Epilogue: Connecting Memories

Epilogue:
Connecting Memories

 

“It sounds like he did lose his short-term memory,” Cthulhy concluded.

“Ohhh.”

“But only his time in the lab has vanished,” Sapphee said. “He’s retained more recent memories.”

Lime was spread on the floor, her usual cheerful demeanor all but gone.

“There are many possible causes,” said Cthulhy.

“Like what?”

“Either Lime’s repairs were incomplete, or I made a mistake when I reconnected the nerves. It’s also possible that the surgery had nothing to do with it, and the memory loss was caused by his fall.”

“I see.”

There was still so much they didn’t know about the brain. Even Cthulhy couldn’t be sure what had happened.

“However, I don’t think his memories are completely lost,” she said.

“What?!”

“He remembers everything except for you, Lime. There’s no explanation for that. Perhaps it’s related to the shock of the injury or the effects of the surgery.”

“Oh! So, when…? When will he remember?!” she asked.

“I don’t know. It could be ten years, or twenty, or even longer.”

Lime had briefly returned to her human form, but upon hearing Cthulhy’s reply, she dissolved back into a blob. Sapphee could only imagine how unbearable it must be for her.

“But…” Cthulhy’s face was stern again. “Please avoid talking about the lab as much as possible.”

“Doctor?”

“Forcing someone to recall something can cause them a great deal of stress. As long as he remembers Sapphee, whom he was closest to… Lime, it would be better if you tried not to talk to Glenn.”

Lime was spread out on the floor, quivering. “Uhh…”

She would have to forget one of her closest friends.

“This is a secret the three of us must keep. And so, we will all go to Lindworm together.”

“Doctor?”

“If he does remember someday, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we were all in the same town?” Cthulhy smiled gently. “Lime, you’d better get studying.”

“Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse!”

Cthulhy had meant to encourage her, but it only made Lime cry more.

 

***

 

“Looking back now, we went through so much.”

Lime wiped her eyes. “I know! But…when will Glenn stop treating me like a stranger?”

She’d worked hard. Somehow, she’d wrangled permission to work at Lindworm Central Hospital. She didn’t have many opportunities to talk to Glenn, but she still had hope that he’d remember her someday.

“It must be rough, Lime.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t think I could handle it. I think my love is too burdensome.” Sapphee sighed.

She’d changed so much from when they were students. She had accepted her feelings, for one thing. Sapphee wondered how she would have felt if Glenn had forgotten about her instead of Lime. It made her chest feel tight.

“Sapphee…you remember what I told you, yeah?”

“Which time?”

Lime looked her in the eyes. “I told you that he wouldn’t forget everything.”

“You said that right before the surgery.”

“So…I have to believe the same thing. I have to believe that he’ll remember someday.”

“I see…”

Lime was a prisoner of her own words. She had nothing else to cling to.

Sapphee didn’t know how she could help. Maybe she’d put too much distance between them. She should have listened to Lime, and perhaps even responded to some of her ridiculous requests. How much pain was she hiding beneath that smile?

“By the way, did you meet with Molly?” Sapphee asked, trying to change the subject.

“Oh. M-my ancestor, yeah?” Lime looked away. “I mean, I think she’s an ancestor of mine, since she’s a shoggoth, but—”

“But?”

“When I see her, I get all puddly. I don’t know why. It’s like…I’m not myself. Maybe it’s because she’s stronger than me. If she were to suck me up, I wouldn’t be able to escape, yeah.”

Lime quivered. Molly wouldn’t ever absorb anyone. At least…probably not. But Lime’s instincts made her fear it.

“It seems like the medical revolution won’t come from slimes after all, but…what if my ancestors are skilled at healing?” Lime asked. “I want to talk to her about it, but every time I try, I shake like jelly.”

“You weren’t able to advance the slime treatment for partial lesions?”

“Apparently, other slimes couldn’t create internal organs as well as me. Cthulhy’s at her wit’s end. Everyone else takes too much time to even make veins, let alone attach them. I don’t know why I’m the only one who can do it well, yeah…”

“Hmm.”

Lime really was quite talented. Sapphee was impressed.

“But, well…I guess it’s because I can concentrate. If you can’t imagine it clearly in your mind, then it takes time to transform.”

“Oh, there you are.”

They turned to see Glenn enter the diner. Lime covered her mouth with both hands. How much had he heard?

“D-Dr. Glenn?!” she cried. “What about the clinic?”

“I took a short break. The fairies said you were here. Look!”

Glenn held up a basket. It was filled with limes.

“One of my regulars gave it to me. The farmer, Randy. He said the crop was good this year. These are for you, Miss Lime.”

“Huh? For me?”

“They’re your favorite, right? Please, take them.”

He’d remembered that? Sapphee couldn’t tell how much of Glenn’s memory was clear, and how much he’d lost.

Lime smiled awkwardly. “Oh, ohh… thank you, Glenn.” She was probably hesitant to say anything more.

“You’re always working so hard,” Glenn said.

“Oh, n-no, yeah…”

“I think it must be difficult to work under Dr. Cthulhy, but if you’d like, I hope we can study together again sometime, Miss Lime. I’m always looking to learn new medicine.”

Sapphee and Lime stared at him in surprise.

Even Glenn seemed taken aback at his own words. “Oh… we d-did study together before, right?”

Lime hesitated, then broke into a smile like a flower blooming. “Actually, we did, yeah! What, did you forget, Glenn?!”

“Ah, well, I was always studying…I don’t remember much else.”

“We all studied together! You, me, and Sapphee, yeah!” Lime was bouncing now, drawing very close to Glenn. “It’s fine! We can start making up for lost time by studying or doing anything else together.”

“Anything else…?”

Lime twisted around, flirting with him. “Ohhh, stop! Yeah?”

Sapphee sighed inwardly. She knew she should be happy that Glenn’s memory had returned, but…

“My break is just about over,” she said, poking Lime.

“Oh, meeahh!”

“Are you a cat? What kind of noise is that?”

“Doctor, we need to get to the clinic,” Sapphee said.

“Oh, y-yeah…”

“Wait! Just a little longer!” said Lime, taking Glenn’s hand. “Let’s talk just a little more!”

“S-sorry Miss Lime. We have afternoon exams. Next time.”

“Lime, how long do you have to play hooky before Dr. Cthulhy gets mad at you?” Sapphee asked. “She’ll cut your pay again.”

“Ahhh, you’re right. I should go, too.”

She was talking too loudly, but seeing Lime cheerful again made Sapphee smile. She had to admit, it was like a weight had lifted. It was as if the slime tissue connecting Glenn’s cranial nerves had…

Is it possible?

Glenn looked over at her as he took care of the bill. “Sapphee? What’s wrong?”

She hadn’t even noticed he was paying for her. “Oh, n-no, it’s nothing.”

Maybe the part of Lime that had been used to repair Glenn’s nerves had finally adapted to his body. Lime had said that she had to imagine it clearly.

That would be something.

She wondered what Cthulhy would have to say about this. Still, for now it was all just speculation. But, even if he didn’t fully remember yet, it seemed likely that the part of Lime that was inside Glenn might one day help him recover his memories.

Lime waved, a smile lighting up her whole face. “Glenn! Let’s hang out again sometime.”

Glenn returned the wave awkwardly.

“There are even more rivals now,” Sapphee muttered.

“Hmm? What are you talking about?”

“Oh, nothing,” she said.

She started down the road toward the clinic, struggling to keep a straight face.

Behind them, Lime stood in the middle of the street, waving at them until they were well out of sight.