hotmtlnovel Chapter 41
Chapter 41
As I opened my eyes in a hazy state of mind, a bright white ceiling came into view.
I heard the sound of water droplets falling in a rhythmic tap, tap.
Slowly turning my head to the right, I spotted a long support beam hanging with an IV bag.
The tube connected to the bag stretched long before reaching my right arm.
Since everything seemed to be connected awkwardly, I felt like I shouldn’t move, so I attempted to lift my body with my other arm.
But my body didn’t budge an inch.
Out of curiosity, I tilted my head slightly to the left and noticed the sleeve of my patient’s gown fluttering emptily.
I stared at it for a moment before letting out a bitter smile.
Right, that’s how it was.
I had lost my arm clear up to the shoulder.
Still, having already experienced the absence of a limb when I became a girl, I surprisingly found it manageable this time.
It wasn’t something that had vanished unexpectedly; it was by my own choice.
It wasn’t mentally exhausting, to be honest.
But then again...
...there was still a bit of emptiness.
*
“Ah, are you awake, patient?”
As I blankly lay there blinking, a nurse entered the room.@@@@
Nodding slightly from my reclining position, she greeted me with a warm smile.
“I’ve called the doctor, so please wait a moment. Are you feeling dizzy or is there anywhere that hurts?”
When she mentioned pain, I felt her glance briefly skim over my left arm.
Even with the kind smile on her face, there was undeniable sorrow in her eyes that she couldn’t quite conceal, so I smiled back and assured her that I was fine.
At that, the nurse’s eyes glistened slightly with unshed tears.
If someone in the medical field is that sensitive, it must be tough for them...
After wiping her tears, the nurse exited the room and not long after, a graying doctor entered, holding a chart.
Standing before me with a somber expression, the doctor opened his mouth.
“I’m truly sorry, but it seems that the only option now is to fit you with a prosthetic arm.”
With a serious look, the doctor continued explaining.
To summarize, since the severed arm was no longer there, reattachment was impossible.
I had been eaten by a monster and burned the arm along with it, so of course, it was out of the question.
He also mentioned that no matter how skilled a healing magician might be, restoring lost limbs isn’t possible unless it’s done right after the amputation.
The nerves and muscle tissues in the area had all necrosed due to my crude cauterization, but fortunately, using magic could restore that tissue well enough to attach another arm.
I was relieved to hear that.
Thanks to my ‘manly’ method of stopping the bleeding, I almost became completely one-armed.
I did it to survive, but it made me realize again that mimicking things I’d seen in comics was crazy.
There is research underway to create new bodies using genetic material, but since they can only develop them for regular folks right now, the doctor recommended a prosthetic instead.
The only problem was that I was broke, with no money for the prosthetic.
“But, patient, did you ever receive healing magic for a serious injury when you were a kid?”
While I was worried about the money, the doctor suddenly asked that.
Not knowing anything about my past, I remained silent. The doctor locked eyes with me and insisted gently.
“Whatever happened, your body’s natural healing ability is currently quite low. This time, it was fortunate that someone brought you to the hospital quickly, but if you get hurt when no one is around to treat you, cauterizing the wound like you did could lead to internal bleeding and seriously endanger your life, so you need to be careful. Do you understand?”
The doctor seemed very earnest, and I nodded reflexively.
He was saying that even a small injury could lead to death.
To be honest, I preferred not to get hurt, but that seemed like a tall order in this world.
12,493 people, huh.
If I saved that many with just one arm, I should be feeling happy about it.
It felt unreal, possibly because the number was so large.
I lay there zoned out before drifting off to sleep.
*
When I woke up, it was dusk.
Hearing rustling sounds beside me, I turned to see a girl with short black hair and glasses.
She was sitting on the left side of the bed, looking at me with wide, shocked eyes.
Her round eyes, suddenly filled with alarm, quickly brimmed with tears.
Mei, wanting to say something, ultimately just clutched the loose sleeve of my left arm with both hands.
Was she having trouble organizing her thoughts?
But I could understand without words what she wanted to express.
She probably wanted to ask why I had to go through that.
So, I asked her.
“What day is it today?”
“...Tuesday.”
She answered softly.
Tuesday.
So it was Tuesday.
Even though Monday had passed, she was still right here by my side.
She was alive.
Now realizing something that felt unreal before, a smile crept onto my face.
“You know, about Friday...”
Even with my arm gone, I smiled and could tell her.
“A classmate promised to make chocolate for me.”
That was my answer to the unasked question she had.
A classmate.
Even if I still could only refer to her that way.
Upon hearing my words, she hugged me tightly, her eyes watery.
The warmth of a single individual felt more real than the number 12,493.
Just that warmth was a sufficient reason to have sacrificed my left arm.
The warmth flowing from her eyes filled my heart, more than enough to overflow the emptiness on my left side.
That warmth stirred a desire within me.
I wanted to become closer, not just classmates.
But was it really okay for me to feel that way?
At that moment, as I pondered those questions,
She murmured softly from within my embrace with a quivering voice.
“...You idiot. Don’t call me ‘classmate’...”
Words she hadn’t been able to say to me all this time.
Those were the very words I had longed to hear at that moment.
Joyous, truly joyous.
“Alright, Mei.”
For the first time, I said her name
With a smile, amidst the softly glowing flames.