Talent Reborn
Episode 17: The Medical Relief Mission
A Sudden Departure
Haruto barely had time to process his conversation with Renji before his phone buzzed.
An emergency mission.
A medical relief team was being sent abroad—to a remote village struck by a sudden epidemic.
And Haruto had been personally requested to join.
When he arrived at the hospital briefing room, Dr. Ayaka Tachibana was already there, reviewing reports.
She glanced up. "You got the call too?"
Haruto nodded. "What's the situation?"
Ayaka sighed. "Fever, seizures, internal bleeding. The local hospitals are overwhelmed. They think it might be a viral outbreak."
Haruto frowned. "Confirmed diagnosis?"
She shook her head. "Not yet. And that's what worries me."
The briefing continued. They would be flying out in the next six hours.
And once they landed—it would be a race against time.
Arrival in the Crisis Zone
The moment their plane touched down, chaos awaited them.
Patients lay on makeshift beds, IV drips hanging from poles. The scent of antiseptic mixed with the metallic tang of blood.
Doctors were running out of supplies.
Nurses were collapsing from exhaustion.
And worst of all—the death toll was rising.
Haruto clenched his jaw. "We need to work fast."
Ayaka nodded. "We'll split up. I'll assist in the ICU. You gather data on the symptoms."
As Haruto moved through the crowded tents, he studied each patient carefully.
Fever. Coughing. Internal bleeding.
But there was something strange.
The symptoms varied wildly.
Some patients recovered quickly. Others deteriorated within hours.
Haruto's gut told him—this wasn't a normal virus.
And then—
A child's body seized violently right in front of him.
The Mystery Disease
Haruto rushed forward, catching the boy before he collapsed.
His skin was burning hot. His breathing was ragged.
Then—his eyes rolled back.
"Doctor!" a nurse screamed.
Haruto acted fast. He copied the technique of an emergency specialist he had once observed, stabilizing the child's airway.
But the moment he checked the blood test results—his hands froze.
Something was wrong.
The virus wasn't just attacking the immune system.
It was mutating.
Haruto's mind raced. If this continued—
No treatment would work.
They needed to find the source.
Fast.
The Race Against Time
That night, Haruto and Ayaka poured over medical data.
"I don't get it," Ayaka muttered. "Some patients recover, others don't. Why?"
Haruto frowned. "It's almost like…" His eyes widened.
A pattern.
The ones who survived had something in common.
A specific genetic marker.
"This isn't a normal outbreak," Haruto whispered. "It's targeted."
Ayaka's face paled. "You mean—"
Before she could finish, a nurse burst into the tent.
"Doctor! We have a problem—one of our own doctors just collapsed!"
Haruto and Ayaka rushed out.
Because if the virus had begun infecting the medical team—
Their time was running out.
End of Episode 17.