nodded and continued, "That aligns with my theory. The organism inside you not only absorbs nutrients but also seems to be offering some protection. Having two functioning hearts would certainly improve your overall health, including sleep. It seems to me like you're in a symbiotic relationship."
Peter pondered this for a moment, then lifted the CT scan again and pointed to the top of the embryo.
"I would be willing to believe in a symbiotic relationship, but look at this tulip-like structure," he said. "This looks like a sensory organ. I think something is growing inside it. This sensory organ might be meant for protection."
Though Peter knew he wouldn't die from the creature bursting out of his chest anytime soon, that didn't mean he could relax.
For now, the alien embryo's symbiotic nature gave him strength and protection, but its form still indicated that it had not finished growing. At some point, the hibernating embryo might wake up.
After hearing this, Dr. Lane nodded. "That's possible. But for now, I'm inclined to believe it's not a malignant tumor or a harmful parasite."
Seeing Peter remain silent, he added, "Since you're concerned about what might develop inside you, why don't you come in for regular check-ups? That way, we can monitor its changes closely. I'll keep this between us—no one else will know."
Peter wasn't about to trust Dr. Lane completely. However, as long as the doctor didn't keep any records, even if he did spill the secret, no one would believe him without evidence.
"If you make any suspicious moves, I'll deal with you immediately," Peter thought to himself.
"That sounds like a reasonable plan. I look forward to working with you," Peter said calmly, extending his hand for a handshake before leaving with the CT scans.
Meanwhile, Christine had been looking for Dr. Lane to inform him about an upcoming meeting.
As she reached his office, she saw Peter walking out.
Recognizing him as the man she had met earlier in the elevator, the one Strange seemed so concerned about, she watched him disappear down the hallway.
Once he was gone, she knocked on Dr. Lane's door.
"Dr. Lane, is the consultation finished?"
"Yes, it's all done," Dr. Lane replied, standing up and smiling at Christine as though everything was normal.
Later that evening, at around 9 PM, after a long day, Christine was getting ready to head home. While organizing some files on her computer, she suddenly had the urge to learn more about the man Strange was so interested in earlier.
Logging into the hospital's internal management system, she entered her credentials and searched for the diagnosis and treatment records under Dr. Lane's name.
According to hospital regulations, all patient data had to be entered into the system. However, for privacy reasons, only basic information like names could be accessed by non-treating doctors, with detailed symptoms visible only to the primary doctor.
To her surprise, Dr. Lane's patient file was completely empty.
Zero patients today.
But how could that be?
She had clearly seen someone leave his office earlier.
Had Dr. Lane deleted the medical records?
( End of the chapter)
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